No Ball? No problem!
Yesterday I had to go to an early acupuncture appointment. I had given Ms. Caira Sue no indication she was going anywhere. I hadn’t touched a leash, her harness or anything I normally take with her on a car trip. But for some reason she had it in her head she was going with me. She followed me to the door dancing with a great big smile on her face. She actually did a tripawd twirl and spun around several times!
I told her I wasn’t going anywhere interesting. She smiled and jumped and twirled and said “I don’t care! I’m going on a road trip! I’m going on a road trip!”
I told her she would be stuck in the car for an hour. She smiled and jumped and twirled and said “I don’t care! You are taking me on a road trip!”
I told her it was no place for dogs. She stomped her feet. I swear. She used that voice that only a 7 year old can use and said “But I WANNA go! Why can’t I go00000000?!?!?!” (Stomp Stomp).
So I took her with me. My acupuncturist came out after my appointment to meet her and (as Caira was bounding around her feet) started giggling and said “she never needed 4 legs, did she? That was just extra!” Yep.
Then I took her for a walk along the waterway. Nothing fancy, but it’s next to the office. There’s a nice little gravel path and I noticed a few other dog owners with their dogs. I let Caira off leash.
Caira Sue did her “I’m a dork” act. She’s done this since she was a puppy. She gets so excited about chasing a ball, she will run in front of you….backwards….jumping….up and down…in your face with the stupidest of happy looks on her face. It took her about 6 weeks after her amp to start that up again. We had kinda hoped maybe she’d let the “I’m a dork” act go after the surgery. I mean, she’s really too big to be jumping in your face, backwards, while you walk on a trail! Oh well.
So, we are walking and she is doing her “I’m a dork” act. She keeps saying “OK! Throw the BALL! Throooooooow the BALLLLLL!” Here’s the problem. I don’t have a ball. I forgot to bring a ball. Really. I know. It’s pretty pathetic. Everyone who knows Caira Sue knows I must have been completely MAD to forget a ball.
I tell her, “I have no ball. Go, just be a dog. Go, run and sniff things.” But she keeps up the “I’m a dork” bounce. I stop. She stops in anticipation. I say “GO! I don’t have a ball!” She looks at me and turns and runs down to the water.
Finally. I can walk! I took 6 steps, maybe 7. Here comes Caira Sue with a wet, soggy, perfect tennis ball. She plops in at my feet and just looks up with the biggest, happiest of grins.
Problem solved.