Crazy Puppy! The Busy Bone Debacle

I try not to compare Bodie to my sweet Willie but sometimes it is really very difficult.  I could buy Willie a Busy Bone and he would be happily occupied for about an hour just chewing away.  It left a bit of a mess on the carpet, but that could be easily cleaned up.  So, I thought that a Busy Bone would be a great thing for Bodie also. 

 

We gave Bodie one this weekend.  The puppy has been occupied, but he is not happy.  He spends hours looking for some place to hide the Busy Bone, then he will leave it alone for a little while, then he grabs the chewie again and try to find another place to stash it.  He only relaxed after we finally let him take it outside. Bodie hid the Busy Bone somewhere in our large backyard.  I never thought that buying the dog a chewie would be so cruel!!!

Sharing Jolly Ball Update

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Bodie sharing his favorite toy with a neighborhood dog, Jack.  Well, I have a sad update to the story.  Just a couple of days after we gifted Jack with his very own Jolly Ball, Jack's owner passes away.  I am a bit surprised at how hard this has hit me.

 

Jack's owner is someone I have know for quite a while.  He was a good guy, but troubled.  He spent years trying to rid himself of his addiction to drugs and alcohol.  After many attempts, he finally broke free and had been clean and sober for more than a year.  He reconnected with his son and was planning a visit to see him for the first time in years.

 

When we gave him the Romp-N-Roll for Jack, he actually cried.  He said it was the first gift he had received in years.  He hugged the toy and told us how much it meant to him.  Two days later, the day before he was flying to California to reconnect with his son, he passed away from a heart attack.  It breaks my heart.  The only positive I can take away is we had an opportunity to bring a smile to his face.

Dog Days of Summer

Bodie is an energetic, lively dog.  The way he runs around backyard is a sight to behold.  If he is barking at someone out front and he hears activity on the trails, he can run faster than any previous dog I have owned!  He has worn a racetrack around the backyard.  When Bodie is having fun, it can almost be impossible to bring him into the house.  But it has been really hot here in the Pacific Northwest lately, and it is much easier to bring to get his attention.  Just ask if he wants fresh water and he runs for the back door!

German Shepherd Sharing a Jolly Ball?

Bodie has a friend in the neighborhood who lives just a couple of doors down.  Jack is  another big dog that is misunderstood by most people. He is a mixed breed with a lot of Rottweiler.  A noisy and rambunctious puppy that people tend to assume is aggressive, but he is a very sweet boy.  Recently, Jack had to go to the vet for some emergency surgery.  Poor puppy!  He had to have some rocks removed from his digestive system.  Oh, the things dogs decide to eat!  So, Bodie decided to share his favorite toy, his Jolly Ball Romp-n-Roll.  Except Bodie cannot quite let go so Jack is getting his very own! :D

Mine, mine mine!

Beautiful Bodie Showing off his Jolly Ball Collection

I have been on the fringes of the dog show world enough to know that I am not suited for it!  I appreciate  a well-bred dog, but I get highly offended if anyone criticizes my baby.  But here is Bodie pretending to be a show dog, stacking naturally. :)  With some of his Jolly Balls!

Nurse Bodie

You know how you can start to recognize different kinds of barks?  Well, Bodie has a play bark, an alert bark, and an everyone better know that I am guarding the neighborhood bark.  Today I heard a brand new bark.  My sweetie was in the bathroom and Bodie started a barking I have never heard before.  I rushed over and she was being sick.  Bodie did not like that she was feeling unwell and wanted to make sure that I knew he was worried about her!  I liked that he was so worried about her.

Puppy Progress

Bodie is soooo much better in the backyard!  We think the longline did its job, enough that we have not been using it this week.  He comes in when we want him to, and the barking has really calmed down.  He still barks, of course, especially with noisy trail users, but it is not the frantic barking from earlier in the summer.

I just wonder how he will react when we have a handyman come to the house today?  I will be at work, so my sweetie will have to handle it.  I hope it goes smoothly.