There’s no place like home…..

(thanks to Lane Conrad for taking the time to send me the letter from dog camp which gave me the idea and some information for this post.)

Well soon I’ll be back at the old homestead, out on my beat so to speak.  There will be so much pee mail to catch up on that it might take a few days to figure out who’s  in town, who’s on vacation, who is pregnant (yes, it happens even to the nicest bitch), who had some unmentionables chopped off, things like that. I’ve had a blast hanging out with Lane and family but all good things must come to an end, eh? 

Phewf….I heard Lane on the phone asking if she should give me a haircut.  It was obvious she didn’t want to  but she likes to let owners think they have some input into our well being, even while we are still down on the farm.     I panicked.  Luckily my owner remembered how much my fur coat  comes in handy on those blizzardy days!  We are still having the debate about fur left in between my paw pads or  removing all the fur for winter walks.   I don’t even have an opinion at this point.   I think we’ve tried everything to prevent those ice balls from forming and cutting into  my feet…  and fur or no fur seems to  make no difference.  But a big thick layer of VASELINE on each delicate paw definitely works.   That seems to keep my little feet marching along the sidewalks and trails of Telluride no matter what the weather. And a little shout out here to all the people who buy the special salt that protects my little pads from excruciating pain as I wander around. Thanks guys.  Regular Salt burns! (what else would you expect since  it is used to melt ice …melting  takes heat right?)

Anyway I’m still down at Lane and Dan’s Wash-n-Watch  Dogs….cageless boarding.  Yeah, you heard right. Cageless boarding.  It is the only way to go.  Living in style with your compadres, how bad is that?  It is just so freeing to spend my days with a pack of my own species.   They just '”get me” eh? Talk about letting my fur down; all dogs should try visiting.  Getting inside or outside is all done courtesy of our own fabulous dog door.   You can hang with all the dogs at dog camp or you can find a small corner to call your own and soak up some  rays in peace and quiet. It’s sort of like being part of an eclectic dog commune.  You get all types you know..the dog who can’t wait to eat, the dog who has a fussy appetite, the keener who always knows the answer to every question, the whiner, the hypochondriac,  the guy who thinks he’s in charge until he quickly finds out Lane is in charge, and so on.  I love just lying back and watching all the other dogs figure out how they fit into this puzzle we have created by all living together as family.  Given the fact I’m sure I  was adopted by gypsies,  I spend a fair amount of time down here.  It’s cool.

It was getting wintery up in Telluride so I take  advantage of the lower elevation to warm my old bones a bit before winter really sets in.  I wasn’t counting on the mud but hey mud is fun too…  only little lap dogs whine about mud because it forms a trap and those little match sticks they call legs get stuck! 

Now you’ve seen my photo right.  Let’s face it I’m one gorgeous canine.   I  have the temperament of an angel.  I’m impervious to gossip and try to only speak nicely of the other dogs. I’m a do unto others kind of girl.(I will admit to vanity but  since I’m a superior specimen ...oh well enough said.)   All of these things work in my favour since I’m now a recipient of the   "upgraded package", which means that I get to spend all my time in the "people”  living room, and I get to sleep in Justis' bedroom at night (I also get to chew on bones regularly, cause I'm well-behaved and don't start fights by taking all  the bones just for me.) 

  The other dogs stay in the "dog living room and kitchen" and sleep in Lane and Dan's room - where there's lots of bed space, but I prefer a bit more stretching-out room. And to be  truthful, it is so wonderful sleeping near someone who could care less that I snore.  My owner often gets in a bit of foot action against my hip telling me to “shhhhh, “ and “Casey QUIT it.”  Justis is  a lot  friendlier and nicer about my breathing issues.   Funny how at home I”m cute when I snore and dream at the foot of  the couch  and a royal pain in the behind when I do the same thing  at the foot of the bed.    

I just got in from playing in the  the dog yard - it's neat cause it's got some bunk beds, a sofa, a sand box, and these cool tunnels you can run through.  Radigan likes to throw the ball for all of us to chase  - and both boys like to sit  and read and  hang out with us.  I learned how to use the dog door in about 5 minutes - cause all the other dogs showed me how. Lane is pretty particular  in making sure we are all nice dogs so that we can be compatible.  Of course I will come and be pattable…..don’t all dogs do  that?

Today was  a red letter day.  I spent some time  doing chores with Lane.  We fed the pigs, the sheep, the horse, and all the chickens.   It's fun, but they frown on me chasing the birds. I'd like to chase the   sheep too , but they're on the other side of the fence.  The pigs would like to taste me  so I keep my distance.   Yael came home from Indian Ridge Farms  this summer and told my owner lots of pig stories and they sound really scary. 

Ohhhhhh boy - it's dinner time!  I'd love to eat everyone else's too, but everyone's fed separately because just like people we all have our own diets.   No fair.  Also, Lane's kept me on the dog food/pumpkin  diet, so I lost quite a bit of weight and now look stunning! 

Only one thing remains to do before I head home .  I need to  have my bath, have a good brushing and get my toenails trimmed. 

Time to go back to my regular abode but  I will miss everybody.    My owners don’t even cross my mind when I’m here because there is just too much going on.  The weird part is once I leave I really don’t think about Lane and Dan either; call me fickle.  I call it being a dog.  See ya later.

Wash-N-WatchDogs

No-Cage Boarding in our Country home!

(970-864-7626 cell 970-729)

http://www.washnwatchdogs.com/

 

Flickr Tags: Telluride,Wash-n-WatchDogs,dog camp,no-cage boarding

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