DOGS

1. 

Today Alfred (my house-cleaner/yard man/handyman) came to work in the house and yard.  Luci likes Alfred a lot.

She actually likes everybody a lot.

I left Luci with Alfred for a half hour while I went to the hardware store.  She's never been left with anyone, but I figured she'd be fine at home with someone she likes. While I was away, she howled the entire time and ran from room to room looking for me.  Alfred tried to distract her but she refused to be distracted from the issue at hand.

After I returned, she did her Wild Welcome Home jump and even jumped on Alfred--as if to say, "She's home!  You can stop worrying now." 

For separation anxiety, Joy and Alfred both suggested getting her a peanut butter Kong to chew on.  I already got her one, but it's nowhere to be found.  I'm pretty sure she buried it in the yard.

On the January day that Janet brought Luci for me to "just look at," Luci put her head on my shoulder and I fell quite over the moon in love with her. 

She was shy back then--in January.  Shy and recovering from surgery and a series of transports from one place to another.  For the first week or so, I had no clue that she could run like the wind--which she can and does every chance she gets.  I expected her to be a sedate little lap dog, but no. 

She makes me laugh every single day as she soars from one ball to another, then chooses one and tries to tempt me to catch her, ducking her head and going into high gear if I get remotely close.  You'd think once in a while she'd give me a freebie, but she's not that kind of girl. 

2.

Victoria highly recommend a book called A Three Dog Life--which I've just downloaded. 

Australian Aborigines stept with their dogs for warmth on cold nights, the coldest being a "three dog night."

Wikipedia

3. 

Netflix has a wonderful new series called DOGS.  The first episode is about medical alert dogs trained to alert parents of children with epilepsy when the child has a seizure. 

These dogs are trained from birth--much as seeing eye dogs are--to bond with the child with a particular disability.  

The second episode is so intense and beautifully done that I couldn't stop until I'd seen it all the way to the end.  A young Syrian refugee resettles in Berlin.  He knows that he may never see his family or friends again--or his dog, Zeus.  

I will force myself to stop watching for the night--but this series is not to be missed if you're a dog lover.