We’ve been in the Adirodacks for 2 full days now. The dogs are in love with the place all over again, especially now that Maxwell can be (mostly) trusted off-leash. They rough-house in the woods, chase each other up and down the hills, and play fetch in the lake.
Maxwell does have the unfortunate habit of wanting to make friends all the time. See some kids swimming a few docks down? Run along the shore to go greet them. Or maybe he thinks they need saving… not entirely sure. Even better was when it turned out that those kids belonged to another dog! A gigantic, friendly black Great Dane, who absolutely dwarfed my little Aussie. I was glad Maxwell was wearing his drag-line, since I had to physically haul him back home. I’ve got some leftover bacon that says he’ll be getting better at his recalls this week...
We also had a major breakthrough yesterday. Sadie is an excellent swimmer, and will play fetch in the water until she practically can’t move any more. Maxwell has always been willing to walk in up to his belly, but was afraid to swim. Even for a tennis ball, he would practically have a heart attack in anxiety rather than take one step past standing depth to grab it. In an effort to make him more confident, I ordered him a life vest. And thus, I created a monster.
Totally fearless, Maxwell will swim as far as he must to retrieve in the lake
In fact, he’ll even challenge Sadie for the toy, though with her size advantage and webbed feet, she nearly always wins.
He nearly always just lets her have it as soon as she gets to him
With all this exercise, the pups are eating a ton. They normally get 1 cup of kibble twice a day, plus a few treats. Here, they are getting 1.5 cups twice a day, plus treats, plus our dinner leftovers. Monday night they feasted better than most humans on flank steak, potato and yam skins, and steamed broccoli. It was such high-value food that Sadie’s brain seemed to shut down. She jumped and spun in anticipation and had a hard time settling enough to get any training done.
Their energy levels are completely different. Yes, I knew that when I first got my little man, but it’s incredibly clear here. After a good romp and swim, Sadie wants to curl up on a couch and snooze.
The smell of Boyfriend feet always makes a nap that much better
Maxwell will spend the next hour pacing around the house, or chasing any bugs that got inside, or pestering me for attention. It’s only after a prolonged period of quiet that this happens:
Just don't tell my mom he was sleeping on the guest bed...
They twitch and woof so adorably when they’re exhausted.
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