Ellie's Day Out

 Ellie is our runner. She doesn't run away, she just loves to run! She has a good time walking and loves our new neighborhood here in California! When that harness goes on she is ready to go! She's happy and bouncy and you can just feel the excitement. There is no gated dog park here in the neighborhood, so I walk her as fast as I'm able on her walk. I just know that she wants to run.

It was time for a dog day out! 

You might wonder why she was getting this special day. Well, Maddie has trouble with her hips and back, being a Lab/Great Dane mix, this is normal and she's 9 years old. She gets her walk, but it's slow and short. At the dog park all she wants to do is chase a ball. All day. We have to limit her running or she has a horrible painful day after. Annabell rambles around, sniffing and grazing. She doesn't care about socializing, really. And Bailey. Well, Bailey can't be trusted. She's developed a nipping issue and since we don't really know what triggers her, we don't feel comfortable taking her around other dogs, especially off leash.

Ellie, however, will take a torturous car ride in hopes of a dog park destination any time. 

She sits in the back with her head pressed in-between the front seats, head hanging low, not watching out the windows at all until she feels us coming to a stop, then she'll look up and glance around looking for the ever hopeful sign of a dog park. I don't think she likes riding in the car. She loves the idea of the ride, but just wants to get to where we are going and then go home. 

Mary has physical therapy on Thursday and Ellie is often the topic of conversation, so she mentioned to them last week that we would have Ellie along and they all wanted to meet her! I went into the office and the first thing the receptionist asked was if Ellie was here. I wanted to get permission to bring her in first. 

Of course, Ellie was nervous. Her rapid sniffing as we approached the door to go in told me she was trying to identify the smell and I hoped she would recognize that this was not, in fact, the vet and she would relax a little. 

We only went into the front of the office, where everyone came over to greet her. She was nervous, but okay with meeting people. She felt comfortable enough after a couple pets to hop up in one of the two chairs there in the reception area. She popped up, turned around and plopped herself into that chair like she was a patient waiting for her scheduled time!

There were three or four other people there for their appointments, so there was a lot of new noises and activity that made Ellie nervous, and we didn't plan on being in there long, just a little meet and greet. One woman was done with her therapy and she was just delighted to see Ellie there in the lobby. She walked right up and sat down as I told her about Ellie and she was okay to pet. Ellie didn't hesitate. There was a quick, cautious sniff, but then she just started kissing the lady's hand and rubbing up along side her, wagging and clearly happy to visit her. I was worried she'd try and jump in her lap, she was that happy. We sat and chatted a couple minutes then the lady told me her daughter was probably wondering where she was, as she was out in the car waiting for her. I told her I'd walk her out, if she'd like, so Ellie and I headed out the door while Mary was doing her PT thing.

Mary is usually there for an hour or so, so I drove to the neighborhood adjoining the businesses there, certain there would be a park where Ellie could get out and walk for a while, instead of sitting in the car. A beautiful little park next to a school was found and off we went! She was hesitant, it was someplace new, but she bounced down the path with a happy wagging tail.

She wandered through the grass, following her nose and all the smells that were new and interesting until she found the right place to, well, you know. Doggie bags at the ready, I picked up her masterpiece and continued through the park. 

Ellie bounced around after seeing another dog, hoping that this new stranger would want to play, but, alas, it was not to be. She did spot the car while she was mournfully watching this other dog walk away from us and once that happened, all she wanted was to go back to the car.

 

She headed back to the car with no sideways glance at anything! 

We found a semi-shady parking spot by the office, left the car running and the air on and waited for Mary to emerge from the office that was not the vet.

I was backed into the spot, so Ellie just kept an eye on the door.

She finally lay down for a while, but was hopeful when she heard another car pull up next to us.

There was a doggo in that car! She could see it bouncing around, but there was no greeting, much to her dismay.

It wasn't too terribly long before Mary emerged and Ellie was SO happy! No cone on Mom's neck, so it most definitely Not a vet.

The excitement only got higher when she saw it was lunch time and she got her own little bowl of chicken.

We headed over to the dog park in hopes of finding another dog or two for Ellie to run with. (She also had the last little bit of her lunch.)

As we got to the gates it looked like the park was empty! As luck would have it, though, off at the other end of the park we saw someone with their two dogs coming our way. 

We chatted with the dog's owner for a long time while Ellie and her two dogs got to know each other. As we talked other people started coming into the park. Ellie designated herself as greeter and happily ran to meet each new potential friend! 

It was really good to see her out and running so happily with all the other dogs! She really needed a good dog day.