The BigFoot Club

It was 96 at around 10 p.m. on Sunday, and the dogs had been inside all day while we went to the fair.  (I know that summers were good for fairs at one time, but it’s a blistering experience these days.)  So, they had one day without exercise.  Yesterday, I had too much on the schedule, and they had to stay home.  They were gated into different areas because the Party Girl likes to stir things up, and she and the Boston Terrier like to dare each other to do something naughty!  However, she has been a very good girl for a long time, and I’ve made a few brags about her in the past few months.  Still, I didn’t want to take a chance with Parker having trouble from the impact of rough play on existing arthritic change.  At 9.5 years, he can’t handle the brawls as well.  At TWO days – count them – Sun., Mon. – she was coming undone at the seams.  She chased a cat last night, which may have wiped out the confidence that they were beginning to have in her.  She got into a play rumble with Parker, and he was an active participant.  She was on fire!  You should hear the sounds!

This girl can use her full faculties for sound-making in ways that are unique to Jade.  I can’t describe some of them, but one is when she does a greeting yawn.  She sticks her tongue out as part of a long stretch-bow, and that tongue is surprisingly long, and she makes resonating, rythmic sounds as she inhales.  You would not want to hear that in the dark if you didn’t know what was making the sound.  The less exercise she gets, the more wired she is.  That much is pretty typical for a Newf.  I had run out of graces last night, so this morning we took a very short walk in the heat (90s by 8 a.m.)  After weeks of 100+ degree weather, the humidity is low enough that they can tolerate short walks for most mornings if we leave early enough.

Parker doesn’t like walking on the heated asphalt, and I can’t blame him, but that’s what we have for a walking surface without getting into the tick zone.  Would much rather have a trail with a natural surface that doesn’t retain heat, but away from ticks!

Hopefully the exercise benefit from this walk will last until the afternoon.  That may be optimistic on my part.  The air conditioning at work is struggling with the heat, so I’m planning to leave them at home through the end of the week.  It looks like this will be a long week!