The days are speeding by here... we've been busy with company, busy with errands, and busy with Savannah. We just got back from the dog park a little while ago. Our weather has been sunny and warm in the afternoons and we've been taking advantage of these pretty days because they could turn frigid in a heart-beat. (Frigid for central Texas, not exactly what would be called 'frigid' up north.)
We got to the park today and there were half a dozen dogs running around the big-dog park. Savannah immediately started running towards the dogs with her tail wagging and she was happily welcomed by all. There was a one-year-old Husky/Shepard mix that seemed to be a bit on the aggressive side and I was worried at first, but Savannah knew exactly what to do... she just sat right down and let that dog sniff her and after a minute or so everything was fine.
All of those dogs were gone within fifteen minutes, and then two more dogs arrived... a dog named Lucy that we'd seen there before, and another huge Chocolate Lab mix that only wanted to jump into the pool and retrieve his toy. Savannah was chasing a tennis ball with Lucy for a good long while, and then she put the ball down at the edge of the pool and used her nose to push it into the deep center of the water. There is a net on a long pole there for people to use to retrieve toys, and that's what we did... I didn't want Savannah jumping into that water. I'm sure it wasn't as warm as it looked, and because of all the winds and rain we had last week, I doubt the water was as clean as it usually is.
This was our first trip to the dog park that we didn't have to chase down Savannah to get her out of the park and into the car. She just followed us to the gate and then through the first gate, and my husband slipped her leash on before getting to the second gate which leads to the parking lot. Finally, finally, I can honestly believe that Savannah knows we're her 'people' and where we go, she has to go.
Yesterday, three of my husband's best students came to the house for lunch. I didn't think Savannah would make a fuss and start barking at them, and she didn't--- mainly because I went out to the driveway to meet them and we all walked into the house together. Savannah wouldn't go near the students, so they said hello from a distance, staying in the kitchen while Savannah sat in her bed in the breakfast room (still her safe place). We all had lunch in the dining room and Savannah just slept in her bed and was very quiet for the afternoon.
We've let Savannah into the dining room so she could see the big Christmas tree, and her eyes inspected that tree from top to bottom and from side to side, but she didn't touch a branch or disturb an ornament. I think she was more interested in the dining room as a whole rather than just the tree. Whatever was in her puppy mind, I was just glad that she didn't start pulling at the tree or the other decorations. It seems to me that she saves her rough play for the dog park, and that's perfect as far as I'm concerned.
Next week, our young friend Corey will be here for a few days and nights. Corey unquestionably loves all animals, and she has seen Savannah's pictures but they haven't met yet. Corey was in our lives for all the years we had Gracie, so she clearly knows that our pets are our kids, and that's how Corey treats her own pets as well. For over a year now, Corey has been taking care of and training her horse, Tallahatchie, and that bond between girl and horse was made in heaven. I'm hoping beyond all hope that Savannah will give Corey a chance to get close next week, instead of giving her the cold puppy-shoulder as she usually does with strangers.
Busy, busy, busy... with not enough hours in every day here this month. And the closer we get to Christmas Eve and Day, the faster the time is speeding by. This will be Savannah's first Christmas.... and so far, she's been a very good puppy. Except for those moments when she is, indeed, still a puppy and very unpredictable when the wind is blowing leaves outside and one of our cats runs across the lawn or a loud truck goes up the road here. Thankfully, Savannah's crazy-puppy moments are few and far between her old-soul perfect-puppy moments.
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