Well, Rusty and Skally are getting along famously. There was one instance where Rusty knocked Skally when we were leaving for our morning walk, and Skally "vented" on Rusty - he certainly took notice! But, since then, they seem to be doing fine. I did have the talk with Skally that she was a hunter and he was a herder, so it was fine they had different jobs, but he was her underling. That seemed to do the trick.
Since then, we have visited with Miss Yvonne and her cat, Nitro, for lunch. The dogs wandered around her yard - Skally kept schlepping through the gardens, much to Miss Y's chagrin, until she had to be leashed and kept by my side. Rusty, just kept near me - apparently hoping I wasn't leaving him. Well, he got his wish, of course.
We also went to PetUtopia for the Doggie Spa Day. No, we didn't get the pawdicures, or the massages, but we did buy some things for noshes, and they had their pictures taken by Aaron McNally from 12amphotography. They are marvelous pictures. When I posted them, I received all sorts of comments on Facebook, and other people came up to me to compliment them. I would certainly expect no less of my pups and their photos - they are the most beautiful critters in the world!
Last weekend, we headed up north to Port Angeles to spend the weekend with my mum. Of course, Skally spent the entire trip with her head out the window enjoying the freeway breezes! I was a little concerned, as she stayed in the backseat with Rusty, but then I figured they were bonding. We finally arrived around 930 pm to Mum's. When she first saw Rusty, she said, "Oh my God! He's huge! He's as big as a piece of furiture!" I assured her he had lost a ton of weight (which he has - probably close to 15 pounds), and she would appreciate him. She did. But she has a strong affinity for Skally - I overheard her talking to Skally, spoiling her - she later denied it, but it did my heart good.
We went for a walk on Ediz Hook, where I was happily surprised to see Rusty hopping on logs and moving gracefully over them. His back legs are much stronger now! He got more workouts when we went to Salt Creek Park, and Lincoln Park. They spent most of that time off leash, rushing through the woods, brush, and Skally immersed herself often in the waters, either of the resevoir, or the straits. She was in heaven, as was Rusty.
ON the day we left, we headed out to Port Williams, and Mum wasn't feeling so good. The tide was rather high, and we had to do some extra climbing to get to the real beach, which is more of a marsh and spit. As Mum was feeling so ill, we decided to head to a park in Sequim, where they ran and ran. Of course it wasn't really legal, but they are creatures of the wild. Skally went into the creek, and Rusty simply marched by my side.
We headed home, and hadn't seen much rain. Skally rode in the front seat with, of course, her head out the window, enjoying the cool breezes along 101 and the Hood's Canal. Then it began to rain. Did this stop her? Certainly Not! By the time we stopped for a rest break just outside Hoodsport at Potlatch Park, her head and upper toro were soaked. So, as I closed the window before we got out, she shook all over the interior. I was not amused.
From there, She decided to remain in the back seat, much to Rusty's annoyance. He refused to move over closer to the other window, so Skally straddled him as she kept her head out the window for the next 2.5 hours. Once in a while, though, she re-adjusted, and her feet went into Rusty (he still wouldn't budge. I swear he's ever so stubborn!)and he barked at her. But, she decided it was her car, first, so he could move. Two bull-headed pups.
Monday night, I realized Skally was not walking properly. I watched her closely, and her left leg seemed to be quite stiff. This was concerning. So, I gave her a little hip massage, and she went to sleep in the bed, where I joined her. Eventually, she left and went to the hallway.
Tuesday, we went for an abbreviated walk, as the weather was rather moist, and neither seemed interested in anything longer. She was still stiff. And more so, and demonstrating some pain that night. So I massaged her a bit more - hoping that the morning would find decent weather for a goodly walk, where we could actually go out.
We did head to PetSmart for some snacks (Duck and Yams), and they had a marvelous time sniffing about. After 20 minutes, though, it was time to leave. We came home, did our regular routine and went to bed.
This morning, we got up, and she seemed to be moving much better. Perhaps it was the car ride and the straddling that got her. We had a good hour plus walk at a very nice pace - Rusty, many times, leading the way, and when they were both off leash, he was trotting after Skally! Usually, he's lagged behind. Another sign of progress!
So, now we're home, about to eat our breakfast before I head off to work. This evening, I'm hoping the weather holds out and we can convene with Sonny and Aaron at the park for them to play. It would do us all some good!
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