Canine Reflections
Last Autumn we started noticing bare spots on Majo's back. It caused a bit of a ruckus within the family, but I successfully lobbied to let the dog sleep inside. We set up the crate kennel, and the dog spent quite a bit of time inside. Eventually my dad made the decision that the dog needed to spend the lion's share of her time inside, though he humored me by letting me bring her in at night. The spots got a little bit better, but never really recovered.
Since Autumn, I'd been putting the dog out in the outdoor kennel every morning and bringing her in every night. That gave her more attention than just being fed every night, and I got into the habit of letting her run around the yard, investigating the various odors of our back garden, leaving her mark on the lawn. Most of the time, when I told her to come on, she'd finish sniffing whatever it was she was sniffing, and then she'd sprint ahead of me into the garage.
It was a hassle, especially on late nights when I came home from the radio station and had to take an additional five minutes away from my bed. Even so, I think that those bare spots on her back were a blessing in the end, for both her and I. She got a lot more attention, and a little bit more time out of the outdoor kennel; and I got a lot of quality time with her, even if it came in small doses a couple of times a day.
She was always so eager and bright-eyed, even when I wondered if her vision was going. I could hold up a treat, and she was so precise at grabbing that thing out of my hand that I eventually started letting go an instant before she nabbed it to keep from getting nipped accidentally.
What an amazing dog Majo was. There is absolutely a void on this little plot of land without a black lab sitting out in that kennel, and specifically without her sitting out there.
Since Autumn, I'd been putting the dog out in the outdoor kennel every morning and bringing her in every night. That gave her more attention than just being fed every night, and I got into the habit of letting her run around the yard, investigating the various odors of our back garden, leaving her mark on the lawn. Most of the time, when I told her to come on, she'd finish sniffing whatever it was she was sniffing, and then she'd sprint ahead of me into the garage.
It was a hassle, especially on late nights when I came home from the radio station and had to take an additional five minutes away from my bed. Even so, I think that those bare spots on her back were a blessing in the end, for both her and I. She got a lot more attention, and a little bit more time out of the outdoor kennel; and I got a lot of quality time with her, even if it came in small doses a couple of times a day.
She was always so eager and bright-eyed, even when I wondered if her vision was going. I could hold up a treat, and she was so precise at grabbing that thing out of my hand that I eventually started letting go an instant before she nabbed it to keep from getting nipped accidentally.
What an amazing dog Majo was. There is absolutely a void on this little plot of land without a black lab sitting out in that kennel, and specifically without her sitting out there.
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