We used to give some of the boxers we've had in the past a special treat called "Frosty Paws". For awhile we couldn't find it anymore but Mr. Sandi came home from the grocery store yesterday with a box. Hurray! Ellie was the one who was really happy. Initially she wasn't quite certain about it but then she decided it was one of the best treats ever! It was fun watching her work out how to position the container so she could get to it. While she had her Frosty Paws we had the B&R ice cream sandwiches.
Here's Ellie, all worn out from a day of eating, playing with her toys, going for a walk, napping, scoping out the back yard, barking at delivery trucks in the cul-de-sac, napping (again), eating (again), chewing on her yak milk bone, and playing with her toys.
Our two Black Labs, Billy The Maniac and Blind Dog Bruno. Bruno was dumped at the Dogs trust a couple of years ago because he'd gone blind (degerative retina) and they emailed us asking if we'd consider taking him, we said "When can we come pick him up" ? He's been with us two years now and is nine and showing a frosting of grey round the chops. He's brilliant, know's left, right, step up, step down, stop commands and usually the only time he bumps his noggin is if we move something or close a door that's usually open. He suffers a bit from seperation anxiety but we found that if I put one of my old T-shirts on him he'll settle and go to sleep. He claimed my old Skyrim T-shirt so it's his now. He's laid beside my chair, snoring his loaf off. Billy has been with us 18 months, was dumped at the Dogs Trust when he was four. Unwanted, underfed and kept shut away in a seperate room all his life. He was thin and gangly when we got him, sort of like a scrawny teenager, after a few months of good food and excersise he's shot up and is one of the tallest Labs I've seen. He now stands four inches taller than Bruno, is as solid as a tractor and can drag my 16 stone arse down the street as if I was a child. And seeing as whoever had him never trained him to the lead, me being dragged down the street is a regular occurance. He also suffers from "outside anxiety" which turns him into a yapping yelping lunatic, we get some funny looks from people until we explain what he's been through. We're making progress though and he's slowly improving. Round the house he's brilliant, gentle, caring and loving and a great pal to Bruno. He's currently in the living room watching telly with my housemate Andy. When Andy calls it a night Billy will come and slobber on my bed while watching me play fallout 4 on the PC. He's a big fan of Dogmeat aka your companion doggo in the game. Some pics. I have to keep talking to him so he knows where to face to get his picture taken. My old T-shirt, now his. Still thin but getting there. Becoming a long dog. He says the world looks better upside down. They cuddled up like this on the first day we brought Billy home, done it ever since.
It has taken time, patience, and lots of "assists" to help Ellie learn to put her paws up on the windowsill so she can look out into our cul-de-sac. What she has been doing is running to the narrow vertical window that's on one side of the front door when she hears something then bark like crazy, partly because she can't really see what's out there oftentimes. But yesterday was the first time she put her paws up and looked out the window all by herself! She's a "big girl" now. We are so relieved (as are our ears) that Ellie finally figured this out because she now barks for a significantly shorter period of time when she can actually get a good view of whatever she feels warrants barking. She is definitely a great guard dog!
Here's Ellie a couple of days ago during our morning walk checking out the Rillito River which is usually dry but this monsoon season has been running like crazy. Ellie loooooves her walks!
Here's Ellie this evening enjoying her "new" dog bed. Mr. Sandi and I have had this bed for some time--I think two, maybe three, of our previous boxers have enjoyed it. But early on when Ellie came to live with us she had absolutely zero interest in it. For some reason, this morning I thought to bring it down out of the attic and see if she'd changed her mind. She most definitely had! That's her new toy hedgehog next to her. It not only squeaks but produces a low grunt which she goes nuts over. It seems like I'm hogging (no pun intended) this thread with Ellie photos and antics. Where are all you other pet lovers out there?? Time to chime in!
