The weather this past weekend precluded posting to TDP. We simply spent too much time not in front of a computer. Actually, Parker doesn't spend any time in front of computers that he knows of anyway, though sometimes he seems dimly aware of the ParkerCam.
Parker did, on the other hand, get a chance to stick his nose out the window of a moving car a few times. Like at this stoplight, when I suddenly felt whiskers and a cold nose on my earlobe:
(I have to say, it's a little disconcerting to have a dog nosing one's ear when the car is moving.)
I also want to post Friday's note from the dog-walking service: "He was great today. A guy even stopped us to tell me that."
After some trial and error, and even though he's still unclear on the concept, Parker finally got down and dirty with the tug toy yesterday:
Did I mention the "trial and error?"
He did, eventually, put all four paws into it:
He also killed one of his oldest toys last night, the lion-head tennis ball he's had since he couldn't even get down the stairs by himself. Yeah, once he started working on it, he spent less than five minutes scattering stuffing all over the floor. So now he has a tennis ball that used to have a lion head on it.
Another one bites the dust.
Apparently he's back on the Hollofil again. He actually killed two squeakies yesterday, and continued his project of removing the stuffing from my mortally-wounded comforter. Sigh.
OK, it's really time for new photos. I've been too lazy busy to take new ones lately, so it's time for another classic, this one from early October:
As a lagniappe (or mea culpa, depending on whether you feel French or Latin today), the dog-walking service note from yesterday said, "He's the friendliest dog in America." I can't argue.
Also, no ParkerCam today: he's at day camp.
People have asked me how big Parker is. Just knowing he weighs 23kg doesn't help much. So, by way of illustration, here is Parker and his crate with a helpful yard (90 cm) stick in the shot:
Also in the shot, visible just above Parker's head, is the ParkerCam. As you can see, I've returned it to its original location following Friday's disastrous experiment. No Cam tomorrow or Wednesday, sadly, as Parker will be at day camp both days.
Hmm. Problems with the new ParkerCam angle have become apparent in short order. Dogs naturally sleep with their backs to the wall. So putting the ParkerCam against the back wall of the room means we get six hours of Parker's butt today:
Back to one, I guess.
Emboldened, perhaps, by his recent successes with tennis balls, yesterday afternoon Parker decided to hunt bigger game. Alas, his spatial-reasoning abilities have not yet fully developed:
We still had a great time playing catch. Being crated most of the day along with continued treatment for his embarrassing problem left him with a lot more energy than usual:
He's not quite World Cup material, but he's still only a puppy.
Also, I'm experimenting with the ParkerCam a little. Instead of just wondering what he sees, I thought I'd see for myself by reversing the camera angle. I may decide it's a bit too invasive (of my privacy, not his), but for now, a rare glimpse into Parker's life:
Parker had a terrific time at day camp yesterday. The over-tired energy you sometimes see in puppies and children conquered his fatigue, so he spent an hour playing with my neighbor's toddlers, and then half an hour with this tennis ball:
Notice two things. First, he's not so much running as staring at the ball willing it to move. He did run at full-speed around the yard a few times, but perhaps because he was so tired, he seemed to have trouble with the concept of "ball." Second, though it's hard to see in this photo, the ball is now missing about a square centimeter of skin. I'm not sure where it went, but I would guess that the dog walker will find it this afternoon.
This morning he seemed groggier than I was. I think he wanted my coffee, but I didn't make enough. So you can watch him sleep all day on the ParkerCam.
The ParkerCam will not have anything interesting (i.e., Parker) to show today, since Parker has gone to day camp. Also, I don't have any new photos. So, once again, I present a Classic TDP, never before seen here, from the day after I met him:
Yes, he once was that tiny.
Heavy sigh.
Parker and I just got back from the vet, where we picked up a six-pack of prescription dog food and another vial of dog-odium. The dog-walker's note says it all: "No treat today. Parker had real bad butt today."
I give credit to Parker for his housekeeping, despite it all. He kept almost all of it inside his crate, and then carefully placed his blanket over it. But he still appeared to feel really, really guilty when I got home, so after carrying him outside, I gave him a good bit of praise. (This time I remembered to change my own clothes before picking him up.) And then he got a good, refreshing walk—to the vet.