The pets all got a TON of new toys today, a gift from the people at the cat sanctuary - a huge gift bag full of dog toys and cat toys and chocolate (the chocolate was for me, not the pets). I couldn’t believe how much stuff was in there! The dogs got a frisbee, a chuckit, a few fleece toys, some treats, a rubber chewy toy… and the cat got a bunch of mice toys and little balls with bells in them and some interaction toys (stick with toy on end, for him to chase). Plus I picked up dog food today and brought home some rawhides, which the dogs went absolutely bananas over. It’s been a long while since they got any.

Nothing better in life than a very happy dog chewing on a bone at your feet. Zoe’s just the happiest little puppy! I give her lots of hugs and kisses. She’s the sweetest darn thing, I can do anything at all to her while she’s chewing, and she wouldn’t dream of doing anything. I put my hand in her mouth and she just tries to get around it. If I take something away she just sits up and looks at me, waiting.

Zeeke is really wound up over everything, and is freaking out when taken away from his new toys and bones. Several times today he went to check out something, then came running back frantically, ran over Zoe, and took the bone back from her. It’s like he suddenly realized what would happen if he left it unattended. So that’s been going on all day. Luckily she usually just lets him take it. Usually - not always. After he took the small bone away from her several times, she stood her ground on the smaller rawhide and snarled and snapped at him - guess she’d had enough of his games. He backed off. I warned them to knock it off, but it seems to me that their “altercations” are still a part of their communication. Her dispays appear to be just that: displays. She states her mind, and he generally does respect that. But if he didn’t and decided to push his position I have a feeling she would defer to him.

I took them both out on their longlines (attached to the house) and brought their new kong frisbee to play with them. Neither are too keen on the game. Zeeke loves the catch/chase, he’d even carry it around for a little bit, but he lost interest pretty quickly and wouldn’t retrieve at all. Zoe would only chase while it was in motion; once it stopped, she wandered off. Guess they’re just not frisbee dogs. But they did both have fun. I attached Zeeke to his 20′ leash, then that to the steel cable we were using, so he had almost as much length as Zoe did (she has a 50′ long line). So they were able to romp and play. When I went to untangle their leashes a little bit, I just left Zoe off the leash - with Zeeke tied up, she wasn’t going anywhere. So I was able to play with them without two leashes tangling all over.

I’m so thankful I have my little girl. She’s always by my side.