He had his first bath with us on Sunday and was extremely well behaved. I've only had cats before so perhaps my expectations are low. He stayed in the water without much encouragement. Although unhappy about being wet, Clover did not assert himself.
On Monday, he went for a long walk all over Central Park that included many breaks. During this adventure, he met a 7 year old rescue from Texas who looks like an adult version of our puppy. The owner said he was 70 lbs but she adopted him as an adult so seeing Clover was great for her, too. I saw a women I have seen over the past decade in Central Park who I consider The Dog Whisperer. She walks about 15 dogs for hours at a time through the park as a pack that is always well behaved and happy. I got her number but have not scheduled a day just yet.
Tuesday night, at playtime, Clover met a puppy named Ruby and they had tons of fun with each other. The video isn't uploading properly but I'll try again later. Ruby kept walking through the water dish and creating an extra slippery play area that was fun for the dogs but not for the supervisors. Clover was better at reading the temperaments of the other dogs this week and was enthusiastic about playing.
He also took his first anti-worm medication that night and Wednesday morning was pretty rough. He wasn't feeling well-- both sleeping a lot and having tummy troubles. We got a call from our vet in the late afternoon that he tested positive for a parasite. He needs to stay away from group play and be extra clean until he completes the medication cycle. The worst part is that he got a new toy that he can't play with until Saturday.
I picked up the medication Wednesday around 5:00pm. It was very clear that he was over whatever had bothered him in the morning. He couldn't contain himself!
Clover is very low key and easy for 23 hours a day. For about 15 minutes at a time, he gets so excited that he can't control his breathing, chasing his tail until he melts into a pile of paws and tongue. Of course, one of these bursts was brought on by a trip to the vet which is almost as embarrassing as having your dog mount the leg of your vet. Thankfully, we had gotten that embarrassing moment out of the way the previous time they said hello.
Before Clover, I never realized how many ways we need to look out for a dog's health. For each action we take to keep him safe, it is another action that bonds us together. I asked a dog walker with a frail toy poodle with spots of fur missing, how old "She is very sick but she is 17." I was shocked and asked what is the secret to a long doggie life. "Her owner loves her more than anything. Shower him with love and the life he has will be a longer happy one."
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