Petey In Charge

John was out of town for few days the end of the week. Poor guy had yet another conference to attend in Florida. The saddest part was I couldn't go. Petey and I had to stay here all by ourselves.

Having John gone twice in such quick succession was really difficult for Petey and therefore difficult for me. Petey held vigil for John on the back of the couch all day long. He needed to be the first to see John return. From his perch on the back of the couch, he could see out the front window and see both the driveway and the front door. There was no way John was getting in the area without Petey seeing him. At least that is what I initially thought.

Petey barked and/or growled at anything that came in to his field of vision while on his vigil. So I began to wonder if he was protecting me. He knew that John was my protector and not on the job, so he had to step up. That, and the fact if I left he'd be all alone. That is a fate worse than death for a Petey dog.

Fortunately, for the three of us John made it safely home last night. Petey accompanied me to the airport to get him. Petey's been to the airport several times now to pick up wayward family members. I think he recognizes the place now.

Sunbathing

Today was and is a glorious day outside. I decided that it would be a good idea to sunbath for a little while this morning. I could extend the deep, dark tropical tan acquired on our cruise and get a little vitamin D at the same time. So I put on my bathing suit, got a towel, sunglasses and a book and headed out. What does this have to do with Petey?

He was with me every step of the way. He's already a little clingy because of the aforementioned trip, but I think he knew what I was doing and wanted to share in the fun. He stayed in the bathroom with me while I changed, stood patiently by my as I got the towel and other items together. He followed me to the garage to get the lawn chair. He didn't go in because he doesn't really like the garage. Quite frankly, neither do I, but that is where the lawn chairs are kept.

I found a nice sunny spot in the back yard and made a cozy little nest for myself and Petey laid in the grass beside me. Ahhhhh....what could be better? Ice water, that's what. I'd left it on the kitchen counter. I tried to tell Petey to go get it, but he totally ignored my request. I contemplated trying to yell to John to bring it to me, but decided that wasn't a good idea, so I went in for it. I told Petey that I'd be right back. When I returned, this is what I found.
He had totally swiped my chair! I told him to get down, but he ignored me. I told him to scoot over, but he wouldn't. I know that he know the meaning of both phrases because he is told them almost daily. I acted like I was going to sit down any way, thinking he'd move. He called my bluff. What's a girl to do? I had to get my vitamin D. My only option...It seemed to work for him. We had a nice time, until he decided he was thirsty too. Then we went inside.

Petey, The Protector

John and I have laughed at Petey on many occasions when Petey has tried to protect us, by saying that we had no idea just how much danger we were in. This time Petey was right. There has been major flooding right in our neighborhood. There has been lots and lots of rain accompanied by lots and lots of thunder. Everyone knows that loud noises signal danger.

Poor Petey has had a hard time for about the last 48 hours trying to make sure that we are all safe. Between the thunder and the tornado alarms, there has been a lot of noise. At first John & I thought that Petey was afraid and trying to save himself, but at some point we realized that Petey was leading the way, much like the dog in Alaska. Unfortunately, John & I were not as cooperative as the police in Alaska.

Petey deemed the safest place in the house to be under the bed in the middle bedroom. John & I would not (read could not) get under the bed with him. Finally, he decided that being on the bed would be almost as safe after I got on the bed in an effort to appease him. Unfortunately, for John, it is a twin bed. Although the three of us could have all gotten on the bed, no one would have been comfortable for long - well, maybe Petey. He likes to snuggle.

Anyway, after much wrangling & pleading on Petey's part it seemed to satisfy Petey for the two of us to be on the bed and John to be in the chair. At least then, he could keep an eye on all of us.

So far, we've been safe. I hope everyone else is too.

Coyotes!!

When Petey moved in with us, his previous owner agreed to have an underground fence installed. Petey quickly learned the boundaries, and in time we stopped put the collar on him. If he began to stray beyond his limits, we'd get the collar out and threaten to put it back on him. For the most part, Petey stays in his yard so we've gotten quite relaxed about letting him out on his on particularly in the evenings when he almost always runs to the other side of the driveway to take care of business. We can stand at the door and watch.

He is rarely outside by himself any other time. On the weekends in the summer when he likes to lay in the driveway and soak up the sun, we are generally out there with him. The only time he's on a leash is if we are going for a walk.

But those days are over. Coyotes have been spotted in our neighborhood. When we learned that they'd been spotted a block over, we started going out with Petey all the time even at night. Last night one was spotted in our front yard. Petey & I had already been outside and were safe and snug in the bed so there is no chilling tale of horror. Since they are right in our yard, we can't take the chance. Petey doesn't know how small he is, and what a nice meal he'd make for a hungry coyote.