Saturday, April 30, 2011

Fun in the Sun!

It was bright and sunny this afternoon, so I told Elka "let's go out back and play!"

Well, I don't need to ask her twice. She grabbed a tennis ball, and away we went.


Our backyard is small, but Elka is rather agile, and is able to blast around the fenced area after tennis balls and the like quite well.  We worked on "drop it", as I don't want to play tug with a tennis ball, and I would click and throw another one as soon as the first ball left her mouth.  Her "drop it" tends to be rather good, but you can understand how ramped up one might get over tennis balls flying through the air in a grassy outside place.
When she gets tired, she stops more often, and will mouth the ball for as long as I let her, but in rather a different way than her normal tennis ball shredding self.  I read about Dobermans who suck on blankets or plush toys, and wonder if it's a similar comfort thing.

I don't typically get actual action shots of Elka.  As I've said, the yard is small, and if she's running, it's typically towards me, with a ball.  The DoberMissile may not be denied.  And I am fond of my camera (or phone. Whichever I happen to be using at the time).  When she was tired enough, we worked on "stay" a big.  Also, I would have her stay, then clip a leash on, and we would go to the back door.  Then I would unclip the leash and say "go play!"  She thought this was great fun.

(I apologize for the quality of that image, I forgot the camera had an "outdoors" setting.)

Eventually, though, we did come inside.  Since we had so much rain, I had her sit inside the back door, and offer me each front paw, so I could towel them off.  Then I had her stand, and I lifted each back paw to towel off.  Then I let her head for the water dish.
Elka drinking is always a messy affair.  She laps up a bunch, lifts her head, drips water all over the floor....it's a wonder she actually gets any in her.  Occasionally, a car door will close across the street and, ever alert, Elka will run to the front door to check it out.  Leaving a trail of water, of course.  And sometimes there are casualties.





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