Gotta Go, Gotta Go, Gotta Go!!!

My sister and I were going on a ride and taking the boy with us- no good reason, really. It started raining as I walked Tug outside and he's got a habit that as soon as he walks outside he takes a quick pee and then searches for where he wants to poo. He just loves the feel of grass under his feet and I guess that's what triggers it. So, we're under a tree, still getting rained on, and he pees but doesn't want to wait to poo- he starts heading towards the parking lot. It's raining so hard that he's jolting his shoulders as big drops hit him- like he's startled. We walk to the truck and he jumps in and gets settled. My sister arrives and we take off with her driving my truck. Now, Tug's never seen me in the passenger side before and I think that's why his little brow is furrowed. Slowly, it dawns on me- this is an unhappy look. I try rubbing his ears (nearly throwing out my shoulder reaching behind the driver's seat to get to him) and the look never changes. Duh!! He didn't get to poo but still had the trigger of grass under his feet...

My sister objects when I explain we need to find a place to pull into so he can relieve himself but only because of the lightning factor. Finally, we pull into a convenience store and I pump gas while they trot over to grass. Tug sniffs around and my sister starts back towards the truck. I object and she said he didn't want to go...humph! I told her to take him back on the grass, she needed to stand still and say several times "go now." (Mama had trained him to respond to that by saying it whenever he peed or pooed on his own.) So, she does it and he circles and circles and suddenly squats and, as my sister reports back, "had a big one." I'd sent her over with a poo bag, of course, and had wipees in my truck so she could clean her hands. As they come back to the truck Tug is just prancing and no more furrowed brow. He even enjoyed the rest of the ride now that he didn't have to worry about what he might do...

Routine restored

I went away on a 9 day business trip- the longest I've been gone since Tug was born. (Thank goodness for great co-workers since being from home so long can be tiring!)

Mama and Tug had to pick me up around 11PM on July 3rd. I'd asked to fly home that day since July 4th Mama and my sister were heading out of state to visit family. This means I had to dog sit for the long weekend- after 9 days away... So, they pick me up and Tug is freakin' hysterical to see me again. He's bouncing all around and barking as loudly as he can and he throws his whole body into it, too. Then, from excitement and the late hour, he kept trying to get settled and sleep on the trip home from the airport. At one light a motorcycle pulled up so Tug had to bark at the window to tell him to "turn that thing OFF!" The guy thought it was funny and, as we pulled away when the light turned green, he remained back and revved up hard. Then he shot past us with an open throttle so his bike just roared! Tug was indignant and barked in annoyance. We know it was deliberate as he had to slow down shortly past us since it's an area with a lot of cops out that late...

So, early the next morning Mama and my sister leave. Poor Tug goes from 9 days without me to 3 days with just me. He heard them on the answering machine as they were on the way home today and just shivered with anticipation. When Mama came in he just clung to her like they'd be reunited after going down with the Titanic. He did calm down later and is now sleeping on her recliner with her. All is right with his world now.