Went to the vet first this afternoon to get some pills for Stitch and a weight on Spider. 29.5 kg. Spent some wonderful time in the waiting room. Peed outside before we went in, walked politely through the door. I had to back up a few times to get out of the porch and into the waiting room on a loose leash, but once we got in he was lovely. Got on the scale (he loves to get on things)(he lives to get on things). Then we hung around a bit as various dogs went in and out. He was particularly enamoured of a very nice Greyhound with a coat and a pretty necklace. The owner and I agreed that they could meet if Spider could keep his paws on the ground. He couldn’t. And then he had his long-expected hissy fit about having a halter on that prevented him from talking to the Grey. Lay down on the floor pawing at it. It was vehement but very short-lived. Once he stopped and settled down, he got to sniff the Grey’s butt. Another couple of minutes of hanging with the odd reward for being civilized and we walked out on a sweet loose leash.
Next stop was Home Depot where we spent half an hour outside the entrance. Again, a polite walk from the car to the entrance. Spider wagged his tail every time he saw a person approaching, but maintained his composure, seeing a person and then turning to me to get a treat. Eventually people came and asked (!) to speak to him. I explained that he was young and in love but otherwise safe, and he got to meet a LOT of people. MUCH easier to keep his feet on the ground with the halter, mostly due to the mechanics of the situation. A tight leash doesn’t have to go through his neck to his nose, but pulls his nose away directly. By the end of the half hour he was still overcome with glee by every person who touched him, but it was taking him longer to lose his cool and he was spending very little time trying to leap.
One lovely couple came up and said “We used to have a Giant Schnauzer!” I asked them where they got it and they said “From Sue Ailsby”. That was funny. Good people from 30 years ago! They gave Spy a good scrub in all the right places.
And eventually a lovely loose-leash walk back to the car.
We were out for 6 hours, what with one chore and another, and once again I’m struck by what a blessing it is to have a dog who’s good in the car. Little man didn’t make a peep all day. The large delicious bone in his crate was only partially responsible for his behaviour. He’s a good pup.