Cantor (5 years 7 months) Playing with Justice (5 Months)
11/4/21

The day Justice turned 5 months old dawned quiet, crisp and sunny.  I decided to take photos of his participation in all the big dogs’ daily ball sessions, because he has invented some fascinating games that are different according to the tolerance level of that particular adult dog.  I have never had a dog devise such complicated games – and remember which game he plays with which other dog. 

Since I’m still trying to get him forget his fascination with rocks, I take a different toy (sometimes 2) out for him each time in case he gets tired of the game he invents – or the big dog isn’t cooperating that day.

We go out as soon as the sun is up since it takes over 3 hours to do all the ball sessions.  I give each dog a fifteen-minute ball session plus a cooling-off period before I put it up and get the next one out.  The winter sun is already quite low on the horizon even close to midday, so you will see some really interesting light effects and shadows in these photos. 

 By the time it was Cantor’s turn to play, it was about noon, but you’ll see we still have quite a few shadows that make for some really interesting highlights on Cantor, sometimes lighting up just his face while leaving his black body in the shadow.  Justice has created quite the game during Cantor’s ball sessions.  Cantor is a two-ball dog, and Justice stalks Cantor and grabs the ball he drops so that I will throw the other ball. Justice then brings it to me and resumes waiting – usually under my chair – for Cantor to come back.  I throw the ball one way, then the other, so you’ll see these photos alternate in a series each way.  Cantor is amazingly tolerant at being bumped, stopped and occasionally grabbed by Justice.  I think he even enjoys the game.  It drives Justice crazy when Cantor stops to catch his breath.  And I think sometimes Cantor deliberately throws an extra catch-your-breath session.