ZZ Litter at 45 Days
First Car Ride & Visit
Went to Westview Healthcare Center
7/31/23
I had quite the adventure when I went out to take the pups to the car. Six were at the gate. I lifted the six out of the yard, but I had to go way to the back to find Miss White. , I captured her (it was way too hot for this!) and then began leading the pups around the house to the car, closing the back-yard gate behind us to keep them from turning back, which they typically will do on the first trip into unfamiliar territory.
I only got three through the next gate, the other four heading everywhere else except through the opening. I closed the gate to keep the three cooperators with me, and headed to the car. Without too much difficulty I got them loaded. I could hear the others yelling.
I headed back and opened the second gate and eventually convinced three to come through it, again closing the gate and getting those pups into the car. That left only Miss White, who was back at the gate into the back yard, yelling like crazy. I had to go all the way around and pick her up because she wasn’t going to come, thank you very much. With her loaded, I took a deep breath to cool off and went back to open the gates, grab a Diet Pepsi and let some of the big dogs out to play while I was gone. Naturally, we were running late after all the corralling.
This was the pups’ first car ride and visit away from home. We headed to Westview Healthcare Center. My friends Claudia and Tessa met me at Westview to help with the puppy visit. Activity director Yvette and two staff members met us as we pulled in. I had asked for extra help taking them inside and out because it was 90 degrees and I didn’t want the pups walking on the hot pavement. We let the puppies walk around on the grass for a bit to potty before we carried them inside.
I had managed to find a different-shade of green collar since it’s hard to edit photos and tell which pup is Mr. Blue and which is Miss Green with those collars showing so close in color. I wasn’t able to find a small enough white collar for Miss White, but I did find a pinstriped bleu/white collar that will work until she grows a little more.
As usual, I took a bunch of toys they had never seen, some that made noise and some that didn’t. One of the toys I took is the bumble ball. It is a bright yellow, battery-operated ball with multi-colored knobs, and it usually vibrates, bounces, shakes and rolls erratically with quite a bit of force. Today, however, it merely vibrated. I’ll have to see if I can find a way to change the battery. At least it still caught Miss Green’s and Mr. Red’s attention. Mr. Red did not like it when it bounced towards him!
Despite the heat and having yelled the entire trip, the pups played and played and played. When they tired enough hold relatively still, my helpers and Yvette carried them around to sit in people’s laps while I, as usual, took pictures. Some of the pups played a little then crashed for a nap pretty quickly – even Miss Pink – while Mr. Red played and played.
Several staff members came in to love on the puppies. I have always felt our therapy dog visits were as important to staff members as to the residents, since nursing homes are a really hard place to work. I know it’s hard for me to come and find out one of my favorite residents has died since my visit the previous week; it has to be even harder for people who care for them.
