Over the last few weeks it’s become blindingly obvious that the doggy-dynamic in our household has shifted.  It used to be that Kimber would curl up for a couple of hours worth of Kimber Kipping in the morning and, after a long walk at lunchtime, for a further two or so hours in the afternoon.  Well, now morning-time Kimber Kipping has been reduced to the time it takes the husband and I to get dressed and have our breakfast.  Almost as soon as I’m ready to sit down at the computer, there’s a (admittedly very cute) tap on my arm by a puppy that wants to play.  This is no good for anyone: Kimber’s bored, and I’m distracted.  I get that she doesn’t have any more growing to do, but I don’t have time to play with her all morning.

So this morning we went on an adventure!  I took her to look around a local Doggy Daycare place, just to see if it might be something she’d enjoy, something that’d give her the stimulation she needs.  And she loved it!!  She’s a sociable dog, and being cooped up in my study for half the day isn’t working for her.  But running around with a pack of lively dogs, certainly seems to!  She had a ball!  She ran around like a crazy thing, obviously outrunning all the other dogs 🙂  And she even made me look good by coming back when I called her.  The people who work there clearly love their charges, and she got lots of cuddles from them, as well as some rather amorous attentions from a young border terrier…  Ssshhh!  Don’t tell the husband!

So she starts on Monday.  Just a couple of half days a week.  I might let her go for a full day, but to be honest I’ll miss her.  I love having her around, and her sleeping in my study definitely works for me.  And besides, when she’s not there people might notice when I talk out loud to myself…  So we’ll see how it goes.  See if we can’t find a way that works for both of us.  The doggy-dynamic is shifting.  And we must shift with it.