Fourth of July

What to do with Olive when I am going to be away for a week? That is the dilemma I have been facing with my annual week at Ashokan fiddle camp coming up in late July. A few friends have offered to take her for a week, but with work schedules and other drawbacks none of them really sounded ideal. Talking with other dog people in my town, everyone seems to have praise for one Candlewick Kennels right here in Glastonbury. My mom used to occasionally bring her basset hound there back in the 90s, so I thought to check it out. They gave me a tour of the entire facility and I was impressed; the place is spotless. I made a reservation for Olive July 18-25 when I will be away. The largest cages were all taken, but remembering that Nanne keeps her dogs in crates made me feel better about the standard cages, which are actually roomier than crates I have seen. I will be paying extra for some daily individual play time with a human so that she can chase the foam rubber saucer that she loves to do so much. Yes, she is allowed to have personal toys that I will leave with her.

On the down side when I saw the dogs all playing very well together in a large play room I wondered whether it might be a bit overwhelming for Olive; at the dog park she is polite to other dogs but is usually uninterested when another dog wants to play with her. She seems to prefer chasing tennis balls that I throw. Another drawback is that this kennel is expensive; then again I suppose one gets what one pays for, and I want Olive to have the best. Yes, I am experiencing separation anxiety, but I decided this would be good for Olive. Not only will she be well cared for, it will give her some time to socialize with other dogs.

On July 3 I took Olive to the dog park again. Often at that time in the morning we have the park to ourselves, but this time there were quite a number of dogs with their humans. I tried to encourage Olive to play with the other dogs, with only modest success. I am looking at bringing Olive to Candlewick for a half day this week (they take dogs for day-care as well as overnight) to get a taste of what she is in for, and to allow the Candlewick staff to "evaluate" her for playing with other dogs, something they tell me is standard when they get a new client.

On July 4 I took Olive with me to my sister's house for a family barbecue. My niece and her husband were visiting from Bogota Columbia where they are living. Olive amused everyone with her eagerness to play with various toys my sister keeps for her, and of course demanded attention from everyone.

Above, Olive with me, my sister, and a July 4 table centerpiece.