She's got a tummy full of puppies (only a week to go until we get her x-ray), and it shows now. She seems unaffected, though, except her need for touch. Otherwise she wants to run and play and go for walks and retrieve as usual.
With only three weeks to go until she's due to deliver, we find ourselves trying to limit her exuberance , for her own good and the good of the puppies. And we don't allow rough housing with Baxter or Kenya (Ridge isn't a rough-houser).
We try to protect her.
But she doesn't always understand.
We took her and Kenya up to the cottage this past weekend for a brief, fun, get-away with friends. Since the boys were staying home (23 and 19), we left Ridge and Baxter with them, and took the girls with us. It made it saner for everyone, especially since Kenya is in heat. :o)
The cottage, of course, is the canine kids' favorite swimming place. Elsie, bless her heart, just loves the water. We didn't, however, want her jumping on her belly or over-doing (something she'd do if we let her). So we let her retrieve just a few times from the shore, and then dried her off and took here back inside while Kenya continued to romp.
Elsie didn't understand.
All she knew was that she wanted to swim (something she was created to do), and we wouldn't let her.
She didn't get that we were protecting her and her pups.
She didn't realize that the boundaries we gave her were for her (and her puppies') good.
She didn't understand that in this season of her life, moderation is necessary for her health and well-being.
The rest of the pictures here say it all.
Elsie wanted to swim and when she couldn't, became depressed.
DH, good egg that he is, sat with her and comforted her and let her know all was okay.
She didn't understand our boundaries, but he assured her of our love.
Sometimes that's all we can do.
And maybe, in some small way, she'll come to understand.
In the meantime, she'll just have to trust us.
'Til next time,
Joan
2 comments:
I know dogs "shouldn't" be on the couch but I just love those pix of Elsie on the couch. :)
Hi Julia,
LOL, yes, we have some "couch rules" at our house, but this is the cottage, and the canine kids can be up on the couched there.
They seem to know they're allowed.
I just loved the picture of Elsie looking out the window as if to say "can't I go out an swim?" The picture window behind the couch (the window out of which she's looking) overlooks the lake. And Elsie was gazing at the water with such longing.
Poor sweet girl. She'll get to swim more soon enough.
Thanks for commenting! I always enjoy hearing from you. :o)
Blessings,
Joan
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