This afternoon Nadya tried so hard to get our Leonor to play with hr. She play bowed and bunny hopped around the living room and tried to coax Leonor to have a rip around with her. But, Leonor, being the strange, self-centered girl that she is, just grumbled and walked away.
So what was I to do for this poor girl with the down-trodden face who just wanted to play? I turned Malachi loose! At 110 lbs and four years old, Malachi is a running, playing, Dobie machine! The two of them
romped and played well into 11:00 that night until I finally put a stop to it. I was tired and needed to go to bed.
The next morning, she went out with the rest of the crew and for the first time, she ran in the yard. She ran and bounced like she was free for the first time. Of course the first turn she took in the yard, she wasn't watching where she was going and side swiped the holly tree. None the worse for wear, she continued bunny hopping all around the yard. My grey girls were trying to join in, but they were getting too rough for Nadya's first play time, so I called her in. She didn't want to come, but she did anyway. Such a good girl!
Leonor didn't want to play.
~ June 19, 2000~
DiscoveringThe Horses
Still only a week into her arrival, Nadya and I were out in the yard today. She walked almost silently up next to me and appeared to be waiting for me to do something, so I reached out and started scratching behind her ear. Then down her neck and across her back. She stood there as long as I scratched and I scratched as long as she stood there.
I think it was about a half hour. Boy! Was my hand tired! But it was a great kind of tired because it was a huge step for her to come to me like that.
A little later, we went walkies. Down the road from us is a manmade lake and the people across from the lake have horses. You should have seen the look on her face when that first gelding walked over to the fence to inspect his new visitors. And he was as awestruck by her as she was by him. I was afraid that she would bolt if he startled her, but she just took a few steps closer to me and leaned! She needed me!! *sniff*
She just stood across the road staring at the herd of five, which had gathered by this time, and I let her as long as she wanted to. After a few minutes, she took a couple of steps toward them and they walked a little closer to the fence. I had to hold her back because they have a strand of electric fence wire inside their wooden rail. I knew if she hit it, it would be all over. As it was, she said "howdy-do" to them and they to her, so
I decided that it was enough excitement for one day.
As we headed back toward the house she stopped every so often to take a peek over her shoulder at the horses . She just couldn't figure out what kind of dogs they were.
I walked her over to the edge of the lake and she pretty much ignored the whole thing. She just couldn't get over those horses!
When we got home, she got a drink of water, mooched some cheese from Sara and very nonchalantly took a spot on the couch. Just like she had been doing it all of her life.
I get goosebumps with every positive step forward she takes. The vet said that she's as healthy as a horse and except for her ample overbite, she's rather splendiferous! The vet also said that she's the only Borzoi in her practice! (How did I guess that?)
