Gus goes to the dog park

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   Not too far from home is an off-leash dog park. The first time Gus got to go, he was so happy! He could run and jump and chase other dogs and make all kinds of new friends. There was a beautiful chocolate lab there and Gus just followed him around the park, step for step and move for move, I swear he wants to be a lab when he grows up. Most of the dogs there are really well behaved, but Gus was still learning his name and who he belonged to, so getting him to listen was hard sometimes, but he usually would come looking for Momma if he got too far away from her. It was so much fun, just watching this little guy come into his own at the park. He was friendly, sweet and ready for fun. He still doesn't know how to play fetch or catch, but he sure likes chasing the dogs that are chasing the ball, lol. They think it's pretty weird that this little guy runs so hard after them, but doesn't care about the ball, but it works for them all. Once in a while we'll come across a dog that's not so nice. There was a mean chihuahua once and a cattle dog that tried to swing Gus around by his tail. That one made me mad because his owner thought it was just so funny to watch his dog try to grab my guy by his tail. Very mean! Gus is just a sweet, friendly guy and most of the dogs know that he just wants to be friends and have fun.

   One of the funniest trips was a day when Gus met two Akitas.

Now these Akitas were very tall, probably 4 times the size of Gus, but they just had a blast playing with him. Their owner told me that they really liked smaller dogs and it sure seemed that way. One was playing chase with Gus and he ran through a small pond that came about knee high for him, Gus chased him in and the look on his face when he realized he was in over his head was just priceless! Young Gus just doesn't much care to go swimming. Poor thing!

   For most of the summer and into the fall, I would try and get Gus to the dog park at least once a week, sometimes twice. He had so much fun and it was such a joy to see this little, scared guy gain

confidence and just having a blast. He would run and jump and play in the mud and just be so silly! I don't think I've seen a dog smile as much as Gus does when he goes to the park.

I still try and get him over there as often as I can, but it's been harder this summer. Now that fall is here, I need to get him there more. We went this morning and he just had so much fun again. Next time we'll tell you about his trip to the farmer's market. We hope you liked this installment.

Anne and Gus

 

Football, Family, Gus and Ivan

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  Well, it was football time and Dave had gotten his big TV and we had the the channels to watch the local college team, Boise State University (BSU). That meant that Dad's whole family came over every week to watch the games. Gus gets pretty excited when someone comes near his house. He barks and growls until his people check outside to make sure it's safe. Now, there were people coming to his house every weekend. New people that he had to get used to. His Momma wasn't always nearby so he could feel safe, but he had his 'safe' chair and he would just jump up there if things got too busy and he would feel alot better. Ivan though liked all these new people in the house. He was never afraid and he would just jump all over everyone. The family loved to pet Gus when he wasn't being shy, but they laughed at Ivan being such a silly kitten. It made Gus happy that his family all seemed to like Ivan. He just wished sometimes that he could be as brave as Ivan. But, he had learned that people aren't always as nice as they look, so Gus took his time getting used to all this new family. He wanted to be sure no one would hurt him. The ladies were safe, they all smelled nice and had soft, safe hands. But the men were scarier, with their loud voices and big feet, Gus could never be sure if they were yelling at him and trying to kick him out of the way, or just being clumsy. So, he would just stay out of the way just in case.

   As the weeks went by though, and no one hurt him, Gus started to trust all the men a little more. He didn't run away as fast and he got to know that they would share their treats with him. Gus got to lick up all the plates after the family was done eating and any snacks that fell on the floor were just for him. Ivan didn't like the snacks so much and Gus would share the left-overs, so the friends got to looking forward to the times all these people came to the house.

  Miss Cat though, she hated the whole thing and would just stay back in the bedroom, snoozing on Momma's bed until everyone went home. That was ok with Gus, at least then she wasn't hissing at him, or trying to scratch him when he had to go by her. One day, Gus hoped Miss Cat wouldn't be so mad at him. He really liked her, when she wasn't being scary. She was soft and not as rough and tumble as Ivan. Gus thought she was a real lady and sometimes he felt kinda clumsy and too big around her. But at least with Ivan, he could just be a big, clumsy dog. So, the fall and winter passed with family football once a week, Gus and Ivan home with Miss Cat and looking for mischief all week and sometimes some trips to the dog park on the weekends.

   More about the dog park next time. It's one of Gus's favorite places and it's way fun for all kinds of dogs. The only bad part is Ivan can't come. The big dogs would probably try to eat him and  Gus wouldn't be able to keep him safe.


  We hope you liked this installment of Gus's Adventures. His life isn't always exciting, but he always seems to have fun. More about the dog park next time.

Anne and Gus

Check out Gus's website at: Gus the Wonder Dog

Take a look at Ivan's story at: Ivan's Tail

And Miss Cat gives her side at: The Real Scoop 

Take a peek at Dad's site too: Luvabook