Doorstop

Every now and then, Zorro feels the need for extra care, like 24/7. So he use's his devious border collie wiles to figure out where he can place himself next to ensure some attention.  So it's very critical to always have a light on, since one of his favorite posts is between door jambs. One misstep and you bring the bc to life, usually not a good thing late at night, especially one that may feature a rising moon.

False alarm

Poor Zorro. When we got home from work yesterday, he wasn't standing in front of the door, wagging his tail and yawning, as per usual. Instead, he darted out of the downstairs bedroom, looking panic-stricken, and went straight for the front door. It didn't take long to identify the problem: the upstairs smoke alarm was chirping, indicating a low battery. This sound is barely perceptible to the frequency is maddening to dogs, akin, I suspect, to having a vuvuzela blasted directly into your ears.
I took Zorro out and the almost-full moon revitalized him immediately. Denny went upstairs and discovered that Zorro had had an accident, no doubt because of the stress. Luckily, he peed on the bathroom floor. Smart dog.
Memo to self: if I see a big white poodle named Annie, head off sideways, or in the other direction. We encountered her on our run yesterday, and she lunged at Zorro until her owner dragged her away. Zorro has gotten pretty good at his "sit," but no amount of treats and "Look at me's" will distract him when he's provoked in that manner.

Another Sunday in the park with Zorro

Low 50s today so even more dogs to contend with on our mid-day walk. We're handling the dogs that pass us pretty well; Zorro even managed to endure a curious black and white beagle who stopped and stared before iPod-wearing owner hustled him along.
But because it was so nice out, we encountered some slow dogs, even though we were on the purposeful path. And those are always a problem. Zorro will sit--although not always happily--while another dog passes us, but I don't think he's ready to pass another dog. Especially a slow one. So we have to find workarounds.
In other news, I have trained Zorro to play fetch! If I throw his tennis ball, he will get it and bring it back. But so far, it's always in exchange for a treat. Zorro is a very results-oriented dog.

Sunday in the park with Zorro

Sunny and high 40s today, a welcome break from the past two weeks of ice and snow. Predictably, that meant that everyone who has a dog or could borrow one was on the path this afternoon. It's Super Bowl Sunday, and I think everyone wanted to get their exercise in before kick-off. We couldn't go five feet without running into another dog. Even the side paths we take to avoid traffic were occupied.
I've developed some strategies for days like today. Walking west toward Glencaryln Park is usually better because that stretch of the path, which goes through the woods, attracts more bikers and runners than dog walkers. Most of the dogs we encounter are purposeful dogs, running alongside their owners. Zorro will usually sit quietly until they've passed.
The stretch of the path that goes east, toward Bon Air Park, seems to attract slow walkers and stragglers, and sometimes unleashed dogs. Zorro doesn't deal well with these malingerers. I think he perceives them as sheep that have wandered away from the flock.
I think I'll wait until the game starts before taking Zorro out again.

All weather dog

We are having a brutal winter. Snow, cold, ice. Zorro isn't the least bit bothered by it, which can be a problem. He doesn't understand why I'm poking along on the icy bike path.
He has good days and bad, but I definitely think his overall behavior is improving. Most of the time, when I say "let's go," he runs right up on the porch, because he knows he'll get a treat. And he's been pretty good about sitting until another dog goes by. The other day, a little beagle stopped and stared right at him, which tested him sorely.
The folks at doggie day care say he has improved greatly since he first started coming there, although they still call him the Boss Man. He got a report card a few weeks ago with an A+ for good behavior. No time outs. And yes, I know how silly that sounds.
We're working on fetch. He understands "drop," so I think we're getting there.

Zorro's smart cousin

Thanksgiving 2010

This year's count: nine people, four dogs, including Zorro. The dogs got along fine when they were all out on the porch--once Zorro got them where he wanted them, he left them alone. The troubles began when one of us went out on the porch. Bogey, Dad's 8-month-old golden, has a bad habit of jumping on people. So as was the case a week earlier with Dolly, Zorro felt the need to protect the family member and pounced on Bogey. Occasionally, Binky, Dad's oldest golden--a gentle giant who nonetheless has an edge to him--would move in and try to protect Bogey. To keep the peace, we ended up keeping Zorro on the porch and the goldens inside.
At night, we kept Zorro in our bedroom with the door closed. Otherwise, we knew he would station himself right outside my parent's door, where the other dogs were sleeping. It also prevented any late night moon alerts. Zorro didn't like it but was too tired to make much of a fuss.
Mom and Dad left Friday (big high school football game that night) and Saturday, Denny and I went for a run on the tow path to burn off some calories. Once the weather cools off, Zorro is a great running companion--you get the feeling he would run all the way to Georgetown if given the opportunity. The morning moon was up, so after the first mile I had to turn Zorro over to Denny for a while. Zorro's moon run is great speedwork but I can't sustain the pace for very long.