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December 30, 2008

The nice thing about any season other than summer is that it’s pretty safe to take Lilly in the car with me. Sometimes that means popping by Tom’s mom’s house, where Lilly is learning to be a good girl in a new place. I’m even brave enough (for short spans) to let her run around off leash.

Her first major outing to Grandma’s was to visit Daddy while he put on a new storm door. At first, I tethered her to a post near the front door, since it’s close-ish to the street, but later we figured out (duh!) that she’s really not going anywhere … unless she sees a squirrel. So, I let her poke around nearby off leash. Perfect.

TANGENT ALERT: She also was VERY good inside the house. I got a chuckle when Grandma asked, “Will she steal our lunch?” The plates were set out with food, while we dropped various coat layers. It’s a fair question since many dogs (including ones in my past) would steal any food left unguarded, not to mention some while we were sitting right there. BUT, Lilly isn’t really a food stealer. She never has been.

Nancy Hall over at Cat Person’s Dog Blog shared a story about Julia Childs’ dog stealing butter. When I posted a comment about not really worrying about such things, she asked how I taught Lilly and Ginko NOT to steal food. But, the truth is, both are pretty good. It might come down to a well-placed LEAVE IT, or even the longer, more conversational, “Don’t you eat my lunch!”

OUR RECENT VISIT: Lilly and I dropped by to check on Tom’s wood cutting efforts over the weekend, so I let Lilly run around in the wooded area and back pasture off leash. She was fantastic. I still get anxious, but she clearly enjoys the freedom.

I think she loved the old sheep pasture best, keeping her nose to the ground as she followed the various worn paths toward the barn. It’s been ages since my in-laws kept a few sheep, so I don’t really know if Lilly could smell them still or not, but she sure was happy sniffing around somewhere new … and it got me off the hook for a walk on a cold-windy day.

About the Author Roxanne Hawn

Trained as a traditional journalist and based in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA, I'm a full-time freelance writer for magazines, websites, and private clients. My areas of specialty include everything in the lifestyles arena, including health and home, personal finance and other consumer interests, relationships and trends, people and business profiles ... and, of course, all things pet related.

I don't just love dogs. I need them in my life. Seriously.

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