Daily Dose o' Cute

By request, here is some video of Dudz at the dog park—with some bits from home, too—over the holiday weekend. Set to Blur's "Song 2." For those who can't view the video, there are a pair of still shots below the fold, at the end of the post.


By way of update on Dudley's progress, he is getting increasingly playful both at the dog park and at home, evidence of which you'll see in this video, if you've been following his story. He almost gets tennis balls now, at least for chewing on, but still greets our throwing them with a quizzical look cut with a cold streak of indifference, as if to say, "Call me when you can throw it at 50 miles an hour."

When Iain comes home from work at night, Dudz gets so excited he can't contain himself. When Iain goes upstairs to change clothes, Dudz runs around in a circle in the living room and I say, "Oh, Dudz! You're gonna be in big trouble!" and I slap my knees with my hands and he falls to the ground in a spring-loaded crouch. I jump toward him, and he leapfrogs from one side to the other, still in a crouch, which makes me laugh uproariously. At which point he runs around in a circle again. "Oh, Dudz! You're gonna get it, you bad boy!" Back to the crouch. And on and on until we are both panting, and Dudley's tail is wagging furiously and I am a heap of giggles.

He's also become a ridiculous snugglepuss, leaning on me whenever he wants attention, and rubbing his face and the length of his body along my legs like a giant cat. He frequently lies on our feet, and he loves kisses on his velvety head (but not as much as TREATS!!!eleventy!). A couple of times a day, I get on the floor with him for a cuddle, and he twists himself around and flips onto his back, putting his big, pink belly in the air for scratches.

He was just at the vet on Friday for a booster shot and a check-up, and he's gained seven pounds, and now weighs a respectable and healthy 75. His hip bones don't show anymore, and he's less muscle-bound and more flexible, able to turn in tight spaces much more easily than he could when he first came to us.

And he's increasingly independent in the house. The first few days he was here, he liked to nap inside his crate; it was his safe space, and we left the door open for him, so he could retreat there whenever he felt overwhelmed with his new circumstances. Then, for a good month, he liked to nap wherever I was. Now, he spends some time with me, and some time up in the loft with the girls, where the sunshine streams in through the skylights. Right now, all four of them are up there together, dozing away, each with an ear open for the distinctive rustle of a treat bag.