Duncan on the Job

Since the metal walls of the pool are gone, and we've started filling the hole, Duncan has became much more involved in the process. He has taken on the important job of Construction Supervisor. 

Here's a typical day on the job:

 Hard workers need to be well fed, so Duncan enjoyed a picnic breakfast on the deck. Breakfast consists of his kangaroo kibble, generously drizzled with water (or roo stock when we've got it) and shaken - not stirred - to make "gravy". (Apparently the sound of wet kibble swirling in the bowl is an important part of the ritual.) The dish is then tastefully garnished with whatever crumbs the "treat meatloaf" has produced since the last meal. There were quite a lot of crumbs this morning; he must have been very good to earn so many treats!

After breakfast, he took up his role as Supervisor. He was a bit nervous of the big hole at first:

But he runs up and down the "ramp" into the hole quite happily now. 

So he's able to supervise the staff up close when needed:

Or he can retreat to a shady corner for a bit of a break:

It's important to stay well hydrated. His water dish is on the deck, of course, but dog-water tastes much better when mixed with people-water, so he likes to have a bit added  to his bowl from our water bottles. He deals with all the empty bottles:

and offers to take care of the full ones as well.

His main job, though, is supervising the crew. He watches each load of fill closely, and if it isn't transported to his satisfaction, he attacks Daddy's boots (though never, so far, when the camera's been around!)

The Best Part of a Kangaroo Diet...

... is the carton the bag of kibble comes in. We've just discovered this.

Until now, we just picked up the bag of kibble from the vet. We didn't know that the bag was shipped in its very own box! But Megan brought it home last night after work, and Duncan has been playing with it ever since. He even got up early this morning to work at it. I suppose the kibble must make it must smell better than the generic cartons we give him; he enjoys those, but this is much more fun! We need to put in a special request for the carton from now on.

Energy to Burn

This morning, after a walk with Daddy and a few fast laps around what's left of the pool, Duncan found himself full of energy. Very full of energy. Overflowing with energy, in fact. So he did a few spins on the grass to burn some of it off, then settled down to have a refreshing taste of mud.

Such a strange dog...

They're Wrecking My Pool

The pool removal continues - we've got the liner out, and hopefully the wall panels will go this weekend. Duncan was quite worried when the skimmer and water return fittings came off; the liner started bouncing very oddly when it was swatted. Guess who did the swatting?

He's also been helping with the spring garden cleanup. Last week I filled four bags with garden debris. Thursday morning I put two of them out for pickup. The other two will have to wait until next time, thanks to my helper:

Finally, we mentioned in our last post that sticks are best carried by one end. Duncan wanted to be quite sure that everyone understood this, so he demonstrated using a tasty piece of the former pool equipment screen:

To the uninitiated, the second photo may look better balanced. Unfortunately, I missed getting a photo a few seconds later, when a 90º turn got his legs completely tangled in the stick. It was so embarrassing for him; he couldn't quite figure out how to untangle them! 

How to Choose a Stick

You may remember that Duncan brought home a new stick a couple of weeks ago (he's actually added another since, but it's small and really only an also-ran in his Great Sticks Collection). For puppy Cerys's benefit, and to help those of you who may struggle with Stick Collection 101, Duncan has provided a few tips:

Step 1: Escort your human  on a walk in the park. (Megan, in this case. She's the only one who thinks to take her phone for photos). Scan the park looking for promising sticks. The rainy, muddy day is optional, but it adds an interesting note to the reaction when you eventually plop the stick on the carpet. 

Step 2: When you find a stick that looks and/or smells interesting, pick it up. Study it carefully.

Step 3: Give it a test chew. The chewability of a stick is crucial. Really work those molars.

Step 4: If it passes step 3, you need to carry it home. Holding it at the end is ideal, as it allows you to whack more knees in passing, but it does make it more difficult to get close to trees for peeing purposes. Be sure to keep looking around; there might be an even better stick out there somewhere. 

Step 5: If you find another stick with potential, repeat steps 1-4. Keep a paw securely on the first candidate just in case. (Fortunately for us, this larger one failed its assessment tests!)

Step 6: Continue home with the winning stick, and stash it in the yard for future use.

Something's Different

So as I mentioned the other day, we're going to be taking out the pool this spring. Duncan is a bit concerned that it looks different than usual:

Usually I can get a drink here. Where's my water?

Well, aren't you going to do something about it?

The birds take baths down there.

I just don't understand these humans.

So far, we've been doing some exploratory digging, and have taken down the little fence around the pool equipment area. Duncan is puzzled, but he's handling the changes much better  than Kerry would have. He's tried chewing those chunks of clay we've dug up. Not up to the standard of a good stick, but not bad!

This could be a long summer...

Cousin Cerys

Aunt Marnie has a new puppy! Little Cerys arrived yesterday, apparently somewhat to big sister Bryn's chagrin. Isn't she adorable? Duncan can't wait to meet her!

Daddy's Little Helper

As I mentioned recently, we're going to be taking out the pool this year. It will probably be another month or so until it actually comes out, but we've started getting ready. Yesterday, we disconnected the electrical wiring and took out the pump. Duncan helped by stealing one of the screwdrivers.

You might recognize the little corner where he took his treasure; this spot by the skimmer seems to be where he stashes his Really Good Stuff, like Mouse(?) (who is now missing the top of his head and his tail) and Cardinal (of whom only the bottom half remains). I wonder where he'll put the Really Good Stuff when the pool's gone?

One of the first things we learned, back when Duncan was just a tiny puppy in a big splint going to Level I puppy school, was the Trade command. He learned it well, and steals thing to hold for ransom trading whenever he can. He was quite willing to set down the screwdriver and see what we had to offer – but notice that it's carefully positioned so he can grab it if the offer isn't good enough! This time, it only cost us one piece of his special kangaroo meatloaf. Last week, Daddy's sock cost me four pieces. It's all relative.