Dog Gone

Yeah three-day week!  Thursday the hubby and I are jet setting away to the Bahamas for a long overdue vacation.  Although we are only going to be away for 4 days, I am sure the length of the trip will be a perfect match for the laid back nature of the destination.  I am nervous about leaving Oakley though.  Although he will be at home with Uncle Scotty (opposed to some kennel), I am still going to miss him and worry.  I read this article today on the WSJ about couples having to train their dogs for the pending arrival of their babies.  Since couples are waiting longer to have children, in many instances dogs are the “first children”.  So true.  I am a dog parent.  In fact this very past weekend I took Oakley to the Nashua dog park for the first time.  I registered and nervously walked through the containment gate, freed ODB off his leash, and let him run free.  I was so nervous that he would get in a fight with another dog or jump on someone.  Although none of the above happened, I anxiously followed him around watching over him.  Now granted it was a pretty overwhelming experience for me to be contained in a area with probably >150 dogs running free and mingling amongst themselves.  They say that it takes 3 visits for the dogs to understand the environment and the determination of the pack leaders but I think that the same is true for the humans.   I have to say that it is a nice little community of owners, everyone that I met (well Oakley met as I followed) was friendly, welcoming, and chatty.  Maybe after visit number 3, I will be able to relax and speak with the human pack leaders.