Canine Exuberance Of The Highest Order!

 Life left in the old boy...

Our little Maxi has unearthed his long forgotten youthfulness. These last few days he has taken to barking at nothing or rather at the sheer joy of going for a walk in his new terrain. This morning as we went for our walk, he teetered on the front step and noticed one of the feral tomcats sitting close to him. All of a sudden he lunged, growling slightly but nevertheless showing who's the boss in the zoo. A quick fake lunge and the big cat dashed away with its tail between its legs. Maxi turned to look at me, struck out his chest and proceeded to go on our walk. Schoolyard antics!

A bit later when I got back from my walk I couldn't believe what I saw. Maxi as per usual pirouetted in front of me with the sheer happiness of seeing me again, but when I glanced over to the lounge ( a.k.a. his bedroom ) I burst out laughing. His basket had been moved to the middle of the room, the large towel in it ( his blanket ) was thrown to the other side of the room and the carpet was bunched up and clearly had been wrestled with! When I told mum earlier on she speculated that perhaps Mausi had chased a mouse and that the mouse had run to hide in his basket...could have happened!

He must have had a real freak out, which quickly made me look for Mausi in case she had been a casualty of his exuberance. But no, she was sitting pretty on the window sill sporting a look of Schadenfreude...

' that'll teach you to get a dog. '

When I was walking him while his owner was sick, he barely moved when I got there, and mostly scuttled under the table as soon as we came back. Mealtimes, well breakfast mainly, he couldn't be bothered to even look at what I dished him. No sparkle and no ennui.

Fast forward to now and at times you'd think he was a young pup. He knows that after his long walk breakfast will be served. He sprints the last few meters to get there quicker and once inside he pirouettes at least three times while yapping in giddy excitement. Even Bob can't believe it! Same in the afternoon when he gets three little  treats after his walk. Giddy jumping about and general happiness.

Despite being sad now and again I think he has found a new lease of life with us and so far is a bundle of joy. Said bundle of joy is now standing at my feet reminding me that he wants to go outside, either to  do the business or to get his three treats at the end of it!

Biggi