June 11, 2003
The Quest for Shade
5:30 p.m.
The day started off strangely for Dusty. At 3:30 a.m., her sleep was rudely interupted by my alarm clock. While she looked on in puzzlement, I got up, dressed and ate breakfast. I took her out to pee. When we came back in, instead of going back to bed, I *made* the bed.
Dusty really wasn't too happy about any of this. When I pulled her Kong out of the freezer, though, she looked relieved. Finally, something made sense! She marched into her crate while I got ready to leave (for those who were curious, I was here).
Five hours later, Dusty had hardly missed me - she was asleep the entire time. We went for a walk in our neighbourhood and played keep-away in the park for awhile, then there was some more crate time while I ran errands.
Because of the beautiful weather, a trip to High Park was definitely in order. Before we even got to the park, I knew that Dusty was probably going to have a hard time. The high today was 25C (76F) and this is probably the hottest weather Dusty has ever experienced, seeing as she was born in the winter (and yes, I'm aware that by Southern US standards, this isn't very hot at all *smile*).
High Park seemed different today. The grass seemed suddenly taller and the vegetation more lush and heavy. It's as if summer fell upon us all at once. On our last trip to the park, it seemed more like spring with new leaves and the smell of flowers on the breeze. Today, the air was heavier with heat and humidity and a lazy stillness had descended on the woods. We walked slower, and stopped more often.
Dusty discovered chipmunks. They're everywhere! Now that the grass is taller, I think they've become bolder and their chatter fills the air. Dusty dove into the grass and chased them, obviously enjoying herself even if she never caught a single chipmunk.
When Dusty runs, she looks like a deer, bounding in huge leaps. My friend E is convinced that this is why she tires so quickly - she's inefficient! ;-) Dusty didn't want to stay on the trails today. She ran off into the woods, circled back to find me, then ran off again. A few times, I hid in the tall grass and called her - a new game of hide-and-seek! She always found me somehow...
As we headed back to the subway, Dusty was overheated and exhausted. Finally, she flopped down in the shade beside the trail and wouldn't move. We rested there for awhile and I carried her to the subway. I was worried about because she was throwing up, even after I gave her water. From the subway, I carried her most of the way home.
She seems fine now. I'm going to look up some information on overheating and dogs, to find out what her limitations are in terms of hot weather. I don't want to make her sick by taking her out to play in conditions that are too hot for her.