At the canine cocktail party

I was reflecting the other day that for me the very worst part of puppy-raising may be not the obvious things -- the disrupted nights, chewed possessions, disgusting clean-up episodes. What I most hate is how sorry I feel about all the boredom in my dogs' lives. I know there's a lot less of that than what many (most?) domestic dogs endure, when their owners go off to work every day, leaving them home alone for 8-10 hours. I know I'm soft-hearted, probably ridiculously so. But I'm keenly aware of the intensity of the joy dogs experience when they're free to run and play, and given that Steve and I do a lot more than raise puppies, there's precious little time for that, far too much time laying around, or worse, being kenneled.

So occasions like the one we all attended Saturday afternoon are much prized. Betty Makowski and her husband Michael, who are raising their second CCI puppy, Bellini, sent out a Meet-up invitation to a party in celebration of Bellini's imminent departure for Advanced Training, explaining, "A dog that is named after a cocktail must have a going-away party." The Italian cocktails (sparkling wine and peach juice) would be served, and release dogs like Tucker, were welcome too. 

Steve, Tucker, Dionne, and I arrived around 4:30, and the delightful pandemonium was in full play. Were there 15 dogs tearing around the yard? 20? I didn't do a head count, but simply took it all in, with pleasure.

A Bellini-decorated cake was served.

Bellini herself

Greeting one of her guests...

Tucker (on right) transformed before our eyes into a puppy again. He's the ultimate party animal.

But Dionne (easy to pick out amidst all the blondes) also was ecstatic.

As usual, Steve and I enjoyed the chance to chat in a relaxed setting with other puppy-raisers.  So here's a toast to fun gatherings!  May there be more of them in all our lives.