The dogs are pretty much trapped inside, altho they do go play in the snow periodically. Cooper goes out with them and sits and watches. A few days ago I took him out and played keep-away. Actually if you want to know the truth, I wasn't playing--he was. It was very cold out and I wanted him in. He goes out and sits on the deck.
I call him in.
He stares at me with this specially designed "stupid Belgian" look which is a total lie-- he is NOT stupid, but he manages to flatten the look in his eyes so that I could swear, did I not know him so well, that his brain has ceased to function altogether and he cannot tell me from a tree.
"Come on, Cooper--get a treat!"
"Hunh?"
"Cooper, let's go. Come in. Treats I have treats."
"Hunh?"
Losing patience I step outside. Instantly he goes into a play bow, spins around and is gone, tail wagging furiously, laughter wafting back at me across the empty snow....
Uh Hunh. Ok you stay out then.
And I stomp inside, freezing.
A few minutes later I go to the door and there he sits. Staring at me.
"Cooper come in."
"Hunh?"
I raise my voice to a happy squeak
"Mommy has cookies!"
"Hunh?"
Capitulating then, I go out. Two steps out and there is the play bow, the spin, the flying leap off the deck and he is off, huffing across the yard and I then go after him, yelling "You Bastard! I'm going to get you!"
This is an old old game. And with three legs he can still play well. My chances of actually putting hands on this dog in this mood are now about 50%. A year ago, with four legs, it would have been zip to none.
We do a few rounds around the summer house, one around the sawhorses left out in the snow from putting the fence up, and then we meet and he sits-- his stamina is not what it was by any means. And we laugh. And go in and have treats which we share with the clamoring, jealous Bassets.
And that's my excitement for the day.
