February 16, 2021

White Dog watched Team One harness up for pre-bedtime walks. "Seems Bailey has gotten MUCH better are being ready on time," she commented.

Not long ago Bailey started playing a game with Steve as he was organizing her and Bella to begin walks. As he gathered leashes and harnesses and put on his jacket Bailey headed out through the dog door into the yard. She ignored calls to come inside and get dressed. Bai held up the entire process as she pranced outside of the door then danced back out to the far back of the yard.

After a couple days of this new game, Steve warned her as she headed out, "I will call you once and if you do not come in, I will take Zsofia with Bella for a walk and you can wait." He stuck to his word and after a couple of days where Bailey tested Steve's resolve she got the message. Of course, it did not hurt that Zsofia sat at Steve's side, at the ready, should SHE be called upon to escort Bella.

The deciding event, it seemed, was one night when Bai waited a bit too long to respond to the "Walk!" call and pulled up at the front door just as Steve clipped the leash on Zsofia on the sun porch. The three were deaf to her whimpering demands to wait as they passed out into the deep night.

For almost a week now, the game has ended and Bailey crowds against Steve the second he begins walk preparations. Just in case, though, Zsofia continues to sit in wait...just in case (but truly I think both prefer the original order of Bailey shepherding Bella and Zsofia getting her own Dad-and-Me walk).