How do dogs perceive something far off in the distance? Do they use their sense of sight, hearing, smell, or touch? Why would the doctor not allow our friend Joey to chase a squirrel?
Every day I have gone out for my daily walks but today I am finally allowed to go outside to sit outside on the grass, like I used to, as long as I am wearing a sock on my wounded foot, and have a plastic bag over that. I still have to be on the leash at all times. Dr. M said I might want to chase a squirrel or go run to say hello to a neighbor and the leash will prevent me from running off. He knows me very well and we’ve just met; how could this be? Doesn’t he trust me? Still, it was fine with me. I can’t run around much anyway, since my ankle is really sore from the surgery. For now, I’m happy to be outside in my world!
When I walk, sometimes I hop on my three paws, holding the fourth leg up in the air, and sometimes now I’m actually using my fourth paw, putting my 4th leg down every now and then. Dr. M said this was a good idea, because he wants my muscles to get nice and strong again.
That hole over on the side that I dug…It’s still there. But today I’m not getting any ideas.
Wait. I perceive some movement beyond the fence. Who’s that I see and hear off in the distance? Is that my little neighbor, Zooey, and her mom? Oh, it is! Can she see me? I’ll just quickly wag my tail and say hello!
Zooey’s mom calls hello back, and tells Zooey to say “Hi Joey!” They wave. Then Jane calls out, “Joey had his surgery two days ago and now he can have visitors.” Soon Zooey and Zooey’s mom come over to my home to say “Hello, Joey!” closeup. They walk slowly because Zooey is only now learning how to walk. This is great. When Zooey and her mom come into our home, I am very excited, because I love to play with children. However, I’m a big dog and almost 10 years old, and Zooey is a small child and only 2 years old.
So on this afternoon, my mom puts me in the living room and closes the new gate that we have, and Zooey stands in the hallway in the arms of her mommy, and she waves at me from there, and says, “Hello, Joey!” Then she smiles, and I wag my tail. Both Zooey and I are happy.
We have great neighbors, and I’m a Labrador Retriever, after all, and being neighborly is one of my and our favorite hobbies.
