Day 124

I have decided that I am nuts, even by my own standards. For some reason, I up and decided that Sanity was ready to take the next big step. And so without any more thought on the matter, off we went to the GROCERY STORE on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. She was great. I only needed to get a few items which meant we weren't there very long. Oh how I wish I had taken a camera with me (as well as someone to use it).

Going into the store we had to pass a full size mechanical Santa, doing the hand waving, ho ho ho thing. I thought her eyes would pop right out of her head. Then we actually entered the store and she really wanted to climb on the lower rack of the cart and ride. Now I realize that for some behavior like that might seem to show a lack of courage or something. I know better with this pup. She was hoping to ride so she would be better able to watch everything at once and not have to worry about where she walked.

As it was, I sort of lost track of the number of times she walked into me because she was so busy staring at something new. Or the number of times she tried to walk backwards so she could keep on watching something that was interesting to her. Me? Oh, I just keep on walking at my slow, plodding pace and she just had to manage. By the time I was finished with my shopping she had pretty much managed to get it together and stay right where she is supposed to be beside the cart.

Besides the crowd, I really hadn't expected to run into senior citizens who were suddenly energized to actually run after me. They all wanted to pet the dog. Mind you this is in the middle of the store and Sanity is struggling to hold it together and maintain some decorum. No way was I about to let anyone interrupt her concentration. Guess that means I am mean or something, because I just kept on saying, "no, sorry, she is just learning how to work" and "no, you can't pet her she is working" and "thank you for saying she is pretty, but no you still can't pet her".

Yeah, that was the other thing I had forgotten. Tuesdays is Senior's day at the grocery store and they bring them in by the busload.

I promise I will get a picture of her in her super cute, homemade sweatsuit. I realize that it was the fact she was wearing the sweatsuit as much as anything else that caused all the attention. Doesn't matter, there is no way I am going to require her to work naked when it is cold outside. If I need a coat, I figure she does too. She is pretty good about standing and helping put it on. Taking it off was a whole different ballgame. Some how she managed to get both her front legs in the same pant leg. It was pretty funny and we did manage to get it sorted out.

The retrieve continues to hang at the 6' placed level and no way is she ready to start adding different articles as yet. Slow but steady will win the day.