Oh goodie! Seagull poo!

Sophia on the beach at Lincoln Park today.

Sophia was excited to see me when I got home this afternoon, wondering where today's adventure would take us.

Yesterday we found ourselves at the LifeCare Center in the Admiral District, enjoying our first session as "therapy dog". Sophia will be visiting residents at the convalescent center every Monday afternoon. She did SO well, I was really impressed with her. I took lots of little treats for people to give her, and she jumped up on people's beds so they could pet her, and for some people I held her in my arms so they could see her from where they were lying. I'm not much for picking my animals up (Steve has spent years teaching my cats that it's okay to be picked up - I prefer to let them come to me when they want to). I am teaching her a new phrase "lift" as I lift under her front legs and get her rear end on one arm - her long front legs dangle over the other arm and she looks quite elegant. She worked with an Austrialian shepherd/border collie named Andy, who has been going there for a long time. She met him right away and wasn't afraid of him or anything.

Everyone was excited to see a new little dog and one lady came down the hall, using a walker, chanting "Pretty ! Pretty! Pretty!" One gentleman, who was in the lobby when we first arrived, I found about 6 different times, coming down different hallways to pet Sophia, or waiting in the dining room for when we got to that part of the building. And he was by the front door again as we were getting ready to leave, waiting to say goodbye. The staff raved about how adorable she was, and very well behaved. I am proud to say she didn't eat any pills off the floor and mostly ignored the occasionl rubber glove mysteriously lying about.

So today it was some alone time on the beach - after all the stimulation of yesterday I thought some fresh air was in order. Not to mention, it is brightest out on the westward facing beaches, there's no trees causing dusk to come sooner.

Sophia liked walking in the gravel/rocks along the water for the first time - I think it reminded her of the potty area at the doggy daycare we tried (she didn't like being left alone there). She used to not like the rocks. And every single spot of seagull poo - and at the beach that's everywhere - had to be sniffed and admired. I did manage to keep her from rolling in it, which I have not been entirely successful with in the past.

We've come a long way in the nearly 7 months we have been together. She just continues to amaze me with her increased capacity for adventure and interest in the world around her.