Balmy Weather and Barmy Dogs

With Sandy in her crate on the days I work in the office, and the evenings busy with talking to dog training and grooming clients and teaching classes, I worry at times that a certain young woman is not getting adequate stimulation for her young mind and active body. 

Though I do generally get a chance for a leash walk for at least most of the dogs, with Sandy I feel a lot less guilty if I can get her some stimulation of a more intense variety. 

With the weather balmy like it was last night, the early darkness was no deterrent to some wild times in the comfort of our own yard and deck. 

Fortunately, Sandy is an easily amused youngster and found endless delight in the pile of tennis balls I keep back there. 

After we'd tossed the tennis ball up and down the deck stairs a dozen times--and having eaten a few too many samosas with Hoisin sauce, I even enjoyed joining in the chase--we got into some tennis ball bouncies right on the deck. 

Don't laugh, but I just discovered recently that the way to get a really fun dog action shot is to snap randomly in the midst of the action rather than waiting for the dog to do something photographically exciting. 

Whether she was learning to juggle

or just focused with feverish intensity on those spherical chartreuse prey species with the strange bouncing motion

Sandy certainly got nice and tired and made her mom feel like a better person. 

And even a slightly better photographer.