My Dog's Summer as a Social Butterfly

Jessica, Chester and Gretel with Boca and I in downtown Denver

Boca has had a very busy summer with lots of social engagements. When I adopted Ruby, I was hoping that she would be a dog that could go everywhere with me, but due to her reactivity that did not turn out to be the case. We've found other ways to have fun together, such as trick training, and I feel so lucky to be able to take my placid potcake on doggie dates. When I learned that Jessica from You Did What With Your Wiener (my favorite blog name ever) would be traveling through Colorado, I was so excited at the opportunity to meet her, Doggie Daddy, and star adventure dachshunds Chester and Gretel.  We decided to rendezvous at Denver Beer Company, since it had high ratings on dog friendly destination sites. I'd never been there, and I think on a normal weeknight it would have been perfect, but there just so happened to be a race that evening so it was...overrun...with participants. We grabbed pizzas from a food truck and walked to a downtown park to eat and chat. Boca was great with Chester and Gretel, and I so enjoyed getting to know Jessica. All of the doggies got "pizza bones" - I couldn't resist Chester's stealth determination or Gretel's adorable face. The time passed too quickly, but the adventurers had to get back on the road toward their goal of tackling a Colorado 14er (spoiler alert: they did it!). Hopefully we will get to hang out again sometime.

Boca with our silent auction winnings

In mid-July, we attended Pints for Potcakes, a fundraiser set up by some local potcake fans to raise money for The Humane Society of Grand Bahama, the shelter who saved Boca from the streets. On the day of the event we had severe thunderstorms shortly before it was time to leave. I debated taking Boca after all, but I had been looking forward to it for months and knew some of Boca's fans were excited to meet her. I checked the radar and it seemed like we were headed for clear skies, so I put Boca's Thundershirt on for the trip and away we went. I felt like I was with a celebrity when we walked into the Ugly Dog Sports Cafe and I heard "It's Boca!" from several directions. That's the way it goes when your dog is cooler than you. We joined some lovely people at a table and met some of Boca's fellow HSGB alumni. The dogs were all friendly and mellow - it almost seemed like they recognized each other (and it's possible some of them did). Boca picked a favorite person and settled practically in her lap at a booth for the majority of the time. I placed some silent auction bids and ended up winning an awesome gift basket. The bar staff were all incredibly accommodating and they had a nice set-up with a fenced dog play area on the patio. It was delightful to connect with more Colorado potcake people!

Wendy and Boca at Meyer Ranch

One of the best parts of this summer has been reconnecting with my childhood friend, Wendy. We both grew up exploring nature and riding horses in southwestern Colorado, but had lost touch for over twenty years. Thanks to the wonders of technology (i.e. Facebook) we found each other again and we have been getting together several times a month. Our first hiking attempt was rained out, but we were determined to make it work this past weekend. We settled on Meyer Ranch Open Space, a short drive from the city. I knew it would be difficult to manage Ruby since our local trails can be extremely busy on the weekends, so she had to stay home again. Boca was still lounging on my bed when it was time to leave - not the picture of a dog ready to go hiking! She was quite nervous as we started out, which surprised me, but I realized she hasn't really been to the mountains without Ruby and I think some of her street dog survival skills were kicking in. She was very alert and somewhat hesitant - she definitely wanted someone else to be the trail blazer. I was happy to see her relax mid-way through the hike. Her tail came up from between her legs and she regained her merry amble that I love so much. We passed quite a few dogs and her greetings were polite and appropriate each time. I realized just out just how out of shape I am as I huffed and puffed up the hills, but so enjoyed being out among the aspens with my old friend and my good dog.

In the woods with my island girl

I feel bad leaving Ruby behind on these excursions, but my dad keeps her company and I always make sure she gets some extra attention such as a solo walk or play session when I get home. She is ever so glad to have us back and likes to jump on Boca and sniff her all over for the olfactory details of where we've been. Now that I'm familiar with a few more trails nearby, I plan to take her up on one of my upcoming Fridays off when it's less crowded and my dad can join us. This weekend we have another hike planned with the Colorado Potcake Meetup Group, where Boca will get to see some of her friends from the fundraiser again. It seems like the summer always goes by too quickly, but we've managed to fit in a lot of fun, and I'm especially proud of my Bahama girl for being game for almost anything and becoming a social butterfly.