Spring Cleaning in January!?!

This past weekend Christopher and I took full advantage of the balmy weather in West Hartford to do some outdoor spring cleaning. Christopher treated our car to a thorough wash and wax while I filled 15 yard waste bags of pine needles and leaves that we had never gotten around to raking up. It was nice to be outside and get these much-needed chores done. There is something immensely satisfying about completing a task that you've procrastinated on for far too long!

On Saturday night we went to see Children of Men. I thought it was really well done. Most science-fiction movies that have been released recently involve aliens that are threatening the earth or some space mission. I really like movies like this that give you a glimpse as to what the future could be like (though depressing and over dramatized it may be).

Sunsay evening I had to take Christopher to the airport :( This semester he has to finish up some mandatory classes at U of T. He has classes Mon-Wed so we have scheduled a few visits for him over the term, using up a bunch of Aeroplan points I had. Combining this with a couple other trips we have planned (Florida at the end of this month & skiing in Vail over President's Day-Week) we should see each other every 2 weeks at a minimum.

Since Christopher won't be here as much and I will still need to travel a fair bit for business, I have been taking my dog to several "interviews" at doggie daycare/boarding facilities for when I am away. Since Tyson is a social dog that likes to play with other dogs when we "board" him we choose to put him in a doggie daycare facility. This way he can have tons of fun during the day with all the other pups and then he's good and tired in the evenings. While this style of care may not be good for all dogs, if you have a dog that is fun-loving and enjoys being around other dogs, I highly recommend it. Most places will ask you to bring your dog for an "interview" to see if they are suitable for the doggy daycare environment - making sure that they aren't a bully nor are they being bullied.

On Saturday I took Tyson for an "interview" at a new place and they said he would be just fine. It's funny checking out these doggie daycares. Some charge alot more than others (over 40% more in some cases!). And as a general rule - the ones that charge more tend to be nicer - but from a human perspective, not necessarily a dog's perspective. For example, will Tyson care/notice that there are colorful murals of dogs having fun on the walls? Does it bother him if there are grammatical errors in their flyer? What about if the person handling them has bad teeth?

As a human inspecting boarding facilities for my pet, I often have to remind myself that what is most important is that Tyson has a good time. Do the other dogs there look like the kind of playmates Tyson would have fun with? Do the other dogs look like they're having a good time/are well taken care of? Is the facility clean and well-kept? Is there a variety of toys/treats available? Does he like the people that work at the place and do they like him?

After introducing Tyson to several doggie daycares (just in case one is booked up) it's nice to find some places that we're both comfortable with. That way I don't have to worry about him while I'm away and he's too busy playing with all the other doggies to worry about where I am!