Rocky Mountain Howls

Recently, we took Jenny on vacation with us to Colorado. We were concerned about the length of the road trip (14+ hours) after she had some accidents in the house a day or two before the trip. We rented a card and put some blankets in the back seat to help control the dog hair and any other messes that might occur. We left early and soon learned some things about her.

First, as long as the car is going 50mph or faster, she stayed calm in the back seat. As we slowed through each small town along Highway 287, she stuck her head between the front seats, then slowly inched her self forward. If we didn't pay attention, she was suddenly within a step of climbing in my lap while I was driving. With elbows raised we pushed her back to a safer position. Thankfully there was never a sudden stop or other activity that put her at risk.

We arrived at the cabin at dusk. Once we got everything moved in from the car, we took her for the first of many walks. There were other cabins where we were, and several of them had dogs. So as she is walking around, she's sniffing and growling and barking at other dogs. She's still showing that behavior. We don't know why she feels compelled to bark/growl at dogs and not people, but that's her.

The first night, and every night, Jenny continued her habit of waking us up several times. Because she'd had the accidents, we were quick to respond and take her out. At 3 a.m. Sandy rushed to get dressed and take Jenny outside where she promptly sat next to Sandy and looked at her. That was it. Just looked at her, like she didn't know why she was suddenly outside.

Jenny and I on the trail

We went for a hike later that day. Just over a mile in length, but we likely gained few hundred feet in elevation as well. Jenny pulled us up that trail. You would think she had grown up in the mountains. I tried to catch my breath every few feet, often lingering several steps behind. We found a bench and enjoyed a view of the valley and mountains beyond before she pulled us back down the trail.

We left her at the cabin while we went to dinner. We returned to find yet another accident waiting for us. It was at this point we determined it was the new treats we had bought. We won't buy Blue Wilderness treats again. Once we stopped giving those treats, things greatly improved. Except she still woke us up several times at night. By the second full day we had arranged a system to keep her from running off, but also have freedom to move around. If the front door was open, she barked at people walking by.

Overall, it was a great experience. Jenny saw geese. She tried to pick a fight with other dogs. She chased chipmunks. And she survived two very long road trips. I love you, Jenny. Thanks for making our vacation even more memorable.