talbotlucas.org: a word to the wise is sufficient

Since Wallace has been with us practically 24/7 since the day he joined our family, we realized some time ago that we should find a place where he could stay for a day, overnight, or for several days and nights should we need to be out of town or otherwise canine-free.

We started to ask fellow dog-owners in the neighborhood for recommendations. We checked out the places that were written up in various dog-friendly publications and the Los Angeles media. And I became more nervous with each investigation. I couldn't swallow the idea of Wallace being in a cage or a crate with only a few breaks during the day. That's a 180-degree change from his normal life, and not something I wanted to try. It's not that he needs pampering or constant coddling, but he needs some stimulation and interaction. A few of the services that come to your home to check on the dog and walk/feed/play with him weren't impressive, and some seemed to be rip-offs. So...we're trying the one place that make us relax and think, hey, this might be ok after all: L.A. Dogworks. We were immediately and positively impressed when we first visited a few weeks ago. Wallace had an "evaluation" to make sure he knew how to behave appropriately when introduced to a park full of off-leash dogs of all shapes, sizes, and breeds. (He did very well.)

So today is his first all-day session. The house is strangely quiet. Wallace definitely has a presence, and it's missing. I keep looking at the clock. I've vacuumed, sent off a few resumes, washed the breakfast dishes. I'm working on a friend's book proposal, and testing the baby beta of Terrence's software application. I might also have time to run a few errands and organize some of the mess that's colonized my desktop (literal and electronic). I've posted the latest news to slowfoodla.com.

If I keep this up I might actually have a productive day...