Camping Weekend

So it was Rivers first camping trip with us.

We spent the weekend at my mom and step-dad's cabin at the lake. It was lots of fun. My sister with her two kids latched on to River and even though he would have preferred being anywhere else, he let them pet poke and bug him until they got bored.

He really opened up this weekend. We slept in a tent with River at the foot of our sleeping bags. The first night he was fine at the end of our bed, except for when he threw-up (we think it was one of the bones we gave him as a treat, so we've taken it away and he's fine). The second and third night he slept above our heads curled up between the tent wall and our pillows, which is quite a feat for a dog that is well over 50 lbs.

River also did really well off leash. The cabin lot isn't fenced and it backs onto a field, so we had lot of fund chasing River around. He's learning him name and is starting to come when he is called. Still, it took until Monday before we really trusted him to just hang out with us around the cabin and we still kept him on a leash when we went on walks.

He also met my mom's dog Gizmo. A little 5-7 lbs Yorkie, with "little man syndrome" (meaning he thinks he is king of the world). They got along fine when Gizmo wasn't trying to lick River's face. River has to be the most patient of souls because I was getting annoyed before River growled a warning to Gizmo. Gizmo would back off for a while then try again later. I'm not sure if it was a dominance thing or what. In the end the most River did was bark at Gizmo and stared him down so Gizmo would leave... after all River was comfortable hanging out in the sun on the deck beside his dad, he wasn't about to leave because Gizmo was being annoying.

River is a great dog and I think it was a great weekend for him. He got so much attention and loving he just seems happier, and has more energy.

For the past two morning, getting back into the routine of normal life, River has been very good. I think he is starting to accept our routine and find his place in it. He didn't even howl this morning when D left. He whined a little and then went back to bed. I might be able to turn off my 5am alarm (which goes off right before D leaves for work so that I am awake for River's howling).

All in all, a great weekend.