As usual, it was a whirlwind leading up to Christmas.
I was very excited as my parents were coming to visit from the UK, our first Christmas together in New Zealand for over ten years.
They’ve met George before, but quite a while ago (during my parents’ previous visit). I thought George would be a bit wary at first, but I was confident he would remember them. He has an incredible memory.
He has been doing so well with calm and relaxation at home that I had reduced his medication on rest days. I decided to increase it slightly again over the holiday period.
Christmas marks a line in the sand, and I was able to compare this year with last year.
He is so much more confident now. The tinsel Christmas tree went up with no drama, only one curious sniff. This from the guy who used to freak out if I moved a plant pot to a different position.
He’s also so much more trustworthy. Last year, I had to keep all gifts (and the tree) behind puppy pens. This year, he is noticeably more mature and we were pen-free. Although I will come to one surprising untrustworthy incident involving a ham sandwich later!
We moved into the spare room and George adapted pretty well, even with the fans blasting, which he used to find very scary.
On the day of my parents’ arrival, I met them outside to avoid ringing the bell or knocking (something we still need to work on). Unfortunately, it was difficult for me to collect them given George’s separation anxiety. Thankfully, they are easy-going and very understanding.
He barked at them when they came in. I put a Lickimat outside and my parents sat on the sofa. George could come in from outside to investigate, but kept returning to his Lickimat.
It went very well. He barked a couple of times when my dad moved, but very quickly remembered that he loves these people who show up and live in the house every now and again. I am so proud of him and his incredible memory, as well as the strong bonds he forms with people in his circle of trust.
We had a couple of low-key, easy days exploring local Sniffspots, which was lovely.
On Christmas Eve, my mum had made a ham sandwich, placed it in the middle of the (high, for a little dog) table, and briefly turned her back. I heard an audible gasp and turned around to see my mum’s shocked face. George had somehow launched himself high enough to steal the sandwich off the table.
He’s never, ever done that before. Obviously, I don’t tempt fate with where I leave food, but he had learned manners around the table.
In seconds, he had discarded the bread and was chowing down on the ham. As I removed it, he raced over to my dad at high speed and tried to grab his sandwich!
We were all shocked that he had managed to reach it. Counter-surfing is one of the few issues I haven’t had to deal with… yet!
Luckily, there were no further incidents, but we did have someone permanently on table watch on Christmas Day 😆
Christmas Day itself was great. George was overdue a rest day, so we decided not to stress about a walk. We had a lovely day hanging out, opening presents, cooking, eating delicious food, and drinking delicious wine in the sunshine.
Prince George was spoilt as usual and was playful and relaxed.
Boxing Day brought another beautiful Sniffspot, plus more great company, food, and wine.
The next day was a busy one. My friend was in town and we all wanted to catch up. I was fretting, as she has an eight month old baby.
Although George knows my friend and is fine with her, he has no experience being around babies, and I know he is scared of new things and unfamiliar experiences.
I also knew that us all being in the house would be challenging. It’s small, and George struggles with new people in the home.
So I organised for us to meet in a park for a walk, after which my friend and parents could go out for lunch while I returned home with George.
It was still challenging. Unfortunately, there were quite a few people and dogs in the park. George ignored the baby until she made a noise, then barked and pulled. Obviously, we kept our distance.
I was able to keep him somewhat focused with a steady stream of peanut butter from a squeezy tube. We got through it, but it was stressful. I’m grateful everyone was understanding of the plan I had to make.
That evening, we had dinner at a friend’s house. George adores her, but is sometimes a bit wary of her partner. He’s been to the house before, but not for such a long visit.
I wasn’t as stressed about this as I thought he would cope okay. Unfortunately, he was quite anxious and really struggled to settle.
I had to keep him on a lead because I could tell he was desperate for a poo. My friend wasn’t worried, but I was anxious he was going to do it on their brand-new carpet!
We spent a lot of time in the garden, but he couldn’t relax enough to go to the toilet. It wasn’t relaxing for me either, although everyone else had a nice time.
It had been a lot — my parents arriving and staying with us, the park with triggers, the baby, not as much rest as usual — so it’s not surprising he struggled. Although I think he would have coped better if I’d been able to let him off the lead.
It was a tough day. It really brought home how hard it is to deal with these issues.
Simple pleasures that people take for granted — a walk in a park, meeting a friend, going out for lunch, or having dinner at a friend’s — can be very difficult for me. I couldn’t have my friend and her baby come to my home, and I can’t leave George by himself.
I am grateful for people’s understanding, but I’m very aware of the massive limitations on my life, which also impact those around me.
Still, I try not to dwell on these things for too long. We are where we are, and we deal with it as best we can.
With no rest for the wicked, the next day was our road trip. I’ll write a separate post about that.
On the whole, though, Christmas was a great success, with lovely walks, food, and company. A particular success for George… snaffling a highly coveted ham sandwich!