Our First Outing

Saturday marked still more introductions – Hilla and Itai who had not yet met Suki arrived and again I was terribly excited about introducing Suki to the rest of the family. They were delighted with her and after a short tour of the campus we set out in two cars for Rishon Letzion to go out to eat. Best of all – Ami had given us permission to take the dogs out! I notified the staff that I was leaving with Suki and stuffed her in the front of Yael's car under the dashboard. I was taking her out for the first time without Ami behind me watching. There would be no calls of "Good, good, go with her," or "Correct her, leash correction," – I was out on my own.

We soon reached the area of the promenade by the sea at Rishon Letzion and got out. Hilla was amazed at how fast Suki and I strode along, going up and down the curbs of the parking lot, descending the stairs to the sea, and entering a restaurant. Suki was well behaved throughoug the meal and stayed neatly tucked under the table.

The only slip-up was when we walked out onto the sand to let Rotem go down to see the water and put her feet in. The sky was clouding up to the north and it looked like more rain was approaching. I removed Suki's harness intending to let her "do her business" and she suddenly began to romp about and leap around, thinking that she was to be released for a run! Her strength and power – enhanced by two weeks without being allowed to run free – amazed me, and I realized I was in over my head and I had better get control of the situation. My greatest fear was that Suki would somehow get off her leash and I would have to call her back – something that I had only limited knowledge of how to do. I sat her down and put her harness back on again and she neatly led me back to the car and I tucked her safely back inside. It had been our first outing, and I was thrilled at having her with me, but a bit dubious of the idea that in five days I would be on my own with her.

We returned to the "hothouse" of Beit Oved and after changing Rotem's wet socks (the result of one wave that came too close) we sat down to dinner and Yael and Rotem left. She was disappointed that I would be leaving and she would not be back in Beit Oved again to see me. I assured her that Suki would be with me all the time now, and that she would be her friend as well.