Puppy Paws

So we have been taking Riley to "socialization classes" (otherwise called doggie daycare). This is for two very important reasons. Riley is a very skittish dog, as all border collies seem to be. This used to mean he was very scared of certain people all of the time and all people some of the time. He is much better now, but has transferred that behavior onto dogs. He is sort of like that awkward kid we all knew in gradeschool, the one that wants to play but doesn't have the social skills so ends up picking fights with kids, or standing off in the corner. So daycare allows him to meet lots of different dogs in a very supervised setting. The second reason to take him is that it is nasty outside, raining and windy. This way he can play all day indoors and comes home and actually flops on the floor and naps all night. I am off the hook for a walk, it is wonderful!! The problem is that the floor they play on is rubber and Riley has really sweaty paws (seems to happen when he gets nervous which is often). For the last few weeks he has come home limping. The first time i didn't know why and thought maybe he had lymes disease or something. Then I discovered that his paw pads had developed big blisters which he then rips open and chews off. After the second time we decided it was from that rubber floor. So the solution we came up with today was the doggie booties. Jason's mom had sent them from AK, Iditerod style. I protested at first since I thought the other dogs would make fun of him, but today we brought him in with the booties and he seemed to do really well. He doesn't like them at home since he slides around all over the hardwood floors, but at daycare they said he was very good.

I'm hoping we will only have to take him in for the next few weeks and then it will be nice enough outside to start bringing him to the park again. It does seem kind of yuppie to go to doggie daycare but I feel so bad leaving him in his crate all day! Border collies ain't no golden retriever that will sit quietly until you come home. Not surprisingly most of the other daycare dogs are also BC's. Yeah, I need a hobby or something so I quit obsessing about this pup...