The Beast is Back

Since her surgery, Azuki's leg has been getting stronger and stronger everyday, and she seems to be completely devoid of pain. I can tell because she is just about back to her pre-leg-problem self--in other words, completely crazy.

I had thought that Azuki's calmness when we approached summer was a combination of the heat and her finally growing out of the maniac puppyhood. During those few months, she required much less exercise, slept a lot more, and generally was the cutest cuddly bear one can ever imagine. But in fact, that was all a facade. She was simply in pain, and therefore couldn't do as much as before.

Well, the pup is a good girl no more. The beast is back, with a vengence. I wake up now not to an adorable pup sleeping in her doggie bed next to my bed, lifting her chin for a chin scratch, but a crazy fur of ball pacing furiously back and forth, checking to see if I am up and if I will feed her and/or take her out for a walk. Sometimes I try to out-stubborn her by pretending to be asleep, because I just want to make a point that YOU CANNOT BLACKMAIL ME WITH YOUR ANNOYING BEHAVIOR, DOG. I AM THE MASTER AND I DECIDE WHEN YOU EAT YOUR BREAKFAST, DAMN IT!

But inevitably it is I who give in and get up to feed her, then get ready to take her out, because for 30 minutes to an hour at a time, the pup will pace back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, from the kitchen to our room, then back to the kitchen, then back to the room. All I would hear, is her nails clicking on our hardwood floor: click click click click click. Stop. click click click. Stop. Click click click click click clik click click click click click click click click click click click click

When I change to take her out for her walks, she goes nuts out of excitement, circling around, running towards me and then attacking first my pant legs, then my socks, shaking them furiously in her mouth. If god forbid I am taking TOO LONG to get ready, the pup again paces around the room making little whiny noises, as if saying, "Can we go yet? can we can we? huh huh huh?"

When I take her to the park in the evenings to meet her human and pup pals, she runs around and greets everyone, over and over again. Runs back, and forth. Back, and forth. Because now I am cautious of her getting hurt, I usually trail after her to make sure she doesn't fall in a ditch or something. After awhile, I am really not sure who is exercising whom---why do I feel like I am the one who is getting a work-out??

The other doggie parents at the park are like, oh, look how genki she is, isn't it so great that Azuki feels better? You must be so happy seeing her so active again.

And I'm like, um, yeah. It's just err, wonderful.