dogboy has learned to appreciate the joy of night

Rocko decided to stay outdoors last night. When I prepare for bed, one of the last items to be dealt with is ensuring that Rocko and Jack have an opportunity to relieve themselves. People do it, critters need to do it too.

So when we returned to the door, I told Rocko that we were going to bed. He got on his dog bed out by the pool rather than coming in with me. "Are you going to stay out," I asked, "or are you coming in?" He didn't move. "OK, see you in the morning. Good night; I'm going to bed," I said.

Jack stayed out with him. The temperature fell into the mid-50's overnight. This morning they both seemed happy enough to have slept outside; Rocko has put on a few pounds of muscle and fat (and has grown more of an undercoat) from spending weeks in the mountains. He has a wool Army blanket on his bed.

Since he has become accustomed to staying out on a long chain, I put his "dog screw" out in our yard. Attached to the screw is a 15 foot chain with another, lighter, 15 foot section after that. This gives him a 60 foot diameter area, plenty of space for hanging around. He became used to this setup at Ruth's house, and now appreciates the ability to hang out alone with the squirrels and lizards.