Happy Thanksgiving

Yesterday I took Elli to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving dinner. She has two malteses. Elli's met these dogs a few times, so I knew what to expect; Elli would want to play but they wouldn't. Thankfully, Elli behaves herself very well when we're at other people's homes. She really wanted to play with her two friends, but as usual they weren't really interested in her. One dog is really easy going, and pretty much a white ball of fluffy hair. The other dog is the boss. She tells everyone what to do, including Elli. Luckily, Elli lets her be in charge and is quite submissive around her.

Even if they weren't running around playing together, I'm happy they got along for the most part. The Boss nipped at Elli a bit, just telling her to back off. But, that was it. No barking or growling or fighting.

Like I said, I'm pleased with how nice Elli is while visiting. She didn't go exploring the house by herself, or beg for food at the table. She showed off how cute she is, and was friendly with everyone.

Of course, the second we got in the car to come home she fell right to sleep.

This morning while my mom and I were cleaning up the backyard in preparation for the winter, Elli was having such a great time. She got covered in mud, and sprayed with the hose. She loved it. She was running around like crazy. She was so dirty the sink wouldn't do it, so right into the tub she went.

After all the excitement Elli fell asleep curled up in blankets on the sofa.

Having a dog changes the holidays. She provides entertainment, something to talk about and can remove tension in the room. Elli also made me feel really proud of how good she behaved and what a nice dog she is.