Doug and Zuma

February 25 and 26, 2016

The weather here is absolutely perfect for walking Zuma and she is loving trekking for 5 miles a day.  3 miles is a slow day.  If we were in Maine I'd be wrapping her in her winter coat and shoving her out the door for a brief walk to the barn to complete horse chores.  She would be shivering at the barn door; as much as she loves the horses, like most Danes, we are told, they dislike the cold. She would be curled up in her fluffy bed in front of the crackling wood stove.

Here, she is outside all day, the RV (Hula Girl, as Doug has named her) on a long line, celebrating life with her comfy bed nearby and multiple short walks for "business" along with a 5 mile daily jaunt. When the temperature retreats into the 60s, Zuma starts to shiver and she wants to be inside in her bed.  The RV door is always open so she can come and go as she pleases and Doug and I are always with her.

When I am working, Doug and Zuma like to go into Savannah.  The two times I turned them loose in the city  Doug decided to go for a walk in the city, they were approached by SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) students and had their photograph taken as part of an art school project.  "What was the assignment?" I inquired.  Doug:  "I dunno, old guys with dogs?"  We had a good laugh about that.  

Today, the 25th, they went for an outing to Forsythe Park again and attracted a pair of SCAD students whose assignment was "How is your life affected by your dog?"  or something like that.  

Doug willingly responded to their questions, he told me.  Life with Zuma is not like life with any other dog!  Then he presented them with Zuma's business card which has the link to her/our blog and they all but gasped!  Yep, life with Zuma is definitely a defining part of our existence!

Today (26th) we all walked along River Street; it is difficult to walk without Zuma attracting people.  We met some great people. There was a very funny/sad scene where a middle-aged woman snatched up her Yorkie with a yelp and ran, clutching her baby, across the street when she spied us 100' away.  As this was happening, Zuma was making friends with another Yorkie and three small children.  Many photos were taken and the parents of the children and their teeny dog were delighted. 

I worry about Zuma, she is so sensitive, all Danes are usually rather emotionally delicate, I don't want her to feel freakish because of her size.  People who know dogs suggest it is because she is black she appears more of a prescence.  WHOA!  Don't even go there with me. She is a true kindred spirit and if people did a little research and understood these "Gentle Giants", the world would be a better place.  We hope Zuma will continue to be an ambassador for the breed.  They are sweet, eager to please and friendly when well-socialized.

I was feeling pretty sad for Zuma afterwards, as she takes it all in. One of her best dog pals here is a Yorkie (Peanut).  

Traveling to our car, two tourists we have met with in the past weeks called out, "Hi Zuma!".  They came over to her, crossing a lawn in high heels for a snuggle and I swear she remembered them. Her tail wagged like crazy and she joyfully licked their faces.  The timing could not have been more perfect.

Kindness.  Acceptance.  It melts my heart.