This is a totally impromptu Post based on Ray’s antics earlier this morning!

He always gets his breakfast around 7:15 – 7:45am, and so the worst case scenario for him is the potential 30 minute time difference from one morning to the next. This past Saturday was our time to put the clocks back 1 hour!

Based on the above 30 minute potential difference that currently exists, I thought I would stall him 30 minutes on Sunday morning, and then an additional 30 minutes this morning. Voila! The 1 hour is made up and Ray is eating on our Winter schedule!

To quote from his book (link over to the right) when I have made a foolproof plan … “What could possibly go wrong?”

Sunday went as expected. Ray was quietly waiting for me at the top of stairs, and was his usual excited self (anticipation of imminent food) as I got ready to go outside with him before getting his breakfast ready.

Part of my ritual involves sitting on the end of my bed to put on my shoes and, while I am tying the laces, part of Ray’s ritual is to wander over and butt me with his head (I have no idea why)! While he is that close, I usually give him a pretty rough “massage” along his body, in which he assists by slowly turning until I finish at his rear. Then we head for the back door. I get his collar and hold it so that he can just walk up and put his head through it… and then we go outside!

This morning was, however, rather different! I can only assume that he accommodated the 30 minute delay yesterday based on it not being an unusual event, but an additional 30 minutes today!!!!

The first think different was I could hear Ray pacing around at the top of the stairs. When I came up from the basement a short time later, he performed a 360 degree turn jump! He then ran around the kitchen table a couple of times and then headed for my bedroom. As soon as I bent over to tie my shoe laces, he trotted over and butted me rather hard (fortunately he missed my nose as his skull is solid!).

He pretty much raced me back into the kitchen and waited by the back door, but of course he still needed to wear his collar. I got it and held it out as usual, but this time he ran at it… and missed! I didn’t move but just watched him as he ran around the table and, once again, came running at his collar…. and missed again. His third attempt was taken a little slower and was successful! He immediately went and faced the backdoor.

He is always quite excited to get out in the morning. The two rather obvious reasons are the need to pee, and that food is imminent (and I think the latter is the main driving force for him)!

Once the door was open, he rocketed himself down the steps; skidded around the necessary sharp left turn, and then sprinted to the bottom of the garden where he stopped and decided where he wanted to pee. Typically, he will then race me back to the door but, this morning, he was not going to wait for me to start running. He just took off again and waited for me to open the door. While I was opening the door, he pushed himself through the gap and starting doing 360 degree turn jumps again!

When I get his food bowl, he will usually just sit and watch me make his breakfast but, this morning  was clearly not usual! While I was getting his food tin out of the cupboard and scooping some into his bowl, he was running around the kitchen and periodically skidding on the  hardwood floor!

Carol is usually still asleep in her room and with her door closed while this breakfast routine takes place. Just after he had finished, and while I was making myself a coffee, Carol appeared in the doorway. I explained about Ray’s high speed morning, but I hadn’t needed to. Apparently she heard him skidding around quite clearly!

“SuperRay” or “SuperDog”? I am not sure which one to choose, but based on his high speed performance this morning, one of them must be appropriate!