We recently traveled to Germany and England for two weeks. Penny, unfortunately, was left behind. She holed up in the plush digs of our friends' house. They also have a dog and a baby, so Penny should, in theory, have felt right at home. And make herself comfy she did.
Step 1: Be sure to let the host dog (Lucy) know that you don't think she's sufficiently protective of the pack. Whenever you hear something stirring outside, alert the troops, including the unfazed Lucy. Lead-by-example with how a guard doggie should behave. Step 2: Take plenty of baths in the ocean, so that you're not only sandy but wet when returning from your afternoon stroll on the beach. (If you click the picture you can see Penny avoiding the overtures of a male suitor by plunging into the waves.)
Step 3: Colonize. Colonize. Colonize. As is clear, Penny proved remarkably adept at invading Lucy's space. (Yes, this is a picture of them sleeping.) Before anyone thinks we're negligent parents, just dumping Penny off on unsuspecting friends without any of her creature comforts, think again. Penny is not the hobo she appears to be. Her bed and blanket are just off-screen; she just prefers to cozy up with Lucy. Lucy's preferences are, apparently, irrelevant. All-in-all, Penny had a wonderful staycation. So much so that we were unsure if she'd want to return to her usual pack, where she only gets two walks per day and a fraction of the belly rubs. And, of course, where there is no Lucy (most days).
