Overall it was a successful break.
We had a couple of lovely visits from a local friend and another friend stayed for a week (see A beautiful reunion).
As all of our visitors were familiar, George had a great time - although he had less rest than usual.
George got spoilt with presents from friends and family on Christmas day and we had the local beach to ourselves. We caught up with family on Zoom and a good friend came over for mimosas.
We discovered a new local Sniffspot and George was pretty confident.
I had the Sileo gel ready to go for New Year's eve (obviously spent at home) but George did very well. There were far fewer fireworks than I had expected and he wasn't bothered at all.
I had been worried that George couldn’t go to daycare for two and a half weeks - and therefore I can't do anything without him - but the combination of deliveries, visitors, and George's increased independence in the home kept me sane.
We were relatively lucky with triggers. We were able to manage George's triggers well, and mostly minimise triggers on walks.
So I was surprised when I reviewed our reactivity tracking. It was higher than I had expected. But as he hasn’t been in daycare, I am logging reactions 24/7. It had felt like he had been doing better than in the previous couple of weeks.
It'll be a bit of an adjustment for both of us when we go back to work and daycare in a couple of days. George has been sleeping in which has been nice! I expect he will be bursting with excitement at the first drop-off.
I had to turn down a few social events which is particularly tough at this time of the year. I saw pictures of other dogs at other people's houses and felt quite envious. It is too much for George at the moment unfortunately.
I was worried about feeling lonely and isolated but it worked out well. We both had time to rest and recover after a busy December (and year!) but were also able to connect with close friends, whether virtually or in-person. I am particularly grateful to my very good friend for coming to visit.
It's been really nice to spend some extended time with George without work or daycare. I wish we had a little bit longer!