Kolby's First Movie

The birthday boy was treated to the movies yesterday. The two of us watched Frozen while the kids were at school and my hubby was at work. The kids had already seen the movie on New Year's Day with their cousins and Grandparents, and hearing it was so good, I wanted to be sure to go. What better date than a birthday boy!!

I will admit that I came completely prepared for the worse from Kolby. Between the two puppies that I have raised, Kolby is much more interested in licking the floor than Haddie ever was. When I took Haddie to the movies, that was her obsession ~ licking the floor (I remember I was very surprised). So I figured that Kolby would have the same trait. I had packed the mini squirt bottle of water in a bag in my purse to help break the licking habit in the dark without making verbal corrections.

In addition, Kolby has just recently been very good about maintaining his Down without getting up on his own to do a voluntary Visit to check on me. I figured in a dark room with loud stereo sound, that he would be up and down for the entire 90 minutes. I really didn't have a prep for this, as a chew toy would have been too loud, and we have phased him out of treats - but I had the treat just in case, and a few other ideas in my head.

I am so super-duper proud to share that Kolby was fantastic; a complete dream date who deserved his giant toy stick birthday gift. There was only six of us in the theater and I sat in a section that had every seat clear. Not necessarily by choice, but with only 6 people and a huge room of seat selections, it would be rather odd to have all of us huddled together. It worked great, however, because I could then just focus all on Kolby and not worry about disrupting others.

Kolby immediately went into a Down position half under my chair and half beside me. I think he thought he was in Church. He laid there silent, resting his head on his paws, without moving for the first 20 minutes of previews. And then the theater got really dark, and I could not see him. Seriously, have you ever tried to find a black dog in a black room? Nearly impossible. Thank goodness the Yellow of his vest was visible, so I figured so long as the leash never tugged from my finger and the yellow was still at my side, then we must be there too.

But I really could not see his face ~ AT ALL. The stereo sound was so loud, I knew I couldn't have heard him licking, but I would have felt the movement of his leash. I felt nothing. At one point I bent closer to where I thought he was and found him actually starring at me with his perfect sideways glance that he is famous for. I smiled over his cuteness and my lack of being able to really see him. I decided to put the arm rest of the seat in front of his face down. I was taking a risk, because the cartoon action of the movie could throw him into stimulation overload ... but I went for it anyway.

That was the best decision I could have made in those 90-minutes. Not only could I see him (!!) through the reflection of the light shining from the movie, but he seriously watched the movie. I could see his eyes following along, his head never moved (except to rest it occasionally on the arm rest in front of him, at perfect chin level - awww), and his body was perfectly happy in his continued Down position. Every once in awhile he would look back at me and then look forward again to continue watching.

I had the BEST first birthday with Kolby - and I am positive he did too.