Small and sleek Leslie zooms from the kitchen to the living room and dashes beneath the low mahogany coffee table.

She peeks from underneath at the giant golden dogs who have galloped after her, now bent on catching her and fetching the toy from her mouth. The big dogs let out booming barks of excitement, waiting for Leslie to make the next move.

 Like a crack of lightning following the thunderous barks Leslie streaks across the room to behind the large easy chair, in a tight space where the large dogs have no chance of squeezing in. Her tail is waggling with joy and her knobby eyebrows dance up and down, taking in the scene before her.

This is her playtime, the time when her vest and gentle leader are hung up, kennel empty, and energy is released in delight. The quick darting around with her butt nearly touching the floor is what my family has affectionately dubbed zooming. Leslie does not run, she surges down a power line from one point to another. This is her time when she gets to do whatever she wants, but with a few restrictions of course. Leslie practically is the embodiment of Carpe Diem when a playtime opportunity is at hand.  Do not let her polite sauntering or quiet presence fool you; she does have an excitable bouncy side, one that takes her running around in circles or bounding after the lemon green tennis ball.

 With her face alight with joy and mischief, Leslie runs like a cheetah and turns like a NASCAR driver down her track. It is such a contrast to see her quietly be lead down the halls and sit bored wherever I take her, then watch her shoot off to play. There is nothing more cheering than watching Leslie throw herself into life without restriction or worries.