Everyone was full of beans and ready to play under the sun today. Boris and his big sister, Magic, got things going with their favourite game, chase. Magic led the way and zipped around the boulders, through the tunnel and back again. Boris was never far behind her, doing the occasional summer sault (because it looks really cool) as he galloped along. Boris and Magic's mom, Tasha, watched as her kids played, waiting for the opportune moment to spring into the action. Before she tumbled into the chase, though, Tasha was approached by a big, bouncy friend named Dexter. Dexter and his friend, Feist, came in to Tails & Trails this morning, and Tasha was happy to welcome them with open paws. Dexter and Tasha play bowed to each other a little bit, adding the occasional hip-check to get the party started. The pair soon bounced off and pounced around in the grass together, as Fiest watched and sniffed around in the grass. I went over to say hello to Feist and she snuggled up beside me, looking for some love. I was happy to scratch her ears and rub her back while she settled into the group. It didn't take long before Fiest started to get "Fiesty" and ran over to see what Dexter was up to. She and her pal Dexter barked and jumbled around together until it was time to head inside. Along with Dexter and Fiest, Duke and Rex were new to the group this morning, and those boys stuck together like glue! Duke was feeling particularly sassy, and he approached Rex by placing a playful paw on his back. The boys looked at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. A few short seconds later, Rex darted through the gate into the grassy yard, and Duke jumped into action. The boys played all across the yard, checking out the pallets, the holes, and the playstructure. It was a great first day back for both boys.
My little friends didn't skip a beat when it came to playing today. Bennie and his buddy Baxter led the group in a crazy game of chase. At first, it was just Bennie and Baxter, zipping around the yard as fast as they could go. Soon after, though, a few more friends joined in the fun. Chilly chased after Bennie, jumping so high she almost did a flip! She was so focused on catching Bennie, her eyes locked on him and she turned on a dime to keep up, no matter where he went. Chilly is a great match for Bennie. He may be taller than her, but Chilly sure is quick and agile. As I knelt down to take pictures of the bunch, Chilly broke away to come say hello. I knelt down and gave her a hug before she was off and running again. Coco must have seen Chilly bounce back into the chase game, because she came barrelling into the yard to join in. Now, the bunch consisted of Bennie in the centre, Baxter close behind, Chilly bouncing high as a kite, and Coco running as fast as possible to keep up. It's so fun to watch all of the different dogs and their particular play habits, and it's super funny to watch them all move around like a single unit! Bennie must have some exra gravity the way the others were orbiting around him!
There are never a shortage of snuggles when Nanook is here. He entered the yard with his head held high, letting the wind flow through his luxurious mane. I couldn't help but go over to snuggle that lovely mane, and he was happy for the company. I sat down with Nanook for a little while as the group started to play, and we watched the commotion together. He got up after a few minutes, though, and trotted into the grassy part of the yard to check things out. Once he stepped over the gate, he had a burst of energy and led the chase with Bennie, Baxter and Chilly. After a lap or two around the yard, Nanook went back to sniffing along the fence line, enjoying the beautiful day.
We had another new addition to the small dog group this morning, and that was the ever cheeful Barney! From the second Barney arrived this morning, he was bouncy and ready to go! His favourite playmates were the puppies, Aeres, Hades the huskies, and Timbits the beagle. Barney followed whichever puppy was closest, watching and waiting for his opportunity to pounce. He eventually had both Hades and Aeres rolling around in the grass and jumping around with him. When it was time to take a break, Barney wandered over to see his new friend, Timbits, and the boys ran together when they each had a burst of energy. Timbits decided to go play with his big sister, Coco, though, so Barney went right back over to see the husky pups. He must love their fresh energy!
While the younger group members played, Winston the bull dog was quite content to explore and sniff around the edges of the yard. He wandered around and greeted dogs as they passed him by, but he had a particular interest in little Julie, who was hanging out in her wheelchair. Winston wasn't quite sure what to make of Julie at first, so he sniffed her chair to make sure it wasn't something scary. Once he determined that it was just a chair, Winston parked himself along the fence next to Julie, and the two enjoyed each others' company. I came over to say hello, and I gave Winston a back scratch before heading back inside. When it was time to go back in his kennel, Winston snuggled himself up with his blankets on his bed. Oh to be a dog!
I went out into the yard during Apollo's group, pockets filled with tennis balls, and before I even took one out, there he was sitting in front of me with wide eyes. I didn't even have to say a word and Apollo was poised and ready for me to throw the ball. I threw one from the gravel yard into the grassy yard, and off he went! We did this for a little while, until I threw the ball and accidentally got it stuck in the fence! Apollo looked around for the ball, rather confused, so I took it down and threw it once more. Apollo grabbed the ball with ease as he ran past, and decided that he should keep the ball this time. Our game caught Oliver's attention, and soon enough the boys were racing for the ball each time I threw it. I decided to give both Apollo and Oliver their own ball, and boy were they happy. Oliver skipped along with the ball in his mouth, and he was happy to drop it so I could throw it again. On the last throw though, Oliver grabbed the ball and trotted away with it so he could show it off to his friends. He dropped the ball a few times, letting it bounce around so he could catch it again and again.
I'm so happy that Jake is back at Tails & Trails! It's been a while since I've seen him, and I'm very happy that he's feeling better! We started the morning off with a walk around the trail with Finnigan. Jake seemed to be very happy to be wandering through the long grass and sniffing all of the smells that had accumulated since he was last here. He's such a good boy on our walks, he never pulls and is always a gentleman to whoever his walking buddy is that day. During group time, Jake did lots more sniffing and exploring, before saying hello to his new friends. He was particularly interested in the other weimaraner, Oliver, who was playing with a tennis ball. Jake said hello to each of the other dogs in the group, but he always wandered back in Oliver's direction.
It was great to see Logan bouncing around with a friend out in the yard today. He and Sophie the german shepherd have become play buddies, and Logan loves it! After a thorough sniff of the yard this morning, Logan was feeling bouncy and frisky, so he approached Sophie to see if she wanted to play. He wiggled up to her and did a little hop, then froze. He looked at Sophie sideways and waited for her response. Sure enough, Sophie play-bowed to Logan and the pair were bouncing and jogging around the grassy yard. When he needed a break, Logan came over to see me for some snuggles, which we both enjoyed very much!
Fez started his morning by going for a short wander out front with Winston. He was very eager to go outside and stretch his legs. Fez took his time sniffing in the long grass along the driveway, stopping here and there to let the wind run through his hair. He's always so happy to see his friends during group time, and today was no different. Fez barked and chatted to his new group as they greeted each other in the yard. He spent most of his group time sniffing and exploring, casually saying hello to the other dogs and to me as he passed by.
Our friends Kaos and Shenzi are back at Tails & Trails today! The girls were so excited to go out and play, and their friends were ready to join them. Kaos ran around the yard playing chase with Brenyn right off the bat. The girls ran and tumbled around in the grassy yard, through the gate and over by the playstructure. After a little while, Kaos focused her attention on Finnigan, whom she had never met before. She was very intrigued by his fluffly black fur and his floppy ears. She nudged him softly with her nose to get his attention. Finnigan rolled on his back and wagged his tail to greet Kaos. She then moved on to see her sister Shenzi. While Kaos was playing with Brenyn, Shenzi was pouncing around the yard asking me to play! I ran around with her, getting her very excited. We zigged and zagged around the boulders together, and Shenzi seemed happy for the one-on-one time. Merida noticed that Shenzi and I were playing, and she hopped over to join the fun. I let the girls run around together for a little bit, and I took a break to watch the fun. It's great to have Kaos and Shenzi back, they're fun and loving girls!
Finnigan found a great playmate in Bennie today. The boys wrestled and rolled around the yard together, having a blast. I threw a ball for them, but they opted to keep wrestling together. When I got the rope toy, though, Finnigan couldn't resist! He dragged the rope around behind him for a minute, which caught Bennie's attention. Bennie pounced, grabbing the dangling end of the rope. The boys played a good, long game of tug, both determined to hold on! Kaos came over periodically to see who was winning. She'd grab on to the middle of the rope gently, as if she was checking to see if it was still good to play with. With each assessment of the rope, the boys tugged harder and harder. They played together until it was time to head inside.
Delilah had her very own special group with Justice today. She entered the yard and wandered around to sniff along the fence. I brought a ball over to see if she wanted to play. She picked up the ball but put it back down right away. She was more interested in who may have had the ball earlier, so she sniffed it thoroughly. I sat down and spent some quality one-on-one time with Delilah, giving her lots of ear scratches and hugs. Justice came to see us here and there, saying hello to Delilah and I before going back to playing with his ball. Later, back in her kennel, Delilah snuggled up in her comforter, and I went in to give her some extra snuggles since she looked so cozy and comfy!
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