Saturday, December 19th, 2015

I had such a blast with the first group of the morning. These dogs were so full of beans, there was never a stand still moment. It made for quite the entertainment.

Boris was thrilled to play with his sister Magic. The moment they saw one another their ears went back and they began charging towards one another. Of course Magic, the sassy older sister, quickly pinned him down and they began their wrestling games. She loves to hold his scruff in her mouth as the two of them roll across the yard. After some ground wrestling, Boris leaped up and sprinted full speed across the yard towards the agility tunnel. Tasha and Kyah were quick to tag along; it must be a husky thing. These four spent a while goofing around inside and on top of the tunnel. The four combined made for some hilarious vocals. They were howling and talking back and forth as they walked across the tunnel and wrestled around it. After a while Tasha seemed to have had enough of the games so she growled at her son Boris and pinned him down. Magic took this opportunity to join in, but Tasha was just as stern to her daughter and told her off too. What a sassy mother! After all the outdoor fun, Tasha was pleased to join her Dad, Merlin, and Uncle Teetu, up front for some extra loving while Boris napped in his kennel.

I haven’t been at Tails & Trails in a while and boy was I pleased to see Miss Millie. I love her so much, she is such a funny little jumping bean. She was very pleased to have my company in the yard today, as well as two volunteers who gave her lots of pets and cuddles. After she received her fair share of attention she tagged along in Boris and Magic’s games. She continuously jumped at Boris and danced around him until he finally gave in and bolted around with her. These two were so speedy zipping around the yard and maneuvering around obstacles. Millie was quickly distracted by her friend Kyah trotting across the tunnel and bolted over to visit her. Once she said hello to Kyah, she made her way back to my feet where she begged for more attention and of course received it.

Jax is such a sweet boy, he is so outgoing and friendly. This morning he made me laugh as I let him out of his kennel. He did a couple quick circles then picked his towel up in his mouth and tried to bring it with him. He was more than content trading the towel for a treat, and continued on down the hall and outside. The second he got outside he encountered a new guest here at Tails
& Trails, Chaps, a very handsome golden retriever. They were immediately attracted to one another and began dancing around. They then bolted off to the agility yard side by side with their ears flapping in the wind. Once Jax said hello to all the other dogs, he came over for some hugs and pets. Jax was so happy to have three people outside today, which meant all the more cuddles.

Beanie and Poochio were thrilled to be here from the moment they walked in the door. They got to go for their walk before they even went in their kennel, which was great. They spent their entire walk zipping back and forth in front of me trying to pick up every smell possible. These two sure are speedy dogs. Once we returned from the walk they were pleased to see their kennel all set up with comfy blankets and two raised cots. Poochio did so many circles before he finally settled down for a nap. When it was time to head out to the yard, these two were ready to motor. They both dashed out the door and zipped into the yard where they greeted the other dogs. Beanie loved Merida right off the bat. She was dancing around her doing circles, waving her bum in Merida’s face asking her to play. Merida finally gave in and began bolting around the yard full speed. Poochio saw his sister playing and was quick to tag along. Next thing I knew these three were sprinting in never-ending circles around the yard. I got dizzy watching them. After outdoor play time, they were pleased to head into the play room where they found a comfy carpet to take a snooze on.

It didn’t take long at all for Coby to make a couple best friends. He loves going out with the other small dogs. He was immediately attracted to Timbits, a beagle puppy. Coby danced all around him and then bolted off looking for a chase. Timbits was more than happy to run after Coby as fast as he could. Surprisingly, Coby was faster than Timbits. I think Timbits still has his puppy stride, which results in him tumbling over every so often. Coby loved the attention he got from Timbits and it tired him out quite a bit. After he was done sprinting he made his way to my feet. I was more than happy to pick him up and give him some cuddles and kisses. It didn’t take long for him to get his energy back and ask to be put down. Coby then met up with Poochio and had some fun darting around the yard with him.

Timbits and Coco have got to be one of the cutest pairs I have ever seen. Who wouldn’t think Timbits is the cutest?! Our walk this morning was interesting to say the least. Timbits really wishes he could be a human and walk himself and/or Coco. He always insists on having his leash or Coco’s leash in his mouth. I tried to get him to stop, but it wasn’t much of an option. He was much occupied with this, while Coco kept her nose on the ground and sniffed for the entire walk. In the yard today Coco was pleased to find a nylabone. This kept her busy for most of play time, which was a nice break from Timbits. Timbits kept himself very occupied with Coby, and a stick. He sprinted around the yard with Coby for the first portion of play time. Along the way, he found a stick which was too hard to resist. He stopped and picked it up and spent the remainder of play time running around with it and trying to find a private spot to chew on it. He found a nice spot in the tunnel where he lay down and chewed on it for a bit. Coco got a bit jealous and darted in to snag it away from him. What are siblings for, right?

Cooper is such a great guy to have around. He is very accustomed to the routine here. He knows exactly which kennel is his, and he patiently waits at it until we let him back in after group time. In the yard today he met up with his best pal Mac. These two seem to be inseparable. They kept one another very busy, sprinting around full speed and leaping on top of one another as if they were playing tag. In between chases, Cooper would make his way to me where he would get lots of pets and scratches. He loves to be scratched under the chin and pet all down his back. He seemed to pick up on the treats in my pocket very fast. By the end of groups, he wasn’t coming over for cuddles, he was coming over for a yummy snack. What a smart guy.

Eva and Amadeus are having a lovely time with us. They are always such a pleasure to have around. Eva was full of beans in the yard today. She tried playing with everyone and anyone, until finally her brother gave in. Amadeus tried to calm her down at first, but then decided he would goof around for a bit. These two sprinted back and forth across the yard over and over again. At one end of the yard is the agility tunnel, which Eva loves. She would sprint to it, then loop through it, and bolt to the opposite end of the yard after. The whole time Amadeus would be trotting after her, avoiding the tunnel, and meeting up with her on the opposite end. Towards the end of play time both Eva and Amadeus met up with Viggo, another shepherd, and they spent some time sniffing one another out.

Jake has developed quite the crush on Miss Hershey. He is such a flirt. He prances up beside her, kisses her ear, and the proceeds to beg for her attention and love. Hershey seems to be playing hard to get. She looks at him, then prances away. Poor Jake follows her all around the yard while she minds her own business. Love is rough. Hershey seems very content spending her time outdoors sniffing all the rocks, bushes, and toys. She visits me every once in a while for a good pet and cuddle. She always offers me a quick kiss before she returns to exploring. Jake has been very busy trying to get Hershey on his good side. If he’s not following her around, he is by my side getting pet and asking for a treat.

Tattoo is such a chatty boy. He seems to spend most of his time outdoors walking around talking to myself and the other dogs. Tattoo loves when I kneel down and pet him, he pushes his head between my legs and grumbles while I give him a good scratch on his sides and pet down his back. He is such a suck for attention. Today he found a red rope toy which he liked. He was picking it up and flinging it in the air then barking at it as it landed. He repeated this game over and over again until I threw it across the yard for him. He dashed after it, sniffed it, and then walked away. What a silly guy.

Fez really appreciated his enhanced time today. He got to hang out with Ashley in the office for a couple of hours while she wrote some of the blog and ate lunch. He loved all the pets he received, and enjoyed the cookies he got even more. The heater is on against the wall which he really enjoyed. He layed down and had a nice nap right beside the warmth. In the yard today he was fascinated by Ocean. He followed her around for a while, supervising her every move. After a while he finally gained the confidence to say hello to her. He gave her ears a good sniff and paced back and forth by her side. Ocean enjoyed this attention from him and brushed herself against him a couple of times. They then wandered around the yard together. It was pretty cute.

 

Kouza and Tennya enjoyed games in the yard today. After Kouza had gone on her walk and Tennya had finished up her walk with her friend Trooper, it was their groups time to go outside. As I was letting the dogs outside, I could hear Kouza barking with excitement. Tennya was quiet but wagged her tail to show her excitement. Once they were outside, their game started when Kouza began to hunt for a toy to play with while Tennya was just exploring around. Eventually, Kouza found a rope toy frozen in the snow. Although it was frozen, she loved it and started carrying and shaking it around. I noticed that Tennya was paying close attention to this. When Kouza brought the toy over to me to throw, this is when Tennya ran over to join. I threw the toy across the yard and both dogs sprinted after it. Tennya stood beside the toy as Kouza sniffed her way over to it. We continued to play until the two dogs were tired out!

Will and Cricket had a nice day. In the morning, they walked with their friend Mac. It was quite a bit of fun! Not long after returning from their walk, it was time for their group to go outside. Cricket started to greet his friends when he got outside, but Will headed straight for the snow filled yard to explore. A few minutes later, Cricket trotted over to where Will was exploring. For the rest of their time outside, they did not leave each other's side. They would take turns sniffing a patch of snow or a toy on the ground. Cricket quickly came over to me for some cuddles while Will barked along with Julie. At lunch time, they came into the kitchen for some extra attention. When they weren't cuddling one of the staff member's laps, they curled up together on a big cozy bed. They also got a few treats when they sat politely!

Ginger had a great day. In the morning, she went on a walk in the trails with her pals, Timbits and Coco. They had a great time together! A little while later, it was time for Ginger's outdoor play. She ran out the door and into the yard where she greeted her friends happily. She seemed to be interested by the fresh snow on the ground and sniffed around for a bit. She wandered her way over to a rock in the middle of the yard. She spent a bit of time sniffing this, then came over to me to say hello. Ginger gently sniffed my hand then snuggled right up to me. We cuddled for a little while.

Kane and Rex had a great time playing today. In the morning, the boys both went on a walk in the trails. Kane walked with Magic and Brody, while Rex walked with Duke and Molly. They both had a great time. Not too long after that, their group went outside for their play rotation. I noticed the boys were eyeing each other as soon as they were outside. They greeted each other just as they greeted all of their other friends. Out of nowhere, Rex jumped right up onto Kane's back. Kane knocked him off and from there they were constantly playing. Their favourite way to play was to stand up on their hind legs and swat at each other. They always looked like they were having so much fun when they were playing together.

Becky and Jasmine had a great first day back. In the morning, they walked together with Coby. It was very enjoyable, and all three dogs were exploring all the new scents on the trails. A while later, Becky and Jasmine anticipated going out for their first outdoor play rotation. When they finally got outside, they were pleased to see many friendly dogs awaiting them. They sniffed all their new pals then began to explore the yard. Their new friend Brody took an interest in Jasmine and they sniffed each other for a while and occasionally played. Becky had a great time exploring around the rocks and in the fresh snow. Jasmine liked to come up to me for cuddles- but when she did that Becky would gallop over to me too. They got lots of cuddles!

Duke was a cuddle bug today. In the morning, he went on a walk on the snowy trails with Rex and Molly. He enjoyed sticking his nose into the snow. When the time came for his outdoor play after walks, he seemed to be pretty excited to go out. He ran around the yard for a while, going from place to place to sniff. But his favourite thing to do seemed to be come up to me for cuddles. He would run over to me and start nudging me with his head. When I started to rub his back, he would lean up against my legs with his body. Throughout the whole day, he kept coming back often for cuddles.

Chloe had a nice day. In the morning, she was happy to be going on her walk with her friends Dexter and Merida. They had a great time together! A little while later, it was time for her outdoor play. Once she got outside, she ran from dog to dog greeting everyone. Then, she began to explore. She was super curious about the small dogs playing in the yard beside her. She happily watched them and wagged her tail when they came close to the fence. When she wasn't doing that, she also enjoyed some cuddles and sat nicely for it.

Dexter had an enjoyable day with his pal Brody. They started their days off separately, as Brody went on a walk with his friend Magic, and Dexter walked with his friends Chloe and Merida. But once it was time for their outdoor play time, they were together. They happily greeted each other, then went on their own to explore for a bit. It wasn't long before I noticed they were exploring together and taking turns sniffing different things. Then, Brody began to gallop around the yard. This excited Dexter, so he chased around Brody while barking excitedly. Brody would stop and pounce at Dexter quickly then run away. This game went on and on until it was time to go back inside.

Chief was laying at the top of the cat tower when I walked in. He was rolled up into a ball on the ledge in one of the beds fast asleep. Once he heard a noise he woke up right away and rolled over to show us his big belly. I gave him some snuggles and he got up to start playing. Ashley started waving the wand back and forth in front of his face and he got excited and began to chase it. He whipped from one side of the cat room to up the tower just to catch the feathers at the end of the wand.

Ava was laying in her big comfy bed all wrapped up in her blankets. She seemed tired but wasn’t sleeping at all, I tried to get her to come and play but she didn’t seem interested at all in the toys. She would rather us pet her and give her lots of love while laying in her suite. She was watching Chief as he was playing and seemed very interested, all you could see was her little ears peeking out of her bed.