Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Everyone took their time to stretch their legs and sniff around in the small dog yard before getting to the good stuff. Maya trotted around, checking everything out before she was ready to play. She watched patiently as her friends Beanie and Poochio did a little investigating of their own. Maya went to say hello to Brokk who was playing with Timbits. Maya gave Brokk a little nudge to let him know she was there and ready to join. He bounced backwards, inviting Maya to pounce on Timbits. Poochio then came running over to see what all the fuss was about. He danced around the bunch who were wrestling and chased after them in excitement anywhere they went. Poochio made sure that he let everyone know what was going on during every second of the wrestling match. Meanwhile, Beanie was getting into a game of her own. She was bouncing around in the grass with Shadow, seeing if she was serious about play time, but Shadow wasn’t ready to wrestle. Beanie moved on after a few minutes and joined the chase with Maya, Brokk and referee Poochio. Beanie, Brokk and Maya eventually broke away from the group and had a three-way play-bow standoff. The three stood in front of each other, and either hopped around side to side or play-bowed at one another. Beanie must have been feeling pretty frisky today, and she wasn’t afraid to show it!

Cooper found a new best friend in Timbits the beagle puppy. Timbits has exactly the right energy level for Cooper and they make excellent wrestling partners, although Cooper is a little bit bigger than Timbits. The boys ran around the yard together, stopping here and there to sniff a boulder or along the fence, but never too far from one another. It’s like Cooper could sense when Timbits was on the move, because every time Timbits wandered away or started playing, Cooper was on his heels. Cooper and Timbits rolled around in the grass together for most of play time, being joined occasionally by Coco or Maya.

Rocky wasn’t partial to play time, but he was definitely happy with some belly rubs and snuggles. He took up his usual sitting spot along the wooden fence and was content watching his sister, Maya have playtime with the rest of the group. There were another couple of quieter guys who kept Rocky company, such as Julie and Merida. Once Maya finished her training session, I brought Rocky up to the kitchen to hang out while I had my lunch. He was lovely company and sat for lots of treats.

This foggy day had some of our guests feeling snuggly, such as Tennya the sweet Portuguese water dog. I spent lots of our group time knelt down next to Tennya, giving her as much love as she wanted. Tennya liked having her back scratched so much that she got very excited and raced around the yard in little spurts. She came back to see me for more pets, but after a few minutes she was off and running again. I love Tennya’s calm and loving energy, she always approaches me with a twinkle in her eye and a glimpse of a smile on her face.

As far as little dogs go, Cricket is one of the funniest little girls that I’ve met! She loves to watch all of her friends in the group as they go about their business. Cricket doesn’t venture too far from her brother, Willie, but she takes in every little bit of the yard as she roams. She was busy sniffing along the fence when she noticed Dugan chasing a tennis ball. Cricket rushed over, chatting to herself as she walked. Dugan was squeezing the tennis ball, making a little squeaky sound, which was particularly interesting to Cricket. She tilted her head from side to side trying to figure out what Dugan was doing. As I knelt down to throw the ball for Dugan, Cricket hopped up on my lap and gave me some love. While Cricket was doing her thing, Willie was nosing around in the grass by the playroom door. He walked along slowly, sniffing a leaf here and pawing the grass there. He wandered all the way down to the hallway door where he found Julie perched on the step. Will was very curious about Julie’s chair, and walked all the way around her to sniff each part of it. He eventually made his way back around to Julie’s nose, and then sat down on the step next to her. Willie and Julie made a lovely, calm pair and kept each other company until it was time to head inside.

If you want to play ball, Dugan is your man! He was thrilled when I brought a new tennis ball out into the yard during play time. I bounced it a few times to make sure Dugan was ready to play, and then I tossed it from the gravel yard, over the fence and into the grassy yard. Dugan didn’t miss a beat! His watchful eyes followed the ball as it flew over his head and he was off like a rocket. We played fetch for a good little while, and I think Dugan would have been happy to play all day. His brother, Keegan, joined in on the chase for a few small bursts, but was more interested in the rope toy that Jax was playing with. I picked up the free end of the rope and offered it to Keegan. He grabbed onto it briefly, and Jax pulled him backwards a couple of feet. Keegan let the rope go and chased after Jax to try and catch the end again. Jax was too quick, though, which, in itself, made a fun game of chase. Dugan and Keegan are such agile boys, they’re so much fun to play with!

Kouza started her morning with a leisurely walk around the trail. It’s a foggy and hazy day and Kouza seemed at ease in the soft morning light, and she walked confidently along with her walking partner. Out in the yard, I knew I could count on Kouza to play fetch with me out in the yard. She loves the rope toys in particular, and she did her best to catch it each time I threw it. If she didn’t catch the rope, she was quick to pick it up and shake it around before letting me throw it again. If Kouza wasn’t playing fetch, she was busy refereeing the other dogs while they played.

Max was ready to get down and dirty in the yard today. He, Dougie, Magic and Georgie made an inseparable bunch! The gang was zipping around the yard, chasing one another, when Magic darted into the tunnel. Dougie flew in one end of the tunnel, behind Magic, and Max dove into the other end. The boys were determined to catch Magic, but somehow they squeezed past her in the tunnel! Dougie and Max each came out opposite ends and looked around for Magic, but she was nowhere to be found. The boys ran back over to the tunnel and dove in each end once more. The tunnel rustled around and out popped all three dogs, running full tilt across the yard. Max and Dougie splashed through the puddle and around the boulders, always in pursuit of Magic.

Bella is such a lovely lady. Out in the yard, she wagged her tail as she walked over to say hello to me. I rubbed her back and behind her ears for a few minutes as she watched the other dogs bouncing around the yard. Bella and I then went over to say hello to Fez who was standing on the other side of the fence. Bella wagged her tail and ‘wooooed’ to Fez who ‘wooooed’ and wagged right back. I can always count on Bella to keep me company with her calm, gentle and sometimes bouncy energy.      

Duke had such a great day. I have never seen him have so much fun. Duke absolutely loves playing with Kane, these two are a great match size and personality wise. They really give one another a run for their money. Duke came bounding out the door and was pleased to see so many new faces. He briefly sniffed around and said his hellos before finding Kane. The moment these two sniffed each other, it was instant game on. They are a powerful wrestling couple, dragging one another down then leaping up and boxing. In between wrestling matches Kane would sprint off and do numerous high-speed loops around the yard. Duke was sure to race after him as best as possible. Kane is pretty agile, leaving Duke on his toes trying to get around gates and rocks trying to catch up to him. All the dogs in the group were pleased to join in on their busy games. Towards the end of playtime, Duke spotted his friend in a mud puddle and made his way over to check it out. He stuck his whole muzzle in as well as his front paws and then leaped back and shook off all over his friends and I. When I called him in he came bolting down the hall and slid right in to the door. I gave him a nice towel off, and then he immediately crashed for his afternoon nap.

Indi is such a sweet girl, I was very happy to see her come in this morning. Although she wasn’t too sure at first, the moment she got in her kennel and received her treat her tail was wagging and she was immediately smooching my face. Indi was very keen to get the party started in the yard today. She zoomed into the agility yard and began dancing around one of her best pals Kyah. These two have always enjoyed one another’s company. Kyah was more than happy to play with Indi. They danced around in a circle, play bowing and pawing at one another until finally Kyah leaped up to start a boxing match. Indi sprung up on her hind legs balanced with her paws around Kyah for a bit. The moment her paws hit the ground, she darted off looking for a chase. Kyah zipped by her and was quickly in the lead. Next thing I knew, the whole group was sprinting around the yard. Indi was right in on all the action; darting around obstacles and chasing her pals. Once the chase settled down, she was sure to come back to my feet for some pets.

Boy oh boy did Rex ever have a great day today. He made the absolute best of the wet, muggy weather. He’s a lab, that’s for sure. I knew it would be a wet day for Rex starting off with our walk. He was so excited to see a puddle; he would pull as hard as he could to get to the puddle sooner. He would then dance around in it until it was time to continue our walk. The moment we got in the yard today he bounded into the agility yard where he found a small hole full of water. He began digging and digging, sending water and mud flying everywhere. Luckily, his rambunctious friends sprinting in circles around the yard quickly distracted him. Rex is always keen to join in on the action. He tagged along in the chase, and then singled out Kyah for some wrestling. These two had a great boxing match going, which drew the attention of Kane and Duke. Soon Kane, Duke, and Rex were all bouncing around chatting away trying to get one another going. Finally Kane dashed off starting yet another chase. After numerous laps around the yards, Rex came across a big, deep, hole. There was nothing I could do but watch the silly guy try to swim in it. It was so funny, I couldn’t help but laugh. Kyah was standing beside him howling away and pawing at his back as if she were a lifeguard. Kane began to bark at him and tried to interfere. Despite all the dogs’ efforts to get Rex out of the hole, he was not going anywhere. So I let him swim away for the remainder of groups.

Emcy, Ordi, and Hickstead are such cute Collie’s. They started their morning off on the right foot, with a nice walk. It was a bit tricky for these three to adapt to leashes – but they picked up on them quite fast. They were very happy to return to their kennel where they saw their crates and beds from home. After a nice snooze, it was time for their outdoor group time. Emcy and Ordi trotted outside after I gave them some love and attention in their kennel. Hickstead took a bit more warming up before he decided to follow his siblings outside. The moment Hickstead got outside, his ears perked up and he began motoring around the yard with his nose down sniffing. Emcy and Ordi on the other hand, hung back by the entrace checking out everything visually first. It was made very clear right off the bat that they love human attention. Emcy is such a suck for a good cuddle. She stuck her head in between my legs from behind and wiggled her way between them. She sat right on my feet and stared up at me as I gave her some good pets and cuddles. Ordi spotted the attention that Emcy was getting and quickly weaved his way in between Emcy and myself. He felt he needed just as much attention as her I think. I was happy to kneel down with the both of them and give them lots of cuddles and love. Meanwhile, Hickstead was off exploring the agility yard. He wasn’t too sure about the other dogs following him until Georgie, a lovely boxer, play bowed to him then dashed off. I think Hickstead picked up the cue to play and he trotted after her. Georgie tried to playbow again, Hickstead stood up straight with his ears perked and tails wagging, and then dashed back over to me as if he wanted permission to play. Hickstead came out of his shell very fast and spent the remainder of group time exploring with the other dogs and checking in with me for some quick love and attention. Ordi and Emcy spent most of their outdoor time by my side, but slowly warmed up to the idea of exploring the yard and sniffing the other dogs.

Poppy is such pleasure to have with us. She is so familiar with all the staff, and the daily routine that she settles in in just a heartbeat. The moment I put her in her kennel, she lay down on her cot patiently waiting for her walk. Poppy enjoyed her walk with Dougie; a young playful mix dog. These two spent most of their walk sniffing and dodging the puddles. After a morning nap, Poppy was pleased to head out for her group time. She politely said hello to the other dogs in her group, then darted off to get sniffing the yard. Georgie; a young boxer, was intrigued by Miss Poppy. She followed her all around the yard as Poppy sniffed the perimeter of the yard and all the rocks. Finally Georgie gained the confidence to play bow to Poppy. Poppy wasn’t too sure what Georgie wanted, so she ignored her and continued sniffing. After numerous more play bows, Poppy finally gave in to what Georgie was asking, and danced around in a circle with her. These two briefly goofed around until other dogs passing by distracted Poppy. Towards the end of outdoor time, Poppy made her way to my feet where she got lots of cuddles and scratches before heading inside for some rest.

Jax was happy to take a day with a quieter group. He really took advantage of the quiet time and snuggled up by my feet for quite some time. Jax is a suck for a good pet and cuddle, and he almost always offers kisses. In between cuddles, Jax wandered around the yard sniffing everything the rain had brought out. He found something very interesting underneath some rocks and tried to dig them out of the way. He moved a couple, but couldn’t get to what he smelt, so he really pushed his muzzle in the cracks and spent a couple minutes sniffing away. After this he wandered around following three new boarders, Emcy, Ordi, and Hickstead. He tried his best to say hello to all of them even though they were a bit shy. Towards the end of playtime Jax found a puddle that he happily danced around in, sending water splashing everywhere just like a little kid.

Fez and Viggo were so excited to spend their group time in a different yard today. New yard means so many new smells! It was hard to get their attention since they were so occupied with everything in the grass and rocks. When the neighboring group came outside, Viggo was very interested in Bella. These two were pretty cute, running up and down the fence together giving kisses through the holes. Meanwhile, Max was trying to get Fez’s attention, but he was much too busy snacking on a yummy patch of grass. What a silly guy. It took a bit for me to capture his attention away from the grass. Once he saw me kneeling down, he came wandering over to get some love and attention.

Enhanced:

Timbits is such a pleasure to spend extra time with. Who wouldn’t want to cuddle up with a baby beagle? He is simply adorable. Timbits is really catching on to sit, as well as recall. I let him explore the playroom while I hang out in the corner and I will call him over every once in a while. He comes bounding across the room and jumps at me for a treat. He quickly listens when I ask him to sit, and he patiently waits for me to give him a reward. I am having a bit of a tricky time working on down with him. It is pretty hard for a young, small dog to pick up on this. I put him on a leash and held it close to the ground, patiently waiting for him to lie down on his own. As soon as he did, I rewarded him. This will take a good chunk of time for him to pick up on. They do say down is the hardest command.

Cats:

Ava is such a sweet girl. She feels right at home in her cat basket. Today during cleaning, she scurried away from the broom and made her way to the cat tree. She quickly realized the cat tree is more fun than she originally expected. She was weaving around it, and made her way up to a comfy level with a bed. She curled up for a nap and enjoyed some pets while she was there.

Chief is so mischievous. No matter what we do, he always escapes his condo. In the morning we always walk in to him snoozing in the cat tree, or on the windowsill even though we put him away at night. What a guy. Today we moved him to the “high security condo”, let’s see how long that lasts! He knew things were different when he was pawing at the door and nothing was happening. Instead of continuing to try, he sat there meowing and meowing until I let him out. Cats always get their way.

Marley is such a sweet boy. He loved being out and about while I was cleaning this morning. He was weaving in between my legs as I cleaned his condo and folded the blankets. After some good pets, I gave him a nice brush, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He got to spend a good amount of time out of his condo today. He chose to lie in the window and watch over the parking lot before dozing off for a nap.

Guss is a very handsome boy. Although he is still shy, he is beginning to warm up to us. He leaped down from his hide away spot in to the main section of his condo today when I put is food out. He was pleased to get scratched behind the ears and pet down his back. When I brought out his bag of treats he stuck his head out of his condo, checking out where the sound was coming from. I gave him a couple treats, which he gobbled up. He then returned to his hide-away spot for a snooze.