Sunday, April 17, 2016

Could we ask for any better weather? I can’t believe how gorgeous this day is. The sun has been shining and it is 22 degrees. The pups loved their walks in the warm weather and thoroughly enjoyed playtime. Next thing you know, the pools will come out and it really will be summer!

Koda kept me very busy on our walk this morning. He sure is one strong boy. He is very insistent on sniffing everything, and he doesn’t give you much of an option. For his size, his strength surely did take me by surprise!  He had his tail wagging and a big smile on his face for the whole walk. Needless to say the walk went by very fast since we were practically running along the trail. In the yard he was much more focused on all the smells rather than the other dogs. He kept his nose down most of the time, sniffing the perimeter of the yard then checking out the grassy area. However, whenever he spotted me crouching down saying hello to the other dogs, he would bolt over to ensure he got as much attention as possible. He loved getting his ears scratched and patted down his sides.

Tennya is a very lovely lady. I enjoy spending time with her. She has numerous different personalities. She’ll go from being very calm and independent to bolting around the yard with all her friends. Today was no exception. She started off her time in the yard by sniffing and rolling on lots of patches of grass. She found a bone, which kept her busy for quite some time. Later on, Nymeria, a Siberian husky puppy, found Tennya lying in the grass and began leaping all over her. Tennya was a really good sport and briefly participated in her shenanigans. When Tennya got up to walk away two other dogs bolted at her and the four of them began zipping around the yard at full speed. Tennya was in the lead for the entire chase, checking over her shoulder every once in a while ensuring they were still behind her. By the time she came inside, she was ready for a treat in her kennel and a nice afternoon nap.

Winston seemed to be pretty content on his walk this morning. He paired up with Scout, a senior dog, and they trotted along the trail side by side. In the yard, Winston was very keen on the sun. He spent most of group time standing and lying in the sun with his eyes closed. He loved when I sat down by his side and scratched his head. When I stopped, he hopped up and wandered back over to the door where he met up with his pal Julie. These two hung about until it was time to head back indoors.

Daisy is a very wonderful girl. It took her a bit of time to warm up to me but once she was sure of me, she followed me around asking for endless pets and cuddles. As she stood by my side, she watched all of her friends dash around the yard. She didn’t seem too keen on getting in on any of their crazy games, however she stood by the action very aware of everything going on. Daisy is a very dainty lady. She tried as hard as possible to avoid all the puddles in the agility yard. This time of year it is a bit tricky to do that, however she managed very well. When we were back in the gravel yard she was very content to sniff all the dogs and explore the yard.

Cara had such a fun day today! I haven’t seen her so playful in a long time. Cara loved Brokk, a Siberian husky, and Glory, a bloodhound. She was such a flirt with Brokk I was laughing watching her flag her tail for him and lick his ears. Brokk was very pleased with the attention so he kindly gave in. They began dancing in circles before Cara took off and bolted across the yard. Brokk was more than happy to dart after her, which started a chase involving most of the group. At this point, Cara spotted Glory leaping across the yard and she turned around to play with her. Glory wasn’t too sure at first but then Glory began play bowing and then wandering in the opposite direction. Cara seemed to like this game of hard to get. After a couple rounds of Glory being silly, she finally ran towards Cara which started yet another chase. Cara spent group time alternating between Brokk and Glory. Whether it was dancing around or chasing, they kept her very busy.

Baxter, Baxter, Baxter…where do I begin with this monkey? To no one’s surprise, he had yet another amazing day here with us. No matter who he is in a group with, rain or shine I can always count on Baxter to be the happiest pup around. As hard as I tried to keep him away, practically the moment he got into the yard he laid down in a puddle. He had a great time playing fetch, Frisbee, and chasing his friends. He had a lot of fun in the tunnel with Justice and Kyah and then went back to playing fetch. In between each activity, he was sure to cool off in a puddle. I knew today wouldn’t be a clean day and Baxter made sure to initiate me with the mud covering. He saw me petting Kyah and thought he must have a turn too. His way of letting me know he wanted cuddles was to cuddle me. He leaped up on me and wiggled his wet body all over mine. I couldn’t help but laugh and give him lots of pets and kisses. He is such a silly love bug, I adore his positive energy.

Maverick and Shyla had a nice day today. They had a great walk this morning, marching full speed ahead with their noses in the air taking in the light breeze. Later on in the yard, Maverick was very interested in the three husky girls outside with him. He spent the entire playtime flirting with them. He couldn’t decide who he liked most, so he alternated between all three. Meanwhile Shyla stood back from his shenanigans and hung out with me. She tends to take a couple minutes to warm up to company but once she gets a good scratch, she never wants to leave your side. She thoroughly enjoyed all the pets and cuddles she was getting while her brother kept the other group members very busy.

Rex is growing up so much it is wonderful to see a calm side of him. I remember when he first started coming in and he would bounce off the walls and run around the yard without taking a five second breather. Now, he is like a mature young boy. It is lovely. He started off his outdoor time by sniffing the yard. When he got to the puddles he would do a brief dig and pick out any toys. He would then drop the toys at my feet and walk away to go find some more. This kept him pretty busy. When there were no more toys to be collected he decided to check out all the ladies in the yard and give them a polite hello. He briefly socialized with his friends before coming back to me looking for some attention. He was pleased to get some good scratches and pats.

Juno is the definition of a gentle giant. She is the sweetest girl and I can’t get enough of her loving personality. When I walked into the yard, Zennon came darting to me with his whole bum wiggling. Juno was behind him trotting along, she slowly came to me then leaned her whole body against my side looking for a good pet. I think she forgets how big she is sometimes. She was so happy to be pet and scratched while her brother danced in circles around us. When I had given Juno plenty of love I offered to run around with Zennon. He sort of looked at me as if I were crazy. I stopped dancing around and he came wiggling over to me and tried to squeeze himself between my legs. Unfortunately I am way too short for that, however he kept trying. He settled with resting his head between my legs while I pet and scratched all down his sides. Once Juno and Zennon got their fair share of love and attention they wandered around the yard sniffing the perimeter until it was time to go inside.

I was so happy to walk down the hall this morning and see the lovely Sophie and Charlotte. I simply adore these two. The moment I saw them I headed in to their kennel and gave them both a good cuddle. Charlotte is hard to cuddle, she would much rather smother me with love and kisses than accept a couple good pets. I can’t say that about Sophie though. Sophie was so pleased to lie back on her cot and accept endless pets, scratches and cuddles. She is such a suck for attention. In the yard she is much the same. Sophie sat by my side for practically the entire duration of group time. She watches her sister zip around the yard and I bet she’s thinking, “How did I get myself stuck with that monkey?”. However, Sophie loves being outdoors with the young ones since they keep one another very busy which leaves both my hands available to cuddle her. Charlotte spent 99% of group time sprinting full speed through all the puddles with her two pals Maple and Birdie chasing her. She zips around like a cheetah. Charlotte loved darting through the tunnel, then around the agility yard over and over again until she finally had to catch her breath. The moment she stopped running, Birdie insisted on wrestling with her. These two were rolling around for a bit until Sophie T. played referee and barked at them to stop. They both stood about catching their breath until it was time to head inside.

Maple and Birdie are two peas in a pod. Not only are they very similar breeds, they are very similar in personality too. These two can run so fast, it’s rather impressive. My favourite thing is watching their ears flap in the wind. Birdie and Maple kept one another busy from the minute they stepped outside to the moment they went back to their kennels. Maple loves playing with toys and Birdie enjoys Frisbee’s, which made for some good fun. Maple enjoyed playing keep-away and Birdie seemed to love trying to get it from Maple. When I handed birdie her own Frisbee the roles reversed. Maple began darting after Birdie, however Birdie did a very good job playing keep away. After some fun with toys, their friend Charlotte went darting by which started a chase. These three ended up chasing each other around the yard for a good ten minutes. I don’t know how they kept going and going. They loved chasing one another and watching Charlotte go through the tunnel. Neither Maple nor Birdie dared to follow her in the tunnel; rather they waited on the opposite side for her to come out. Later on when I walked by their kennels they were both having very deep naps. It sure is tiring to have so much fun.

Sophie T. is such a sweet girl. She was very happy to see me this morning. She came to the front of her kennel with a big smile on her face and her tail wagging. She was pleased to get a couple kibble treats before heading into the yard for her morning business break. In the yard this afternoon, Sophie kept very busy playing referee. She was outdoors with Charlotte, Maple, and Birdie; three very high-energy dogs. These three zipped around the yard while Sophie trotted along side them barking when things got a bit carried away. When they got distracted Sophie would begin running to start things up again. I think she really enjoyed watching the action and being in control of their games. This kept her very occupied until it was time to head indoors where she laid down with a bone and rested.

Tasha and Boris had so much fun in the yard today. They were very lucky to be accompanied by Tycho. Tycho was such a flirt with Tasha and a very polite man to Boris. Tycho took turns playing with both Tasha and Boris. While Tycho was dancing with Tasha, Boris was sniffing around. While Boris and Tycho wrestled Tasha was spoiled and got lots of cuddles and attention from Megan, who gave her a quick brush, too.

During Tasha's enhanced time, we enjoyed a structured walk as well as some basic commands in the lounge. Tasha is very good at sticking by my side on a structured walk, especially if she knows you have treats. She is picking up on sitting when you stop, although this still takes a command. In the lounge, Tasha was very distracted by a bone sitting in the corner. I used this bone as reinforcement which worked very well. After a bit, I had to put the bone outside so she would focus more on me rather than the bone. She did an amazing job sitting and laying down for me. I was very impressed at how easily she will lay down. In fact, she was showing off to me looking for some extra treats. After her basic training we spend some time cuddling on the couch. When we went outside Boris was walking down the driveway so Tasha got to stay in the outdoor pen and chew on her bone while I watched Boris behave like such a gentlemen on his structured walk.

Megan had the pleasure of working with Boris today and although it took him a little while to settle into his heeling work, he did eventually switch into work mode and did very well. Julie was outside and it was a good distraction for him, since she was only out there because she knew there would be treats involved. Boris did a great job despite the distractions. Megan worked on giving more varied and random rewards, so sometimes Boris was rewarded with a "good" and a pat and sometimes a treat. He practiced his sits and stays both during his structured walk and in the lounge, which is a very interesting building with lots to explore. Again, Boris did quite well despite the distractions. Megan ended his session with the best reward of all - attention and tummy rubs!

Nymeria sure is one sassy pup. She is very chatty, but also very well behaved. I was so pleased when I fed her this morning. I opened her kennel and the moment she saw the dish she sat before I even asked. During her walk today, she was full of beans. She was sprinting around me while her two walking mates trotted ahead. Half way through the walk, she got Tennya to play with her which resulted in some very tangled leashes! Towards the end, I had Nymeria walk by my side which she seemed to enjoy. She walked as if she were doing a job. In the yard today Nymeria was go, go go, no slowing down. She bolted around with Zane and Dash until these two told her they had enough. She wasnt ready to settle down yet, so she ran over to her walking partner Tennya and began leaping over her. Tennya was very patient with her puppy shenanigans and finally gave in to her games. They play bowed back and forth  a couple times and then zipped around the yard until it was time to go inside. In the back playroom we worked on her sitting as well as trying lay down. She is a pro at sit, with and without treats. She is picking up on lay down but it definitely takes a bit more convincing. As we walked down the driveway for her structured walk, she was very focused on birds in the field so I had to stop numerous times. She picked up on where she needed to be focusing her attention after a couple halts. She finished off her walk trotting by my side and sitting when asked when I stop. I gave Nymeria a nail trim today and she behaved so well. I rewarded her after each nail, and by the second paw she wasn't putting up any fuss. She is a very smart girl and I look forward to watching her grow!