Sunday May 15th, 2016

Keegan was very excited this morning when I made my way over to his kennel holding a leash in my hands. He jumped up and down all around his kennel while waiting for me to hook him up so he could go. Once Keegan was all hooked up and his friends had joined us it was time to go out and explore the trails. Keegan had so much fun on the trails. He couldn't get enough of the scents that were scattered all around the trail. His friends were a bit slower than he was so he would run to the end of his leash and then sniff around so that he had more time to smell. After walks it was time for a little nap before heading outside again with his pals. When I opened the door to go and get him he was still napping but once he heard me he jumped right up and ran outside. He barked in excitement as his friends joined him in the yard and he ran around them as fast as he could to say hello. He and his friends went and explored the yard together today since there were some new scents that the rain brought from last night. He had lost of fun running around with his friends today and loved all the cool new scents that he found.

Cooper is just so adorable and I love seeing him in the mornings because he just puts a big smile on my face. I got to take him for a walk this morning and it was lots of fun especially since Cooper was very excited to go out and explore. He took the time to go back and forth on the trail path to make sure that if there was something to see then he wouldn't miss it. He would also look behind occasionally to make sure I was still following him. When that was done it was time to go out and play with everyone. Cooper ran around excitedly while greeting all of his friends and couldn't help but stop to come and get some cuddles from me too. When he was happy with all the cuddles he got, it was time to go off and explore. He went around the yard with his friends looking high and low to see what cool new thing would show up. That was fun for a while until Maggie came up to him looking for someone to play with. Cooper thought that would be fun so he went and ran around with her. He had so much fun today playing outside with his friends, getting lots of cuddles and running around and exploring.

Apple and Sky are both just so adorable in their sweaters! When I first saw them this morning I had to go and see them to give them some extra cuddles because they were just too lovely. Apple came trotting up as quickly as she could when I stepped in their kennel so that she could be the first one to be pet. I sat down and gave them both lots of extra attention which they both cuddles up to enjoy. After our cuddle time it was time for our walk with their pal Keegan. They were both very excited to get outside and explore. Apple, being the more energetic one ran right outside while Sky followed behind. They both had lots of fun exploring and looking at all the cool things on the trail and also really enjoyed being with their friend Keegan. When walks were done it was time for groups and Apple ran right out to get a head start at exploring while Sky followed behind with everyone else. They both explored all around the yard the whole time except for when they came over for some cuddles. Sky loved all the back rubs that he got and Apple really liked the ear scratches. They both had a wonderful time and were very happy during their time outside.

Maya and Rocky were both ready to go this morning when I walked into the hallway with two leashes in my hand. I opened their kennel door and Maya came running out at full speed before I could put a leash on her. Rocky was a bit slower than her but he, too tried to make a break for it when I opened their kennel door. Finally after a little while we made it to the trails where Maya led the pack as we made our way around. Rocky trailed behind but was really enjoying himself since the weather was really nice. Maya thought her walk was a lot of fun especially when she would run to the end of her leash and then back to her brother. Once our walk was over it was time to let them out with their friends during group time. Maya ran right out with her pal Timbits and his sister Coco and the three of them went right for the grassy field to explore. Rocky was quite a bit slower and decided to explore closer to the door first before making his way over to the grassy yard. When Rocky got there he found his sister with her head in a hole looking for something that she could smell. He went to investigate but found nothing. They both had lots of fun roaming around the yard today and smelling in all the strange holes that had appeared.

Coco and Timbits are just so cute and I just love going and sitting with them even if I almost get knocked over sometimes. Timbits loves to jump up and lick your whole face before calming down and letting you pet him, whereas Coco is already calm and likes to stand on your leg while you pet her so that she can lick your face whenever she feels like it. I spent quite a while with them until it was time for their walk. Coco was very excited, as was Timbits, and both of them couldn't sit still while I put their leashes on. When we got on the trail Timbits was in full tracking mode and had his nose planted on the ground sniffing out all that he could. Coco was the same and had her tail sticking straight up as her nose plowed through the grass as she explored. The walk was lots of fun, but not as much fun as group time was. Coco and Timbits ran around the yard with Maya until they came across some pretty cool holes in the ground that had  this great scent. They both decided their time outside today would be best spent exploring through those holes to find the source of the smell and they had lots of fun!

Bella and Jake started their day with me on a nice walk with their pal Maggie. They had lots of fun roaming around and taking in the cool new smells that were all around the yard. Bella really liked smelling around on the walk while Jake preferred to look at his surroundings. Walks went by really quick and then it was time to go and play. They ran out together but once outside they went their separate ways for a little while. Bella went to explore on her own while Jake went and explored with their friends. Jake saw his sister roaming by herself so he decided to go and explore with her. They were enjoying themselves and then heard the other dogs digging so they ran over to go see what was going on. They inspected the holes where they had been digging and couldn't find out what they were looking for so they left and went back to their exploring. They had lots of fun today and loved all the exploring they got to do.

Athena, Aphrodite and Hercules are just so adorable and I love spending extra time with them whenever I can. I got to spend some extra time with Athena and Aphrodite this morning and it was lots of fun. They both came over to me and laid down right at my side while I pet both of them. If I stopped petting one of them they would paw me until I started petting them again. Athena was so happy with the cuddles she got that she laid her head in my lap while I pet her. After petting them it was time to go meet with their little brother, Hercules. We went outside and they explored together and got lots of cuddles. Hercules was so excited that he came running into me which almost knocked me over. All three of them got lots of cuddles and hugs while they were outside and all three of them had a great time.

Tatoo had a great time running around in the yard today. He was racing back and forth with his tail wagging a mile a minute, and whenever he smelled something interesting he would veer sharply off course to track it. Occasionally, he would take a break and come trotting over to say hello to me. While I gave him a backrub, Tatoo was busy wiggling and dancing around. He then set off in search of something to play with. On one of his expeditions, Tatoo discovered a bone. He quickly snatched it up before another dog could take his treasure and paraded around with it in his mouth. I went to Tatoo and acted be very excited about his bone and this made Tatoo even happier. After carrying the bone around for a bit, he settled down to chew on it and watch the rest of the dogs go about their business.

Kai is such a cutie. She was so excited to be out in the yard with all of her buddies! Immediately, Kai made her rounds to say hello to the others. They were all delighted to see her, and when Kai noticed our new doggy friend, Oreo, she decided to give her a tour of the yard. They explored together for a bit until Oreo was confident enough to venture off on her own. Satisfied that her work was finished, Kai came over to me for some cuddles. She was very pleased with the nice, long back scratch I gave her and was leaning against my legs as I was petting her. Then, when I was distracted, Kai spun around and gave me a big lick on the side of my face. She seemed quite proud of herself. We moved on from cuddles to the agility jump that was set up in the yard. She hopped over it a few times and then decided to sit down beside the jump, waiting for some more attention.

Leah and Poppy are so sweet! Poppy decided to stick with me for most of the group; she followed me around while I said hi to all of the dogs and would nuzzle my hand whenever she thought that I wasn’t paying enough attention to her. Then, she noticed Leah sniffing around on the other side of the yard and went racing over to see her sister. Not too long after, both of the girls came running to my side again. Leah thought the camera was quite interesting and would attempt to lick it whenever it was close enough. She also enjoyed having her ears scratched, while Poppy just laid down beside me and watched the other dogs wandering around. When I moved on to give her sister some attention, Leah went trotting off again. Poppy was in the mood for a belly rub and immediately rolled over with her feet sticking up. Towards the end of group time, Poppy had ventured to the far side of the yard to explore for a bit. She was sniffing around, completely unsuspecting, when Leah suddenly came flying around the corner and tackled her sister. They ran around and played for a bit. Once we headed inside, the two of them went straight to their kennel for a nap.

Tucker had a nice walk this morning with his good friends Ranger and Charlie. The three boys decided to amble along and take their time sniffing the trail. Whenever Tucker thought the others were taking too long, he would sit at my feet and wait patiently for some cuddles. After a relaxed start to the day, Tucker was more than ready to play once it was time to hit the yards. He found an orange rubber toy right away and carried it over to give to me. I decided to test out his catching skills by tossing the toy in his direction, and Tucker happily leapt after it. He wasn’t the best at grabbing the toy before it hit the ground but he made some pretty funny faces while he attempted to catch it! We played fetch for a while longer and then I showed Tucker the agility jump. He had a blast jumping back and forth over it and was always happy to receive praise once he had done so. After that, it was time to check out the tunnel. He was a little puzzled about going inside. I threw the toy halfway in to help persuade Tucker, and without any hesitation he went flying in after it – although he wouldn’t run through the tunnel, and insisted on backing out once he had retrieved his toy. As part of his extra attention, Tucker got to hang out up front for a bit and was very content to chew on a bone while he got lots of cuddles.

Maverick and Shyla were so happy to go on their walk this morning; they could hardly sit still long enough for me to put the leash on. Shyla set the pace at a brisk walk and wasted no time running back and forth while she tried to sniff everything. After a while, she had wandered off of the trail and had a great time jumping through the field. Maverick felt like going a bit slower and walked along beside me, occasionally running after his sister if she found something that smelled interesting. When it was time for groups, their energy level stayed pretty much the same. Shyla wanted to run everywhere and Maverick was content to just wander around. He busied himself by checking out the agility jump, the tunnel and all of the toys in the yard. In between his adventures, Maverick made sure to stop by to see me for some cuddles. Shyla had teamed up with Maple and the two girls had a blast running around together. At one point, they discovered a Frisbee and Maple waved it around in the air while Shyla chased after her and attempted to steal it. Once they settled down, they gave each other a quick sniff and then parted ways to explore the yard. Shyla came over to stand by me. She was a bit shy at first but after she saw everyone else getting attention Shyla decided that she wanted to cuddle as well, and sat beside me while I petted her.

Maple was full to the brim with energy today. She went running into the yard and immediately snatched up a rope toy, racing around with it hanging out of her mouth and waving around like a flag. Maple then proceeded to fling the toy up in the air and leap after it. It was so much fun that she continued to play this game of fetch with herself for quite a while, until she noticed Shyla looking for a playmate. The girls went zooming across the yard together and Maple forgot all about her toy while she played with her new friend. The two of them discovered a Frisbee and Maple pounced on it, tried to dig it up and then eventually managed to get an edge off of the ground so she could grab it. She carried it around with Shyla right on her heels. Eventually Shyla moved on and Maple went back to playing by herself. This time, she was using an old stuffed toy that she had unearthed from a far corner of the yard. It was a lot easier to throw around than the rope toy. Maple put on quite the acrobat act while she was jumping and twisting around!

Maggie G. had a great walk this morning with her friend Bentley. The two of them trotted along beside each other and occasionally veered off to check out a scent that caught their attention. When it was time for groups, Maggie gave a happy hello to the rest of the dogs and then wandered off to explore the yard. Eventually she found me taking pictures with a few of the dogs and decided that she wanted attention as well. She sat down right on my feet. I tried to interest her with a toy, and Maggie politely took it, carried it away and then set it down again before returning to sit with me. I decided to see what tricks she could do. She was more than happy to give me a paw and attempted to do it multiple times without me needing to ask her. Then I got her to lay down, and Maggie rolled over for a belly rub. It must have been comfy lying like that because that’s how she stayed for the rest of groups. The other dogs were a bit confused as to why Maggie was upside down and came over to sniff her. She just wagged her tail.

Molly certainly loves to play with her toys. Right away she picked up an orange rubber toy that seemed to be a favourite amongst the dogs today. She carried it over to me and we played a big game of fetch. First, I tossed it near Molly so that she could catch it. She was surprisingly good at snatching it out of the air. Next I threw it across the yard and Molly had a great time running after it. Every time she would carry it back with one end sticking out of her mouth and set it down at my feet. If I took too long to pick it up, she would take it again and proceed to poke me with it. For our next game, we kept playing with the toy and I had her leaping over the agility jump and running through the tunnel after it. She was all over the place and her tail was wagging like crazy! Once Molly settled down, she decided to take the toy with her to a calmer portion of the yard and chewed on it while she watched the rest of the dogs running around. Later, Molly left the toy out of sight so that nobody would take it and went to sniff around the yard.