Friday July 29th, 2016

Extra Attention & Training

Bella had a lovely first day back with us today! After her walk and group outing I took Bella out to the front field to go for a nice relaxed walk for her one-on-one time. I let Bella lead the way as she followed her nose around through the long grass. We meandered along until we found the regular walking trail, except we went the opposite way to what we usually do. Eventually, Bella led me all the way to the little bridge that crosses the creek. We spent some time looking around there. Once she'd had a good sniff and seen that there was no water below, we moved on and finished our walk. We came back inside and spent some time with our people friends Tiffani and Leah, as well as our dog friends Julie and Adele. 

Gracie and I went out for an extra walk around the field this afternoon for her one-on-one session. We wandered around wherever Gracie wanted to go. She caught a couple of good scents on the wind and followed them across the field. She buried her nose in the long grass and took in all of the fresh smells. She found one particularly good spot and stopped to roll around and scratch her back. When we made our way back to the front of the building, I hooked Gracie up to the long line and we spent some time lounging in the grass. A little bit later on, Gracie came back out to join me for a training session. Today we started by learning the basic steps to "play dead". Gracie did such a good job! Once she understood that we weren't practicing "roll over" she kept very still, laying on her side, until I released her from her command. She's such a smarty pants! When Gracie decided that it was time to go inside and cool off, we went to hang out in the reception area for a little while. I asked Gracie to show off what she'd learned so far, but she decided she'd much rather cuddle instead.

Groups

Coco and Timbits each had fun filled days today. As soon as they got here they began their morning on a walk that included a bit of everything. Once Coco and Timbits got into the yard they were automatically in play mode. Timbits started the whole game when he bounced off of Coco while trying to get her to play. She immediately jumped towards him and did her best to play tackle him. Lucky for Timbits he was able to dodge it and the two of them went racing to the end of their leashes after one another. This continued for quite some time until their noses got the best of them. Coco began to search the field for anything that she could find with Eager Timbits close behind her. He was interested in sniffing for a little bit but was always hinting at the fact that he wanted to continue playing. Coco decided to ignore him for a little bit before finally joining in once again towards the end of their walk. By the time they got back inside, Coco was ready for a nap so she went to lay down on one of their cots; however, that quickly changed as Timbits hopped on top of her yet again. When it came time for Coco and Timbits outdoor play group the two of them were just ecstatic to get outside. They raced into the yard and were ready to go go go! As soon as they got out into the yard, Timbits was once again ready to play. Coco wasn’t quite in the mood so she went off on her own to do some sniffing around the yard. She remained on her own for the most part but would occasionally check up on Timbits. I invited Coco to come sit up on the picnic table with me, which she seemed to really enjoy. Coco especially liked getting a chin and belly rub while up there with me. Timbits decided that if Coco wasn’t going to play with him then he’d just have to play with me. I tried to get him interested in a few different toys, which he did sniff but didn’t particularly want to play with them. He eventually went off on his own to search around the yard for some new smells. Soon after, I found him laying in the shade of the tunnel where he played for quite some time before the end of his outdoor playgroup. 



Keegan and Dugan were quite the hyper little dynamic duo throughout the entire day today. Right from their very first outing the two boys were ready to get outside and play or show us how well they could use their voices. When I first let them out this morning the two of them jumped out of their kennel and bombarded me with kisses and cuddles. However, it wasn’t long before they realized the door was open and they went racing out to see all of their friends. During this outing, they did the exact opposite of each other. While Keegan greeted all of the other dogs in the yard, Dugan was busy sniffing away in the grass and vice versa. When it came time for their morning walk the two boys were just as excited to go. They enjoyed having a very fast walk with a new friend named Finnigan. Keegan and Dugan immediately raced outside once I got their leashes on and were ready to go as fast as they could. They loved being at the end of their leashes so that they could try and go faster and faster with every step. Eventually, this slowed down as the walk continued and they calmed down a little bit. Soon enough they split up again as Dugan decided it was time to start sniffing around in the long grass. It looked sort of funny since he was in bushes and grass that was taller than him so every so often he’d just pop up out of nowhere and jump at me. I think he was trying to be pretty sneaky while trying to play that trick on me. Keegan stayed fairly close to me at first but once they split up but that didn’t last for very long. Once I had given him a little head scratch he decided that was all the attention he needed and zoomed up to the end of his leash once again. Keegan started racing back and forth on the trail while getting himself and Dugan all tangled up. It was funny to see his face when he noticed and tried to untangle himself before I could get there. By the time it came to their outdoor play group, Keegan and Dugan had finally calmed down a little bit. However, they were still ready to explore the yard one more time. Dugan was quite playful during this outing. He began the group time with Keegan, doing their typical sniff around the yard. But he soon split off to come play in the grass yard with me. I had Dugan playing with all sorts of different toys today but he especially liked a little toy chicken and fox. Every time I picked one up he’d be right at my feet waiting for me to throw it. Sometimes Dugan would even jump up and grab it, which led to a few long games of tug-of-war. He also enjoyed playing a little bit of fetch with a bright green ball for a little while before returning to the stuffed fox. Keegan wasn’t as playful but was definitely very interested. He was always watching what Dugan and I were doing but never seemed to want to join in. At one point I had brought a toy over for him but he simply sniffed it and took off yet again. After Dugan and I had finished playing, I brought Keegan up onto the picnic table with me so that he could have some extra cuddles. He seemed so excited to join me and always had his tail wagging as fast as possible. 



Gracie got to spend a special day in the cozy kitchen today! She absolutely loves staying in there because she gets to see us every time we go in there and she always suckers us into a belly rub of course. She began her day on a slow and relaxing walk with a couple of new friends as soon as she got here this morning. When I went to get her she must’ve just known that it was time for her walk because she ran right to the door and had her ears back with her tail wagging as fast as it could. During her walk, she enjoyed staying right beside me for the most part but still wandered a good amount as well. She spent some time in the longer grass trying to find any bugs or following the scents that she could but didn’t end up finding anything. Towards the end of her walk, Gracie trotted to the end of her leash and decided she wanted to start moving a bit faster. However, she still took it easy and never pulled to go faster than need be. After her walk, she was ready for a morning snooze on her big comfy bed. Next up was Gracie's outdoor playgroup. She was in an almost all-girl group which I think she loved! As soon as Gracie got outside she greeted all of her new as well as some old friends in the yard. She immediately let her nose take over and started sniffing along the fence line of the yards and in the longer grass. After a little while, Gracie decided it was time to play. She started racing around the yard with the other girls in her group. Occasionally, she’d stop to play tackle one of her friends but it wasn’t long before the chase was on again. Towards the end of her group she was ready for some cuddles and attention so she came to see me for a little while. Gracie snuggled up right beside me while I gave her a good long belly rub. Later in the afternoon, it was time for Gracie’s extra attention. She was so excited to come join me up front when I went to get her that she raced out of the kitchen and showed me the way. 



Xena had another lovely day today. I think she very much enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t so hot out for a change and that she could lay down in the shade during her groups. Every time I went to let her out today she was up and waiting right at her kennel door to join her brothers outside. This morning, she enjoyed a relaxing and peaceful walk with her brothers. Her nose was going absolutely crazy in the longer grass and I don’t think she lifted it off the ground more than 2 times. I’m not sure what smells she was sniffing but clearly they were good ones. After her walk, she was ready for a morning snuggle before her long outdoor playgroup with her brothers and I. Xena was such a happy girl outside and once a few of us went out there with them she started trotted back and forth between all of us trying to get as much attention as she could. She looked so cute jumping all around us. Xena wasn’t very interested in the toys in the yard so instead of playing she and I just snuggled for a little while. Of course, she also got a good amount of sniffing in while outside but she returned to me for an extra pat on the head or chin scratch. 

Bella had so much fun in the yard today. She was pleased to join a mostly husky group, and proudly presented herself as an honorary husky. She wiggled around the yard from dog to dog saying her hellos as she first went outside before getting down to the business of playing. Bella was very intrigued by all the action the huskies created. Their play is very intense and speedy compared to a lot of Bella's other friends. All the wrestling and boxing kept Bella very busy. She would dance around her friends playing and then leap in the middle of the action, then dart backwards. Rosie and Boris were more than happy to include her in their games. These three began dancing around wrestling, causing quite the ruckus in the middle of the yard. All the action got their other group mates interested and before I knew it there were several dogs playing with Bella. Bella loved being the centre of attention and quickly darted off looking for a chase. She bolted from the agility yard over to the main yard, where the group made their way to into the grassy yard and began zooming in circles. It wasn’t long before Bella was in the middle of the pack rather than leading it. She and her friends pounced around one another until it was time to take a breather. Bella then began exploring the grassy yard and came over to me for some pets and cuddles. Right before it was time to head inside Bella made her way over to the pool where she bravely jumped in just to cool her paws off, but was quick to exit and return to safe dry land.

Boris had a great day (of course). He was pleasantly surprised to have two new husky girls in his group. Both girls are also Ancient Moon babies. Rosie, one of our females, and Anja who came for a day of daycare with us, kept Boris very busy today. Anja is such a sweet girl. It is so surprising how similar she looks to Magic, a relative of hers. Boris immediately made his way to Rosie and his sister, Anja, when he got outside. He looped around her a hundred times before finally committing to playing with her. Magic was watching the games from a distance, closely keeping an eye out for her opportunity to join in with her best buddy Boris. As Anja leaped in the mix, Magic made her way over and the four of them began pouncing all over one another like the monkeys they are. It wasn’t long before Justice joined in the games too. As usual, Magic and Justice had Boris on his back with his legs flailing about. Rosie and Anja weren’t too sure about this goofy game so they stood back and watched the intense action. Finally, Rosie turned to Anja and pounced on her looking for a playmate. As soon as Justice noticed the girls playing behind him, he left Magic and Boris to join in on their shenanigans. Monkey see monkey do…Magic and Boris joined in as well and these five pups were a big mob again wrestling and running around the yard. After they got most of their energy out they all headed to the pool where they could cool off. This is where Boris met up with his momma and they splashed about for a while. Tasha then followed me into the grassy yard where she and Kyah explored and basked in the lovely sunshine until it was time to come indoors.  

Dougie is an absolute monkey. He is so funny to watch. He had a blast and a half with some new friends today. His new pals Millie, Molly, and Finnigan are all toy lovers much like himself. This made for some competitive rounds of fetch as well as great photo-ops. I could get them all to sit for me with big smiles on their faces as I held a ball above my head. After a while, Dougie was over the photography and leaped right on me trying to get the toy. I launched it across the yard and the four of them bolted full speed. Dougie motored and made it to the toy first. He has such powerful legs that winning the race wasn’t hard. He then darted around the yard with the toy in his mouth showing it off to his friends. It didn’t take long for Finnigan to snatch it. Dougie wasn’t too bothered by this; rather, he headed straight for the pool. He leaped in and sent water flying. He was interested in watching Molly fully laying down and wasn't too sure what to do about it. He hovered about watching her act goofy. When I showed him the flowing hose, his day was made. He had such a blast chomping at the water. By the time play time was over he was soaked head to toe and happy as a clam.

Millie-vanilli was so excited to see me this morning, and the feeling was mutual. I love this crazy pop-tart so much. Her firecracker personality was on full blast today as she bolted out into the yard with her tongue flapping in the wind. She zoomed around happily in her own world until she finally realized there were other dogs to say hello to. Once she put the brakes on and began walking around, she made her way to every dog where she politely said her hellos. It wasn’t long before she found Mylo, a husky mix. She was very interested in him. He is a bit shy but has a fun personality once he settles in. Millie got him bouncing around and playing which was adorable to watch. Millie was soon distracted by her friends playing with a toy on the opposite end of the yard. She wiggled her way over to them where she asserted her position in the middle of the circle. She began pawing at the Frisbee under Molly’s paws and tried her hardest to get a grip on it. To her disappointment, getting a Frisbee when it is flat on the ground was much harder than she anticipated. She gave up after not too long and zoomed her way over to the pool. She was happy to perch herself on the edge as it was filling up. Millie loves watching the water flow out of the hose. She finally committed to hopping in and cooling off just before it was time to come inside.

Finnigan had an absolutely hoot today with his newest best buddies Molly, Dougie, and Millie. As well as his best friend the pool ;) . Finnigan was so quick to find a toy in the yard. He got his paws on a Frisbee and began zooming it around with it in his mouth showing it off to all his friends. Of course he got the attention of numerous dogs. Unfortunately, Finnegan dropped the Frisbee which created the never ending problem of how to pick it up. If only dogs had thumbs. Finnigan was so determined to grab it, he was scratching at it and pouncing on it with his three friends hovering around him cheering him on. They all gave it a go, but none of them could get the edge. Finally, after a lot of hard work, Finnegan got the Frisbee in his mouth and began zooming around the yard showing off his prized possession. We played a couple rounds of fetch before Finnegan decided it was time to cool off. OF course he made his way to the pool where he plopped himself down and relaxed in the fresh cold water. He then followed his friends over to the grassy yard where he got in a brief chase. Finnegan loved running around with Dougie playing tag. When it was time to come inside, Finnegan insisted on bringing the Frisbee. I traded him the Frisbee for a bone, which he was very pleased about.