Saturday July 2nd

Extra Attention

It was so nice to spend some one on one time with the lovely Feist. She was very curious when I brought her up front. She zipped around the reception area with her nose to the ground sniffing everything under her paws. When she heard the treat jar she came wiggling over to my side. Feist was very keen to show off her sit, lay down, and shake a paw for some tasty snacks. After she was settled in up front she sat right by my side and pushed her body against my legs. We had a cuddle session, she practically fell asleep as I pet down her sides and rubbed behind her ears. She sat by my feet under the desk for a little bit as I did some work on the computer. After this we headed out front for a tour around the yard. Feist was very intrested in a young puppy, Harvey, who was playing with some toys across the front lawn. She walked in his direction and was very excited to say hello to him. They did a couple loops sniffing one another, then Feist headed off towards the driveway to explore some more. She came across a snake, which made me jump, however she couldn't care less. We carried on, stopping to smell flowers and the hay bales, and then returned to her kennel where I sat on her bed and gave her some more nice cuddles. 

Millie had fun today during her extra attention with me. First up we got to go outside to go on a walk together. She was very interested in the hay that was all over the field so went to explore and see it closer up. After her little walk we went inside to play and she found this amazing pig toy that made sounds like an actual pig and she fell in love with it. I threw it for her and off she went after it and at first she didn't know how to pick it up and but then she found the perfect way to. She shook it around in her mouth and chewed it so that it would squeak and afterwards she came over for some cuddles and lots of yummy treats after she showed me her tricks such as sit and lie down. 

Gracie is the sweetest girl ever. Giving her extra attention is barely a task. She was so excited to head out on the front lawn with Delaney this morning, where she played around in the grass. Gracie loves chasing after any toy that you throw, but she won't always pick it up and return it. After she checked out all the toys she found a good spot in the grass to roll around. She then hung out by Delaney's side showing off all her fancy tricks. We love that Gracie is so well trained, and can do so much fun stuff. We show off her tricks to one another whenever she is up front with us. My personal favourite is her version of roll over. Sometimes she'll fully roll over right away, but other times she hangs out upside down for a little bit then will slowly flop over to the other side. Gracie got to hang out in her favourite place of all today, the kitchen! She loves being in here, as there are so many people that pass through who give her pets and cuddles. She also snuck in some tasty snacks from my lunch plate today. I felt pretty bad eating salmon right in front of her and her friend Merida, so they both got a little taste. This mostly just teased them, so they continued to sit by my chair, pawing at my legs, for the remainder of lunch time. When I was done I gave them both a cookie so that they got another treat. Gracie was then very pleased to have me accompany her on her bed where we cuddled for a little bit before it was time for her to head back outside.

Hudson was so bouncy when I first brought him up front, it was a bit tricky to cuddle up with him. Instead, we headed out front where I attached him to our line and we played around with all the toys. He loves chasing the frisbee but isn't too sure how to pick it up. He was also unsure of the rope toy, but was very fascinated by a squeaking pig that we have. When you squeeze it, it oinks, and every time it made this noise Hudson turned his head and perked his ears then leaped at me to get it. We played around with this toy for a while, then he dashed around the field until he was somewhat tired. We then headed inside where he was happy to sit down with me and accept some pets and cuddles. He pushed his bum into my lap and rolled onto his back asking for a belly rub. He was half laying on me, half laying on the floor, with his tongue hanging out one side of his mouth. He is such a goof! When it was time to head back to his kennel he was happy to follow me down the hall. I sat by his side in his kennel for a bit, asking him to show me all his tricks for some of his yummy treats. 

Training

I had a wonderful time with Hudson this morning. He is a very bright boy, but is definitely full of puppy. We started things off with a structured walk down the driveway. This way we can burn some of his energy while keeping his mind focused. During our walk we had a dog friend following us, Julie. Julie was a great distraction for Hudson. She made him think over every move and he really had to put his brain to work to sit, lay down, and stay by my side rather than constantly checking her out behind us. He was quick to impress me on his commands, so we moved to a different area to see how he would do in a new setting. Of course, it was difficult for him to pick up on what I was asking in a new environment. He was trying so hard to dash away to sniff and explore the entire field rather than focusing on me. After giving him some direction, followed with a treat, he was more than happy to show off his skills. He is doing very well at laying down and relaxing rather than staring at me, waiting for what's next. This is a great skill to have. In the lounge we worked some more on laying down and being relaxed about it. We call this "place". He had no problem at all laying on the cot, however, it was a bit difficult for him to stay there as I walked away. Over our time in the lounge, he slowly picked up on what he was being asked and got the hang of it by the time his session was over. We will continue to work on this while he is here to keep his brain going and encourage new skills.

Groups

Gracie did a bit of everything today. She got to hang out in the kitchen with her friend Merida, and had lots of people coming and going that gave her plenty of attention. The day started with a nice walk alongside Cascabelle and Merida. The three girls were calm for most of the walk and took their time to sniff everything. As we were rounding the last corner, Cascabelle suddenly got a burst of energy and raced up to Gracie. Gracie play-bowed at Cascabelle and then jumped up, running towards Merida. The girls had wound themselves up and were racing in circles around me by the time we made it back to the door. For groups, Gracie had quieted down again and had some peaceful alone time to explore the yard. This didn’t last very long, though, because Duke and Maggie soon joined her. The group sniffed around together for a while. Gracie was then abruptly pounced on by Lilo. She started to run around with Lilo, and they soon gained another friend, Hudson. Three more dogs joined the chase, with Gracie in the lead. She would dart into the tunnel and once everyone had run to the other end to catch her, Gracie would turn around and go back out the other way. She definitely had fun playing with the other dogs!

Ceasar and Monte were very adventurous today especially when it was time to go outside and explore while on a walk with a friend of theirs. The field was so interesting today and Monte was so caught up in some of the cool things that he almost got left behind. Being the good brother he is Ceasar went back to get him before we got too far away. Ceasar then proceeded to run around and smell the flowers that were blooming on the other side of the trail. Monte saw the interesting flowers that his brother was smelling and then ran over to their friend to try and get him to play with them. They had lots of fun on their walk and couldn't wait to get outside to play some more. When it was time to meet up with everyone again, Monte was very excited. He met Fitz, a playful golden retriever, who was also looking for someone to play with so off they went running and jumping around with each other. Ceasar wasn't really up for a super active day so instead he went to explore around the yard with one of his pals. They went off on their expedition with Ceasar leading the way. Their explorations took them all over the yard. 

Fitz was so excited to see me this morning when I walked into his kennel with a leash and his harness. He bounced around and it was so hard getting his harness on because he couldn't sit still but finally after a few tries he calmed down enough for me to slip it on him. Off we went after that into the great unknown of the field trails. Fitz was very happy with the colder weather so he decided it would be a good day to run through the freshly cut hay and roll around in it. He had so much fun and loved the feeling of the hay in his fur as he rolled around in it. After his exciting walk, I got the pleasure of taking him outside to play. He met up with his pal Monte and the two of them ran around the yard chasing each other. They jumped and spun around while playing and then Fitz would bark in excitement before running off again. He had lots of fun with his pal during group time but his favorite part was when he got to come over for some one on one time with me where he got lots of cuddles. 

Feist is such a cutie and I was so happy to see her this morning and lucky for me I got to spend extra time with her while we went on a walk together. She loved the smells in the field and was loving all the extra attention I was giving her as we walked. She found this really interesting thing right in the middle of the field. It was a huge hay bale she had to go all the way around to get a better look - what a strange round thing. She thought it was so cool and wanted to stay with it for longer but we still had to get back to our walk so off we went to explore the rest of the field. She was tired by the end of the walk so when she got to her kennel she took a little nap. She was woken up not long after that to go outside to play. She decided that instead of playing it would be fun to go and explore the yard since she hasn't been in in a while so off she went around the yard without taking her nose off of the ground.When she was done exploring it was time to come visit me for some cuddles which I was more than happy to give. 

Tinkerbell is so cute and I love getting to spend time with her because she's such a cuddly girl and loves to climb up on my legs for extra attention. She was being such a cutie today and couldn't even wait for me to sit down before trying to jump up on me for cuddles. When I finally sat down she could climb up and get all the head rubs that she loves so much. She stayed by my side the whole time and was always being pet. She loved all the attention she got and was so happy by the end of group time. Kouza is such a silly girl and was having so much fun outside today standing around enjoying the wind in her face. She stood around for a bit and then happily walked around sniffing at the ground every now and then to see what was around. She thought the weather was wonderful and decided to enjoy it by sticking her head up into the wind and closing her eyes in relaxation. 

Kidd is so sweet and was having a wonderful time in the staff room today all curled up on a big fluffy bed. She napped on the bed for a while until I went in to visit her. She was a little nervous at first but she really loved being pet so she started to calm down after a while. When it was time for groups she came right out her shell outside and was running around happily exploring. She went all over the yard and became friends with one of  the older dogs outside who was quiet like her, so she went and explored with him for a little while. After that, she went off by herself and kept on exploring and after a while, she came up to see me before continuing on her way. All in all, she had a great visit with us today and she was doing very well at being less nervous. 

Millie started her day with a nice walk alongside her friend Hudson. The two of them were perfectly matched and bursting with energy! Millie busied herself by racing back and forth along the trail, trying to sniff everything while she tied Hudson and I in a knot with the leashes. Her friend was just as eager to play and entertained Millie by leaping around her. The leashes were certainly hard to keep organized with these two. When groups rolled around, Millie hadn’t quieted down at all. She went flying out the door and greeted everyone full of enthusiasm. Millie set out to explore the yard but was distracted by Kyah, who had just leaped onto the tunnel. Millie hurried over and climbed onto the tunnel with Kyah. She loved being the center of attention, up on her perch. The huskies in her group started to roughhouse and, not wanting to be left out, Millie jumped right into the middle. Her favourite playmate today was Justice. When he wandered away from the activity, Millie trotted after him and tried to get him to play by rolling on the ground and trying to lick his chin. Eventually, Justice gave in and they both went back to the others.

Domino fit right in with his mostly-husky group today. He ran around to say hello to everyone and accidentally ended up right in the middle of a game of fetch. Not even fazed, Domino chased after the toy for a few minutes and then continued on his way. His friend Kyah suddenly got a burst of energy and went tearing across the yard. Domino, of course, had to go flying after her. This caught the attention of Magic and Justice also. Soon all four of the huskies were racing around the yard, dodging rocks, dogs, and the tunnel. They settled down after a while, but Domino wasn’t finished playing. He pounced on Magic, who quickly showed him that she knew exactly what she was doing when it came to wrestling. Domino ended up on the ground with Magic and Justice piled on top of him. Kyah came running to his rescue, and he jumped up and pretended to hide behind her. Then Domino burst out from his hiding spot and tackled Magic. After some more playtime, Domino and Kyah partnered up to explore the yard. Kyah showed him how to balance on the tunnel – which wasn’t as easy as it looked, he soon learned.

Hudson was right in the middle of the activity today, as usual. First, he had a fun walk with his friend Millie. Hudson started out by trotting peacefully along the trail and sniffing anything that seemed interesting, but soon Millie’s energy spread to him and Hudson was racing around with her. They both decided to play for the last stretch of the walk and once we got back I had two tired dogs and a knot of leashes. Hudson had a brief nap and soon he was ready to get outside for groups. He teamed up with Lilo, who made the perfect playmate. Hudson ran back and forth across the yard with Lilo right on his heels. Eventually, the two of them calmed down, and Hudson wandered over to see what I was up to. I showed him a toy and he quickly latched on to it, so we played some tug-of-war. Once that was over, I let him keep the toy and he happily paraded around with it to show all of his friends. This caught Lilo’s attention and soon she was back to chasing him around. They split their time between wrestling and racing, and later they were joined by Gracie, who teamed up with Lilo to take on Hudson. This sparked a new game of chase, with Hudson in the lead, and soon their friends Pippin, Harvey and Farley were flying after them as well. Hudson was certainly popular in the yard!

Duke started his group time with a leisurely stroll around the yard. He happily said hello to everyone that crossed his path, and then continued on his way with his tail held high. After he had thoroughly sniffed one half of the yard, I called him over for a cuddle break. Duke trotted over and attempted to cover me in slobbery kisses. I gave him a backrub and then had him sit for a picture. As soon as I raised the camera, though, Duke suddenly became distracted by a flurry of activity on the other side of the yard and went over to investigate. His mind must have been all over the place today because he didn’t quite make it over there; instead, he caught a whiff of something on the breeze and made a sharp turn to follow his nose. He busied himself by hurrying around and trying to track down every scent he came across. Duke was certainly working his nose hard! Occasionally he would get a burst of energy and go racing to another section of the yard, where he would then spin around and run off in another direction. Whenever he needed a pause from sniffing, Duke would make his way over to where most of the dogs were and spend some time socializing, or cuddling with me.

Lilo was a star in the yard today. Everyone wanted to play with her. Not one to disappoint, Lilo happily obliged and partnered up with Hudson. She led him on a big chase around the yard before suddenly sliding to a halt, spinning around and running after him instead. Whenever they caught up to each other, one of them would pounce on the other and they’d wrestle for a bit. Hudson simply rolled around on the ground while Lilo jumped back and forth over top of him, quickly claiming victory. When Hudson was distracted by something else, Lilo set out to find a new playmate. It wasn’t at all difficult, considering that everyone was in a playful mood today. Lilo ran around with Pippin, Harvey and Farley, until she finally settled on Gracie, who was busy sniffing around. The girls started to bounce around each other, which caught the attention of Hudson. He came running over and almost mowed Lilo down. That group of three raced across the yard, bumping into the other group of three, and they all joined up to make one big game. Hudson and Gracie took turns leading with Lilo right on their heels. She is quite the speedy dog!

Maggie G. had a nice, quiet day full of cuddles and love. She was excited to get out of the door and wasted no time making her way to the grassy part of the yard to do some sniffing around. The dogs before her must have left some interesting scents in the yard because Maggie was zigzagging all over the place. A few of her group-mates started to play, and Maggie hurried over to watch. She didn’t feel like joining in today but certainly enjoyed the show that everyone else was putting on. Eventually, Maggie wandered off again and decided to spend some time with her friends Gracie and Duke, who were also exploring. She followed them around for a bit and stopped to say hello to me when she walked past. Maggie sat down practically on my feet and soaked up all the attention I gave her. I stopped for just a second to take a few pictures, and Maggie placed one paw on my leg to remind me that she was waiting. Not wanting to disappoint her, I quickly returned to petting her. After that, Maggie was my shadow. She was right on my heels wherever I went and made sure that I cuddled her plenty.

Mia and Dawson were so excited to start their day. After a nice walk together, they had a fun group time with me. Mia was full of energy so we decided to put that to good use and played a game of fetch. When I picked up the toy, she would spin around and then go sailing after it once I had thrown it. For some reason she didn’t want to carry the toy and just stood beside it, waiting for me to walk over and throw it again. We had a few more rounds of this and then set out to find something new to play. I tried to persuade Mia to go through the tunnel, though she only poked her head inside and stared at me as if to say, “you want me to go through here?!”, while Dawson happily showed off his skills by leaping over the agility jump. We took a break from playing to cuddle, and then Dawson wandered over to the fence to watch birds in the field. He seemed content observing nature, so Mia and I made our way to the picnic table. She didn’t quite understand the concept of sitting on it but was happy to poke her nose in the puddle of water that had gathered on it. A few minutes later the sun decided to come out from behind the clouds, and Mia and I walked back over to Dawson to see if he would like to play again, now that it was sunny. We found a toy and continued playing fetch. This time, Mia was quick to grab the toy as soon as it landed, and then she would drag it around for a bit while Dawson chased after her. Both of them were having so much fun that it took a bit of persuasion to get them inside!