Thursday, July 14th, 2016

Extra attention

Olive and Finlay had a blast during their extra attention today. They were hopping up and down in their kennel with excitement as I approached them, they must have known it was time to have fun. They chased each other down the hall and then I let them into the playroom. Right when I got into the playroom, I sat on the couch and Finlay jumped up onto it with me. He started sniffing around at me, and found the treats in my pocket. He pressed his nose into my pocket, so I decided it was time to give them each a little treat. I told them to sit, and so Finlay jumped back down onto the ground with Olive. They sat beside each other and I gave them each a treat one at a time. Finlay licked my hand afterward, and Olive just started sprinting around the playroom. When Olive was running around, she stopped to pick up a big bright orange rope toy. She continued to run around while carrying it around. It looked super silly since the toy was almost as big as her! Finlay noticed Olive was running around with this toy, and immediately burst into a run after her. He grabbed the other end of the toy and tried to run in the other direction. Eventually they both dropped the toy and just started to play together. Olive ran after Finlay while trying to grab his hind leg. Finlay ran around trying to dodge Olive, but when she got him, he would also grab her leg and they spin around in a circle. They had so much fun playing that they got tired pretty quickly. I decided to give them another treat when they stopped playing and stood there panting. Once again, they sat when I told them to before giving the treat. After this treat, Olive found a new toy to play with. She picked up a red rubber toy and put it in my lap. I tossed the toy across the room for her, and she raced after it. Finlay saw her running and began to run too. As she was running back to me with the toy in her mouth, Finlay came up behind her and tried to grab the toy from her. She changed directions to avoid him. This now turned into a game of who could bring the toy to me first. They continued to compete against each other to see who could bring the toy to me until their extra attention time was over.

Feist started wagging her tail as soon as I entered the hall. It steadily got faster and faster as I got closer to her kennel. Soon her whole body was practically wagging. As soon as I joined Feist in her kennel she started bouncing around me wanting all the attention she could get. Eventually she calmed down enough that I could actually give her a good pet and chin rubs. Feist then went and sat on her bed. I headed over to join her and was given a paw. We had a nice moment with me holding her paw. Feist then took it away and gave me her other one. She repeated this a couple times. Feist finally stopped giving me a paw and we settled down for a cuddle on her bed. She was more than happy to get lots of pets and belly rubs.

Groups

Olive and Finlay were full of energy today. After a nice long walk to start their day, the pair enjoyed some extra attention, and then it was time for groups. Olive wasn’t the biggest fan of the rain but her brother didn’t seem to mind the weather whatsoever. He went hurtling through the door into the yard and immediately raced off in search of a playmate. Olive hung back with me at first and was happy to socialize with some of her calmer group members. She sniffed around the fence and found an interesting scent in the grass, which took her on a big adventure around the yard while she tried to locate its source. Eventually she decided that it wasn’t worth the trek through the wet grass and Olive trotted back over to where I was taking pictures of some of the dogs. She nosed my leg until I bent down to cuddle with her, and after a nice backrub Olive decided to follow me around while I visited the other dogs. She bumped into Finlay along the way, who was having no luck finding a friend to wrestle with. Right away he jumped on Olive, who quickly pounced back. Finlay started to race circles around his sister while she attempted to tackle him to the ground. They both played with each other a bit longer until Olive wandered off and Finlay set his sights on Timbits. The two boys play-bowed at each other and then took off across the yard, with Finlay hot on Timbits’ heels. Eventually he managed to catch up to his friend when Timbits made a sharp turn, and Finlay mowed him right down. They tumbled into the grass and in less than a second Finlay was climbing all over Timbits. I caught their attention with a toy, and Finlay came running over to see it. He decided that it wasn’t as exciting as his friend and went back to wrestling with Timbits. When they both decided it was time for a break, Finlay led Timbits on an expedition through the grass. While Finlay was sniffing around, Olive had rejoined me and was busy soaking up some attention. Both of them were good and tired once we headed inside again!

Kouza had a nice little walk this morning with her friend Merlin. Luckily the rain held off just long enough for the two of them to get outside and enjoy some nice weather before groups. She strolled down the trail beside Merlin and I, giving everything a thorough sniff. Kouza was definitely one happy girl once we got back to the building and was looking forwards to group time! Unfortunately it had started to rain once it was her turn outside, but she refused to let this ruin her good mood and set out to explore the yard. Everything smelled much more interesting when it was wet. She kept herself busy by investigating a scent by the fence, and whenever she needed a break from sniffing, Kouza would join some of the other dogs and socialize for a bit with her friends. Max made a nice companion for Kouza today, as both of them were quiet and content to wander around together. Kouza then made her way over to me for some cuddles; she poked me with her nose to get my attention and then happily sat down while I rubbed her ears. The rain had let up to just a drizzle now so Kouza lifted her nose and gave the air a big sniff. She looked very relaxed. We spent some more time cuddling and then Kouza moved on to explore another section of the yard. She bumped into Monty, who was also sniffing around, and she was delighted to have someone to keep her company. The pair continued to wander about the yard until group time was over for the morning.

Max M. wasn’t the biggest fan of the weather, but he was still quite the happy little guy today. He had a nice walk this morning with a couple of his friends; thankfully it wasn’t too rainy at this point. By the time we started groups up it was quite wet outside, so Max trotted out to find a nice dry spot where he could sit back and watch the activity. Along the way he got distracted by an interesting scent and forgot all about staying dry. He was weaving back and forth across the yard - around dogs, under the picnic table and bounding through the grass. Eventually he picked up a few other dogs that joined him on his adventure. After the group gave up on following the smell, Max settled down for a stroll around the yard with his buddy Kouza. She was a lot bigger than he was and made for a good shelter from the rain while they wandered about together. The pair stuck closer to the building so they wouldn’t get soaking wet, and found plenty of things to sniff around the fence and the picnic table. I went over to see if they wanted to cuddle and Max gave my hand a sniff, wagged his tail and then continued on his way. He was very devoted to his exploration, apparently! After sniffing around for a bit longer, Max headed over to the door where some of the dogs were gathered to get out of the worst of the rain, and spend some time with his group. They all happily said hello to him and Max was content to hang out with them until we headed back inside.

Monty started his day with a fun fast-paced walk and was still full of energy by the time we headed out for groups. He completely ignored the rain, while some of the other dogs were a bit fazed by it, and trotted out to the far yard to explore. On his way there he saw the picnic table and, of course, couldn’t walk past without jumping up onto it. There was a small puddle on it from the rain and Monty entertained himself by splashing around in it, and then he leaped down to continue on his way to the grassy yard. He was determined to sniff everything and started right at the gate, making his way along the fence. The grass was extra tasty today and Monty spent some time munching on it while he walked. He found the rocks interesting and gave them all a good sniff; a few times he hopped up to survey the yard from this new vantage point. Moving on from the rocks, Monty headed straight for the tunnel. I encouraged him to go inside, but he wasn’t too sure about that, and decided to just sniff around it instead. After that, he took a break from exploring and sat with me for some attention while we watched two of his crazy friends, Timbits and Finlay running around. Whenever they raced by us, Monty would chase after them and pounce on their tails, before circling back to me again. A few times he ended up in a wrestling match with Finlay. They would both give each other a lick on the nose afterwards and then go their separate ways.

Coco and Timbits could hardly wait for their walk this morning. Both of them were bouncing around in their kennel and it was a bit of a challenge to get them to sit long enough for me to put their leashes on. Once they had both settled down, we collected their friend Fergus and headed out the door. Timbits lead the way to the trail, where all three dogs raced in separate directions. Timbits seemed to enjoy running in circles around me and attempting to tangle up the leashes, while Coco was happier to just trot down the path and sniff everything that she found interesting. Her brother had too much energy to stay still long enough for him to smell anything. He was running around ahead of Coco and I, with Fergus hot on his heels. We made it back to the building with Coco prancing beside me and Timbits wrapped up in a knot of leashes. Even after that exciting walk, both of them still raring to go when groups came around. It had started to rain once we made it outside, and Coco immediately scrunched up her nose and ducked into the one dry patch she could find. With some persuasion, cuddles, and Timbits attempt at helping, I managed to lure her out into the yard. Once she was wet head-to-toe, Coco decided that it wasn’t that bad and set out to explore. She followed her nose through the grass and eventually stumbled upon a hole. Coco, not even hesitating, dove headfirst into it. She sniffed around and then decided that she’d rather stay clean, quickly putting it in reverse and climbing out. Coco wandered over to sit with me and watch her silly brother run around. Timbits had been racing all over the yard in search of someone to play with. He chanced upon Finlay, who had the same goal in mind, and both of them immediately jumped on each other. Finlay ran around while Timbits attempted to tackle him. They wrestled for a bit, then chased each other around the yard. It was a good thing that Timbits found a friend who was willing to play so much; he was more than ready for a nap once he made it back to his kennel.

Piper started out her day with a rainy walk, which made for plenty of interesting smells on the trail, and she took her time sniffing everything as she strolled beside some of her canine friends. Luckily she was already damp once it was time for groups and didn’t mind the rain at all while we were out in the yard. She headed out to explore the yard and spent a while with her nose in the grass. Piper led an investigation with her friend Hailey after the girls found an intriguing scent. It turned out to be nothing too big, so Piper went back to wandering along the fence in search of something new. She then noticed me taking pictures and came hurrying over to cuddle. I gave her a nice backrub, and in return she decided to keep me company while I walked around with the camera. Whenever she thought I wasn’t paying enough attention to her she would nuzzle my free hand, or if I started petting another dog Piper would stare at me until I noticed her. Then Piper decided to pose for a picture and lay down, lifting her nose up to sniff the air. Once she was satisfied with all of the attention, Piper went to find a friend. Most of her group was busy running around and occasionally she joined in on the chase, though she preferred to sit back, watch and not get her paws dirty. When the dogs settled down again, Piper went up to Riley and poked Riley’s shoulder with her nose. They both froze, about to pounce on each other, when Magic decided that she wanted to play also and jumped on Piper. The girls didn’t really wrestle with each other but mostly just pushed each other around until Magic got distracted and ran off again. Piper made her way back to me and bathed in the attention for a while longer until we headed back inside.

Tallee was excited for her walk this morning and was still bursting with energy once it came time for groups. She raced out the door with a few of her friends and immediately headed to the grassy area of the agility yard to sniff around. Tallee was just itching for a playmate, but since everyone else was still making their rounds and saying hello, she decided to wait until the other dogs were ready to roughhouse. After a few minutes of exploring, Tallee wandered over to me and we cuddled for a while. I ended up with hands, arms and even legs covered in fur once I stopped petting her, since everything was so wet. She just trotted away and gave me a sly look as if that had been her intention all along. Tallee then bumped into Hailey, who took this as a challenge and pounced on Tallee. The girls stood perfectly still and would occasionally jump as if they were going to start running, to see who would take off first. Eventually Hailey got distracted and Tallee went in search of someone new to play with. She found her best friend Justice sniffing by the fence and wasted no time tackling him. He jumped to his feet, but before he could regain his posture, Isis and Magic noticed the action and raced over to leap on him as well. This started a big game of chase with Tallee taking the lead. With the huskies on her tail, she went racing to the corner of the yard, around a rock and back the other way. The group picked up Riley, Monte and Hailey as well. Tallee was certainly a tired dog once group time was over!

Monte and Caesar were polar opposites today. On their walk this morning, Monte was trotting ahead, trying to sniff everything at once, and Caesar was happier to hang back with me and observe the world from afar. When groups came around, the boys wasted no time running into the yard and soon went their separate ways. Caesar was not the biggest fan of the weather and stuck with me for a while to soak up some attention – while also soaking up some rain. After I gave him a big cuddle, he decided to thank me by shaking off the water and getting it all over me. He then jogged away to explore the yard. I went in search of Monte and brought him a Frisbee to play with. He got so excited at the sight of the toy that he when he came running over, he almost forgot to stop and practically mowed me right down. I threw the Frisbee for him and Monte immediately took off after it. He didn’t seem to understand the whole ‘bringing it back’ concept and just stood pawing at it until I walked over to toss it again. While Monte and I played with the Frisbee, Caesar was busy investigating some particular smells by the fence. He then bumped into a crowd of dogs and decided to pounce on the nearest on, Magic. As always, Magic spun around and wasted no time tackling Caesar. Judging by the look on his face, Caesar was not expecting her to so readily accept his offer to play. She quickly showed him exactly how good of a wrestler she is. After that, Caesar was kept quite busy trying to redeem himself by pouncing on some of the other dogs, while Monte had joined in a game of his own. He raced around with a group of six dogs, Tallee in the lead and Monte hot on her heels. When the huskies caught up, Monte decided to play it smart and dove out of the way, letting them chase after Tallee while he snuck around the tunnel to pounce on them when they doubled back. Both Caesar and Monte were good and tired once they made their way back to their kennels.

Kimi was less than enthusiastic about the rain but tried not to let it get her down. After a fun walk with a couple of her friends, she curled up in the staff room for a nap beside Merida. The girls were showered with attention to day, with all of the people going in and out. Later on Bentley joined them and the three of them had quite the party, digging through all of the toys. They were all excited to get outside for groups, and Kimi led them right out the door. It was obvious that she had forgotten about the rain, because as soon as she stuck her head outside, she skidded to a stop and looked back at me as if to say ‘really, you want me to go out in that?’. She and a few others stuck closer to the building at first to stay out of the worst of the weather, but after some cuddling I managed to persuade Kimi to venture further into the yard. She wandered around with Teddy and Percy for a while. The two boys were racing around while Kimi kept it at a slower pace and was content to just stroll along the fence. Kimi checked out the tunnel and a few rocks before she made her way back to the group to socialize. She had almost reached us when her foot went right into a puddle, and immediately Kimi looked right at me with complete and utter disgust. Then she shook off paw, jumped over the puddle and continued on her way as if nothing had happened.

Issy was being groomed this morning during walks, though Mocha enjoyed a relaxed stroll with her friend Feist, and both girls were ready to go for groups. They were nice and cozy in the kitchen but leaped up right away when the door opened. Joining their group, the girls hurried out into the yard only to be met with rain. Issy scrunched her nose up and sat down by the fence in an attempt to stay dry. Mocha was a bit more adventurous and followed me further into the yard, where she set out to explore in the grass. She sniffed around the tunnel for a bit until a couple of the dogs started to run around nearby, and Mocha hurried out of the way to watch them from a safe distance. She sat beside me and observed the game while I pet her. Then Mocha went to sit in the corner with a few of the other dogs, who weren’t enjoying the weather too much. I decided to make it up to them by giving everyone extra cuddles – Issy, of course, thought that this was a great idea and gave me a lick on the face as soon as I crouched down to see her. She then had a big shake, spraying me with water as if I wasn’t soaked enough already. Issy snuggled up with Mocha and the girls sat together while I attempted to pet them and shelter them from the rain. Mocha nuzzled my hand to thank me for the effort, and also to make sure that I didn’t forget to pay attention to her. Eventually, their friend Kimi left the group to wander around some more, and Issy decided she might as well brave the weather, seeing as she was wet already. She headed out after Kimi to sniff around and Mocha hung back with me while I took pictures and rubbed her ears. Once they had gotten over the rain, both Issy and Mocha enjoyed themselves outside, although the girls were happy to head back to their warm and dry kitchen!

Percy and Teddy were our dynamic duo of the day. The boys were full of energy on their walks this morning and somehow they seemed to be even more enthusiastic during groups. The daycare friends stuck together for most of group time and were happy to play together, seeing as the rest of the dogs wanted to stay dry. Teddy was the first one in the yard and wasted no time sprinting to the far corner and back, making sure everything was in place. He trotted down the fence with his nose sniffing away in search of anything new and interesting. His feet must have never stopped moving the entire time we were outside, with the exception of the couple times Teddy stopped by to see me and get his fair share of cuddles. I tried to interest him with a bone, although Teddy was happier to just run around instead. Percy, however, had been following Teddy around and was very interested in the bone. He carefully took it from my hand and carried it away. Apparently he was too focused on the toy in his mouth and wasn’t paying enough attention to where he was going, because he then trotted right into Teddy. Percy dropped the bone just as Teddy pounced on him. This started a game of chase, with Teddy racing in circles around Percy, who in turn attempted to jump on him every time Teddy got close enough. Percy then headed for the tunnel. He hurtled through it while Teddy darted to the other end to wait for him. Percy poked his head out, saw Teddy and immediately made a 180 back into the tunnel. They continued the game for a while; Percy must have gone through that tunnel about six or seven times. Eventually he managed to sneak past Teddy and ran across the yard. He chanced upon the bone he had been holding earlier, picked it up again and went back to the tunnel. The boys repeated their back and forth race through the tunnel, only this time there was a prize involved! Percy eventually emerged victorious with his bone and gave Teddy a sniff as if to say ‘better luck next time!’. They both then trotted over to me for some attention before we went back inside.

  

Bella and Jake headed out to the yard ready to start exploring. Their plans were derailed when they noticed Ryder. Bella and Jake ended up following him around for a while trying to give him a thorough once over. Jake was then distracted from Ryder by Maya. They spent some time toying with the idea of racing off together, but in the end Jake decided to do a bit of the exploring he had planned to start with. Bella finished with Ryder and headed out to check things out. As she was making her way around the yard she came across Ryder once more and had to give him one more once over. With that done, Bella was ready to truly go exploring. The exploring didn’t last too long, though, as Jake and Bella met up and were hit with the zoomies. They went tearing off around the yard and then out to the main yard. Their running caught Maya’s eye. She went running over to see about joining. Jake was more than happy to go racing off with her. Bella was less interested and decided to stay back and watch them. Maya took off racing for the main yard once more. Jake went to race after her when he found himself being stopped by Ryder. When Ryder asked him to play, Jake couldn’t say no and soon they were bouncing around and having fun. They played for a little while until Jake decided to go and check on Bella. Bella was happy to see him and pretty soon was wanting to fun with him once more.

Trixie, Roxy and Charlee all headed out to start their group time with some exploring. Charlee soon got distracted from her exploring by her friend Rocky. She decided to tag along with him while he wandered around the yard. Trixie and Roxy were not to be deterred from their exploring. They had their noses to the ground and were determined to check out every little thing. Charlee eventually left Rocky to head out and check out more of the yard. Roxy and Trixie ended up splitting up a for a little while to focus on their own thing. Once that was done, the two of them made their way out to the far yard. Charlee, not wanting to miss out, headed that way as well. She went to go and join the other two, but was distracted when she saw Fergus checking out Ryder. Charlee made her way over to join them.  Ryder took a break from his own explorations to say hi to Charlee. The two of them really hit it off and soon the two of them were bouncing around. After playing for a bit, Charlee and Ryder headed over to me for some pets. Trixie and Roxy, not wanting to miss out on the pets and love, came charging over. They practically launched them selves at my legs, almost knocking me over. Feeling all frisky from the pets, Charlee took off racing with Fergus. Trixie and Roxy stood watching her antics until Trixie couldn't resist any more and went tearing after them. Roxy continued to watch them as they went tearing around the yard having a great time. Finally even Roxy couldn't resit and went chasing after them. After running around for a while it was time for a break Trixie and Roxy decided to make their way over to where Rocky was hanging out and spend some time with him. Charlee having lost her running partners went and joined them. 

Ryder looked like he was happy to be back; he wasn’t even fazed by the rain. As soon as Ryder made his way into the yard he found himself being followed around as everyone wanted to say hi and see how he was. Ryder was more than happy to say hi as long as he could do some exploring at the same time. Eventually he was free to explore in peace. After a while of exploring in the grass and rocks by the fence Ryder found himself being visited by Fergus and Charlee. Once he noticed Charlee Ryder was happy to stop exploring. He spent quite some time saying hi and checking her over. When Charlee ran off to play with a couple others Ryder turned his attention to Jake. He jumped up on his back wanting to play. Jake was more than happy to play with him and soon they racing around having a great time. After racing around for a while they needed a bit of a breather. Ryder made his way over to me and asked for some pets.

Maya and Rocky were both pretty happy to head out for group time. Neither seemed overly bothered by the wet and rain. Maya was quick to go over to Jake to see about maybe getting him to play. He was a little preoccupied so Maya set out to do a little exploring. Rocky was happy to see Charlee in his group once again. He headed out to do some exploring with her. When she headed out to explore more of the yard Rocky decided to hang back and continue checking out the area by the door. Maya kept exploring, but I could see her keeping an eye on Jake waiting for an opportunity to try and get him to play with her once more. She even laid down in her stalking position just waiting. Eventually he did walk past her and she pounced. Maya was lucky and soon her and Jake were off tearing around the yard together. Their antics caught the eye of Fergus who came running over to join them. Fergus ended up leaving them, which Maya was perfectly okay with. Shortly after Jake left to go and check on his sister. Maya decided that it was now a good time to go and check on Rocky. Rocky had been hanging out by the door in his usual spot. Rocky was enjoying hanging out with Trixie, Roxy, Charlee, Ryder, and Fergus.

Leah and Poppy went trotting out to the agility yard and quickly got down to checking out the yard. Poppy branched off to do her exploring. Her path lead her over to me. Poppy decided that now as a good time for a visit. She was happy to get some pets and love. Poppy then sat down and gave me her paw. I gave it a shake and Poppy went trotting back to Leah. The two of them continued exploring and checking out all the wet stuff. Poppy then found herself being asked to play by Molly. She was a little unsure at first, but quickly warmed up to Molly. It wasn’t long before they were racing around together. Not wanting Leah to be left out, Poppy brought the fun over to her. Leah wasn’t sure she wanted to play at first, but Molly’s antics quickly won Leah over. The three of them were soon having a blast racing around the yard. As I watched them I could see the focus changed. Leah was all about playing with Molly and now Poppy was all about pouncing on Leah. Either way they were all having a great time, not even minding the rain. After playing for quite a while Leah and Poppy needed a bit of a break. They left Molly to continue racing around to get back to exploring around the yard.

Feist made her way out to the agility yard. Once she got out there she put her nose to the ground and set off in search of all the interesting smells. Feist made her way around the yard stopping to thoroughly examine anything that caught her interest. After a while I think she got bored of exploring by herself. Feist decided to make her way over to where the rest of the group was hanging out. Once she was in the thick of things her nose was back to the ground and she was off checking things out. When the others started to race around Feist managed to stay in the thick of things and didn't get run over or crashed into, which was pretty impressive. Eventually she had explored the whole area where the others were and so decided to head back out and explore more of the yard. Feist’s touring ended up leading her over to me. She was more than happy to lean her rather soggy self against my leg and get lots of pets and love.

Tsavo and Cai were ready for it to be their turn outside. They went racing outside only to pull up to say hello to the rest of their group. With that done, Tsavo and Cai set out to do some exploring. As they were making their way out to the far yard, Cai noticed Sammy checking something out by the gate. He stopped to check it out with her. It soon turned into Cai checking Sammy over. He was particularly interested in her ear. Tsavo left her brother to it and continued on out to the far yard to keep exploring. Cai finished with Sammy and finally joined his sister. The two of them went touring around the yard. The tunnel soon became an object of interest. Tsavo and Cai both spent some time giving it a thorough once over. Tsavo left the tunnel and went to see what Ricky was up to. Cai left the tunnel shortly after only he made his way over to Wally. He tried to see about getting Wally to play with him, but after a couple bounced the fun fizzled out so Cai headed off to do some more exploring. Tsavo finished with Ricky and headed out to continue exploring as well. Cai’s path left him to Sammy. Still wanting to play he decided to see about maybe getting her to play with him. Tsavo spotted them and waned to get in on the fun and went trotting over to join them. Sammy wasn’t overly interested in playing and left them to it. Cai took it in stride and came running over to me for some pets. Feeling better he decided to take another stab at getting Wally to play with him. Cai had much better luck this time and soon they were running around and wrestling. Tsavo looked up from her exploring and saw them playing. She made her way over and joined the fun.

Sammy wasted no time in heading out to the yard and put her nose to the ground. She went all around the main yard checking on what had changed since she was last here, plus all the fun rain scents. As Sammy made her way out to the far yard she stopped to check something out by the gate. She was shortly joined by Cai. They spent some time with their heads together until Cai stopped sniffing the plants and started checking Sammy out. He was particularly interested in her ear. Sammy didn’t seem to mind and waited for him to finish. Next the two of them actually entered the far yard and set off to do some more exploring. Sammy made her way over to one of the corners. She started to explore in the rocks and grass when some scent or sound on the other side of the fence caught her attention. Sammy stood staring out beyond the fence trying to figure it out. After a while she either solved it or gave up and continued on her way along the fence line. Once again she was joined by Cai, but this time he rather wanted to play. Tsavo not wanting to miss out on potential fun went running over to join them. Sammy wasn’t in a particularly playful mood and so came trotting over to me for some pets.