Tuesday July 19th, 2016

Adele is settling in really nicely. She is always so happy to head out for group time. Today we headed to a yard that Adele hadn’t yet been in. Like any scent hound, she had to go around the yard with her nose to the ground checking out all the new and exciting smells. Adele’s nose brought her over to where Riley was enjoying exploring in the all greenery near the fence. They spent some time enjoying each others company. Adele’s nose then took her off on another path. That path eventually lead to Wally. She spent some time hanging out with him. Wally then decided to make his way over to the pool. Adele curious tagged along after him. She started out a few feet way not wanting to get too close to the water. Eventually she got close enough to hlp herself to a drink. By the end of group she had actually gotten into the pool.

Lola and Pearl are always pretty excited to get outside, and toady was no exception. As soon as they got out the door Pearl’s nose hit the ground and she was off in search of all the interesting smells. She was quick to meet up with Merlin to check out something by the fence and continued to check it out even after he moved on. Lola was curious about what her sister was looking and went over to join her. Not too long after that Tinkerbell also joined. Tinkerbell soon moved on, but Pearl and Lola continued to explore in that one spot. I don’t know what the scent was but it was apparently quite interesting to the pugs. Pearl eventually moved on and went to see what Miko was sniffing. Lola took a break from exploring to just watch her sister. I headed over to visit with her and give her some pets. Pearl finished checking out the main yard and tagged along after Miko as he headed to the far yard. Her nose hit the ground once more and she was off in search. Pearl ended up over by one of the big rocks. She wasn’t alone long as Miko and Merlin headed over to join her. Pearl left them and headed back out to explore more of the yard. Lola finally gave up on staying in the main yard and came and joined us in the far yard. She toured around and checked things out while avoiding being run over by Miko and Merlin. Pearl ended up following her nose all the way over to me. She was then quite happy to be within reach of lots of pets and scratched while she continued to search in the grass. Not too long after Pearl moved on Lola made her way over wanting all the pets and cuddles. This also included giving me lots of kisses. Pearl was off doing her own exploring once more and found herself being asked to play by Miko. She wasn’t interested at the moment and so came to me to hang out. Merlin wasn’t too happy Miko wasn’t playing with anymore and soon stole Miko’s attention back. Lola watched all the antics for a while then decided to retreat to the main yard to relax.

Miko was full of energy, as he usually is. He went bouncing out the door and set off to see what the other dogs were up to. When no one looked like they were going to start racing around with him at that moment Miko decided to do a little exploring. Pearl wandered on over to see what he was looking at. Miko then left to check out a different part of the yard. Soon he couldn’t take exploring any more and needed to start running. Miko took off for the far yard and ran around checking things out. Soon Merlin went running out to join him. Miko was more than happy to have someone to play with. The two of them started to bounce around and wrestling then took off tearing around the yard. The boys were then distracted by Pearl who was now checking out one of the big rocks. Miko and Merlin headed over to check it out as well. Miko then went running off to play in the hole. Merlin went running over to see about getting Miko to play some more. He was more than happy to do so and soon they were off once more. Miko soon switched to wanting Pearl to play with him. He was determined to get her to play with him, but she was determined to relax. The whole while Merlin was trying to get Miko to come back and play with him.  Miko did eventually go back to playing with Merlin and had a lot of fun.

Tinkerbell had her nose to the ground almost as soon as she got outside. She headed out to do her own thing, but ended up making her way over to join Lola and Pearl as they checked out something over by the fence. Tinkerbell then made her way over to check out the little picnic table. With that done, she went trotting off to see what the others were up to in the far yard. Tinkerbell spent her time alternating between checking in on what the others were up to and thorough examining anything that caught her attention in the grass. She soon became aware of me and decided to come over for a visit. Tinkerbell was quite happy to get lots of pets and to give me some kisses in thanks. She also continued to watch Merlin and Miko. Eventually she couldn’t resist anymore and went running over to see about joining in. Tinkerbell bounced around for a bit and then came back over for some more pets. She headed out to continue her explorations around the yard until it was time to head in.

Merlin went trotting out and started to check things out. He started at the fence with Pearl, but soon branched off to check out more of the yard. Merlin was very thorough in his explorations not wanting to miss any little thing. Eventually he finished and went racing out to the far yard and Miko. Merlin ran right to Miko and asked him to play. Miko was more than happy to play with him and soon they were bouncing around and wrestling. That quickly turned into them tearing around the yard together. They had a great time together then decided to take a break and go see what Pearl was looking at by the big rock. Merlin finished checking out the rock and made his way over to me for some pets and cuddles. He then left me to go and see about getting Miko to play some more. It wasn’t long before they were off racing once more. Merlin ended up losing his playmate when Miko decided he wanted to play with Pearl. With the combined efforts of Merlin and myself we convince Miko to go back to playing with Merlin.

Percy went charging out to the agility yard ready to have some fun. He met up with Riley C. The two of them really hit it off and started to bounce around and wrestle. Pretty soon they were off racing around the yard. Needing to cool off a bit, Percy went running to join Goliath in the pool. He was quick to start digging and splashing in the pool. Goliath, not wanting to get splashed, got out so Percy could have the pool to himself. It wasn’t much later that he found himself joined by Dushka and Finnegan while the other Riley watched. Eventually Percy had had enough of the pool for the moment and went to go do some exploring along the fence line with Finnegan. After sampling the greenery and checking out all the rocks crevices Percy was ready to play once more. He took off running for the tunnel. It didn’t take long for Riley, Dushka, Riley C, and Molly to go racing after him. After a little while Teddy also joined the fun. Percy and Teddy ended up kind of separating from the rest of the group. They still ran with them, but were behind and were also having a blast wrestling with each other.

Issy and Mocha were pretty happy to make their way out to the yard for group time. Issy wasted no time in heading out to the far yard and start checking things out. Mocha found herself a nice shady spot and sat down to watch her sister. I made my way out to the agility yard and Mocha and Issy stopped what they were doing to tag along. As they made their way out to the yard they had to pause and smell everything they could. Eventually they actually arrived in the agility yard. Issy and Mocha split up to check out different parts of the yard. Mocha noticed Mack looking at the big rock and decided to head over and join him. Issy quickly became very curious about what they were looking at and went over to give it a once over. Having gone over the rock most thoroughly, the two of them set out to do some more exploring around the yard. Along they way Issy and Mocha split up to do their own thing. Mocha noticed me watching her and was quick to make her way over for some pets and attention. She sat on my feet to make sure I couldn’t leave. Mocha left me to go do some more exploring. Once she’d gone over the agility yard she headed back to the main yard to sit in her customary spot by the door and watch the world beyond the fence.

Ivy is such a sweetheart, and loves to hog all the attention in the yard. Today I was sitting with little Benji in my lap at the picnic table and Ivy came over and scooted her butt right up next to my legs and placed her paw right on top of her brother, letting me know it was her turn to get some love. I moved Benji over to my other leg and he sat there while I pet Ivy with my other hand. Benji eventually jumped down to go and roam the yard but Ivy stayed put, with a big smile on her face. Once I got up to see what all the other dogs were up to, I noticed that Benji was off in the far grassy yard, sniffing around the fence line. Ryder was nearby, watching Benji as he went long the fence. Ivy came from behind me, racing towards Bean and these two set off in a game of chase! They went into the grass yard and back towards the gravel where the picnic table is. Ivy chased Bean all the way and Bean stopped behind the table, and paused in a play bow for a couple of seconds, before they both took off again towards Ryder and Benji. Ivy accidentally ran into her brother and she stopped running to see if he was alright. Benji was all good and got up and trotted away from his sister towards me for some pets and rubs while Ivy was off playing with her friend. I knelt down on the ground and he placed his little front paws on my legs and stood there while I gave him a really good back massage.

It was a great day for Casper and Will! They were out with a really good group of dogs and they managed to do a bit of everything today: hanging out by the picnic table, sniffing around the yard, and playing with their friends! It was William who first ventured off into the grass yard with the rest of the crew. Casper decided to stay back and explore the gravel for hidden treasures, or whatever he could find. There was one spot near the fence that he spent a lot of time sniffing but he came away from it empty-pawed. I wonder what was over there! Casper came over to where the whole crew was in the grass yard and instantly started to seek out his brother. William was with Stewie in the grass, hoping back and forth at each other, both of them trying to get a wrestling match started, but neither one them wanted to start it. Casper came running into William and Will forgot all about Stewie and started to play with his brother. These two are truly two peas in a pod! After the playing was done, they both went into full on sniff mode and their noses were glued to the ground. Once everything was inspected properly and they were satisfied with their findings, they both made their way back towards the picnic table near the door where the rest of the group was hanging out. Casper stayed close to me, getting the odd pet here and there when my hands were free. I snuck away from the rest of the group for second and gave him a really good bum scratch and back massage and his tail was wagging so fast! After that I went and sat near the door and they all crowded around me, and William got his paws right on my lap with Ryder and gave me a few sweet kisses on the cheek right before we headed inside. The boys were happy to get inside and relax with their afternoon treats!

Ryder is so adorable I just wish I could cuddle him all day! He was my personal lap dog today outside, climbing onto my legs everywhere I went. Right when I got outside, he made sure he was the first one by my side, even making his way over before Ivy did. He hopped up on the table and then on to my lap where he sat there, very content to watch the other dogs go about their activities. Eventually I had to put Ryder down and let the other dogs have a turn, but I got up and followed him to the grass area. He said hello to the other dogs and he even chased Bean around for a couple of minutes. He really likes Bean, they get along great in the yard. Bean is very playful and likes to encourage Ryder to play, which is very cute to watch. Bean play bows to Ryder all the time and every so often, Ryder will agree to play and when he runs, it looks like he has a little skip in his step and he’s just the cutest. He also really likes to give gentle kisses while I cuddle him, which is even sweeter.

Bear sure loves being outside! He started his morning with a nice little outing with his new group, and then after relaxing for a while, he went for a walk on the trail outside. He adores the trail, and loves to smell all the new things that come along, and and he also loves the company of the other dogs with him. Near the end of his walk, Bear noticed that it was almost done and he immediately decided to lie down in the grass because he did not want to go inside yet! The other two dogs were eager to go inside, but Bear was enjoying the nice weather too much. After a few minutes, he realized that there was nowhere else to go and got up and trotted by Tayler, with his tail wagging. Later on in the morning, it was time for another outing. Gryphon and Dragon, two Bernese Mountain dogs, joined Bear outside. Bear took quite a liking to them. Although he didn’t play with them, he did like to stay near them, especially Dragon. Dragon likes to prop himself on my feet and sit there while I pet him. Bear started to mimic what Dragon was doing and at one point I had Dragon on one of my feet with Bear on the other. Of course Bear’s favorite part about this was the nonstop petting and ear rubs, which he absolutely adores. Bear was sad again when it was time to head inside, but after some persuading and maybe a little treat or two, he happily made his way inside to enjoy a nice nap before doing it all over again!

Syrus was rather relaxed in the yard today. There were no other huskies in his group today so he decided to just relax for our morning outing, before playing with everyone later in the afternoon. For a portion of our time outside, Syrus was by the far fence in the agility yard, looking at someone that kept walking to and from the nursery. I tried to get Syrus to play with a rope toy or the Frisbee, but he isn’t much of a toy guy. So I let him wander about the yard, and pay attention to everything that was going on, on the other side of the fence. After he had seen enough, he came to where the pool was and slowly made his way in it. It was almost time to go inside so he was making sure he got to spend some time cooling off in the pool while he still could. This was at the same time that Mel was in the pool. Syrus likes to do this thing where he digs in the water and splashes up water behind him. As he was doing this, Mel was sitting behind him and getting the water splashed all over his face, but he didn’t mind at all! It was so funny to watch because Syrus didn’t realize he was doing it and then he just hopped out of the pool and headed to the door to go inside. Such a silly guy.

Today Joey, Giacomo and I got to spend our morning on a lovely walk on the trail together. These two boys walk very nicely on a leash and are a pleasure to walk because Joey likes to stay by my side while Giacomo leads the way ahead of us. After their walk, they both took a quick snooze before heading outside with their group. Joey was all over the place in the yard today! He spent quite a bit of time trotting around the yard, stopping to say hello to every dog he saw and then continuing on his way. The small dogs were outside at the same time, two yards away, and Giacomo took some time to sit there and listen to them play in their yard. At first I thought that he was looking for something to do, so I tried to get him to play with the Frisbee, but it turns out that he was quite happy to sit there and just watch them. I turned my attention to Joey afterwards, who was across the yard sniffing. Joey didn’t want to play with the Frisbee either, but he did however want me to pet him and give him lots of cuddles, which I was more than happy to do! He pressed his head against my legs and I rubbed his ears and his head. I then bent down and gave him a really good back rub. I stopped for a moment to say hello to Mel, who was passing by. Joey barked at me once and then sat down beside me again, with his tail sweeping back and forth in the grass. I took that as him telling me I wasn’t quite done so I returned to petting him and he was very content with it. Eventually I made my way back to where Giacomo was but instead of watching the dogs, he was watching Mel and Syrus in the pool. Joey came over as well, and started to watch them too. I could tell that he was tempted to go in, but he still wasn’t quite sure so I gave his bum a little nudge and encouraged him to try it out. He slowly went over and put his two front paws in. It was nice, fresh water too so he took a nice sip of two to cool off. Giacomo saw his brother in the pool and didn’t hesitate the slightest! He hopped right in on all fours and Joey just looked at his brother for a second before putting the rest of his paws in. It’s so cute how they are so close!

Mel was a blast to have in the yard today! He was so cuddly but also super playful and friendly with all the other dogs outside. I put the dogs outside and then went back in to grab the camera and for the whole two seconds that I was gone, Mel had already dove right into the pool and got completely soaking wet. And what is even better is once he saw me, he was so excited that he shook all the water off right onto me! What a nice guy! After taking a dip in the pool one more time, I picked up the Frisbee to try and get Giacomo to play with it, but Mel wanted it so bad, so I threw it and he raced after it and grabbed it and brought it right back. We only did this a couple more times before Mel wanted to go back in the pool. He returned to the pool and started to roll in it and dip his nose in the water, making sure that he was fully soaked, nose to paw! He took off across the yard and shook off the water. I stopped to pet some of his friends and he nudged his nose right under my arm and I pet his head and rubbed his ears. He gives me the cutest smile when he was getting lots of attention. It was a very eventful day for Mel and I’m excited to spend tomorrow with him as well!