Monday, September 12, 2016

Monday, September 12th, 2016


Iris and Amber were both cuddled up on their cot this morning when I was letting them outside for their group. When I opened their kennel door Iris flew up and started to jump around to greet me. Amber was a little nervous and stayed on the cot until I picked her up to come outside with everyone. When we were all outside in the yard they both stayed by the door at first to trot around together around the gravel. Iris began sniffing all of the dogs that were near her to say hello while Amber was too shy to go up to any of the dogs on her own. Some of the other dogs came over to greet Amber, and she hung around them until she saw Iris come back over to her side of the yard. When I was sitting on the picnic table I called them both over to me and Iris let out a huge smile and came running over and jumped right up on top of the picnic table to sit beside me. Amber was left looking around wondering where she went. She was looking all around until she heard me calling her name and saw that Iris was with me. She came running over immediately as some of the dogs chased after her since they thought she was playing. Amber tried to jump up on the picnic table on her own but was a little too small to make it up, so I helped her jump up by holding her back ends and she sat with Iris all pretty on top with me. These two sat there the entire time and watched all the other dogs as they ran around the yard to play. Iris would sometimes bark at them as if she was in the game as well. I put Amber on my lap and began to pet her, which she really loved. I could tell she was getting more comfortable as I did this. Iris got jealous and walked across my legs and sat right next to her so she was on my lap too. They both stayed there and cuddled up together with me until we went back inside.

Abby and Dudley were extremely excited to go on their walk this morning; they are both such enthusiastic dogs that love to run around and explore. Whenever I let them out of their kennel they run up and down the hallway as fast as they can to look around before going out with the rest of their group. Once they got outside they seemed to have relaxed more once they saw all of the other dogs around them. They wee more interested in socializing than running around at first and started to walk up to all of the dogs and say hello. They stayed near the door at first where most of the dogs were and walked up to each of them to give them a sniff. Once they were done they made their way out further into the yard to walk around the grass together. They mostly stayed near each other while they were out with their group, and if either of them wandered off to explore they would each come running back to each other right after they were done. When Abby saw someone mowing the lawn through the fence in the yard next to us she ran right over and started to bark at them. She was so intrigued by the machine and wanted to know what it was and so kept an eye on it the whole time. She soon forgot about it though and continued to explore around with Dudley. When she saw me sitting on the picnic table with some of the dogs she ran over to join in. Abby jumped up to sniff Amber and Iris to make sure it was okay then jumped right on top to sit with all of us. Abby was being so affectionate and jumped up to give me lots of kisses. The more I pet her the more excited she got that she had to jump back down to start to run around and let her energy out. Dudley ran around with her in circles for a bit until the two of them ran back over to me and both came up together to see me. They didn’t sit with me for too long and kept on wandering off to sniff around more, then once they were done they hopped back over to say hi again. Abby and Dudley had their first extra attention with me today! They are still settling into the routine and were a little unsure of where we were going and what we were doing. Once we got up to the front reception area I sat down on the floor to let them get comfortable with me. They explored the room and made sure to stick close together. Soon enough they warmed up to me and were climbing up into my lap to give me a sniff and lick my face. Dudley cuddled up with Susan on her lap while she was on the computer and Abby cuddled up in my arms. After a little while we put them back down and Dudley was happy to meet up with his sister Abby wagging his tail to say hello. They spent a little more time up front checking out the room before heading back to their kennel to wait for their group time.


Piper and Ranger are both so adorable. It's great to see how well they're settling in! They remember me each day and get more and more comfortable with me. Each time I go into their kennel, Piper and Ranger hop up onto the same bed and cozy up together while I pet them. When I let them outside for their group they both seemed to be so happy to go outside. Ranger and Piper ran around with some of the dogs if they saw that they were playing tag. They chased after behind them but left all of the wrestling to the others. Whenever one of the dogs would jump up on them to try to wrestle they would run in the other direction then turn around and watch them from a distance. When they first went in to the agility yard they both began to explore. Ranger started to sniff along the rocks while Piper made her way out further into the yard and started to sniff around there. When Piper wandered near me when I was in the middle of the yard she ran over and began to brush her face against my leg to be pet. She’s so cute when she wants cuddles but whenever I pet her she doesn’t stay too long. Piper always wants to go over and see what her friends are up to, and when she sees them playing she runs over to watch them. Ranger continued to explore until he saw Piper near all of the other dogs and decided to go over to check it out for himself. They stood together and watched their friends as they played and if one of the dogs began to get tired and started to walk around they would go over to say hello and sniff them. They walked around the entire time outside, after they were done exploring the grass on the further side of the yard they decided to take a break and made their way over to the pool to get a drink of water to cool down. They didn’t want to go in it since all of the others were jumping in and out and playing so they circled around it instead until they left so they could take a drink. After that they made their way over to the door to relax on the gravel with the more quiet dogs until it was time to go back inside.


Finnigan was so much fun outside today. He is always such a hoot to have with us whenever he’s here and had so much fun playing with the other dogs in his group. He went outside with a big group today, which meant lots of options for Finnigan to play with. Max came in this morning also and was new to his group. As he went out into the yard to meet everyone he wasn’t shy at all and ran straight into the agility yard to say hello and begin his day. Finnigan ran straight over to him and started to jump up on his back to show him that he wanted to play. Max got so excited and began to jump around in circles. Once Finnigan jumped off Max began to run to the other end of the yard so Finnigan would chase after him. Little did Max know that Finnigan is super fast and as he was chasing Max he passed him and took the lead. Max tried to keep up but there was no way he could catch up to this speedy boy and after trying he gave up and stopped running to take a break. He decided to make his way over to the pool to take a drink of water as Finnigan continued to run around with some of the other dogs. There was a new face in their group today other than Max and he is just a puppy that lives for playing. Finnigan was having such a blast with him and since Kane was just as fast as Finnigan, these two were running around together for the entire time. Whenever either one of them caught up they would break out on the ground and start to roll around the grass and wrestle as all of the other dogs would run over and join in. Max saw them wrestling around on the ground and jumped right out of the pool to start bouncing on them. Finnigan managed to escape and started to run around the yard in circles again as Max and the others chased after him. Finnigan was starting to get out of breath and needed a break so he ran over to the pool and hopped right in. Max followed behind him as he jumped in as well, soon there were five dogs in the pool splashing around until they jumped back out to continue their game of tag.

Sophie and Luna are both such sweet girls. They love to play and Sophie has so much fun with all of the younger dogs and loves all of the great energy. As soon as Luna stepped foot outside she ran straight into the yard and started to jump up on all of the dogs to say hi and greet them. Sophie stood at the door patiently and waited until I joined everyone outside to make her way in the yard. She had the biggest grin on her face and stood beside me as we made our way to join everyone. Once she was around all of the dogs and saw them wrestling she started to jump up and down with excitement to let them know she wanted to join in. Luna didn’t wait a second before she began to wrestle around with one of the puppies that were outside; he had so much energy and Luna loved that he could keep up with her. Sophie watched them as they were wrestling around the grass and began to bark and jump around them. All of a sudden Luna ran as fast as she could across the yard as some of the dogs chased after her. Sophie waited for a moment then decided to run over and chase after her too. She kept her distance until Kane the puppy decided to play with Sophie as well. He jumped up on her back until she turned around quickly and began to jump back on him. She was loving all of the attention she was getting and once he ran off to continue the game of tag Sophie and Luna chased after him as fast as they could. While Luna continued to wrestle around the grass and play, Sophie was beginning to get tired and stopped running to make her way over to the pool to cool off. She jumped in the water and layed down so her entire body was wet. When she stood up she stayed there for a moment and watched everyone as they were playing across the yard. Luna saw Sophie in the water and bolted in her direction, which made everyone that was playing tag to chase after her. When Luna jumped in the water so did everyone else so Sophie jumped out and started to explore around the yard to sniff around. Luna stayed in the pool with a bunch of the dogs and rolled around in the water to get soaking wet to cool off. As Sophie was wandering around and exploring she made sure to walk over to me to say hello and give me some kisses so I would pet her, he loves to play but she loves her cuddles way more.

I was very pleased to spend some one on one time with miss Luna. She is such a lovely girl, it isn't a tough job to sit down and cuddle her. She was excited to head out the front door where she got to sniff around the field and explore some new territory. We then head into the playroom where she did even more exploring. After she got used to her surroundings, Luna showed me a bunch of her tricks for treats. She is a pro at sit, paw, and lie down. After a couple rounds of her  commands she began tossing her paw at me, demanding for more cookies. To her disappointment I was all out. She quickly realized this and stopped showing off for me. Luna was then very happy to accept pets and cuddles. I can tell she is trained not to get on the couch because she wouldn't hop up and cuddle me. She was happy to put her paws on my knees and kiss and cuddle me while I was laid back and relaxed on the couch. After she got a bunch of pets and scratches we head back to the reception area where I brought a brush out in attempts to give her a nice brushing. Luna was not a big fan of being brushed but after some convincing she stood still for me long enough to brush out some knots in her fur from playing so much. Before she head back to her kennel she gladly accepted a couple more cookies. I then took her to her bed where she got a nice chew and relaxed with it before it was time to go outside again. 

Keeva was ready to get going today in the yard. She ran out the door and instantly began searching for a toy. She was quick to find her pal Egan who was also in the hunt for a good toy to play fetch with. I too began looking for a quality fetch toy, and came across the big blue Frisbee. The moment I picked it up, these two sprinted towards me at full speed. Keeva began leaping up and down in front of me, while barking, letting me know she wanted me to throw it. After being asked to sit, she politely waited with her paws dancing back and forth. I launched it across the yard and Keeva went dashing after it, practically soaring just like the Frisbee. Keeva is great at returning the Frisbee, but doesn’t always like to let go. We had a couple rounds of tug in between rounds off fetch. Keeva and her pal Egan alternated retrieving the toy, bow always both went racing after it. After numerous rounds of fetch Keeva took it upon herself to break away from the game and sniff the yard. She met up with some other friends along the way who kept her company while exploring. Keeva was content to head back into her kennel after play time where she snuggled into her blankets and napped. I woke Keeva up a little bit later in the day to go out on the trail once again. Keeva stretched her long legs and stood like a good girl to be hooked up on her leash. We went all around the field today, letting Keeva's nose be our guide. 

Louis and I had a wonderful stroll this morning with another big boy, Brutus. These two were very content to take it easy, and wander along the trail at a nice, slow, pace. Every once in a while Louis would pick up a smell that he wanted to check out and it was his way or the highway. He wouldn’t intentionally pull me, but his strength and size over powers mine and I would have to dash after him to prevent myself from getting dragged. Louis loves to stuff his nose into the grass and really get the smell he’s looking for. He tends to also chomp on the grass as we walk around the field when it’s damp and cool in the morning. After checking out all the grass and flowers and we finished our stroll. Louis was pleased to go out for his group this afternoon and was quick to set of to explore the yard. He walked around at a brisk pace with his nose to the ground doing a quick over view of the yard before greeting his friends. Louis was pleased to meet up with his buddy George in the yard who he gave a couple friendly kisses to and followed around. Later on he met Tanner who intrigued him very much. Louis followed Tanner around for the remainder of groups, which kept him occupied. When it was time to come indoors I called Tanner and Louis came running after him and inside. He was more than happy to make his way into his kennel where he did a couple of circles on his bed before sitting down then sprawling out for his afternoon nap. Louis was happy to see me enter his kennel with a leash later this afternoon. I hooked him up and we went for a wander around the front field and a short stroll on a part of our trail. He is such a nosey guy in the long grass, he loves to investigate all the smells while munching on the greenery while he walks. I let him lead the way on our afternoon adventure which he was very pleased about. He lead me over a hill and into the longer grass where he found ever more smells to check out. After his adventure we head into the reception area where he greeted some staff and accepted pets and scratches. Louis was happy to then receive his brushing, he pushed himself against me as I brushed down his side. He enjoyed a bunch of brushing before heading back to his kennel where he got comfy on his mattress before dinner was served. 

George and Titan had a great last day. We will miss them when they go home, and look forward to having them for their next visit. I had a wonderful walk this morning with Titan and two of his friends Adele and Luna. These three are very busy walkers. They love to sniff everything on the trail while walking at a very fast pace. This walk got me moving and kept me occupied as I was constantly sorting out leashes since they insisted on sniffing in opposite directions. Titan tends to check up on me throughout walks. He will sniff something then come running back to my side with a big smile on his face looking for some attention before he heads back out onto the trail to explore some more. Later on George and I enjoyed a slower stroll with his friend Merlin. George and Merlin have become great friends this visit. In the morning as soon as George sees Merlin he knows it’s walk time. Today he came out in the yard with me to get Merlin and was bouncing up and down as I hooked them on their leash. We had a nice saunter around the backfield where the two friends sniffed and explored until they were ready to head back indoors. In the yard today both Titan and George were pleased to roam around the yard at their own pace. Titan loves to follow dogs around, sniffing exactly what they sniffed. George tends to follow me around, sniffing my feet and the dogs around me. He was happy to get some extra love and attention in the yard, which drew the attention of his brother Titan, who then came running over asking for some as well. They both smothered me with kisses before heading back to the grassy part of the yard to continue exploring before it was time to head indoors. This afternoon George and Titan were happy to follow their noses into the playroom for some one-on-one time. The boys looked all around the room at the toys that lay waiting for them. They each did their own laps of the room, taking in all of the smells and having a look at the couch. George hopped up onto the couch and sat down for a little while. I joined him and we watched Titan as he made his selection from the pile of toys on the floor. Eventually George decided to hop down and go visit Titan. I went and sat at the other end of the room to provide cuddles and back scratches when the boys wanted them. I'm going to miss spending time with these two good boys!

I was thrilled to head into the staff room this morning and see Mr. Tanner. I love this guy so much! I think he was pretty excited to see me too as he began bounding around and wiggling his bum. It didn’t take long for him to weave his way in between my legs and look up at me with his big eyes asking for some scratches and cuddles. I gave him lots of pets and scratches down the face and behind his ears, which practically had him in a trance. To Tanners disappointment I had to get back to work. He leaped on me as I was walking out the door so I gave him another quick kiss before leaving him. He was thrilled to get going on his walk this morning with his two buddies Bentley and Merida. These three walked along the trail at a nice pace, sniffing the occasional flower or plant, and then running along to catch up to Kinsey. When it was time to head outdoors Tanner wasn’t too sure about leaving the comfy staff room, however after some convincing he wandered down the hall and out into the yard. He did a big stretch in the sun then slowly began sauntering around. It didn’t take him long to find his way in between my legs where he again accepted some good pats and cuddles. He met up with Louis the great dane shortly after our cuddle session and spent the remainder of group time exploring the yard with him.

The best part about my morning was walking down the hall and seeing Miss Apple cuddled up in her bed. I was thrilled to see her. She was just as happy to see me and showed this by qiggling her cute self my way and nuzzling her head in between my legs. We went out for our walk, but first I took her PJs off since it had warmed up. She did a big shake once she was undressed and was more than keen to get going out the door. We had a nice walk with two other dogs Scout and Kayla. Apple was very happy to have company on her walk. She continuously wandered back and forth between her two friends, constantly checking up on every one and myself. When we got back inside she hopped up on her cot and took a snooze before group time. When we head outdoors for groups the grass was being cut one yard over which had Apples attention for a large portion of group time. She followed the lawn mower along the fence until I convinced her to hang out with myself and the other dogs. As soon as she spotted me running around she darted after me and began howling at me. We had a little fun before I sat down and cuddled her. She was more than happy to accept cuddles and kisses in the beaming sunshine before heading indoors. Apple came up to the front reception for her extra attention this morning right after she was done her walk. She was super excited to come up and to my surprise she wasn’t worn out from her walk at all. This girl ran out the door and up the hall and waited for me to meet her in the front. She began to roam around the room at first to scope it out and explore. She sniffed along the ground then stood in the middle of the room and stared at me. I called her over and she walked to me while I was sitting on the chair and came between my legs for some cuddles. She loves when I pet her ears and didn’t want me to stop until she realized I had some treats in my pocket for her, I got her to sit down as I gave her a few until she jumped up on to my lap on the chair to have the rest. She sat with me there the entire time as I held her and gave her so much love until she went back into her kennel.

Abbie and Jock were pleased to get going on their walk this morning. Another little friend, Maggie, accompanied them. These three love to sniff, rather than walk which makes for a nice slow trot along the trail. Abbie and Jock alternate sniffing while the other would follow behind Maggie. By the time they were back to their kennel they were thirsty and they gulped up a bunch of water. These two love our cots, and tend to spend the remainder of their morning snoozing together on a cot before it’s time for their group outing. Today both Abbie and Jock were pretty laid back. Since they haven’t been here in two whole days they spent most of their outdoor time with their nosese to the ground picking up on any smells they missed out on from the weekend. These two did a full circulation of the yard, ensuring to check out every rock, corner, and the picnic table. Towards the end of group time Abbie came over to my side and was pleased to accept a good scratch behind her ears. Jock saw me cuddling his sister and came waddling over. I tried to give him a pet and scratch but this got him very excited. He began dancing around me, and then darted off into the grassy yard. After his burst of energy, he was ready to cuddle for a moment before heading indoors.

Coco and Timbits were thrilled to spend their day in the kitchen. Coco loved all the traffic in the kitchen. She got so many pets and cuddles from the staff throughout the day. Timbits found a bone in the yard first thing this morning and was glued to it all day. Rather than paying attention to the people in the kitchen or us eating our lunches he was sprawled out on the cot gnawing on a tasty bone. Coco tried to snag it from him a handful of times, but was never successful. I gave her a chew toy, which she enjoyed very much and the two of them laid side-by-side enjoying their chewies. Timbits had his bone in the yard, which kept him very busy. Ringo, a cocker spaniel, was very interested in Timbits and his treasure. These two danced around the yard for all of group time. Coco was very busy sniffing and exploring today. She had her nose to the ground for most of group time, taking breaks to accept cuddles and pets from myself.
















































































































































































































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