Friday, October 7th, 2016

Cats:

Ziggy was all curled up on the shelf this afternoon when I went in to visit. I gave him some pets before picking him up so that we could go and eplore around the room. I set Ziggy on the cat tree where he stretched out and started to rub his chin on the scratching post. He then noticed that he was not alone in the room, and that there was a big orange kitty cat curled up in the box of the cat tree. Ziggy inched slowly towards him and put his nose up to say hello. The other cat yawned  and Ziggy carried on climbing up the cat tree. He wound up back on the same shelf on which he'd previously been napping. I offered him a few toys to see if he'd like to play, but he opted out and decided to look out the window at the nice day outside instead.

Groups:

Abby and Jock were so happy when they got her for daycare. When I went to get them for their walk they looked at me with excited eyes and let out a few woofs to let me know they were indeed ready for their walk. As we made our way to the field, Abby and Jock trotted along side me, happy to be out in the fresh warm morning air. When we got to the field Abby and Jock keep their noses to the ground for most of their walk but they did make sure to take some time to stop and smell all the pretty flowers. When we got back in the building, Abby and Jock went back into their kennel and waited patiently at the door until it was time to go out again. When it was time to go out for their group Abby and Jock ran alongside each other out the door and through the yard. After greeting all their pals and giving them a little sniff, Abby and Jock parted ways to go sniff around the yard. As they made their way around the yards with their noses to the ground Abby stopped, intrigued by me filling the pool. After the pool was filled Abby and Jock both ran over to it for a big drink, before it was time to go back inside.

Bandit is definitely glad to be back staying with us. When I went to get him for his walk he spun around his kennel in excitement when he saw the leashes in my hand. As we made our way through the yard with his pals beside him Bandit stopped and put his nose to the sky to smell all the fresh mornings scents. As we made our way through the field Bandit kept his nose to the ground for most of the walk, however he did stop every now and then to see if his pals would play with him. When we got back to the building Bandit curled up on his bed until it was time to go back outside. When it was time to go out for his group, Bandit raced through the hall, excited to see all of his pals. After saying a quick hello to everyone, Bandit made his way around the yard, and over to the pool. When he got to the pool he jumped in for a few splashes before he went back to sniffing. Before it was time to go back inside, Bandit came over to me for some cuddles and a few treats. This afternoon I had the privilege of doing Bandit's extra attention with him. He was pretty tuckered out from all his groups today so we went for a nice relaxing walk around the trail. He took his time to sniff and enjoy the afternoon sun. After our walk we spent some time together up front cuddling and settling down for the evening.

Maggie really seemed to enjoy the first day of her stay with us. When I went to get her for her walk she got out of bed with a big stretch, and was ready to go. As we made our way through the yards she put her nose to the ground to sniff all the new smells since she had last been here. When we got to the field Maggie took off like a rocket, excited to be out in the wet morning grass. As she walk along beside her pals she made sure to take some time to sniff around, but she spent most of her walk with her head high and tail wagging. When she got back to het kennel she curled up in her bed for a snooze before it was time to go out again. When it was time for her group to go out, Maggie ran down the hall making sure to be the first one out the door, and ran straight for the pool. After splashing around for a few minutes, and getting some yummy treats Maggie went over to the far corner of the yard to sniff around for a bit. Before it was time to go back inside Maggie made sure to come over and gives me a few cuddles and kisses.

Duke is so happy to be back spending some time with us here at Tails and Trails.  When I went to get him for his walk, he pounced around in her kennel and barked at me to show me just how excited he was. As we made our way through the yard Duke took some time to sniff around and explore through the grass as we made it to the field. As we walked along, Duke trotted beside me with his nose to the ground and tail wagging as his pals did the same. Throughout the walk Duke would stop a few times to get his pals to play with his but always wanted to get back to the walk, rather than play with them. When we got back to his kennel Duke ran in for a drink, then stood guard at the door until it was time to go back outside. When it was time for his group, Duke plowed through everyone in the hall, unable to contain his excitement to be outside again. As he greeted everyone at the door he quickly ran through the yard, exploring all the cool things we have. After sniffing around for a while, Duke took some time to cuddle with me before it was time to go back inside.

Boris and Tasha had an absolutely wonderful day. This pair was THRILLED to see the pool out. I myself couldn’t believe I was pulling the pool and hose out in the middle of October. The pool was a big hit amongst the husky group this morning, as usual. They use it as an escape from intense play as well as a location to cool off and relax. Boris was quick to meet up with his friend Rosie. This duo got off to their usual games right off the bat, mostly initiated by Rosie. Rosie was leaping all over Boris, grabbing the scruff of his neck and pawing at his sides until he committed to playing with her. They broke off from the group to enjoy some one on one wrestling, boxing, and running. As they began sprinting around the yard the rest of their pals were quick to tag along. Boris lead the chase with his brother Justice, mom Tasha, sister Magic, and best buddy Rosie right on his tail. Boris is so quick and agile, that he makes being in the lead look easy. As he leapt over the agility tunnel and wove around two boulders, and myself he continued to impress me by staying ahead of the gang. Magic tricked him by bolting through the tunnel, and turning around, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. He was quick to roll over onto his back and begin playing his submissive innocent game, although we all know Boris isn’t so innocent. Tasha then decided it was time to put him in his place by leaping and pouncing all over him. Of course, Boris took whatever his mom gave him with a smile on his face. Tasha’s rough play only got the rest of their mates even more enticed to goof around. The whole gang began swarming Boris as he flailed around on his back. Boris loves to be the centre of attention, even if it means all of his siblings are picking on him. After some rough play, the pack made their way over to the pool and one by one hopped in to cool off. Both Boris and Tasha love to stick their whole muzzles in, and chomp at the water as if they’re trying to eat it. This seems to do the job of cooling them down, despite the fact that they come out dripping wet every time.

Emma had a five star day with us. She was absolutely thrilled to meet some new friends during her mid-morning outing. Emma was all smiles as she was introduced to Blue, the chocolate lab puppy, Finnigan the doodle, and of course miss Vega the Siberian husky puppy. Emma wasn’t too sure about this young, rambunctious group at first. She hung by my side, closely supervising them as they played around the yard like absolutely hooligans. She would look up at me every once in a while, and I would offer her some pats and cuddles. She seemed pleased to have my un-divided attention as her group-mates entertained themselves, however, this quickly changed when Blue and his clumsy self tumbled right into Emma. Surprisingly, Emma took this as a cue to get in on the action. Emma was so quick to join in on the sprinting around the yard. She is so fast, that she went from being fourth to first in the blink of an eye. Emma slowed herself down, as it seems she would rather chase than be chased. Her eyes were glowing as she followed the youngsters all around the yard. Emma thought the picnic table game that Finnigan and Vega were playing was rather entertaining, so she stood back a bit further and watching intensely as they tried to catch one another through the holes and gaps in and around the table. She took a couple turns trying to get Vega out from underneath by diving at the base of the table, but gave up when she realized there was no beating miss Vega. Emma also followed the youngsters to the pool, where she did an excellent job supervising and being the lifeguard. By the end of her time outdoors this morning she was ready for a nap. Emma is always happy to see her bed waiting for her in her kennel where she quickly curls up and settles down until her next outing.

Finnigan had such a wonderful start to his Thanksgiving long weekend. Finn was so excited when he first got here this morning. He wandered down the hall like he owned the place, leading me to where he was going. His whole bum was wagging side to side as he ran up and down the halls looking for friends. He was pleased to see that he would be spending him morning in the staff room, along side the lovely Merida. Finn politely licked her face, and then tried to steal her big bed. Merida wasn’t going to give up the big cushion, so Finnigan made himself comfortable on some blankets instead. Finnigan was beaming as he stepped into the yard today and saw his group-mates. He was ecstatic to see Vega, the Siberian husky puppy, Emma the porty, as well as a new comer, Blue, a lovely puppy chocolate lab. As usual, Finnigian was the prime candidate to make Blue feel welcome. Finn started off by wiggling all around him, sniffing him over, and then flopping to the ground where he rolled around like a little monkey. This made Blue feel very comfortable, and he began to follow Finnigan around. Finn started by showing him the best thing in the whole wide world (in Finns mind) the pool! Finn completely lay down onto his side in the pool, drenching himself in cool water. He stayed in the pool for a while as Blue wandered around, dipping his paws in and out, checking out how he really felt about it. Finn then leapt out and motored over to a nice bush where he thought it was appropriate to completely roll around and brush himself against it. I couldn’t help but laugh watching the soggy guy cover himself in leaves and brush.  As his friends wandered towards him to check him out he was quick to leap up and begin sprinting around the yard. This really got a chase going, between him Blue, Emma and Vega. These four zipped around the yard like they had fire under their paws. They ran, and ran, and ran until finally Vega darted under the picnic table to create a little bit of fun. Finn thought this was very amusing as he danced around the picnic table, chatting at her to come out. Vega continued to tease him over and over again, zooming out and under the picnic table; thriving off the attention he was giving her. They played this game for ages until Emma and Blue joined in which lead Finn to head back to the pool for a break. All and all, Finnigan had a very fun filled, action packed Friday.

Poppy was very excited to head outdoors today and see that her group was all new dogs. With the long weekend coming up, we have so many new friends joining us. Poppy was very occupied today, getting to know each and every dog. She really likes to be thorough with her sniffing over and investigating of her playmates. Poppy made her way from dog to dog, using her nose to say hello, and her some times her mouth to give kisses. Poppy really liked Mercer, who is a big long hair friendly boy. Mercer is always up to goof around with anyone, and Poppy was no exception. Mercer asked Poppy to play by play bowing and dancing in circles all around her. Poppy wasn’t too sure at first, as she stood still with her little bum wagging. Her eyes followed Mercer around her but she remained very still until she finally decide to pounce on him. He was thrilled, and the duo began to romp around the yard. 2 more group-mates, which had Poppy very focused quickly accompanied them. She was trying so hard to get all the dogs to wrestle with her and not one another, which of course didn’t work out. She ended up zooming off looking for chase but found herself sniffing in the grass on her own instead. Poppy was very occupied by some smells deep in the grass so she hung out there for a while until she decided to come visit me for some attention. After her exploring and cuddles Poppy made her way back to her friends once more for another round of fun and games. Poppy was pleased to see the pool being filled, and to my surprised she hopped in and waded around to cool herself off. She loved the fresh water on her feet and muzzle. As all of her friends hopped in to join her, she was quick to leap out and make her way to the door to avoid getting splashed by the silly lab that was laying down in the pool.