Saturday, October 1, 2016

Friday, September 30th, 2016

Boris and Tasha had a very exciting start to their day today. As soon as they came in, they headed straight out on the trail for their walk with Susan. Once back in their kennel, Boris and Tasha didn’t have to wait long at all before it was their time to go out into the yard for group time. Boris ran as fast as he could down the hallway and out the door, with Tasha following closely behind. Boris gravitated immediately to Rosie, and barreled right into her, prompting a huge chase between all of the dogs. Before long, the chase turned into a wrestling match, which turned into a big pile of dogs! Boris always seemed to wind up laying on his back underneath all of the commotion, while Tasha hip-checked and jumped on Justice, Magic, Rosie, Max and Sadie. When Boris and Tasha were fully out of breath, they split off from the group and did a little bit of sniffing to cool down. Tasha made her way over to the wooden fence to say hello to Sadie, who had also ventured out in that direction. Boris, however, was still hanging around Justice, Rosie and Max. He only rested for a minute or two before he couldn’t contain his energy any longer. Boris ran full tilt over to Tasha, and then looped back around into the main part of the yard. Max, Sadie, Justice and Magic all saw and went right back in to play mode, too. The wrestling match had now gravitated towards the agility tunnel, and Magic, Justice and Max bolted through it, while Tasha jumped up on the side of it. Boris and Tasha kept this pattern of chase, wrestle, and rest going until group time came to an end. They add so much fun and energy to the day!

Max and Sadie were lucky enough to go out on the path for a walk with Susan, who they love so very much! They walked ahead of me on the trail, and Sadie took her time to sniff all of the long grass along the edge of the trail, while Max walked back and forth between her and Susan, saying quick hellos to each of them. Max was such a good boy out in the yard this morning! He was part of a rambunctious group, and he let everyone hear just how excited he was to be outside. Max made quick work of sniffing around and doing his business, and he ran into the action in no time. Sadie, on the other hand, roamed around the wooden fence and buried her nose in the grass to sniff up all of the interesting scents. She watched as the other dogs started to run around and wrestle on the other side of the fence, and decided to slowly make her way through the gate and into the grassy yard to join them. Max was right in the middle of the group of crazy friends, wrestling and rolling around all over the place. I called Max over to me on the sidelines and asked him to sit and lay down, just to practice his manners, and he listened like an angel! He laid down perfectly, waiting for my signal to get back up. I took a couple of quick pictures of Max and then sent him on his way. Before jumping back into the wrestling match, Max went over to say hello to Kyah and Sadie, who were perched on the little picnic table. Max nuzzled Kyah’s ear, turned to give Sadie a nudge, and the pair went flying back across the yard to play some more.

It was so great to see Miss Nymeria bouncing around in her kennel this morning! She simply couldn’t contain her excitement, so I popped in to say a proper hello. I can’t believe how much she grows every time I see her! I left her to hang out for a little bit before group time rolled around. Once out in the yard, Nymeria wasted absolutely no time in finding a partner to play with. She flew into the yard and immediately hopped on top of Finnigan, who was more than happy to wrestle around. These two were stuck together like glue for most of their group time, although other friends joined them frequently. Nymeria and Finnigan wrestled and rolled around in the grass until another dog came over to see if he could join in. Hudson the doodle was a perfect match for Nymeria and Finnigan’s style, and he rolled right on top of them, joining the game flawlessly. Not long after, Nymeria popped up off the ground and ran as fast as she could through the agility tunnel. She now had a flock of dogs following her, and she couldn’t have been more excited. She ran across the yard and back again, before Hudson and Finnigan noticed that I had a toy in my hand. Nymeria was loving the wrestle and chase type of play, so she left her friends to enjoy the toy on their own. Nymeria took only a fraction of a second to run into a new partner to play with. Max is another doodle friend, and he was absolutely smitten by Nymeria. These two ran and wrestled together all over the yard! Two golden retrievers then came to join in as well, and Nymeria was happy to have played with every singly dog in her group. She’s such a social girl!

Finnigan and I first saw each other at walk time this morning. He bounced around at his kennel door, excited to see his friends Max and Poppy already leashed up and ready to head out onto the trail. Finnigan and Poppy made fast friends, and play-bowed to each other at the ends of their leashes. Later on in the morning it was time for group play! Finnigan was very happy to see his doodle friend, Hudson out in the yard, and a new friend named Nymeria. He and Nymeria spent the majority of their group time wrestling and rolling around on the ground together. Finnigan only took a break from wrestling when he saw Hudson and I playing with a toy on the other side of the yard. Finnigan immediately ran over to us and barked with excitement. I threw the toy as far as I could, and Hudson managed to run a little quicker and pick it up first. Finnigan didn’t stop running, though, and followed closely behind his friend. Hudson wasn’t ready to give the toy up quite yet, though, and zig-zagged all over the place with Finnigan hot on his tail. Hudson was running full tilt when he tripped, and the toy went flying out of his mouth! Finnigan took the opportunity and snagged the toy off the ground, and ran in the other direction! It didn’t take long for Hudson so spin around and follow behind him. Finnigan did a couple of laps before settling down to chew on his prize, letting Hudson go and play with some other friends.

Fez is such a sweet guy. He always seems to be smiling, and is always up for anything. This morning we went for a slow mosey in the field with a Golden Retriever named Oban. Fez took his time to sniff around in all of the long grass as we went. Rex, on the other hand, started his morning with a fast-paced walk with a doodle friend named Hudson and I. Rex motored along the trail next to his pal, and even asked him to play a few times. When we came back inside, Rex went straight to Fez’s kennel and put his nose to the door. Fez barked and it was as if Rex was asking if he was doing alright. They’re the sweetest pair! Fez and Rex were happy to see each other out in the yard for group time today. Their group had a great mix of playful and slower dogs so that both boys had just what they wanted. Fez took an immediate liking to a sweet Golden girl named Sophie. He followed Sophie all across the yard, sniffing all of the things that she sniffed and stopping when she stopped. Meanwhile, Rex was saying hello to a Boston Terrier named Poppy, and Merida. I ran up to Rex and his girlfriends to see if they were in the mood to play. They looked at me a little bit sideways, and Rex went over to pick up a toy instead. I tossed the Kong for him as many times as he wanted to chase it, and by the time he was finished, the girls were ready to go. Merida led the pack and ran all over the yard in random directions. Poppy and Rex followed suit and flew after her. When Rex eventually caught up to Merida, they stopped, looked at one another, waited for Poppy, and then took off running once more. Fez watched as his brother and the girls zigged and zagged around him, all while staying close to Sophie. When the chase eventually ended, Rex made his way over to Fez and gave him a sniff on the ear to say hello.

When I first saw Poppy this morning she had a big stretch in her kennel before making her way outside. It was a very nice morning with a bit of a chilly breeze. She did her business quickly and then made her way over to me for some cozy cuddles. We sat together until the other dogs were ready to go inside. After her breakfast, Poppy was more than happy to head back outside for our morning walk together. We and two doodle friends walked at a good pace around the path. Poppy and Finnigan were friends as soon as their eyes met during their walk. They stayed at the end of their leashes, play-bowing and bumping into each other. It was too cute! Later on Poppy joined me out in the yard once again for group time. She spent the first little while sniffing around the yard, focusing mostly on the wooden fence. She could hear someone with their dog on the other side, and she was very intrigued by it. I went over and reassured her that we could meet the new dog a little bit later, and so she made her way over to greet the friends already in the yard. Poppy was particularly interested in Merida, a golden-type mix. She wasn’t quite ready to play yet, but Poppy was determined that she would be soon. I started to run around to get everyone excited, and it worked! Poppy and Merida ran so fast across the yard that I barely saw them go! Merida led the way, followed by Rex the lab and Poppy close behind. They ran back and forth until everyone was out of breath and ready for a break. Poppy stood facing the wind and closed her eyes, taking some deep breaths. I went and sat down with her and gave her lots of cuddles while she rested.

Sophie is as cute as can be! Her sweet smile is always so nice to see in the morning. She started her day out in the yard while the sun came up. She was excited to go back inside, though, because she knows that means it’s breakfast time! After breakfast, Sophie went for a walk on the trail with Leah and two other dog friends. I went to get Sophie a little bit later in the morning for her group outing. She was laying on her bed like a good little princess, and hopped up right away, knowing exactly what time it was. Sophie spent her first little while roaming around the yard with her nose to the ground. She kept it glued down, following all of the scents that the breeze carried in. Fez the lab came over to join Sophie in her explorations, and they stuck close to each other for a little while. Sophie then heard a voice on the other side of the fence and absolutely had to see who it could be! She stood and peeked through the slats for a minute before turning back around to see me. We had a good little snuggle time before Sophie decided that she’d like to run around for a minute. She ran as fast as she could from one end of the yard to the other, followed by Fez, who tried his best to keep up. Sophie ran around the whole time with the biggest smile on her face! Once she’d let out all of her wiggles, Sophie glued her nose back down to the ground and started to wander once again.

Apple barked with excitement when I went to get her from her kennel for her extra attention time this morning. I brought her cozy pajamas with me to the reception area, and I gave her a back scratch in between wardrobe changes. It’s a little bit chilly out today, so the fleece pjs seemed to be the best choice. Apple danced around as I scratched her back, and then hopped up onto my lap for some snuggles. She got lots of attention not only from myself, but also from Susan and Leah as well. I offered Apple a few toys, but she opted to curl up on the big armchair instead. I sat with her, giving her lots of love until our time together was up. Apple was a bundle of love in the yard today. She spent the first portion of her time sniffing the perimeter of the yard, getting her muzzle very deep in the longer grass and in between the smaller rocks. After some convincing, Apple came over to my side where she accepted some more pets and cuddles. It wasn’t long before she saw some of her group mates goofing around, and decided to check the action out. After seeing their fast playing she came to my side and began to bark at me. I knew she wanted me to run around with her since this is one of her favourite things to do. I ran around with her for a while, jumping around her and sprinting away. She did a great job zooming around me and pouncing all over me with the occasional bark. After our play session, Apple was insistent on digging and digging at one specific spot. Finally, she did a complete barrel roll in the grass, and began to wiggle her back all over the spot. It must have smelt delicious, as three dogs proceeded to do this after her. Apple was content with her morning of activity, and happily made her way back into her donut bed were she curled up for an afternoon nap.

Abbie and Jock had a busy Friday. We started our morning off with a great walk accompanied by Pippin. This daycare trio was very keen to sniff every single scent along the trail, making for a slower walk. Abbie and Jock love to check out all the smells left behind from the other dogs, as well as the smells further into the long grass. Pippin would follow along behind them as they ventured into the field, ensuring to check out whatever they had their nose on. When it was time to head out into the yard, all three of these daycare dogs spent the first bit of outdoor time sniffing and investigating the yard. Abbie insisted on kicking up all the gravel one yard, to get a better sniff at everything. Meanwhile Jock and Pippin had their heads deep in the longer grass along the outskirts of the grassy yard. After some good exploring, Pippin motored off looking for a mate to play with. He checked out numerous of his friends, play bowing to each and every one, waiting for someone to give in to his games. As he came to Jock, the duo quickly met eyes, then play bowed to one another simultaneously. This was a great way to kick-start a good play session. This pair began to ppunce all over one another, including some good boxing. They both have great balance on their hind legs while wrapped around one another with their front paws. After some physical playing, the pair broke off to get going on some speedy chasing. A couple more of their friends were happy to join in on the fun at this point. Resa, Jake, Vega and Abbie were all in on the action once the running really began. This group of dogs zipped around the grassy yard with fire under their bums, motoring as fast as they could possibly go. Pippin, Jock, and Abbie were very happy to be in on the action. After a couple rounds around the yard they all broke off to catch their breath. Pippin then met up with some of his other group-mates for a bit of dancing and playing, while Jock and Abbie went back to sniffing and exploring.

Bella and Jake were thrilled to be back for another fun filled daycare day. These two leap with joy the moment they head into the back with us. They are always bouncing around, waiting the moment they get to head out the door for their morning walk. They were excited to meet up with little Resa for their trail walk today, one of our new rescues. Resa is sweet as can be, with a little bit of spice when she cares to show it. Resa’s heart fluttered the moment she met Jake on the walk. She instantly began to dance around him with her lanky legs, offering him all of the attention he could ask for. Jake is very good on his walks, and politely declined her request to play so that he could focus on the task at hand. Bella was interested in what Resa had to offer, however once she realized Resa loves to jump all over her, she too declined. Bella and Jake then happily continued along on our walk with their new friend Resa. Jake was thrilled to see Resa out in the yard with him, as this meant he could play around without the hassle of a leash. Jake instantly met up with her and offered her a body bump to begin the games. Resa wasn’t too sure, so she trotted off. Jake didn’t take this personally, as he came zooming over to me with his whole bum wiggling side to side. His outgoing, happy, personality drew attention to him leading his group-mate, Vega, to pounce after him. They were quick to begin their fun games, which soon included Bella. Bella and Jake then broke off to play around on their own. It is nice to see Bella have a burst of energy and goof around every once in a while. After her brief play session with her brother, she head over to my side where she politely climbed up on me, asking for some cuddles. She was very happy when I knelt down and gave her good kisses and cuddles. Jake wasn’t going to miss out on this, and he too was under my arm within the blink of an eye. This pair finished their time in the yard by zipping around with the whole group, chasing after Pippin, another daycare friend.

Dexter had oodles of fun today. All the staff here just can’t get enough of what we call his “bum dance”. I’m not sure if he does this at home, but it’s hilarious to watch. He loves to push his bum into anything, and everything, and push it up in the air going side to side to get a rub or itch. It looks like he is dancing! The other day he was doing it against a boulder, then yesterday he was under the play structure doing it against the bench. Today he was doing it against the tunnel AND in the tunnel! He has the biggest smile on his face while he’s doing it, we just can’t help but laugh at him. He was thrilled when I put by hand on his bum and gave him an intense pet. He began to push into me, close his eyes, and move side to side. Don’t worry, Dexter didn’t spend his whole time outdoors rubbing his bum on things J he also met up with some of his regular friends, and a new friend, to partake in lots of playing and chasing. Of course, he found Kodiak, and the pair got up to their usual shenanigans of body bumping and zipping around. Their quick movement caught the attention of a new group-mate, Tallee. Tallee loved the idea of their games and spent some time eying Dexter out, waiting for a perfect moment to intervene. Right when he bolted by her, she leapt right on him, causing him to zoom even faster. This duo became best buds right away and continued to zip and dash around the yard. They love to dodge one another after sprinting towards each other. They also do a great job of boxing and wrestling. It was good fun to watch Dexter make a new best buddy, who he met up with during his outings for the remainder of the day.

Abby and Dudley have become very used to our routine, as well as their routine. They know exactly when they will be fed, when they will go out for groups, when they will get their walk, and when they will get their one on one time. This pair loves their one on one time. Whether they spend their time sniffing and exploring reception, or cuddling into us, they are always happy to have that extra time around people. In the yard today, Abby was much too focussed on all the smells to pay attention to me. Normally, when she sees me sitting down and I call her name she will come bouncing over keen to be cuddled and loved. Today, I had to visit her for her to acknowledge me! Once I began to pet her, she remembered how much she loves my cuddles and kisses and wouldn’t stop begging for more and more. After her fair share of love in the yard she met up with a new group mate, Bobby, who sparked both she and Dudley's interest. Dudley was much more frisky with Bobby, dancing all around him, pawing at him, and grunting at him, asking him to play. While Abby was a tad daintier, slowly dancing around him then running off looking for a chase. As it was Bobby’s first day, he wasn’t too sure about playing, however he did keep the pair good company. Once Dudley realized he wasn’t going to get any playing out of Bobby he met up with his usual pal Kado to enjoy some boxing running. By the end of groups, I had both Abby and Dudley sitting with me on the picnic table enjoying some cuddles to keep them warm on this cool fall day.

Olive is sweet as can be. I had a great walk with her, Ringo, and Bobby this morning. Olive started off walking at a slower pace, very interested in sniffing all the smells left behind by other dogs. Once she realized we were going on a nice long walk, she picked the pace up and began to motor ahead of me, alongside Ringo. This duo did a great job leading the way, taking me on a nice brisk paced walk. Olive is always happy to get back to her kennel and curl in her bed. As mid-morning groups rolled around, Olive was happy to come out and begin exploring the yard. She was very keen to investigate the whole yard before even considering hanging out with the other dogs. Olive was very sure she needed to know every inch of her surroundings. After sniffing and exploring the perimeter of the yards and then motoring through both yards with her nose to the ground, she made her way over to my side. Olive was very insistent on receiving some pats and scratches. She hopped up on the picnic table and then off, three times, and then nuzzled herself against my leg. I was more than happy to scratch her side and under her chin, which was her favourite. Towards the end of her time outdoors, she spotted one of her group-mates, Apple, rolling in the grass. She made her way to Apple's side and tried to sniff out what she was rolling on. I too went over to check it out, and saw nothing. However, Olive insisted on proving me wrong by rolling and rolling in the grass showing me that there was something great to mark herself with. After a good wiggle around in the grass, she hopped up and darted off, releasing her little burst of energy. She seemed very content with herself as she made her way back into her kennel where she snuggled up on her bed for an afternoon nap.





























































































































































































































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