Thursday October 20th, 2016

It was a cold wet morning but that didn’t stop Maya and Rocky from enjoying their trail walk together with little Merida. I would say their morning trail walk is the best part of their day as they have full freedom to run and roam as they please, even more so for little Rocky who tends to be more reserved during outdoor play group. This is where he really lets out his energy and happily saunters through the trail with the wind blowing in his silky ears. The little ones weren’t too sure about the weather we had today and most of them decided to huddle up by the door to keep each other company and this is where Rocky took his usual spot to rest and watch the others. Maya on the other hand was easily persuaded by Jake to follow him into the far yard for a game of chase. Although sometimes reserved, Jake the silly man seems to get her out of her shell and off she went chasing him around the yard with her tail perked right up with excitement. Soon after she joined her brother Rocky until it was time to come back in for afternoon naps.

Rex started his morning off with great enthusiasm to burst out those doors for a nice long walk; well when doesn’t Rex have great enthusiasm! Today good friends Jemma and Charlie joined him for his morning stroll. As we know Jemma is also very energetic and therefore a good match for Rex but I was worried they were going to do more playing then walking! I was pleasantly surprised at how well Rex was on his walk as he trotted along and licked the morning dew off the grass! Next it was Fez turn to stretch his long legs and he was excited to be joined by Grandpa Merlin who is just as much a gentleman as Fez is. Together they leisurely roamed the trail at their own pace making sure to stop and sniff every scent along the way. Fez had an appointment at the salon for some pampering therefore I think he lucked out and avoided the mid morning rain, but Rex was ready to get his paws wet out in the yard! Who better to join him than good pals Haley and Indi. Haley our very vocal guest really got Rex excited and he would often join in on the chatter. I would run over and entice them with the Frisbee and they would impatiently wait for me to throw it. This gave me some perfect photo opportunities as I would often catch them with their mouths open howling with anticipation. All the while, Teddy a favorite daycare guest of ours was running circles around them with excitement. Would you expect anything less from this silly Border Collie who was trying to herd his pals? Of course he didn’t want the Frisbee, per se but rather increase the excitement and movement in the yard. All along he had his big heavy tongue flopping out the side and the three of them would wrestle, run, fetch and howl all morning long! Now Indi the sweet girl wasn’t too interested in all of the commotion; she had her own agenda as she often does and took her time investigating the yard. She especially loved to explore the long blades of grass by the fence and run her nose in the dew. I would try to get her attention to see if she wanted to come and play, so she would pleasantly come over for a quick head rub then run off to another part of the yard for sniffing. She eventually made her way over to the big mud puddle to get her feet wet; I just can’t seem to get these pooches away from that puddle! Often she would find herself caught up in the fetch action and this would intrigue her for a moment to play but being the busy gal she is she had other things on her mind and off she went exploring again!

Wet weather could never slow Jemma down. Despite the on and off downpours today, Jemma never stopped moving. She was thrilled to walk with Rex and Charlie this morning, making Nicki very busy as she zoomed around the trail leaping on her friends asking to play rather than walk. Her buddies did a good job of reminding her that when they’re on leash it’s to walk not to play, however she continued to try and play while they ignored her. Finally, towards the end of the walk, Jemma caught on and put her nose to the ground. She finished off her trail walk by exploring the path with her good buddies. After her morning walk, she was very excited to head up front with me for her extra attention. Jemma is always thrilled to cuddle and hang out in reception for a good amount of time in the morning. She is such a sucker for a good cuddle on the chair or a nice belly rub on the floor. As usual, she found a good bone to chew on which kept her busy for a while until she decided she wanted more chair cuddles. In the yard, to no ones surprise, she met up with Mowgli in a heartbeat. This pair was very quick to begin their usual shenanigans of rolling around and wrestling. The wet ground was not a game changer what so ever, in fact I think it enticed them to roll around even more! This duo was wet from head to toe, while smiling ear to ear. They had so much fun tackling each other to the ground while their other group-mates supervised their games. As some of the huskies got involved, Jemma decided she wanted to be chased so she took off with fire under her paws. She is really good at dodging and darting around things in the yard such as the rocks, the outdoor kennel, and her all time favorite; the agility tunnel. After looping in and out of it over and over she finally but the brakes on whilst in it. She and Mowgli got up their usual business of romping around, while in the tunnel. The tunnel was shaking left and right as they moaned and groaned, toppling over one another causing quite the scene. All their group mates monitored their games very closely, darting in and out of the tunnel trying to get involved. Finally Rosie and Magic lead Jemma out of the tunnel, only to start yet another chase around the yard. Jemma was quickly distracted by a pink Frisbee lying in the grass, which kept her and Mowgli very busy for the remainder of their outdoor time. Jemma brought the Frisbee into her kennel and had a good chew on it before crashing for an afternoon nap.

Kimi was very content to walk with two new friends this morning, GlendaLou and Gryphon. These two poodles kept her great company on her morning walk along the trail. Kimi was very pleased to have a nice big comfy cot in her kennel, which she quickly found a comfy spot on and napped until it was time to head outdoors. At first, Kimi wasn’t sure about her group today. There were a bunch of huskies as well as some younger hooligans. She spent the first portion of her outdoor time closely monitoring everyone’s behaviors. She didn’t want to get involved in the games, and she wasn't quite ready to get involved in the intense husky wrestling. She waited and waited until the time was right to join in on the action. Kimi made her move as half the group zoomed by her in the midst of a fast paced chase. Kimi was quick to get in on the action, and get herself right on her group-mates heels. She did not disappoint her pals by leading them through the agility tunnel and bolting out the other side. Soon two of her buddies bolted by her, putting her in third place, which only enticed her to move faster. I was very impressed watching Kimi zip and zoom around the yard, showing off all her agility skills. Kimi doesn’t tend to get in on such fast paced games however today she was feeling extra spicy. After bolting around with her pals, she came to a halt as some games began inside of the tunnel. She closely watched her pals romp around, sticking her head in and out of the tunnel. As her friends continued to goof around, Kimi decided she had enough and began exploring. She seemed very pleased with herself for getting involved in some action today, and happily spent the remainder of her outdoor time sniffing around the yard and hanging out by my side.

Boris and Tasha kept me very busy in the playroom this morning during their extra attention. It’s impossible to sit on any furniture without the duo absolutely smothering you. Tasha especially, loves to nuzzle in right next to you and then pounce all over you. All of her loving only draws attention to herself, causing Boris to come flying in our direction. Today I had the two of them wrestling right on top of me, sending paws flying everywhere, including whacking me in the face. I got the pair to settle down by putting my hand in my pocket (which is a bit tricky), as they know this means treats. They each got one, which was enough to get them off of me and to continue their games on the floor. It was absolutely pouring rain during their main group outing today, so they weren’t as crazy as usual. Boris did romp around with his buddy Max for a while, flying over the agility tunnel as usual. He zoomed in and out of it looking for a chase, which Max briefly provided him with. Tasha got involved for a moment before realizing how hard it was raining. She then took cover under the ledge of the building, waiting to go back inside where it is warm and dry. Boris wasn't very into his training this afternoon, but I think that's how everyone is feeling today with the weather. We went for a good walk along the trail trying really hard not to get distracted by the fresh scents in the wet grass. Once Boris seemed to be paying a little bit more attention to me we headed into the lounge where it was a little more dry. We practiced his place command which he was fantastic with and did some recall around the room. We did this several times before finishing off with some easy stuff. Boris loves to show off his sits and downs and never needs any reminders. He always enjoys his treats during training but is such a gentle boy when taking them. We kept it short for today and headed back inside to mom to have a snooze for the afternoon. Tasha and I did some heeling work out on the driveway this afternoon. We took advantage of a brief rain-free period and we zoomed around the driveway. I led Tasha at a very quick pace, zig-zagging back and forth randomly so that she would always be on her toes. She was very focused on what was coming next, and stuck by my side. We ended up jogging up and down the driveway twice, which got Tasha feeling frisky and playful. We then went inside where she showed off her excellent tricks, such as shake a paw. I also asked Tasha to sit and lay down, and she did a great job. She was so enthusiastic, in fact, that each time I asked her to lay down, she threw one paw up, followed by the other, and flung herself to the floor. She was more than happy to accept a cookie for her excellent work. 

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Max and Sadie had a wonderful walk this morning with Nicki. They were very happy to get outdoors, sniffing and exploring before the down poor began. Max wasn’t to bothered by the rain during his group, Sadie on the other hand was very aware of the cold wet rain. It was almost as if she knew she just got groomed, and didn’t want to ruin her new do. She is so cute with her short, fresh haircut, I love it! Sadie spent some time exploring the yard with her nose to the ground, however as the rain picked up she and some of her friends retreated to the side of the building where they were protected from the elements. Max continued to dart around with his buddy Boris, not letting much stop him. Boris and Max raced around the yard with smiles on the faces, zipping in and out of the tunnel one after the other. Max always impresses me when he flies over the agility tunnel, without even grazing the top. Boris loves to jump over after him, however Boris has a tendency to get caught and face plant. Boris doesn’t let this stop him, as he will quickly get back up and zip after Max getting right back on his heels. They had some fun racing and wrestling before the rain really picked up. Max let me know he was done by politely sitting at his door to go back into the back playroom where he and Sadie happily escaped the rain.