Wednesday, October 12th, 2016

Bella was so excited to start her day off with a morning walk, accompanied by daycare pal Oakley as well as one of our rescue dogs, Resa. Bella was very polite when greeting the other ladies, slowly sniffing them over, then moving on ready for her walk. Bella is such a well behaved girl as we walk along the trail, always sticking close by, straying every once in a while to pick up a smell. Bella was thrilled to make her way into the yard and spot her boyfriend Justice across the yard. She quickly made her way to him, and ensured that he recognized her presence. The duo briefly danced around, and then had a brief boxing match. Justice dodged away from Bella, and began to bolt off looking for a chase, however Bella wasn’t too interested. She continued across the yard sniffing and exploring, stopping to say hello to her group-mates as she passed them. Bella seemed very pleased about this warm fall day, she stopped numerous times in the middle of the yard looking up at the sky then shutting her eyes and basking in the sun. She kept finding nice warm spots to hang out and relax as her outdoor time proceeded. Bella was most excited when I offered her pets and scratches while she was sun tanning. After her heart was full of love and sun she made her way back to her friends where she briefly danced around and then did some exploring along the perimeter of the yard, scaling the rocks like a pro. 

Ranger was very happy to head inside with me this morning after saying bye to mom on the front lawn. He led me down the hall, stopping at every door and looking back at me asking me to open it. Ranger sure knows his way around our building. He led me right down the hall and into the wing with empty kennels. He chose a nice empty kennel and made himself very comfortable on the tile floor. After providing him with comfy fleece blankets and a nice mat, he still chose to sprawl out on the cool tile rather than the comfy bedding. Ranger and I enjoyed a morning stroll with his buddy Merlin. This duo was excited to explore the left side of the backfield rather than the right side, which is where they usually explore. They took me on a tour through the long grass with their noses to the ground. After their noses were content, we made our way back onto the trail and finished off our walk. The pair was excited to head in the front door where lots of staff members were hanging about. Ranger said his hellos to everyone before making his way back to his kennel where he happily accepted a cookie. In the yard today, Ranger occupied himself by sniffing and exploring the yard. He was very curious about Oakley and Kyah, two of his group mates. He took a break from exploring to follow them around and get to know them. After checking them out and partaking in some flirting, Ranger made his way back to the grassy area to continue his investigation of the yard. 

Oakley can be so silly sometimes. As I was getting her for our morning walk, she ran out of her kennel and right into the neighboring kennel since the door was open. I got her out of this kennel and shut the door behind me, and before I could grab her she zoomed back into her own kennel. After much convincing, I got her hooked up to a leash and we head out the door. As soon as she realized we were going for a walk she was so excited and sped to the end of the leash. Oakley led the group along the trail, always at the front of the pack with her nose in the air. She is deceivingly strong, and fast. Oakley was a little bit friskier in the yard than usual today. She was quick to meet up with Kyah, a lovely Siberian husky. Right off the bat these two were sniffing one another over an acting a little smitten towards one another. They were gently pawing at one another, which quickly developed into a brief boxing match. Oakley seemed shocked to find herself playing, resulting in her quickly stopping and zooming to my side. Kyah wasn’t going to let her get away from the games that easy, so she proceeded to follow Oakley around asking for more. Oakley was a good sport, letting Kyah follow her around and even joined in on a brief game with Justice and Kyah together. Once again, she was shocked to find herself playing and made her way back to my side instantly. Oakley was very happy to return to my leg where she nuzzled in and gladly accepted some good pats and scratches. Her new friend Kyah continued to be intrigued by Oakley. She kept her company as Oakley hung out by my side, occupying both my hands. As I left them, they continued to sit side by side, enjoying the warm sun beaming down on them. Oakley seemed pretty pleased with herself for having an overall social day. 

Tobin definitely surprised me today with the amount of energy he has! I had a fun time watching him and two of his friends walk with Nicki ahead of me. Tobin was the most quick and active out of his walking buddies, and he seemed very keen to explore the trail. He was bouncing around his walking mates and frolicking in the long grass with a look of pure joy on his face. He kept Nicki very busy by weaving around her and the other dogs throughout the entire walk. By the end portion of the walk he was finally sticking to the path, and motoring along with his nose to the ground. Come group time, Tobin was just as excited to meet up with some dogs. He was so excited to have so many new friends and faces to get to know. He zoomed around the yard, greeting every dog as fast as he could so that he could start to explore. He did some brief exploring, but was soon distracted by fun and games going on. To my surprise, Tobin followed his friends as they zoomed around the yard in a full on chase. Tobin did an excellent job keeping up to his speedy friends. He was so happy to partake in all the action. Midway through the chase, Tobin broke off with Kyah a lovely Siberian husky. He followed her around as she sniffed the yard, watching her every move very carefully. I got Kyah to jump up on the tunnel, and this got Tobin SO excited. He began to dance all around her on the tunnel, wondering what she was going to do next. To his surprise, she pawed at his face over and over again. This only got him more and more excited, making him bounce all around her. Kyah loved this game, leading to her lying down on the tunnel so she could get closer. This cute pair played around for a while until more of their group mates joined in. Tobin was so excited with all of his new friends. He continued to play around and explore for the remainder of his mid-morning outing. By the time we head indoors, he was smiling ear to ear with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Tobin was happy to get back to his kennel where he had a great afternoon snooze to re-charge his batteries in preparation for his next fun outing. Tobin was happy to make his way into the playroom for our one-on-one time this afternoon. He took his time to sniff all around the room, from the toy bin over to the couch. He had an action-packed morning, and decided to lounge on the couch. I sat down next to him and gave him lots of back scratches. Next, we headed out into the front yard to roam around and enjoy the beautiful day. Tobin had a big grin on his face the whole time. He's such a lovely boy!

Lola is an absolute hoot. She and Vega sure are crime starters. This morning as I was preparing to take them outdoors, the duo began running up and down the halls grabbing leashes that were hanging on kennels. Kinsey laughed and called them “cat dogs”, as we watched them swatting at the leashes and grabbing them in their mouths. The pair played an intense game of tug with one leash attached to a kennel. To their surprise, the leash wasn’t giving in and it won the game. They weren’t too bummed out as they motored out the door and into the yard to see their friends. Lola loved Glory right off the bat. She instantly began leaping and pouncing all over her, grabbing her ears and all her extra bloodhound skin. Glory couldn’t be phased by Lola’s crazy actions, allowing her to chomp and play all she wanted. It wasn’t long before Vega was in on it too. This duo ended up distracting them selves from Glory by playing with one another. Of course, their playing led to a quick chase across the yard followed by Finn, Glory, Emma and Tag. These dogs zipped and zoomed around the yard showing off their agility. After endless laps, Lola and Vega pulled their signature move of diving under the picnic table to escape the action. Vega and Lola ended up wrestling around under the table for ages, while their buddies stood on the outside, play bowing and barking at them. The dogs begging for their company only convinced them to stay under the table longer. Finally, the pair came out from under the table and continued to zoom around, seeking another chase. More than happy, Finn bolted after them. They continued these shenanigans for ages; I ended up letting them stay outside much longer than usual since they still weren’t running out of gas! Finally, Lola and Vega were slowing down, panting and chewing on grass, so I called their group in and they were more than happy to head into their crates and rest. 
I waited until quite late this afternoon to do a little training session with Lola and threw a little twist into the mix by training both Lola and Vega together. The upside was that the two girls could play together for break, but the downside was that it was much harder to concentrate with another puppy in the room. Just the same, I was very impressed with how well these two girls concentrated when asked. It's so important to work on obedience training with distractions, but tomorrow we will go back to one-on-one training. I am determined for Lola to lean "down" with only a voice command and we will need all her concentration for that!

Tag has got to be one of the cutest little girls ever. She is sweet but full of spice at the same time. Tag was so excited to get out in the yard, but quickly shocked when she saw all the playing going on. She hung by my side at first, being very cautious not to get too involved in all the action. After I gave her a lot of pets and cuddles, she decided she was confident enough to check out some of her playmates. Vega the Siberian husky puppy was more than happy to greet Tag with open paws. The pair made quick friends and instantly began play bowing to one another and them dancing around. The duo was so fun to watch, as the cuteness was practically over flowing from them. They frolicked around the yard keeping one another great company, until Lola, Emma, and Finn came zooming across the yard. Tag loved this opportunity to run and quickly took the lead. She really picked up the pace as her four friends stuck close to her tail zooming behind. It wasn’t long before Tag broke off with Emma and had some fun one on one playtime. This pair was very cute, gently pawing at one another and then dancing around. Emma loves a good chase and was more than happy to have Tag as her partner. They have very similar play styles, making their company wonderful for one another. Tag seemed so happy by the end of her playtime. She was so content to have made so many new friends and receive so much love and attention. When it was time to head out for her next outing she went bolting out the door and didn’t look back once, ready to start the games all over again. 

Emma is having more fun each and every day. She had really found her group of friends with the younger puppies. This crew keeps her on her toes, always getting her involved in their fun and games. Today, Emma was absolutely thrilled to meet Tag, a lovely schnauzer puppy. Emma was so gentle and polite with her, introducing herself like the lady she is and then asking to play. She asked to play by gently pawing at her, then sauntering off looking for a chase. Tag was quick to hop up and zoom after her. The pair then became instant best friends, zooming around the yard for quite some time. Emma was thrilled to have some other group mates join in on the fun too, making the chase even more challenging. Emma is always at the front of the pack; but then slows down so she can do more chasing and less being chased. After so many loops around the yard, Emma slowed down and made her way to my side. She was happy to receive some pats and cuddles, and slowly rolled onto her back where she was thrilled to have a bunch of belly rubs. Emma then lay about in the sun while her friends danced around her. After some more goofing around, Emma made her way into the gravel yard to sniff and explore until it was time to head indoors for an afternoon nap. 

Finn was very excited to be here today, as usual. He made his usual entrance and them zoomed into the back where he was thrilled to have a large kennel all to himself. He brought a stuffy with him from up front, and also had a blue nylabone to chew on in the kennel. He was so happy to have these toys to keep him busy until his walk. Finn was excellent on his walk this morning with Kaos. He led the way, with his nose to the ground. He would occasionally stray into the field to do some exploring but always made his way back ahead of me on the trail. Finnigan was thrilled to be in a group with so many young, playful pups. He was most excited to be re-united with his long lost bloodhound friend, Glory. After much pouncing and dancing, he finally settled down enough to have a true wrestling match with her. She was very excited to have so much attention on her that she gave in no problem. The duo romped around with one another, rolling around and leaping all over one another. As Lola and Vega joined in, Finnigan was quickly distracted by the puppy love. His full attention was quickly diverted to the two silly girls dancing and prancing around. Of course Finnigan instantly began sprinting full speed around the yard after this crazy duo. Like before, Finn found himself in a predicament when his two buddies zipped under the picnic table to escape the fast running. He really struggles to comprehend how the picnic table works. Today, he figured out he could stick his head under the table portion between the bench and the top. This was very fun for him and he kept popping his head in and out play chomping at them. Vega and Lola loved the attention he was giving them so continued to taunt him. After endless amounts of play bowing, barking, and begging, Vega and Lola finally flew out from under the table starting another race around the yard. Finn was right on their tail, until he came across a bone. This bone was an instant price possession. The girls tried so hard to get it from him by play bowing and dancing all around him including all over him. None of this worked, leaving Finn very occupied with his bone. He enjoyed it for a bit until it was time to head back indoors where he snoozed on his favourite cot. 

Bella and Jake are always so happy when I go and see them. It’s lovely to walk down the hall and have their adorable faces looking at me with their bums wagging side to side. Today I couldn’t resist but to go in their kennel with them and offer them some cuddles. Of course they didn’t refuse, in fact they climbed all over me smothering me with kisses and cuddles. I couldn’t help but enjoy all the love they had to offer me, putting a smile on my face for the remainder of the day. In the yard today, this duo was very occupied by their crazy group-mates. They didn’t necessarily want to take part in all the shenanigans, however, supervising them was very important to the pair. Jake took his supervising very seriously, following me around the yard with his eyes peeled for the hooligans zooming around. Whenever the game would slow down, he would make his way between my legs where he would look up at me asking for pets and cuddles. At one point, Jake zoomed in circles around me trying to get my attention. Of course I gave in to his request and gave him a bunch of scratches and pats. Bella on the other hand was much more keen on supervising from a distance. She got comfortable in the gravel yard where she cautiously eyed out her friends through the fence. After a lot of convincing, Bella came into the grassy yard to hang out with me. She got onto the picnic table and sat by my side where she gladly accepted pets and cuddles. All of her group-mates were very curious as to what she was doing on the table and quickly swarmed her. Bella loved all the attention they were offering her. She stood there with her tail wagging allowing them to sniff her over. This got her a little excited, leading to her bolting off the table and doing two quick laps of the yard with her brother on her tail. She and Jake then made their way to the door where they politely waited to head indoors, knowing their lunch was waiting for them. 

Jax the man started his morning off with a one on one trail walk on this beautiful fall morning. We do this so he’s not pulled by some of the others who might be a little faster. However to my surprise he was quite perky this morning and wanted a longer walk. Every so often he would fall behind me so I would give him a break and let him catch up and sure enough every time I stopped he would pick up the pace and fly by me tongue out and all. Afterwards it was time for a quick morning rest but not for long since it was soon time for his outdoor playgroup with the small dogs. Jax kept up his energy for this first outing and was pleased to see all of his buddies. Jax took his time sniffing out the yard while watching the others run circles around him in amusement. Once he made his yard rounds and soaked up enough sun he decided to tell the others that it was time to go back in for his afternoon rest. From the corner of my eye I could see him at the door barking telling as if he was trying to tell me to hurry up and let him back in. It’s a good thing I had him to keep me in check and not fall behind!
Jax is so funny around doors...he wants to  barrel through all of them. We started his extra attention by coming up to the reception area and Jax asked to go outside right away. So away we went and Jax enjoyed touring the front until suddenly he decided it was time to go back through the door and head inside. He makes me laugh, he is so determined. Once we were back inside, Jax practically sat in my lap for some rubs and massage; his back end was much less stiff today and he was full of beans! He played a little fetch with a ball and examined all the toys in the bin. His favorite was a bone, but soon Jax wanted to go outside again. After another short outing, he was panting a bit, so we came back in to cool down and relax together. We ended our time together with some treats, which Jax was a huge fan of. 

Two little ladies that go by Iris and Amber joined Jax out in the yard this morning and they are just the sweetest little girls in the world. Iris has such a big personality for such a small thing and she also exudes much confidence and isn’t afraid to tell the others when they are getting a little too close, especially to who her little sister Amber who is much shyer in nature. Although Amber is cautious at times, she was very content to be out in the yard interacting with the others. She especially loved to follow Iris around while exploring the yard and meet some new friends who were very interested in her. Iris on the other hand is such a cuddle-bug; I would call her over every so often and she would happily jaunt over to me for some extra hugs and kisses. It’s impossible not to love and want to cuddle with these two ladies and I think the other guests in the yard can agree with that!

After his morning trail walk, Bandit was excited to have his extra one on one time right after. We have come to find out that his favourite things to do are go for an additional walk around the yard and then straight into our lounge to play with some toys. We left out some of his favorites out from last time and sure enough he lunged straight over to the stuffed animal to give it a few good shakes on the couch! He even managed to find a hidden tennis ball in the corner, guess he was saving that one from last time. Out in the yard he was his usual goofy self and everyone adores his gentle demeanor. He doesn’t prefer to be right in the middle of the action but rather watch the others from the sidelines with his tongue hanging out. Every so often though he couldn’t resist a quick wrestle with brother and sister duo Riley and Dushka. When the others were off sniffing and exploring the yard he made sure to stick to my side for a few extra pets on the head while no one was watching!

Duke the big man also joined Bandit for his first group outing; these two have grown close over the past couple of days and have that gentle bond especially for two big boys! As usual Duke likes to do his own thing in the yard but I noticed he has excellent recall and would run over to me the moment I would call his name, distracted by the others and all. Casper has taken a real liking to Duke and you can often find him following him around the yard and enticing him to play a good game of wrestle. At times Duke would give in and these two would stand on their hind legs for a gentle wrestle. However as mentioned Duke is mostly content just being out on this beautiful day surrounded by good pals sniffing out his surroundings. 

Kaos another gentle but big girl joined this group. I must say Kaos takes the most amazing photos especially when her cheeks flap in the wind. It's so lovely how friendly and cuddly this girl was today! When the others would approach her for a wrestling match, she would roll over on her back with her tongue hanging out as if he was saying “you win”. I would run over and give her a big belly rub while she was rolling around and she seemed to enjoy this a lot. You could often find her bouncing around the yard and flying in between the others that gave me the perfect photo opp every time. When she wasn’t hopping around the yard you could most definitely find her at the base of my feet. She would look up to me with the goofiest smile and insist that I give her some head rubs. A lot of big but gentle guys in this group who prefer affection over a wrestling match anyday!