Friday, November 25th, 2016

Allie has made a friend in the cattery! A new Tabby named Strider has been hanging out in the cat tree in the lower cubby while Allie relaxes in her hammock. When I came to see them this afternoon they were each snoozing away in their respective parts of the tree. Allie was feeling playful again today, and she hopped down out of the hammock and scratched at the scratching post. She then hopped down onto the floor where she sniffed at the toy basket. I grabbed the dangly toy that she enjoyed playing with yesterday, and flung it around for her to chase. Allie swatted away at it, jumping around between the floor and the levels of the cat tree. Next, we took out the laser pointer! Allie was perched on the highest level of the tree when she saw that pesky little red dot appear on the floor. She jumped down, letting out a meow mixed with a purr of sorts. She chased the red dot around on the floor and swatted at it on the door. When she’d had enough playing, Allie curled up under the rocking chair and observed the other cats in the room. I scooped her up and set her down on her comfy bed to relax for a little while.

As always, Boris and Tasha were eager to get outside and romp around in all of that fluffy snow with fellow Husky friends Justice and Kyah. Boris and Justice just adore one another and with similar personalities, these two are always up for a good wrestling match. Justice loves to jump up on Boris back and entice him to chase him. Boris is always up for the challenge and darts towards him and this always gets the attention of Tasha who always tries her best to intercept the two and tackle down Boris. The two of them then stop and jump up on their hind legs and bite each other’s scruffs in excitement! There were some new faces to the group as well whom Boris and Tasha haven’t seen in a while including red headed Ariel and little Millie. Much like the other huskies, Ariel loves the snow and zooming around the yard and this drove Boris crazy with excitement as he tried to keep up with her. Although Millie might be small, she fits right in with the Husky group and her bark is definitely bigger than her bite. Both Boris and Tasha were very curious of this little girl and tried to get a sniff in but before they knew it Millie was chasing them off and they knew then that she could most definitely keep up with the pack!

Teddie and Kizmet had new friends to visit with today and in a different yard at that! Therefore they were quite excited about their new surroundings and couldn’t wait to explore the new yard and nuzzle up with some new faces. Teddie and Kizmet are probably the kindest dogs around and therefore we knew that they could basically go with any group and have an excellent time. Today was no exception; after making what seemed like a million laps around the yard, they were ready to play. Kizmet found friends in another brother duo named Dragon and Gryphon and they wrestled and played all morning long especially with the ever-playful Gryphon. Up and down they both went as they gave one another play bows then intertwined legs and arms and all I could see was a ball of black and tan fur rolling around amidst the white snow. Today, brother Teddie played the referee and as Kizmet wrestled around with Gryphon, Teddie would stand over them and bark as if he was telling them to settle down or perhaps he was jealous that Kizmet was giving so much attention to someone else since Teddie just adores him. These two silly brothers really enjoyed their time with new friends today; so much so that I saw them both face down in their beds having a much needed afternoon rest.

Titan and George had a very busy and exciting morning today! After their first morning outings and a nice long trail walk for Titan, it was time to come up front for some extra attention from our staff. Shortly after, they were then whisked away again for their first main outing with friends. It was a fairly quiet group for the bunch but I think George and Titan really enjoyed the peace and quiet as they happily roamed the yard. Both George and Titan are very obedient and could hear me from a mile away, every time I would call their names over for a pet they immediately stopped what they were doing and galloped over to me for some head rubs. When I stopped rubbing their heads, George would whip his head around and look at me with that goofy smile of his while Titan looked at me like I was crazy and demanded more pets with a nudge to my hand. How could I resist those big beautiful eyes that always stare back at you with such endearment? A few more laps around the yard and it was time for them to come back inside to the warmth where they happily curled up together with gratitude. Delilah, another sweet lady also joined Titan and George out in the yard and much like them, she was happy to roam around on such a beautiful snowy morning. She is also such a great model to photograph and loved the extra attention she would get by staying close to my side for most of the morning. But her favourite times are spent inside all cozied up on her bed for the most part! George and Titan followed me up to the playroom a little bit later on in the day. They were ready to stretch their legs after their nap. George spotted the couch and hopped up as soon as he entered the playroom. He sat down there for a bit while Titan went around and explored the room. Titan looped around and hopped up on the couch with George and the pair hopped down together and made their way to the toy bin. George reached his head inside and I helped him pull out a few different options. He chose the fox stuffy again today and Titan grabbed the snake stuffy. The boys spent a little while with their toys before I went and grabbed a couple of treats. George and Titan sat very nicely for their cookies.

Max and Sadie were very excited to get out into the yard today, as usual. The duo started off by sniffing and exploring the entire yard side by side. It didn’t take long for Max to begin running laps around Sadie asking for her to get playing with him. She was more than happy to give in to a request and the pair set off for their usual morning play routine. These two really can motor around the yard. Their speed always impresses me, as they bound across the yard with all fours pushing them through the deep snow. They chased after one another for the entire duration of group time, barely stopping to acknowledge my presence. They were so fast on their feet from start to finish of their outdoor time. Bounding across the yard, weaving in and out of the tunnel and darting around the picnic table and boulders. When it was time to come in Max was absolutely exhausted. He put up no fuss and head right into his kennel. Sadie on the other hand pulled her favourite move. Stop drop and roll. I had to get Nicki’s help to corral Sadie indoors, which Sadie thought was hilarious.

Pippin loved the company of two new friends, Remus and Rudy. Pippin couldn’t have been happier to find to munchkins that had the same play style as him. The moment he met up with these boys he was quick to get to his boxing. Pippin is a master at dancing around on his hind legs with his front paws wrapped around his mates. Rudy loved this just as much as Pippin, making these two fast friends. Remus also enjoyed participating in the action but wanted to watch, too. Pippin and Rudy danced around for ages before breaking off for a chase. Rudy was very speedy while bolting around after Pippin. This pair was so much fun to watch as they trotted through the snow, stopping to box some more every once in a while. Pippin was also happy to put his nose to the ground and sniff around the yard before it was time to head indoors.

Jax couldn’t have been happier to reunite with his favourite toy, the Jolly Ball. He occupied my time from the second we got outdoors to the time we head back in by barking at me to keep playing with him. It is hard to get the ball away from Jax, as he loves to stand over it protecting it. When I finally am able to get it away from him he leaps and bounces all around while barking at me, to toss it for him. He is very impressive at running and manages to get a grip on it and return it to me as well. We had a load of fun kicking and throwing the ball around. His group-mate Mika decided to join in on the fun too, which Jax enjoyed. The duo made for some great friendly competition, motivating one another to run faster to get the ball first. We had loads of fun, and Jax was more than ready to head back indoors after play time to snooze and recharge his batteries.

Charlie couldn’t have been more excited to see two new toys in the yard today. I could tell he was dealing with great debate from the moment he got into the yard. Charlie had a very tough time deciding which toy was better; the red ball the orange ball or the blue Frisbee. After much debate and some serious decision-making, Charlie decided the orange hockey ball was the best decision. Of course, this decision didn’t last long as the red ball quickly distracted him. We ended up playing fetch for the entire time he was outdoors, alternating between toys. Charlie is so agile when it comes to retrieving the balls. He flies through the air and darts around obstacles to ensure he is the first to get the toy. He didn’t fail to impress today by flying over top of the tunnel to get at it before his friendly competition got to it. Once he retrieved the ball that time around, he held it close. He decided to roll around with the ball in his mouth, rubbing his back all in the cool snow. I was getting a good laugh watching him flail about like a fish out of water. By the time we head indoors he had snow all over him. He was happy to have me brush him off and give him a cuddle before he got back to his kennel.

Gunnar, aka Mr. Smile, couldn’t have been more excited to get out into the yard and get the party started. Gunnar spent the first portion of his outdoor time bounding in circles around the yard with his big smile, saying hello to all his group mates. It didn’t take him long to noticed the group of younger dogs frolicking around with one another. He soon diverted all his attention to them and began pouncing around with Finn and Polly. The youngsters weren’t too sure about him, but after some time they happily allowed Gunnar to join in on their games. Gunnar loved playing around with them, until he noticed a ball flying across the yard. He was quick to change his mindset from playing with other dogs, to fetch. He quickly met up with Charlie to continue their usual competition of fetch. Charlie and Gunnar alternated retrieving the toys, always happy to share their treasures. It was loads of fun to play around with Gunnar, as his smile always makes me smile.

Finnigan and Polly were the inseparable, dynamic duo today. These two are two peas in a pod. Their personalities are identical, as well as there ages, making them perfect play mates. Finn and Polly met up instantly and didn’t leave one another’s sides until it was time to head indoors. Finnigan loves rolling around on his back while Polly pounces all over him. It gives Polly a lot of confidence having Finn flail about underneath her, allowing her to be in charge. When Finn had enough he will leap up and sprint away, looking for a chase. Polly is always more than happy to run after her leading them to endless laps around the yard. Their games were brought to a pause when a ball was introduced to the action. Both Polly and Finn are big fans of toys, leading to some friendly competition. Soon enough they had a swarm of dogs on their heels, also wanting the toy. IT was good fun watching them all pounce around with one another, alternating being in control of the toy and demanding all the attention. After loads more rounds of chase, wrestling, and rolling, Polly and Finn had finally tired themselves out enough to head indoors for a nap. Needless to say, the playing picked right up where it left off as they head out for their next outing.

Zoe is slowly coming out of her shell more and more. She is such a sweet, lovely girl, and a great addition to any group. She was thrilled to be a part of a group with two other dogs her age. Both Finn and Polly are very outgoing pups, which welcomed Zoe to the group with open arms. It took Zoe a bit of time to get comfortable enough to join in on the game but once she did, she was one happy camper. Zoe is so fast on her feet, keeping up with the racing around with no problem. Zoe also loves a great ball, and wasn’t going to let any of her mates stop her from running around with it. She got Finn and Polly chasing her by running in and out of the tunnel with the ball in her mouth. Once she realized how popular she was, she kept up this game for quite some time. Finally, Zoe lost grip of the ball and Polly ended up with it. Zoe was happy to chase after Polly for a while, and then Finn, on the hunt for her ball. They had loads of fun together, only stopping to eat snow. Zoe was so happy with her new friends that I had to convince her to come back inside by offering her a treat.