Monday, November 21st, 2016

Allie is loving her stay here at Tails & Trails each and every day. This morning when I went in to see her she was in a complete cuddle mood. When I went in she was all snuggled up in the hanging basket on the cat tree. It seems to be her favourite spot to sleep as she uses it as a sort of perch to be able to see the rest of the room. Once I started petting her she got up right away and immediately started rubbing her head against my hand. Allie found anything she could use to scratch her claws on or rub her sides and head one. I think she may have been a bit itchy because she loved when I was giving her a head scratch. I gave Allie a few yummy treats which she ran over to get and almost grabbed them out of my hand! She was quite excited to eat them. Afterwards, Allie and I played a little game with the long fluffy fur toy. Allie loved pouncing at the fur at the end and especially playing with the bell and ball that were also attached to the end. Allie was curled up in her customary spot this afternoon: the hammock of the cat tree. She stretched her legs and hopped around from platform to platform on the tree as I took some pictures. She decided that the photo shoot was over, though, and pressed her head into my hand for some ear and chin scratches. Allie is always a very independent lady, and asks for pets when it suits her. Today she was feeling extra snuggly, so I picked her up and gave her a snuggle until she asked to get back down. She then hopped right up onto the rocking chair, which gave her a bit of a surprise as it wiggled under her. She seemed to really like the blanket and pillow that were on the seat and started to knead the soft blanket. She rubbed her face on the arms of the chair, so I gave her some more chin scratches before leaving her to curl up for a little while.

Not to my surprise, Finnigan is a huge fan of the snow. His energy level spiked today, either from the snow, or because it’s Monday. This guy was absolutely thrilled to partake in any sort of game going on. Finn was basically the life of the party, getting everyone to run, jump, wrestle, and box. He had everyone zipping in and out of the tunnel and he was also convinced that he was party husky, following his northern friends through the deep deep snow, bounding just like them. Of course Finn met up with puppy Vega for some classic wrestling. The pair always finds one another, and pick up right where they left off. They had so much fun rolling through the snow together, and pulling at one another’s tails too. Aurora (Vega’s mom) was quick to get in on the action and tell both Finn and Vega when enough was enough. Finnigan then diverted his attention to Aurora, and began chasing after her at very fast speeds. Their quick running drew the attention of all the group mates, leading to a heard of dogs sprinting across the yard. I had to leap on top of a boulder to avoid being plowed down by this pack of fast pups. Finnigan was also very pleased to meet up with the lovely Willow, and box around with her. Finn really does have a wonderful time with our huskies; he seems to fit in so well.

Teddy and Kizmet must have been two of the happiest dogs here today with the snowfall. I had such a great walk with them along with another friend, Joey, this morning. Today was our first day walking in the back along the forest trail, and these three did such an awesome job of plowing the way for us to walk. Teddy and Kiz were thrilled with the new adventure, with so many new smells and places to explore. This pair is known for their love and passion of rolling in the ice and snow. They did not disappoint today, spending a large portion of their outdoor time on their backs with their limbs flailing about, rubbing themselves against the cold ground. Not only did they keep busy with rolling, but also both Teddy and Kizmet had such a blast playing around with every single one of their group mates today. Kizmet is always happy to get a game going with Arly the GSP, and was even happier to have Joey the chocolate lab join in too. They bounced around the yard with their ears flapping in the wind until Teddy decided to join in by smothering Kizmet. Kizmet then took a break from his other friends to wrestle around with his brother for a bit. All this action only drew the attention of Goliath, who was happy to pounce all over them as they were mouthing at one another’s necks. Teddy and Kizmet were so happy and playful today; from the moment they woke up right to the time they had to settle down in their kennel. The snow really brings out the best in some dogs!

Charlie is such a handsome boy. The moment I came in this morning, he was the first dog I noticed. I said right off the bat “he is so cute!” He kept up his first impression throughout the remainder of the day by continuing to demonstrate how lovely of a boy he really is. At first he was a little shy in the yard towards the other dogs. He was happy to greet them all, and follow them around, but when invited to play he wasn’t very keen to join in. He continued to hang out by my side, closely supervising all the action going on. I really wanted to get Charlie playing around so I went indoors to find a toy to see if this would bring him out of his shell a bit. The moment I stepped out the door with a stuffed animal in my hand Charlie flew of the ground and snatched it from me. His eyes were glowing as he began to bound around the yard with his tail going in circles like a windmill. He was so thrilled with his treasure! All his dancing and prancing drew the attention of the other dogs, quickly making him the centre of attention. Charlie was so happy to have Arly close on his tail, trying hard to snatch the stuffy from him. Charlie continued to tease Arly with the toy, running in circles around him and shaking it in front of his face. Arly thought this game was very fun, and he continued to taunt Charlie. At one point, Arly was so quick that he actually got a hold of the other end of the toy. Charlie was shocked, and stood still gripping the toy very hard. The pair ended up tugging back and forth for so long, all in a very playful manor. I got a goof laugh watching them pull one another around the yard. Charlie was very happy when Arly gently released the toy, allowing Charlie to be the winner. Charlie didn’t want Arly to leave him alone so he continued to bounce around, showing him the toy. He was happy to soon have the company of Joey and Goliath, as well as Arly, all very focused on Charlie’s toy. The group of dogs had loads of fun playing around in the snow until it was time to head indoors where they melted off their layer of white.

Goliath's favourite part of the day was definitely his extra attention time soon after his morning walk. Once I went to get him he raced out of his kennel and we went up front to the reception area. I got Goliath to work on his tricks and he was willing and ready to... especially for a treat. Goliath did an excellent job with his sits and lay downs. He was even doing an awesome job and giving me one or even two of his paws for some extra treats. After treats, Goliath and I snuggled in one of the big comfy chairs that we have up front. I gave him a very long belly rub which he was completely loving. He also got a good brushing while he was up on the chair with me. However, the whole time that we were cuddling, I could tell that Goliath was just thinking about getting some more treats. We did a few more tricks before doing a final play with a purple snake stuffy. He enjoyed playing with it for a little while but eventually just wanted to snuggle again. I took him back into his kennel where he had a nice morning before his outdoor play group.
Goliath is such a sweet boy. He never fails to put a smile on my face when he is here. He was so excited about the snow today. He bounded out into the yard, plowing through a wind blown pile of snow with a giant smile on his face. Once he got to flat ground he had a big shake, sending snow flying through the air. Goliath kept me company for the first portion of group time. He loves a good pet and snuggle, requesting this by looking up at me with a big smile on his face. After Goliath received the attention he was looking for, he made his way towards the other dogs to see what all the shenanigans were about. Goliath loved meeting Kizmet and Teddy, two siblings who are notorious for rolling about in the snow. Goliath had a great time pouncing all around them, trying to get them to play around while they were on their backs flailing their limbs about. Goliath was so happy to have a very lovely chocolate lab request to play with him. He gave in to the request in a heartbeat, and ended up dancing around with Joey for quite some time. The pair was perfect, as they both love to play bow and bounce around. Goliath was very happy with his busy outing, and was quite content to head back to his kennel where he snuggled up on his blanket to warm up after his cool time outdoors.

Right from the moment she walked in this morning, Coco looked a bit unsure of a day spent out in the snow. She was more than excited to be going out for a walk with her brother Timbits and another friend, Shelby. These three hooligans had their noses glued to the ground when their walk took them in a different direction than usual. Since it was blustery and windy today, we went for our walks out on the back trail in the woods. The path provided tons of good smells for little beagle noses to follow! Later in the morning it was time for Coco and Timbits’ first group outing of the day. Timbits didn’t let a little snow stop him from racing around and having lots of fun. Coco started out by sniffing around along the fence, keeping sheltered from the wind and the snow. She then saw Timbits running around in the next yard and just couldn’t help but chase after him. Timbits was running around, play-bowing to whoever would approach him. First was little Abby, who wasn’t quite ready to play. Next came Resa, who hopped around for a moment or two, but opted to head back towards the door. Finally, came Julie. Timbits loved Julie’s excited energy and these two chased each other around the yard, jumping through the snow drifts and covering themselves in white. Coco came sprinting in out of nowhere and tackled Timbits, sending the three silly geese off running once again.

Tanner was absolutely full of beans today! Right from the get-go, Tanner was bouncing up and down, barking in excitement. I came to his kennel with a leash in my hand and he started to bounce around all over again. We went for a nice snowy walk in the back forest trail with two other friends, Charly the Golden and Lucy the Newfoundland. It was a leisurely tour around the forest, and Tanner was taking every opportunity to rub his nose in the snow and follow the scents on the trail. We made our way around and then Tanner settled back in his kennel to warm up before it was group time. Out in the yard, Tanner played with a few different friends. First, he approached Pirate the Aussie, who was also feeling frisky in the snow. This pair ran around, stopping only to play-bow to one another and dart off again in another direction. Next, Tanner had lots of fun goofing around with a new friend named Delilah. These two did more of the same: play-bowing and running around together. When Tanner decided that it was time for a break, he came rushing over to me for some pets and attention. We hung out for a little while, keeping warm together until group time came to an end.

The lovely Delilah started her day off with a quick trip outside, followed by a walk on the forest trail with a friendly Golden Retriever named Molly, led by Tiffani. Delilah and Molly made great walking partners, keeping their noses down and marching right along through the snow together. When I came to get Delilah for group time a little bit later on, she was all curled up and cozy on her blue blanket, with her legs tucked up under her and her nose in the fleece. She stretched her legs before trotting out into the snowy yard. Delilah was pleased to meet a few new friends in her group, including a very friendly boy named Tanner. Delilah and Tanner met briefly by the door, but Delilah wasn’t quite ready for funny business just yet. She took her time to look around the yard and sniff along the fence and in all of the corners. Once her investigative work was finished, Delilah decided that it was definitely time to play! She approached Tanner and started to play-bow to him. After a moment’s pause, the pair took off running around in the snow. This caught some of the other dogs’ attention, and they came rushing in to join. Next, Delilah was approached by Eva the German Shepherd. These girls started to wag their tails in excitement and the play-bowing started once again, followed by another chase around the yard. Delilah came to see me after the play time and asked for a little back rub to warm up before heading in to her cozy blanket.

The ever-goofy Max and Sadie had a blast on the trail this morning. I was at their door with leashes in hand not long after their arrived and they sang with excitement. Max and Sadie looked back at me as if to ask “really?!” when I led them a different way on the trail today. We went over the creek and into the forest trail where there are so many new twists, turns and smells to keep their noses busy. We walked along quickly, but with plenty of stops and zigzags to ensure that every scent had been sniffed. After walks, Max and Sadie joined me out in the yard for some play time. They took their usual minute or two to have a look and sniff around the yard before Max ran and tackled Sadie, initiating the wrestling match. The pair were all over the yard, running faster than I could keep up with! They seemed to be feeling extra playful in the snow, and they sent big bursts of snow flying up behind them as they ran. At one point, Max and Sadie were so caught up in their play match that they didn’t see me standing next to them. They turned at the last second and we all went tumbling into a snow pile! Max and Sadie hopped to their feet and instantly surrounded me, covering my face in kisses to make sure I was okay. I reassured them that it was all in good fun and they went on their way, starting to wrestle around once again.