Saturday, December 17, 2016

Saturday, December 17th, 2016



Duke was very excited to be back here at Tails & Trails! He had an excellent first day back and was able to get right back into the swing of things. As soon as he got here it was time for his morning walk. Duke had a very fast walk with two new girlfriends. He met them in the yard beforehand and immediately got along great with the two of them. Duke ran to the end of his leash and tried to convince me to pick up my pace a little bit. I think he'd prefer that I was running alongside him but I wasn't quite in the gear for that. During his walk, Duke was very adventurous; he enjoyed sniffing in all of the trees and bushes while sometimes getting all tangled up in them as well, silly guy. Once he was done with one area he moved on to search the next and smell all of the new scents. Duke especially enjoyed playing in the deep snow during his walk and ended up looking like a white shepherd by the end of it because he was completely covered in it. Soon after groups it was time for Duke's extra attention. I brought him up to the front reception area so that we could warm up a bit before also going to play outside. While up front Duke showed me all of the tricks he knows. I got him to practice his sits, downs as well as paw and he did all of them very well. Of course he got a good amount of treats each time. He and I snuggled up on one of the big comfy chairs for quite some time before finally going outside into the snow. Duke and I raced about in the snow for quite some time. I kept making snow balls for him to jump up and catch and he went crazy for them. I think he must've thought they were a treat. After a bit longer of tackling and laying in the snow, Duke and I returned inside. When it came time for Duke's outdoor play time, he was just as excited to get outside as before. He patiently waited but as soon as the door opened he raced out and was ready to meet some new friends. Duke got along great with everyone and found a friend named Rex who he played with for the most part. While Duke wasn't playing he enjoyed showing me his usual tricks like running and sitting between my legs. I always love having him look back and smile up at me as he sits with me. Duke certainly loved the snow. He kept rolling, jumping and even simply laying down in it whenever he needed a break from running around. Whenever he was playing it was mostly a race. He loved sprinting around the yard with his whole group but sometimes he'd join in on a quick game of tug of war with a few friends as well. 

Fez and Rex were both excited to take on another day when they woke up this morning. Rex was wide awake and showing off his big voice as soon as I saw him this morning. He was ready to get outside and start moving while Fez took his time getting out of bed. He was a little bit more groggy as I think he wouldn't have minded sleeping for a tad bit longer. However he still got up and joined me outside for a quick morning pee before it got a bit too chilly. Although he enjoyed his time out, he was definitely excited to go back to his warm bed. Rex bounced out of his kennel as soon as he could and start playing once he got outside. I don't think everyone was quite as awake as he was yet but he still had a few friends playing around with him. When it came to their morning walks, Fez and Rex each had their own walks with different friends. Fez had a little bit of a slower walk with one of his good friends Lexi out front. Fez loved being able to take his time out there. He had his nose stuck to the ground for half of the time while the other half was spent beside me, always showing me his handsome smile. Rex had a longer and definitely faster walk. He made sure to always keep me on my toes as we walked. Rex was at the end of his leash for the whole time while trying to make me go a bit faster with each stride. He had his nose carry him away into the trees every so often but never seemed to get tangled up, what a smart boy. Rex also loved stopping to dig or play in the snow before continuing on. During their outdoor play group Rex went out with a playful and active group as well as spending some time afterwards with his brother Fez. He was thrilled with the toys during his first group and couldn't get enough of them. I found a big rope toy that I just knew he'd love. The two of us played tug of war for the longest time but he always seemed to win. No matter how hard I'd pull he'd still get it away from me. Rex also loved playing tug with a few of his friends in the group. Towards the end of his group he enjoyed racing around the yard to get all of the beans out of his system. After wards I brought him to see Fez for his outdoor play group. Fez was very excited to get outside. As soon as I let him out he walked right out to see Rex. The two of them just loved seeing each other so much and immediately started following each other around. Rex wanted to play with Fez the entire time but I could tell that sometimes Fez just wanted to roll around in the snow. He did get to roll around for quite some time but as soon as he'd stop, Rex would be right over and trying to play once again. Eventually Rex started to settle down and the two of them cuddled in the snow with me. 
Syrus had a lovely day. In the morning he was as happy as ever to get outside and run around, especially as the fresh snow fell to the ground. His walk was with his good friend, Rex, a chocolate lab. The snow was so perfect and the two of them really enjoyed exploring in the forest trail. His group time was soon after his walk and Syrus was excited to be back outside again. Even before they got outside, Syrus was already goofing around with his friends Dushka and Riley. Opening up the agility yard to him and the rest of the group was like opening a present with so much fresh snow on the ground. He absolutely loved dipping his face into the soft fluffy stuff and seemed to enjoy opening his mouth and letting the snow melt on his tongue. He played with everyone in his group: Dushka, Riley, Muggins, Korvo and Vega. They ran into and around the agility tunnel over and over again. At one point, he peeked his head out at me and then ran over for a friendly pet and cuddle. 
Max and Sadie had a fun day together...well, when do they not? Sadie loves the snow so much so it was especially exciting for her. They behaved so well getting their leashes on to go for their walk; I haven't seen them for a several weeks since I've been away at school and was very impressed by their behaviour! When we got into the forest, Sadie was sticking her snout into the air and she looked so regal. During their playgroup together Max and Sadie were really playful! I think the snow just gave them a huge boost of energy because they didn't seem to stop for long. Max would chase after Sadie and then pounce on her. Should would land in a fresh pile of snow and it would cushion her fall. Then she would stick her whole face in the snow as Max jumped all over her. Then Sadie would pull her face out of the snow and look at me happily. Sadie was a complete snowball by the time she came inside! 
For their training this afternoon, both Max and Sadie practiced everything off leash - inside. They heeled beautifully down the hallway and waited patiently as each door was opened and they were told it was ok to go through. Max had to wait at the reception door, even as Tiffany stood at the door ready to leave. Both Max and Tiffani really wanted to see each other, so once Max had shown what a good boy he is, he got to run over and give Tiffani tons of kisses. We then practiced staying calm in a down behind the desk while Julie and Resa got ready to go out. Since Julie's wheelchair takes a little while to get on, Max had to wait for a few minutes. He was so good! For Sadie's training, we practiced place on the chair, down behind the desk and self control with a kong and a treat. Sadie was very good for all of these things. She often has to be reminded once to go back to her spot, but then she can wait patiently until released. 
































































































































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