Monday January 2nd, 2017

Cara and Brodie were both quick to shove their faces in the snow. Brodie then stopped and looked at me with his nice snowy face. Cara was too focused on the scent she was following to check in with me. When I headed out further into the yard Brodie put his face back to the ground and was determined to find something. Cara followed me out to the far yard and decided to take a break from exploring to bark at me. I'm not sure what exactly she was trying to tell me, but she was pretty happy with herself in doing so. Brodie finally left the main yard and his explorations to see what his sister was up to. He then decided to go and see who else was in the group. Cara stopped barking and put her nose back to the ground. Soon Cara was back and telling me all about her explorations. Brodie headed back out to do some more exploring. Cara's attention was then captured by Bruno. He was running around with Shelby and Cara decided she wanted to join in. She went racing after them, a bit more slowly, but no less enthusiastic. Brodie finished up checking out the far yard and headed back to the main yard to continue exploring. He was then distracted when Cara and friends came tearing into the yard. Brodie watched them for a bit. Cara made her way over to her brother and joined him for a little exploring. Bruno came and got some attention from me, so Cara was happy not to miss out on anything. Brodie wanted some love of his own, and came and joined us. Shortly after that Bruno was asking Brodie to play. Not too long after that Cara and Brodie were having a blast racing around with Bruno, Shelby, and Jake.

Sophie was so happy to be outside. She went running around with a big grin on her face. Sophie went trotting around the yard checking on what everyone was up to and occasionally stopping to push her face in the snow. She eventually made her way over to check on me and get some pets. When Sophie had had enough she went trotting back out. At one point she stopped to check out the big rock and was then joined by Spencer. They finished checking out the rock and went trotting off together. Sophie then left Spencer to come running back to me for some more pets. She then plopped herself down in front of me and told me all about her day. Once I was up to date on everything Sophie went trotting off. She did another lap of the yard before finding herself in front of me once more. Sophie didn't stick around long this time as she was distracted by Spencer. She ended up making her way over to him and tagging along.

Spencer was quick to put his nose to the ground and set off in search of something in the snow. He did a quick wander around the centre of the yard before heading over to the fence line where he got a little more serious in his explorations. As soon as Spencer finished with his exploring he was hit with a burst of energy and went racing off. It didn't last very long as something caught his attention and his nose was soon buried in the snow. Spencer finished with that particular section of snow and went off to see what some of the others were up to. He met up with Dawson and shortly after that they were off running. Spencer was then sidetracked when he spotted Poppy checking the tunnel over. He decided to head over and see what she was looking at. Spencer then moved on to check on rest of the group once more. He met up with Sophie, who was looking at something by the big rock. Spencer decided to tag along after her when she went trotting off. They split up and Spencer ended back with Dawson. The two of them went bouncing off having a great time together. After a little while Spencer settled down in the snow and enjoyed sampling it. 
Spencer is always a pleasure to spend time with. We headed up front to the reception area the see what kind of fun toys we could find. Spencer wanted to explore the room and say hi to Kinsey behind the desk before heading to the toy bin. I pulled out a frog stuffy, which he was pretty excited about. Spencer took the toy and settled down on the floor with it to give it a chew. He was soon distracted and back at the bin to see what else he could find. He grabbed a ball and played with that for awhile before going back again to find another toy. This time he pulled out the squeaky chicken, the same one he gave to Tails & Trails for Christmas! Spencer lined up all his toys and laid down in front of them happy with his collection.

Max and Sadie were so excited to head outside for their group time. They both stood at the door of their kennel, tails wagging like crazy waiting impatiently for me to let them out. Eventually Max and Sadie remembered that they needed to sit before I would let them out. Shortly after they were off and racing around the yard. Max and Sadie didn't waste much time in the main yard and were quick to head out to the far yard. They took a moment to take in their surroundings. Sadie's nose then hit the snow and she was off in search of something. Max was still bursting with energy and went running around the yard. After a few more laps Max decided to take a bit of a break and do some exploring of his own. That didn't last long and soon he was back to tearing around the yard once more. Sadie did her best to ignore him as she was super focused on exploring in the snow, but Max kept running up to her and trying to get her to chase him. She held out for a lot longer than I thought she would and then the next time she didn't. Sadie went booking it after Max. They went ripping around the yard until they came to the tunnel. They each ended up on a side. Sadie then launched herself over it and Max tackled her. They were then off racing and wrestling once more. Eventually they needed a break. Sadie found a nice comfy spot by one of the big rocks and settled down to sample some snow and relax. Max made his way over to me for some pets and attention.

Boris was excited to be here today. He seemed to enjoy his time away from Tasha, as this meant he could do whatever he wanted without her trying to discipline him. Boris was happy to meet Koda in the yard who is another younger male husky. This pair hit it off right away, and enjoyed some wrestling and boxing for a brief period of time. It wasn’t long until Boris was distracted by the lovely Pippin making snow angels across the yard. Pippin loves to roll around in the snow, throwing her body around in the fresh powder. Her funny behaviour really caught Boris’ eye, leading him to bolt over to her. He began pouncing all over her as well as lying down on her level to roll around with her. These games continued for the remainder of their outdoor time. Even if they broke off to check up on their other friends, they quickly returned to one another only moments later. Pippin and Boris made for a great pair, keeping each other very busy.

Tasha had a good day today. It is hard for her to settle down when she’s here, so being on restricted activity was definitely a challenge for her to accept. After some stern corrections, miss Tasha realized today was more a day for slowly socializing rather than playing. Tasha was happy to meet many new dogs. She wandered around the senior group saying her hellos, occasionally trying to flirt with some of the boys. Tasha kept herself busy by socializing with her new friends as well as sniffing and exploring the yard. She was happy to spend her day in the office with Justice, Resa and Julie who are all very mellow, and make for great company.

Jax was so excited to see me this morning. It was nice to be welcomed back after a weekend off by such a handsome face. Jax wiggled his way around me asking for bum pets until I gave in and knelt by his side to giving him kisses and cuddles. Jax was happy to meet some new friends outdoors day. He wandered from dog to dog, being very polite with his hellos. After greeting all his pals, Jax met up with Koda and Zak for some fun and games. These two boys loved Jax equally, and devoted a lot of attention to him. Jax loved being the center of attention. He appreciated all the wrestling and running they wanted to do. Jax was especially a fan of Zak and ran endlessly with him. The pair even zoomed through the agility tunnel, not letting Zak's large size affect their play. Jax was so tired from all the running after some time, so he found his golden retriever friend Pippin and lay down with her. The pair enjoyed grooming their feet free of snow side by side until Koda and Zak asked them to play once more. Jax was happy to finish his outdoor time off by playing around on the tunnel.

Finnigan was pleased to take part in two groups on this sunny Monday. He was thrilled to play around with Shelby, as usual, as well as some other friends in the small dog yard. Finn always gets the party started by play bowing and running around like a mad man. Emma and Merida who are normally quieter, independent pups, tagged along with Finn on his rampage around the yard. Finn couldn’t have been more ecstatic to have all these dogs chasing him, which encouraged him to pick up the pace and run even faster. After endless laps around the yard Finny took a break in the deep snow. He did some slow playing with Shelby in the snow until it was time to head indoors. He was happy to get another play session outdoors with Sam. Sam is particular about her friends, and Finn is a perfect fit for her. The pair run and run until they are lying in the snow with their tongues hanging out of their mouths. He was very happy to return to the indoors where he was hanging out in the staff room with some staff dogs. Finn loves to whip around the blankets and toys that are lying around, keeping himself entertained while waiting for his next outing.

Sam had so much fun today with her friend Finn. She and Finn met when she was here a couple weeks ago, and she was pleased to re-unite with him. The pair make for quite the duo when it comes to running and playing. Sam began zooming around the moment she got outdoors looking for a chase. Finn was hot on her heels and was soon followed by another dog, Boris. Sam was the leader of the chase, zooming full speed around the yard with her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth. Once Boris caught her, the pair began to wrestle around. After lots of wrestling, Boris headed back indoors for a break so it was just Sam and Finn left. Sam and Finn slowly stared one another down until Sam made her move and bolted full speed for Finn. This started a never ending chase. The two looped around the yard over and over, making me dizzy watching. After numerous high speed laps around the yard, the pair both settled down to catch their breath. Sam likes eating the snow to re-hydrate while Finn prefers to roll in the snow. Sam was such a good girl at the end of her group time, she trotted indoors right by my side and went into her kennel before I even got to the door.
Sam is such a sweet girl! I brought her up to the reception area after her playtime this morning. She was very curious and sniffed around the room and under the desk to greet Tayler. I called her back over and she sat very nicely for some pets. I had Sam sit for a couple of milkbones and a picture or two. There were a few toys laying around but Sam was much more interested in hanging out with us. She went back and forth from me to Tayler, soaking up all the attention. When it was time to head back to her kennel, Sam curled up on her big bed until her next outing. 

Duke and I had a great morning walk with his two Bernese Mountain Dog friends, Dragon and Gryphon. Duke loves to walk himself. He always insists on holding the leash in his mouth and walking just ahead of me, trying to drag me along. I always allow this until he gets distracted by all the smells. Duke really loves the fresh snow along the trail, always wandering off to get a good sniff. In the yard Duke was happy to meet some new friends. He introduced himself to everyone with some friendly sniffing and kissing. He was rather fascinated by Tasha, and followed her around for a while. After getting to know her, he made his way to my side for his usual pets and cuddles. After lots of attention Duke found a warm and sunny spot in the yard to lay down and eat some snow. He had a nice sun bath until it was time to head indoors.
Duke was so full of beans during his extra attention time today! He immediately picked up a tennis ball that I took out of the toy box. He hopped up like a kangaroo as I tossed the ball up in the air. Duke caught it flawlessly, which made for some great pictures! He had a peek at what other hidden treasures lay in the toy bin, and chose a rubber bone next. Duke laid down on the doormat and closed his eyes for a minute. I went over to give him some pets and he rolled over on his back like a big puppy while I scratched his belly and Duke's leg starting kicking like crazy! After hanging out on the floor for a bit, Duke decided it was time to play some more. We tossed the ball around again until it was time to head back. 

Bear is such a sweet boy. I really enjoyed walking him this morning. Bear loved walking along the back trail, taking his time to stop and sniff all the wonderful smells nature has to offer. He was very intrigued by the deep snow off the side of the trail, constantly wandering into it and sticking his whole muzzle into the powder to get a good sniff. Bear would occasionally stop and roll in the deep powder too. We made our way along the trail with two other dogs, enjoying the warm winter day. Bear was happy to do the same in the yard today. He wasn’t too interested in socializing with dogs, however he was very interested in socializing with me. He is such a suck for a good cuddle, constantly nuzzling his head into my side asking for more. After loads of snuggles Bear got comfortable in the snow in a very sunny part of the yard. He rested here for a while, appreciating the other dogs coming over to say hello to him.

Kouza was very happy to meet a new friend in the yard today. Jersey, who is also blind, instantly found Kouza and the pair began circling one another and sniffing. It was almost as if they knew one another shared the same eyes. They wandered around side by side with their noses to the ground investigating the yard. When Kouza heard my voice, her ears perked up and she came running to me. She instantly began rubbing her bum against me asking for scratches. Kouza loves getting a good bum rub, and begins dancing back and forth while I scratch above her tail. We continued this for a while until she was distracted by her fellow group mates dancing around. Kouza then went back to sniffing and exploring and then carried on in the other yard doing the same thing. Kouza also enjoyed her extra time up front with me. She loves to wander around the reception area sniffing and greeting all the staff members. She is always keen to receive pets and cuddles as well as some carrots. 

Harlow and Rumple are enjoying having the cat room all to themselves! The first thing I saw this morning as I walked into work were the boys sitting on the windowsill together. I walked by the cat room door a little later in the day and there was Harlow having a snooze on the comfy bed. I stopped to take a picture and all of a sudden his eyes opened and he hopped right up before I could get a picture! I went in to see the boys and Harlow was ready to play as usual. He loved chasing the laser pointer and swatting at the pompoms on the floor. Rumple was curled up in the pink bed and enjoyed some chin scratches. He hopped down and looked out the window for a little while until Harlow hopped up on the sill, too. Rumple hopped down and went to explore the room, while Harlow went back to swatting at his favourite toys.