Saturday January 28th, 2017

Molly was as energetic and playful as ever today! She started off her morning on a very fast paced ad fun walk with her friend Nyxx, and one of our dogs named Gunner. When I went to get Molly she had her tail wagging 100 miles and hour. We her whole body wiggling I tried to get her to calm down so that I could put on her leash. She did for a second but as soon as she felt that her leash was on it was go time! Although Molly had never met Gunner before the two of them hit it off as soon as they did. Molly raced outside, saw her new friend Gunner and went completely crazy! She was racing around in circles, pawing at him, play bowing and trying to play tackle Gunner. Gunner loved the attention and also wanted to play so it continued for the most part of our walk. Molly was always at the end of her leash playing with Gunner no matter what. Sometimes she'd get a whiff of a good scent but she even ignored that and kept playing non-stop. I think by the end of her walk she was ready for a morning nap before her long outdoor play group. However, she was fully energized and ready to get up and go again by the time her big play group time came along. Molly was patiently waiting for me as I came to get her. She was a bit more calm this time but was still eager to get outside, see her friends, and of course play. Molly trotted outside and immediately greeted everyone in her group first. She made sure to also come by and say hi to me for a little bit. However, that all ended when she found bright orange ball in the yard. As soon as Molly spotted it she raced over, scooped it up and from that moment on that ball was hers. She and I enjoyed playing fetch with it for quite some time but she made sure that no one ever got to the ball before she did. Whenever we weren't playing fetch, Molly enjoyed simply sitting in the snow while licking her new loved possession. Towards the end of her group, I introduced Molly to a squeaky bone toy. She seemed quite interested at first but once she noticed that she had to give up her ball in order to pick up the bone she went off with the ball and lied back down in the snow.

Molly and I headed up to the playroom for her extra attention today. Right away I could tell she was in a playful mood as she practically bounced all the way down the hall! Molly immediately got to work exploring the room while I grabbed her some toys from the toy bin. She had some difficulty choosing between the rope toy and the rubber bone I offered her, and eventually we decided to play tug-of-war with the rope. After that, Molly wanted to try out the bone as well, so we had a game of fetch. Molly was quite good at bringing it back to me although occasionally she would just roll over and wriggle around with the toy for while!

Teddie and Kizmet were full of energy as they began their days this morning. When I went to get them for their morning walk, Kizmet was sitting right by the kennel door as if he knew that I was coming. Teddie was lying down but as soon as he saw me he jumped up and was ready to go go go! Although they were patient and waited for me to put on their leashes, once I did they were out of the kennel and out the door as soon as possible. Kizmet ran right outside and immediately jumped into the fresh snow that had fallen over night. He buried his face in all the snow and plopped his whole body down soon enough. Teddie was very quick to follow; he lied down right beside Kizmet and got out a good stretch in the snow. Whenever Kizmet was rolling in the snow he'd flex his leg and point his little feet which looked so funny. Eventually the two of them were up again and finally at the end of their leashes waiting for their walk to begin. They kept looking back at me as if i was the one taking up time while rolling in the snow, silly guys. Kizmet was very adventurous throughout their walk time. He always seemed to have his nose on the ground searching for different scents. Sometimes he'd be following his nose from side to side of the trail, into the trees, through piles of snow, or even around Teddie and I while not even realizing he was getting completely tangled up. Teddie wasn't as adventurous but instead took the opportunity to get some extra attention from me. He walked beside me for the longest time and would keep looking up at me to ensure that I was giving him a little head pet or scratch. During their outdoor playgroup, the two boys were quite playful and active. Teddie trotted outside first to greet everyone. He did a few rounds of the yard while he decided what he had in store for today. Kizmet wasn't that interested in greeting his friends just yet but instead he decided to come see me. Kizmet ha his paws up on my tummy as soon as he could while giving me plenty of kisses. I had him dancing around with me for a little while before he finally decided he would go socialize. All of a sudden Teddie and Kizmet were as playful as could be. Kizmet started play bowing and bouncing around the other dogs while Teddie play tackled with their new friend Nymeria. The two of them ended up playing with Nymeria for a little while. They all enjoyed lay tackling each other non-stop. Soon after, it was just Teddie and Kizmet play tackling. Kizmet would jump on Teddie and try to tackle him to the ground while Teddie attempted to do the same thing to Kizmet. They ended up both falling on the ground and of course once they were in the snow they just had to roll around in it. This meant that their playing time was over since they were so distracted by their love of snow. Kizmet rolled around like no tomorrow while Teddie buried his face in the snow as per usual. They each took their time cuddling and getting a lot of attention from me before their group time had ended. 

Nymeria was very excited to be back here at Tails and Trails for another day of daycare. Once she came down the hallway she was so excited to see everyone and raced into the staff room. As soon as she got in there and saw that there were people, Nymeria started bouncing all over the place. She ensured that she had greeted everyone at least three times before deciding to go into her kennel. Even once she was in her kennel Nymeria was still running circles with the happiest smile on her face. She was put on a very fun and playful walk with a new friend. Once the two of them met, Nymeria was even happier and more energetic if that's even possible. She raced to the end of her leash and back to her new friend endlessly. At one point she was in a full out play mode and we had to pause our walk for a bit so that she could get it all out of her system. Eventually Nymeria started to calm down with the playing but boy did she ever want to go fast. I thought I was going to end up running the rest of our walk because she wanted to keep moving as fast as possible. I did end up jogging for a little bit but luckily Nymeria got distracted by a good smell in the forest for a couple minutes. When it came to her long outdoor play group, Nymeria was with a few familiar faces as well as some new friends. Her new friend that she met on her walk happened to be in her group so they were attached at the hip to start off. However, she also noticed that her husky friends Justice, Magic and even Ariel were all in her group as well. Once she saw them, her new friend and her ran over to start playing. Nymeria ended up getting into a full on race around the yard that went on for at least ten minutes. She was always racing around even after the big chase. Eventually Nymeria came over to me so that we could play with a bright orange ball that I had found in the yard. As soon as she saw it in my hands, Nymeria raced over to grab it and start playing with it. She ended her group time by playing fetch and keep away with the ball. 

Rufus and Sherman weren’t huge fans of the weather today, although they were determined to enjoy themselves despite the snow! They started out with a nice walk alongside their friend Resa and had so much fun exploring the trail, and poking their nose in every hole they could find. Once they got back they must have been a bit chilly as the two of them cuddled up in a tight ball on their bed; Rufus had his head resting on Sherman’s back. It was adorable! The boys had a cozy nap but were quickly on their feet again when it was group time. I bundled them up in their coats and then we headed outside. Since it was windy and snowy, the little dogs got cold pretty fast so we kept their group time a bit shorter. Rufus and Sherman decided to make the best of their time outside and the two of them bounded through the snow towards the far yard. Sherman led the way and made a path for his brother to follow. After a bit, they split up to cover more ground. Occasionally one of them would suddenly go running after the other. They continued to sniff and race around for a little while, and eventually made their way back to their group in the other yard. Rufus discovered a ball in the snow and started pushing it around. He must have wound himself up as he quickly forgot about the ball and just kept running in circles, sometimes looping around another dog to encourage them to play with him. Sherman, on the other hand, was content to keep things quieter and wandered over to see me for some snuggles. He happily sat down at my feet while I pet him. It wasn’t long before Rufus noticed this and got a bit jealous. Not wanting to be left out, he hurried over and cuddled up with his brother. Both of them soaked up the attention for a while and then it was time to head inside.
Rufus and Sherman had so much fun during their extra attention this morning after their walk. When we got to reception, we spent some time cuddling on the ground, while I filled them each a Kong with peanut butter for them. While the boys spent, some time licking their Kongs, I searched through the toy bin to find them some toys to play with. After I found a few toys they would like we spent some time playing around before we did some basic commands for treats. They really enjoyed their extra attention this morning.

Kouza had a great day today! She was quite perky right from the start and couldn’t wait to get out of her kennel and say hello to everyone. After the first group rotation of the morning, it was time for walks. Kouza enjoyed a short stroll outside with Tiffani and spent a while checking out all of the interesting scents she came across. Just like the rest of the dogs, she curled up on her bed after her walk for a quick nap before groups started again. As soon as I came to get her from the kennel, she hopped to her feet and waited patiently to be let outside. In the yard Kouza made her rounds to give each dog a good sniff. The group’s new addition, Rolo, seemed to be interesting to Kouza and she spent a while greeting him. Next, Kouza decided to explore the yard. Every time I turned around her nose would be buried in the snow, searching for something good. Eventually Kouza figured that she had covered enough ground and wandered over in my direction, where some of the other dogs were getting cuddles. She said hello to Maggie while she waited for her turn. Then Kouza was happy to snuggle with me for a bit. I must have found a good spot as Kouza started leaning against my hand while I pet her, and if I stopped for a moment she would poke around with her nose to find my hand again. Once Kouza was satisfied with all of the attention, she followed Rufus and Sherman towards the door and sniffed around there for a bit until the little guys were chilly enough to go inside.

Kouza had an excellent extra attention time this morning. She was was very excited to come up front and hopped out of her comfy bed as soon as she heard me call her. As she trotted up front, she greeted those that she passed and seemed to ask everyone for a treat. On our way up I stopped in the food room to grab some carrots for her and she definitely knew I had them when I came out. Kouza was staring at me with her tilted to the side and of course her nose was going wild while trying to find the carrots. Eventually she let me pass by her so we could continue up to the front and to a few tricks for treats. Kouza did an excellent job with tricks. She would sit, lie down, and sometimes give us a paw. She especially enjoyed getting her carrot after completing the tricks. After tricks were over, Kouza spent a good amount of time cuddling with Alyssa. Alyssa made sure to rub her back, head and belly which Kouza absolutely loved. She and I also snuggled for a little bit so that I could scratch her ears. After all the love, I gave Kouza a rubber chicken toy that I had found and she played with it until the end of her extra attention time!

Maggie is such a funny girl. She enjoys lounging around on her bed and it always takes a bit of persuasion to get her out of the kennel, though once she is out she absolutely loves to cuddle and play with everybody! Today she joined me for a walk out front. Since it was quite cold and windy we kept it short and although Maggie had fun exploring, she was happy to head back inside where it was warmer – especially because she got lots of cuddles from everyone inside as we made our way back to her kennel. Luckily it wasn’t as bad for groups today and Maggie definitely enjoyed herself in the yard. She followed the rest of the dogs outside and set to work sniffing around. Something must have wound her up as Maggie was running from spot to spot and kept spinning in circles. I tossed a ball in her direction and she quickly pounced towards it, before twisting around and bouncing off again. Whenever I walked over she would play-bow and get ready to run. Eventually, though, she had enough of her game and was happy to snuggle with me instead of getting me to chase her! After I had given her plenty of cuddles, I tried to interest her in the ball again. Maggie gave it a sniff and then wandered off to find something better. She decided to say hello to everybody since that had been forgotten earlier as she had been quick to start sniffing as soon as we got outside. Not long after Maggie had finished greeting them all, the dogs decided that it was too cold to stay out much longer and we all headed in.

Casey is an absolute sweetheart. She loves her attention, that’s for sure! Casey started off the day on a walk with her friends Riley and Sophie. The three girls were eager to explore the trail and they kept up a good pace. Casey had a great time sniffing around with them. Next it was time for her extra attention, and after that it was groups! Casey joined Sophie again and followed her group outside. Right away she glued herself to my side and insisted that I snuggle with her. I was happy to give Casey a nice back rub while the other dogs checked out the yard. She basked in the attention for a while, and then decided to go see what the rest of her group was up to. A different Sophie was busy sniffing around by the fence and Casey decided to wander around with her. Every once in a while, Casey would look over or walk past me, and if I weren’t petting another dog she would quickly sneak over for more cuddles. At one point I found her a rope toy and Casey got really excited about it, but as soon as I threw it she just went back to nuzzling my hand for more attention.  Some of the other dogs were bouncing around with each other and this caught Casey’s attention, so she went to go investigate. It seemed, however, that she had already decided to be my shadow for the day because she was only gone for a minute, then I turned around and she was waiting patiently for me to notice. She spent the rest of her group time snuggling with me, of course, or exploring and socializing with the dogs.

Casey had so much fun with me this morning in reception. When I went to get her from her kennel, Casey ran up to reception as fast as she could, excited to spend some time together. As soon as Casey got up to reception, we spent some time cuddling on one of the big comfy chairs until she decided to go sniff around for a bit. While she sniffed around, I got out her favourite toy, the pink puzzle paw with liver treats. As Casey played for her treats, I snapped a few quick pictures of her before she had gobbled up all the yummy treats. After she finished off her prize, we spent some more time cuddling before I took her back to her kennel. 

Macie was very happy to be outside today, and she didn’t seem to mind the snow in the slightest. For walks, she met up with her friend Charlotte. The girls couldn’t seem to decide how fast they wanted to go, and if one of them were racing ahead, the other would be sniffing around behind me. Eventually Charlotte and Macie got into a nice routine and they had a great time exploring in the snow for the rest of their walk. Macie’s face was covered in snowflakes by the time we got back! She settled down on her bed to rest. It wasn’t long before Macie was on her feet again as it was time for groups. She happily trotted out the door and set to work investigating the yard. Eventually she discovered a rope toy in the snow and nosed it around for a bit. I picked it up to see if she wanted to play tug-of-war or fetch, and Macie got all ready to run after it, though as soon as I tossed it she went back to wandering around. Suddenly Charlotte came racing over from the other yard and play-bowed at Macie. The two of them bounced around together until Charlotte became distracted and went bounding off again. Around this time I had picked up a rubber bone in the yard, which just happened to squeak and had all of the dogs barreling towards me for the toy. Macie reached me first and I offered the toy to her so that the rest of them wouldn’t be arguing about it. She happily took it and paraded around the yard to show it off to the others.

Sophie W. is having a great stay with us. She loves everyone and everyone loves her right back! As usual, Sophie was very excited to start the day and could hardly wait to go for her walk. She teamed up with two other girls, Riley and Casey, and the three of them braved the cold weather. Once they were under the trees it was nicer, and Sophie had lots of fun bounding through the snowdrifts and poking her nose in all of the holes. When we got back, Sophie still had plenty of energy and happily waited for her group’s turn outside. As soon as I opened her kennel door she went racing to the yard. While the other dogs were stretching their legs and sniffing around, Sophie didn’t seem to be able to stand still and was running all over the yard. She quickly came bounding towards me when she noticed that I was taking pictures. We had a nice long cuddle, and then Sophie was back to racing laps. She didn’t seem to want to play with the other dogs and was content doing her own thing for a bit. I found her a rope toy to play with and Sophie hurried over to take it. She bounced up and down and barked at it as if expecting it to do something. I went over and pushed it around with my boot, and she quickly went to pounce on it. We played this game for a while until Sophie decided that she needed a good roll. She put her shoulder down with her back end in the air and slide in a full circle around the toy. Then Sophie flopped over and wriggled around on her back. She always has so much fun rolling in the snow!