Monday February 20th, 2017

Finnigan and Henry couldn't contain their excitement at any point of the day which made them best friends throughout their play groups. When it came time for their outdoor play group, the two of them were completely full of beans!  As soon as he got out of his kennel, Henry raced up and down the hallways to see all of the other dogs in his hall. After doing this a few times, he realized the hallway door was open and decided to race into the yard. His speed was on full as soon as he got into the yard. He ran around each and every dog and yard as fast as he possibly could. Every time he sprinted by someone, they'd try to catch up but eventually they'd always give up because he was so fast. However, once I let out Finnigan, he matched his energy level to a T. Finnigan went out the door and immediately started racing after Henry. He had a few times where he would catch up and then get distracted by a toy in the yard so Henry could sneak away. Eventually he did catch up to Henry and it was game on. Henry and Finnigan were in a full-blown play tackle by the time I saw them again. They looked so funny because Henry would be chasing after Finnigan, then they would play tackle one another but at the same time they were both still trying to run. They ended up looking like a big ball rolling around. Eventually they both went their separate ways. Finnigan became completely focused on the rope toy that I had brought out for him in the yard. As soon as I picked it up he was by my side and ready to play. We played tug-of-war for the longest time and boy is he ever strong! Most of the times he won but I somehow managed to win a few times as well. Every time he won, Finnigan would race away with the rope toy as fast as he could before racing right back to me so that we could play once again, silly guy. When we had finally ended our match of tug-of-war, I would've thought that Finnigan would be tired but instead I saw him running around with yet another friend. Everyone in his group loved him so it wasn't very hard for him to find someone to play with. For the rest of his group time he played nonstop and was finally tired right at the end. The two of us sat together so that I could give him a belly rub. Henry might have even had more energy after playing with Finnigan if that's even possible. After he and Finnigan were done playing, he found a few new dogs to play with. Henry loved playing with all his friends and especially enjoyed running circles around them while showing off how fast he could run. This eventually led to a little play tackle every so often. No matter what Henry was doing he'd always come back to find me. Henry finished off the group time with toys. He found a bone in the yard and it became his new prized possession. As soon as he picked it up, he raced around the yard, while proudly showing it off to all of his friends. After running around the yard a few times, he brought it back to me so that we could play a quick game of fetch before going back inside. Henry never had to worry about someone getting to it first because he raced after it as fast as a bullet. Overall, Finnigan and Henry both had very fun filled and active days today!

Olive was having a wonderful time throughout the entire day today. She began her morning on a very relaxing but quick-paced walk with two of her friends that she has met throughout her stay. When I went to get her for her walk, she was already up and waiting for me. Once I got her leash on, Olive showed me the way to the door and made sure I knew she was ready to go. Throughout her walk, Olive didn’t let many things distract her. Occasionally she’d follow one of her friends to see what they were sniffing but soon enough she was off again. When it came time for her long outdoor playgroup, Olive went trotting out to the agility yard. When I wasn't quite quick enough she came trotting back to see what was taking me so long. Once she was satisfied that I was in fact coming, Olive continued on out to the agility yard. She went trotting around the yard, checking out anything that caught her attention. It wasn't long before Olive had made her way back to me and was asking for all the pets and attention she could get. When she'd had enough for the moment, Olive headed back out to tour more of the yard. Her attention was then caught by Dexter, who was checking something out by the fence. Olive made her way over to him to check it out for herself. With that done, she started to make her way back to me when the big rock caught her eye. She veered off course and went to check on the area around the rock. Now Olive really had the exploration bug and headed off to check out more of the yard. She eventually saw all she wanted to see and headed back my way. Olive got as close and she could to me, gave me a couple kisses, then demanded some belly rubs. We spent some more time just hanging out together until Olive made her way over to the far fence and watched the rest of the group. Soon enough, she was right in the middle of all of the madness in her group. She loved being able to race around with her friends and would even join a play tackle every so often. She looked so cute jumping into the group of dogs as they were all play tackling.

Storm had another wonderful day today as he began with a brisk morning walk. He was patiently waiting for me in his kennel like the good boy he is. That was until I got him on his leash and he decided that he was ready to go go go! Storm raced down the hallway and was so excited to who was going to be joining him for his walk. When he realized who was going with him, he started running around the yard and bouncing all over the place. After he got all of the beans out, Storm raced to the end of his leash and had his friends follow him. He started his walk by going as fast as he possibly could and darted into the back field. For the most part of his walk Storm kept at the end of his leash while trying to get me to jog or even run with him. We end up jogging around part of the trail but not everyone was as excited to run so after a little while we slowed it back down. Storm did a few other things during his walk which included, following all of the new scents in the front trail, running from side to side and getting himself all tangled up in the leashes, and coming back to greet me with a kiss and get a quick head scratch. When it came time for his outdoor play group, Storm was just as excited to go outside as he was for his walk. This time he just couldn't wait to go out and barreled down the hallway as fast as he could. Once he got outside, his first priority was to run a few laps around the agility yard before saying hi to his new friends. Storm was put into his typical fun and active group today so that he could continue to play with his best friends during the rest of his stay. He was very excited to see all these similar faces and decided he had to greet each and everyone before continuing on with his group. For the most part of his group, he was high tailing it at all times. He spent almost all of his time either chasing his best friend Koda around the yard or being chased by him. When Storm wasn't with his friends, he enjoyed cuddling with myself or Alyssa when she was in the yard.

Dexter was absolutely full of energy today, as always! He was ready to have fun right from the start of the day. First thing in the morning, the dogs were still waking up, so when Dexter's group had their turn in the yard, everyone stuck to themselves and explored. He was happy to join them, but I could tell that he couldn't wait to get playing. Thankfully we had walks next and Dexter got to put his energy to good use! He enjoyed a nice walk with another friend that was just as excited to be out and about. His friend Benji kept Dexter playing for almost the entire walk. They were constantly play tackling one another and of course they’d get tangled up in the trees occasionally. After that, it was time for Dexter to play! He could hardly sit still while I walked up to his kennel, and once I got to his kennel, Dexter practically flew out the door after the other dogs. Dexter’s group mostly started out by wandering around the yard and sniffing things, while Dexter raced in circles. Eventually he slowed down enough to run over to me and cuddle for a bit. His friend Henry noticed us and trotted over to say hello while Dexter immediately play-bowed. It didn't take long for Henry to respond with a play-bow of his own, and then he pounced on Dexter and then suddenly the two of them went tearing across the yard. They were in the middle of a wrestling match when suddenly Dexter bumped into Finnigan. The two of them gave each other a quick sniff and then they bounced around together for a bit. Dexter then came over to see what I was doing. I found a tiny snowball and tossed it up in the air for Dexter to chase after. This caught another one of Dexter’s friends attention as well, and soon enough Dexter had yet another playmate! Dexter went back and forth between playing with his various friends. I don't think I saw him standing still once! He had an absolutely great time running around and playing with everybody in the yard.

Max E is such a delight to have staying with us. He loves to play, and everybody loves to play with him! Max E started things off with a walk alongside two of his good friends. All three of them were bouncing around together for most of the walk, and if they weren't playing, they were hopping through the snow and exploring the trail. After that, it was time for groups. Max E met up with his friend Nyxx in the yard, as well as a few other dogs. He seemed to have used up some of his boundless energy on his walk, so Max E spent a couple of minutes wandering around the yard and checking things out. He discovered a few toys along the way that were mostly buried in snow and attempted to chew on them, before deciding that it wasn't the easiest thing to do and headed off to find something better. Max E was in the middle of sniffing one of the big rocks in the yard when his friend Cooper raced past him to see what I was doing. Not wanting to be left out, Max E hurried after him. Both of them enjoyed a quick cuddle before they pounced on each other, and Max E raced away with Cooper on his heels. The two of them had an intense wrestling match while the other dogs cheered them on. In the end, I think that Cooper might have been victorious, though both of them were wagging their tails and panting happily once they slowed down. Cooper went to play with some of the others in the yard, so Max E caught his breath while searching around in the snow for a toy once again. Luckily this time he realized that I had brought out a rope toy for us to play with. At first we played a short game of fetch but that quickly led to a full on tug-of-war between Max and I. Max was very strong while playing with me but I could sometimes win. We ended off his group time with an extra snuggle and belly rub.

Newt was overwhelmed with happiness to see all her friends in the yard today! She met Finley today who was a blast! These two stuck by each other for most of their group. At first Newt was just racing around the yard, stopping to sniff all the other dogs briefly before moving onto the next. Newt followed Finley around while he said hi to the puppies, and waited patiently until he was ready to play. After a bit of waiting, Newt pounced right onto Finley and then the two of them ran around the yard. Newt had a case of the zoomies today! She wanted to bolt everywhere she went. A couple of times when I called her over, she was racing so fast that she just slid right into me on the snow. It was so cute because afterwards, she would just lie there in the snow, acting like it didn’t happen and asking for a bellyrub. She wiggled her bum while I rubbed her belly. She repeated this a few more times before everyone started to head inside. Once everyone else was outside, she wanted a few more minutes outside so she lay down on the snow and got another belly rub. I then picked her up and carried her back in, all while she was constantly licking my face.

Olive and Finlay had a great first day of their stay with us. They both met so many new friends out in the yard today! Finlay was especially rambunctious with his friend Benji and the two little huskies puppies that were joining them. Finlay was so happy to see them that he followed them around the yard for a few minutes, his nose glued to them and his tail wagging a mile-a-minute. Once the puppies went to go hangout by Julie, our rescue dog, Finlay made new friends with Newt and Benji. These three boys had a blast together. Finlay was constantly bouncing back and forth between his two friends, unsure of whom to play with. He and Benji would play wrestle for a bit and then he would go to see Newt, who would want to scoot around the yard. He had such a great time! Olive decided to use her time outside to relax more. She first said hello to everyone and then walked around for a bit. She wandered over to me, where I was happy to pet her back and head and rub behind her ears. She ventured off to the far yard where her brother was playing with his friends. She sat very politely for a few minutes just watching them play. Just as I was walking up to her, Ayla, one of the little husky puppies came bouncing up to Olive. Olive was so startled and didn’t quite know what to do with the puppy so she just gave her a little sniff. Ayla then proceeded to try and play-bow to Olive. Olive just sat there and looked at me, a little unsure and then came over for some more pets. She and Finlay were happy to get back inside and each snuggle up in their beds for a little nap after their exciting outing with their new friends.

Benji absolutely loved his new friend Finlay today! Whenever he was going outside, Benji waited in the hallway for Finlay to be let out too and he would follow Finlay into the yard, right on his tail. It was impossible to separate Benji from his new best friend. They play-fought and rolled around in the snow for the longest time. Benji wasn’t the only one who loved Finlay, so he had some competition for Finlay’s attention in the yard. Benji would wait patiently for Finlay to finish playing with his other friends, and in the meantime, he went to see what the little husky puppies were up to. Wolf was hanging out with Julie, sitting right in front of her wheelchair, but Ayla saw Benji walking around by himself in the far yard and trotted right over to him. Benji gave her a quick sniff and then let Ayla prance all around him. Ayla really liked Benji today,and even tried to play tug on his ears. So cute! After Ayla went to see her brother, Benji returned to his new BFF for some last minute playing! He was sad when the two of them had to be in separate kennels but was eager to play again!

Molly had a good day today. She started her morning with a nice walk, along with Mika and Storm. Molly was just bursting with energy on her walk. She wanted to run ahead as far as she could and then she stopped to sniff everything she could get her nose on before the rest of us caught up to her. She would then run to the end of her leash again and sniff something new. She was pretty tired by the time her walk was over so she laid down for a power nap. Soon enough it was time to head outside with her group and she was happy to be joined by her favorite friend. Today she played with Henry for most of the time she was outside, but she also went exploring all the yards. I looked for her for a bit, and found her sniffing the far corner of the agility yard. She had her nose dug into a pile of snow. I called her name and she looked up at me with snow all over her snout and then she shook it off and came over for some ear rubs and pets.

Sophie and Charlotte are so fun to spend time with! In the yard today, Sophie came to hangout with me while I watched Charlotte play with Mika. Mika and Charlotte were inseparable today! They wrestled and tumbled all over each other in the snow. Windy sometimes joined in too. Sophie sat right by my legs, smiling as I pet her head constantly. Whenever I stopped to take a break, she would look up at me, wondering why on earth I stopped petting her. I told her she was very cute each time, and then continued to pet her head. She is a girl who knows that she wants! Charlotte loved to get some cuddles today in the yard too. She stopped playing twice to come see Sophie and I. She would nudge Sophie in the face and give her a quick kiss before returning to her friends. Earlier in the morning, Charlotte, Sophie and I spent some time in the playroom together. At first it was all snuggles from both the girls. Sophie had the front half of her body resting on my lap while I sat on the couch, Charlotte was sitting on the couch right beside me, and each girl was getting an ear massage. I took some pretty photos of both of them and then Sophie moved over to her spot in the corner where she always lies down. Charlotte and I then played with the big jolly ball. I threw it around for her and she kept picking it up and bringing it back to me to throw again. We did this for 10 minutes but then Charlotte wanted to play on her own. She held the ball in between her front paws while she sat down and gnawed on the ball for a while. This gave me a chance to snuggle with Sophie for a little longer. I sat down beside her and she scooched away just enough for her to sit up and then rest her head on my lap. I pet her head until she fell asleep. When she woke up, I was waiting there with a treat for her!

Mylo was a little more adventurous out in the yard today! He stuck by Sophie the golden retriever on his way towards the far yard. Yesterday Mylo took an interest in the play structure while Jynxx was playing in there, and today he wandered over there again. He peeked his head in the bottom door and sniffed around a bit. He looked up at me and then walked over to the gate where we go out for walks. Mylo really loves going for walks in the back trail, and he was waiting to go again! I encouraged him to come see me for some petting and he slowly came to me. He sat down and I just stroked his head. Later on in the group outing, I looked in the yard for Mylo and found him in the agility yard. He was sniffing the rock that was burried in the snow. He's such a curious guy, and today he found a tiny rope toy hidden in the snow. He sniffed it for a second before Charlotte swooped in and snatched it up. Mylo was content with his find and returned to the door, letting me know that he was ready to head inside and cozy up on his cot. 

 Mika’s favorite thing to do is give tons of kisses in the yard! Today she got to spend time with Tiffani and I, and she loved having us both out there with her. At the beginning of her group time, she played with Charlotte nonstop, and she chased Windy around a few times. Once she was done playing, she jumped right on Tiffani and began to kiss her all over while she was sitting down. Tiffani couldn’t help but laugh because Mika climbed right onto her lap and sat there, just trying to soak up as much attention as she could. Tiffani got up and pet Mika all over, and gave her a really good back scratch. Mika then returned to her friends to play for a bit longer, and was eager to get inside and enjoy her lunchtime treat! I got her to sit very pretty before she got it and she devoured her big treat and then took a little snooze. For her extra attention time, Mika was very happy to get lots of scratching along her neck and back. There were a few distractions at first as Alyssa was giving Charlie a bath and the puppies were playing in the office. Mika took a couple of breaks to check things out, but she always came back to me where I sat waiting for her in the chair and asked for more pets. She is a very relaxing girl to spend time with one-on-one.