Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017

Newt and Tag were the most playful little ones in their group time today. Tag just couldn’t have been more excited to come back in for daycare this morning. When I saw her racing down the hall I knew that it was going to be a fun and playful day today. Tag ran right up to me and gave me a huge kiss as soon as she saw me. Eventually she was ready to go into her kennel but made sure I gave her a short head scratch beforehand. Newt was wide awake at every point of the day today. She was always waiting at her door to come outside and play. Throughout their play group time, Newt and Tag always remained active whether it was playing with their other friends, racing around the yard or playing with the toys in the yard. Newt especially loved the toys today. As soon as she got outside for her play group time, she raced right to the big red ball that was laying out in the yard. I didn’t think she’d be able to pick it up at first because it seemed to be bigger than her mouth. By the time I looked back at her she was off and running with it in her mouth. Newt was so cute during her playgroup time when she was playing with her ball. It soon became her favourite toy as she took it everywhere she went and displayed it proudly. Newt would constantly bring her toy over to me so that I would throw it for her. Once Tag saw Newt with the ball, she decided that she must play with it. Tag joined Newt in a long game of fetch but she wasn’t victorious often. Newt always managed to find a way to grab the ball before she could. I think Tag was a bit more interested in the run rather than the ball. Tag loved getting to chase after the ball but soon enough she found something better to play with; our husky puppies. Tag would run right up to each of the puppies and give them an overall sniff before trying to play with them. I think she might have startled them at first because she was so interested but soon enough they became friends. For the rest of the group time, Tag was absorbed with the thought of the puppies. No matter where they would go, Tag would always be right behind them, watching them at all times. At the end of their group time we had put the puppies away and Tag then became focused on running. Tag, Alyssa and I enjoyed a nice game of tag just before the end of her group. I thought she would’ve been a bit tuckered out but she was always ready to get out and play for the rest of the day. Newt finished off her group with some snuggles in the yard. I also played tug of war with her and her big red ball for a little while. She made sure to give me a big kiss before heading into her kennel for a relaxing lay down.

Coco and Timbits had another excellent day here at Tails and Trails. This morning, the little duo was completely full of beans when I first let them out. Timbits high tailed it out into the yard with Coco right behind him. Soon enough they were racing in the larger yard as Coco was trying to play tackle Timbits. The two of them were racing around so quickly that one of them would always end up bumping into someone or accidently falling and letting the other one catch up. They always manage to keep quite busy whenever they’re in the yard and today was no different. The melting snow was very interesting to Coco and Timbits because it released an abundance of new scents for them to smell. When I went to let them out for their long play group today, Coco just couldn’t wait to get outside and greet everyone. Timbits on the other hand was excited to sniff around every square inch of the yard. Although he quickly said hello to all of the dogs he passed, his main focus at first was sniffing the yard. Coco took her time searching the yard for each of her friends and would give them a good sniff before heading off to find Timbits. She found him over by one of the fences, sniffing away. Timbits must not have wanted to share his special spot with Coco because he chased her away as fast as he could. This of course led to a silly game of chase which was pursued for quite some time. Both Coco and Timbits took turns chasing one another around the yards. Sometimes Coco would be right on Timbits tail while other time Timbits would have chased and tackled Coco in the yard. Eventually the chase died down and they went off in their separate ways again. This time, Coco spent some time with me. She came over to get a back scratch and ended up also sneaking in a belly rub. It seemed as though she just wanted to cuddle for the rest of her group time so we did. Timbits became quite interested in our husky puppies. He spent the rets of his group time following them around with his friend Tag and observing their every move. I think he thought that they were quite interesting characters.

Finlay and Benji were inseparable today! Throughout a large portion of their play group, the two boys could be found side by side. Once I went to get Benji for his long outdoor play group this morning, I could tell that he was ready to get up ad start playing. Benji was full of energy form the moment I saw him. He was up on his kennel door as I went to get him and sprinted out as soon as I opened the door. Finlay and Olive were just as excited to go outside. Finlay was definitely the most energetic one as he was bouncing around the kennel non-stop until I got to them. Olive patiently waited for me but she ran out into the yard as soon as I opened her kennel door as well. Once outside, Benji and Finlay spotted each other and from that moment on they were almost always stuck right beside one another. Benji raced right over to Finlay and the two boys sniffed one another for quite some time. Soon enough, a race broke out and they were off into the bigger yard. Finlay began chasing after Benji with such speed that I didn’t think Benji could keep away from him. However, he proved me wrong as he sprinted full speed so that he could continue to move faster than Finlay. Eventually their rolls switched and Finlay was then the one being chased. They zoomed around all of the other dogs in the yard, by me, and even through the agility tunnel. Eventually the two boys calmed down and went their separate ways. Benji came right over to me as soon as he was done playing. He loved to hop right up on my lap as I sat in the snow, and would give me an endless number of kisses. Benji had no limit to the amount of attention he wanted and I’m sure he would’ve stayed in my lap all day if I let him. He also enjoyed saying hi to his friend Alyssa as she gave him a long belly rub. Olive wasn’t quite as playful but she was very interested in a big bright red ball in the yard. She always seemed to keep an eye on the ball even if she wasn’t playing with it. Sometimes I’d see her friend Newt playing with it and Olive would be sitting staring at Newt, silly girl. Olive seemed to be waiting for the moment that Newt would drop the ball and she could run in and swoop it up. One time this occurred but the ball was too large for Olive’s mouth so she missed the ball as she ran by. Whenever Olive wasn’t playing with the ball or watching whoever had it she enjoyed staying by my side so she could get all the attention she wanted. Finlay was quite interested in the other friends in his group. Once he was done playing with Benji, he did quite a few laps while sniffing everyone in his path. However, he didn’t seem to want to play much with anyone else. Eventually Finlay found a spot beside Olive and I for some extra loving and of course a belly rub. 
In the afternoon, it was time for Olive and Finlay’s extra attention time. Olive and Finlay couldn’t wait to come up to the front reception area for their extra attention time. When I went to grab them from their kennel, Olive was right at the door and trotted out as soon as I opened it. Finlay must have been distracted but once he realized that the kennel was open, he bounced out and chased after Olive all the way up to the reception area. To begin their extra attention time, Olive and Finlay jumped on mine and Alyssa’s lap for some cuddles. They loved all of the hugs and kisses they got while they sat on us. Olive especially enjoyed getting a really good back scratch and gave me a few kisses for it afterwards. I then grabbed one of Olive’s favourite toys, a bright green spikey ball that lights up. Olive spent most of her time racing around the reception area with the ball but Finlay wasn’t quite as interested in it. He enjoyed staying up on Alyssa’s lap while she gave him a belly rub. To end of their extra attention time, I filled up one of our puppy puzzles with treats for both Olive and Finlay. They went absolutely nuts over the puzzle. Both Olive and Finlay spent the rest of their time searching through every nook and cranny for a special treat and even continued doing so once there were none left.

Pippin was so full of joy when he came in for his daycare day today. He trotted down the hall like the happy little guy his is and immediately hopped into his kennel to snuggle up with a big blanket we gave him. When I went to get him for his long outdoor playgroup, Pippin was completely snoozing away on the blanket. I don’t even think he noticed I was there because I had to go pet him to wake him up. However, once he was awake, Pippin was ready to get outside. Pippin was very interested in all of the smells that the melting snow had brought along. As soon as he got outside, Pippin went of on his own to explore all of the new smells. Pippin roamed along the fence line with his nose stuck right to the ground. He didn’t seem to notice anyone else in his group unless they were in his path of sniffing. I’m not sure what smells he found but Pippin stopped in one specific spot along the fence for quite some time before continuing. Eventually, Pippin had come full circle and was back at the beginning of his sniffing trail. I found this to be the perfect time to join him for some cuddles. Although I thought he might want to continue with his sniffing, Pippin plopped down right on my lap and waited for me to give him a head and back scratch. He seemed to be in heaven, especially when I rubbed his ears. We ended off his group time by cuddling. At the very end of his group time, Pippin went to see all of the other dogs in his group and even enjoyed sniffing a few of them while he waited to go back inside.

Lola and Pearl were so very excited to come back in for daycare this week! As soon as they got here, Pearl went racing down the hallway and couldn’t wait to see where they would be staying for the day. Lola was a bit slower to start off her day because she was excited to stop and cuddle with our staff. Once we got Lola up and moving, we brought her and Pearl to the kitchen. Here they had a big comfy bed that they both just couldn’t wait to cuddle up on. Lola was the first one on the bed of course and she was almost already napping by the time I got into the room. Pearl continued on with her excitement and gave me plenty of kisses as I brought her into the kitchen. Throughout the day, the girls loved getting the chance to see all of our staff whenever they’d enter the kitchen. We made sure to give them a hug and a kiss as we came in and out. When it came time for all of their outdoor playgroups throughout the day, Pearl was always up and excited to go out. I had to wake Lola up quite a few times as she was snoozing the day away. However, she was always ready to get moving. Outside, Pearl and Lola were both interested in all of their new friends. Pearl made sure to greet everyone but she wasn’t quite as playful today. She did begin her group with a few laps around the yard as she sniffed new friends but she quieted down shortly after to come see Lola and I. Lola trotted outside and said hello to a few friends that gathered around the door. She wasn’t very interested in playing or continuing to sniff them but instead stayed close to me so that she could get extra cuddle. The three of us spent most of their time snuggling in the yard. Every so often, Pearl enjoyed sniffing along the fence line at all the new smells from the melting snow.

Max E. is always such a happy boy and there was no exception to that today. When I first saw Max this morning I could tell that he was going to have a great day because he was in such a happy mood. As I went to see him first thing this morning, he looked as though he was smiling right up at me while waiting for me to get him to go outside. Right from his first outing, Max raced outside and sprinted past all of his friends. I think he almost forgot to say hi to them because he was ready to start running laps around everyone. However, he soon realized that he had passed them all and decided that he needed to come back so that he had someone to play with. Once he came back to see them, Max was in full blown play mode. He went up and sniffed each and every dog in his group before choosing someone to race around with. This morning it was his friend Cooper whom he chose to play with. He raced around for what seemed like the entire group time. I thought Max may have been a little tired but he ran right into his kennel and turned around as though he was going to come back out again. When it came time for his long outdoor play group, Max was already up and ready to go before I even entered his hallway. This time, he spent his playgroup focused on the toys in the yard rather than his friends. As soon as Max entered the yard, he raced right up to a big bright red ball that he found and couldn’t stop playing with it for his entire group time. Max and I played with the ball from quite some time. We played a long game of fetch before playing tug of war with it for a little while. Sometime I’d simply throw it up in the air so that he could bounce up and catch it and he did successfully almost every time! Max always looked so happy every time that he brought the ball back to me, I’d even say he was smiling at me. To end of his group time, Max had found a rope toy in the yard which we and his friends played with. Max and I started playing tug of war with the rope toy before his friend Jynxx and Nyxx decided to join in on the fun. Soon enough it was Max against both Jynxx and Nyxx and even though Max was against the two of them, he still someone always won! Strong little man.

Max and Sadie came in today with an abundance of energy. As soon as Max got here this morning he couldn’t help but give me a huge kiss right on the cheek as I was putting him away. Max was excited to trot down the hallway and wait for Sadie to come in. Once Sadie came in she too greeted me with a big kiss as well as jumped up to give me a hug. She just couldn’t wait to see what the day had in store for them so she ran back to see max. When it came to their long outdoor playgroup, Max and Sadie couldn’t contain their excitement! At first. They were both a bit too excited but soon enough they calmed down and waited patiently for me to let them out. They did such a good job at waiting today that when they got outside they were ready to reward themselves by racing around the yard. Max took off first. He zoomed around the yard as though he was as fast as a bullet. He didn’t seem to go in any particular direction but just needed to run all over the place. Sadie was very quick to follow him. She bounced out of their kennel and sprinted out of the door to go find Max. Sadie spent her time catching up to Max at first when she got outside. However, once she caught up to him, she passed him and this led to a fun game of chase. Both of them spent time being the one chasing as well as being the one that was chased. It fun to see them switch because Sadie would be in front of Max as though she was beating him but then suddenly Max would jump in front of Sadie. Eventually, this chase led to a long play tackle. The two of them were all over the place while they play tackled. One moment Max would be on top of Sadie and then the next moment they would have switched. They definitely kept themselves busy. Towards the end of this group time, Max came over to me for some cuddles. He loved getting his back scratched but was even more excited for hugs. Sadie enjoyed playing with a big red ball that I had found for her in the yard for a little while. She and I played fetch for a little while before she took it and went off on her own. However, one she saw that I was cuddling with Max she decided that she had to come join us. She lied right down on her back and waited for a belly rub.

Olive had a more relaxed day today in the yard. She got outside and all of her usual friends were happy to see her, including her new friends Dani and Tucker. Tucker was very interested in Olive, and was quick to invite her to play before the others did. Olive politely turned down his offer, although she was very flattered. She decided she would explore the yard this outing, and started with the agility yard. Since everyone was hanging out in the main yard, she started in the quieter one. She sniffed all around the tunnel and then found a rock and decided to try to dig it up. She was quick to give it up and trotted back to the others to see what was going on. She decided to play with Dexter for a few minutes. These two fluff balls were standing up on their back paws and it looked as though they were hugging while they wrestled and it was too cute! Once Olive was done playing, she found a cozy spot in the snow and took a little break. I sat beside her and pet her head. She loves getting massaged beside her eyes and on her ears. At one point, I think she liked it so much that it looked like she was sleeping while we were relaxing together. I look forward to another good day with this pretty girl. 

Storm was happy to see Nymeria was back for daycare again today! These two had a very fun day together on Monday and they got to play so many times again today! For their first outing together today, they were joined by some new and some old friends as well. Nymeria began playing with another dog, named Koda. She and Koda kept doing circles around the yard too, and each time they passed by, they picked up another friend to join their game. Bella and Oakley eventually joined in, which got Storm to join as well. Storm had been playing with Justice before. He and Justice have gotten to be good buddies and play together more and more each time they go outside. Storm did the funniest thing when he was playing with Justice today! Storm was following Justice towards the whole gang of dogs outside, and just when he started to run after him, I called his name. He looked to the side at me where I was standing, and because he kept running he ran right into the side of the agility tunnel and half flipped over it, and landed right on Magic who was walking by at the time. Storm got right up and stood there for a second, confused as to what he did, and then Magic popped right into his face and wanted to wrestle. Storm took off running and Nymeria ran after him. This is when these two love bugs started to play together again. Nymeria was always rolling around in the snow, pawing at Storm with all fours as he was tumbling over top of her. They both had so much fun that they both bolting inside right away and went straight for their water bowls in their kennels. 

Oakley was so snuggly today! I miss snuggling with Oakley in the yard. She is so funny. If I stopped petting her today, she would just wedge her head in between my leg and hand, and just stay there, acting as if I was petting her. Even when I walked away, she kept her head there and walked beside me. I encouraged her to go play with the others, and she did for a bit. She chose Justice as her playmate for the day and walked up to him and went into a playful little stance. He did the same thing and then they danced all around each other while running around the yard. Oakley looked so happy while she was playing, but once all the other dogs started to play, she returned to my side and begged for some more attention. Since all the others were playing, I sat down on the agility tunnel and Oakley sat beside me and I gave her a full massage. I rubbed her face and behind her ears and scratched all down her back. She gave me a few kisses and pawed at me for more attention. I told her she was very pretty girl!

Bella loved seeing her bestie Justice in the yard. She was in the big husky group and could not have fit in more! She loves to play just like the huskies do, chasing each other around and then wrestling until it was time to run around some more. Her favorite guy outside is Justice, one of our huskies. It has been a while since I got to spend some time with Bella and I forgot how much fun she is! She kept up with Justice no problem, and kept leaping on to him and putting her front paws on his back. He would then bolt away, trailing her with him.  They chased each other for almost the entire time they were outside. When the big game of chase started in the yard, Bella was front and center, leading the way with Magic. After the chasing stopped, all the huskies gathered around Nymeria, wanting to play with her. Nymeria was lying on the ground, and everyone huddled around, playing overtop of her. Bella wanted to play with Nym, but couldn’t get to her, so she barked at the other dogs and nudged her nose into the group, and then leaped on Nymeria and got her to play for a few moments. 

Finnigan had a great time at daycare today with his friend Windy! These two new pals were so playful outside. Finnigan loves to roll around in the snow while he played with his friends and Windy does the same thing, so it was very cute watching them both play. It was Finnigan that made the first move to play with Windy. Windy was already wrestling around with Jake, our foster Bloodhound, and Finn decided to join in. Jake and Finnigan got along great too, and these three rambunctious doggies all wrestled together. Eventually Windy was the one who was squished in the middle, with Jake trying to play on one side, and Finn on the other. Finnigan would roll into Windy, forcing her to roll over too, and then they wrestled each other while on the ground. Then, Jake came from the other side and stood over top of both of them with his long legs, jumping all over Windy. Windy bounced up from the ground and then ran away from both her playful friends. Finnigan chased after her, being the rambunctious guy that he is. Finnigan is never one to let his friends play chase without him, so he was the first one to catch up to her and jump on her. Windy and Finnigan played together for the rest of the time, never once stopping to look up and see that everyone else had already headed inside! It was almost impossible to split these besties apart, but they were both happy to come inside once Tiffani offered them both a yummy lunchtime treat! 

Mylo was a little shy with the playful friends in his group today but he was very brave and followed them into the agility yard. He always lights up a bit when I call his name to go outside. He would much rather be outside exploring than inside. He made his way around the yard today, with his nose following along the snow, sniffing around to see if there was anything new from going out earlier in the day. Susan joined us in the yard and Mylo peeped his head up from his sniffing to see her. He didn’t go over to cuddle to see her but instead looked down and kept doing his exploring. After a few minutes passed, I found Mylo in the agility yard still and this time Mika was right next to him. Mika was trying to get Mylo to play with her. She was play bowing and barked at him a couple of times, Mylo then sat down, letting her know that he wasn’t interested. Mika still lingered around Mylo for a bit and the two of them exchanged some sniffs. Mylo then lay down in the snow, looking up at Mika as she began to walk away. I went over to Mylo and sat down beside him, gently petting his head. He seemed a little more relaxed this time, letting me rub his ears a little bit. 

Henry was blast today! He was everyone’s favorite guy in the yard. He met Tucker for the first time today and these two fluffy goldens were best mates from the moment they met!  Henry and Tucker wrestled for the longest time, tumbling over each other as they went. Whenever Tucker came over for some attention, Henry wasn’t far behind; getting his share of kisses and pets in as well. When he wasn’t playing with his friends, he was seeking my attention, jumping on my legs and trying to lick my hands while I was petting him, which looked so goofy and cute as he was doing it. When it was time to come inside for a while after playing, Henry wasn’t ready to come in. He wanted to spend more time with Tiffani and I outside, so we played with him for a few more minutes, shedding off some more of Henry’s energy. He stopped for Tiffani to pet him and then scooted away and came over to me for some attention. I rubbed his ears and then he laid on his back for a belly rub, which didn’t last long because after that he wanted to play a game of chase. Henry is the master of chase, and always knows the best ways to keep away from Tiffani and I. Eventually, he can’t resist a milk bone and a little cuddle from his favorite friend Tiff.  

Dexter looked so cute playing in the play structure today! He had Henry chasing him around the yard and when he wanted to take a break, he hid in the bottom of the play structure for a bit because Henry wouldn’t follow him in there. I snapped a couple of handsome photos of him in there before he bolted out the side. He and Henry ran around for a little longer, but Dexter noticed Tiffani come into the yard and he ran right for her. He turned around and nudged into her with his bum, demanding a good back scratch. She was happy to pet him and kissed him on the head while he there very handsomely. He followed Tiffani over to the play structure where she sat down on it. Dexter climbed up on top and sat right next to her, with his paws placed gently on her lap. Tiffani gave Dexter lots of cuddles and his tail was wagging so fast that it kept hitting both sides of the play structure. He leaped down after a bit of cuddling and spent the rest of his time outside relaxing, sniffing some of the fences and some of his friends. 

Dani is so full of energy and keeps everyone in the yard on his or her toes! She was a crazy gal today as she kept whipping between the two big dog yards. She sure loves to run! Today she was just running all over, getting whichever one of her friends to chase her if they wanted to. For a while, Dexter chased her in the yard, but he slowly stopped because Dani was too quick for him. After Dani had run her fair share of laps, she noticed Molly playing with a ball and decided that she desperately wanted to play with it too. She waited and circled around Molly a few times, eager for her to drop the ball so that she could move in and take it. Molly didn’t drop the ball but she did give it to me to throw. Dani saw her opportunity and once I threw it she made sure that she was the first one to get there. She pounced right on it and then proceeded to carry it around for the rest of her group time. As she was carrying it, she came up to me a few times like she wanted me to throw it for her, but once I reached for it, she would whip it away in her mouth and then wait for me to reach for it again. It was like a little keep away game that she wanted to play. One time I didn’t reach for it, she just continued to whip it around until she decided to run away with it and lie down to chew on it for a while. After her group, she really wanted to take the ball inside so I let her take it into her kennel until the next time she was going outside.