Saturday, March 18, 2017

Sam had so much fun with her husky friends during her outdoor time today. Sam was very quick to meet up with Justice. These two make for a great pair as they share very similar play styles. They had a great time boxing back and forth up on their hind legs, as well as playing around closer to the ground, wrestling style. There’s nothing Sam loves more than to run. There weren’t many moments where she was standing still. She had so much fun chasing after Kyah and Justice as they were playing an intense competitive game of fetch with me. She was very fast on her feet, putting in a lot of effort to keep up to them. When she realized they were more focused on fetch than on her, she diverted her attention to Magic who was keen to play around with her. These two sprinted around the yard so fast, it was hard to capture a photo of them as they were like lightening bolts shooting across the yard. When Sam was tired from all the running, she made her way to my side where she politely asked for pets and cuddles. She is such a sweet girl, I was more than happy to nuzzle into her and scratching behind her ears. For her extra attention time, Sam explored the reception area and came to both Brooke and I for some pets. She was not a fan of the camera, however, looking at it with great suspicion, so we tried not to take too many pictures.  

It's a pleasure to have Lola with us for a fun day of daycare. She was very excited to get out on her morning walk with another golden retriever. These two both loved to roll in the snow as often as possible. It made for a nice trot along the trail, stopping to roll and sniff as often as possible. In the yard, Lola was mostly focused on me. It’s no secret that she’s an absolute suck for attention. She demonstrated this by leaping up and wrapping her paws around my waist to balance herself while getting as close to me as possible. She offered me loads of kisses while I gave her some pets. When I knelt to get on her level, she instantly rolled onto her back for belly rubs. Her group mates were unsure as to what she was doing, making their way around her and sniffing her lots. She was happy to be the center of attention while I pet her and all her friends greeted her. Lola was also pleased to spend some time racing around with her friends who were having a good time chasing a ball.

Chloe was mesmerized by all the toys in the yard today. She kept so busy racing from toy to toy, trying to keep all of them in close sight. It seemed as though as soon a she found one she liked, she spotted a dog with a different one which she insisted she have too. Chloe did a lot of trading of toys with her friends. For the most part, her pals were happy to switch up a ball for a Frisbee or a rope toy for a bigger ball, except Phoebe. Phoebe had Chloe’s favourite Frisbee and Chloe insisted on getting it from her. Phoebe wanted more than anything to keep a tight grip on it as Chloe tried to snatch it. This resulted in one intense tug match. Both Chloe and Phoebe are very strong, pulling one another around the yard with great satisfaction. This game of tug was all fun for the two. When I showed them a ball, Phoebe let go and snatched the ball, leaving Chloe with the Frisbee which she was very pleased about. Chloe then continued to race around the yard with the Frisbee in her mouth for the remainder of play group, keeping a close eye on all the fun and games going on around her.

Kouza was basking in the sun today as per usual. It has been a gorgeous day for her and she did not want to come inside and leave the lovely weather! In the morning Kouza was a little hesitant with me… it seemed although she was a bit groggy and not fully awake yet. She did her own thing and I let her sniff around the yard and have her fresh air. When it was time to come in she wasn’t quite ready and it took a bit of coaxing but she is very good at her basic training and listened to “come” and made her way back to her bed where she curled up in a tiny ball. I definitely think she was just sleepy. The next rotation of letting her out she seemed to have a much bigger pep in her step and went out right away but this time was more eager to come in after. There was no coaxing needed; she went back to her bed again and had a little sleep. I gave Kouza some back scratches while she was settling in then left her to have some quiet time.

For her extra attention time this afternoon, Kouza and I went for a little walk outside. But it had gotten very windy suddenly so we decided to cut our walk short and come in for some indoor activities. Kouza was very affectionate, giving me kisses and standing by me for some nice shoulder rubs. She was a little distracted by the treats in my pocket, so I gave her a vegan chew to keep her busy and she enjoyed it very much!

Spencer always has a blast in his group. He is with other playful dogs so he has a variety to keep up with. As soon as we got outside I made sure to get a ball for everyone because Spencer likes to chase after the gang and be constantly active. He would never really go after the ball per say but more so just wanted to be part of the chase. I tried calling him over to pet him a bit but he was far too energetic and in “play mode” to wind down and be rubbed. Instead I picked up the Frisbee and tossed it and he zoomed after it, getting even more excited when the others started to join and they all went for it. Doggie pile! I don’t think Spencer stopped moving for a second… although he did take a little break and sniffed the fence line for a bit but picked up right where he left off chasing around very soon after.

Spencer is always so much fun to do extra attention with! He goes straight for the toy basket, but don't let this guy fool you; he enjoys some smoochy loving just as much as any dog! Spencer does love his toys, though and today he was highly interested in the huge big bunny that was sitting in the chair. He proceeded to take it off the chair and carry it all over the place very proudly! After some nice pets and some chewing on another toy, Spencer was happy to head outside with me for a thorough sniff around. He is such a connoisseur when it comes to exploring things with his nose. There is no hurrying him...he enjoys every smell to the fullest extent!    

Bear is the friendliest dog. He is just so content all the time and very affectionate toward us. Today he really enjoyed his walk and took to all the scents outside and wandered his way through the trail on a mission. He was kind of in his own little world on the walk, having a good time with the surroundings. He had a nap this afternoon and was less eager to go outside so I let him stay in his bed for a bit before enticing him to get up and greet the sun! He obliged and I think was grateful he listened because he had a lot of fun in his group and was constantly roaming around being very social and leisurely. Bear was mostly hanging around the other dogs but I got to steal some moments with him in between and give him some cuddles. He went from not really wanting to come outside to not really wanting to come inside! I think he is noticing spring is coming and that the weather is perfect for roaming around the yard in the sun, I don’t blame him for wanting to stay out! It didn’t take much coaxing to get Bear back in, he does listen well and goes straight to his bed for a little much earned nap. I gave him some positive reinforcement and then let him have some gentle rest.

Sophie was such a cuddle bear today! When we originally got outside she seemed quit interested in chasing around the ball with the others and spent some time doing that. One of the dogs would always bring it back to me so the group of them all waited for me to throw it again and so the process repeated. They then took to themselves and chased around the yard after whoever had the ball. Sophie would follow but she occasionally kept coming over to my legs and sitting near me wanting to be pet. It only took a couple times of her doing this before she stopped playing with the others completely and just solely wanted to be spoiled with love! I obviously did just that and was happy to see her loving the attention. I always am so impressed at how well she listens not only outside but also inside when getting back into her kennel. I don’t think she’s ever not come over to me when I have asked… A + Sophie!

Keegan has been so great today. In the morning it was quite cool outside and he seemed a bit hesitant about the weather but still roamed around with the other dogs, just kind of slowly waking up. The sun was starting to come out for morning walks and he was really excited to go with his friends Juliette and Benson and led the way the whole time. It was nice to see him so confident and I think he has a very good comfort level here. He didn’t really stop too much on the walk mostly stayed in the front just eager to be out after a good nights sleep. After walks when I let him out for his first group he went right outside and waited for everyone else to come out as well. Once we were all out he came right over while I was taking pictures and started licking my hand, it was the cutest thing! I gave him some massages and he closed his eye for a bit just taking in the R&R. He then went off to the back of the yard to see what the other dogs were up to. He somewhat took an interest in chasing a ball that Cara and Cascabelle had but he went back shortly after to gallivanting and bouncing back between what the dogs were up to. When it was time to come inside he was standing beside his kennel, what a good boy! For his extra attention time, Keegan was torn between getting lots of love and exploring the reception area. He was drawn to Susan, because she had some treats in her pocket, but she was behind the desk and to get there he had to go under the gate, which he tried. I tempted him back to me with some treats from the cookie jar and made sure he was distracted. He sat beside me after that while I massaged his neck and shoulders and then he was back to his explorations, making a special stop at the toy basket.