Thursday March 16, 2017

Calvin and Obi had another relaxing day in the cattery. Each time I went to see them they were both curled up in their beds. I encouraged them to come out and say hello and enjoy the sunny day. Obi accepted some chin scratches and pets, while Calvin poked his head out of the cubby. I got the catnip out again this afternoon and the boys were both very excited about it! Calvin hopped onto the cat tree and rubbed his chin on the scratching post, while Obi rolled around on the catnip that was sprinkled on the floor. Calvin took a minute to look out the window before rubbing his chin on my hand for more pets. When Calvin hopped back down to go to his cubby, I went over to see how Obi was enjoying himself. Later in the afternoon I walked by the cat room again and the boys were perched on the cat tree together, watching the goings on both outside and through the door.

Quincy and Seamus kept me very busy on our morning walk. The boys are in love with all the fresh powder in the yards and along the trail, resulting in many stops to roll. I was happy to watch these guys make snow angels along the trail. They continued these shenanigans in the yard during their play time. Practically immediately they found the freshest snow and began to roll around. Seamus was smiling from ear to ear while flailing about in the snow. Quincy was just as happy, but demonstrated by eating the snow and burying his face in it. In between all their rolling they turned to each other and got playing. It was adorable watching the brothers romp around together. They love to mouth at one another’s long manes and drag each other to the ground. Once on the ground they basically lie there while sucking on each others fur. It’s very funny and cute. Millie, their little friend, was keen to join in too. Seamus took this as a cue to come to my side and get loads of pets and cuddles, allowing Quincy to enjoy some one on one play time with his mate. They had a good time bouncing around on this cold winter day. Before we head back indoors, Seamus came across a ball which he was very pleased about. He lay down with it and gnawed on it until the doors opened allowing the boys to head back to the warmth of their kennel.

Sophie was thrilled to accompany her two golden boys on a walk this morning. This trio was very pleased about all the fresh snow along the trail. Sophie loved all the opportunities I gave her to stop and roll around in the powder. She was practically white by the end of her walk. She did a lot more rolling in the yard too. Ultimately, she put her focus on all the toys being tossed around. There’s not much Sophie loves more than a good toy to carry around. She was playfully competing with group mates to get the toys. When she got a hold of a squishy ball her eyes lit up. She carried it around showing it off for quite some time before settling down to chew on it. At this point, her friends were very aware of the toy she was carrying and they continued to bug her for it. Sophie was happy to trade with Chloe, the ball for the Jolly Ball. Sophie and I played lots of soccer with the Jolly Ball before she settled down in the snow once again to gnaw on it.

I can’t get enough of Chloe in her blue and green reindeer sweater. She is so cute running around in her vibrant apparel. She was pleased to have this keeping her warm on this windy day. Chloe was very excited to head out for her group time in a different yard than normal. She put her nose to the ground and began zooming around looking for what toys may be in this yard. She was so thrilled to come across the Jolly Ball. Of course, she snatched it up and then began tossing it around and pouncing on it. This kept her very busy until Luigi swept in and snatched it up. She was shocked and began zooming after him determined to get it back. I offered Chloe a different toy to distract her, which she was very appreciative of. Chloe remained busy for the duration of her play group running in circles around the yard with toys and her friends.

Spencer decided today was a good day to do much more exploring than playing. He had his nose in the deep snow for first half of his outdoor time. All this fresh snow brought a lot of scents to the yard which he was keen on investigating. After making his rounds, he realized all the dogs were having a lot of fun playing around the tunnel. Spencer inserted himself in the games without a doubt in his mind. He quickly caught on to the tunnel fun going on. Spencer was quick to begin racing after his husky friends, trying to catch them as they entered the tunnel at each end. After bundles of games at the tunnel he broke off to play with his gal pal, Kyah. Spencer was leaping back and forth around Kyah asking her to please box with him. Finally, she got on her hind legs and wrapped her paws around him to dance. They had a great time manoeuvring back and forth in the snow. Spencer was so excited from these games that he took off across the yard looking for a chase. He was very excited when Gracie, Justice, Magic and Teddy joined in too. The whole team began looping around the yard with smiles on their faces. Spencer finished his time off outdoors lying in the snow cleaning up his paws before heading back to his warm kennel.

Teddy started his morning off with a fabulous walk along our snow filled trail. He loved weaving back and forth in the deep snow, checking out all the trees and bushes as we made our way along the path. Teddy was so eager to get out side and begin playing with his friends. He was particularly fond of his group mates today, especially Gracie. Right off the bat these two met up and began goofing around. Teddy was bouncing all over Gracie tossing his paws all over the place looking for the games to begin. Gracie was quick to tuck her bum and set off across the yard looking for a chase. Teddy was more than happy to zoom after her as fast as he could on the hunt. They motored around the yard so fast I could barely keep up with the camera. Gracie was so agile, leading Teddy around every obstacle and even looping through the tunnel. As Gracie began to dart back and forth in the tunnel, she drew a lot of attention to herself. All the huskies were quick to swarm around and get in on their favourite tunnel fun. Gracie loved being the center of attention, darting in and out of the tunnel looking for her friends to chase her. When she finally got out of the tunnel she started a big chase across the yard. She couldn’t have been happier to have all of her friends racing after her. Teddy was thrilled with all the chasing going on, of course he was right behind them all. This group never stopped moving, it was great entertainment for me!

Bear was so energetic today, I loved watching him try to get involved in all the action. Sometimes he prefers to sit back and watch but today he was very keen on all the games going on. Bear is a big fan of Brooke the lab as well as Kyah the husky. He is always sure to keep a close eye on them and follow them around. When Kyah turned around and began dancing around him, he got very excited. This is what sparked his interest to get involved in the fun. When all the dogs were racing around the tunnel, Bear stood at the end chatting and bouncing around. He stayed involved in the action as it continued throughout the duration of their group time. When he came back inside he was so pleased to see his bed in the reception area. Bear has been spending his whole afternoon by my side at the desk, enjoying the human company. He loves being around us, more than anything.

Issy, Mocha and Kimi, or as we like to call them today, our staff room ladies, since they got to spend the day lounging out in the cozy staff room, had an epic day of play! You could say that these three sweet daycare ladies are reserved most of the time, but boy did they let their guards down today when paired with Husky triplets Jynxx, Nyxx and Skie out in the yard! That’s because Nyxx and Jynxx are relentless and never take no for an answer when it’s time to play! Although they didn’t need to encourage Kimi, she was full of beans today and ecstatic to be spending her time with such fun-loving Huskies, not to mention little Golden friend Merida! Issy’s leisurely stroll however was cut short when Nyxx tumbled over and excitedly tried to get her attention; he was wiggling and jumping right over her. Issy couldn’t help but smile and wag her tail from all of the attention and stuck around to watch the show. Meanwhile Mocha was further out in the agility yard than I have seen her in a while, she was very comfortable with her company and decided to explore the yard. Then came her infamous snow roll, she rolled most of the morning away while sister Issy was curiously watching her silly sister from above. Then their attention was directed to the agility tunnel where Merida, Charly and Kimi were flying by trying to catch Jynxx.

Jemma was excited to see which daycare friends were joining her out in the yard today for a morning of fun. Before she even had time to scope out the yard, Polly the black lab excitedly jumped on her back to entice her to play. From that moment on, these two young pups were inseparable! The entire group was just a blast and there they were tumbling across the yard in a fury with Jemma right in the centre of all the action. She had a good wrestle with Harvey the Airedale but always had Polly right by her side; Polly was just mesmerized by Jemma today and didn’t want to let this fun one out of her sight. Jemma finally gave in and took a roll on her back to wrestle her friends who were barking and pawing at her from above! Always a fun time when this sweet lady is around!

Pepper and Bruno were part of a big and playful small-dog group this morning and did they ever have fun running around with all of their little friends! Bruno being the spunky and popular boy that he is, was always in the centre of the action, everyone always wants to know what Bruno is up too, including Pepper. Well it was a good thing Bruno came prepared with his winter jacket on this cold and windy day because he had a lot of snow rolling to do and off he went rolling away as the others curiously watched from above. Pepper found this quite amusing today and decided to run over and see if she could entice Bruno to play with her. With no hesitations,  of course, Bruno jumped up on his hind legs to reach Pepper’s face to wrestle. Pepper excitedly jumped around him and into a play bow to see if this little one could catch her! They were quite funny the pair this morning and definitely put on a show for the rest of their friends!

Bruno enjoyed his one on one time in the playroom this afternoon. He had his choice of any toy but he chose the orange treat dispenser ball. This little guy will never refuse treats! Or love for that matter, he quickly grew tired of the ball and spent the rest of his time coddled like a baby in my arms as I rubbed his belly! He is quite the charmer that one. 

Pepper was thrilled for her extra attention today as per usual. She hopped around the kitchen wagging her tail quickly prancing around. I found her purple mitts and tossed them to her. She snatched them from the air and playfully pounced with them in her mouth. After continuing to toss the mitts around the kitchen she settled down for some cuddles with me. I gave her a full back scratch as she wiggled back and forth. Pepper play bowed and barked at me to play some more. After all that play she curled up on her bed for a snooze.

Max and Sadie pummeled out the door and into the yard with the most enthusiasm to play today, well not before they gave me the perfect sit command of course! They both seemed to be mesmerized by the tall drifts of snow today and took their time sticking their heads into the snow bank before the real fun started. I easily caught Max’s attention by showing him the special ball I had in my hand. He anxiously waited for me to throw it, and then literally leaped into the air to catch it. Then Sadie was on the prowl and ready to steal the ball away from her bigger and stronger brother, but she is always up for the challenge. A chase after the ball turned into a typical Max and Sadie wrestle with lots of snow kicking up behind them! Sadie was winded and took a seat on the top of her favourite picnic table like the Queen she is! Meanwhile Max had wrapped himself around my legs for some extra head rubs!