Thursday, March 30th, 2017

Maya had a great time outside today.  She started out by sniffing around the entire yard since there were lots of smells in the air today.  After that Maya met a few new friends.  First she met Jemma and Finn.  She played with them for a little bit but they were a little rough and tumble for her liking so she wandered off and found Rudy.  Rudy is significantly smaller than Maya that may be why she was drawn to him since Rocky is about the same size.  The two were side by side for almost the entire time outside.  The was some rough housing but for the most part they just enjoyed each other’s company and walked around the yard together. 

Jemma played so well outside today! She had an absolute blast.  She was outside with one of her good friends named Finn.  The two have always played so well together.  Her and Finn ran up and down the yard both taking turns rolling onto their backs.  They have almost the exact same play style.  However Jemma was wearing a boot on her foot to protect a small cut and Finn thought it was really funny to rip it off.  This meant we had to repeatedly put it back onto Jemma’s foot.  Good thing she is so good for it!  Jemma and Finn were having such a good time together we let them stay out for two group rotations so they really got to burn off some steam!

Rex and Fez really enjoyed their time outside today.  Rex met two younger dogs named Jemma and Finn and played really well with them.  Jemma is ok with a little rough housing and Rex plays in a similar style to her.  Oddly enough Jemma was able to change her play style for Fez.  The two played very gently together Jemma would simply roll onto her back and allow Fez to sniff and jump around her.  It was very nice to watch and Fez was having a blast.  Rex also played a little bit with one of the huskies named Issy outside.  Issy really enjoyed chasing Rex around the yard as he ran from corner to corner.  Both Rex and Fez were ready to come back inside for some rest after their time outside. 

Issy and Mocha had a great time basking in the sun today.  Issy played a little bit with a dog named Rex.  She liked to chase him back and forth in the yard, only stopping for a quick break.  Mocha was more relaxed and stayed a farther away from the other dogs to do some intensive sniffing.  With everything melting the last couple of days there were lots of smells that had been hidden all winter.  Mocha and Issy were more than happy to retire back to their kitchen after their time outside.  All that sniffing and playing really tired them out. 

Max and Sadie had a blast outside! Sadie immediately jumped onto the picnic table, which is one of her favourites.  I tried a few times to toss a ball for Sadie and she would chase it but wasn’t especially keen on bringing it back.  Max and Sadie did play a small amount with each other but today they were more concerned with cuddles.  I sat down on one of the rocks outside in the yard and immediately both dogs ran up for some pets.  Max gave me too many kisses to count.  Sadie was right beside Max and both were fighting for attention.  Max would push Sadie out of the way and Sadie would push Max out of the way.  It was honestly extremely adorable. After all this both dogs listened very well when they came back inside.  Both laying down on their extra comfy beds for some rest. 

Both Coco and Timbits did some major sniffing outside today.  As soon as I opened the door the eagerly ran through it and discovered some patches where grass was showing.  Obviously, this meant they needed to be heavily sniffed.  After all these spots had gotten the once over Timbits discovered the pool in the middle of the yard.  It is a sandbox where half of it is melted and he began breaking off pieces of ice for both him and Coco to chew.  The two enjoyed prancing around the yard with their ice treasures making all the other dogs jealous.  They would then chew them down and Timbits would break off new pieces for them again.  They did do some playing with a smaller dog named Xiaobao.  He may be small but he is spunky and he enjoyed chasing them both around the yard.  Timbits was a little bit reluctant to come inside since the weather was so nice outside but eventually he joined Coco back in their kennel. 

Spencer had endless amounts of fun today. He was so excited to partake in a group which consisted of 5 Siberian Huskies. Spencer is always so excited to see Kyah, his one husky mate, but today he was lucky enough to have 5 friends to chose from. He was quick to make his way from dog to dog saying his hellos, getting to know them before asking to play. He carefully chose Daytona, another red husky, to play with. These two were very busy together, boxing back and forth swatting their paws at one another while balancing on their hind legs. For a moment, I thought it was in fact Kyah playing with him, but I realized Spencer chose a look a like. After a lot of boxing and wrestling, Spencer and Daytona took a break in the snow together. They cooled off by sprawling their bellies out on the remaining layer of snow and ice. It wasn’t long before Spencer caught on to some running around going on, and he was up on his feet zooming around with his buddies. As always, Spencer was flying across the yard with his tongue out and hair in the wind. His smile never left his face throughout all of his playtime. He was happy to return indoors for a break to dry off and catch his breath. When it was time to go out again, Spencer flew out the door before I could even say his name. This warm weather had him so active and playful from the start right until the end of his day.

Chloe is such an eager beaver these days. She can hardly wait to get out the hall and into the yard, always curious to see what toys may be lying around. No matter what toys I offer her, she always finds her way back to the one and only Jolly Ball. Her love for this toy seems to be undeniable. Chloe and I had a lot of fun playing fetch with it today. She wasn’t as protective over it, offering it up to me without any doubts, very excited to race after it. We played round after round of fetch, until Percy tried to join in. Chloe was quick to retrieve her ball and not give it up after this. Later on, I was flashing a nice blue Frisbee around which caught her attention. Chloe raced to me with the red ball in her mouth, while whining for the Frisbee. I don’t know what was going through her head, as it is impossible to carry the two toys. She was excited to snatch it from me and then drop it on the ground to pick up the red ball From here, she stood on the Frisbee, while grasping the ball, whimpering and whining at her friends around her who were interested in her toys. She wasn’t a big fan of sharing, but after some convincing she gave the blue Frisbee up to Percy. We continued to play fetch with the ball while Percy raced around her with the Frisbee.

Percy had a great time in his group today. He was excited to see some familiar faces, along with some new friends that are boarding with us. Percy is always good about making his way from dog to dog, saying his hellos before getting involved in the games. Percy was happy to see his fellow mate Chloe playing around with a ball. He loved racing after her while she retrieved it and returned it to my feet. He tried to get in on the games, but she wasn’t fond of the idea of sharing. From here, Percy left her alone to partake in the husky games going on. Percy had so much fun darting in and out of the intense husky boxing and wrestling. He kept a close eye on them as they looped around, over, and through the tunnel. He too joined in on the tunnel fun by flying over it as they ran through it. He was very fast on his feet for most of playtime as they kept him very busy. Percy was sure to not let his outdoors time pass without getting a hold of a fun toy. He had a blast carrying around the blue Frisbee, and playing a couple rounds of fetch with me. When it was time to return indoors, he carried the Frisbee to the door, and then dropped it on the patio stone before entering the hall.

As always, Cai was very excited to arrive this morning. He zoomed down the hall letting everyone know he was here. He was excited to go outside practically the second he got here. Cai darted out into the yard and began to speed around the yard with his nose to the ground, investigating all the terrain. This big thaw has uncovered a lot of dirt, which carries endless amounts of smells. He kept busy for a while with this. After doing some serious investigating of the yards, Cai met up with a very pretty Siberian husky. He as pretty fond of her right off the bat, offering her some nice ear kisses and body bumps. She was happy to reciprocate by wiggling all around him. The duo began to pounce around each other right away. All their frolicking drew a lot of attention to them, starting one big group play. Cai was happy to me in on all the action, dancing around with all his mates. This carried on for a while, with lots of paws, tails, and mud flying around. Cai and Skie broke off from the group fun to enjoy some more one on one fun by the tunnel. These two continued to box back and forth while kissing here and there. Each time Cai went outside, he was sure to find Skie and play with her more. He was also very intrigued by all the other action going on, and didn’t want to miss a beat of the group fun.

Tsavo was full of energy from the moment she got here this morning. She was very excited to head out in the yard pretty soon after arriving to begin the fun in a separate group from her brother. Tsavo was excited to see so many new faces. She has been amazing at politely greeting everyone before getting involved in the fun. Today she was particularly keen on Nyxx, the handsome young husky. She showed this by licking his ears, pawing at his sides, and politely play bowing. When he showed interest in return, she stuck her nose up and trotted away. He wasn’t too bothered by this as he had other friends who wanted to play. However, when Tsavo saw him playing with others, she zoomed back over and wanted to get right in on the fun. Tsavo had so much fun dancing around with Nyxx, as well as two other huskies Kimi and Kyah. These four were a strong playing group, boxing and wrestling with much power, but enjoying every moment of it. After bundles of fun and play, Tsavo was happy to enjoy her time in the sun exploring the yard. Much like her brother, she was eager to investigate all the smells in the mud and dirt. She too is rather proper, avoiding the puddles and deep mud. The pair was happy to meet up for a walk together, where they enjoyed the front trail and all the fresh smells that have come from this thaw.

Teddy was a very busy boy today. I haven’t seen so much running and playing from this man in quite some time. I suppose all the sunshine and warmth really brought Teddy into his element. He was so excited to meet to lovely huskies in his group today. Skie and Jynxx were a very hot topic, and Teddy wasn’t going to miss out on this. Jynxx started the shenanigans with Teddy by play bowing to him and then zooming in circles around him. At first, Teddy wasn’t sure what to make of this silly behaviour. After she settled down, allowing Teddy to sniff her, he decided he wanted to play with her too. They were great, boxing back and forth on up on their hind legs and pawing at one another over and over. Jynxx also really got Teddy flying across the yard by zipping and zooming around all the obstacles and through the tunnel. Teddy is very agile himself, and kept up to her spastic movements very well. He tired himself out by giving 100% effort to keep up to her. After a lot of chasing he settled down and explored the yard. Once he caught his breathe, he was eager to continued looping around the yard after his buddies with a big smile on his face.

Kimi was one happy camper today. She got to spend her rest time in the staff room, which we all know is her favourite place to be. She loves sprawling out on the cold tile, while accepting all the extra attention received in the staff room. Kimi was also excited to be apart of a group with the young male husky, Nyxx. She was all over him from start to finish of play group. Despite her sometimes confusing invitations, she is always insistent on spending her whole day by Nyxx’s side. Kimi is known for baring her teeth, while pawing and play bowing to the boys. She really wants them to know who’s in charge, without missing out on the fun. Today was no exception for this funny behaviour of hers. She was swatting at Nyxx and playbowing, while growling. Nyxx wasn’t sure what to make of it, so he walked away. This only got Kimi more wound up and next thing I knew she was bouncing all over him, flying over his back and asking him to box and wrestle. Nyxx wasn’t going to decline this offer, so the pair set off on a fun set of games. They carried on playing, soon involving Tsavo and Kyah. These four had a great time together, alternating boxing, wrestling, running, and tunnel fun. Kimi played so much in each and every one of her outings. Whenever I passed by the staff room she was spotted in a funny husky position with her limbs all astray against a wall or in a corner.

Riley was such a playful boy today. I was very happy to see him so bouncy and energetic. I think this warm weather got him extra playful. He started off by racing around the yard on his own, while his friends sniffed the area and got to know each other. As he flew around the yard with his ears flapping, he got the attention of some of the ladies. Bridie the Border collie was interested in his running. She was soon on his tail and the pair zoomed around the yard. It wasn’t long before Kyah was in on this too, and the three got to the tunnel for some more fun. Riley took a break from all this fun to check up on his sister. Roobee was quite content by my side outdoors today. She mostly wanted pets and cuddles, while she closely kept an eye on what her brother was doing. If he zipped by her, she would take off and follow him. When she realized he was partaking in some harmless fun, she would return to my side for some more attention. Meanwhile, Riley was getting involved in all the action going on. He was such a flirt with staff dog Merida too. Merida isn’t always that playful, but this warm weather brought her out of her shell. Riley was very flirty with her by licking her ears and dancing in circles around her. She was keen to give in by offering him a paw, and some play bows in return. The duo danced around in circles until Roobee swooped in to get her son under control. From here, Roobee and Riley enjoyed sitting by my side in the sunshine accepting loads of attention. Riley and Roobee were more than happy to come and hang out in the reception area for some one-on-one time this afternoon. The pair spent some time getting reacquainted with their surroundings and sniffing out all of the new smells since the last time they visited. They happily accepted a few treats from Katie and Julie, one of our newer staff members. She gave them lots of pets to introduce herself. Riley and Roobee were happy to lounge around for the next little while.