Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Monday, July 24th, 2017

Poppy was waiting patiently in her kennel for walk time to arrive this morning. She was snuggled up with her pillow after breakfast time when I approached with a leash in hand and her friend Lilo already hooked up and ready to go. We went for a fast-paced stroll today so that Poppy and her buddy could stretch their legs but not be out in the rain too long. She didn't seem to mind it too much during her group outings today, though. Poppy moseyed around the yard and kept an eye on the other dogs as they raced around and splashed in the puddles. I went to see if Poppy would like a head scratch, but instead she insisted on playing with me! She play-bowed and zipped around me like a bolt of lightning, and eventually went to pop in on the race with the other dogs. Poppy joined me in the reception area for her extra attention time today since the rain was still falling outside. She was feeling snuggly so after a little dry off, Poppy hopped up onto the armchair and got comfortable. She stayed there for a bit until she saw me preparing the treat puzzle, and she rushed down to have a try at this activity. Poppy did a great job nosing around in the compartments and happily gobbled up the snacks. Once she was finished, Poppy was once again in the mood to relax and keep cozy, so I got her a dry towel to wear while she curled up on the chair.

Lilo is such a fun girl to be around! She had nothing but positive energy today, despite the rain. She didn’t even notice the grey sky or the puddles because she was so focused on having a great time with her friends. After breakfast, Lilo and her friend Poppy went out for a walk on the trail. She marched full speed ahead, occasionally looking back at Poppy and I who were a bit behind her. After a little rest, Lilo was more than ready to get out into the yard and play! She raced out the door with her group-mates trailing behind, all following her outgoing and excited energy. Lilo hardly stopped to greet the other dogs before she was zipping around in the wet grass with Vega the Husky and Dougie the Boxer mix hot on her tail. These three spent plenty of time together out in the yard today since their energies just matched perfectly. They had a few visitors to their game of chase, including Millie the Boston terrier, and Magic the Husky, who were both very keen on joining the fun when the agility tunnel was involved. Lilo eventually branched off from the game of chase to take a turn playing with Riley the Aussie mix. Lilo wagged her little tail so quickly as she approached Riley and they instantly dropped into a mutual play-bow, followed by some playful pawing. These two had a hoot goofing around together!

I was so pleased to see Dougie’s happy face shortly after he arrived this morning! He was wagging his tail a mile a minute and it started to move even faster when he saw the leash in my hand. He knew exactly what time it was and we marched out onto the trail together with Finnigan the doodle as Dougie’s walking buddy. Dougie’s nose led him back and forth and between the rows of freshly cut hay in the field and he took in every smell he could find as we motored along. When we returned inside, nice and soggy from the rain, Dougie was thrilled to roll around and relax on his big comfy bed. His positive energy was contagious to those around him during his group outings today. Dougie was immediately drawn to Vega, one of our resident Huskies, and he made sure to sprint right over and say hello to her. He had lots of friends to greet, but he had hearts in his eyes when it came to this pretty girl. Dougie and Vega flew around the yard together in a constant game of chase that reached every corner of the yard and made many trips through the agility tunnel. The pair were joined periodically throughout their games by Lilo the Viszla, Millie the Boston terrier and Magic the Husky. After he was all tuckered out, Dougie joined me in the indoor playroom for some one-on-one fun. I dried him off with a towel and he did a little dance as I rubbed his back. Dougie loved being pet and giving kisses! I then set up the treat puzzle for him with a little piece of liver in the compartments. He was very curious about this activity and nosed and pawed away at the little doors that led to his prizes. Our good friend Julie, another Tails & Trails resident, popped in for a little visit before Dougie headed back to his bed for a nap.

Riley and Roobee enjoyed their morning walk alongside their group-mate Millie. Despite the steady rainfall, Riley and Roobee marched along with their heads held high, only stopping here and there to explore the rows of hay that lay along the trail. Out in the yard, Riley kept an eye on the shenanigans around him, and pounced at any opportunity to join in, while Roobee watched him closely. She trotted around behind him with enough distance that she didn’t interfere with his fun, but close enough that she could still bark her referee calls as he played. Riley eventually took a break from the big chase that was taking place and branched off with Lilo the Viszla, who was ready for a little one-on-one play time. Riley and Lilo locked eyes and both play-bowed to one another at the same time! It seems they were certainly on the same page when it came to group time activities. Meanwhile, Roobee took a break from watching Riley and was making her rounds watching what the other dogs were up to. She hopped up onto the pallet with Millie and went to sniff the fence with Poppy, eventually coming back around to me for a quick pet. When it was time to dry off and hang out this afternoon, Riley and Roobee eagerly followed me up to the indoor playroom where I had towels and activities at the ready. I offered both Riley and Roobee the treat puzzle and a bone with peanut butter, and Riley opted for the puzzle while Roobee hopped on the big bed with the bone. They swapped snacks briefly, but returned to their original choices after ensuring they’d made the right selection.

After breakfast and her morning trail walk, Millie was full of beans and ready to join the game of chase that was taking place in the yard. A new friend joined the group today, and that was Dougie the Boxer mix. She watched as he and Vega the Husky did lap after lap around the yard, and waited for the opportune moment to jump into the mix. Millie raced across the grass and jumped up on top of the agility tunnel while Dougie, Vega and Lilo zipped in and out of each end. Millie loved watching the action unfold even when she was taking a break on the sidelines. She stood on top of the pallet in the middle of the yard beside her friend Poppy and watched the hooligans as they zipped past. She joined back in and went for a splash in the small pool even though she was already wet from the rain, silly girl! We came inside to dry off and Millie followed me up to the reception area for a warm towel and some one-on-one fun. She was very keen on having a turn with the treat puzzle, and stayed focused on it until she had uncovered all of the pieces of liver hidden in the compartments, and then moved on to another toy that she selected from the basket, followed by every single one she could find! Millie has the biggest personality for her little frame, which makes her so much fun to be around!

Finnigan was back at it today with his usual daycare friend Charly the golden. These two share an affinity for toys, as I’m sure we’ve all come to know by now, but today they were pleasantly surprised to see some new items to choose from! These two spent their groups going back and forth playing keep away with the red ring toy, each spending equal time carrying the toy and chasing after one another. I managed to pick up the toy and throw it for Finnigan a few times, until Charly decided to go for a lap with it and not bring it back. Finnigan took this as an opportunity to join in the game of chase with pals Vega, Magic, Millie, Lilo and Dougie.


Annie and Zen were pleased to meet two new Husky pals out in the yard today. The girls spent some time getting acquainted with Herzog and Konig before feeling bouncy and playful. Zen and Konig spent lots of time together, play-bowing and sharing spurts of fun together, while Annie and Herzog took a more relaxed approached to group time. At one point all four of them did some galloping across the yard together, though Zen and Konig ended up the ones playing yet again. The girls had a great time with their new friends and seemed to pay no attention to the rain! 


Toys, toys and more toys was the only thing on Sophie’s mind this morning, but really when is it not! After a morning trail walk with Charlotte and Titan, she was ready to get her play on outside in the yard and the rain didn’t stop her one bit! She was ecstatic to see some new toys thrown into the mix and she could hardly decide on which one she wanted. Her head whipped back and forth between the Jollyball and the red tug, only to try and see if she could fit both into her mouth, but to no avail! Playmate Harvey made his way over and snatched one of the toys away and the two of them excitedly chewed away side-by-side.

Titan loved his morning trot along the back trail with Golden girls Sophie and Charlotte and was pleased that it was only sprinkling rain at that time. Slightly soggy after his walk, he was pleased to follow me up front for his extra attention session and even more excited to find a Kong Bone stuffed with liver treats just waiting for him that I prepared right before. He spent his time down on his front legs, with his bum in the air chewing the bone away. He brought that bone everywhere he went and circled around the lobby with it! Now he was ready to head back outside with the rest of his friends for a morning of fun and immediately spotted Husky pal Moka. He ran a few laps around the yard with Moka like the social boy he is, but made his way back to me when he saw Annie and Gracie patiently waiting for treats. Titan looked up at me with those great big puppy-dog eyes of his and I couldn’t resist but hand the treats over!

Annie had a wonderful start to her morning when she joined Mack the Husky for their morning trail walk. Annie is such a pleasure to walk; she likes to walk right beside your hip and even enjoys a few head scratches along the way! Much like Titan, she enjoyed her extra attention session before heading out for her group so she had a chance to dry off and relax. I put out a big comforter for her and had her favorite Nylabone waiting for her. She excitedly found the bone and made herself comfortable stretched out on the blanket for the rest of her time. The treats didn’t stop there, Annie, Gracie and Titan could all smell that I had treats in my pocket and they followed me everywhere around the yard! Annie would give me a few nudges to the back of my legs until I rewarded her with a treat and a head rub!

Gracie is no stranger to her extra attention sessions either and raced down the hallways and back once she finished, ready to head outside. She actually enjoyed the rain and even tilted her head up to lick the falling drops with her big ears pinned back and eyes squinty. She found herself roaming the perimeter of the fence where she licked the dew off the tall blades of grass. But then she smelt the treats in my pocket and joined Titan and Annie on the hunt. Gracie is such an obedient girl and even outside in the rain, she gave me the perfect sit and paw without me even asking her; she sure does love her rewards!
Gracie was feeling the rainy day weather today. She joined me in the playroom, rather than reception today. She started off by going around the room and sniffing all of the toys scattered on the floor. None of these toys seemed to interest her so she wandered over to me and sat down with a big smile on her face. She tossed her paw at me a few time while wagging her tail. I tried to get her to cuddle with me on the bed, but she preferred to roll around on the floor being silly.

Pippin and Penny, the two sweetest faces around were back for another day of daycare with their favorite small four-legged friends! They excitedly ran around the yard with their little noses glued to the ground in exploration. They were happy to see that fellow Spaniel Ringo was still here and made sure to make their way over to say hello! They bring such a fun energy to their groups and were thrilled to spend time with sisters Roxy and Trixie and followed them around the grassy yard as Finnigan and Cooper ran circles around them!

Roxy and Trixie greeted me with those big beautiful smiles of theirs bright and early this morning when I approached their kennel door with leashes in hand. They loved sprinting around the trail together. When they were outside with their friends a short while later, they were full of great energy and excited to be a part of the group play with Cooper and Finnigan. Daycare pal Finnigan could hardly contain his excitement for all of the new toys in the yard and had a blast running around with Cooper and Mikka. Roxy and Trixie thought this was just the best entertainment and even couldn’t resist a good chase around the yard! It was so fun to watch the two of them be silly and play with the gang. After a morning of fun outside, they were thankful to find warmth in their beds for an afternoons rest and a lunchtime cookie.


Mikka was definitely the star of the small-dog group today; she has so much fun energy and is always on the move. She had the best time wrestling and running around with little black Lab pup Barb. The two of them obviously made for a perfect pair. Mikka also had a blast trying to steal toys away from Finnigan and Cooper; she would swoop in and steal the ball away, which led to everyone chasing her across the yard. She loves the thrill of the chase and always managed to out-run the rest of them! This little girl never stopped moving from the moment she stepped outside and has been making new friends along the way and enjoying every minute of her visit! 

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