Friday we welcomed another new friend to our pack. Her name is Olive and she is a border collie/blue healer cross. She is three years old, very smart and friendly, She likes to swim, chase the bubbles from rocks thrown in the river and tease the other dogs into playing with her. She fit in very nicely with the established pack.
The morning group was energetic and very much into running and being at the river. After we trooped around the north end of the park we had a few minutes to run to the river for a quick drink. Well it was supposed to be a quick drink. The dogs were hot and thirsty and not at all interested in getting out of the water especially Whistler and Everest (my dogs are always the most stubborn). New Copper loves the water too and will just swim for the sake of swimming I had to haul him out the water with a leash (on second thought maybe mine aren't always the most stubborn around water.) Ryder is a very wise little guy. He conserves energy, lays down in the shade and then doesn't need to venture into the river with the crazies to get a drink. Several people asked me if I had lost him as he sat in the shade. I had to tell them that he is smart and doesn't want to be trampled by the slobber-set.
Oakley and Old Copper have decided to enact a truce and not squabble over who is in charge of the pack because, really, I am in charge. Smart boys!!
The afternoon group is a bunch of ball chasers and because if was so hot (27C) we headed straight for Coconut Beach which is at the far south end of the park. There are parts of the river that are still quite deep and make for easier swimming. Remy, Gabby, Pina and Sam were so excited they could hardly wait for me to get down to the water to throw the ball for them. I have discovered that Max likes to chase the ball too but he hasn't quite figured out that he should bring it back. So our game, while the retrievers are fetching in the water, is that I throw the ball for him and he chases it, bats it around a bit and then I go pick it up, wait for the big guys to get back in the water and then we do that again. He loves it and it brings him out of his shell. Now if I could only get him to walk on grass!! Sidney, the party animal, ran all over the area looking for suitable wrestling partners. The pickings were slim but he found a couple that would go a few rounds with him. Emo Josie and Taylor used their cute little faces to get some attention for the other dogs owners practically sitting on their laps.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Today was the first dubious weather day we have had in a long time. Luckily we made it out of the park this afternoon before the rain started. The wind was wicked and it was muggy.
The morning group was very good and true to form. Marty was happy to have Wilbur along to help him with the big girls Bella aka Hell's Bells and Ellie (the most unassuming bad girl going). The four of them raised a few eyebrows as the girls growled and pushed the little boys around. The little boys fought back valiantly but ultimately size won out over pure determination and the boys went home exhausted and covered in dirt, grass and slobber.
Everest and Bruin were the only two interested in fetching and swimming so we did not stay at the river for very long. Nicky insisted on keeping everyone in line while at the water and barked and ran up and down the bank ordering the dogs around. Ryder did his usual hang back and watch thing that is until he saw his second favourite group (next to his family). There are two women who walk a bichon/shi tzu and a Schnauzer almost everyday and Ryder just loves them. He goes into full body wag and can hardly walk his rear end is wiggling so much. They love him just as much and get so excited when they see him.
Copper and Guinness were the strong silent type and spent most of the walk exploring on their own but still very close to the group.
The afternoon crowd was extremely rowdy and LOUD! Holy cow this group let the whole park know that they had arrived. We tried to play ball but they were getting too crazy so I had to put the ball away and get everyone settled down. Ziggy joined us this afternoon which was a treat for him and for Remy who enjoyed meeting him for the first time. The two lab boys palled around together. Bo was interested in gathering up as many objects as he could. Bo always gets a lot of comments from the people at the park due to what he can get in his mouth. Grannie Annie was happy to have her half walk and then get back in the truck for a sleep. Those young-ins wear her out. As soon as I took the balls away Owen tried to ingratiate himself with other packs in order to get some of their ball time. Frank and Cheetos brought up the rear.
The morning group was very good and true to form. Marty was happy to have Wilbur along to help him with the big girls Bella aka Hell's Bells and Ellie (the most unassuming bad girl going). The four of them raised a few eyebrows as the girls growled and pushed the little boys around. The little boys fought back valiantly but ultimately size won out over pure determination and the boys went home exhausted and covered in dirt, grass and slobber.
Everest and Bruin were the only two interested in fetching and swimming so we did not stay at the river for very long. Nicky insisted on keeping everyone in line while at the water and barked and ran up and down the bank ordering the dogs around. Ryder did his usual hang back and watch thing that is until he saw his second favourite group (next to his family). There are two women who walk a bichon/shi tzu and a Schnauzer almost everyday and Ryder just loves them. He goes into full body wag and can hardly walk his rear end is wiggling so much. They love him just as much and get so excited when they see him.
Copper and Guinness were the strong silent type and spent most of the walk exploring on their own but still very close to the group.
The afternoon crowd was extremely rowdy and LOUD! Holy cow this group let the whole park know that they had arrived. We tried to play ball but they were getting too crazy so I had to put the ball away and get everyone settled down. Ziggy joined us this afternoon which was a treat for him and for Remy who enjoyed meeting him for the first time. The two lab boys palled around together. Bo was interested in gathering up as many objects as he could. Bo always gets a lot of comments from the people at the park due to what he can get in his mouth. Grannie Annie was happy to have her half walk and then get back in the truck for a sleep. Those young-ins wear her out. As soon as I took the balls away Owen tried to ingratiate himself with other packs in order to get some of their ball time. Frank and Cheetos brought up the rear.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Yellow Dogs Yellow Lights
Another gorgeous day at the park. Temperature up to 25 degrees.
Thursday morning started with a bunch of happy dogs eager to get to the park. When we landed the dogs were hyped up and ready to roll. Oakley and Copper L. led the way to Mucky Beach, which is by the bridge, with the rest of the dogs not far behind except for Ryder. He always wants to be last so he doesn't get run over by the slobber set. Ziggy was so happy to be out with the boys he went in the water up to his armpits and tried to get the ball once it was on the beach of course. Ziggy the black lab does not like to swim. He is missing out! Everest the black lab was more than happy to get in the water and fetch whatever was thrown in. Nicky and Guinness, well most Nicky, stood on the shore and ordered the other dogs around. What else is an old Collie supposed to do? Marty had his wing man Wilbur today and seemed better equipped to handled Bella and Ellie.
The afternoon group went to Coconut Beach at the far south end of Southland park. I thought that we could stake a claim on the river. We got the best spot - where the water is really deep. This group of dogs is very vocal and eager to play so the noise level was almost deafening. I was feeling a little conspicuous when a woman came over and eased my mind by telling me that it was a dog park and the noise was OK. Alright then. We just continued on. Ball after ball was chucked in the water. Remy (yellow dog), Owen and Shea were the most interested in fetching. Rover just wanted the ball so he howled and did his best but with a muzzle was a frustrated most of the time. Copper R. (yellow dog) just wanted to play with Remy so he would swim and follow Remy around. Bo (yellow dog) did his usual marathon swim down the river after a couple of sticks. People get concerned for him but I trust his smarts and his athleticism and sure enough about five minutes later he standing beside me grinning like a fool with two sticks in his mouth. My non-swimmers enjoyed sniffing, frolicking and visiting with the people at the beach.
The dogs were having such a good time that it took forever to get them out of Coconut beach and on the trail back to the truck. Consequently we hit rush hour traffic and (without exaggeration!) every yellow light on the way home.
Fun and safe driving is more important than getting home on time!!
Thursday morning started with a bunch of happy dogs eager to get to the park. When we landed the dogs were hyped up and ready to roll. Oakley and Copper L. led the way to Mucky Beach, which is by the bridge, with the rest of the dogs not far behind except for Ryder. He always wants to be last so he doesn't get run over by the slobber set. Ziggy was so happy to be out with the boys he went in the water up to his armpits and tried to get the ball once it was on the beach of course. Ziggy the black lab does not like to swim. He is missing out! Everest the black lab was more than happy to get in the water and fetch whatever was thrown in. Nicky and Guinness, well most Nicky, stood on the shore and ordered the other dogs around. What else is an old Collie supposed to do? Marty had his wing man Wilbur today and seemed better equipped to handled Bella and Ellie.
The afternoon group went to Coconut Beach at the far south end of Southland park. I thought that we could stake a claim on the river. We got the best spot - where the water is really deep. This group of dogs is very vocal and eager to play so the noise level was almost deafening. I was feeling a little conspicuous when a woman came over and eased my mind by telling me that it was a dog park and the noise was OK. Alright then. We just continued on. Ball after ball was chucked in the water. Remy (yellow dog), Owen and Shea were the most interested in fetching. Rover just wanted the ball so he howled and did his best but with a muzzle was a frustrated most of the time. Copper R. (yellow dog) just wanted to play with Remy so he would swim and follow Remy around. Bo (yellow dog) did his usual marathon swim down the river after a couple of sticks. People get concerned for him but I trust his smarts and his athleticism and sure enough about five minutes later he standing beside me grinning like a fool with two sticks in his mouth. My non-swimmers enjoyed sniffing, frolicking and visiting with the people at the beach.
The dogs were having such a good time that it took forever to get them out of Coconut beach and on the trail back to the truck. Consequently we hit rush hour traffic and (without exaggeration!) every yellow light on the way home.
Fun and safe driving is more important than getting home on time!!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Hump Day
I am so proud of the dogs. They were so well mannered yesterday morning you should be proud too.
The group was much bigger than normal as I had a doctor's appointment and did not want anyone to miss their scheduled outing (Wednesday is the day that most of the "once a week walkers" come get out with their buddies) so I arranged for a helper to meet me at the park. She unfortunately had to cancel and we were left alone. YIKES! or so I thought.
Everyone was excited but managed to keep themselves under control. We started by getting everyone focused on a common goal - a ball! While I raced around trying to gather up all the poop and keep track of the balls the majority of the dogs got into the chase. The little dogs with the exception of Wilbur were more content to hang together and sniff. I think they just did not want to get run over by the slobber-set.
After the dogs had burned some excess energy and lost three balls we decided to walk. Urkle and Max were having trouble staying focused on the group so they had to go on leash. I felt kind of sorry for the two of them because every so often I would feel several more pounds on the leash and turned to find Wilbur and J humping them. Those poor boys were captive and Wilbur and J being the cheeky little guys that they are took full advantage of the opportunity to tease them.
Copper and Oakley, our new boys, are getting used to being in a pack while still maintaining their independence. Each of them takes turns running far ahead and then back for a check in. As long as they stay in the general area I am happy to let them have their fun and exercise.
All in all a very happy and fun walk for all!
The group was much bigger than normal as I had a doctor's appointment and did not want anyone to miss their scheduled outing (Wednesday is the day that most of the "once a week walkers" come get out with their buddies) so I arranged for a helper to meet me at the park. She unfortunately had to cancel and we were left alone. YIKES! or so I thought.
Everyone was excited but managed to keep themselves under control. We started by getting everyone focused on a common goal - a ball! While I raced around trying to gather up all the poop and keep track of the balls the majority of the dogs got into the chase. The little dogs with the exception of Wilbur were more content to hang together and sniff. I think they just did not want to get run over by the slobber-set.
After the dogs had burned some excess energy and lost three balls we decided to walk. Urkle and Max were having trouble staying focused on the group so they had to go on leash. I felt kind of sorry for the two of them because every so often I would feel several more pounds on the leash and turned to find Wilbur and J humping them. Those poor boys were captive and Wilbur and J being the cheeky little guys that they are took full advantage of the opportunity to tease them.
Copper and Oakley, our new boys, are getting used to being in a pack while still maintaining their independence. Each of them takes turns running far ahead and then back for a check in. As long as they stay in the general area I am happy to let them have their fun and exercise.
All in all a very happy and fun walk for all!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Welcome New Friends
How many more beautiful days do we have left?
Today the morning group welcomed our new friends - Oakley (a 9-yr old golden) and his brother Copper (a 6-yr old fox hound). Both boys were extremely excited but a bit confused to be going out this morning but still eagerly jumped into the truck. Both seemed up for anything. The other dogs were pretty good to them in the back of the truck even though Copper has a booming howl only an ecstatic hound can produce. Once we got to the park the two of them jumped out of truck like they had been shot from a cannon and then ping ponged around checking everything and everyone out. Copper was so excited that he launched himself over the fence and into the swampy area. Luckily he did not get into the stagnant water (GROSS!). I had to climb the fence and then lift him back over and as soon as his feet landed he was off again like nothing had happened. Both the boys love the ball and we spent about a half an hour draining them of excess energy. Bruin, Ellie, Bella and Sierra got in on that fun too. Bella does not actually fetch she just likes to chase those that chase balls.
Ellie is quite competitive with the ball and surprises me often at how fast and agile she is. What I also noticed about her today is her bunny-soft coat. It is even softer than Remy's. Sorry Remy!
Marty was without his wing man Wilbur again today but is getting much better at handling the big girls.
The afternoon group was sooo crazy today I had to take the ball away from them. When you bring several ball crazy dogs to the park and then run into ball crazy Wilson the noise can become deafening. For all the ears at the park I had to put it away. Remy, Owen and Shea were the most affected by this decision and the others were much more easy going about it. We did a short 30 minute walk around the swampy area in order to let little Grannie Annie have her walk and sniff time. After that she had to rest in the truck so that her back would not hurt. Then we all took off for the river as the rest of the dogs were getting hot and thirsty. Cheetos thought he should be treated as a senior dog and get to wait in the truck and was most pissy when I would not let him do that. Even though he hates the dog park he does always try to keep up. Josie and Taylor, who are both more people dogs and dog dogs were playing together today until they found some little boys who wanted to hang out with them. Taylor helped one little guy dig a hole in the river bank and Josie provided her back and sides for scratching. Bo found the biggest stick at the park and packed it around smacking me each time he passed.
Today the morning group welcomed our new friends - Oakley (a 9-yr old golden) and his brother Copper (a 6-yr old fox hound). Both boys were extremely excited but a bit confused to be going out this morning but still eagerly jumped into the truck. Both seemed up for anything. The other dogs were pretty good to them in the back of the truck even though Copper has a booming howl only an ecstatic hound can produce. Once we got to the park the two of them jumped out of truck like they had been shot from a cannon and then ping ponged around checking everything and everyone out. Copper was so excited that he launched himself over the fence and into the swampy area. Luckily he did not get into the stagnant water (GROSS!). I had to climb the fence and then lift him back over and as soon as his feet landed he was off again like nothing had happened. Both the boys love the ball and we spent about a half an hour draining them of excess energy. Bruin, Ellie, Bella and Sierra got in on that fun too. Bella does not actually fetch she just likes to chase those that chase balls.
Ellie is quite competitive with the ball and surprises me often at how fast and agile she is. What I also noticed about her today is her bunny-soft coat. It is even softer than Remy's. Sorry Remy!
Marty was without his wing man Wilbur again today but is getting much better at handling the big girls.
The afternoon group was sooo crazy today I had to take the ball away from them. When you bring several ball crazy dogs to the park and then run into ball crazy Wilson the noise can become deafening. For all the ears at the park I had to put it away. Remy, Owen and Shea were the most affected by this decision and the others were much more easy going about it. We did a short 30 minute walk around the swampy area in order to let little Grannie Annie have her walk and sniff time. After that she had to rest in the truck so that her back would not hurt. Then we all took off for the river as the rest of the dogs were getting hot and thirsty. Cheetos thought he should be treated as a senior dog and get to wait in the truck and was most pissy when I would not let him do that. Even though he hates the dog park he does always try to keep up. Josie and Taylor, who are both more people dogs and dog dogs were playing together today until they found some little boys who wanted to hang out with them. Taylor helped one little guy dig a hole in the river bank and Josie provided her back and sides for scratching. Bo found the biggest stick at the park and packed it around smacking me each time he passed.
Beautiful day for dogs! Both groups went to Southland. Seems that is the only park we go to lately. Maybe when the dogs don't need to cool off in the river we can try some other parks.
The morning group was small and easy to manage. Just a couple of rowdy boy moments when Wilbur, Rover and Joey got going on some unsuspecting dog. They all love to chase and put a couple young dogs through their paces. It was all in good fun and no one was hurt during these maneuvers.
Bruin and Whistler are starting to feel their ages with both of them stopping to rest throughout the walk. Bruin, even though he is getting old, is still VERY handsome to the people at the park. He was covered in dust from a good roll in the dirt and looking subjectively like a junk yard dog, and this one woman was absolutely gushing over his good looks and calm demeanor. Bruin still has IT!
Ryder as usual was just sauntering behind the group waiting to run into cool little dogs (not uncool little dogs like Wilbur.)
After a long walk around the north end of the park we ended the walk at the river for a quick drink and cool down.
The morning group was an easy warm up for the afternoon group. We hit the park with a bang! Frank launched himself out of the truck and was ready and willing to take on any challengers. We usually let him have his grand entrance to blow off steam and then the rest of us get out of the truck.
Gabby, Pina, Sam, Sidney and Sierra were so happy to get to the park. Wilbur and Everest (the lucky dogs) got to go to the park for the second time and were just as excited as the rest of them to get out and get started.
Ball play iimmediately to keep the dogs occupied and out of trouble while I had the chore of picking up poop. If I ever have troubles finding it I just have to call Wilbur over and he is more than happy to help his "gramma" find the pile. I truly am soooo proud!!
Sierra is a very big girl - a Shepard/great Pyrenees cross and very docile. Usually I have to walk her out to the truck. Today she practically knocked me over running from the house. Guess it had been a long weekend for her.
We ran into Wilson and his "gramma" and played with them at the beach.
Since I discovered that Max likes to play ball he has been much happier and more engaged with the group. Way to go Max!!
The morning group was small and easy to manage. Just a couple of rowdy boy moments when Wilbur, Rover and Joey got going on some unsuspecting dog. They all love to chase and put a couple young dogs through their paces. It was all in good fun and no one was hurt during these maneuvers.
Bruin and Whistler are starting to feel their ages with both of them stopping to rest throughout the walk. Bruin, even though he is getting old, is still VERY handsome to the people at the park. He was covered in dust from a good roll in the dirt and looking subjectively like a junk yard dog, and this one woman was absolutely gushing over his good looks and calm demeanor. Bruin still has IT!
Ryder as usual was just sauntering behind the group waiting to run into cool little dogs (not uncool little dogs like Wilbur.)
After a long walk around the north end of the park we ended the walk at the river for a quick drink and cool down.
The morning group was an easy warm up for the afternoon group. We hit the park with a bang! Frank launched himself out of the truck and was ready and willing to take on any challengers. We usually let him have his grand entrance to blow off steam and then the rest of us get out of the truck.
Gabby, Pina, Sam, Sidney and Sierra were so happy to get to the park. Wilbur and Everest (the lucky dogs) got to go to the park for the second time and were just as excited as the rest of them to get out and get started.
Ball play iimmediately to keep the dogs occupied and out of trouble while I had the chore of picking up poop. If I ever have troubles finding it I just have to call Wilbur over and he is more than happy to help his "gramma" find the pile. I truly am soooo proud!!
Sierra is a very big girl - a Shepard/great Pyrenees cross and very docile. Usually I have to walk her out to the truck. Today she practically knocked me over running from the house. Guess it had been a long weekend for her.
We ran into Wilson and his "gramma" and played with them at the beach.
Since I discovered that Max likes to play ball he has been much happier and more engaged with the group. Way to go Max!!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
After the cool wind of yesterday it was sure hot today.
All the dogs in the morning group were very good. No problems with anyone. Bella and Ellie took it a bit easier on Marty today for which he is very grateful. Jen's dog Olive thinks Marty is her boyfriend so he had to deal with her "love bites" today. She is much smaller and easier for Marty to play with.
Everyone was hot so we spent a lot of time at the river. It is very shallow now and so the dogs aren't getting good swims but they are able to cool off. Everest was about the only one who wanted to swim anyway. Ziggy is a lab but doesn't swim so he just got wet and then ground himself into the dirt to give himself a nice coating. Guinness ground himself into the dirt as well. I wish I could figure out why they do that. Ryder was a bit stand offish again today preferring to sit comfortably in the shade while the lower breeds splashed around and got dirty. Old man Bruin just did his own thing.
The afternoon group was a bit more crazy (as always) but since there were two on the injured list every attempt was made to keep the dogs under some control. Both Shea and Sammy have done something to their front paws so they could not cash balls and Rover and Owen just LOVE to chase balls while Nina, Taylor and Frank couldn't care less about chasing the balls. Cheetos thinks that those who chase balls are beneath him. Bo only cares about his sticks. And apparently so does a woman we ran into. Both Bo and I thought she was playing with him (which in hindsight is strange because she is not the most friendly person) but it turns out she was not actually playing. She wanted the very stick that Bo had because it "is her dog's" and she needed that stick to throw for her dog AND she was "pressed for time". Well try to getting a stick back from Bo is next to impossible. Finally she gave up, picked up one of the other five or so sticks at the beach and left the area.
Note: As far as a dog is concerned everything at the dog park is for sharing! I agree.
All the dogs in the morning group were very good. No problems with anyone. Bella and Ellie took it a bit easier on Marty today for which he is very grateful. Jen's dog Olive thinks Marty is her boyfriend so he had to deal with her "love bites" today. She is much smaller and easier for Marty to play with.
Everyone was hot so we spent a lot of time at the river. It is very shallow now and so the dogs aren't getting good swims but they are able to cool off. Everest was about the only one who wanted to swim anyway. Ziggy is a lab but doesn't swim so he just got wet and then ground himself into the dirt to give himself a nice coating. Guinness ground himself into the dirt as well. I wish I could figure out why they do that. Ryder was a bit stand offish again today preferring to sit comfortably in the shade while the lower breeds splashed around and got dirty. Old man Bruin just did his own thing.
The afternoon group was a bit more crazy (as always) but since there were two on the injured list every attempt was made to keep the dogs under some control. Both Shea and Sammy have done something to their front paws so they could not cash balls and Rover and Owen just LOVE to chase balls while Nina, Taylor and Frank couldn't care less about chasing the balls. Cheetos thinks that those who chase balls are beneath him. Bo only cares about his sticks. And apparently so does a woman we ran into. Both Bo and I thought she was playing with him (which in hindsight is strange because she is not the most friendly person) but it turns out she was not actually playing. She wanted the very stick that Bo had because it "is her dog's" and she needed that stick to throw for her dog AND she was "pressed for time". Well try to getting a stick back from Bo is next to impossible. Finally she gave up, picked up one of the other five or so sticks at the beach and left the area.
Note: As far as a dog is concerned everything at the dog park is for sharing! I agree.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Felt More Like a Thursday...
Not sure why but today felt like a Thursday. The wind was cool but the sun was shining and everyone was in a good mood. The park is practically empty now that the kids are back in school and it will empty out some more when the weather cools even more. Yay for me and the dogs!! More room to play.
The morning group was very happy to be going to the park and made a fuss getting into the park. We Jen's group had just unloaded so we walked with them. We also met some potential new friends from McKenzie Towne who may be lucky enough to start walking with us next week. They were a very friendly trio of collie/sheltie mutts that just wanted to play.
Bella and Ellie have become my new set of Evil Twins. Evil Twins are not necessarily related dogs (or in my case adult children) who seem to form unholy connections in order to perpetrate evil on the world (or just have a hell of a good time together!) These two dogs, are on the outside, so different in temperament and personality but when they come together they form an unbreakable bond. Today poor little five-pound Marty was all alone fending for himself against these two. Usually Marty has his wing man Wilbur to provide back up and if necessary to take offensive action. The poor little guy was dusty, had grass sticking out of his curly coat and was exhausted when I got him home. Good thing he gets to rest for a day before his next walk.
Jen tagged Bella with a new nickname: Hell's Bells. I think it suits her spicy personality.
We ventured down to the river to get a drink and several of the dogs were begging for a ball so I gave in. After the first throw Everest brought the ball back to shore but did not bring it all the way back and as I was giving him heck and looking around for the ball I noticed that Bruin has it in between his front paws with his head hovering a couple inches above it and he was not going to draw any attention to the fact that he had the ball and was not going to share.
Ryder has become quite laid back and into doing his own thing at the park. I think of him as a hipster and wonder what he would look like with an ironic t-shirt and large glasses.
The afternoon group was a little more challenging. Grannie has re-joined our pack and we are happy to have her back. She is quiet and little. The rest of the pack with the exception of Cheetos and Taylor was large and very noisy. Bo, Nina, Owen, Remy, Rover, Shea, Taylor and Wilbur all wanted to play fetch. People were stopping to watch all eight dogs chase after one ball. The clear winners in the fetching area were Remy and Shea. They were the fastest and most competitive. Even with all that retrieving power they managed to lose three - count them - three balls!! Two they lost in the grass and one floated down the river because Bo could not figure out how to get the ball and two pieces of drift wood in his mouth at the same time. Wilbur ever the pug-ador tried to fetch a ball out of the water but could not get it in his little mouth while swimming and floated quite a ways down the river before giving up. Luckily these two know when to say when and let the balls go. I would hate for them to get carried super far down stream.
All the dogs should be tired tonight and that is what really matters.
The morning group was very happy to be going to the park and made a fuss getting into the park. We Jen's group had just unloaded so we walked with them. We also met some potential new friends from McKenzie Towne who may be lucky enough to start walking with us next week. They were a very friendly trio of collie/sheltie mutts that just wanted to play.
Bella and Ellie have become my new set of Evil Twins. Evil Twins are not necessarily related dogs (or in my case adult children) who seem to form unholy connections in order to perpetrate evil on the world (or just have a hell of a good time together!) These two dogs, are on the outside, so different in temperament and personality but when they come together they form an unbreakable bond. Today poor little five-pound Marty was all alone fending for himself against these two. Usually Marty has his wing man Wilbur to provide back up and if necessary to take offensive action. The poor little guy was dusty, had grass sticking out of his curly coat and was exhausted when I got him home. Good thing he gets to rest for a day before his next walk.
Jen tagged Bella with a new nickname: Hell's Bells. I think it suits her spicy personality.
We ventured down to the river to get a drink and several of the dogs were begging for a ball so I gave in. After the first throw Everest brought the ball back to shore but did not bring it all the way back and as I was giving him heck and looking around for the ball I noticed that Bruin has it in between his front paws with his head hovering a couple inches above it and he was not going to draw any attention to the fact that he had the ball and was not going to share.
Ryder has become quite laid back and into doing his own thing at the park. I think of him as a hipster and wonder what he would look like with an ironic t-shirt and large glasses.
The afternoon group was a little more challenging. Grannie has re-joined our pack and we are happy to have her back. She is quiet and little. The rest of the pack with the exception of Cheetos and Taylor was large and very noisy. Bo, Nina, Owen, Remy, Rover, Shea, Taylor and Wilbur all wanted to play fetch. People were stopping to watch all eight dogs chase after one ball. The clear winners in the fetching area were Remy and Shea. They were the fastest and most competitive. Even with all that retrieving power they managed to lose three - count them - three balls!! Two they lost in the grass and one floated down the river because Bo could not figure out how to get the ball and two pieces of drift wood in his mouth at the same time. Wilbur ever the pug-ador tried to fetch a ball out of the water but could not get it in his little mouth while swimming and floated quite a ways down the river before giving up. Luckily these two know when to say when and let the balls go. I would hate for them to get carried super far down stream.
All the dogs should be tired tonight and that is what really matters.
After a late start to the day and over $800.00 in repairs to the truck we were off to Southland Park. When we arrived the wind was howling and so were the dogs. I thought for sure it would pour rain but we got lucky and it held off.
Bruin, Joey, Gabby, Pina, Sam, Sidney, Taylor and Josie all seemed to enjoy the cooler weather but it was Max who showed the most appreciation. He HATES the hot weather so he was thrilled to be cool yesterday. He was frisky and I think I caught him grinning a couple times.
Joey and Bruin made it their mission to steal balls from the retrievers as they brought them back to shore. Neither of the big boys would give the balls up which caused my retriever girls, Gabby, Pina and Sammy to get a bit frustrated with them. Luckily, I had several balls in my bag. G and P are not happy when they are denied ball chasing time and Sammy protested VERY loudly when the ball is out of play.
Poor little emo Josie always seems to get caught in the crossfire of the ball chuck-it or the other dogs diving for the balls. Yesterday she turned too soon and received a tennis ball in the head. I actually thought she was going to cry. I felt so bad! She is getting quicker to recover from these types of incidents and did not hold it against me for too long.
Taylor (aka Tater-tot), Sidney and Ryder don't enjoy playing in the water and hung out on shore checking out the other dogs and the delicious smells around the park.
Bruin, Joey, Gabby, Pina, Sam, Sidney, Taylor and Josie all seemed to enjoy the cooler weather but it was Max who showed the most appreciation. He HATES the hot weather so he was thrilled to be cool yesterday. He was frisky and I think I caught him grinning a couple times.
Joey and Bruin made it their mission to steal balls from the retrievers as they brought them back to shore. Neither of the big boys would give the balls up which caused my retriever girls, Gabby, Pina and Sammy to get a bit frustrated with them. Luckily, I had several balls in my bag. G and P are not happy when they are denied ball chasing time and Sammy protested VERY loudly when the ball is out of play.
Poor little emo Josie always seems to get caught in the crossfire of the ball chuck-it or the other dogs diving for the balls. Yesterday she turned too soon and received a tennis ball in the head. I actually thought she was going to cry. I felt so bad! She is getting quicker to recover from these types of incidents and did not hold it against me for too long.
Taylor (aka Tater-tot), Sidney and Ryder don't enjoy playing in the water and hung out on shore checking out the other dogs and the delicious smells around the park.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hump Day
Another fun day for the dogs! Not as sunny as Tuesday but they were soooo good I can't complain about some clouds.
All the dogs went out together in one big group. We descended on Southland Park around noon and ran into Jennifer's group. They hung with us for a while causing lots of people to stop and watch the interactions of that many dogs. Most were amazed that they all listened and got along.
Urckle, J, Ryder, Frankie and Max prefer to not be mixed in with the big dogs so they stayed on the outside edges of the group - close enough so I could see them but not so close that they got stepped on. Wilbur (the sixth little guy) has no such fears and was on the big guys like a dirty shirt. He even thought it was his responsibility to warn off interlopers.
Gabby, Pina, Everest and to some extent Rover and Sidney wanted to play ball. We managed to get a game going for a short time until some questions from a dog owner regarding a dog's safety took our focus away for a few minutes. Luckily, the dog in question was not lost and was with Jennifer's group and in no hurry to go home. By the time we got back to our game the dogs had managed to lose our two balls. So with no more balls to play with we took off for a walk around the park. Lots of sniffing and greeting.
Since there were mainly little boy dogs in the pack today there was a lot of humping going on. They did not seem to care who or when. They only seemed to think it was a funny thing to do.
All the dogs went out together in one big group. We descended on Southland Park around noon and ran into Jennifer's group. They hung with us for a while causing lots of people to stop and watch the interactions of that many dogs. Most were amazed that they all listened and got along.
Urckle, J, Ryder, Frankie and Max prefer to not be mixed in with the big dogs so they stayed on the outside edges of the group - close enough so I could see them but not so close that they got stepped on. Wilbur (the sixth little guy) has no such fears and was on the big guys like a dirty shirt. He even thought it was his responsibility to warn off interlopers.
Gabby, Pina, Everest and to some extent Rover and Sidney wanted to play ball. We managed to get a game going for a short time until some questions from a dog owner regarding a dog's safety took our focus away for a few minutes. Luckily, the dog in question was not lost and was with Jennifer's group and in no hurry to go home. By the time we got back to our game the dogs had managed to lose our two balls. So with no more balls to play with we took off for a walk around the park. Lots of sniffing and greeting.
Since there were mainly little boy dogs in the pack today there was a lot of humping going on. They did not seem to care who or when. They only seemed to think it was a funny thing to do.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
The MOST Wonderful Time of the Year
What a beautiful day for dogs. The sun was out and the kids were back in school. Does it get any better? Temperature this afternoon was 20. Perfect day!
The morning group was rowdy as they had some pent up energy from the long weekend. It was a big group too: Whistler, Bella, Copper, Everest, Guinness, Marty, Nicky, Ryder, Ellie and Rover made the journey to Southland park. They hit the ground running and were captivated by all the smells and good greetings left over the weekend.
Whistler (who is on the injured list with a torn ACL - but no one would be able to tell) was howling as we crossed Blackfoot trail. This got all the others jazzed up and they were all singing as we entered the parking lot. I wonder what the other people think of this truck full of noise?
Marty did not have any little guys to play with so he thought it might be a good idea to tease and bark at Uncle Rover. I had to put a quick end to that. Rover has little patience for any dog other than Whistler. So Marty moved on to tempt Ryder into play. Ryder does not do "play" and poor little Marty had to amuse himself by trying to outrun Ellie and Bella. They enjoy ganging up on the little guys. We get a lot of looks when the big girls try to take down the little guys. Nicky and Guinness looked so tired today I wasn't sure if they even wanted to come out. Usually they are all over me when I come to the door. Today they stayed where they were and I had coax them out the door. Must have been a fun weekend at their house.
The afternoon group was just as big and crazier than the morning group. Remy, Josie, Bo, Cheetos, Frank, Gabby, Pina, Taylor, Wilbur, Nina and Shea made up the afternoon gang. Luckily, most of the dogs are ball dogs so it was easy to amuse them. We met up with Wilson and his gramma, Lindsay, and they walked with us. Bo, who has to have something in his mouth then entire walk, lost his grip on his bunch of sticks and they started to float down the river. He was chasing those sticks for a long time and ended up quite a ways down the river. We lost sight of him for a couple seconds and then we saw all the birds on a little island scatter and Bo run right up the centre of it with all his sticks in his mouth. Everyone at the beach were quite impressed with his determination, brains and strength. Wilbur, the pugador, is getting very good at fetching this summer. He still has trouble putting the ball in his squishy little face while swimming but is giving it his best effort. Poor little emo Josie was accidentally bumped by Wilson. She was not hurt physically but her feelings sure were. She has such an expressive face and the look of "poor little me" was so obvious. I almost felt sorry for her. Cheetos is another one with an expressive face and his was just *&^$ off at being made to come to the &^$# park again!
The morning group was rowdy as they had some pent up energy from the long weekend. It was a big group too: Whistler, Bella, Copper, Everest, Guinness, Marty, Nicky, Ryder, Ellie and Rover made the journey to Southland park. They hit the ground running and were captivated by all the smells and good greetings left over the weekend.
Whistler (who is on the injured list with a torn ACL - but no one would be able to tell) was howling as we crossed Blackfoot trail. This got all the others jazzed up and they were all singing as we entered the parking lot. I wonder what the other people think of this truck full of noise?
Marty did not have any little guys to play with so he thought it might be a good idea to tease and bark at Uncle Rover. I had to put a quick end to that. Rover has little patience for any dog other than Whistler. So Marty moved on to tempt Ryder into play. Ryder does not do "play" and poor little Marty had to amuse himself by trying to outrun Ellie and Bella. They enjoy ganging up on the little guys. We get a lot of looks when the big girls try to take down the little guys. Nicky and Guinness looked so tired today I wasn't sure if they even wanted to come out. Usually they are all over me when I come to the door. Today they stayed where they were and I had coax them out the door. Must have been a fun weekend at their house.
The afternoon group was just as big and crazier than the morning group. Remy, Josie, Bo, Cheetos, Frank, Gabby, Pina, Taylor, Wilbur, Nina and Shea made up the afternoon gang. Luckily, most of the dogs are ball dogs so it was easy to amuse them. We met up with Wilson and his gramma, Lindsay, and they walked with us. Bo, who has to have something in his mouth then entire walk, lost his grip on his bunch of sticks and they started to float down the river. He was chasing those sticks for a long time and ended up quite a ways down the river. We lost sight of him for a couple seconds and then we saw all the birds on a little island scatter and Bo run right up the centre of it with all his sticks in his mouth. Everyone at the beach were quite impressed with his determination, brains and strength. Wilbur, the pugador, is getting very good at fetching this summer. He still has trouble putting the ball in his squishy little face while swimming but is giving it his best effort. Poor little emo Josie was accidentally bumped by Wilson. She was not hurt physically but her feelings sure were. She has such an expressive face and the look of "poor little me" was so obvious. I almost felt sorry for her. Cheetos is another one with an expressive face and his was just *&^$ off at being made to come to the &^$# park again!
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