Oh what a dirty day at the park! The morning group excaped most of the yuckiness and most of the fun of the yuckiness.
The morning group was diverse and consisted of Meeko, Everest, J, Rover, Destiny, Bruin, Hollie, Taylor and Everest. Meeko was absolutely delighted to be out and about with his chums. He is such a big friendly goof and has to introduce himself to everyone he sees and this includes leaning his 130 pounds on their legs. The rest of the dogs just hung out and kept busy with all the smells coming out of the grass and getting into some of the puddles.
The afternoon group was much more excited because by the time we reached the park the temperature was up to about 10 and most of the snow had melted by then. At Edworthy there were actual rivers flowing through the park. Everest loved them. He ran up the "river" with his nose in the water while dogs like Ryder plotted how to get across without getting his feet wet. But in the end Ryder was the smarter of the dogs as he was the only one dry enough to ride shotgun in the cab of the truck. The rest of the them had to pay for their fun by riding in the back like dogs. And what gross dirty dogs they were. They had such incredible fun running and splashing through the mud and puddles that I did not even try to keep them out. Riley and Mitch became fast friends (this was the first time they got to play together) and the two of them along with Wilbur just had a little boy blast running after each other and splashing mud. I lost Riley a couple of times because of the colour of his hair along with his stringy wet coat he blended into the grass and was camouflaged. Gabby and Pina had to be hosed off when they got home - not the most fun for Goldens but very necessary. I think that they all need to be shaved super short for spring and summer to cut down on dog cleaning time and the time I have to spend washing everything in my truck (just kidding). Nina and Shea managed to come home with dirt only on their legs (I wonder how that happened.) Sidney was very social again today and jumped out at every one's home and tried to get in to check things out.
Remember - towels, towels, towels and in a couple of weeks turn on the outside hoses for easy spraying.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A Sunny Day!
What a beautiful day for dogs. Both groups went together this afternoon as I had an appointment this morning. Penny's mom came to help keep an eye on the critters - all 15 of them. Everyone got along and thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine, mushy snow and the gigantic puddles. I think Everest and Owen enjoyed the puddles the most as they were running in and out of them, putting their faces in and generally make a mess of themselves. Rover enjoyed a quick dunk and then he was done and Duchess came out of her shell and splashed around a little bit as well. The rest of them stayed clear for the most part especially the CPC Cheetos and Ryder (or Cool Ryder a name coined by Penny's mom Trudy because he was trailing behind and acting too cool for the rest of the pack.)
Sometimes they make the weirdest connections. Today Mitch (a schnoodle) and Bella (a pitt pull) were playing together and given the size and age difference I kept coming to Mitch's defense until Trudy pointed out that Mitch was seeking Bella out and instigating the play rough. Later when Mitch was chasing Bella he had to enact emergency swimming measures when she hit a puddle and kept going and he quickly began to sink.
Wilbur almost made a (near fatal in his mind) mistake when he tried to get across a puddle and realized that the water would not hold him up.
Marty was just so happy to have two little guys to play with he didn't care where he went or what happened to him. When he got home his mom and I had to pick bark, grass, burrs and other assorted park debris from his coat. And like a typical little boy he did not want any part of the grooming stuff.
Owen , I learned today, is smarter than the people that designed the park as he can get the gates open and eagerly led Whistler and Everest to follow him to the river but there were far too many little dogs for that so they had to be hauled back into the main part of the park. Swimming season will start soon enough.
Whistler, Bruin, Nicky and Guinness generally kept to themselves. And most amazingly Nicky who is a rough collie with a beautiful thick coat was not even wet when I got him home. Yay Nicky!!
Getting all the dogs into the truck took the two of us four trips from the gate through the sloppy mud and everyone reluctantly took their seats for the ride home.
I was so proud of your dogs' behaviour today.
Sometimes they make the weirdest connections. Today Mitch (a schnoodle) and Bella (a pitt pull) were playing together and given the size and age difference I kept coming to Mitch's defense until Trudy pointed out that Mitch was seeking Bella out and instigating the play rough. Later when Mitch was chasing Bella he had to enact emergency swimming measures when she hit a puddle and kept going and he quickly began to sink.
Wilbur almost made a (near fatal in his mind) mistake when he tried to get across a puddle and realized that the water would not hold him up.
Marty was just so happy to have two little guys to play with he didn't care where he went or what happened to him. When he got home his mom and I had to pick bark, grass, burrs and other assorted park debris from his coat. And like a typical little boy he did not want any part of the grooming stuff.
Owen , I learned today, is smarter than the people that designed the park as he can get the gates open and eagerly led Whistler and Everest to follow him to the river but there were far too many little dogs for that so they had to be hauled back into the main part of the park. Swimming season will start soon enough.
Whistler, Bruin, Nicky and Guinness generally kept to themselves. And most amazingly Nicky who is a rough collie with a beautiful thick coat was not even wet when I got him home. Yay Nicky!!
Getting all the dogs into the truck took the two of us four trips from the gate through the sloppy mud and everyone reluctantly took their seats for the ride home.
I was so proud of your dogs' behaviour today.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Ano
Another cold wintery spring day in Calgary. The temperature did not get much over -5 today. The good thing is that it keeps the less hearty people and dogs out of the parks. Riley was sitting in the window when I drove up to his house. When he spotted me he did a double take and then went full on crazy when he realized I was coming to take him out. What fun to be had!! Ryder barked at me but at least he wasn't hiding under the covers today. Ryder did warm up and instead of acting like he was too cool to play with the other dogs he actually played with Riley. Cheetos was shivering the entire walk and looking might pathetic (most probably by choice too). Hollie, our dear old Hollie, was all smiles and happy as she trotted around the park for the first half of the walk. The second half was spent sleeping it off in the backseat of the truck. Bruin, Whistler, Everest and Rover just enjoyed the smells and being at the park. We walked along the far edges and they were able to check out some new territory.
On the way the three little guys let me know that my singing was either not understood (as in why the hell are you making that noise) or not enjoyed. Which is probably the same thing. The looks I got from Riley, Cheetos and Ryder as they sat squashed in the front seat were priceless.
The afternoon group, as always, is much more rowdy. Lucy and Tucker and Sierra joined the regulars: Sidney, Bailey, Gabby, Pina, Wilbur and Taylor. We played ball for a little while before we started walking because we have not had much opportunity to do that lately. How can four golden retrievers, two labs and pug loose two balls in less than 10 minutes!!?? When another group showed up and started to unload the games had to stop because it was just too unruly with all those dogs. Wilbur especially was annoying as he was not only trying his hardest to get the balls that were thrown but when he got back to me he tried to steal the chuck-it as well.
Sierra and Sidney have a little crush going on. Both love to play hard and tease the others into playing as hard as they do. They were together for most of the walk and Sidney even jumped out at Sierra's house and went right up to the door to meet her parents. He is a gentleman.
If anyone knows when we are going to get sunshine and flowers blooming please let me know.
On the way the three little guys let me know that my singing was either not understood (as in why the hell are you making that noise) or not enjoyed. Which is probably the same thing. The looks I got from Riley, Cheetos and Ryder as they sat squashed in the front seat were priceless.
The afternoon group, as always, is much more rowdy. Lucy and Tucker and Sierra joined the regulars: Sidney, Bailey, Gabby, Pina, Wilbur and Taylor. We played ball for a little while before we started walking because we have not had much opportunity to do that lately. How can four golden retrievers, two labs and pug loose two balls in less than 10 minutes!!?? When another group showed up and started to unload the games had to stop because it was just too unruly with all those dogs. Wilbur especially was annoying as he was not only trying his hardest to get the balls that were thrown but when he got back to me he tried to steal the chuck-it as well.
Sierra and Sidney have a little crush going on. Both love to play hard and tease the others into playing as hard as they do. They were together for most of the walk and Sidney even jumped out at Sierra's house and went right up to the door to meet her parents. He is a gentleman.
If anyone knows when we are going to get sunshine and flowers blooming please let me know.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Well it was another wonderful spring day for dogs. Both groups got to enjoy the lack of sunshine and warm weather at Southland dog park.
The morning group consisted of J, Everest, Guiness, Marty, Nicky, Ryder, Ziggy and Hollie. We walked with both Jen's group and Acara's group. What a site! There were about 25 dogs all walking together and not one fight, squabble or misunderstanding. Way to go guys. J and Marty enjoyed each others company the best. Everest was under the weather today due to the meds the vet put him on to combat the excessive diarrhea and vomiting. He got into something nasty at the park over the last weekend.
The afternoon group (Duchess, Vinny L., Bruin, Rover, Sam, Owen, Mitch and Wibur) walked with a new park friend named Tyson. He is a Lab/Sharpee cross and is about four months old. Wilbur and Tyson became fast friends. Wilbur was teasing Tyson and Mitch with a stick. Mitch had the benefit of his vast age (12 months) and Tyson had the weight advantage (almost 30 pounds) and Wilbur had the stubborn determination of his human "momma".
Duchess is still a little shy around the group but did try to get Owen to play with her. She loved Tyson's mom and gratefully accepted some luvin' from her.
Just good dogs today! I love it!
* Keep in mind that the dogs are finding and ingesting &/or carrying around a lot of gross stuff. Although I try to get all solids out of their mouths they still seem to find something to upset the tummy. Before taking them to the vet try fasting them for 18 - 36 hours and then gradually increase food over the next couple of meals. Rice seems to help with the hunger pangs and it is binding which helps to firm up the stool. If the dog is listless &/or retching and straining to eliminate take them to the vet immediately.
The morning group consisted of J, Everest, Guiness, Marty, Nicky, Ryder, Ziggy and Hollie. We walked with both Jen's group and Acara's group. What a site! There were about 25 dogs all walking together and not one fight, squabble or misunderstanding. Way to go guys. J and Marty enjoyed each others company the best. Everest was under the weather today due to the meds the vet put him on to combat the excessive diarrhea and vomiting. He got into something nasty at the park over the last weekend.
The afternoon group (Duchess, Vinny L., Bruin, Rover, Sam, Owen, Mitch and Wibur) walked with a new park friend named Tyson. He is a Lab/Sharpee cross and is about four months old. Wilbur and Tyson became fast friends. Wilbur was teasing Tyson and Mitch with a stick. Mitch had the benefit of his vast age (12 months) and Tyson had the weight advantage (almost 30 pounds) and Wilbur had the stubborn determination of his human "momma".
Duchess is still a little shy around the group but did try to get Owen to play with her. She loved Tyson's mom and gratefully accepted some luvin' from her.
Just good dogs today! I love it!
* Keep in mind that the dogs are finding and ingesting &/or carrying around a lot of gross stuff. Although I try to get all solids out of their mouths they still seem to find something to upset the tummy. Before taking them to the vet try fasting them for 18 - 36 hours and then gradually increase food over the next couple of meals. Rice seems to help with the hunger pangs and it is binding which helps to firm up the stool. If the dog is listless &/or retching and straining to eliminate take them to the vet immediately.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The dogs were not into the walk this morning. When I got to Ryder's house I found him tucked under a blanket and he was not pleased when I pulled him out and got him dressed to face the snow. Similarly Guiness was on the couch with one ear cocked up and the other sticking straight out to the side. A clear indication of mixed feelings. Either way once at the park Guiness, at least, loosened up and decided to enjoy himself and played hard with his brother Nicky. Ryder on the other hand held a grudge for quite some time and then finally warmed up and started to enjoy himself. He really digs hanging with Whistler and watching while she chews on sticks.
We had J with us for the morning walk today (he is usually a Wednesday guy) which made Marty VERY happy. Marty loves it when he has another little guy to hang out with and then when Wilbur was dropped off near the end of the walk the real fun began. They did not however enjoy being kennelled together. I had to put Wilbur and Marty in one big kennel as I did not have one for each of them and then I thought J might enjoy the company. I was wrong. Oh well, it happens sometimes.
The afternoon group welcomed our newest friend Duchess. She is a 4 year old lab/Akita mix. She is yellow and has the sweetest little face. We also had our other new girl - Bella. She is about the same age and is a pitt pull. (Actually more like the anti-pitt bull as she is quite sweet as well.) Bella joined our group last week but since I have been remiss in writing the dog blog lately I am just getting around to introducing her. The girls got along famously which is great as they will be in the same pack on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sam, Owen, Sierra and Clover seemed to enjoy the new kids and welcomed them in the usual doggie manner. Owen seemed fond of Duchess as she is quite playful and he liked that. What was really funny to watch today was Wilbur the 20 pound pug chasing Owen the tallest 90-pound retriever ever. Owen just lopped around and Wilbur had the turbos burning to keep up.
What all the dogs had in common today (with the exception of Cheetos) is their enjoyment of the half frozen, gross, murky and most likely smelly puddles. Oh the puddles!! Everest actually sticks his nose in them and blows bubbles. He, like most of the others, cannot quite figure out the ice because it bends first when they walk on it and then breaks into the cold, murky grossness below. Cheetos was not feeling well today and that is probably why he did not get into the puddles.
Please don't forget to leave an old towel by the door.
We had J with us for the morning walk today (he is usually a Wednesday guy) which made Marty VERY happy. Marty loves it when he has another little guy to hang out with and then when Wilbur was dropped off near the end of the walk the real fun began. They did not however enjoy being kennelled together. I had to put Wilbur and Marty in one big kennel as I did not have one for each of them and then I thought J might enjoy the company. I was wrong. Oh well, it happens sometimes.
The afternoon group welcomed our newest friend Duchess. She is a 4 year old lab/Akita mix. She is yellow and has the sweetest little face. We also had our other new girl - Bella. She is about the same age and is a pitt pull. (Actually more like the anti-pitt bull as she is quite sweet as well.) Bella joined our group last week but since I have been remiss in writing the dog blog lately I am just getting around to introducing her. The girls got along famously which is great as they will be in the same pack on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sam, Owen, Sierra and Clover seemed to enjoy the new kids and welcomed them in the usual doggie manner. Owen seemed fond of Duchess as she is quite playful and he liked that. What was really funny to watch today was Wilbur the 20 pound pug chasing Owen the tallest 90-pound retriever ever. Owen just lopped around and Wilbur had the turbos burning to keep up.
What all the dogs had in common today (with the exception of Cheetos) is their enjoyment of the half frozen, gross, murky and most likely smelly puddles. Oh the puddles!! Everest actually sticks his nose in them and blows bubbles. He, like most of the others, cannot quite figure out the ice because it bends first when they walk on it and then breaks into the cold, murky grossness below. Cheetos was not feeling well today and that is probably why he did not get into the puddles.
Please don't forget to leave an old towel by the door.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Snow in Spring
Well it was another beautiful day in Calgary. Snowing and -6 on the first day of Spring. The dogs, like little kids, seem to love this weather. The day started with a small group - Everest, Jin, Rover, Ryder, Whistler and Riley. As they are all very mature and experienced dog-parkers (except for Riley) I had very little to do after I picked up the poo. We met up with Jennifer's group and that added a bit of excitement but not a lot with the laid back bunch I had. Even Rover was calm and well mannered. Riley is loving the park so much he did not want to leave and a group of seniors on a walk through the park had to help me capture him. He was miffed!
The afternoon group was a bit bigger and they wanted to be more rowdy but since there are a couple of dogs that are having some minor issues I have been trying to keep them all on an even keel until the problems are solved and then we can get back to some real doggie fun. Bailey, Destiny, Taylor, Frank, Sam, Nina, Pina, Gabby and Shea along with Wilbur enjoyed rummaging through the trees and rubbing themselves in the snow. For pack filled with alpha females the walk went quite smoothly. Thanks to the relatively cool temperatures and the new blankets in the back of the truck everyone made it home clean and ready for supper.
The afternoon group was a bit bigger and they wanted to be more rowdy but since there are a couple of dogs that are having some minor issues I have been trying to keep them all on an even keel until the problems are solved and then we can get back to some real doggie fun. Bailey, Destiny, Taylor, Frank, Sam, Nina, Pina, Gabby and Shea along with Wilbur enjoyed rummaging through the trees and rubbing themselves in the snow. For pack filled with alpha females the walk went quite smoothly. Thanks to the relatively cool temperatures and the new blankets in the back of the truck everyone made it home clean and ready for supper.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Mucky and Warm
It was mucky and warm today and I will take that over frigid and cleanish any day!!
The morning group enjoyed Southland park this morning. There was Whistler, Everest, Jin, Rover, Ryder, Frank, Hollie and Riley in the group. All the dogs are very mature and stable so the walk was virtually event free. Riley was very excited to be able to come out with us today. His mom and I discussed it this morning so he was surprised by the treat. He has taken to group walks like a little champ. When he come running his long blonde hair flows back, his little eyes gleam and he is grinning from ear to ear. Too cute! I love seeing them so happy.
The afternoon group went to Edworthy and by then the rivers were flowing through the park. Lots of mucky paws and dirty tummies. It was a big group made up of mostly female sister combinations: Nina and Shea, Pina and Gabby and Destiny and Taylor along with Sam, Bailey and Wilbur. At the start of the walk I took the dogs to the wooded area to calm down after the truck ride and to gel as a group before moving into the main part of the park. All the dogs, the boxers and the pug included shoved their faces into the soft snow and rolled and wiggled around in it. They were loving the contrast of warm sunshine and cool snow. We spent quite a bit of time in this area because they were all enjoying it so much. Unfortunately I could not keep them in the clean snow for the whole walk and they ended up running through the streams and mud puddles like the little animals that they are.
PS Be aware that with the thaw comes access to mold and other gross stuff and this may cause some mild tummy troubles.
The morning group enjoyed Southland park this morning. There was Whistler, Everest, Jin, Rover, Ryder, Frank, Hollie and Riley in the group. All the dogs are very mature and stable so the walk was virtually event free. Riley was very excited to be able to come out with us today. His mom and I discussed it this morning so he was surprised by the treat. He has taken to group walks like a little champ. When he come running his long blonde hair flows back, his little eyes gleam and he is grinning from ear to ear. Too cute! I love seeing them so happy.
The afternoon group went to Edworthy and by then the rivers were flowing through the park. Lots of mucky paws and dirty tummies. It was a big group made up of mostly female sister combinations: Nina and Shea, Pina and Gabby and Destiny and Taylor along with Sam, Bailey and Wilbur. At the start of the walk I took the dogs to the wooded area to calm down after the truck ride and to gel as a group before moving into the main part of the park. All the dogs, the boxers and the pug included shoved their faces into the soft snow and rolled and wiggled around in it. They were loving the contrast of warm sunshine and cool snow. We spent quite a bit of time in this area because they were all enjoying it so much. Unfortunately I could not keep them in the clean snow for the whole walk and they ended up running through the streams and mud puddles like the little animals that they are.
PS Be aware that with the thaw comes access to mold and other gross stuff and this may cause some mild tummy troubles.
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