Gone to the Dogs

Welcome Luna! Luna is troubled by insecurity with new dogs so I wanted to take her introduction to the Friday pack suuuuuper slow! The pups were on their best behavior and I helped her feel safe by asking the other dogs to give space and blocking if any of them came in too quickly. She fit like a glove! Hurray for Friday!

Something about standing on a mountain top with the wind in your fur Opal’s mama Smokey came along on our hike today and helped keep the youngins inline!

On Monday I mentioned that I like to vary the terrain and speed so the dogs are always having to pay attention. Today we walked along a ridge looking for a way down to the river. The way down was incredibly steep and maybe taking a video while trying to get my ass down wasn’t the smartest idea BUT I got a great video of the dogs behind me taking their time and paying attention to my speed so they were able to stay behind like I’d asked. Good job doggos!

Just some happy chill doggos doing dog things at the lake!

Just a little reminder that we’re definitely not alone out there! When people ask me why the dogs wear bells...well if we can give the cougars and bears as much advanced warning that we’re sharing their space, the better!

A great hike with a smaller Friday gang today! The dogs fell into pack walking with minimal effort from me which means they know what my expectations are when they are with meWe did a nice long loop down to Goose Poop Rock. Kester and Coral ran ahead without release so I had them come back, reset and then wait for release. The dogs were so chill at the lake, each doing their own thing. When the energy started to ramp up again we headed back onto the trail. I love to see the dogs figuring things out and its so important for them to have clear, concise and consistent rules from me so they always know what is expected of them. Your dogs are amazing Happy Weekend!

We are loving exploring a new trail system on our Quadra days! No, its a secret, I’m not telling!

Words are hard. Happy Wednesday

We had a fantastic 11km hike today(green line). The dogs were great and pack walked like champs! Some updates on today’s dogs: Quinn is making great progress in the right direction back towards being given some freedom on long line! Yay Quinn! Gypsy used to be an awkward nervous dog and she has really come a long way now that she knows what is expected of her on our hikes. I always know that her nose is right at my heel and she is so calm and relaxed! ... Ziggy made huge progress today at pick up! He gets himself so wound up with excitement when I come but today we tried a new angle. I ignored him completely and chatted with his mom. He was calm within minutes!! His mom texted to say she did the same with him when she went home on her lunch break and he calmed down so fast! Clyff and Juno...well they chased ’s. Can’t win every day I guess lol

We had a guest adventurer Paisley jump in with us when we picked up her ‘cousin’ Odin! We showed Paisley the ropes with our excellent pack walking skills and manners! I like to vary the speed and terrain of our hikes so the dogs are always having to use their brains. I have been taken out enough times on hills to understand that dogs need to be paying attention to my cues. ‘Stop’, ‘slowly’, ‘with me’ and ‘behind’ are a few of the words I use. I don’t talk to the dogs much so that when I do say something important, they hear it.

With people traveling over Spring Break COVID cases will be up. If you are in quarantine because you are ill or have been in contact with someone ill...PLEASE KEEP YOUR DOG HOME With people traveling over Spring Break COVID cases will be up. If you are in quarantine because you are ill or have been in contact with someone ill...PLEASE KEEP YOUR DOG HOME

A Saturday reminder that dogs love to work! It gives them purpose and calms their minds. This is why we pack walk on our hikes. It reaffirms that I am the leader and we are working together in a migratory sense like a wolf pack. After we work, then we play!