Crazy Dogs

It has been a blast having Catja and Benji for the past 12 days. Davie will be sad to see them go home on Saturday. We have established a daily routine which is a short walk down the street every morning to see what has happened in the neighbourhood over night, followed by breakfast.  Apparently something really interesting was around last night because there was A LOT of sniffing and checking out places this morning. Way more than normal. Time to set up the critter cam.

We went for a walk with Molly the mini Labradoodle and her person yesterday. It was an awesome walk through some beautiful places that I had no idea existed. We are really lucky in PG to have so many great places to walk. We were going to go the Moore's Meadow, AKA the great dandelion place, but Saturday we saw a huge black bear down at the far end of the meadow and decided to leave him in peace. There is so much lush vegetation around there that the bears are in feast land.

After breakfast Davie and Catja play like a pair of nut cases. Benji watches from either his bed or the couch. They are so funny to watch and also so interesting. It is amazing the amount of Dog language you can observe. I got a short video this morning, sorry it is so poor but I grabbed the closest video device and it was the phone.

This is the closest they have come to knocking something over. The play started again about a minute later and the air cleaner survived it's knock. They also have an up and down the stairs game that I haven't managed to catch on video. I even sat in the corner and pretended to read but when the camera came out they were more interested in me. One is at the top the other at the bottom. They take turns posturing then run by each other and change positions with each other. It is a hoot.

What to do with restless ones on a rainy day???

You go to the centre and do some training then you play!! It is July 8th, 7 degrees and pouring rain. There were three dogs looking for trouble, well really only two, Benji is too dignified and mature to be doing some thing like that. So off we went. We did some obedience work. move backs, wobble boards, mat work and free shaping. then it was time for their free for all.

Not to be left out Benji beat up the coatimundi!! Who says an 11 year old guy can't play!

So now Davie is in his favorite place under the desk, Benji is in his bed and Catja is sleeping in the middle of the king sized bed. I think it may be time to go watch the Tour de France on the PVR and or read! I may have to light the stove to stay warm! But that's okay we like inside days when the lawn was mowed the day before!

The Three Howlers

Davie is sad and happy. He is sad because the guy with the weird smelling suitcase has gone back to Tokyo just when he was beginning to really like him. Especially the miniwheats he eats for breakfast. How well did he like him, good enough to sit and hit him with a paw if he wasn't sharing!! And not to bark at him when he came in or out of a door. After about 20 practices of in and out various doors. And he taught Davie to sing and then Davie formed a trio with his house guests for the next two weeks.

So Davie is happy because Catja and Benji have come to stay while their human is in Maui. It is pretty rough around here for a dog, no comfy place to sleep. More like no place for humans to sit!

Catja

Benji

We had lots of fun while that guy was here. We went walking up our favorite trails and got to try some new ones.

Puddleman, lots to chose from!

I was nice walking, cool and no mosquitoes, but we were lucky because look what was in a puddle on the way down! Mosquitoe larvae getting ready to hatch, wouldn't have wanted to be around that evening!

And Davie and Shiloh took that guy for a cart ride. Davie is planning on auditioning for the sled dog team for this winter. He thinks a Border Collie would be a great addition to a team of four Huskys!

You remember Davie's friend Stryker, he is a nosy one!

So Davie gets to play with his buddies for the next two weeks. Today they were helping to pull weeds. Benji supervised, Catja was looking for bugs to roll in and of course Davie was making sure the Jolly Ball was in use!! I did manage to collect them for a photo opportunity.

It's a bone kind of day.

After a day of sun and 26 degrees it has been raining off and on and about 14 degrees. But that's alright because we needed the rain and some inside time. Davie figured because it was a rainy day it should be bone day followed by a nap.

I loves marrow bones!

He had an exciting time over the last week. This tall guy who makes wierd noises arrived from a very far away place. His clothes smelled very different, because they came all the way from Tokyo. He seems to be an alright guy and he is teaching me to sing.

We had an exciting weekend because Davie got to do some sheep herding. He knew what he was doing I definitely did NOT. But we both had fun and that was the name of the game to have fun. This is a small clip of us, Davie the expert, me the klutz!

We also built a pond for Benji and Catja this week, well not really for them more for their person. It was fun according to the dogs, Davie and Catja chased balls and Benji supervised the construction. Oh and did I mention the first one to ALMOST try it out was Mr. Puddle Man even though he had his own pool on site!

Yep right here, no bones clear to dig!!

Come on guy throw the ball never mind the rocks!!

Where's the fish? Are you sure you did it the way I told you?

Can I, can I, please pleassssssssssssssssssse!

Of horses and huskies

It was a week of dogs and horses. We went out to horse and husky sit for two days last week. Davie spent two days zooming with huskies and carefully watching horses when they came for a drink. He and the youngest horse, Stryker, AKA Bad Boy, spent about an hour watching each other. Davie would move down his side of the fence and Stryker would follow then vice versa. It would have been very interesting to hear what they were thinking! My guess is as follows:
Davie - I would love to get in there and herd you somewhere.
Stryker - no way dog boy I would kick your butt!
Davie - I don't think so I can out run you with one leg up in the air!
Stryker - That's what you think dog boy, I am fast!!
Davie - No way
Stryker - Am too!!
And on the conversation went until Stryker got hungry and left to go find something to chew on. Sorry I never got a picture of this conversation.

Davie was one tired boy on Friday, which was good because he got to stay home while I went and worked with the Bloodhounds. He spent most of the day sleeping.

Although there were no puddles at the husky's house there was a pool which apparently was rather popular! Thank goodness the horses' watering trough was on the other side of the fence or I am sure he would have been in it too!

Apparently toys like pools too!!

This is Ivan and Lexi. Lexi has dropped most of her coat, poor Ivan looks like a half hairy monster!! And they like to bath their toys too!!

 Diva watching the youngsters

Shiloh keeping an eye on things.

The crew.

Grampa Pablo

The many tales of Davie

So we have a variety of tales from the past week. Davie discovered the last remaining MUD puddle in the gravel pit walk and throughly enjoyed himself. He won't need any mineral supplements for a few days!!

What do you mean dirty, people pay money to be covered in mud like this

And this is how he likes to cool off after a long walk in the bush. He has decided who has the best lawns to rolly polly on the walk home.

 Then there is the more water please pose. No mud puddles on this walk and he can't fit in the water dish, although he has been known to try.

More water please!

And finally this was the week Davie got to channel his inner husky as one of my friends said. And I must say he did quite well. His buddy Shiloh was very patient showing him the "ropes". He showed Davie how much fun it is to pull these silly humans on a cart! Just wait until the snow flys and we can add more huskys!!

Long Tongue buddies.

And finally Davies' favorite place to rest while I vacuum. He has a rough life.

 

Walk in a Field of Dandelions

I have a new appreciation for Dandelions, they are actually very pretty in the right setting. I also now know why this is such a great place to live. There are so many places to walk and hike literally out your back door. This morning we decided to go to Moore's Meadow because I have not been there in over 30 years. Moore's Meadow is a large glacial kettle left over from the last ice age. There is a beautifull meadow in the middle of a mixed forest. The meadow is a designated off leash area. The YouTube video shows you Davie on the path down the middle. Sorry I had to shot with my phone. Some day I will learn never to go anywhere without a camera!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDGbhn__sBo&feature=player_embedded

Guess who cam home with yellow legs and ruff after racing through the dandelions and I might add losing his brand new purple wubba in all the tall grass. Next time it's the flying squirrel it will be easier to keep track of!! I think his tongue may have been yellow too!!