What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

[MrsB2011]

Bandit is watching TV with me and my hubby. We're taking him for a walk soon!

[Shalista]

wow where was the drop itvideo two years ago? just spent fifteen minutes with Bax working on it and you'd think he'd known how to drop it all along. I started with no items... perfect. okay moving on, low-value items. perfect. i moved all the way through all his toys including his FLIRT POLE (with Mr. High Prey Drive) not even a moment's hesitation dropping it. Finally we graduated to the Hippo (his highest value item that only gets on very special occasions) dropped it without blinking. So Bax apparently knows drop it now? of course this is with me having chopped chicken in my pockets and him well aware of said chickens presence... but still. Kind of proud of this guy.

EDIT: also worth mentioning that boiled chicken doesn't rate very high on the Bax deliciousness scale

[Fundog]

Yeah, Annie will drop anything for a bite of liver. But if I don't have anything tasty to "pay" her with, she will tease me, taunt me, and even ignore me.

[Shalista]

well yes bax has always traded pretty well but this is the first time SAYING something instead of just offering him something has worked.

[Erica]

Delta did beautifully at the state park today. The trail got a bit narrow in places and we had to pass other parties single-file, but Delta listened to his on-by cues and rarely even turned his head towards the strangers we were passing! I think he enjoyed exploring such a new place; he was sniffing around everywhere and seemed quite content. I was hoping he'd enjoy it so I can try to go to more parks and explore with him; it definitely seems like something we will get to do more of.

[Fundog]

Mr. Fundog and I went for a drive without the dogs to the reservoir today, to see how much water is in the backwaters (where the creek feeds into it). We discovered it has refilled sufficiently from the drought that it will be a fun place to take the dogs swimming this summer. Today was rather chilly, so we just took them for an ordinary walk today. But I'm excited for the next warm/hot day when I can load them up in the car and take them out to the lake!

[Shalista]

i really want to find some decent hiking trails around here. Drove 40 min for one and bax and i had a blast! he's such a trooper, he loved bounding over boulder and leaping over logs. he even went wading in the water!

[Erica]

The park we went to was a good 3 hours away There are closer ones too, but I wanted to see the endangered flowers at this one before they went dormant again.

It sounds like Bax enjoyed it a lot! Delta was too chicken to get in the water. x3

I think either a mountain or coastal trail is next on my list...

[Shalista]

Yeah it was totally worth the drive still would be nice to find something closer. i live 15 min from a lake, there's gotta be something closer

[Fundog]

I totally hear you! For water, we have two sources, and we have to drive to both: one is a five minute drive out of town, then a mile and a half hike to the creek, then hike back. The other is a ten minute drive out of town to the turn off, then a six mile drive on a rough road (15 miles per hour in an "ordinary" car) to get to the reservoir, then repeat to get home.

Most of the time, we just walk around town or out to the cattle grazing areas. It would be nice if we could walk to the water, instead of loading the dogs up in the car.

[JudyN]

I think he enjoyed exploring such a new place; he was sniffing around everywhere and seemed quite content.

I've come to the conclusion recently that Jasper enjoys visiting new places even when he has to be on lead even more than a walk in a familiar place when he can be offlead. It makes life much easier now he doesn't need to have an offlead blast every day to keep his sanity (what there is of it ) intact.

[Ari_RR]

Jasper enjoys visiting new places even when he has to be on lead even more than a walk in a familiar place when he can be offlead.

Same here! We have discovered quite a few interesting neighborhoods in our city this way, walking with Ari and taking different routes.

[MPbandmom]

Sounds like everyone is having some great walks.

We had a very pleasant walk at the battlefield this evening. The grass is getting quite tall on the fields which is reducing our dodge space unless we want to increase our chances of coming home with ticks. OH decided today that he wasn't dodging. There are places which are mowed either to make a pathway through the grass or to make a clearing around a monument, or cannon.

The first dog we encountered we dodged by walking into an area where there are a couple of cannon.

The second dog was sitting with his/her owners at a park bench along the trail. No place to dodge to if we were going to get past the dog without walking in the tall grass. We shortened the dogs' leashes, issued a few on by and gee over commands and passed without incident. It helped GREATLY that the other owner was distracting her dog with a tasty treat in front of his/her face, so s/he didn't present as a danger.

Next dog was walking straight towards us and was a smaller dog. Again no place to dodge other than the tall grass. Coming towards us was a more threatening presentation. Sky started to fixate. I was able to break this by issuing a gee over command followed by on by commands and we passed without Sky getting all defensive and grumbly. Sirius didn't do quite as well with OH. I didn't hear her, but he said she was making her little anxious whining noises as she passed by.

All in all a successful evening.

It didn't go as well for a gentleman whom we drove past on our way to the battlefield. On our right was a person walking a midsized black dog who was barking at two dogs being walked on a leash coupler on the opposite sidewalk. I'm not sure what breed the dogs on the left may have been but they looked rather muscular. They also had similar coloring, size and build, so possibly related.

I have no idea which one of them started it, but at least one was redirecting on to the other one, and the other one was either also re directing or reciprocating. Being as they were on a leash coupler they were pretty well trapped right beside each other. I hope he was able to get them separated and settled without injury to himself.

[Theo400]

Had a lovely walk this morning with buddy. He started trying to comfort me when we sat down on a bench as for the last 3 months iv been have muscle pain all over my body it got so bad 4 weeks ago so I had blood test 3 weeks ago for inflammation and anti bodies. , Thyroid and lots more. I get my results today so I was very nervous on my walk I haven't even told my sister as iv always been the strong one looking after her and our mom who is very ill.

Buddy could see right through .

I wish I wasn't so nervous to find out what is causing my muscle pain.

[JudyN]

Good luck with the results, Theo - I hope it's something easily fixed.

We met one of my favourite dogs this morning - a 7-month-old red & white setter. Compared to pics of the breed online she's quite skinny and leggy, and I do like skinny leggy pups When they met yeterday, with Jasper on lead, he was a bit growly at first (unusual for him with a female pup) but he soon settled down, I let him off lead, and they were fine together.

This morning he was off lead when they met and she lay down as he approached, then squirmed around on the ground as he sniffed her, then licked his muzzle and generally bouncing around (but not on) him wanting him to play - or just wanting to tell him how wonderful he was and that she would do whatever he wanted and being generally pathetic. He completely ignored her

After a while he did have a bit of a grumble at her, and it got me wondering if we need a new word. It wasn't a snark - 'snark' seems to suggest orienting towards the other dog, and I had a lightbulb moment realising it was probably a combination of 'snap' and 'bark'. It wasn't a growl - I associate that with a low tone, and a tense body language, more typical of when J has an encounter with a young male he doesn't like. And it wasn't a bark, either - that is quite a neutral term which can imply the full range of emotions. So I'm wondering about 'grark' - an element of growl, as it's a 'telling off', but with a more explosive (soundwise, not behaviourwise) quality which is more like a bark.

So yes, he grarked at her. 'Go away, you annoying little puppy!'

Her owner said she does tend to jump all over labs, so I'm thinking she knows she has to be a little bit more deferential to Jasper.