New Years Resolution update: 1 down, 2 to go

My new years resolution is actually going even better than I thought! My resolution was to teach all of my pups to ride in the back of the truck. I had three main suspects, Cooper, Otis and Achilles. They had their various reasons for getting to ride in the back seat, each of which I have tried to tackle over the past few weeks. I am proud to report that Cooper has been converted to a backseat rider, Otis is making great progress and Achilles is next. Cooper has riden in the back of the truck to and from the park for 3 park trips now. He doesn't voluntarily get in, I have to hold his collar and walk him to the tailgate, but as soon as we get there, he leaps right in. He is such a good boy in the truck, he doesn't try to jump out when I load other dogs, he just rides quietly. He has been so good, he even got to increase his schedule from 3x/wk to 4x/wk! I couldn't accomodate that change before because I didn't have enough spots in my backseat on the other days.... All it took was the magic mozzarella and proscuitto (itty bitty minuscule pieces go a long ways!) from Trader Joe's! So proud of Coop!!!!

Otis has been a backseat rider because he just got too excited when he was in the back of the truck. He would start barking and screaming when we got to Montlake and still had at least 20 minutes until we got to the park. Once we were at the park, as soon as I even cracked open the tailgate window, he would launch over my head and jump out and start barking. Needless to say, it was a little chaotic and didn't set a good example for the other dogs. My solution was to start putting Otis in a crate in the back of the truck. So far, it has been working out great! He loves riding in the crate. I think it makes him much calmer.  It seems that Otis just really needs personal space and having a little distance from the other dogs really has made a difference. He goes in the crate even when it's just left open. He has been laying down the whole way to the park, only barks for a minute and is quiet when I ask him, and doesn't launch over my head when it's time to get out! Today he even got out of his crate, grabbed his ball, and quietly waited for me to let everyone out. We will have to see if this becomes a habit, but so far, I like what I'm seeing!

It's funny that with these two dogs, Cooper and Otis, I had just accepted their quirks about the back of the truck and gave into letting them ride in the front for over a year (or more). Once I set my mind to making a change, it hasn't been that hard!

Next up is Achilles. He is gladly launching into the back seat now, which is a huge improvement from me trying to shove his 160lbs in there against his will. At this point he is a little too comfortable with the back seat. As soon as I am confident Cooper is comfortable with the new routine, and Otis is more settled, I will start working on Achilles. In the meantime, he makes sure to let me know he is there!

ballwalkpark's 3rd birthday!!!

Three years ago today was my first day of ballwalkpark! I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has believed in, supported, and shared your pups with ballwalkpark. I love this business, I have the most amazing employee, Nancy, the most amazing clients and of course, the most amazing dogs. I can't believe how fortunate I am to have all of these people and dogs in my life. Thank you to all of you who have grown with me over the years and patiently taught me how to run this business better. I have learned so much from my clients and their dogs, and am lucky enough to call many of them great friends and some have even become family.

Several times a week, I can't believe that this is really my job. I used to be the person that would beg to come over and meet a friend's new puppy, now people I don't even know call me and pay me to come play with their dogs!

Even after the worst days, I can't help but laugh. When I tell my fiance about my day and tell him I got pushed down in a mud puddle, tripped, bit and had to clean up puke out of the front seat and diarrhea out of the back of the truck, I can't help but laugh. After a hot shower and a good dinner, I have totally forgotten about the day and am ready to see the pups again in the morning. It feels so good to wake up and want to go to work every day!

The absolute best thing that I have experienced in this business is gaining the trust of my clients. There is no greater compliment than when I ask my clients if I can take their dog somewhere or do something and the response is "whatever you want, I trust you". Even more than that, being trusted to take a pup to the dog park. I know that Nancy and I love these dogs and truly do treat them the same (if not sometimes better!) than our own dogs, but for our clients to know and believe that means so much to us. Watching these pups grow up, learn new tricks, and develop a bond with the pack is such a rewarding way to spend the day.

When I started dog walking three years ago, there were about 20% of the dog walking businesses that there are now. Back then, dog walkers had a reputation of being weird, fanny pack wearing, socially awkward with a manly voice (which was never really true to begin with, but the stereotype was definitely there). I have consciously reminded myself to brush my hair, occasionally lint roll the dog hair, put on clean clothes even if they are going to get immediately dirty again. In many ways I have resisted letting myself be the stereotypical dog walker (and will continue to!) but I admit that I have really adopted certain parts of the dog walker lifestyle. Here is what 3 years of ballwalkpark has done to me:

• I always speak for myself and the dogs, even when I am alone, (i.e. can you hold the door for us?). People must think I have an imaginary friend.
• Every coat pocket has treats and poop bags, if the pocket hasn't been chewed out yet
• I can pick up a poop, kick a ball, and tell a dog to stop humping, simultaneously, all while on auto-pilot
• I know every single back street route between Queen Anne and Magnuson park
• I make the weird dog walker sounds at the park. I don't know why or how this happened, but it has. Anything to get those dogs to follow me!
• I am able to identify each of my dogs by their bark and their poop
• My natural reaction upon walking in a dog owner's house is to drop on the floor and play with the dog
• I should own stock in Lululemon and laundry detergent
• I have over 30,000 dog pictures. My computer has crashed numerous times. My external hardrives are full.

Three years feels good. I feel confident while still challenged. I am so grateful for all of you who have helped me get to this point, your support has meant the world to me. I don't know exactly what the next three years will look like, but I have some ideas I am pretty excited about. Stay tuned!

Rowdy sibling walk

Bailey and Otis are basically brother and sister, they have spent more time together than apart in the last 3 years. They stay at each other's houses, spend holidays together and go on vacation together. They had me cracking up on our walk this morning. [gallery ids="1256,1257,1258,1254,1253,1251,1250,1252"]

New Years Resolution: Battle of Achilles

Well today was interesting in terms of my back of the truck goal. As we were about to leave the park I took Achilles out by himself, on leash, to try and coax him into the truck with a piece of chicken. I had set the treat pocket thing on the tailgate on the other side of me. He would get half way up and then back down again. When he was backing down, he swiped the treat pocket. Normally I would just grab it back, but this is the 160lb Great Dane who swallows tennis balls whole. I really didn't want him to swallow the entire (full) treat pocket.

Resourceful thinking kicked in and I grabbed a cookie a client had given me earlier in the day from my dashboard. I broke up the cookie and put it on the ground and luckily Achilles chose the cookie and coughed up the treat pocket. 

After this small victory, Achilles was a little too excited to jump in the backseat and ended up catching his leg on something and falling back out which totally freaked him out. From there on it was like trying to tame a bucking bronco. Needless to say, today was not Achilles' day for the back of the truck.

On the other hand, Cooper was a rockstar and rode to and from the park in the back of the truck! He was not totally convinced about this idea, but he was a really good sport. I gave him treats every time we stopped and he didn't even charge when I opened the gate to let Miles in. Good boy, Coop!

New Years Resolution Part 2: Cooper

If this isn't the highlight of your day, I can't imagine what is. A HUGE thank you to Nancy's wonderful husband, John Holm, for his video editing skills and excellent song choice. The video I sent him was about 10% as cool as what he made it. [youtube=http://youtu.be/_6MoZaN8T9Q]

So, as illustrated by this video, Cooper hopped right into the truck under the influence of the magic cheese/prosciutto combo. The following times were a bit tougher to convince him about, then he decided it was a good idea to convince me to get in the back while he drive, but overall I would say it was a success!

We will definitely be revisiting this exercise as he could totally plow me down as soon as he decides he doesn't want to be in the back anymore. The goal is to convince him that the back is the place to be. Stay tuned!

Cozy Caves for Christmas - 50% off today!

If you have a dog that likes to burrow, a Cozy Cave is a must on your pup's Christmas list. Luckily for you, they are 50% off today on Doctor Foster and Smith website! Click here to get this amazing deal! No, I don't get anything for promoting this, I just like to share my excitement because I need to get Bambi one for the boat too! The cozy cave is like a pita pocket for dogs. It keeps them warm and cozy during the winter months and ideally keeps them out of your bed, unless you want them there :)

Bam and Harley like to share a cozy cave, but assuming you only have one dog, I'd suggest a small for a frenchie sized dog, a large for a Vizsla sized dog, and an XL for a doberman sized dog. I don't know why they don't have a medium...

Go ahead and cross one thing off your holiday shopping list!

Kelley-proofed house

A couple years ago I started walking two Vizslas, Miles and Oliver. Both dogs were picked up at Miles' house, where there were two small children, and the house was very childproofed. A couple weeks into our service, I went to pick up the dogs and the nanny wasn't home and the dogs were locked behind a baby gate in the kitchen. I spent a solid 10 minutes trying to figure out how to open the damn baby gate. I knew the baby gate was intended for the kids, not the dogs, because these dogs routinely jumped 4' fences at the dog park. It was actually their main way to enter and exit the park. So here I am, defeated by the baby gate, and trying to figure out what to do with these dogs. Knowing how much they like string cheese, and jumping over things, I decide my only option is to teach the dogs how to jump over the baby gate. It only took a few minutes and we were out the door.

Years later, I am housesitting at Miles' house and am still defeated by all of the child proofing things. Apparently child proof = Kelley proof. These baby gates, electrical plugs and cabinet thingys are way beyond me. Apparently teaching dogs agility on a whim isn't.

Dog park karma

I am not an overly superstitious or spiritual person, but one thing I do believe in dog park karma. There are two main rules of the dog park (in my opinion) - they are:

1. Never leave the park with a toy that you didn't bring. Either a very generous park patron (i.e. park god) intentionally left toys for all the dogs to enjoy or someone lost their new fancy overpriced toy within the first 10 minutes of getting to the park. Either way,  it's not yours. Does that mean you have to deny your pup the pure bliss of the overpriced brand new toy? Not necessarily.

When my pups and I find a gift from the park gods, we ask everyone around us if they are missing it. If nobody is, then we play to our hearts content right up until we leave the park. Then we leave it right inside the gate for the next lucky pup to find. Because of this, I believe, we are lucky enough to stumble up on fun, exciting, overpriced dog toys at the park at least a couple times a week. If you think I'm crossing over into the crazy dogwalker world then you try keeping track of those toys at $15 a pop! They are like gold!

Moral of the story: obey the rules and the park gods will reward you. Break the rules and you will be cursed to lose every fancy toy you bring to the park before you can even blink an eye! (this is based on experience, I'm not trying to scare you into leaving toys for me at the park, I'm not that cheap ;)

2. This is the important one. I actually get a little OCD about this. PICK UP POOP. Dogwalker's often get criticism from the public that we don't pick up all of our dog's poop. For 90% of us, that couldn't be farther from the truth. While we may miss a dog half way across the field, we are picking up 10 poops for the 2 poops in the area that actually came from our dogs. Not to mention we have monthly work parties to come pick up poop on Saturday mornings - voluntarily - now if that's not dedication, I don't know what is! But seriously, on behalf of the 90% of dogwalkers that I work with, we do more than our share of poop scooping.

We proudly advertise this fact by carrying disgustingly full clear plastic bags of poop around the park with us. It could almost be considered a dogwalker's accessory. We really need to work on placing garbage cans closer together...

At some point in the past 3 years I got in my head that if I were to ever walk by a poop and consciously decide to not pick it up, I was docked a couple dog park karma points. In reality, I can't pick up every poop I pass if I'm running after a dog or have 5 dogs on leash or whatever the case may be, but when I am just strolling along and I see a poop, I feel obligated to pick it up. I'm human, just like the rest of us (except the dogs, of course), and I don't always do what I am supposed to - especially if I don't have a bag nearby or perhaps I am just feeling especially anti-overachiever at the moment. What happens when you don't pick up poop? You step in poop. I was reminded of that lesson today moments before leaving the park after a logging in a combined 4 hours.

Moral of the story: dogwalker or not, you've probably missed a few piles before too, so buy yourself some karma points (and promise of clean shoes) and pick up whatever you find. After all, we're in this shit together, right?! Oh, and if you want to come down to Magnuson for the poop scoop parties (yup, it's a party), they are the 1st Saturday of every month from 10am-1pm, the more the merrier!

Salty dog. Happy dog. Floppy dog.

Every dog has their "thing" that makes them unique and special. I've never met a puppy quite like this before, and one of the things I love most about him is that he never fails to make me laugh. Salty dog is a 7 month old yellow lab. He has been nicknamed "happy dog" by some of the regulars at the dog park. I have recently started calling him "floppy dog" as well. Salty takes the awkward puppy phase to a whole new level. He just doesn't really have control over his limbs yet and as a result, he is more often than not found sprawled out on the ground. One of his classic moves to mid-wrestling match, he will just lay on the ground and continue to try and keep the game going from his new reclined position. I think it takes too much energy for him to physically move his body any longer, but mentally he just doesn't want to stop!

Have you ever seen a dog crouch down and wait for an oncoming dog, then pounce as soon as they get close? Salty has his own version of this. He doesn't sit on his haunches, he just lays all the way down and kicks his hips out. This guy knows how to live... just relaxin! It's a good excuse to catch his breath and get amped up for the next round of play!

Almost every puppy goes through an awkward phase where their limbs are longer than they can control and they kind of flop all over the place. I've never seen a dog quite like Salty dog. Our lastest trick is learning to jump in the truck. He is so excited he really wants to, but somehow has a hard time guaging when to jump in order to make it in the truck. He has a good bounce and gets high enough, but keeps trying to start a step or two too far back so when sort of bounces back off the tailgate. Although I desperately want to get a video or at least picture of this to share with you, I have my hands full trying to help him in the truck to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Unfortunately, he is not phased by my assistance and whenever I lean down to help him up, he thinks its time to jump up and nearly knock me over. Practice makes perfect!

The best part of Salty dog's clumsiness is that it doesn't affect him one little bit. From the very first day I brought Salty to the park he was the happiest dog in the world. He has brought smiles to the faces of people I have seen on a daily basis for almost 3 years and have never seen smile before. How can you look at that face and not smile? He bounds around the park and if you watch him for more than a few minutes you will almost certainly see a "Salty flop". If only we could all be as happy and excited about life as Salty dog!

I know before long Salty-dog will be a full grown  (likely 90+ pound) dog and these floppy dog days will only be memories. Luckily his numerous floppy breaks have allowed for a lot of great pictures to remember these fun times with!

What to do if you find a lost dog at the dog park

There was an incident at the park (Magnuson Off-Leash Park) today I wanted to share with everyone so that hopefully it will be handled differently in the future. Please feel free to share with anyone you know who frequents the park. This afternoon, a dogwalker came in with her pack of dogs and was picking up after them while they meandered around the grassy hill by the small dog park. Minutes go by and she realizes one of her dogs is missing. He obviously couldn't have gone far in the couple minutes it took her to pick up some poop. She walks around the park looking for the dog and asking all the other dogwalkers if they had seen the dog. While she is looking for the dog she comes across someone who says they had just talked to a woman who found a dog and called all the numbers on his tags and since nobody responded she was going to take the dog back to her daycare. She didn't ask any other dogwalkers if they knew of the dog or anyone missing a dog, she just left with the dog that was not hers. This should have never happened.

One of the best things about Magnuson park is the community of dogwalkers. For the most part, we all know each other and know each others dogs. If there is ever a dog missing, most likely one of us will either recognize the dog and know who it belongs to, or start spreading the word to all the other walkers to keep an eye out. I have told a dogwalker down at the water that I was looking for a dog, and somehow the next 4 dogwalkers I passed on the way back up to the field asked if I had found the dog yet. How did they know already? I don't know, but between passing one other, calling and texting we can play a pretty damn efficient game of telephone when we need to.

A note about "lost" dogs. When they're at the dog park, they usually aren't lost. It's easy for dogs to get turned around with all the excitement going on and then all of a sudden they don't know which direction their human went. One second they are walking with you, the next someone drops a treat they have to investigate, then a squeaky ball conveniently rolls their way, then another human tries to take it back, and then where is their human??!!? Things happen. The important part is that we work together and help each other when these things do happen. Sure, there are the rare times when someone intentionally leaves their dog at the park, or when who knows what else, but here are some simple steps to help you determine the best way to get this pup back to their human.

1. Ask a dogwalker! There's a good chance we will recognize the dog, and if not, we will get that massive game of telephone started. There's a chance their human is just on the other side of a mound picking up poop and is out of sight but not out of hearing range.

Also, there are dogwalkers at the park most hours of the day, so if one dogwalker is watching the "lost" dog and has to leave, they can pass the dog off to another dogwalker who is still there to keep an eye out for their human and continue the search process. Dogs are in good hands with dogwalkers.

2. Stay close to the front gates. Anyone looking for a dog will want to make sure the dog doesn't leave with someone else, and anyone that forgot their dog (?!?!) will be running back.

3. Follow the dog, but don't leash them. They may be trying to wander back to their human.

4. After asking around, call the information on the tags. No tags or no luck? You can take them to the closest vet and see if they have a microchip with contact info.

5. If all else fails, call Animal Control to have them picked up. They will be taken to Seatlle Animal Shelter where they were will in good care, and anyone who is missing a dog will know to look for them there. *Do not* take the dog to your house, nobody will know to find your dog at their house!

Whether a dog is lost, taking a self guided tour of the park, or trying to escape from their human who is horrible enough to make them leave the park, that dog came there with a human and should leave with that same human. We have a wonderful community at the park, of dogwalkers, park patrons, and of course dogs, and this is one of those times where we should take advantage of it. Let's help each other out and keep the pups safe and sound!

adventures of bwp: caught in a downpour!

I feel like I generally have pretty good luck avoiding major storms when at the dog park. More often than not, the weather either turns for the worse as I am just leaving the park, or happens to clear up just as I am arriving, as it did this morning. Apparently I jinxed us when I posted this pic of the clear skies when arriving at the park for the morning trip. The poor pups and I got absolutely nailed this afternoon! This afternoon I had Bailey, Sammy (Dobie), Gracie (Swissie), Josephine (Great Dane), Cooper (black lab) and Kato (Vizsla puppy). They're a pretty tough group and were playing hard all the way down to the water. When we were at the water it started raining a little, but not bad. When we got to the park it was 52 degrees and sunny, I wore my sunglasses into the park and debated not even brining my raincoat since I was already too hot.

As soon as we left the water and got through the gates, the downpour hit. It was like someone turned on a faucet. Sammy, the toughest looking of the crew, is a huge baby and is afraid of the rain. He started frantically spinning in circles looking for somewhere to take cover, but there was nowhere. Anticipating a Sammy meltdown, I put him on leash so I would have one less thing to worry about. A dogwalker a few feet ahead of us starts running with her pack. At the time, I thought that was a kind of unnecessary. Less than 30 seconds later the hail and wind kicked in and I was running right behind her.

Josephine was scared of the hail and wind, her eyes were huge and fearful and she was looking for cover too. The saddest of them all was tiny Kato puppy. He had no idea what was going on and was freezing. He was literally trembling as we ran. I actually considered for a minute taking off my coat to wrap him up, then I realized that was definitely taking it too far.

Right before the pathway to the water there is a small pagoda/shelter area. As soon as we got in there, I sat on the bench, Kato jumped into my lap, and I hugged him to try and keep him warm and stop his trembling. Sammy and Josephine huddled up next to us too. It's so funny that these huge tough looking dogs are actually such babies when it comes to something as simple as a little rain/hail storm.

After waiting a few minutes, and no improvement in the weather, I decided it was time to take our next sprint to the car. We took off running and everyone was great sticking close with by me. My sweet little Bailey was right on my heels, trying to trip me every 5th step. The last thing I needed was a face plant.

As we crossed the field I realized every single person in the park was huddled under one of the two shelters. There were probably 15 people and their dogs huddled under the shelter by the front gate. I've never seen that before!

When we got to the gate by my truck, all the dogs were lined up, eager to get into the truck. Except for one. I looked back and Bailey is standing about 10 yards away, in rain, hail and wind, with the ball in her mouth and her sad little puppy dog eyes begging me for some one on one time. Of course she would.

Everything was absolutely drenched. What a mess... As soon as we left the park and drove  by the U-village, I could see over Queen Anne it was nothing but blue skies... Guess you can't win them all! I don't know what exactly about that whole scenario was fun, I wouldn't exactly call any of it fun, but for some reason, it makes me smile, and I already know it's on my mental "best of the dog park" memories.

Hope you stayed dry today!!!

adventures of ballwalkpark: no toys = no fun? no way!

I was looking forward to writing this blog all last week but somehow time has passed me by once again and here we are, almost onto the next week! This past week or so I did an experiment with the dogs - no toys. I wanted the dogs to get back to basics; running, playing and interaction with one another, not relying on me for their fun.

My toy philosophy used to be the complete opposite - I had a whole array of the newest, coolest dog toys to spoil my dogs with at the park. I picked toys from my collection based on what dogs were on that particular park trip and who would want to play with which toy and who was going to get the most exercise and most fun with whatever toy. I know a lot of dogwalkers who have certain toys that they can't go without because it is a tool necessary to keep a dog focused and well behaved. Or we get stuck into the routine of having a squeaky cuz ball with us so that our dogs don't steal a squeaky cuz from another dog at the park. It's almost as if the dogs and their owners or dogwalkers have developed a dependence on these toys. I decided it was time to break the habit! At least for the week...

Miles loves the frisbee, Chesa loves the Jolly Ball, Harley loves the squeaky Cuz ball, Milkshake loves the Chuck-it... Each dog has a particular toy that really gets them going. I love finding these toys and seeing what makes that dog "tick" so I can understand them a little better and know the best way to get them exercised and have fun. While I love watching the dogs play with their favorite toys, it changed the whole dynamic of the group, and the dynamic between myself and the dogs. The dogs would look at me just as the toy and treat lady. As soon as we got to the park they would just stare at me and bark because they knew I would eventually give them the toys they wanted. So, out of curiosity and frustration with the barking, I decided to forgo toys (at least 90% of the time) for the week.

The results were amazing! The dogs stopped barking and became much more responsive to me. I was worried they would just ditch me and steal other dogs ball to play with but they actually listened to the "leave it" command better than ever. The most wonderful part of this experiment was seeing how the dogs played so much differently without the distraction of toys. They ran and ran and ran and chased each other and played and wrestled and were just dogs! Even the dogs who normally would just sit and stare at a chuck it were playing.

Here's one of my favorite videos of the dogs doing their favorite run at the park. Julie, look for Tucker in here! Favorite part of the dog park!

I hear from my clients all the time that when they take their dog to the dog park on their own that all their dog wants to do is play fetch with them and not really interact with other dogs. I totally understand, Bailey is very much the same way. One of the really cool things about having such a strongly bonded pack is that they play with each other. Not just chasing after the same ball, but chasing and wrestling and play bows and all of that. This type of play  is really important for ongoing socialization and fulfilling a need for interaction with their own kind.

The dogs treated me with much more respect since it was clear I was the pack leader, rather than the toy distributor. It's funny, giving them less of what they want, they actually had more fun with each other and were better behaved for me. I loved watching them just run and be dogs... instead of throwing the ball I was standing on the sidelines as their cheerleader trying to get them to keep running!

While I think there is a time and place for toys and we will definitely still be using our favorite "tools" like the chuck-it and frisbee, it is nice to know that we can kick the habit and enjoy the simple life a few days a week.

Drowned in Double Dog Park Trips

Whhewwww it was a wet one today! My second day back since the "dogwalker in a boot" saga and it was a full 8 hours of soggy doggy park trips and fun. Before I get into the exhilarating adventures of the dog park today, I have to share by amazing find with any of you who have suffered from wet, numb, filthy dog park hands. Dogwalkers, listen up, this may be as life changing for you as it was for me. These gloves, Atlas Snow Blower gloves, are the best gloves I have found, and believe me, I have been through many. They are completely waterproof with a cozy fleece lining. You can still bend your fingers and clip a leash, pick up a toy, and yes, even open a poop bag. The best part is, you can hose off your dogs and not worry about getting your hands wet and dirty at all! I know what you're thinking, getting your hands wet and dirty is not the end of the world, but when it is 36 degrees out and you have 6 filthy dogs to hose off, those fingers go numb really fast and it makes it pretty hard to work! I bought these gloves at City People's on the way to the dog park. I highly recommend them! Oh, and they are bright sexy orange ;)

Ok, on to the good stuff. We switched things up a bit this morning and I took Jambo and Pepper with my crew, they usually go with Nancy's. Pepper had fun chasing after Bonita's tail while Bonita was chasing Mokee for the frisbee. Jambo was stepping up and chasing Porter for the new rope/ball toy which I impulse purchased at City People's as well. I made it through an entire day without losing it, so it was a success! Porter and Dexter kept taking it and having a tug-o-war hold out where they just stood there and stared at one another with the toy in between them... Miles was super excited to catch the toy and have the whole crew chase him - he can really run fast when he has 7 dogs running after him! Coco made it through the whole park trip without rolling in a mud puddle - I was so proud of her! But then as we were walking out the gate to the truck, she ducked off to the puddle 15 yards away and flopped like a fish out of water, just enough to get a good coating. One of these days I am going to video her in action rather than try to get her to stop. Might as well provide some entertainment for all of us! I was really glad I had my new gloves at that moment. I took a few pictures, but it was so grey and cloudy nothing turned out very well... I really wanted to get a picture of Gracie and Porter, who looks like Gracie's mini-me!

Now for the afternoon trip... I picked up my trusty helper Michael and our little menace, Bam. We also got her sidekick, Violet. Our 2nd to last stop before the park was Cooper (yellow lab - not to be confused with Cooper black lab who was already in the back seat). Cooper's brother, Tucker, recently started going to the park as well, but they go on different days so they both get their own separate play time. This is one of those time it would be really nice to be able to talk to dogs and explain why this girl comes and takes them to the park but only takes one of them and why only one of them should be getting excited because the other one is about to get a door closed on their face.... Poor Tucker, hopefully it will make more sense tomorrow! I'm sure it won't, but at least he won't be the one getting the door closed on him!

By the time we got the park, it was absolutely dumping rain. It must have been refreshing for the dogs, because they were going 150%! It was like they all flipped a switch to Tasmanian devil mode (not really devils, you know what I mean). Luckily, they were a great group of retrievers (or at least dogs that like the game) so it was just pure running for an hour and a half. Those dogs got tired today! Considering I am just getting back into the rhythm of the park, my first big mistake today was forgetting to bring a squeaker toy for Sammy. To be honest, it crossed my mind on the way to the park, but I figured since I already stopped and bought my gloves and impromptu dog toy purchase for the day, I was not going to to buy another toy.... Probably not my best choice. When Sammy doesn't have a squeaky ball, he hounds every other dog that passes by with one. And by hound I mean he runs along side them with his big head right by their mouth, almost as if saying, "give it to me, you know you want to give it to me, come on, come on, come on!!!", which results in me going through a whole ringer of tricks to get the ball back. Over and over and over. Note to self: you DO need the squeaky. Even if just to keep in my bag as bribery, I can't go empty handed!

The highlight of my day had to have been while I was hosing off the dogs (with my new super cool gloves), and Chesa came up while I was bent over hosing a dog and jumped up on my face, knocking off my glasses and somehow licking inside my mouth... GROSS! I tried to wipe off my mouth but then realized my new super cool gloves were actually just wiping more water/dirt on my face. I can't tell you how often I get back in the truck to find mud wiped across my face... and I always wonder how many people I encountered who opted to not tell me! I love Chesa, but not enough to make out with her. That was really more than I had bargained for today.

As I was getting orally assaulted, Michael couldn't stand to see his little frenchie babies so wet and cold, so he took them back to the truck, turned on the heat and wrapped them in a towel. Actually, tied them in a towel. Like a two little baguettes in a basket. He is ridiculous.

It was a very soggy day and the dogs were unusually rowdy, probably still working off some cabin fever from the snow days, but regardless, it felt so good to be back at the park. There is nothing like walking around an empty park playing with 8 of my best four-legged friends. The best part about when it rains, is the park is totally empty and nobody knows the extent of the conversations I have with my dogs.... Commands? Yeah right... We've had a lot of catching up to do! Looking forward to the rest of the week, rain or shine!

Seattle dogwalker vs. Seattle snow

This is going to be a rant blog. Well, a rant and an apology blog.  I am so incredibly frustrated with Seattle's weather and the forecasting abilities. I understand that due to the ocean and mountains and other geographical elements this is a very hard area to forecast weather for, but seriously, this is ridiculous.

Based on the ever-changing forecasts and conditions on Sunday night, I cancelled all services for Monday. Turned out to be clear roads and no snow.... Today everything was planned to be on normal schedule until I got to the dog park and there was at least 1" of new snow on the ground and covering all the roads. To avoid getting stuck later on in the afternoon when the snow was originally forecasted to begin, I cancelled the afternoon park trip. I am now sitting at home on top of Queen Anne and there is not a bit of snow on the ground and the sun is shining. I am 0-2.

These pictures were taken at the same time - Kendal at Magnuson Park, and myself leaving Queen Anne.

I know it seems that this shouldn't be such a difficult decision, but here are the factors that come in to play for us dogwalkers:

• The majority of my driving is on neighborhood streets, alleys, and other lower traffic roads that are more likely to have snow and ice still
• Just because I can pick up all of my dogs and get them to the park doesn't mean conditions couldn't drastically change over the next 3 hours and make it difficult to get home. Stuck with a truck full of pups in freezing temperatures is a recipe for disaster.
• Precious cargo: a big factor in how well my truck handles the snow is how much weight is in the back, weight = precious cargo = your dog. If I had a truck bed full of sand bags I may not be so hesitant, but I do not want to risk it with the pups in the back. The tail end sliding out around a corner could be devastating... something I hope to never experience!
• Brrrrr... it can get cold in the back of the truck! It is pretty well insulated and with all the heavy breathing on the way home from the park it stays pretty toasty, but not so much on the way there. Plus, at the park, snow gets stuck in the hair in between the dogs toes and can get really uncomfortable! See this article for some more tips on keeping your pup safe in the snow.

All in all, this "snow day" game is often more work than it's worth, and this city does not make it very easy to accurately plan for! Believe me, I love snow more than just about anyone. In fact, I woke up almost every hour last night and looked out the window like a little kid.... One of the many wonderful things about this job is that a snow day + work is even better than a snow day without work - I love going to the dog park on snow days and watching the dogs frolick and play. It is so much fun and something I look forward to all year long. Being able to safely get there and back is the issue....  If I am going to cancel park trips and walks, I want it to be a legit full-on SNOW DAY where there is obviously no way anyone is going to make it to work. A repeat of 2008 or nothing at all.

So, in summary, I would like to sincerely apologize to my clients for all of the hassle and inconvenience this week. And hopefully, third time is a charm and I will make the right call tomorrow!

Ten tips for bringing home your new puppy

Did you or someone you know get a puppy for Christmas this year? Are you sitting with an adorable puppy snoozing away in your lap right now, wondering what exactly you are supposed to do with this thing for the next 10-15 years? That puppy breath with be gone before you know it, but don't worry, with my top ten tips to a new puppy you will be ready! 1. The first night: your puppy may very likely cry. I know it's heartbreaking, but you just have to let him cry it out. I suggest to set an alarm every 3 hours and get up and take him out to potty (you shouldn't have to do this more than the first few nights). You don't want to ignore a cry if he really has to go, but you also don't want to reward crying. Put a blanket, towel or sweatshirt in the crate that they can snuggle up with. I also like to put a warm water bottle (a Nalgene or some other hard plastic they can't chew) and also a clock with a second hand that ticks - these two things act like the warmth and heartbeat of his litter mates and can be very soothing.

2. Potty training is a full time job. Some puppies pick it up much easier than others - it can take 2 days or 2 months. As a general rule, take your puppy out to potty within a couple minutes of eating or drinking. Their little bodies are so tiny whatever goes in comes out almost instantaneously. When you go outside, wait until they go to come back in. If they try to play, ignore them. Use a command, I say "go potty", and use it consistently. After they go potty, praise them in your best cheerleader voice with love and treats. 

3. Socialize, socialize, socialize! According to Dr. Ian Dunbar, "as a rule of thumb, your puppy needs to meet at least a hundred people before he is three months old." (read more here). Socializing your puppy will play a huge role in determining your puppy's temperament for years to come and you only have about 4 weeks before the socialization window closes! This article talks about socialization with people mostly, but I think it is important to expose puppies to people, babies, sights, sounds, other dogs (as long as you know they are fully vaccinated and healthy), car rides, etc...  You can't socialize your puppy enough during this time and please believe me that you will be very glad you did in the long run. If you think I'm a little too excited about this socialization thing, maybe you can relate to this: excuses to not socialize your puppy.

4. Bite inhibition. Puppies like to bite, partly because they are exploring their world and biting is how they play with their siblings, and partly because they are teething. Those little puppy teeth can be needle sharp, but not nearly as painful as a grown dog, so now is time to teach them how to have a soft mouth. This is surely something you will go over in your puppy kindergarten class, but here is a great article to give you a head start.

{my life of dogs} when I was 9 our black lab had 11 puppies at our home. It was summer and I spent most of my dogs playing with the puppies. We have a hilarious home video of 11 puppies chasing me down the hill and I am screaming and running full speed to dive onto the hammock. My legs were full of bloody little scratches from the herd of puppies biting at my legs.

5. Puppy classes. Your puppy may be a very quick learner, he may have mastered "sit", "down" and "stay" at 9 weeks, but I still highly recommend a puppy class for these reasons: 1) the training is more for you than the pup, 2) it's great socialization and supervised play - it's easier to prevent behaviors than try to fix them later, and 3) you have a professional to answer all the questions that come up over those crucial 4-6 weeks - google has it's limits ;) Here are a couple I recommend:

Jeff Tinsley and Sound Animal Services

Paws 4 Training first week at home

6. Teething. Your pup isn't necessarily trying to be a troublemaker, he may be teething and actually be in pain! Try giving him an ice cube. Also, you get a rope toy wet, put it in the freezer overnight and let you pup work on that for a little numbing relief.

{my life of dogs} My lab, Bailey, used to love to push an ice cube around the hardwood floors and slowly gnaw on it.

7. Toy basket. If you are anything like me, the 2nd most exciting thing after getting a puppy (1st being the actual puppy of course...) is going on a dog toy shopping spree. Make sure to pick up a toy bucket or basket while you are at it. Only let you pup have three toys out at a time, and rotate them every couple days. If they are all laying out at once, your pup gets bored of them and can possibly think that everything on the floor (your shoes?) are fair game. 

8. Pet Insurance. I know, this may sound crazy, but this is essential. I hate to break it to you, but something, at some point, is going to happen with your puppy. Maybe they ate a lego and now aren't eating or pooping right, or maybe they get a cough, or who knows.... but it will happen, and you will feel a lot better about swiping your credit card knowing that you will be getting up to 90% of the bill back. I highly recommend it to all of my clients and every time they go to the vet they tell me how happy they are they have it. My favorite company is Healthy Paws Pet Insurance - use this link and save 10% off for life. Another great company is Trupanion - both are local!

 {my life of dogs} My fiance has a 9yr old German Shepard without insurance and he has spent over $20k on surgeries from eating socks, tire biter toys, etc.... Don't learn the hard way!

9. Keep a routine! Dogs are very routine based animals and they like things kept the way they are supposed to be. Routine will keep your puppy happy, so try to feed them, walk them and everything else as consistently as possible.

{my life of dogs} Bailey knows when I pick out my clothes whether we are going to play or I am going to do something out her. She dances or pouts accordingly.

10. Don't get overwhelmed! As I'm sure you are already aware, a puppy is a huge responsibility and a lot of work. It will get harder before it gets easier. It can be frustrating trying to communicate with a little pooping/peeing/chewing/barking/whining creature that just looks at you with that head tilt and puppy eyes after chewing your couch cushion. The time and commitment you put into this puppy will all be worth it one day. Bailey was one of the most stubborn trying puppies I've met to this day - but I consider her (and her faults) my biggest accomplishment and every day I look at her and am proud of how far we have come. If you need a hand, hire a dog walker! One of the services I provide at ballwalkpark are puppy visits - myself or Nancy comes over for a 20 minute visit and help reinforce potty training, provide socialization and play time, and help guide you through the stages of puppyhood. I also provide a puppy package that are two puppy visits a day - timed to be 3-4 hours apart so your puppy is never alone too long while you are at work. There are a lot of great dogwalkers in Seattle - set up consultations and make sure you are a good fit with your walker and it is someone you feel comfortable with.

Training a puppy can seem like dieting - there are hundreds of books and methods and opinions on how to teach the same thing. It can get really frustrating and if you try to take everyone's advice you will lose your mind. Figure out what works best for you and your puppy and stick with it - consistency is key. We are all a little different and so are our dogs - what works for one dog may not for another and there is nothing wrong with it.

And most importantly, take lots of pictures!!! Puppies grow up way too fast - capture these precious moments!

Adventures of bwp - 5/2

I have decided that the weather is in favor of people with 9-5 office jobs.... It has been  gorgeous on the weekends lately, clears up in the late afternoon to early evening, and just pours all day! Looks like April showers have rolled into May. On a positive note, we had the beach to ourselves for almost the whole time today! The morning group was Otis, Lola, Chip, Cooper, Tucker and Arten. This was a group of serious ball hogs! It was almost impossible to have a game of fetch because everyone just held onto their balls. There was hardly anyone at the park this morning, so there were tons of extra tennis balls laying around - clearly more than we knew what to do with.  That is, until Lola figured out how to carry two balls at once - learn something new every day! 

Otis and Lola are the worst about ball hoarding - Otis has a ball in his mouth at all times - from the second we get to the park to the second we leave. The funny thing is, they always out run the rest of the dogs to the ball, which they can't pick up because their mouth is already full.

This afternoon we had Milkshake, Stella, Chesa, Pepper and Dexter. Shakes and Stella were at it again - today I will call them the Talkative Twosome or the Demanding Duo (they are not shy in letting me know they are ready for the ball to be thrown ;) ).  We had a big squeaky tennis ball which Stella made wonderful music with throughout the park.

When Dexter finally got his chance with the ball he sought higher ground to stay away from Milkshake and Stella. They sat and barked in protest. My Viszlas hang out on the benches all the time, but I don't usually see my other pups do this - he must have really wanted to keep that ball safe!

Sweet little Chesa carried that ball around all over the park, once again. She loves that thing. It's so funny to watch her chase it and trip over and it and proudly prance along. In true retriever form, she stood her shivering her exhausted little butt off, begging me to keep throwing the ball. Bailey 2.0 in the making :)

All in all it was another great day at the park. But I'm not going to lie, the rain is wearing down on us all! Please cross your fingers for better weather for us!

If you ever want to see more pictures from our park adventures, check out the ballwalkpark facebook page - I upload so many more than I can post here!