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 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!

Toy of the season

Miles, Bailey and I just found our new favorite toy:  NiteIze Innovation Meteorlight K-9. It is a rubber ball that lights up when you push it. This ball is perfect for Seattle winters when it gets dark out at 4pm. I don't know about your dog, but Bailey loses way too many tennis balls when it is dark out, and she rarely loses a ball! The ball is powered by an LED light and it changes colors as it flies through the air. The dogs had no trouble finding the ball in the pitch dark and I was constantly entertained watching the changing colors bouncing through the dark. I bought the meteorball at the Queen Anne All The Best. They said they've heard from others that the battery lasts about 3 months.

I have hesitated buying this ball for so long because it is $11.99, which in my mind, is outrageous for one ball, but if the dogs can see this ball and we don't lose it, it may be cheaper than losing numerous orange rubber balls! 

This may just be how my neurotic mind works, but I am very grateful to not worry about having to rush through my day so I can play ball with the pups before the sun goes down. Or lets be honest, this time of year in Seattle, some days the sun never even comes out....

Tricks of the trade: follow the leader

Some of my avid readers (if such thing exists) may recall a blog I wrote months ago about when a puppy reaches the teenage phase. If you haven't, you can read the blog here, but this pretty much sums it up:

It’s that moment when the “teenager” stops a few paces short of the gate and stares at me that I realize he’s grown up. He realizes that he actually has a choice whether he follows me or not. It’s when he actually considers the fact that there might be better things in the world than the scraps of treat left in my coat pocket.

Sound familiar? Have you ever found yourself standing at the front of the dog park, ready to leave, hopelessly calling your dog who is essentially giving you the middle finger while running victory laps around the park? Have you yelled "Ok, Bye Fido, see you later...." hoping for a response? Well I have a little secret for you... they're on to you! They know your routine and they know it's time to go and they don't want to!

I've been very fortunate to have had so many puppy clients and been able to help raise and train them. Inevitably, puppies will turn into defiant teenagers, and well trained adult dogs will have a stubborn streak. It's all a part of the fun! I'm sure you can imagine what a mess it would be if all 8 of my dogs protested leaving the park at once (it's happened), so I have a few tricks to avoid this debacle that you can use on your own pup.

Always keep them guessing. I never walk in the direction at the park. Some days I walk straight to the water then come back to water bowls in front, then to the big field, then to the side field, then out the gate. Sometimes we go to the side field first, then the water, then the side field again, then the big field then the gate. You get the picture... I don't have an order of the way we walk the park, that way, just because we are playing close to the gate to leave, doesn't mean we are leaving. When I decide it's time to leave, I can start leashing up some of the ones who I know will protest, and then start walking to the gate with the rest.

Check in. I always like to work on recall with my dogs, even the older well trained ones, just to have them check in with me and know that I'm watching them. I often call them over and have them sit and wait for a treat. I pet them, touch their collars, and hold on to them just to get them used to it. This way, when I want to put them on leash, they aren't expecting it and are less likely to put up a fight (not literal fight, stubborn fight).

After party. When the dogs get to the gate and are ready to leave, I give them a treat (not everyone, just the ones who are new to the routine or having a hard time remembering why I am so convincing) and lots of over-the-top cheerleading praise. Leaving the park is just as much fun as going to the park, RIGHT!??!

Leash 'em up. If you have any doubt that you are going to be able to get your pup out of the park incident-free, just leash 'em up. Once they experience the thrill of the chase and the anger in your face, there is no going back, they will want to make it a regular thing. Once you've had enough successful exits and cheerleader praise, and you feel that you trust him a little bit more, you can try and get closer and closer to the gate before you put the leash on.

Some dogs this is never a problem for and some dogs this is such a problem that their owners never take them to the dog park and never let them off leash. That's no way for a city dog to live, in my opinion! I hope this helps! Remember, you always win! 

Tricks of the trade: drop the ball!

One question that I am constantly asked is "how do you handle 7 dogs at once?", and like every dogwalker, we have our secrets. In this series of blog posts, "tricks of the trade", I will be sharing a few of my secrets that you may be able to use with your pup at the park! Drop the ball! 

If you're pup is anything like Bailey, or any other ball-obsessed lab for that matter, who refuses to drop the ball, try this trick:

blow softly into their ear. keep blowing. It will mess up their pressure and make them start moving their jaw to pop their ears, just like we do on a plane. While moving their jaw, they are bound to drop the ball! The key here is to be very patient and gentle.

*I learned this wonderful trick from my fellow dogwalker, Gretchen Jannenga, and this trick has made getting Bailey in the truck ball-free possible on numerous occasions! 

{of course, the ideal scenario would be to teach your pup to drop the ball properly in the first place... I'll talk about that in a future post!}

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!

Adventures of BWP: Tuesday 11/8

It was such a beautiful day at the park. I would trade summer for an entire year of days like today. I know the exact moment when a puppy turns into a teenage - it's almost always the same. It happened to Rex today. As we walk from the water station to the gate to leave the park, all the dogs follow me in a nice little pack and we go through the gate and they jump in the truck. It's that moment when the "teenager" stops a few paces short of the gate and stares at me that I realize he's grown up. He realizes that he actually has a choice whether he follows me or not. It's when he actually considers the fact that there might be better things in the world than the scraps of treat left in my coat pocket. If he bolts, he just might be able to steal a few more minutes of precious play time. The older dogs, that have gone through the teenage days, know the golden rule: I always win :) Well Rex, let the games begin. Sweet little Gracie still thinks the most exciting thing in the world is about to happen when I call her - why do puppies have to grow up?

Tucker has been adjusting since his partner in crime, Stella, moved to Boston last week. The first couple trips were rough - he was clearly confused and didn't really know who to hang out with so he got kind of bully-ish. It's kind of like the kid in high school that got separated from his friends so tries to act super tough and mean so other kids don't think he's a loser. To help him adjust, I switched him to the afternoon group 2 days/wk, so he has a whole new crew to bond with, not just life without Stella. I know this may sound ridiculous, but those two were close. As soon as Stella's parents started packing up their place, two weeks before the move, Tucker started acting out. Stella didn't act funny until her last park trip when her house was literally empty of all belongings.

For the most part we had a really mellow time at the park on both trips. It wasn't too crowded, not too many mud puddles to avoid, we didn't lose any toys, we didn't steal too many toys, all around it was a good day! A special thanks to Bickie (Coco's mom) for making my favorite Quinoa salad today! She is so sweet - she makes my favorite salad every Tuesday because she knows it is my first long day of the week and that I never have time to get lunch! She makes my day every time - Thank you Bickie!!!

Outside of the dog park: Little Stella, the king charles cavalier, who goes on walks with Nancy, had to go to the emergency room last night. She was throwing up blood and they still have to run some more tests to see what it could be. She is on medication and is doing much better today after a few visits and lots of love from Nancy. Just a reminder that if you don't have pet insurance, right now is a great time to do it! I recommend Healthy Paws Pet Insurance, Trupanion, or Embrace.

Sometimes my clients say the funniest things about their dogs... since you all say them, I figured you might like to hear what other people say about their own dogs, so I would like to start a "client quote of the day" section. This will of course remain anonymous and I will take the dog's name out of it as well. To start us off, here is a quote that had me literally laughing out loud to myself in the car all day:

client quote of the day:

"(my dog would) steal a cookie from a kid and then knock the kid down in order to get a faster route to eating poop"

Don't forget to check out pictures of our day today on the ballwalkpark facebook page!

*Also, comments on the blog are welcomed and encouraged! And if you want to be emailed every time there is a new update, scroll to the bottom of your page and click the "Follow" button on the bottom right corner.

adventures of bwp - 5/18

The park was surprisingly quiet this morning for how nice the weather was. We got a parking spot right in front and wasted no time getting to play. While I was doing the honors of cleaning up after these little monsters, Coco and Chip took off for the mud puddles at the end of the field. Sooo.... off the to beach we went! Not without getting a few brushes of swamp mud across my legs from Mr. Chip, of course. The water wasn't too crowded either, which was really nice. Bonita made friends with every other dog at the beach and high-jacked their ball. She was nice enough to give it back as soon as she saw someone else's ball being thrown. Chip was a super swimmer today, getting the frisbee as far out as I could throw it. Milkshake was yelling at me so I eventually found a ball and threw it for him - I didn't realize until I was mid-throw that it has a hole and was full of rocks so it sank.... he and Dexter spent the next 15 minutes diving for it - gotta love the determination of a retriever!

Arten's buddy, Toby, had his last day as his parents are back from Hawaii tonight. He went out with a bang! Of all the toys at the beach, Toby chose this log as his must-have of the day. He kept talking/whining at me to do something with it, so finally I picked the thing up, with several people around me laughing at me, and I threw it as far as I could. About 5 feet. Sorry Toby :( It was good for a laugh!

We were about to leave, everyone had just finished their last water bowl visit, and the dogs persuaded me to stay for just a few more throws in the big field. No one was around, they were playing so well, and it was a gorgeous day, so I figured why not. Within a few minutes I realized I was missing a Chocolate lab.... I call Mr. Chip, and within seconds he came bounding up from the mud puddle. Ugh! So close... Time to load everyone up and give Mr. Chip a hose-down.... You gotta pay to play!

This afternoon Bailey and Bambi hosted after-park care for Bonita and Cooper. They usually go on two park trips, but since we only did a morning trip today I brought them over to hang out. Bam got to show off her new car wash toy, Bonita and Cooper gnawed on each others faces like the teenagers in love that they are, and Bailey tried to show the kids that she was still hip and cool. This was mostly made possible by the fact that Michael was at work all day... there is nothing more he loves than to come home to dog park in the back yard. If you've ever met Michael, you know it's all a front and he loves the dogs as much as I do :)

* I was having a bad picture day for some reason.... I took a lot, but nothing really came out! Sorry, check back tomorrow!

adventures of bwp - 5/17: It's a great day to be a dog walker

Today was such a good day. For the past six months that I have stood in the rain, wind and cold with mud splashed across my face, smiling and nodding when people say "you have the best job", today made up for it all. I really do have the best job (not to brag.... it is hard work!), but today was one of those days where I had so much fun running around and playing with the dogs, and watching them play, run and chase to their hearts content. The weather helped, but the main reason my day was so great is because of my dogs - I really do have the best dogs. I know I say it all the time, but it's true!

As soon as I got to the park this morning, Michael showed up. It's always fun to have company at the park (read: if you are around during the day, come hang out with me!) and he has really bonded with my Viszlas lately.
He knows how much I love the breed, and he has said he could never own one because they are "too hyper and wiggly". Thanks to Mr. Cooper, we have finally won him over - today he said someday he could see himself owning a Viszla! Don't worry, not anytime soon, just a "someday" is all I needed. Cooper literally jumped into his arms, and was so relaxed and happy as Michael carried him around. It was hilarious - he was like a little baby.

Speaking of Cooper.... we have a new member of ballwalkpark, Cooper! Yeah, I know, it's going to be confusing... Cooper is a 3yr old lab and he is just like Chip but a different shade of the lab rainbow. He is big (100lbs), sweet, playful and a true retriever! He fit right in the pack and had a great time swimming today.

Despite Bonita's little mishap yesterday, she was playing like it never even happened today! Those puppies have never ending energy! They run, wrestle and tumble so much it makes me dizzy! This afternoon I had Cooper, Walker, Stella, Bonita and Chesa all in one group - that is 5 dogs all under 18 months! The good news is, everyone was slurping up the water bowls and dragging their paws on the way back to the truck - I finally exhausted them! It didn't hurt that my phone died while we were at the park and I lost track of time, so we were there for over 2 hours!

My morning and afternoon crew were all about the water so we spent the majority of our day at the beach. The pups were having a lot of fun with the frisbee I brought - unfortunately I didn't think about the fact that I am horrible at throwing a frisbee when I bought it. Luckily the dogs didn't laugh at me - they just swam after it no matter where it landed - people on the beach were another story. 

Today was just an all around good day. Didn't have to wait for a parking spot (either trip), we didn't lose any toys, we got a new (awesome!) friend in the pack, no one got hurt (even my rough-n-tumble puppies), and everyone went home happy and tired. 

Check out the ballwalkpark facebook page for more pictures of our adventures! facebook.com/ballwalkpark.seattle

Frenchie Meetup

We went the monthly Frenchie Meetup in the small dog park at Magnuson this weekend. Bam had the time of her life. There were so many Frenchies there - the most I have ever seen! Must have been almost 30 at one point. There was just a constant chorus of grunts and snorts. A few frenchies took naps under the chairs to find a little shade. Here are a few pics from the event. [gallery link="file" columns="5"]

adventures of bwp - 5/3

Today was interesting. And rather eventful. I have quite a bit to tell about today, and while I usually only tell the highlights and the happy/fun/cute parts of the park trips, I feel there is just so much more to tell than that today. You all know your dogs and their quirks, right? For whatever reason, quirks were out in full force. To start out, I brought Bailey in my morning group (she usually goes in the afternoons, but hasn't been going much lately due to a sore hip/back). She took charge of the huge blue ball and her way of letting me know she wanted to throw it was to try and trip me with it - shoving the ball in front of my ankle with every step. Then when we were at the water, she would bring it out the water and do her obsessive lab "I don't want to drop it" thing which poured the water filled ball all over my pants. Oh Bailey-Boo, how I love you....

Oliver was playing with a big squeaky tennis ball we found the day before. As we were leaving the water, walking back by the bench on the pathway, he decided to jump over the fence and hide his ball somewhere in the wetland bushes. Well, Mr. Cooper, who idolizes his older Viszla brothers, made his first attempt at jumping the fence. He made it, but barely. You see, Miles and Oliver can clear that fence like an Olympic high jumper - never touching the fence, sail right over it. Cooper has a bit to learn (ideally he just wouldn't jump fences, but if he is going to do it, he may as well do it right and not hurt himself!)

The afternoon trip is where things really got exciting. To start, Milkshake learned a new trick. For the past year, I have been trying to train him not to bark at me when he wants me to throw his ball. It has been an on-going battle and I have tried many difference tactics. He gets it, he just doesn't like it. Well today he tried a new tactic that I really don't know how to respond to.... With the ball in his mouth, he walks up behind me as I am walking and essentially sticks the ball right between my legs (Ok, it's more like my butt) - he gooses me!!! It definitely gets my attention! He did it several times, I know I have to not reward him with attention for behaviors I don't want, but how can I not pay attention to that! We will definitely have to come up with a strategy for that one....

While at the water, Oliver stole another dog walkers pink squeaky ball and played keep away while residing on his throne of a rock. I took a video that didn't come out very well, but Miles and Oliver are both standing on rocks in the water, and Cooper is on a third rock, desperately trying to climb on top, but kind of looking like a baby turtle.

Ok, I'm going to say it, you can get mad at me if you want, but if you are going to bring young children to the park, please don't equip them with toys, food, and/or sticks. The dogs are already attracted to kids because they are at their level, and adding these fun things (in a dogs mind) makes them irresistible. Kids don't always react to dogs the same way - the fact that they are the same size is scary to kids, as opposed to fun for dogs. Today is a perfect example why.... we were walking along just fine, totally under control, and a young girl and her mom walk by us. The girl is waving a plush squeaky toy in the air, what I assume is her special security blanket kind of toy. Well, to two puppies, it seemed like she was waving a toy for them, so Stella and Bonita ran and grabbed the toy. They were actually really really good and came back to me the second I called them, but the girl had already been knocked to the ground and was in tears, and the mom was giving me the look of death. Moral of the story - it's a dog park. There are hundreds times more kid parks than dog parks in the city, so let the dogs play at the dog park and let the kids play at the kid park! I totally understand the need and importance to bring kids to the dog park at a young age so they are comfortable with it and understand the dogs, but please, just be mindful of the situation. The dogs don't know the difference between a dog toy and a kid toy... especially when it is waving in the air and squeaking!

Ok, if that wasn't bad enough, get ready for this. We were walking down the path to the water, and we passed a blind woman with a walking cane. First of all, one of the dogs, in passing by, decided to make an abrupt course change and tripped over the cane. This obviously threw off the woman, but luckily she wasn't too phased and has a friend with her to avoid a total disaster. After this incident, Cooper followed the woman for a good 20ft... He was absolutely fascinated that this woman got to walk with a stick! He was so curious - ducking and darting his head and body as he walked along. He does the same thing with kids - he is a very curious pup.

We walked by our favorite picture taking bench - the Viszlas were on it right away - but this time they were accompanied by Miss Pepper. The bench pics aren't just for the Viszlas anymore! They used to be the only ones that would hop up there, but now that Pepper knows there is the possibility of food, she's all about it! It took Cooper a couple tries to figure out how to get on the bench today.... climbing over the back didn't work out so well.

Does anyone else see the resemblance here or do I just have a thing for yellow labs? Chesa is a baby Bailey in the making :) Hopefully Chesa doesn't pick up on that little trip-Kelley-with-the-blue-ball trick Bailey has mastered.

Summary of today: The dog park is a bit like animal planet and it's a great example of why we have leash laws. My dogs are all well behaved, non-aggressive, sweet dogs, but they are dogs and dogs have a mind of their own...

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!

Cooper learns to swim

Cooper takes advantage of the water area at Marymoore to try and teach himself to swim. He wants to do it soo bad! The second we left one water spot he raced ahead to the next one to try and swim at another spot. At one point he had a crowd of about 8 park patrons cheering him on! Next time Coop, you'll get it next time! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFq-9FWToTM]

adventures of bwp - 4/27 : Swamp Monsters

Today we had a one-trip-Wednesday. The crew consisted of Cooper, Chip, Dexter, Pepper, Milkshake, Walker, Coco and Arten.  Shockingly, we didn't have ANY puppies today - or at least by ballwalkpark standards - everyone was over a year (not by much...).  We started the day out with a nice game of 4-way-tug in the dome area. The sun was partially out, I wasn't wearing rain gear, things were going pretty smoothly.

We headed over to the main field because we had a new toy - the flying squirrel  (see Walker doing the proud dance with it) - and due to my poor aim, unless we are far far away from any type of fence, we will lose it. Within a matter of seconds, Coco pulled her classic move - the mud dive. You will never see a dog fly into mud like this pretty little English Cream Retriever. Imagine a chef battering a piece of fish - flop, flop, done. That's exactly how she does it - just enough to get completly filthy, then she is off to the next activity.

Not only is Coco absolutely filthy, the stagnent water this time of year smells horrible. That kind of smell that sticks to your clothes and hair with only the slightest contact. So, the second I saw what Coco had done, we took off running for the water. I had to get this mud off of her before it had a chance to dry! If there were an award for the dirtiest dog at the park, I'd say Coco wins it every single time. The funniest part is, she is a goregous light blonde dainty prissy girl with a pink collar and a white couch to sleep on, why does she insist on getting so filthy?! Needless to say, she got a nice soak in the lake followed by a bar-soap-hose-bath at the park before heading home.

On the way back from the water, in the midst of a spring downpour, I did the unthinkable and threw the ball over the fence. In order to redeem myself to the crew, I jumped the fence and got the ball. You can see their amusement as I retrieved the ball for a change.

Chip and Milkshake were at their usual game of tug - I swear those two were separated at birth. They played with this toy, both attached to it at all times, for at least 30 minutes straight.  My chocolate chip milkshake :)

The dogs, especially Dexter and Pepper, have figured out what the fanny pack is all about  and are not letting me get away with stowing treats so close to their reach.  Those little sharks - can't get anything past them!

All in all, it was another great day at the park! Now.... if it could just stop raining so the mud puddles could dry up and the swamp monsters can be a thing of the past!

Adventures of bwp - 4/26

We had a very Viszla morning trip today. The morning crew consisted of the four Viszlas - Miles, Oliver, Cooper and Walker, Tucker, Arten, Chip and Coco.  The Viszlas were having the time of their life today - we ran into a friend of theirs, Watson, another 18 mo old Viszla. They were so amped up about Watson, they were clearly not able to focus for our routine group pic! On the way back from the water we ran into yet another male Viszla puppy. It was honestly making me dizzy trying to watch and keep track of them all! That's six Viszlas in one place at one time - that's a lot of wiggling!

When I was in between trips, Coco's mom, Bickie, had made me my favorite lunch - arugula and quinoa salad! There's really nothing better than having a delicious lunch waiting for me so I can keep on going to my next group without wasting time. So thoughtful, and so delicious, thank you Bickie!

The afternoon crew actually got to enjoy some sun today! The crew was Beaudy, Pepper, Stella, Milkshake, Cooper, Bailey and Bambi. Milkshake and Stella have become such good friends - or partners in crime as I call them. They are both 100% ball focused at all times, and they always race each other to the ball, and chase each other back to me. They both even kindly remind me when it's time to throw the ball again ;)

We went down the water to cool off - although it was only 60 degrees Bambi was panting up a storm. Of course she's the only one that doesn't swim... but a little nudge in the water is all she needs to cool down.  Bailey was having a good time with the Jolly Ball. Within the first five minutes of bringing the ball home she had chewed off a corner of the handle, so now the ball collects water and sinks unless it is dumped out frequently. Good job, B.

This handsome man here is Beaudy. He is a 90lb, 3 year old lab. He started going with me last summer, at which time he had never learned to swim. He went to the water with me the first time and dove right in. It was like watching a 30yr old human learn how to walk - very clumsy and awkward - but he did it - and he loved it! He is now one of my most reliable long distance retrievers in the water. Just wait until you see his routine with the hose.... I'll get a video of that when the weather gets a little warmer.

Up at the side field, or the "dome" as some call it, Pepper found a nice stick to gnaw on. Cooper stood over her, patiently waiting for his turn. While Cooper didn't get the stick, he did get bit in the butt by Otter, one of Gretchen's dogs. They played really well together, Otter really knew how to get him going!

On the way home my ladies sat in the front seat while Cooper sat in the back seat. Ahh chivalry isn't dead after all :) 

All in all, it was another great day at the park and we were all happy to see the sun finally come out!