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"]
Posts tagged #dog
New Years Resolution: week 1
Casual Friday.... Back to resolution training on Monday.
New Years Resolution part 3: one way ticket
I just absentmindedly deleted my picture evidence, so you are just going to have to trust me on this one: Cooper rode to the park in the back of the truck and Achilles rode home in the back! Cooper was not at all interested at first, so I put him back inside and drove around the block. I was hoping that theory about dogs not having a sense of time would work on my side and he would think he missed out on his park trip. When I came back 2 minutes later, he still wasn't terribly excited about the truck, but a running start did the trick and we were off to pick up Miles. He actually seemed pretty happy back there with Miles and Bonita, not anxious at all. He didn't even try to linebacker charge me when I let Miles in.
Achilles was totally under the trance of the magic cheese and didn't even realize he was jumping in the truck until it was too late. He was not stoked about being back there but hopefully the magic cheese will bring him back there tomorrow.
I am very proud of both of these guys! If you didn't watch Cooper's video yesterday, you should go watch it now!
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!
Honeymoon at the dog park
Every new dog park pup that I've taken has what I call a "honeymoon" period. At first they are calm, sweet, responsive, just perfect angels. It usually takes about 3 weeks for them to fully adjust, be comfortable, and come out of their shell. This is when their true colors shine and I see what kind of pup they really are. I love to see a new pup starting to play more, beat the other dogs to get the ball and just generally having fun! Here is Heidi on her first day:
Here is Heidi 3 weeks later:
Where did your pup's name come from?
Did you know: "Jambo" means "hello" in swahili. Jennifer just got home from climbing Mt. Kilamanjaro when she got her 8 week old puppy. Exchanging "Jambo" with everyone she passed on the trail is what led to the name of her new pup! Is there a story behind your pup's name? Share it on our ballwalkpark Facebook page!
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!
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!
Bearer of the ring bearer (part 2)
The big day was a success! Milkshake did absolutely wonderful and everyone loved him! He looked very handsome in his bow tie and black leash and collar. As we walked down the halls of the W Hotel and through the crowd of the cocktail hour, all I heard was "there's Milkshake!". I was honestly shocked at how well behaved he was - he managed himself very well through the crowds, posed for the pictures, and most importantly, walked down the aisle perfectly!
I'll give you a run down of the events of the day. First though, I have to say that Milkshake definitely knew something was going on. He had been off all week - a little more anxious, a little more barking, and just generally a little less obedient! He stayed at my house the night before the wedding, and by the time we got up in the morning to go the park you could tell that he was definitely feeling the stress of the big day, if you know what I mean.... His breakfast came out almost as fast as it came in....
We spent a couple hours at the dog park in the morning with my dogs, Bailey and Bambi, and his best friend, Chip (another Chocolate lab). We ran and played all the way down to the water, where Milkshake and I had an intense game of fetch going on in the lake. Swimming is the best way to tire him out! As we were leaving the water Milkshake was sure to roll in the mud and wood chips - little did he know he had a bath coming anyways. After we left the park, we stopped at Petapoluza, where I gave him a bath and made sure he was looking his best for the big day!
On the way down to the hotel, I realized we had somewhat of a problem on our hands. As many dog owners can relate to, Milkshake was letting me know how nervous he was by passing some horrible gas. It's one thing when you're in the car and you can roll down the window, but this wasn't going to be an option for long, as we were only a couple blocks from the hotel. Luckily, once we got there, we were invited into the grooms dressing room where a little dog fart wasn't too offensive. Milkshake was happy to see his parents and I think that put him at ease a little - we were all grateful.
Next up were pictures! Milkshake was in a series of different pictures, bride and groom, full wedding party, groom and flower girl, etc.... the excellent photographer, Ken from Azzura, had me position Milkshake in the picture, and then I used a treat to get his attention. He has a great sit-stay, so I was able to back up behind the photographer, holding the treat above the camera, and it worked perfectly! I think Ken was able to get some really great pictures. During the full wedding party picture, it was pretty chaotic trying to get everyone in place, and adding a dog in the mix was not easy. Luckily, we were able to get him just in place, and the treat trick worked long enough to get a few amazing pictures - with his ears perked up, and a couple where he had his tongue hanging out a little too. So precious!
Shortly after pictures, it was our big moment, the walk down the aisle. I had a few major "what-if" scenarios going through my head. What if he freaks out and tries to relieve himself in the aisle (considering his digestive system throughout the day, this was a valid concern, I believe). What if he gets so excited to see his parents at the end of the aisle he bolts and pulls me flat on my face in the process? Luckily, neither of these happened. Not even close. When it was our time, Milkshake pranced down the aisle, right by my side, on a loose leash even. When we got up to the front, we stood off to the side, and he laid down and slept most of the ceremony. It wasn't until when Ben and Lori were giving their vows did he perk up and start crying. I think he was happy for them :)
After the ceremony we did a few laps through the cocktail hour, where he was showered
with affection and praise for his wonderful performance. By the end of all of this, he was worn out! He retreated to the dressing room to chew on his new bully stick for a little bit, and then we went home!
The wedding was beautiful, almost as beautiful as the bride. The ceremony was fun and everything seemed to go very smoothly. I hope Ben and Lori had exactly the wedding they imagined! It was truly a success story to having a dog in a wedding! Good job Milkshake!!!
Bearer of the ring bearer
Today is a big day for ballwalkpark, and it is THE big day for Milkshake's proud parents, Ben and Lori. Why ballwalkpark? Ben and Lori have asked me to be Milkshake's "handler" and walk him down the aisle at their wedding - he is the ring bearer! I am so honored to be a part of their big day and absolutely love that Milkshake is such a big part of their wedding! I was reading an article in The Bark magazine this month about dogs in weddings. Apparently 18% of dog owners include their pups in their wedding ceremony - I had no idea it was that common! In the article, the title of my role is apparently called the "bearer of the ring bearer" - so that it is!
Here's a quick preview of our day:
I am getting ready to take Milkshake and Chip (his best friend) to the park for several hours, to make sure he gets all of his puppy energy out! He needs to be on his best behavior today!
After the park, where they will inevitably be filthy, I am going to take Milkshake to Petapoluza where I can give him a bath. I am hoping this is relatively painless - Milkshake HATES getting sprayed off at the dog park. Either way, it must get done!
We will arrive at the W hotel this afternoon where Milkshake will get dressed up in his bow-tie and boutonniere and get ready for family pictures, etc. We have been working on sitting nicely when we meet people and instead of "shake", saying "nice to meet you". We'll see how this goes over with the excitement of the day!
After a couple run throughs, the big ceremony will commence! I can't wait to watch Lori walk down the aisle. Since the day I met this couple, almost a year ago, they have been absolutely glowing about their engagement and planning this wedding. When it becomes our turn, Milkshake and I will (hopefully) gracefully walk down the aisle. We are hoping for no pulling to greet guests (I'll be wearing heels, and he is a strong 2yr old lab!), and not freaking out when he sees his parents at the end of the aisle! We have already discussed worst case scenario though, I just let go of the leash and he trots down the aisle to greet his parents - will be sure to get a good laugh from the guests!
After the ceremony, Milkshake will make an appearance at the cocktail hour, do a lap or two, then he will wish his parents a wonderful honeymooon and come home to stay with me! Bailey and Bambi are getting a brother for a couple weeks :)
I will try to post some pics throughout the day, if not today, definitely soon after. We're off to the park to run off some of that energy!
Congrats Ben and Lori!!!
ballwalkpark is in Seattle Met Magazine: How to pick a dog walker
23 Reasons It’s Great to Be a Pet in Seattle
For starters, we teach dogs how to talk. Not really, but if Penny here could, she’d tell you she never wants to leave.
Photo: Radius Images/Corbis
1 Because Someone, Somewhere Is Willing to Walk Your Dog
That’s actually a blessing and a curse. Sure, it’s great that we’ve got more dog-walking businesses than you can shake a gnawed-on stick at (a search of Yelp shows more than 100 in Seattle and on the Eastside), but how to know which one is right for Rover? Kelley Goad, owner of Ballwalkpark and KING 5’s best dog walker in 2010, has some advice:
• Go under cover The best way to pick a pooch handler is to watch them in action at an off-leash park. Some will stand around while the dogs play. Others will get down and dirty with their four-legged clients. Do we need to tell you which one to hire? • Peruse the pack Chances are, a walker already shepherds a group of pups, so it’s worthwhile to find out how many dogs are in it and what breeds are represented. “If your dog hates huskies,” Goad says, “you don’t want him to go with a bunch of huskies.” • Trust your gut “A dog walker is going to be a bigger part of your life than you think,” Goad says. (She’s in her clients’ homes so often, they make her lunch and buy her Christmas gifts.) So it’s not only important that they’re good to your dog, but also that they give you a “good person” vibe. Ballwalkpark, 206-659-9027; ballwalkpark.com
http://www.seattlemet.com/health-and-fitness/articles/23-reasons-its-great-to-be-a-pet-in-seattle-february-2011/
Proud bam
Bam has beensitting here staring at me with this bone in her mouth for the past
five minutes. Hasn't moved a bit. That's one proud Bam!
