ballwalkpark's 4th anniversary!

This week marks ballwalkpark's 4th anniversary! On January 20th, 2010, I left my office desk for the last time and proudly displayed my ballwalkpark flier in the window as my "goodbye". On January 23rd, I woke up on a Monday morning, put on my yoga pants and rain boots and went out to pick up my first pack. Time flies when you're playing with puppies! 

(right) ballwalkpark's first pack - Teddy (in the way back), Bailey, Chinook, Buster and Fletcher. (bottom left) Baby Fletcher at 4mo old on his first sleepover with Bailey and I. (middle left) My last day at an office job - ballwalkpark flier in the window. (top left) My beloved lime green hunter boots - the original ballwalkpark signature. 

Four years feels different than three for some reason. Maybe it is because the last time I did something consecutively for four years, and learned so much during that time, was when I went to college and got a degree. I feel like I have earned my doggie degree! I am by no means a master on the subject, we are talking a B.A. here, not a PhD, but wow have I learned a lot. And the best part is, I never stop wanting to learn about dogs. 

I want to thank all of my clients who have taken a chance on me and allowed me to learn from them and their pups. Each client, human and dog, teaches me something new about dogs, people, business and myself. I have been so fortunate to build a ballwalkpark family with such supportive and inspiring people. There have been many kinks to work out along the way, and it couldn't have been done without your patience, guidance and trust. 

A huge ginormous thanks to Nancy, Chris and Kendal for their help over the years. From the beginning of ballwalkpark I always swore I would never hire an employee because I didn't believe it would be possible to find someone who cared as much about the dogs, clients and business as I do. These guys couldn't have further proved me wrong. Not only have they been amazing employees, sincerely cared for and loved the dogs, they have patiently and gently taught me  how to be a boss, which I think will always be a work in progress ;) 

Words can't describe the happiness your pups have brought to my life over the last four years. Dog walking is a pretty isolated job, and your pups are some of my best friends. They give me a reason to laugh and smile every single day and a reason to love going to work. 

Clients, friends, family, dog walkers, facebook fans, thank you all for your support and for sharing this passion with me. I am one lucky girl. 

Wet Weather Tips for Muddy Paws

OllyDog Tilden Leash 

This may not bother everyone as much as it bothers a dog walker, but there is nothing worse than a soggy leash wrapped around your neck, or even your wrist for that matter. I love these Tilden Leashes by OllyDog because they are stink-proof, waterproof, and flexible enough to be comfortable around your wrist and in your hand. They come in fun colors and last for years! 

Dublin No Stink Dog Collars

These are probably my #1 must have item for dog owners in Seattle. If you're dog plays outside and gets wet and muddy, you need this collar! Have you ever noticed that sometimes the stinky dog actually isn't stinky, it's just the collar? Dublin collars solve that problem entirely! The collars are sturdy rubber, stink proof, waterproof, easy to wash and perfect for Seattle. In my opinion, every active outdoorsy dog needs one of these. I am so adamant about them, I actually bought them for all of my clients for holiday gifts one year.  

Soggy Doggy doormat  

The Soggy Doggy doormat may not seem like much, but it piqued my curiosity enough to try it out. I was really surprised with how well it worked! I got two of them for our boat. The dogs (and us) track in so much water from the deck into the cabin and before you know it, the whole floor is wet. These mats are so absorbent that with just one step on the mat, the paws come off onto the floor dry and clean. It's pretty incredible! Their a small (and I think local?) company, and definitely worth a try!  

Furminator FurDry Wrap Towel 

The Furminator FurDry Wrap Towel is kind of a joke and kind of genius. It's like a bathrobe for your dog. It solves the problem (mostly) of the wet dog jumping on the couch, or getting their bed all soggy. You just wrap them up and let them hang out. By the time you take it off, they are fluffy and dry! I think this would be especially useful for the Golden Retrievers and any other long haired dogs. Yes, they look pretty ridiculous, but a rubbing them with a towel can only get them so dry, believe me, I am a pro! 

While we all dread the wet weather and muddy paws, the dogs absolutely love getting muddy and being able to just be a dog! The trick is just keeping it out of our houses...  

A few tips (that your dogwalker will love you for) 

• Leave towels by the door. We bring our own, but sometimes they get too soggy/dirty to make a difference, so a backup is always helpful 
• Give your dog a space to dry off - whether it is a laundry room, a gated off kitchen, or a crate, it helps everyone to know they aren't going to jump straight onto your white couch.  
• If you use a non-waterproof leash or collar (such as the Wonder Walker harnesses), throw them in the wash once a week to keep the stink away.  

San Francisco: Where dogs, kids and food coexist

Last weekend I flew down to San Francisco with my frenchie, Bambi, to visit a good friend and former client and her dog. The weekend involved a lot of dog activities, including a tour of Oliver's top parks and beaches. 

I was surprised to learn that it is customary to have your dog off leash in San Francisco. I don't know what the official leash laws are, but every where you go, dogs are off leash running in the parks. Dog owners or not, every one seems to be ok with this. I certainly saw a lot of happy dogs over the weekend! 

I immediately noticed a different attitude about dogs than I've experienced in Seattle. At the parks I visited, there were 5-10 dogs running off-leash at any given time, kids playing, and people picnicking all in the same area. I didn't see a single negative dog interaction, in fact, the dogs weren't even necessarily interested in each other, they were just happy doing their own thing. The school teachers and nanny's didn't seem to mind the dogs running around the kids, and the dogs didn't mind the kids. And most surprising,  the dogs didn't even hassle the people with food!  The dogs, the kids, and the parents (of 2 and 4 legged kids) seemed to just be so well socialization amongst one another that they were all just able to coexist without issue. 

I know this can't be a generalization for all the dogs in the city of San Francisco, but the just the few situations I witnessed were so different than what I am used to in Seattle. It wasn't an issue if the dogs were on leash or off leash, near the play ground or not, they were just simply there, fitting in with the rest of the activity. 

I watched Bambi and Oliver play with dogs they normally wouldn't have shown any interest in. Oliver didn't mind the corgi harassing him for a ball for half an hour, in fact his tail was wagging the whole time. Bambi had a great wrestling match with a Chihuahua - I haven't seen her play like that since she was a puppy. 

There was a noticeable difference in the attitude about dogs and the behavior of the dogs we encountered over the weekend. It makes me wonder how different Seattle would be without strict leash laws. Would our dogs become better socialized as a result? Would our dogs have better recall and better obedience since there were so many opportunities to practice as puppies? Would our kids grow up to be more comfortable around dogs? 

Bye Bye Buddy

Buddy and Stefan are all packed up and starting their cross country drive tomorrow. Buddy was only a part of the pack for a little over a year, but he certainly made an impact on me. I learn a little something from every dog I work with, sometimes about dogs, sometimes about myself, sometimes about life in general. Here is my story about Buddy... 

I knew Buddy years before he joined the pack - he and Stefan were always down at the water when I went down there with my rambunctious labs. I remember Buddy always being interested in my labs and wanting to play, which often times ended up in my dogs stealing his ball, which Stefan didn't seem to thrilled about. We would sometimes walk up the pathway at the same time, I remember talking to Buddy a lot, but never Stefan. He didn't seem terribly amused by the blonde girl and her big dogs. You can imagine my surprise when I got an email last year from Stefan saying that he and Buddy had moved back to Seattle (I still have no clue how he got my email), and that he remembered me from the park and wanted me to be Buddy's dog walker. I think that being hired by someone who sees you day in and day out with your pack at the park is the greatest compliment. I was thrilled to have Buddy join our pack. ​

​From the very first day I took Buddy, I knew the he and Stefan were a unique pair. When we got to the park, Buddy wasn't the jolly ball happy lab that I remembered. He was very reserved, and very slow. He wasn't interested in interacting with any of the dogs, and although he stuck with the pack, he struggled to keep up. He was a wonderful pack dog, you couldn't ask for a sweeter temperament, something about his presence just made me happy. I realized I wasn't the only one who felt this way when Stefan texted me that day and said "how are you enjoying Buddy's personality?". I laughed at the question, although realizing that really was what was going on, the question wasn't how is he behaving, or how is he doing, but how am I enjoying his personality. Very much so. 

Over the next few weeks, Buddy got a bit more comfortable with the pack, but never quiet opened up. He hung behind a lot, largely due to food allergies which we luckily got all figured out, but he was also just kind of on his own agenda. This was not what I was used to. I got into dog walking because I have a turbo-charged lab (who is a year older than Buddy) who just won't stop and so I have devoted my life to getting her as tired as possible, as efficiently as possible. This has been essentially the basis of my business, and what I know is how to get high energy dogs to finally lay on the floor and calm down. My whole day is go-go-go to try and accomodate client's schedules, get the dogs to expend as much energy as possible at the park, and minimize drive time in between.  Buddy wasn't really interested in any of those things. ​

One day, when I was waiting for Buddy to catch up, laughing at the little smirk on his face, I realized why Buddy had come into my life. Buddy was there to teach me to slow down, appreciate things, live in the moment. Life at Buddy's pace means you have time to smell the flowers, to feel the sun on your face, and to just breathe. This is a lesson that couldn't have come at a better time - three years into my business, helping my fiance launch another business, co-head of the Magnuson Dog Walker's Association, and just generally not having a grasp on the whole work-life balance thing, stress was taking a toll on my health and it was time for a change. It has taken me years with some dogs to figure out what I learned from them specifically, sometimes not until years after I've worked with them, but with Buddy, I knew in the first couple weeks. He is not an old dog, hardly past middle age, but he has a look about him that you can tell he is very wise. ​

​Aside from this life lesson I learned from Buddy, I didn't feel like we bonded very much. I know it may sound crazy-dog-lady-ish, but it was frustrating to me. All of my dogs love me and get excited to see me and I couldn't understand why Buddy could care less about me. I was sweet to him, I gave him treats, I would throw the ball for him when none of the other dogs were looking so he wouldn't be shy about getting it, but at the end of the day, I think I was just "OK" in his eyes. Then, one day Stefan had work off and came to the park with Buddy and met up with our pack. Just like that, the Buddy I remember from years before was back, chasing the ball, romping around, just so happy to have his dad at the park. The way Buddy looks at Stefan is unlike any dog/human interaction I've seen before - they are each other's world. It honestly is the sweetest thing the way Buddy looks at Stefan. 

I was very honest with Stefan about how Buddy was transitioning into the pack. I told him that I didn't think Buddy liked me and that I may not be the right person. I believe there are different types of dog walkers, dog owners, and dogs, and it's important to find the right fit for all three. I was very happy to work with Buddy and Stefan, but I just didn't think Buddy liked me! After seeing the way Buddy behaved when Stefan was around, and seeing how he looked at him, I realized it had absolutely nothing to do with me. Buddy is a one person dog, and Stefan is his person. After figuring this out, my feelings were no longer hurt, and I just cared for Buddy the best I possibly could knowing how loved he is and that while I would probably never get even an ounce of that love, I was just filling in for Stefan during the day, until his favorite human being in the whole world would come home to him. 

Buddy's break through day with me and the pack

Over the past year, Buddy and I have grown to understand each other more and more. I walk a bit slower, just enjoying his company by my side, and he has decided I'm worthy of a good smirk, sometimes even a smile, as he looks up at me. He definitely became my buddy, and the pack just didn't seem quite right when he wasn't there. ​

In the last month or so, Stefan has been changing jobs and planning his cross country move, so while he unfortunately cancelled Buddy's service, he started meeting me at the park almost daily. I was grateful to be able to spend that time with Buddy and not have such a sudden good bye, I greatly enjoyed Stefan's company at the park (sometimes the conversations with the dogs feels a little one-sided), but most of all, I absolutely loved watching the two of them interact. ​While Buddy won't touch a ball when I throw it, he literally will let it bounce off his back and he will walk the other direction, he goes crazy when Stefan pulls the ball out. Stefan cheers Buddy on and gives him tons of praise and encouragement (which I tried too, but still not the same) and Buddy just loves to bring Stefan that ball. One day Stefan laughed and said that he thinks Buddy really just retrieves the ball more for Stefan than for himself, he thought Buddy could care less. I think he might be right, but it was just the sweetest thing to think that Buddy just wanted to please his man so much that he came bounding back time after time. 

I love sharing the growth, changes and daily activities of the pack with my clients and ballwalkpark facebook community. Having Stefan join us at the park over the past few weeks has been so much fun, it is rare that a client actually gets to see that much of our life at the dog park. He has watched Lucy, Sage and Athena all have their first days at the park and grow up since. The dogs run ahead to greet Stefan and Buddy every day, and we enjoy our morning walks with Buddy back in the pack. Stefan has become quite the dog wrangler, and I know the pups will miss he and buddy as much as I will. ​I am so grateful for these two British men and the impact they've had on ballwalkpark. 

Follow Stefan and Buddy's travels across the country on Stefan's tumblr blog here - http://stefanp1.tumblr.com/. ​

See the album of Buddy's going away party at the park today on the ballwalkpark facebook page ​

Sticky Situations at the Dog Park

{As always, I just want to preface this post with the fact that I am not a certified dog trainer, these are just my opinions based on my experience. ​}

I hear many people say that they took their dog to the dog park when they were younger, and then they got attacked, so they stopped going. While from a loving parent/owner perspective, this totally makes sense, but it makes me so sad to hear. That dog doesn't deserve to miss out on the hundreds, maybe thousands, of fun times at the park and positive social interactions because of that one incident that wasn't their fault. 

​I witnessed one of these incidents at the park this afternoon. A woman and her younger lab were in the big field, playing ball and wrestling with pups passing by. A guy was sitting on the table on his phone, where he had been for the last 20 minutes, as his dog ran wild in the main area of the park. There's lots to be said about that alone, but for now, just stating the facts. This guy's dog approached the lab and started circling while the lab, who had been outgoing and playful with other dogs, stuck to the woman's legs. After a few more circles, the lab got brave and stepped out to play with the other dog. Within seconds the play escalated to the other dog attacking the lab. The guy nonchalantly walks over and kicks his dog, leashes her up, and walks off. Both dogs were OK, it was more noise than anything, but clearly scary for the lab's owner. 

​When Bailey was younger, and obviously so was I, I am sure I would have acted the exact same way at the lab owner. Uncomfortable but not really sure what to do, feeling very helpless. Between practically living at the dog park for the past nearly 4 years, knowing infinitely more about dogs than I used to, and being responsible for other people's dogs, I have become quiet comfortable taking charge in and trying to prevent these situations before they even begin. So, for whoever happens to stumble across this post, here are my suggestions:

• ​always match dogs to their owners, as soon as you see the dog coming near. You want to know who to talk to if you need to.
• speak up! If someone's dog is making you uncomfortable, ask the owner to get their dog! If their dog is obviously acting in appropriate, I just ask them flat out to come get their dog. If it is something that I am just uncomfortable with, or the owner is obviously oblivious, I make up an excuse that my dog has a problem with white fluffy dogs (or whatever their dog is) and ask if they will hold onto their dog while I walk away. ​
• Shoo the dog away. People often hesitate to bark commands at other people's dogs, and rightly so, but when you feel threatened or like your dog may be in danger, by all means, tell that dog to go away! I am honestly surprised how often it works, I always assume if the dog doesn't know me, it won't listen, but if you use a stern tone and just "no" or "go" and point back to where they came from, they almost always go! ​
• use your body language. If a dog is approaching your dog and you aren't sure about that dog, use your body to step in between your dog and the oncoming dog. If a dog is viciously charging at you and you just know it is going to bite you, I wouldn't suggest doing this, that is a whole other level I'm not prepared to address, but I will tell you that has never happened to me. ​
• know appropriate play. Check out the APDT's article on Dog Park Body Language for a refresher. ​A couple simple guidelines: 1) both dogs should be having fun, 2) balanced play (take turns chasing, being on bottom), 3) Mutually initiate play and frequent rest breaks, and 4) no ganging up, 1:1 play is best
• Last, but not least, if it would make you feel more comfortable, you can carry a bottle of SprayShield Animal Deterrent with you. ​It is forceful citronella spray that is very effective at breaking up dog fights, but completely safe for the dogs.

If you are timid, it may cause your dog to be more timid, which may make them more of a target for bully dogs. Again, I'm not a trainer, but this is something you hear a lot, and I believe it to be true from personal experience. So be confident and know that you are in charge and no dog is going to mess with your pup! Now go find the nice dogs that just want to wrestle and chase and let your pup run herself tired! 

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!

New Years Resolution: Part 1: Party in the back

My New Years Resolution (Part 1, there will be more to come) is to teach all of my dogs

to ride in the back of the truck. I bought this truck two years ago today, and the whole reason for trading in my trusty 4Runner for a truck was to get have "human space" and "dog space". I dreamed of having a clean car where I could escape from the dog farts and mud while chauffeuring my beloved pups around town. One by one, I started making exceptions for dogs that were allowed to ride up front. Two years later, I am having to schedule my park trips around the available seats in the front seat of my truck, while the canopy area is nearly empty at times! The dogs have totally won this battle and it's time for me to make some changes.

Life in the 4Runner was good. It was a perfect way to start my business and build my pack and I wouldn't take it back at all. Being close to the dogs definitely had its benefits, I couldn't stand being with wet farting dogs for hours a day. The smell was seeping into my skin and I was coughing up dog hair like a cat with a hairball. Not literally, but I felt like it could have happened any day...  If this business was going to continue, something had to change.

The day I decided to start looking for a truck, my dream truck popped up on Craig's List. It was meant to be, and with the help of the wonderful people at Barrier Audi, I was driving home my Toyota Tundra that very same day. I don't know about you, but when I get a new car, I make all sorts of resolutions to myself... I'll never eat in the car, I'll take off my shoes before getting in, yeah right.... Well my one resolution with this truck was NO DOGS IN THE FRONT.

I think it took me less than a week to go back on my dog free front seat resolution. There are many good reasons for putting dogs up front; new puppies need to adjust to the routine, small dogs (frenchies) may get trampled or upset (see Harley's protest poop story), or sometimes I just can't physically get the dog in the truck. The first two will always be welcome in the front until they are comfortable moving to the back, which may never happen for the little guys and I am OK with that, it's the last category I'm talking about...  This is the main area I am focusing on with my current dogs. I know once you get a taste of first class it's hard to go back, but those guys in back get to party the whole way to and from the park. I need to convince certain dogs that they want to join the party, not be the teacher's pet.

My plan is to work with each of these dogs with an empty back of the truck and deep pockets of delicious dog treats. This is going to take some one on one time, outside of the park, what some refer to as "free time", but it is going to be worth it in the long run. I think with the right amount of dedication, you can train a dog to do just about anything (at least jump in a truck), so I am dedicating myself to helping these dogs get over their fears and join the party in back. Check back to hear about my progress. I am counting on you guys to hold me to this!

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....

The sacred orange Chuck-it ball

In my afternoon trip today, I was down at the water with three ball obsessed dogs equipped with three orange rubber chuck-it balls. We were off in the corner by the big tree enjoying our retrieving relay races. A man standing next to us had a retriever who also had the same orange rubber chuck-it ball. There were a couple times during our rapid fire fetch that one of my dogs would get his ball on accident. He explained that his dog was particular and only liked his own ball so I made sure to always get his ball back from my dogs. It's a bit of work juggling three dogs and four balls but it's not this guy's fault that my dogs can snatch up a ball in .0003 seconds. My dogs were the only guilty ones here, his dog would snatch up any ball nearby but would then immediately spit it back out once he realized it had cooties on it.

After a few minutes of this call juggling I decided it was time to go. I do not enjoy retrieving as much as my dogs do. Just as my last dog clears the gate to leave the beach I hear someone calling after me. It was my ball patrol friend. He told me that one of my dogs must have his dog's ball because he threw the ball out in "the ocean" and his dog refused to go get it. Obviously, the next logical thing to do would be to track down the dog walker. If I had the nerve/time/patience to track down every dog owner at the park that may have potentially stolen a toy of mine, I could have saved literally hundreds of dollars. Maybe even Thousands!

So anyways, to get the taste test of balls set up just right I have all three of my dogs on leash, and managed to have them all cough up at their orange rubber chuck it balls. The guy takes the first ball I hand him and throws it out into the water about 10 yards. The dog swims out to the ball, grabs it, spits it back out. "whoops, guess that wasn't it" the guy laughs. I'm starting to feel like the retriever again. Good thing we have two more rounds to go.

Meanwhile, the ball connoisseur is swimming out into "the ocean" and retrieving the original ball in question. He brings it all the way back to the store and then drops it for another one of the balls that my dogs gave up. I was too preoccupied with that combined 250 pounds of leashed dog who were trying to get in on the ball buffet to notice which ball the dog actually decided it was his. Whichever one it was it only lasted for about 50 yards before he gave it up again and tried to start the whole game over. As much fun as it was, my least dogs and I were ready to move on.

I tried very hard to stay pleasant about the whole situation, reassuring him that this was all a part of the fun of working with dogs. He was very nice and pleasant, and no doubt a very devoted dog owner.

Bottom line, what's yours is yours and if your dog wants his own ball then you have every right to get that ball for your dog. I just wish your dog could accurately detect that sacred ball, and in an ideal world it wouldn't involve 3 other balls. Maybe just one other to narrow it down from would be helpful. And if your dog is able to detect his own scent on a ball so well, couldn't he just go ahead and put some smell on there that will deter any other dog? That would be really helpful. Thanks.

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!

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!!!

Caption contest!

This picture from the park today deserves a caption contest! Submit comments below with your best caption!

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.