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

Adventures of bwp - 5/16: puppies play rough!

It was an eventful day. Let's be honest, every day is eventful when you're dealing with 12-16 dogs throughout the course of the day. The park gods gave us a half destroyed cone, which Chip and Toby (Arten's buddy) thoroughly enjoyed. Toby liked to carry it around, then drop at my feet to throw. Chip became the master diver at the lake- he kept taking it out there, letting it sink, then fishing around for it. As soon as he pulled it up, he would shake his head for so long it would sink again! This cycle occupied us for a while.

Cooper kept finding these while balls under water- they seemed like croquet balls? Definitely not dog toys and they definitely sank. He pulled up 4 of them. I think someone was playing a trick on the dogs.

We had two injuries today- I hope I don't even have to explain how unusual that is! Bonita got a tooth to her snout- a result of her and one of her best buddies (who shall go unnamed) wrestling too hard. While she was completely unphased and kept playing as if nothing happened, we went to visit Dr. Spencer and he cleaned her up. Thanks for fitting us in! The next injury was in our afternoon group- little miss Chesa nicked the top of her paw (think dog version of knuckle) while running after a ball in the gravel and was bleeding. She didn't even notice and kept on playing her heart out- I washed it off and it wasn't anything more than a little cut, still not ideal to walk around the park with people pointing out "your dog is bleeding!".... Well, yes, she is, but she is also parading around with her frisbee in the air happy as ever. I'm very happy to say that both injuries were purely due to puppies playing and nothing of any violence or aggression. Puppies come home from the park with boo boos just like kids come home from the playground. Both pups are back at the park the next day!

Meet Nancy

Meet Nancy Hutson, ballwalkpark's first official employee! Nancy has been helping me out with individual walks and puppy visits. She has raised and trained numerous dogs over the years with her family, mostly retrievers trained for hunting. The most recent addition to her family is Woody, a Jack Russell Terrier. Nancy has been dedicated to learning about the terrier breed and training Woody to be a wonderful little dog. She was very involved in training classes at Ahimsa and practices positive reinforcement with a never ending pocket of delicious treats. While I didn't intend to hire an employee, and wasn't looking for anyone, I am so grateful to have Nancy working with me and don't know what I would do without her. She is very knowledgeable about dogs, very good with them, and really understands and loves them.  She is the only woman I know who can host an 8 person BBQ with 9 full size dogs in attendance. Yes, that's right, we call it dog fest. Only a true dog person can hold an event outnumbered by dogs, while serving food, and love it :)

As you can probably already tell, Nancy was not a Craig's List hire, she is actually my best friend's mom, and someone I consider my second mom. We've called each other "Fr-om" (friend + mom) and "Fr-aughter" (friend + daughter) for nearly ten years. She married my best guy friend's dad when we were in high school, so my best girl friend and my best guy friend are now step-brother/sister. I have gone to more family holidays and events of theirs than my own in past years.

So there's the relationship - Nancy was leaving her job a few months ago and offered to help me out with walks. I was running with a pretty tight schedule with two park trips a day and really wanted to be able to provide individual walks and puppy visits for those clients who weren't going on park trips. I was delighted to have the help, especially from someone who I trust and respect as much as Nancy. People had been asking me for months when/if I was going to hire someone, and I kept saying that I just didn't see it happening because I didn't think I would be able to find anyone that cared about my dogs as much as I did, and was worried about trusting someone to take care of the pups to the high standard I expect and strive to provide. Nancy exceeds every hope and expectation.

One of the best things about having Nancy work with me is that she is able to provide walks with a more flexible schedule, which means not being rushed and just enjoying the walk. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbSrbd2W-Dg] She and Jambo, the adorable Golden Retriever puppy, have explored all over Queen Anne - they visit Highland drive on a nice day, stop by the pet store for treats and smell flowers in the neighborhood pea patch. On one of their walks a few weeks ago, Nancy made this adorable video of Jambo tromping down the streets, and put it to the song "Jambo #5". Now that's going the extra mile ;)

I am so lucky to have Nancy working with me and am proud to have her walking and taking care of any of ballwalkpark's clients. Her sidekick, Woody, is a great help too -providing a little canine companionship impromptu playtime on walks.

Thanks Nancy! ballwalkpark loves you :)

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"]

It's a must...

A lot of people laugh when I ask if they have pet insurance, but I bet they aren't laughing when their pup chews apart its favorite rubber toy and swallows who knows what and needs hundreds of dollars in X-rays. It's one of those things you always think is a good idea in theory, but never find the right time to actually sign up, and then when you need it you wish you had taken that minute to sign up. Well, here is your minute! Go to Healthy Paws Pet Insurance using this link - http://healthypaws.extole.com/a/clk/VRzj5 - and sign up now! You will get 10% off your pet's coverage for life. You can choose your own deductible/coverage amount and they cover up to 90% of your vet bills, including genetic diseases, accidents, illness, all that good stuff. Here are some of my favorite things about Healthy Paws:

• They are a small enough company that when you call, you talk to an actual person, every time. They actually care to talk to you and help you. Genuinely.
• I told them that I prefer to use naturopathic treatments on my dogs and their plan doesn't mention covering them - they said that if something like that comes up, give them a call and they will see what they can work out. They want to help do what is best for my pet.
• They sent me this super nice letter explaining the 70% increase in vet costs over the past couple years and their need to increase monthly premiums - by less than $2/month! *Bailey is with a different company (pre-Healthy Paws) and they increased her premium by 25% this year and 15% next.... I can't switch her b/c she has a ton of pre-existing conditions.
• When I submitted my first claim for Bambi, I had to submit her health record. The woman who processed my claim emailed me back to say she would reimburse me for the claim, and that she noticed there were a couple other office visits on Bambi's record and she would be happy to reimburse those as well. Who does that?!?!? I was thrilled!
• I don't have to worry about how much my pet insurance company may think a certain procedure should cost (some companies have certain amounts allotted for certain types of claims) - they just cover a percentage of my actual vet bill!

Now for the best part, why you have read this far, there is something in this for you too! Whether you sign up for insurance or not, whether you even have a pet or not! If you also sign up for Healthy Paws' Refer A Friend program, you get $25 for each and every one of your friends who signs their pet up too! You can get that $25 in cash or gift cards - OR you can donate it right back to pet adoption groups through their Foundation. 

Happy Mother's Day for Dog Moms too!

I ran across this today and had to share it. Happy Mother's day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who have children that are bit hairier than others and walk on four paws!This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick dogs in their arms, wiping up barf laced with edible and inedible things and saying "It's okay baby, Mommy's here."

Who have sat on the floor for hours on end soothing dogs who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with dog hair on their suits, unexpected scratches on their wrists and poo bags in their purse, coat pocket, pants pocket and all other pockets.

For all the mothers who make their own dog food and treats. And all the mothers who don't.

This is for all the mothers who go to the special pet stores to collect the proper treats, food and toys no matter that it take 3 stops and 50 stoplights.

This is for all the mothers who taught their dogs to sit, come and stay. And for all the mothers who opted for sit.

This is for all the mothers who teach their dogs agility and obedience and actually understand that it needs to be FUN!

This is for all the mothers who took their dog to the vet assuring them that there would be no needles only to be told they need a blood sample.

For all the mothers whose dog has gone missing and was returned because she had the forethought to have chip put between its shoulders.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Ever available treats?

The ability to answer the door, hold back the dog and deal with a phone call all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache you feel when you walk out the door to your job every Monday through Friday knowing that 2 eyes are boring into your back?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread when you hear the sounds of heaving at 2:00am?

Years later, the guilt that won't away when you have no other choice but to put your friend down?

The emotions of motherhood are universal, and so this is for you all. For all of us...

Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them everyday that we love them.

http://www.justlabradors.com/forum/lab-chat/4105-happy-mothers-day-dog-owners.html

The Cozy Cave

Do you have a dog that loves to cuddle and burrow? Do you have a Viszla? Then you need a Cozy Cave! I had been hearing about Miles' Cozy Cave forever now, but I didn't really know what it was until he came and stayed with me for a few days. It is quite possibly the most adorable thing ever. If you say "go to bed" he will just crawl in there and curl up. He went in head first one time and knocked over a fan in my bedroom and that really freaked him out - the whole bed was scurrying across the room!

Apprantley Miles got the Cozy Cave because he wouldn't sleep through the night otherwise - he was too cold and wanted to be wrapped in a blanket (or possibly in the bed, under the covers?!). The Cozy Cave solved the problem.

Walker, another ballwalkpark Viszla, recently got a Cozy Cave as well. I got a text from his "mom" today saying that if I didn't see him in her bedroom to look for limbs sticking out of the Cozy Cave.

You can find them at brookstone - http://www.brookstone.com/sl/product/49064-cozy-cave-pets.html.

I have no motivation to be pushing these other than I think they are hilarious to watch dogs cuddle up in! If only my dogs liked to burrow....

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!

Why does Cooper always ride in the front seat?

Does it seem like I am always posting pictures of Cooper riding in the front seat when other dogs are in the back of the truck? Well, while almost every dog has been in the front seat at one time or another, Cooper has definitely claimed the passenger seat as his throne. This is not a game of favorites, and here is the story of how this came to be.... When I started taking Cooper to the park he was about 7 months old and full of energy. I was still driving my 4runner with all the dogs right behind me - seperated only by a metal dog gate - and I had a pretty strict protocol on how the dogs behaved while I was driving - lay down and shut up! Well, wiggly-exploding-with-energy Mr. Cooper just couldn't hang in the back. So, he rode up front with a doggy harness on so he couldn't move or cause any trouble. Eventually, we graduated to the point where he could ride in the back with the other dogs on the way home from the park, once he had calmed down a little bit. And the finally, he graduated to being sane enough to ride in the back all the time.

Let me take a step back.... when I met Cooper, I knew that he was only going to be with me for year. His mom is in a grad school program and is moving back to Chicago with her husband in August. I told myself not to get attached to this one because I knew he would be leaving me eventually - FAIL! 

Starting about two months ago I had an explosion of Golden Retriever puppies join the pack - Stella, Tucker, Bonita and Chesa (yellow lab, but still a puppy!). As one could imagine, these puppies demanded a lot of my attention in the first few weeks just to make sure they were adjusting to the routine and sticking with the pack. During this time, Cooper totally started acting out. He has always been a very good dog - if I call him, he comes running so fast he skids to my feet and sits as stiff as a statue for his treat. I can literally get him to do anything with a "Coop Coop" and reaching for a treat in my pocket.

One day, things started to change with Cooper. He stopped coming when I called him, and he started doing all the bad things you don't want at dog to do at the park! He was drinking out of the nasty puddles even when I called him away, he was playing too rough with the puppies (unheard of for Mr. Cooper), he was running away from the truck when it was time to load up and refused to get in, and then the ultimate.... he ate poop. Cooper eating poop may have been one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I was reaching in my pocket for a bag, and he was sniffing the specimen. He kept looking at me like he was daring me or something.... Right as I reached down to pick it up, he took a big bite of the poop!!! So gross, I know, but unfortunately, quite a few dogs do it.... As soon as he took the bite he gave me this horrified look, like "why did I do that?!" but it was too late to do anything about it. After this string of events, I was driving away from a frustrating park day with Cooper and it hit me! Mr. Cooper was jealous and felt replaced by the puppies. I don't know why it took me so long to realize that - possibly because none of my other dogs were acting out - I try very hard to give equal attention to all of my dogs, but apparently they aren't all as sensitive as Cooper.

Normally I would try and work through this with a dog, but since Cooper is only with me for one more month (yes, his park trips end this month!), I figured I would try a little experiment. I started putting Cooper in the front seat with me as we were leaving the park, and all the behaviors went away. He is back to his good old self - he comes when I call him, he doesn't eat poop, he plays well with the puppies..... It was literally like night and day.

Not only do I enjoy Cooper being on better behavior at the park, I have so much fun with him in the front. I went to get a dog the other day, and came back and Cooper was sitting in my seat. I got in and tried to scoot him over, and he totally went limp, absolutely refusing to move. He then tried to sit on my lap and lick all over my face. Oh Coop.

On rainy days I cover him with towels to keep him from shivering. Or in extreme situations, like today, I put a hoodie on him. I'll miss you Coop, it's nice to have someone to talk to in the car ;)

Adventure of the soggy doggy - 4/25

Today was a wet one - to say the least! The dogs were drenched and muddy, but we had the park to ourselves for the most part with was pretty fun. The morning crew consisted of Arten, Otis, Chip, Tucker, Bonita and Cooper. We played a good game of fetch up in the main field - Tucker was my award-winning retriever - catching the ball almost every time, flying through the air to beat the other dogs. On the way to the water Chip found a stick, or a small log, to carry along with us. He didn't that long... but he did get several comments by impressed park patrons passing by - "strong lab".

While at the water, Tucker continued to be ultra-retriever bring two balls back in at once. We've all seen dogs do this, but I was really impressed with Tucker because he is so small I didn't think they would even fit in his mouth! Proved me wrong.

This is what Otis considered a ball and carried around with him for the whole park trip. Of all the tennis balls in the park, he decided this was the one to hold on to. What a simple man.

The morning crew had a great time and piled into the truck as the soggy doggy mess that they were. Off to get the next group!

For the afternoon, we had Milkshake, Cooper, Bonita, Stella, Pepper, Dexter, Maggie and Lola. I don't know that I have ever taken this exact combo of dogs before, but it was a great group. The perfect mix of dogs that wanted to play, chase, retrieve, and even bring the ball back.

You'd think Bonita and Cooper would be tired from the morning trip, but they were still chasing and wrestling like the two little teenage lovebirds that they are ;) Pepper interfered for a round or two, but it would often lead to humping which I had to break up - too far!

Milkshake and Stella were in charge of the orange Chuck-It ball. Maggie had the big blue ball. Lola had a variety of tennis balls that she would pick up and then go hide in the bushes so nobody else could find them.

All the puppies got a rinse off today - we didn't manage to have one decently clean dog at the end of the trip. Everyone was covered in mud! Including myself - I got in the car and noticed I had a huge swipe of mud across my cheek. I wonder how many people kindly decided not to mention that!

Here was the highlight of my day..... Mr. Cooper had a long day of playing very hard in the rain for a combined 3 hours. When we got in the car to finally go home he would not stop shivering (not abnormal for Viszlas - they have thin skin and very little fat) and wrapping him in towels like I usually do wasn't helping. I felt so bad for the little pup that I put him in a sweatshirt I had lying in the back of my truck. It fit him just perfectly and he curled up and went to sleep in no time - but not before I got an excellent picture of my little goof ;)

Jambo's Dog Park Debut! 4/22

ballwalkpark's youngest pup, Jambo,  made his dog park debut today! At first he just stuck right by his mama's side but it didn't take long for him to gain his confidence to go and run with the pack. He had excellent recall, Jennifer uses the command "touch" and that little man would come running from anywhere when he heard that. Good boy!

After only a few minute of romping around the park with the big kids, Jambo was exhausted. Luckily, he got his second wind, and then his third wind, and was able to keep up just fine. The first friend he made was Mr. Cooper, no surprise. Cooper offered to share his Chuck-It retrieving toy with Jambo - he didn't quite understand the game but appreciated the gesture. Jambo was very curious - sniffing lots of butts and greeting lots of humans.

As we were walking through the park, Chip offered to give me the retrieving toy, a trick I have fallen for many times. He either wants to just show off his prized possession, or wants me to attempt to play tug of war, at which I always lose. I just can't put my whole body into and make it a fair match like Milkshake can.

Finally, the moment we had been waiting for, Bonita and Jambo found each other! They are from the same breeder and from the day Jennifer contacted the breeder and found Jambo the parents have been dying for the pups to meet. They rolled around the ground and wrested and played for quite some time. Is there anything cuter than two golden puppies rolling around?

After Jambo went home, Bonita kept the party going with her buddy Cooper. They ran in circles around the mounds and wrested. She even invited Cooper up to the top of the mound - where the princess usually likes to rest and observe. What are we going to do without Cooper - always the life of the party :)

We stopped by the water bowls for a quick slurp - all the chasing gets you pretty thirsty! Check out Milkshake's tongue! That thing probably dries out flapping in the wind like that - gotta rehydrate! After a water break we were off to the truck - concluding another great week at the park.

I am so glad that Jambo and Jennifer had such a great first park experience. He is going to be such an awesome little park dog! He has lots of big brothers and sisters to watch out for him and show him the ropes. Jennifer should be a proud mama - she has put a lot of work and love into this little man and it shows!

Adventures of ballwalkpark 4/21

We had two great park trips today - the dogs were happy, playful and on their best behavior. The sun does wonders for all of us! Our first trip was with the infamous four Viszlas: Miles, Oliver, Cooper and Walker, also Chip, Coco, Chesa and Otis! We headed into the park with our two favorite orange chuck-it balls. Unfortunately, we  have two ball hoarders, Ollie and Otis. Ollie will drop the ball to be thrown pretty frequently, but he is so fast he ALWAYS gets it, and Otis just holds onto the ball and works up a nice frothy mouth.

Chesa and Cooper found a gift from the "park gods" - a pink frisbee-type ring. Cooper wore it as a necklace and Chesa played tug of war with his neck. After Cooper gave up on this game, Chip took over wearing the frisbee necklace and Chesa played with him. Some of our best finds have been from the park gods. The rule is (at least the way we play it - for best "park god" karma) is you can play with the toy as long as you're at the park, but you can't take it home with you. That toy most likely won't be there when you come back, but something else will be!

The low point of the morning trip was when I threw the ball down the narrow walk way leading down to the water, and it bounced off Ollie's nose and went all the way over the fence! It was tragic. Ollie sat and cried at the other side of the fence for a good five minutes. We finally got to moving again and only a few minutes later Ollie stole a ball from June's dogs. I tried every trick I knew with the string cheese to get the ball back, but Ollie wasn't going to risk being ball-less again. We put the ball on June's car before we left - Thanks June!

Cooper was my co-pilot while we dropped off the morning group and picked up our afternoon dogs. He caught a quick nap. What a rough life. There's a story as to why Cooper rides in the front seat....but we will save that for another post.

Our afternoon trip was just as great as the morning - I was worried that with such asmooth morning trip the afternoon may be doomed. Not true at all! The second group was Beaudy, Maggie, Tucker, Stella, Pepper, Dexter, Milkshake and Cooper (again). This group was all about fetch, fetch, fetch. We had our trust orange Chuck-It ball (managed by Mr. Milkshake) and the giant blue Jolly Ball (managed by Miss Maggie).  And we were off to the water for a great swim! Even Cooper got in the water!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMb1EXy59Tw]

Does this make me an "official" dogwalker?

I did it. I took the plunge into being a stereotypical dogwalker. What the first thing you think of when you picture a dogwalker? Yes, most of you said a fanny pack. You guessed it right. I'm rockin a fanny pack these days.

During the winter months I had coat pockets to store all my "things" I need at the park - treats, poop bags, sani wipes, keys and phone. I can't go to the park unprepared so what do I do when I don't have coat pockets?!

This has not been an easy decision for me. I tried every alternative I could think of. I went with the obvious backpack but the dogs all knew there was good stuff in there and would jump on my back nearly knocking me down numerous times. Nothing says you're jn control of your pack when you're lying facedown at the dog park. Some dogwalkers use backpacks, cargo pant pockets, even tool belts..... I think the fanny pack is the choice for me. Go ahead and laugh. It's the only way I can accept the fact that I've come to wearing a fanny pack!

I got the most ridiculously colored/designed one on purpose. This can't become a habit. Park use only. I will, however, look into buying a larger one when summer comes around and I want to accommodate a small water bottle.

Ahhh function beat fashion on this one for sure. Have I gone over the edge yet?!

ballwalkpark talk

Everyone talks to their dog, right? Well, in my case, I talk to dogs A LOT. I spend the majority of my day, the majority of my time, with about 6 dogs and no humans. It can get lonely, but luckily I have all my four-legged friends to talk to. We have gone far beyond the normal commands dogs are usually used to being spoken to. I have actually found that not only do I talk to my dogs a lot while we are strolling through the park, but I talk to them very politely. I don't even talk to humans this politely (not intentionally - of course I always try and mind my manners ;) I call everyone by "Mr." or "Misses".

I say "excuse me"when I need them to move.

I apologize profusely if I ever run into any of them, or even worse, hit them with a ball from the chuck-it. (I consider this pretty normal behavior though....)

To get the ball back, I say"May I see that ball please?"

I always say "thank you". 

I even pick up their poop. 

I'm not sure how or why this habit started, but when I realized I was doing it I found it pretty humorous. Not only am I the crazy dog lady walking through the park carrying on conversations with a 4-legged-creature with a slimy stick hanging out of it's mouth, I am saying please and thank you and calling them for formal names. I think I may be due for a happy hour with friends or some type of human social interaction! 

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!!!