That is a lot of Lab to Love

Maggie is a big girl. She is just plain huge. I have never seen a female Lab this big. And she does want to be loved, a lot. Petting on her could easily get me knocked off my feet. She weighs more than I do.

But she is a big love and wants to be petted all over. I can just picture her with the two little girls that just love her to bits. They must just hug on her and lay on her like a giant living teddy bear, because that is what she is.

A Reversal of Roles for Shilo

Shilo is a Chaser not a Chasee, as a rule.

He is a large yellow Lab with tons of energy, power, stamina and not much on manners or steering. When he shows up he loves to chase and chase and chase another dog until I have to run interference to give the chasee a break. Sometimes he can find a match for his energy, like BB and all is good. Mostly, he just wears out and annoys a series of dogs before he gets a bit tired.

Not this weekend, the group dynamic was particularly weird and Shilo was the Chasee, big time.

It seems unusual to me to suddenly have an empty kennel during the week, but that is pretty normal for the fall. It was just such a crazy summer that is seems very suddenly empty all the time. So this week, I had only one dog for a day, and then 2 dogs for a day, and then a full kennel all at once on Friday. Friday's 11am playtime was only two dogs. Friday's 2pm playtime was 9 dogs. At lunchtime, Chaser and Bella, Daisy and Lady, Roxie, and finally Shilo arrived. This is also pretty unusual. Drop off are pretty random, dogs don't all arrive within the same hour. Usually, each playtime on a Friday will introduce a newbie into the pack, not 7 new dogs all at once. And not usually, 7 loud, bouncy, over excited new dogs at once. They were acting like maniacs in the kennel building - jumping, barking, and fence fighting between the two boxers.

I figured if this group didn't knock me down, kill me and eat me, I would live to be a little old lady dog sitter.

Turns out I had nothing to worry about, they all got along fabulously. I almost couldn't believe it.

I know that Shilo couldn't believe it. See Shilo was the last of the new dogs to arrive, and though none of them had been out in the yard together, he was declared NEWEST and was the center of attention. He spent that playtime and dinner's and bedtime's playtime being chased by at least 4 dogs. I don't think he really liked it anymore than the dogs he chases around do.

I so wish I had gotten this on film. I finally remembered my camera for the 11am playtime on Saturday. Only Ellie arrived bright and early on Saturday and messed with my group. She was now the newest and Shilo was all over her. Shilo and Ellie are a good match, but not with the other four still interested in chasing Shilo. I had to give Ellie and Shilo a bit of alone time and I did get footage of that.

Group Dynamics

Since I opened my kennel, I get a daily lesson in group dynamics. It is funny how much one dog can change the whole mood at the kennel.

Have a group that isn't playing together and add BB and then everyone is having fun.

Have a barky kennel and then Tessie goes home and everything quiets down.

Invariably, adding a new dog mean that I missed my photo or film opportunity. I will find myself watching playtime, thinking 'I have got to remember the camera next time.' But by the time the 'next time' comes the dynamic has changed and the photo is lost. This weekend, it was what happened with Shilo. I'm still going to write it up, it just would have been better with some film footage.

I lose a lot of blogging material to this. I have just got to start bringing the camera all the time.

Speaks For Itself

Turn on your volume and learn all about BB's version of Non-Fetch.

Starry, Starry Night

It is a gorgeous night last night. I got home late with my son from his karate class. It was way past his bedtime and I had forgotten to turn on the outside lights. Good thing, we got a treat of seeing the Milky Way and a couple of bazillion stars.

I am out in the dark all the time with bedtime dog duty. This was a particularly pretty night. There was no moon and only the light from my house and the neighbors to mess up my viewing. The stars were so bright, they seemed really close. I even spotted a planet; I just don’t know which one, something to the southwest rising over my bluff.

I know that we only see the Milky Way in the winter, but I didn’t realize that it would be here so soon. It was going across the sky NE to SW generally. I seem to remember it more north-south. Either it moves a lot or my memory is shot. I am going to have to look this one up or wait and watch all winter.

I have seen some fun things hanging out in the dark with the doggies. I saw a meteor crash somewhere up Spring Canyon. To bad there was no way of finding it. And one time I spotted what I thought had to be Air Force One flying overhead. You don’t often see a regular airliner flanked by jets. I googled the President’s schedule and found out that Laura Bush had landed in California that night. So maybe I was right.

Matched Set

Not only does BB have a friend to play with, she practically has herself to play with. I often notice dogs that don't look alike but are virtual twins in personality. BB and Smokey are those kind of twins.

Not only to they play together and wrestle together with a lot of the same moves and maneuvers; they respond to affection and delivery affection in the same manner.

Lovin' on these dogs runs a high risk of bruising on me. Start scratching or rubbing on Smokey and he turns on the wiggles, revs up his tail, and starts bouncing. Petting BB starts her curling around and around you, and she turns on a tail that is more of a fur covered steel cable. Now, make the mistake of thinking that you have two hands and can pet two dogs at the same time and try it with these two...you will be lucky if you can stay on your feet. That is just too much dog to try to pet at the same time.

Getting love from BB usually involves a paw to the heart, "The Flying Leap of Love" as I have dubbed it. Smokey has his own variation of "The Leap"; it is a two pawed affair with now discernible pattern of where it lands except that it lands on me and threatens to knock me over.

I guess it is all good - BB isn't bored anymore, Smokey is having a great time, and I have a few more bruises than normal.

I thought I knew BB....

But I never had her all to myself before.

BB is the only dog in the kennel today. I think she is a bit bored with just me, so I tried to get my dogs to play with her. I think she is bored with them also. Not for long, though, she has a buddy showing up early tomorrow.

I never get to love on BB until she is going into her kennel. BB always gets to be the last one in and she gets an allover rub down before she steps foot in her kennel. She really has done a great job in training me.

I decided it was safe to sit down for a playtime with only one dog and I got more BB lovin' than I have in the past 5 years. This is what I learned about BB.

First, she is a licker. Trying to pet her is an extreme effort in getting your hands washed. It is just a bit too cold for that much dog spit.

Second, she is a bird-dog. I had her out trying to squeeze in one more play time before the rains hit and she was barking straight up into the sky. I thought she was barking at the thunder, but it was a dove on the power lines. She dashed across the play yard chasing a couple of other doves that flew by only to return to barking at the first one. When thunder finally scared that dove up, BB shot after it like she really had a chance at catching it.

Third, BB really is the smartest dog I have ever met. All summer long, BB has been leaving her blankets outside. I have tried to put them back in her inside run, but she takes them right back out to the outside run. Last weekend, we had some rain and when I went down to the kennel after it had ended, I noticed that BB had her blanket inside and perfectly dry. Smart Dog! Well, once might have been a fluke. Seeing her do it again this time, means she knows what she is doing. Very Smart Dog!

Why did Winter Decide to Come Before Halloween?

Utah is known for its crazy weather, but this fall it has clearly lost its mind!

When I tell people about the kennel I say that it is heated and air conditioned, and I add - "sometimes both!"

Until this week that has never been true. This is the first time I had to run the heat at night and the A/C in the afternoon in the almost 5 years that I have been open.

It is also the first time that the heat has been turned on in September. September 23rd to be exact.

We did have to heat the kennel one Memorial Day Weekend when we had a cold snap and that was the latest it was ever on.

Winter coats in September... it is just so wrong.

Just Not What I was Expecting!

I had two dogs showing up yesterday, Maddy and Smokey. They are both small and fluffy and isn't is ironic that the huge kennel is the one available when only little dogs are coming.

Then Smokey got out of the car. He is not a small gray terrier - he is a big German Shepard/Lab mix. I had to laugh, he was just SO not what I was expecting. I tell his owner that since Smokey is big and Maddy is so small, I will switch the clipboards and give Smokey the huge kennel.


Then Maddy, got out the truck. She is not a small and fluffy Shitzu - she is a Great Dane.

I am really having problems with sizes lately.

'Cutie' is actually Katie, but I think I had the name right the first time.

Bigger Pack Rat than Me

In the course of one weekend, Bella managed to collect 4 tennis balls, 3 rope toys and one stuffed animal.

She is quite the collector.

BB Eats Another Toy

This is why I shop for dog toys at DI.

There will be no PROCREATING at the Ranch!

"OH MY GOD! Stop that!"


When Pepper got dropped off her owner mentioned that she was 'at the end of her heat'. In my head, I am thinking, 'What are you thinking dropping a dog off that is in heat'. What I said was "I hope so, having a dog in heat will cause me a lot of trouble."

Well, I let them out to play after a quick calculation that everyone here is female or neutered. We should be just fine. Just to be sure, I stick the big male dog on one side of the play yard since Pepper is just a little thing.

Pepper is having a great time playing with Scruffy. Isn't that nice, Scruffy has found a friend to play with. This should have been a tip off, but I was just happy for Scruffy. Normally, he is a bit stand off-ish and doesn't play with the other dogs. What was really weird was that he didn't come running when I started to put the dogs away. Scruffy and Kaizon are ALWAYS the first dogs to go in.

That is when I walked around the corner of the building and shouted,"OH MY GOD! Stop that!"
Pepper and Scruffy were butt to butt. Having me running at them caused Scruffy to take off so I didn't have to deal with how does one get two dogs that are stuck together, back apart.

(I have in the past had a client call me with that same panicked question and I know that you just wait for them to deal with it)

You should have seen how fast I flipped Scruffy over to check that he really was neutered.

In all I lucked out on this one. Pepper was clearly ready to roll, but all I had for her stay was neutered males. I also was very lucky that I only had one male dog at a time. I had 3 different male dogs but their stays were such that there was never two here at the same time.

Please, people don't scare me like this. Don't bring dogs in heat to my or any kennel. Dogs in heat get you, puppies and me, fights. Just don't do it!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...

I have just been sucked into my house remodel project. We are finally making some progress at the house. The kitchen is really starting to come together.

But after 8 months of a 'this will only take 4 to 6 weeks' project, my nerves are shot. Lately, the house is sucking up all of time, energy and my will to live.

Sorry.

Tug-O-War!

Scruffy in Action!

He jumps so high, I can even catch him and hold him.

What is With the NO SHOWS this Week!

I had a real problem with no shows last year. So on each Monday, I start calling everyone on the calendar for the weekend. If I have a crazy wait list, I start calling weeks in advance to confirm everyone is still coming and to remind people to cancel ASAP since there are others waiting.

This has been working pretty well for me. My husband tells me to take down credit card numbers and so that people will call me when they need to cancel. I think most people are basically courteous enough to think to call, but I also think that, by now, most people have spent time on my waiting list and are aware that someone else is waiting.

This week it has been the 'last minute', 'absolutely desperate', 'nowhere else to go', 'will take whatever days you can give me', 'so grateful you were able to squeeze my dog in' people that never showed up. Somewhere between panic on Saturday and drop off on Sunday, Zoey's owners calmed down enough to forget that they have a dog, are moving and have no where to put her.

This was Labor Day weekend, I told Zoey's mom that I would call her the moment someone went home on Monday and that Zoey could stay until Friday morning. Someone would have to pick her up and then we would do the same thing on the next Sunday to Friday. I had a dog go home on Sunday instead of Monday and I though Zoey's parents would be thrilled. They might have been if they ever listened to the messages on their cell phone. That is until the cell phone stopped working on Monday afternoon.

Okay, so I finally erased Zoey off the calendar sometime on Tuesday. That was weird.

What's weirder, is that I had a repeat of this again this weekend.

Nikita this time, her mom calls on Friday desperate for this weekend. She only needs Saturday night to Monday. Hey, I can actually do that, I have dogs going home on Saturday evening. It is going to be a bit tight. The dogs going home are scheduled to leave at 7 to 8pm and Nikita is due to arrive between 4 and 5pm. (dog juggling, I've done it before and will do it again) Only no juggling required, no Nikita at all.

So once again a miraculous maneuver from panic to so relaxed that they can't think to call me and tell me all about it in less than 24 hours. UGH!

Maybe I will have to take credit card numbers, I just won't tell anyone I don't have a credit card machine.

Meg is a Great Chaser of Balls

I only found this out after I started throwing balls to keep Boudin and Hank occupied. Only it was Meg that shot out like a bullet and got the ball before those two big dogs.

She even brings the ball back.

Filming Dogs is Not Easy!

Herders and Worriers

With Cloe and Sassy, I got one of each.

Canine Mathematics:
Worrier + Herder(Runners + Players) = Barking

Lots of barking.

Whenever a Herder seeing anything running that they are not steering, it is just WRONG. Their point of view is that, "Be it sheep, kids, or other dogs, nothing should be running anywhere that I am not telling it where to go." Just think of them as canine control freaks. Cleo is a Herder and having BB, Hank, Boudin, Meg, and Amica racing around the play yard without Cloe's permission is just too much for her to take.

She is the little black dog voicing her displeasure at all this unsupervised running in the video.





Her brother, Sassy, is a Worrier. Their logic runs more toward, "With all this rough housing, someone is going to get hurt and it might be me - so it all must stop! Now!"