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!