Murphy & Snoopy: Play Date

As mentioned before, Snoopy and Murphy are the best of friends and love to play together. Once you get these two together, it is almost impossible to separate them. If you pick up Snoopy to take him out, Murphy jumps up to try to get Snoopy. (It's pretty funny to watch.)
Well, once in awhile we will get these two characters together to play and run around. That is exactly what happened today: two crazy pups running everywhere! They were like two whirlwinds. They run, chase, wrestle, and jump.
Once in awhile they will get tired out and take a break. That does not last for too long before they are at it again. Sometimes we have to give them time out to let one another rest and re-cooperate before they go at it again.

P.S. Good luck Murphy on your neuter surgery tomorrow. Rest up and heal quickly!

Riley & Murphy: The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side

During our walk today we headed out on our usual route. There are several spots of ornamental grass and shredded bark along the way. Murphy is just drawn to these areas. I don’t know what it is about this grass, but he loves to try sneaking a bite or two along the way. He will try to drag the grass blades down the sidewalk and if one drops he will scout it out on the way back.
(It may look like he is going to the bathroom in this picture, but I promise he is not.)

He also loves the bark. His favorite activity is to chew on a piece of the bark, spit it out, and then bump it around with his paws to chase it. Riley will join in on this activity every once in a while.

Douglas: The Sled Dog

Mush puppy! Mush! Left, now right. (That's what Kylee is telling Douglas.)

Yesterday late afternoon, we all went out for a stroll along Fort Ward. Kylee tried to convince Douglas that it would be a good idea to pull her around on her tricycle. He was not falling for it, but she did almost have him when he saw his squeaky tennis ball.

Douglas enjoyed a car ride to and from Fort Ward and had the opportunity to meet several new dogs that were out taking strolls with their owners.

Riley & Murphy: Nothin' Like a Weekend at Grandma's

While Riley and Murphy's mom and dad were away for the weekend in San Diego, they were able to stay with their Grandma and Grandpa. They loved hanging outside, surveying the are, and playing with their best pal, Max.

Murphy enjoyed lounging on the grass, chewing antlers and hanging out with Max. (It looks like Murphy can even give Max a run for his money, or bone.)

Riley's and Murphy's parents enjoyed the sunshine and beach, but greatly missed their pups and were excited to return home.

Murphy: The Ultimate Sniffer!

I have never met a dog that can track things down from so far away. We can be at one end of his apartment complex and he can lead me to something of interest on the other side, just through smelling the air and the ground. Wow! Murphy owns one amazing sniffer!

Over the past two days there have just been so many amazing things for Murphy to sniff and explore. He has enjoyed smelling all of the newly fallen acorns, scouting out any hidden food or treats left behind, and all of the 411 about any dogs that are in the neighborhood.

Jake & Charlotte: Play Dates and Wet Pups

While Jake and Charlotte's mom has been away, they have had plenty of time to play. They have had a chance to do a variety of things over the last few days:

They have had doggy play dates with Roxanne. We got together with Roxy and her owner Rachel on Saturday night to play inside and then to take a walk outside and explore a new neighborhood.

Sunday morning the four of us were caught in a downpour while out for a morning walk. Thankfully, the rain was pretty warm and it was funny to see how wet Jake, Charlotte, and I had gotten at the end of the walk. (Kylee lucked out by being in the stroller with a rain cover so she was completely dry). Since the rain, Jake and Charlotte are two fluffy, curly pups.

Last, but not least; we have been visiting the Utah Dog Park in the mornings to say hi to all of the regulars and play some fetch with Charlotte's favorite squeaky ball.

These two should be pooped by the time their mom arrives home.

Snoopy: Best Puppy Pals

Last week Snoopy had the opportunity to play or say hello to one of his best friends, Murphy, almost everyday. (Murphy's dad, Justin, was able to take the week off from work last week and spend some great time with him.) Snoopy got so used to seeing Murphy every day that he was very surprised to discover there was no Murphy to visit out on the porch today.

He kept checking between Murphy's porch and front door to make sure that Murphy was not hiding from him. And it took quite a bit of convincing to get Snoopy to leave Murphy's apartment and continue on our walk.

(P.S. Don't worry Snoopy, we might have a playdate Friday afternoon with Murphy so you guys can get all of your wiggles out.)

Samantha: Good Luck!

We are going to miss you Sammie! Samantha and her parents are going to be moving to Ashburn next week so we will not get to see her anymore. We are excited for her that she will be living closer to her friends, have more space to play and run, and have her parents working closer to her. But we will miss the excited tail wags, friendly warm kisses, and games of fetch and hide-and-go-seek.

We had a little adventure today while playing fetch with Sammie's favorite squeaky ball. Whenever we play fetch, I always take her into the courtyard of her apartment building and we play off leash (with her parents' permission). Well today we were playing in the grass close to the fenced in pool area and the ball ended up rolling into the pool. Yep, right into the pool and all of the gates were locked with no one around to unlock them. Oops! Sammie was very concerned that she could not reach her ball and was pacing back and forth. So what could I do? I jumped the fence to go and retrieve it for her. I am sure if anyone was watching, it would have been funny watching me climb a fence barefooted that was taller than me. But in the end, Sammie was ecstatic to have her favorite ball back.

Douglas: Walk, Walk, Walk

Once released from his crate, his main priority is always eating his dinner. Once his meal is finished though, he has his full attention on his harness and the front door. Douglas can get so excited that it is hard for him to contain himself long enough to place his harness on him.

Douglas was so excited today about going outside for a walk that I could barely get him to sit still for a picture. Before this picture, there were several failed attempts of me catching his back end while he was jumping, or a brown and black blur as he spun circles. His tail was wagging so quickly that it is just a blur in this picture.

Blue: The Love Sack Pup

So this picture is still from this past weekend when Blue was staying at my house. While staying at my apartment, Blue found another love of her life: my large beanbag.

Whenever she wanted to take a nap, she would hop right on up and curl into the beanbag. If you bothered her or woke her up, (such as I did when taking this picture), she would look at you like excuse me, can I help you with something?

Blue loved the beanbag so much that Kylee had to fight for time to play in the beanbag. A few times she just tried to climb right over Blue and all. Blue was a very good sport about it though.

Snoopy: Kylee's #1 Fan

Out of all the dogs that we walk, Snoopy is certainly the one who gets the most excited to see Kylee.

As soon as we walk into the door he is jumping up and down, trying to get to Kylee to give her a thousand kisses. At first I thought he was maybe excited to see me. Nope, it is all about Kylee. Anything that she does, he wants to be right there to see what is going on and to be a part of it.

Even when we are walking down the stairs for a walk and I am carrying him, he sneaks licks to Kylee.

Riley & Murphy: Tug-A-War

Looks like Riley has met his match!

Over the past month Murphy has really grown and put on some weight. Riley used to be able to outrun and outmaneuver Murphy easily when it came to playing fetch and tug-a-way. Lately though, Murphy has been able to give Riley quite some competition. Murphy has some killer turns and fake outs that get Riley every time.

It has been really funny to watch Murphy steal the toys from Riley because he gets so upset and starts barking at Murphy to give it back.

Jasper, Pudge & Telly: The Three Amigos

How many dogs can I walk at once? I found out this past week that the answer is 3.

Even though there were a few instances here and there where some leashes did get tangled, (with one another and my legs), these guys did great all walking together and seemed to greatly enjoy their outings out together.

These guys met an American Bulldog mix and a Husky mix, along with a few other new friends here and there. They also each got to play with their own squeaky tennis balls (needless to say, some have already broken their squeakers). Telly even "protected" us from the dangerous spinning flower windmill. When he first happened upon the windmill, he was very weary and kept trying to bite it anytime that it started spinning.

Blue: Whose Got Their Nose in the Cookie Jar?

During one of our walks, a passerby made the observation that Blue's tail slightly resembles that of a raccoon.

I got a laugh out of this and realized she loves to dig through the trash to find food just as a raccoon. Where ever there is food, there will be a Blue. She can be pretty sneaky in trying to find ways to get what you have. Kylee has been surprised a few times to find her food miraculously disappearing from her hand. This was another surprise I happened upon:

Blue got her nose stuck in the snack container. I laughed at her predicament, then helped her out.

The "T" Word...Ticks!

I know that no one wants to hear this word, but the truth is they can be anywhere. They can so easily crawl up your pet's leg from the grass or be brushed onto their coat from a passing bush.

After recently finding one on a regular client's dog, I wanted to make sure that none of the dogs I take care of gets sick from Lyme Disease. I just wanted to remind all of my clients to check their pets once in a while to make sure their pets have not picked up one of these hitchhiking heebie jeebies. The dogs will love the once over grooming because they are going to think it is the best scratch ever.

Snoopy & Murphy (Nunn): Birds of a Feather, Flock Together

Snoopy and Murphy must have something in common: they both love birds and anything that comes from them.

Murphy (Nunn) was so excited today when we came across a small flock of birds. He started trying to sneak up on them and then once he was close, he POUNCED! It was a very nice hunting approach, but he caught nothing in the end. He did not let that get him down though, he still looked pretty happy-go-lucky afterward.

(This picture is from several months ago of Murphy and Kylee, but they just looked so cute together. Murphy always wants to know what Kylee is up to and if there is any treats involved.)

Wish I had my phone or camera on me today when Kylee and I took Snoopy out for a walk. We happened upon a Blue Jay's feather during our walk. Snoopy was so surprised and startled at this discovery that he jumped backwards and then looked at me. I couldn't help but laugh. He would advance on it, poke it, and then jump back over and over. I picked it up to show him it would not hurt him and he thought it was the greatest thing ever. He just could not get enough of it. I finally had to pick him up and carry him away from his new found prize. Sorry Snoopy, I don't think your mom would have appreciated you bringing the feather home. Who knows what might have been on it?

Murphy: Dog or Squirrel

Lately, acorns are starting to fall off the trees. I did not really start noticing this until Murphy pointed it out. Murphy was not only interested in playing and rolling the acorns around with his nose, but he even tasted one. After one taste, he went back in for some more. After that, I had to keep a close eye to make sure he did not sneak anymore and get sick. What a funny pup! So the question asked: Is Murphy part squirrel?

Douglas: Luau Vacation

While Douglas' mom was away he was able to enjoy a vacation of his own. He was able to go on several walks a day, play fetch, receive scratches and constant cuddles, chase a cat once in a while, receive treats, and take some trips to the dog park and dog bakery. What a life?

Douglas has a new obsession: small squeaky tennis balls. While he was at my apartment, Kylee loved to throw them for him. Douglas can get so excited and obsessed about his tennis balls that he does not always pay attention to his surroundings. He did not get hurt, but there were several times he ran into a trash can, box, or other piece of furniture in order to get to his tennis ball before anyone else. It was pretty funny to watch. Lesson learned: Douglas will do anything to get his favorite toys.