Douglas: Swimming with the Ducks

How far will this little Pug go for his tennis ball obsession? Straight into a duck pond, that is how far.

On our walk today we stopped by the duck pond to look at all of the ducks for a minute. Well Douglas spotted a muddy tennis ball bobbing at the water's edge. He pawed it out and was rolling it around along the bank. When he rolled it back into the water and it started to float away I thought, at least I don't have to worry about taking his treasure away anymore. I was wrong.

Douglas went STRAIGHT into the water after it. He had water almost up to his belly before he was able to get his mouth on it. I decided then and there that he deserved that ball after he dove straight into the water for it. This is a dog that does not even like walking out in the rain. I think he had similar thoughts in his mind because he carried this ball in his mouth with him for the rest of the ENTIRE walk. He would not even drop it to say hi to a fellow Pug owner that he sees quite often and usually goes crazy for.

You should have seen the mud trail he made when he got home with his new ball. (Don't worry, I cleaned it all up before we left.) After some serious scrubbing with soap and disinfectant, the ball was deemable as a tennis ball again. Douglas was pretty excited about his newly founded treasure. I will admit that he was a little sad that it smelt fragrant after my thorough revamp. Sorry Douglas, no more putrid mud and duck pond water odor anymore, but at least now your mom might let you keep it.

**(No pictures today. It always seems some of the best picture moments come when I forget my camera. I would have loved to had a picture of Douglas belly deep in a pond. You can't even find a picture of a Pug in water little alone in a pond on the web.)

Murphy: Raincoat Fab'

It was not too rainy today, but who wants to get their shiny fur coat all wet and dirty in the mist? These were Murphy's exact thoughts today before his walk so he decided to take his afternoon walk in style.

He made sure to hit up all of his favorite spots, but did not have to worry about getting too wet. He made sure to show off his fabulous fashion to any passerby's: human and dog alike. There were a few eyes that went gaga for his raincoat as he passed them by.

Murphy won't be surprised if he sees a few dogs next rainstorm sporting some new raincoats after seeing his.

Blue: Groundhog Day?

I don't think I am the only one who is starting to wonder the groundhog's prediction of an early spring.

 

There have definitely been days and weeks where it did feel like spring and it was great being out in the sun, but there have definitely also been days that are cold, rainy and even snowing.

It does not look like Kylee and I are the only ones that are trying to relish in anything that looks and smells like spring should be here.

 

Blue made sure to take a stop at any flower that she could find and to thoroughly check it out.

We are all keeping our fingers, (or paws), crossed and hoping that spring weather is just around the corner and that it is going to stay for awhile.

Snoopy: Ready, Set, Go!

Does this picture look a little familiar? Snoopy and Kylee are still little walking buddies. Kylee has just grown up by 8 months since a similar picture was taken this past summer.

Snoopy and Murphy are about the only ones that are willing to participate in Kylee's races. She will stop, wait for Snoopy (or Murphy) to catch up, give the countdown, and then take off like a wild woman. She will continue to look back to see if they are coming.

Snoopy is a good sport and usually lets Kylee win. He doesn't want her to feel too bad that he can outrun her, even with legs that are less than 5 inches long. Once in awhile though he has to let Kylee eat his dust.

Jake & Charlotte: And They are Off!

Jake and Charlotte take their afternoon walks and lunch time pretty serious. If you take too long getting in the front door or getting down to them, they will let you know how they feel. "Why are you so slow? Come on!" Jake and Charlotte seem to whimper.

It is pretty funny to watch how Jake and Charlotte (specifically) will plow one another over in order to be the one at the front of the gate. Kylee learned the hard way of where to exactly not be when the crate door is first opened: anywhere in the proximity of the front of the door or at the beginning of the stairs. It took her only once of being plowed into the ground for her to learn to wait in the kitchen for Jake and Charlotte to join her.

In the time it took for my camera to actually flash and take the picture, Jake and Charlotte were already gone and out the back door. They waste no time in leaping up those stairs two to three at a time. Charlotte sometimes even misses a step and slides down a little before she can regain her balance.

Riley & Murphy: Jackpot!

So I have mentioned in a previous post about how Riley loves to sniff around in the bark in his backyard. He is always on the lookout for that perfect stick or piece of bark. Murphy and Riley can usually find a few treasures here and there, but today Riley hit the JACKPOT!

Murphy noticed immediately when Riley had come up with something good. Riley was trying to act nonchalant so that he could sit quietly and enjoy his prize, but Murphy wanted none of that. Murphy, Riley and I ended up playing chase, but Riley did end up winning in the end. He was able to chew his stick undisturbed.

Apache, Meatball, Roxy & Douglas: The Puppy Pack

What a busy weekend it has been! There has been a lot of playing, walks, treats, and love for these four pups.

Friday started out with a romp at the nearby playground for Meatball, Apache, Roxy, and Kylee. Kylee had a blast chasing and playing tag with Meatball and Apache on the play yard. Kylee kept trying to convince Meatball to try the slide, but she had to settle with only Apache following in her footsteps. Roxy decided to stick to solid ground completely. There was no convincing there.

Apache and Roxy banded together and both found mischief while at the playground. You could you smell the two of them before you even saw them come around the corner from their little escapade. A garlic bulb had been misplaced out of the garden and these two thought it would be fun to take a nice roll in the garlic. Yum! At least they won't have to worry about vampires, or much of anything else with that stink. It took a nice bath for Roxy and an extreme wipe down of Apache to restore their femininity.

Trips to the dog park were made on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Douglas was able to join up for each trip and Roxy joined in on Sunday's adventure. These pups made sure to hit up all of the hot spots: Utah Dog Park and Walter Reed Dog Park. We went at just the right time to meet up with all the latest happenings.

Meatball and Apache were in luck, there were many dogs there that loved to wrestle and race. They both were able to do what they like most. Even Douglas tried to keep up with the pack several times when things were getting pretty wild and crazy.

Roxy and Douglas became pretty good pals while they stayed with Kylee and I. It definitely was not love at first sight for Roxy, but Douglas eventually grew on her when she realized he was a pretty good competitor in fetch. These two would play fetch for almost an hour without getting bored or tired. (Douglas is begging Roxy for the ball and my arm was begging for a break.)

What is better than the happy faces of two satisfied pups?

They had both eaten dinner, played fetch, received a treat, and finished up with a walk around the block.

At the end of the day everyone was so tuckered out, that it was almost impossible for anyone to keep their eyes open past 9:30. (These two definitely are not making the cut for late night party animals.) Even Meatball and Apache were pretty slow and would drudge on their bedtime walks.

Car ride buddies! Apache and Douglas made quite a pair with the two of them cruising the city streets of Alexandria with their heads and tongues hanging out. (Okay, so Douglas was the only one with his tongue hanging out.) It was hilarious to watch people's expressions as we drove by, especially depending on what side of the car they saw: right side = Douglas & Apache and left side = Meatball & Roxy.

Blue: Rain, Rain, Come Again Today

A majority of the dogs we walk do not like the rain. They will give you puppy dogs eyes and look at you like what were you thinking about making them come out and get wet. After a quick potty trip, they dart straight back in to their home.

Not Blue! She loves how the rain brings out new and different smells. But most of all, she loves to walks through and taste all of the puddles. During a really good downpour she loves to walk along the rain gutters and just let her tongue hang out as she drinks the water that is flowing past. (Kylee loves to follow Blue and splash along in her rainboots.)
She is not afraid to stop along the way and smell the roses.

Today the rain had quit by the time Blue's walk started, but Blue and Kylee were still able to find many puddles to enjoy and some interesting scents to sniff (Kylee didn't join in on the second part, surprisingly).

Jake & Charlotte: Recycle Day

What more could a puppy want than a whole pile of interesting scents placed before him?

One of Jake's favorite days to take a walk are on Wednesdays when it is recycling pick-up day. Why is this so much better than trash day? Most every Tuesday night seems to be Fairlington Pizza Night or something. You should see the usual allotment of pizza boxes that Jake has to peruse through. Surprisingly, the one time I have my camera on me for recycle day, we could not find a single pizza box.

Jake still enjoyed checking out each pile pretty thoroughly, or until Charlotte would not sit still any longer and pulled him away.

Better luck next week for pizza!

Murphy: Who is Walking Whom?

Kylee had finally decided today that as my dog walking assistant, she was going to take a little more of the tasks into her own hands. After putting Murphy's harness and leash on, I turned around to find Kylee trying to lead Murphy to the door by his leash.

 

He was trying to decide if he was going to follow Kylee or if he wanted to finish his breakfast. The look he gave me (below) was pretty priceless. It was more like, "are you serious about this arrangement?"

Murphy was a good sport and let Kylee "help" walk him for the first 5 minutes of our walk until she realized how much work it was and wondered off to her own accord. Thank you Murphy for your patience.

Snoopy: A Huntin' We Will Go

Snoopy was on the hunt today! What for? Birds, squirrels, and anything that moved, including blowing leaves. Today Snoopy was in luck with the number of furry and feathered creatures that we came upon.

Snoopy would freeze, crouch down, plan his attack, and then go in for the kill!

If his success is measured in scaring the animal out of its hiding place and seeing the delight and satisfaction on his face, than I say he claimed the prize today and quite enjoyed himself.

P.S. You should see some of the looks you can get from neighbors when you are crouching down by bushes trying to take pictures of birds. I think I received plenty of odd looks to last me for the month. Oh well, let them think what they want: WARNING - bird peeking dog walker on the loose.

Snoopy: Sun Bathing

Who says dogs can’t work on their tans and worry about their highlights? That is exactly what Snoopy was working on today.

He just could not get enough of the sun’s warm rays today. He enjoyed stopping almost anywhere (even the sidewalk as you can see) to scratch that itch, soak up some sun on his belly and bring out the extra shine in his coat.

I think it’s working for you Snoopy, just a few more trips out and you are going to have that natural glow you are looking for.

Douglas: Patience

So I am not quite sure who wins the impatience award here: a 19-month-old toddler or a 7-year-old pug. It is a pretty tight call.

Douglas and Kylee both crowd the elevator, looking like they have ants in their pants. Kylee does have hands that she can use to pound on the doors.

 

However, Douglas can try to wedge his nose between the doors and always makes it into the elevator first no matter what.

You definitely would never come to the conclusion that these two are a little excited about their walk would you?

Blue: Bush Wacked

I did not want to break Blue's heart and tell her that she truly was not camouflaged. She does have a stealthy sneak approach that she will use time to time on squirrels and birds. She will get low to the ground and slowly creep up on them. But this attempt, not the best of her abilities.

She had noticed a squirrel in a neighbor's bush and was attempting to ambush it, but I am pretty sure it saw her coming before she even moved a muscle. Sorry Blue, better luck next time.

Bonus, Kylee thought you were hilarious and that you were playing peek-a-boo by hiding in the bush.

Murphy: Gourmet Buffet Anyone?

One of Murphy’s favorite days: Trash day! He loves when the large trash bins are rolled out of the parking garage for the garbage trucks to pick up. He thinks how nice of the maintenance workers to push out bins and bins of food just for him. 

He is only allowed a little sniff here and there so that he does not get too many ideas or find anything, but he seems to still relish his gourmet buffet time. (This is probably what he dreams about at night – diving and swimming in those bins of food.)

Jake & Charlotte: Tennis Ball Envy

Someone was relishing in the fact that they had the tennis ball and that Charlotte could not stop trying to figure out how to get it back. 

Charlotte is pretty much a constant ball hog in this little family. Once she has the tennis ball she does not let it out of her sight. Even if you try to hide it she will spend all her time looking for it. Jake has had to get used to the competition, so he knows to truly delight in any of the squeaky tennis ball time he gets, especially if he stole it from Charlotte.

It is quite entertaining to watch Charlotte’s reaction when he has the ball and she can’t get to it. You would honestly think she was dying, like someone was withholding a juicy treat or something from her. She will bark, whimper, and lunge herself at Jake to try to retrieve the ball. No wonder Jake used altitude (sitting on the chair) to his advantage.

Riley & Murphy: Dog Walking Club

Riley and Murphy were almost positive today that they were being left out of something good that was happening across the street. Several of the local dog walkers ended up having walks all at the same time and ended up getting together to do a little talking and to let their dogs say hello and play a little.

Riley and Murphy just kept sitting and watching them to see what they were up to. They wanted to make sure they were not being left out of anything too good. (At one time there were about 5 dogs in the group.)

 

I felt bad that they could only be included from afar, but I was not ready to handle two big labs with 5 other hyper dogs. Sorry guys. I did think about it for a minute, but I can only handle saying hi to one dog at a time.

Mr. Bigglesworth: Pimpin' Crib

Once in a while Mr. Bigg has to be crated. It is usually only when maintenance workers may be paying a visit to his apartment. But he has quite the set up: plush pillows, his owner's sweater in case he gets lonely, and a big basket of toys.
Kylee was so jealous that she decided she needed to test it out and climbed right on in. She did not want to come out when it was time to take Mr. Bigg for a walk. Next thing I know Kylee is going to be asking for one of these to replace her crib.
(This picture was taken this past late summer when Mr. Bigg had to wear a special collar for a little while and you can see Kylee sporting the summer clothes. She is still jealous of his crate though and always climbs right on in with a toy or two.)

Telly & Jasper: Play Yard Pups

Meet "Butt" and "Tee." Those are the names Kylee has given to poor Jasper and Telly.

 

I really think Jasper got the short end of the stick in nicknames here. He does not seem to mind in the slightest though. He just gets excited to get attention and love.

It has been all the rage lately to take care of Telly, Jasper, Chinchilla, and Ferret. The ferret and chinchilla have been great at dealing with Kylee's antics of poking her fingers into their cage and laughing. (I think I would probably have taken the opportunity to sneak a bite in or two.) The ferret even had the opportunity of enjoying a mid-afternoon manicure and pedicure. (Don't get any ideas ferret, this is not a regular frill.)

 

Jasper and Telly have been having a blast making sure Kylee's face is always licked squeaky clean and that anywhere she goes, they follow. They have been accessorized from time to time thanks to Kylee's fashion skills. Who says a dog can't wear beads? (Telly and Jasper requested no pictures please, so it would not hurt their doggy image.)

Telly and Jasper have been meeting and greeting with some of the local neighborhood dogs. Jasper tries to act all tough with his loud barks, but once he actually gets close, he just melts and can't stop giving kisses and wagging his tail. Another all bark, no bite.

Another fun outing has been visiting the nearby park. Who says parks are just for kids anyway? Telly and Jasper have been right there for every activity Kylee has taken part in. It took them a little while to gain the confidence to climb on holey stairs, but in no time they were both crossing the bridge. (They haven't attempted the slide yet though, so Apache, you still hold the record.)