Our dogs have always taken to water. Our big black Lab famously liked to swim in the big pond before the ice was completely out. The blonde Lab wouldn't stay out of the creek; and if she got close to a lake it was all over. Our field red golden retriever has continued the tradition embracing mud season with such gusto that she's earned the nickname: Swamp Collie.
The best part of it is now that it's warmed-up last month we hauled-out her pool and set it up on the patio. If she returns from a walk all muddy and gross in the pool she goes!
I am told that it is meteorological spring here; where I live half-way between the equator and the North Pole.
In the Northern Hemisphere this is defined as the three-month period of March, April and May - commencing on March 1 and ending on May 31. It is used by meteorologists and climatologists to align seasons with annual temperature cycles and to simplify the collection of weather data instead of using the varying dates of the astronomical equinox like the rest of us nerdy stargazers do. But I digress.
What I know for sure is that when you score a 60F day you take your canine sidekick out for a run and let her explore the melting edges of the ice-covered pond and creek.
Sunny with the temperature reaching a scorching high of 28F yesterday.
Positively tropical!
Doggo
and I ran the trail camera trap line; consequently she got a minimum 1
mile round-trip run under her collar. Poor Pupper has had a bad case of cabin
fever during the recent polar vortex with brief outside time to perform her business and occasionally get a quick dose of the zoomies.
In
case you’re wondering about all of the tracks in the snow; none of
those belong to anyone in the household. We’ve been home bound for about a week on account of the extreme cold. Some of those trails look like woodland superhighways. And they’re all critter tracks. Mostly
whitetail but also raccoon, possum, turkey, fox, weasel and coyote.
Maybe a ditch tiger too.
You’ll
note Ruby taking a deliberate slide at the 28 second mark in the video.
Not much escapes her nose and that’s to check some fresh coyote spoor.
The video ends with big, fresh canine turd. Didn’t look wild. Maybe from a local trailing hound?
Anyway,
I’ve had an unusual spate of technical fails on the cameras lately.
Will be interesting to see if they’ve been debugged and what, if
anything, we got pics of.
This is the third upland retriever we've trained. And one of the things our doggo really loves is going to doggy daycare. Better yet; staying there for boarding. Yes, boarding. For days and weeks on end.
Early-on we seized-on the opportunity to socialize this dog with other of her species and as a consequence this pooch loves going to Red River Canine LLC to hang with her pack.
Recently,I had to have outpatient eye surgery in Green Bay and as a consequence doggo scored a couple-three days at the Dog Spa to run with her pack. Topped-off with a pedicure and a coif from the groomer before returning home.
Doggo absolutely loves going to the kennel - for either a daycare day at the spa or an extended boarding if we're traveling or out of town.
Red River K9 offers boarding, grooming, training and daycare. And because our red
bundle of energy is in her formative years an opportunity to be away
from us, socialize with other dogs and run with her pack is good. She
burns-off some energy, learns to make new doggie friends and get away from it all.
I'd
bet that for her it is how I felt as a kid and got a chance to go away
for day camp or one or more weeks at a time to scout or church camp.
Last weekend she got the boarding treatment and following that a day-off while I taught a class.
Photos from the kennel's
Face Book page. Except the last one - all tuckered-out....
It's mud season around these parts and if you're a dog owner like me you know the struggle is real. The good news is that it's warm enough and easy enough to hose-off the pooch after the daily walk reducing the amount of actual real mud added to the supply of dirty dog towels.
On a recent overnight to the Naked City Doggo scored a couple of days at the dog spa. Doggie Day Care between
you and me.
There's hardly nothing she doesn't like more than running with her pack of canine homies.
Red River K9 offers boarding, grooming, training and daycare. And because our red
bundle of energy is in her formative years an opportunity to be away
from us, socialize with other dogs and run with her pack is good. She
burns-off some energy, learns to make new doggie friends, get along with
others and we catch a break for a day to spend with family
Dropped her-off on the way out of town. Picked her up on the way home before COB.
That
dog with the curly white coat is Mick. Ruby and Mick first met last
spring during puppy class. They've become fast friends and seek each
other out at every day care opportunity.
Thick as thieves they are....
With the exception of the last photo all images are from the Red River Face Book page.
More action photos of our Red Rocket - Ruby the Golden Retriever.
Red River K9 offers boarding, grooming, training and daycare. And because our red
bundle of energy is in her formative years an opportunity to be away
from us, socialize with other dogs and run with her pack is good. She
burns-off some energy, learns to make new doggie friends, get along with
others and we catch a break for a day to square-away a class, projects and chores.
Dropped her-off Saturday morning for an overnight; photos from the kennel's Face Book page.....
Got together for a Sibling Day with Jill's side of the family last week. Consequently, Doggo scored a day at the spa. Doggie Day Care between you and me.
There's hardly nothing she doesn't like more than running with her pack of canine homies.
Red River K9 offers boarding, grooming, training and daycare. And because our red
bundle of energy is in her formative years an opportunity to be away
from us, socialize with other dogs and run with her pack is good. She
burns-off some energy, learns to make new doggie friends, get along with
others and we catch a break for a day to spend with family
Dropped her-off on the way out of town. Picked her up on the way home before COB.
That dog with the curly white coat is Mick. Ruby and Mick first met last spring during puppy class. They've become fast friends and seek each other out at every day care opportunity. Thick as thieves they are....
If you rise early enough for breakfast then following a trip to the yard for a potty break you can stretch out on your dog bed and soak-up the morning sunshine.
The doggo and I got a pretty good gig going for us. Step outta the house and there’s
approximately 3.5 miles of trails to walk. Better yet, the pup doesn’t
have to wear a lead and I don’t get dragged along behind one. All she
wears is her hunting e-collar just in case. Our walks are free range and à la carte.
North of a year and a half-old Ruby has certainly matured. Of course
that’s relative as she’s still stuck somewhere between puppyhood and
solid adulthood. Nevertheless, she follows voice commands and generally
sticks close. If I stop to examine something I’m curious about she’ll
wait for me to catch-up. Conversely, if she’s after something of
interest, her bell is a good cue as to her whereabouts. And she returns
when summoned.
The other day we checked-out the prairie habitat north of the house. This stuff
is absolutely not indigenous peninsula habitat; but it’s good wildlife
cover and it’s our property so we plant what we like.
This is excellent pollinator habitat three seasons of the year so it
attracts a lot of birds. In the fourth season of winter it is terrific
cover for overwintering birds and other critters.
Those grasses and forbs that have been blown-down in the photo were
about six feet tall at their prime. Tumbled-over they form thousands of
hollow cavities and caves at ground level. When covered by snow these
become snug animal igloos.
Sure enough - thermal cover for the birds and other critters to hunker down and hide from the wind and snow. Predators too.
Now play Where’s Waldo and find the dog in the photo…
Yesterday was a sunny, 17F day that by early afternoon appeared deceptively tropical.
Doggo had been following me around the house giving me the side eye and
with only a couple days left to the pheasant season we gave it a try.
At least before my face froze and fingers went numb and confused.
Gusts up to 26 mph served-up a wind chill of 2F.
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