Fun things to do with your dog!

The weather is great and it's time to get out there and have some fun with your pup!

If you need ideas, we've put together a Squidoo lens that's packed full of all kinds of things you can do with your pup, from teaching them tricks, dog agility and frisbee to playing fetch, hiking, camping, canoing and loads more!

Here's just a sneak peak - it's Tony, a student at UNC, that took a couple of days off to hike and camp with his dog to High Top. Check out their adventures. (click the video to see the larger version.) Guess they didn't need any expensive gas or even car insurance for this trip!

Have fun with your dog, 'cause dogs know how to have fun!

An adventure!

Mum found a great place last week that we could go and get in a little hiking, just about a block or so away. The land belongs to one of the largest Churches in the city and they have about 50 acres, right in the middle of town.

We had walked over there before, but never ventured into the wooded areas, because it was too cold, too wet, or, or, or. But the past week Mum has taken us over there several times and we have had a blast!

Once we get into the property, we are pretty far from the roads, so Mum has let me off leash. And I've been really good about staying close or coming when she calls me and I'm getting a little too far from her.

The land has an amazing stretch of lawn, that eventually leads to a woodland type area - rare around here in the city. We have a lot of fun running on the lawn, chasing Mum and playing in the brush, jumping over sticks and fallen trees. I even jumped right into the pond the other day to cool off. (Got a quick rinse off when I got home). And there are some amazing homes that back up to the woodland area, you can see them in the video.

Yesterday we took our usual walk back there. Mum had Gracie on a long line and working with her on her 'come when called'. I was off lead some, but I was being a bit stubborn yesterday and not coming immediately when Mum called me. So she put us both back on short leads. We walked into the furthest parts of the land in the wooded area, and just then we all heard something in the brush. It was a red fox! And dog, did I ever want to chase that thing. It took one look at the three of us and took off! We went berserk!

In all the years (and, there are many) that Mum has lived in Indiana, she has never seen a fox. And she used to spend lots of time in rural Indiana, roaming the creeks and woods, and farmland behind where she grew up. A possum, yes. Raccoons, you bet. Field mice, all the time. Deer, of course! But never had she seen a wild red fox. She just stood there and watched the quick thing, and never thought to get out the camera (the pic is one we found). It would have been gone too soon anyway.

So, then we were pretty worked up for a while. Mum walked us more in the grassy areas, and finally thought I was calm enough to run a bit off lead. But what happened then? You guessed it. My nemeses, the bird! Just as Mum let me off lead, here comes a bird swooping down nearly touching my head. So what did I do - gave chase, of course.

And did I hear Mum calling? Nope, not until I got about 300 yards away from her. And she was yelling very loudly! About gave her a heart attack. As the birds headed for the trees, I went over the hill and Mum couldn't see me. But just a half-second later, I came running back to her at full speed.

Whew, what a scare. Mum loved on me and had had enough of my antics for the day. So we headed home.

Every time (well, except yesterday) Mum calls me I come back to her. I am soooo good about that. I may go a little further than she wants (even without those legal steroids, just kidding!), but I always come when called. Yesterday it took me way too long for her taste.

She so wants me to be able to hike off lead with her - it's amazing exercise, jumping over sticks and brush, up and down hills, and it is much better for my neck and back than being on lead. I do amazing long distance stays for her, every time we go for a walk. I come when I'm called 99.9% of the time, right away.

Do you think this means it's the end of off lead for me? Will we never find a safe place to hike? Mum has yet to decide, but any decision probably won't happen for at least a couple of days until her heart rate goes back to normal.

What a fabulous weekend!

Wow, we had a great weekend! The weather was pawsome, finally! And we got to get outside, enjoy nature, visit some old friends and generally be dogs. Got to tell ya, I was so glad the weather finally broke from the cold, snowy guck we've been having.

First we went for some long, long walks. Mum worked with Gracie on a long line to help with her recall. The benefits of a long line are that Gracie doesn't really know she's on lead since the line is so light weight, and it's a great opportunity for Mum to work with her.

Mum did some recalls with Gracie, and she did great - but then she took off like she was a free bird. The line wrapped around Mum's ankle and snapped really tight - big ouch for Mum and almost pulled her right into the mud - I thought it was funny and even Mum laughed!!!! Gracie and Mum had lots of fun and got some good work done.

We went walking near the pond and I did some long distance recalls. I'm really good at those! Mum puts me in a sit stay and walks about four houses away, then calls me to her - I run as fast as I can to the kibble, fur sure! And it's great way to reward me for some speed. I've always loved our long distance recalls, we've been doing them since I was about 10 months old. After I did one of my recalls I saw a Blue Heron walking over the thin layer of ice on the pond. Then it flew right overhead. Of course I tried to herd it. This heron was so huge I could ride on it's back - so graceful and effortless.

We did some agility in the backyard - me working on speed in pinwheels and weaves. Gracie working with distractions and nasty weave entrances at full speed. She needs some more work on that, BOL!

Then on Sunday morning the nice folks at the shelter where I came from - Southside Animal Shelter - called Mum and told her that they had a BC mix that was looking for a furever home, not doing well in a shelter environment and did Mum have any ideas. So Mum loaded us up into the car and we went to visit the pup and do a little eval.

The Southside Animal Shelter is a no-kill shelter, which we think is pawsome! They work really hard, for as long as it takes to find the pups and kitties a home.

Ruby was so nice with Mum, she's really submissive, smart and lots of fun and energetic with two leggers, a great, fun, little gal. She's not so fond of other pups though and needs to be with a home as the only dog, and she would probably be best without kids, since she's a herding breed. She will make a great dog for an adult(s) looking for an only 'kid.' Fur sure! If you know anyone looking for a fun, energetic, smart cutie girl; r if you would like to foster her, so that she can get out of the shelter environment and really get to know what life should be like, let us know K? We think you would really like her! Or you can inquire about her at the Southside Animal Shelter website.

While at the shelter, I got to meet all the great folks there - Rosie (who runs the shelter) and Robin (a dedicated volunteer) and others. I got to see some of the ultra cute doggies up for adoption - and kitties too! There were lots of folks looking for 'kids' to add to their family - it was great to see everyone having so much fun.

Then Mum took me over to see where she met me the very first time. See this little shack? That's where I was staying at the shelter when they were taking such good care of me, before my Mum found me. I was with my birth Mum and my brother (and my three sheltie sisters before they were adopted), hanging out in this shack, just waiting for the day I would find my furever home. Luckily, I didn't have to wait for long! Mum found and adopted me just weeks after I arrived at the shelter.

On Saturday night. we got some marrow bones for being such good doggies! I like to take mine kind of slow, but Gracie goes at those goodies at full throttle. Her marrow was gone in minutes, mine took me a couple of hours, but I am smaller, BOL!

Mum gives them to us in our crates, 'cause they are really messy. Then, of course, when we are done both Gracie and I have to rub our mouth all over the carpet, which Mum just loves!!!! Awwwww, she really doesn't care.

We were beat after a fun two day weekend. Mum sure isn't going to need those top diet pills after all the exercise she got this weekend.

I was so tired Sunday night I cozied up to Mum's winter coat that she threw on the floor - didn't need that this weekend, yeah!


We also got in a little training of tricks this weekend. Video to come! Gracie learned a new one - can you say bye, bye Gracie? Yes, she can now! Stay tuned...