A very doggie day

It was a very doggie day. 

I took Pixie and momma Reese over to Green Dogs early afternoon. Pixie met a potential foster home and Reese met a cat. Both meetings went well and they met other dogs that they weren't related to for the first time as well. Both dogs were very good with it all.

Pixie

Reese

She wanted nothing to do with the cat. 

I had to force the meeting and she just wanted to avoid it.

Della came along with us for this meeting and afterwards I took all three dogs on a hike at Pleasant Grove. That was a first for the two fosters. Even being on a leash was a first for these dogs. We covered 3.25 miles but it felt like more to me because of all the leash wrangling. It was a beautiful day to be out there but it wasn't exactly a nice easy stroll through the woods. The foster girls didn't really pull, but they didn't know how to walk on a leash or on a trail. After the first two miles they seemed to get the hang of it and the last mile or so was pretty good. It was good exercise for them and even more so for me, but I needed it. Della was very tolerant of them, but I think she'd prefer to walk with Maya, Elvis, or about anyone else.

When we got to Sparky's Watering Hole, Della walked through the shallow part as she always does, stopped and had a quick drink. The two fosters waded right into the deep part and were taken by surprise by how deep it was. They came out soaked from their shoulders down, but they shook it off and dried pretty quickly.

We all enjoyed the walk much more once they got the hang of it. Leash walking is a skill in itself, and trail walking is a further development of that skill. They needed to learn that they need to stick to the trail and particularly need to not walk around trees near the trail. I tried to keep the leashes over my shoulders so they wouldn't get it under their legs, but they seemed determined to wrap my legs up and trip me for quite a while. 

We were all pretty tired after this and could have happily called it a day, but I got another message from Erika asking me to bring Pixie over again along with Turtle. She sweetened the offer by saying that I'd have the chance to see former foster Olivia who was in a class there this afternoon. I loaded up a very tired Pixie again, plus Turtle, and the white shepherd, Reyna, and off we went.

Olivia was very happy to see me and showed it by jumping all over me.

I like that and never mind it from former fosters, even if owners and trainers try to discourage it.

She looked great and very happy.

Pixie, left, and Turtle, right.

It was Turtle's first time going anywhere and first time on a leash as well.

He barfed in the crate on the way home. I need to start getting them all out more.

When we got back home I had the pleasant surprise of seeing former foster Maddie (formerly Callie/Allie) and her new kid sister Quinnlynne, who had been with us for a week a while back. Maddie was very happy to see me. Quinnly has really grown and she is growing up to be a big and beautiful girl. Their owner had brought them over for a run on the our pasture trails while we were away. I had known they were coming but had managed to forget so it was a nice surprise to see them when I got home.

Look at the legs on this girl!

Maddie and Della had co-existed when she was here, but both girls consider themselves

to be rulers of the demesne, so they no longer get along. I got "the nose" from Della after loving on Maddie, but she forgives my indiscretions.

That's it for Saturday, it was a big day. I fed the dogs, cooked myself a steak for dinner, and we should all sleep well tonight.