A Day Trip With Karma Before I Close for 2 Weeks

I had the pleasure of having sweet Karma for an overnight visit yesterday. He's one of the last of my visitors before my time off. That means I'm in the mode to get things organized for leaving.  Karma is one of the very easy going, easy to please and a completely reliable, responsible boy. He will find a spot to lay and stay in relaxed mode for a very long time. When he decides to move, he'll come check me out and find another spot close by me. I leave the doors open when he visits and he can come and go as he pleases. This day started out about the same for us.

Karma heads off to explore the yard as I do some much needed raking.

As I move from yard to yard Karma happily wanders and checks out the scents of dogs from the day before. I can watch what he's up to and then let him out of my sight for a while and know he'll be back by my side soon.  He's quite happy to be the only dog on site.
When he's done his grounds checking he'll find his way back indoors and rest on the porch in the sun.

Karma - "Thank goodness it's not time for a lawn mower yet. I need peace and quiet."

That is usually about the time I'm heading back indoors as well. I have unfinished chores to complete and bedding to organize. Karma always stops by to say hello to me as he's moving from indoors to out. If I miss him as he passes me, I only have to look out the door to see his happy face watching for me.

Karma - "Are you ready to come outside again Lady?"
Me - "Yes, Karma, I'm on my way now."

 This day was a recycling day so we loaded it up and headed up town. It's always nice when I can actually  take a break from my yard and venture out the yard and into the big wide world of 'town'.  I love having a dog companion with me. today was Karma's turn.

Karma waits patiently in the sun while I load up

Karma - "You won't reskycle me will you Lady?"
Me - "No dear, I promise you are non reskycklable"

 As it turns out I was no where near wanting to return home after the reskysklabeling was done. So Karma and I headed off on an unknown adventure.

"Where are we Lady?  Will my mom know how to find me?"
We'll return long before mom does sweetie.

When I let Karma out, he happily scurried in the absolute direction of the dock. His little face was smiling big time the entire time we stayed.

Look at me mommy, I'm going boating. (I think)
Am I Lady?"
Me - "No Karma, we're just walking along."

We headed off towards the park area and Karma seemed to know his way immediately. I'm quite certain Karma and his mom have visited Seton lake many times before.

"Do you 'fink I can go in the water Lady?"
Yes, Karma I 'fink' it's just fine if you want to.

So into the water he went. He took a lovely long drink and let his feet and tummy get good and wet before he came back out.  The sun was not shining this day and the wind was blowing. I was chilly with just my cardie on, so we didn't stay long. 

Me- "I don't think we should stay too long Karma. I'm not warm."
Karma - "You go back to the car. I'm not done yet."

We headed up to the look out and Karma had an opportunity to wander in the green grass and check out all the scents.
We met up with a couple of gals who instantly fell in love with Karma and politely asked if they could take his picture. Karma was in his glory and smiled a very big smile for them. They walked away giggling at his cuteness and I must say I did too. Karma is just that kinda guy.
He's just a cutie!

I'm cute guy, right Lady?

We made it back home just on time to prepare daddy's lunch and ate a good hearty meal ourselves.  The fresh air and different scenery can really boost an appetite. With a full tummy and a mind full of the lake sights, Karma fell fast asleep. I cleaned up after lunch and puttered in the warm house while he rested.

Karma crash!

Later that afternoon I was back outdoors and doing yard work with  renewed energy. Karma was still in relaxed mode and waited for his mom on the heated mat. I just know, he'll have a wonderful adventure story to tell her all about. I wonder if she'll understand him. I'll help him by submitting this post.
It's been an awesome day Buddy Karma. Thank you for joining me.
See you after my break.

I'm 4 days away from taking 2 weeks off from daycare. I have a few more bookings for this week.
Then beginning Monday, Royal K9 Korner will be closed for 2 whole weeks. 
Keep your paws crossed for warm sunshine. Stay Safe everyone.
See you in 2 weeks!

Photo from 2013 archives -
His Majesty King, Princess Mollydawg and Her Royal Highness Lady May,
ready to help with Spring clean up detail. Best Royal Helpers Ever.

Welcome 4 Year Old Cooper

Already a month has gone by since this little darling came for his Meet & Greet. Yesterday we finally welcomed him in for his first 4 hour visit.  What a sweet little guy.

I'm told Cooper is not a newbie to daycare and generally loves to play with other dogs, large and small. I cant wait to begin introducing him to some of our regulars.
 Cooper does not normally like to be with out his mom and dad, and is super protective of his dad.  It was no surprise to me that he stood by the gate as dad left and whimpered for his return.We sat together for a little while as dad drove away.

"Awww, I know little buddy. I promise he'll come back soon. Let's head into the back yard where you can smell all the other dogs who visited before you."

Although he was hesitant, Cooper followed me and soon was caught up in all the wonderful smells. He found all the places to use as a vantage point to watch for his dad.

I could see Cooper's content side even though he was missing mom & dad. Once he realized we were going for a 'walk' he tagged along happily and checked out all the signs and scents of the 'others'.
He never missed an opportunity to check out the gate where ever we were.  His recall, although hesitant, was reliable enough that I took off the long safety lead and his  harness within an hour. 
It was definitely a good thing because the sun was sharing it's heat with us that day.

Cooper - "Hey Lady? do you think my dad will know I'm way up here?"

He had fully settled in to just 'being here' with in that hour and I was able to get a start on some of my yard work while Cooper rested in the shade.  He came over to find out what I was up to a couple of times but he still wanted to watch the gate. He didn't want any goodies I had to offer but that was just fine, my goal was to allow him to be relaxed.

It was time to check out things indoors and I wanted to go through my routines to learn more about Coopers likes and dislikes. Cooper had already used the basement ramp during his M&G so I knew he'd be fine with that.  He willingly followed me down the ramp and indoors.

Cooper - "I been here before Lady. I know this one."

As I went through the daily routines of noises and movements of doing laundry, cleaning, sorting bedding, moving crates and thrashing about Cooper simply found a 'just right spot to sit and watch me.

Cooper - "I would go to sleep if you would be a bit
quieter Lady. Is this going to take long?"

One more big nosier thing to go through dear Cooper. Follow me. We headed upstairs and out came the vacuum. Again Cooper showed little interest but he'd  rather sit on the porch and peer out at the gate. Of course.

Cooper - "Really Lady, I'm not much into house work so,
I'll head out doors if you don't mind."

Great idea Cooper I'll join you. So join him I did. We sat in the sun for a nice long time. It was a perfect opportunity to try out some husbandry with Cooper. A very compliant little guy who allowed every touch I preformed. An especially pleasant part of this time seemed to be tummy rubs. Oh how he loves those. No kidding! Right?

Even though Cooper's eyes were often on the gate, I believe he's had an ample opportunity to become familiar with our yard, house and all my activities during the day.  Although he watched for dad he really didn't make a fuss and try to 'escape'.   He's ready to visit and meet some other buddies. I believe I can keep him safe and comfortable and best of all, he can learn to have FUN here.

Cooper - "... but my dad will come back right?"

Yes, you bet Cooper, THAT I can promise you. Mom and Dad will be back for you.
Welcome to our daycare yard, Cooper. We hope you visit us again soon.

Nugget Returns and an Overnight Trial For Chip & Maggie

 Chip & Maggie have been making great strides in their comfort level while away from mom & dad. We've been easing them into longer visits in preparation for a 5 day stay with us in July.  With each visit they've been meeting a new visitor and this time it was the 7 yr olds,  River and Nugget. If you don't know or remember Nugget you can read about her here  Nugget 
Suzy Q, who they've met before also visited.  I knew Chip and Suzy were comfortable with each other and hoped Maggie would be less anxious with her this visit. I kept Maggie on a long lead to begin with. I wanted to eliminate the possibility of her bolting. The idea is for her to gain confidence and a sudden bolt could undo the progress she's made thus far.

Maggie is more relaxed  with Suzy this time and allows her greeting.

The reintroduction with both Suzy and with River was quite uneventful and I was hopeful meeting Nugget would go as smoothly.

Hello, Im Maggie.
Oh, hi, I'm River

Chip is a very social guy and I've only seen his happy, fun personality.  Meeting River went as I expected and I was looking forward to Nugget arriving. 

Chip and River say a polite hello

Chip was ready to begin a fun day, if River was willing. She was for sure. The four of them, Suzy, River, Chip and Maggie seemed quite comfortable with each other and could safely stay together.  

My plan was to go slow, with quiet, easy one on one introductions to Nugget with each. It's been quite some time since Nugget visited but I remembered her fun loving energetic personality and had her favourite balls ready for her.  Meeting Suzy was quite uneventful.

Hello Im Suzy. Have we met?

Meeting River was all about ball play. Yep, saw that one coming.

Nugget - "Hey, Wait up!"

We went indoors to meet Chip and Maggie. Chip clearly did not want the new girl anywhere near his sister and made no bones about saying so.  They still had lots of time to get familiar with each other so I let the visit unfold with no pressure either way. Nugget didn't seem to care and simply ignored Chip.

Chip - "Can you keep this new girl away from my sister please?"

Outdoors, Nugget, Suzy and River seemed to hit it off.  I wanted to prevent zoomies from kicking in before Nugget had a chance to get re accustomed to our yard, so I initially had Suzy and Maggie back on long leads. They each said polite hellos and Nugget found a ball again. She already had her day outlined. Easy peasy.

Maggie was unsure but accepted Nugget's presence.

Nugget will run and play ball for hours on end and that's exactly what happened.  She ran and played while Mags and her brother did zoomies in another area. River roamed the yard watching for birds, Suzy rested and watched all the goings on. They were all happy. Not necessarily socializing but content to just be.  I don't believe in putting dogs in a situation they're not ready for. Being together can look different for different dogs.  They can visit through fences and become accustomed to each other with out feeling the need to defend. The longer they had to check things out and feel content the easier the rest of the visit would go.

Chip - "You just stay with me, Maggie and I'll take care of you."

I spent a watchful 24 hours with the four munchkins. I feel quite confident Maggie and Chip will do just fine when July comes along. They'll be back again for more visits and meetings before then. I think Chip will be back to his more comfortable self when they meet Nugget again. She was nonthreatening and I'm certain he'll remember that. I wonder if having just one more newcomer this visit was more than he was ready for. He's a really good big brother and he means to keep his sister safe.  He'll learn that's part of my job and he can relax and just have fun.

In the meantime, River and Nugget seem to have a great report. Everyone played in and out and rested comfortably during the day.

By the time bedtime came around they were tired.

Heading to bed was an easy time for all. Chip and Maggie found the large crate, snuggled down together and were fast asleep in no time at all. Nugget chose the medium size crate. She gave a few minutes of soft whimpers, which tugged at my heart strings, but she soon followed suit into dreamland.
As usual River was asleep before anyone cozied under her pink blankie. I hope everyone dreamt of fun happy times. I'm looking forward to seeing them all again soon.
Chip and Maggie will go home in the morning and Bailey will arrive for a playday with Nugget! 
Stay tuned!

Good night sweethearts. I love you all

Surprise Toys Day

River and I had just one day alone last week. She helped me get ready for the next group of visitors. She kind'a helped herself to the tiny toys as I sorted them to make sure all were still safe to play with. She gave them her seal of approval by sneaking one off to snuggle with.

Ahhh yes! The tiny squeakie duckie my favourite!

River always seems to find the little duck or chicken leg first in all the tiny toys. Sneaking one is inevitable and I always allow her to when we're alone. She loves the tiny toys and is gentle with them when no one else is around.

River - "This is not a chicken leg or duckie. It's a tiny cow and I'm claiming it!"

When the toys and the living room are done we head done to the bedroom. Theirs always bedding, mats and covers to be washed.  It's boring for River, so she decides to head out the door to rest in the sun. She lays on the heated mat watching the trees for birds.

River - "Why you staring at me? Is your work done lady?"

Dare I say, the snow is melting fast. 
More birds will soon be here

I get the laundry started and sort out the bedding for this weeks little visitors. Karma, Chip, Maggie and Nugget would all be overnighters. They all need warm, clean,  private, and cozy spots. I have no idea if they'll be buddies or not.  So in came the accommodations.
River came in to see if I was doing my chores right and gave it her seal of approval by checking out her fresh bedding. We are set! Bring on the littles.

Are you paying your helpers in cookies?

Later that morning we had surprise objects suddenly appear in the yard. River was the first to spot them and made off with one quicker than I could see what it was. “Some sneaky person” had thrown a few brand-new toys into our yard. He left one little squeaky squirrel hanging on the gate post to watch me. Oh good grief I laughed. There was only one person who has done this before.  A neighbour friend of Bailey's dad gets new toys often and has way to many, so she passes some on to Bailey. Who in turn passes them along to us!  Thank you, Mr. Bailey’s dad. You are a hoot!
The dogs are going to love them!

River - "I think it must be my belated birthday present! They just dropped from the sky"

Mr. Sneaky left his squeaky squirrel friend calling card

River loves to bury her toys and she zipped back and forth throughout the morning trying to find just the right hiding place for these new treasures.

If you watch her as she's found a spot, she zooms away and finds another hiding spot. She will carry a toy all day until she finally feels she's found the perfect place that no one has seen. Then she returns to take the next new toy and repeat her task. What a funny little girl.

 

She never found the right place for the big yellow chip bag toy. It is just to large and the ground is still to frozen. Ah well. another time. Besides its not really one of her favourites. It's just new.

River was still sneaking toys away even when Karma and Suzy arrived. They're not really interested and let her sneak away with a toy in her mouth. The new toys wont get a proper initiation until another visitor who loves toys arrives. Then it'll be a FUN day of race and tug and play for sure.

River, Suzy and Karma enjoying the last of the snow oblivious to the new toys.

The thrill of the new toys wears off quickly and before long Karma notices the balls and his day begins. Balls seem to be his toy of choice.  I gather as many balls as I see around and up the sloped backyard we go.  It's perfect for playing ball. I keep a plastic bin in the shed filled with balls where I initially sit and throw them. For some dogs including these two, I sometimes have to retrieve them myself. Once all the balls are thrown, I head to the lattice solar frame and gather the ones I just threw.

River - "Hurry up Lady. Why you not throw another ball?"
Karma - "Maybe she checking for cookies?"

Throwing them up hill makes more sense of course, so they can roll back to me.  That's where I usually stand for the rest of playtime.

Running back and forth and up and down the hill is quite a work out for 11 year old Karma. In just a short time he's had enough and it's rest time. 
Karma, River and Suzy Q are part of my 100% recall buddies. When I call, "house-time," they are THERE! We head indoors and they easily find a comfortable spot to lay down. It's going to be a quiet day.

Karma and River take turns sleeping on the lounge. They often share it.

This time Karma gets the lounge and River finds a different place to rest.

Ahh rest time. My favourite

 Not everyone goes to sleep right away. It takes Suzy Q longer. She has a little toss 'n tumble play with a toy before she snoozes. That doesn't seem to bother River too much. She just likes the company.

The rest of the afternoon the toys are forgotten and it's mainly a relaxing day until bedtime. The toys will wait for another day. Another couple of visitors will have their fun with them.
I'll be sorting through all the 'big toys' soon and many won't be making the cut.
New toys are on the horizon!
I think Karma doesn't care as long as I keep my hands in my pocket. I wonder what he dreams of?
Toys, or . . .

Karma dreams - " I wonder if my mom will be home tomorrow?"

Saying Farewell is Never Easy

Already more than a week ago, 3 1/2 year old Sage and her mom stopped in to say a farewell. They are moving out of town and won't be visiting us for daycare. It took me a while to get through writing this post. It was an emotional time and I took a few moments in between photos to pause and remember Sage's visits.
We are very sad to see them leave but we know they'll have a wonderful life and meet a brand new pack of buddy's. It was a day when Bailey, River, and Ruby were all visiting. This is Sage's farewell photo with three of her very good buddies. Little did they understand it was probably the last photo of them here altogether before Sage heads off on a new adventure. 

Ruby - "Why you leabin' us Sagey? We gonna' miss you."
Bailey - "We're going to give her a prezzie right?"
River - "Can we share her good bye cookies?"

We first met Sage in the Summer of 2020. She was just 8 weeks old.  This tiny little chocolate border collie came to visit us with a friend who would soon become her very best buddy, Miss Hazel.
Even though Sage was so young, her mom wanted us to meet her and let me know, she would be applying for daycare when the time was right, and her little bundle of energy was old enough.
Oh my goodness I melted. This little bundle of fluff captured our hearts FULL ON!
My heart also said, "OMG not another puppy!" A purebred Border Collie, Oh man!

When her time for a M&G came along she was only 8 months old. A fluffy girl, full of confidence and mischief. She had her little nose into everything and although she was small, she demanded that the other dogs love her and do zoomies with her, right now! 
She wouldn't come for a full day of daycare for another few months, but when  she did she was raring to meet new friends.

Sage - "Come on mom! Let's get going!"
The daycare dogs are waiting to meet me!"

She often came with her friend Miss Hazel and the two of them became a bonded daycare pair very soon. Sage made many other friends over the short 3 years she was here. Those friends are definitely going to miss her fun games. We really hope one day she'll drop back in to play. Until that time, we know she's going to make a lot of new friends and she'll be seeing her old best buddy Miss Hazel. Yay Sage.

Sage - "Do you think they'll like me Hazel?"
Hazel - "Yes, Sagey, they'll love you"

Sage could often be seen doing some of the same things Hazel had done on her previous visits. Playing hide n seek under the lounge was a favourite. When I couldn't see where she was, I only had to move the lounge a bit to reveal her sweet face. 

Sage - "Leeb me alone. I tryin' to sleep here."

Sage made friends easily and there weren't many times I had to separate her. If she was separated it was because of her excitement and the other's reluctance to participate in her high energy games.  After all, she had learned many lessons from her wonderful daycare mentor, Miss Hazel.
They were often the first to arrive and started my day with a the biggest smile and a warm glow in my heart. What a way to begin my days.
Video - Good Morning Sage & Hazel

Another one of Sage's most favourite friends was the fun loving Lupin. They were friends out of daycare as well and when they visited for play days, the other dogs had to clear an area for them. Like Hazel, Lupin has also moved away. We miss them so much!

Video - Tug Team Sage & Lupin

Each time Sage arrived at daycare she made sure to say a polite hello to Our Royal Lady May before any others. There was never a time when Sage missed an opportunity to show respect and to give out a daily dose of ear washes to everyone. Lady May always asked her to stop but really didn't seem to mean it. Even though Sage was a high energy, active girl, she knew how to show proper respect to her seniors and never crossed that line. I would often keep her on lead, when others may not approve of Sage's kisses and face washes. She seemed to understand, being on lead meant there might be a safety issue and she curbed her advances. Our late Marchioness lil Molly could be a bit tough with new youngsters, but Sage won her heart over in no time at all. 

Sage - "Look! I bring you a toy!"
lil Molly - "Yes, ok but dont kiss me."

lil Molly - "Okay maybe just a little kiss."

Sage loved so many different styles of play. When she had others to play with, she was a very happy girl.  She certainly had favourite toys, but really, she seemed to love all at her disposal. She would go  straight for the bins and picked out her favourite for that hour. She'd return often and chose another, leaving the scattered remains around the house and yard. Such a monkey.
It used to be a task for me to decide what Christmas present to give, because she loved so many. Balls, squeakers, stuffies, chew toys, tug toys. They all had Sage's mark on them.
Her favourites finally became balls. She would carry one in her mouth and play with a second. She'd wait for me to throw one and zoom after it while carrying her chosen one. When she caught up with it, she pawed at it and looked to me to come get it and throw it again for her. Such a funny girl.  When I played ball with the others, she only ever ran close by them and never picked up the one being thrown or played with. She just wanted to RUN! (with a ball in her mouth) Such a sweet girl.
She loved to share her toys and would often invite another buddy to play.

She had her work cut out for her with Khione. Khione didn't care much for the toys and would often rather get some respite from her puppy brother.  That didn't stop Sage from offering even though it seldom worked.

Sage - "I'll hold on to the toy for later then. After you had a rest can we zoom?"
Khione - "Maybe."

The pool was a favourite summer fun time. She ruled the pool and dared anyone to try to get a toy. She was always two paws in waiting for it to be filled and the toys to be added. Oskar never really cared for the pool but brother Bentley waited right along side of Sage.

Sage - "When the toys come in I get first pick ok?
Bentley - " Ummm mayyy be..."
Oskar - "Not the balls though. I get the balls!"

Step brother Loki and Lupin would just bide their time. They knew Sage would soon get tired of waiting and need to zoom. The pool was a great past time but it still didn't beat a good game of chase.

When senior Cash came to visit, she always respected him and simply followed him around on his daily walk about. This time with buddy Kona.

The recent best buddies for rough and tumble tug or chase or zoomies were Bailey and River. When they were together there was no stopping the fun!

Ruby joined that fun trio once her and Sage had decided they were 'okay' together. It took a bit of slow easy separated days but by the time Sage was moving Ruby had become one of her best buddies, and a worthy tug opponent. Isn't it always the way!

Size never mattered to Sage. She may be small in stature but she made up for it in agility and determination. Henry was truly one of her worthy tug opponents. She rarely lost the tug game with him. He would drop to the ground and eventually lose his grip and Sage would be the winner once again.

Sage- "You may as well give up Henry. Im no quitter."
Henry - "Just let me readjust my grip okay?"

There wasn't always a young, energetic buddy to play with visiting. Sometimes it was a seniors day or week. That didn't bother Sage. She fit in to what ever the days dynamic was.  A ruff, tuff game of tug, or a quiet lazy lay in sun/shade day. Sage was such a loving easy dog to provide for.

Sage - "Come on Bailey. give me all ya got!"
Bailey - "Okie doke. You asked for it!"

Sage spends a quiet day with seniors,
Miss Sadie. Sir Cash, Lady May.

Even when she was a little hesitant to meet newcomer, Coco, Sage kept an open mind and tried her best to make him her buddy. 

Sage - "errrmm, I fink maybe I'll keep my distance from you."
Coco - "No, really, I'm a friendly guy. You'll eventually love me."

Unfortunately Sir Coco moved away before a true friendship could blossom. I know it would have.

Sage - "Okay, Loki, you distract him and I'll grab the ball."
Loki - "Hello Sir Coco, I love your fluffy ears."
Coco - "You can't distract me from my ball so don't even try."

Our extended pack and household will truly miss our Miss Sagey poo and her mom. Sage and her mom became a part of our family that gave our hearts a warm feeling when we visited.  I will miss our drop/off pick/up chats and all the laughs and giggles we had discussing Sage's daily antics. Oh my goodness how we laughed. She was such a delightful visitor.
I'm certain they will have fantastic adventures and can't wait for a few updates as they travel along on their journey.

A snowy farewell day. Sage is oblivious this is her last day with us.

Be a good girl for mommy sweetheart. She's going to need your support on the long journey.

Saying have a wonderful journey to Sage who's probably thinking - "Why you so sad. Let's PLAY!"

Sage was one of the many who LOVED dress up days and we're going to miss her sweet face on those special days. Here's one more glimpse of her darling face in a preview of our upcoming March dressup day. 

We will miss you and think of you often Sage. We hope you write often.

Farewell Sage and mommy