Leader of the Pack

The Adventure Pack

We made a lot of pit stops for group scenting efforts on today's hike.  I didn't notice who was first to pick up the interesting smells, but within a moment Toskey, Coco, Rucksack, and Benny were all standing shoulder to shoulder with their noses down.  This happened numerous times today.  It's nice when they're all interested in the same spots instead of all heading in different directions.

The Play Pack

Sputnik jo...

The Adventure Pack

The pack had another day of practice on leash for the length of the hike today.  We worked on getting everyone to stay with me and not try to pull me over when another dog wants to come over and say hello.  Rucksack and Coco are usually the most enthusiastic about greeting other dogs.  Wesley is generally pretty relaxed about greeting other dogs, though he can get a bit worked up by his packmates.  Benny can usually take it or leave it,...

The Adventure Pack

Oliver caught Sputnik's interest more today than usual.  Oliver was the subject of a lot of nose-nudging that sometimes lifted his legs off the ground, which occasionally earned Sputnik a reprimanding, high-pitched growl.  Rucksack was an explorer today and wandered as far as I let him go off the trail or ahead of the rest of us.  Benny bore the brunt of Sputnik's puppy energy and wrestled around with his little packmate on several occasions.

The Adventure Pack

Coco had a lot of energy to expend on today's hike.  She insistently flailed around a stick and whimpered to get her packmates' attention.  Wesley obliged her by chasing her around a few times, but she wasn't satisfied with that and kept trying to goad Rucksack and Sage into coming after her.  I let Sage run around with her for a bit and then she eventually settled down and was ok with just walking at my side for the last bit of the hike.

The Adventure Pack

Sputnik was much less insistent about chewing his packmates' elbows today, which I'm sure they appreciated.  He still had a good romp with Benny when I let them off leash together.  Sputnik followed Benny's every move most of the time, whenever he wasn't running around being chased by his doggy mentor instead.  Oliver and Rucksack stuck pretty close by during their turn to explore off leash.  Oliver discovered a very interesting-smelling spo...

The Adventure Pack

Benny and Toskey had a great time running around the trails and chomping on snow together today.  Rucksack and Coco were both very jealous of their packmates running free in the snow, but they had their turn during the second leg of our hike and they made the most of it with plenty of running and chasing of their own.  Rucksack also shouldered down into the snow, ecstatically bathing in the cold white stuff.

The Play Pack

The Adventure Pack

The pack got a lot of attention from a big group of hikers right at the outset of today's outing.  Benny, Wesley, Rucksack, and Coco all thoroughly enjoyed going from person to person to be lavished with petting and adoration.  On the trails, Rucksack and hopped all around Benny and got him to wrestle around.  Coco and Wesley were more mellow and just hiked along the trail - though Coco did play scout again when she was off leash.

The Adventure Pack

Oliver was leading the way for the whole hike today.  Meanwhile, Rucksack and Benny were fending off Sputnick's gnawing teeth.  Sputnick likes to crawl under his packmates bellies and then bite at their elbows.  It seems that since Oliver is much to small for Sputnick to crawl under him, he's safe from his packmate's intrusive habits.

The Play Pack

Maebe always seems to find someone else at the park to throw tennis ...

The Adventure Pack

Wesley had a fun time rolling around in the grass while Coco sprinted by him.  After a few passes, Wesley popped up and ran with her a bit.  Later on, Sage and Rucksack trotted around side-by-side, much more calmly than their packmates had been at the beginning of the hike.  The two of them stuck together pretty closely the entire time they were off leash.

The Play Pack

Milo chased a lot of tennis balls at the park ...

The Adventure Pack

Oliver led the way for a while when I first let him off leash while Rucksack brought up the rear with a small log in tow.  Sputnik calmed down and fell into the groove of hiking together much more quickly today.  Within the first 10 minutes he had entirely stopped trying to chew on Rucksack and Benny's legs.  He got a little more rambunctious again later on when he saw Rucksack wandering around with the freedom of being off leash, though, and too...