Leader of the Pack

The Adventure Pack

Benny and Wesley were off-leash together again today, but there was no teasing with sticks.  Both of them were just interested in sniffing.  Benny hung back checking things out again today and I had to go round him up a few times because he got so into exploring that he seemed to forget that he was with the pack.  Wesley, on the other hand, was quick to come right over to me whenever I paused - and then nudge my hand with his nose, hoping for a t...

The Adventure Pack

Mogul, Rucksack, and Benny were all pretty mellow on today's hike.  They did a lot of sniffing and exploring off the sides of the trail.  Benny actually trailed behind more than Mogu, giving his full attention to every scent he passed.  Rucksack didn't carry any sticks.  It was a different sort of day.

The Play Pack

Benny immediately started playing with a fluffy black dog when we arrived at the par...

The Adventure Pack

When Wesley and Benny got off-leash together, Wesley found a stick to carry and deliberately teased Benny with it.  Benny tried and tried to dive for the stick hanging out of Wesley's mouth, but Wesley kept dodging and then turning back around to face him.  In the end, Benny just ended up with a mouthful of fur.  Toskey and Rucksack had their own bout of keep-away with a stick that Toskey found later on, but it didn't last long as Toskey dropped ...

The Adventure Pack

Coco, Benny, Rucksack, and Wesley all kept their noses to the ground for most of today's hike.  Some of the trails at Sanitas required that dogs be on leash because of a recent bear sighting, so I'm guessing that the pack was picking up on some hints of the scent of the new visitor.  Tomorrow, we'll be heading to Chautauqua and we'll continue to go there until the bear moves on.

The Play Pack

When we first got to th...

The Adventure Pack

Mogul played his guarding game with Coco on the trails today.  He started off by hopping ahead playfully and getting Coco to chase him, and then he quickly spun around and turned the chase on her.  She scurried into the bush on the side of the trail, and then they went back and forth - Mogul teasing Coco into coming closer until he pounced, Coco trying to lure Mogul off of the trail.  Later on, when Coco and Benny were off leash together, Coco ra...

The Adventure Pack

Benny brought a rubber tire/rope toy with him today.  His attention was on his toy when Finn was in the car with him, but when we picked up Coco he forgot about it and the two of them had their usually fun wrestling around and groaning at each other.  It was a windy day out today!  When one particularly strong gust rose up, Coco and Finn stopped in place and looked back at me as if looking for reassurance that everything was ok.  Toward the ...

The Adventure Pack

When we came to that boulder in an uphill stretch of the trail again today, I wondered whether Benny would give another try to going up the steep face of it after seeing Toskey do it next to him yesterday, but he still used the stepping stone alongside it.  Finn wasn't very active at the beginning of the hike but he got very excited and playful after we passed by a light Goldendoodle and another light Labradoodle who he was happy to meet.  After they ...

The Adventure Pack

When we came to that same spot with the big boulder on the trail at Sanitas, Benny hopped up using the stepping stone this time instead of planting his front paws on the big rock and then standing there hopelessly wishing he had more strength in his back legs so he could push off and get up.  Toskey, on the other hand, leapt right up the steep side of the boulder without a problem.  I wonder whether Benny was thinking some form of the thought "...show...

The Adventure Pack

Benny followed alongside Coco on today's hike: wandered where she wandered, sniffed what she sniffed, galloped playfully beside her when she wanted to run.  It was very cute how much he looked to his only slightly older packmate for direction.  Finn and Rucksack had a good time exploring together.  They were playful and Coco desperately wanted to join them.  After a minute, Coco settled down and let them have their fun.

The Adventure Pack

Benny and Mogul started the hike off-leash together.  Mogul was persistent in his desire to hang back today; though he obliged every time I called him to come up and join the pack, he would get interested in a smell off the side of the trail seconds later and then linger further and further behind unitl I called him again.  Benny checked out the spots Mogul sniffed, too, although he usually came running up ahead after he got a good whiff.  Coco a...