Leader of the Pack

Rucksack and Coco traded off carrying a short chunk of a thick branch throughout today's hike.  Mogul took his time to smell the roses (figuratively speaking - I don't think there are any roses along the trails at Chautauqua) and I decided to take the pack at his pace for a while instead of letting him lag behind.  After a little while of that, he started just pausing and looking back at me with a grin on his face.

Rucksack hasn't been as consistent about fetching this past week, and I think it's because he's been getting annoyed by Coco ambushing him on his way back with the ball; so, while Coco was busy frolicking with another dog - who looked like he could have been a littermate of Marley's, an occasional Play Pack member - I brought Rucksack across the park and played fetch with him.  Without Coco or any other dogs around to distract him, he was back to his old self and bringing the ball right back to me.  Meanwhile, Mogul lounged around under a picnic table for most of the visit.