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Happy weekend, dog people,
 
Summer – a time for kicking back, spending some time in a lawn chair with a good book and perhaps a BBQ or two (with an appropriate beverage).  Summer is also a time for visitors, and we have had our fair share – of the canine variety.  The house has been busy with guests, all enjoying each other’s company here and out on the trails.
 
My favourite pastime with a house full of dogs is to watch them interact with each other.  Puppies are great fun – always playing and teasing each other.  The older, more serious dogs observe it all and throw out the occasional growl or bark to calm things down.  When one of the beasts wakes up and starts moving about, the whole pack reacts and the fun starts.  It is better than T.V.
 
The other night I watched carefully as Princess Hope came out of her bedchamber at the back of the house, gave a stretch and a yawn in the kitchen, then saw me in the chair in the corner and started towards me with her 3-legged lope.  The rest of the pack all roused themselves to follow suit and with tails wagging, approached for some attention.  What was interesting was the order in which they came to me – one at a time.  Tipper and Mick (the two boys always vying for top dog) got here first, then Hope.  Ramble, the low dog on the totem pole was next, with our visitors taking up the rear.  An hour later, the same thing happened, with the same order of hierarchy being followed.  It was fascinating…. and a great lesson in communication from our dogs.
 
Whether you have a pack of several dogs and one human, or several humans and one dog – you can learn a lot about what your dogs are saying to you, and to each other by quietly observing them.  Do you treat your dogs differently?  Is one shyer than the other, and how does that affect their interaction with each other, and with you?  It is an interesting study – something to while away the summer heat with while you sip a Margarita in a hammock.
 
We have had some activity in our Dogs for Adoption department.  Here is the latest on Last Chance’s greatest :
 
Osiris has a meeting organized for this weekend.  Angie (our dog training foster person) has had Osiris with him for a few weeks and is really liking our boy a lot.  Osiris is a lot of boy to love.  He is a force to be reckoned with, and Angie has his number, so we know that Osiris is being well prepared for his next owner.
 
Rikki is being fostered on Galiano Island and we are waiting for a report back about how he is doing.  We have a feeling he may have worked his way into his foster folks’ home for a long term stay.
 
Grace is still looking for her perfect place to move to.  Grace’s 93 year old owner will be moving to a seniors’ facility soon, and Grace is too big to be able to go with him.  Grace is a terrific dog – very friendly and easy to walk and has been the joy of her friend’s life for a long time.  We want to make sure Grace is place in the exact perfect home for her.
 
Paisley has been adopted.  Paisley has fit right into her new rural lifestyle out in Sooke.  Paisley has a new job of warning her family of raccoons in the yard, and we hear she is a master at it.  Our girl has lost some weight and has a new spring in her step – we couldn’t be happier.
 
There will be no Group Training this weekend or next weekend (the long weekend) as so many folks are away.  We will be reassessing the weather situation after the long weekend to see if things have cooled off a bit.  The dogs and their humans really struggle with the midday sun in the training field.
 
Lucky Dog Monday had the group doing some Advanced Training last week.  Long stays, calling our dogs and putting them into a down halfway back, were our challenges this week.  Everyone did remarkably well, considering the long break many of them have had from the training ring.  This week we will walk/hike again – Matheson Lake was chosen for the proximity to the water, so that we don’t have to pack a drink for the dogs.   Lucky Dog Monday is a working walk available to anyone who has completed a full session of leadership/obedience with Last Chance.  It is a great time to pick Geoff’s brain about any issues you may be having.  9:30 is the start time.
 
So that was our week at Last Chance.  Kicking back and watching the world, and our dogs, go by.  It is all great entertainment  - and educational as a bonus (we are considering starting a new Reality Series – “The Biggest Biter”….   we’ll be famous….!!)   
 
Observing our dogs’ behavior in their pack really is an educational experience – one you can’t get in a classroom or a dog training class.  It is about being present and watching the subtle changes in energy as our dogs communicate with us, the other members of the household, and with each other. We find it a fascinating study, but then we have been labeled as “dog people”…. imagine that…….
 
Happy trails,
 
Jan and Geoff