Mud Run

Hazel and I had such a great time last Saturday. (yes, a little behind, we were celebrating the human sister's birthday!)
We had experienced quite a bit of rain (by our standards) so were waiting for a break before we headed out. The mountains were still topped with heavy clouds and the air was crisp and cool. Perfect running weather!

Totally conflicted here..."Mom, why are we not running?"

I love that the mud spatters just blend into her coat. This run was extra special because we hit a HUGE milestone! I have been working with Hazel's recall while offleash. She's a champ at home of course, but we're talking, in a field full of bunnies and lots of smells. She was allowed to run through the field, flushing out birds and sniffing for bunnies, and as she was in pursuit, I called her back to be.....she came! I was so proud of her! I praised her a ton and then released her again to continue on with her fun.

I never use recall as a "negative", ie calling her when it's time for a bath, or when we need to stop doing something fun, etc. I want her to know that when I call her, nothing unpleasant is going to happen. I often see people call their dogs in an angry manner and then do not understand why the dog doesn't listen. Would YOU want to come if someone was yelling/screaming your name in a harsh tone? Dogs need to be motivated to do something,"what's in this for me?" so to speak. If we only use recall when it's time for a bath, time to leave a park, time to clean ears, etc, they are going to be less responsive.

Is that a critter I see?

My footprints are not visible which is a bummer as it represented all that was wonderful with this morning. Just me and my best girl by my side, both of us doing what makes us the most happy.