On the road again..

Finally! Hazel's feet have healed up pretty well and we were able to get out for a run. We're staying away from rocky areas for another week, so Sunday we set out on a soft dirt trail. (which is actually an abandoned old dirt road once used by farmers).

It was a beautiful day, though a little warm since we didn't start running until late morning. Hazel got to spend a lot of time off leash which was awesome.

We actually had to take a quick shade break!

Can you put your phone down and just RUN?!

And here is Hazel with her sister playing in the park.

I am afraid to speak too soon, but knock on wood, Hazel has improved so much when it comes to being too rough with D. She hasn't head butted/air snapped/pounced on/arm grabbed (you get the picture), in a looong time. Dare I say, I think she has learned how to appropriately live with a child! ;)

Meez tries mama, meez tries

It just goes to show how much patience can sometimes be required when adding to the family. I see a lot of people give up and return their dogs when things aren't "perfect" immediately. I never expected perfection, but did want to make sure I could keep D safe while not stifling Hazel's spirit.
I think we have found a great balance. BOTH girls needed to be taught boundaries. D just turned 7 and I still have to remind her not to send mixed signals to Hazel.

For example, just the other night she was playing with her inflatable ride on "pink puppy"..a toy Hazel would love to sink her teeth into. I let Hazel know that she couldn't put her teeth on it, and put Hazel in "place" to allow D to bounce around freely. Hazel was behaving herself perfectly when D took "pink puppy" up to Hazel and "talked to her" via the puppy. I told D that she was not setting Hazel up for success by "taunting" her when Hazel was trying really hard to behave.

I cannot stress how important it is for our family to work together, and all be on the same page.
I am thrilled with the progress we've had.

Da Weekend

We had a fabulous weekend with lots of runs, playtime, sweet snuggle sessions, an emotional break through, and a new "recipe".

First things first. We kicked off the weekend with a morning run. We waited until the sun warmed things up before we set out. It was really bright out there and from the looks of Hazel in this photo, someone needed some shades!

So yeah, the tumbleweeds are soooooo lacking in beauty, but we loved this run because we had a dirt trail all to ourselves. It was flat and went on for miles which is just what my body needed after so many hilly runs last week. Hazel got to flush out birds and sharpened her pointing skills.....

I'ma pointer I iz

Things were just fantastic. At a point where I had to decide whether we would keep running or turn around, I saw a coyote up ahead of us in the bushes. Thank GOSH I saw it first. I immediately told Hazel to stop, and then leashed her up very quickly. We turned around and headed back a little earlier than I would have liked. Hazel didn't even see the coyote so I didn't have to deal with her wanting to go after it. We come across them all the time if it's early morning/evening, and she wants to give chase. We didn't start running until after 9am, so I didn't have the fear of coyotes this time, so this completely bums me out. I am never going to feel "safe" letting her off leash in this area. :( As it is, even in my own neighborhood, I cannot let her off leash in the "greenbelt" areas where many people in our hood let their dogs off to play fetch,etc. It is rare that we *don't* see coyotes when we are out in the early morning hours, so it has really taken our freedom away.
While I live in a heavily populated "suburb", the coyotes and other wildlife "hunt" in our neighborhoods. Cats and small dogs are their easy prey. It's not their fault and I do not blame them.

Last week a good friend asked if I had ever made Hazel bone broth. I had not and then remembered an article I had read about the benefits quite awhile back, but had since forgotten. I decided to give it a whirl, and oh.my.gosh, what an experience! Let me just say I nearly fanited..more than once, but at the end of it all, the "bone soup" as we call it, was a wild success.

It doesn't look like anything special, but Hazel loved it. I forgot what was is supposed to be an important step, which is adding a little cider to the bones and water. Oops.

Later that day we met up with a doggy friend to blow off some steam...

The standoff

And to top off the weekend, we had lots of snuggle time.

I'll tell you my secret if you tell me yours.

I mentioned earlier in the post that we had an "emotional break through", at least from my perspective. Just a few days ago, my hubby brought up how in tune our past girls were with our emotions. When one of us was upset, they always responded to us. He mentioned that because at one point last week, D was crying and Hazel seemed oblivious. We have been waiting for a "sweet and sensitive" side to appear but so far, hadn't seen it. Well, it happened. Yesterday I was upset about a dog on the E list and I cried in front of her for the first time. Actually, it was not in front of her. Hazel was asleep on the couch in the living room, and I was in the front room. My girl ran over to me and gave me her version of a "hug", and licked my tears.
While I am madly in love with Hazel, I have sensed her holding back, and still having some walls up. I hadn't seen a truly sensitive, "sweet" side as of yet. It's nice to know she is ready to share that side of her with us. I know there is more to come, and we will be patiently waiting....

Take me to Church

Yesterday I got home around 2:30, loaded up the pup, and headed to the mountain. I was hoping that since it was in the middle of the afternoon, we would have some quiet time on the trails. That might had been had I chosen a different trail, but no luck, it was quite crowded.

I hadn't been on this trail in years and now I remember why! It's very popular with mountain bikers, in fact, I used to ride this trail myself. Mountain bikers and running with a dog do not mix. Even though trail etiquette dictates that bikers yield to those on foot, I feel that it's much easier for me to stop and move over than it is for them, so for too many times to count, Hazel and I were constantly having to stop and "pull over".

We were in a wash off the trails in these pics, hence a quick "no leash" photo op, however I would never, ever run with her on this trail without a leash. Unfortunately I see too many people with their dogs off leash and I can't stand it. Of course I would love the opportunity to do so, but it's just not safe! There are mountain bikers going very fast on these trails, blind corners and hills and other trail users. I have seen a mountain biker crash trying to avoid hitting a dog and it was devastating. It puts the pup in danger, and the cyclists.

Despite the trail being very busy, everyone was very friendly and in wonderful spirits. Friendly hellos were exchanged, many "thank yous" for sharing the trail, and lots of compliments on my girl! I always eat that up. :) I could tell that given the chance, Hazel would LOVE to have me on a bike with her chasing from behind! Now THAT would give her a work out. I swear, I have never seen this girl truly exhausted! It blows my mind how much endurance and energy she has. I can see how she might have gotten into trouble in her last home. I like to think I am more active than the "average" adopter and provide a lot of exercise, playtime, and mental stimulation. I cannot imagine a dog this active not having those outlets, yet I know more than a few people who rarely walk their dogs, let alone fulfill their many needs. It's a huge injustice in my humble opinion.

We full out ran for about an hour and 45minutes and my glutes are screaming! The trail was moderate with only short hills, but our pace was much faster than I would have liked. (and I can thank miss Hazel and her quest to catch mountain bikers for that. ;) ) I was filled with gratitude on this run. At one peaceful point on the trail, I literally started talking to the heavens, "communicating" with all my loved ones who have passed. There is something about this mountain that reaches down to my soul..it truly is "my church".

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.