Blues Creek Nature Preserve

Once again I have the day off and decided to spend it with the dogs or dog in this case. I loaded up Cash and we headed to another of my favorite parks , Blues Creek.

As you may know Cash is a dog scout which means we have merit badges to earn just like Girl Scout and Boy Scouts. Today we worked on logging hours towards our backpacking badge. We have to log 6 miles with the dog in full pack. By full pack they have a list of objects they have to carry like water , bowl , first aid kit , signaling device ect. 

Today was the first day Cash got to wear her new backpack. She really liked it at first but then she realized it hindered her being able to roll in random smells. It was a plus for me. Today was also the first time I trusted her on the trail off leash. We have to log 3 of our miles off leash so I thought I better give it a shot. She did great. I am always so proud of my dogs.  

Well we got 2.5 miles logged only 3.5 more to go.

Rally then off to a pool party

So today I took Cash to her training class at Anything Goes for Dogs. She absolutely loves the trainer Kym and she is really getting excited about learning the dynamics for Rally Obedience. Today we refreshed the basics like sit stay, and down stay as well as sit,down,sit, and we added on learning about figure eights and serpentine patterns. Cash does great on these exercises going to the right , but when we change it up and go to the left we need some more work. She is getting more motivated and seems to be having lots of fun. I am planning on continuing her training once this session is over. I don't know that we will ever compete but we have fun playing around with it.

So once class was over today we headed over to Acme Canine for Spike's pool party. We were suppose to meet my friend Jan there with her dog Gus, but Jan got there before me and Gus was bad so they left without playing with us.  Apparently Gus humped a dog and peed on a lady so he is going home to be grounded.  Even though Gus was gone Cash still had plenty of other dogs to play with and people to love on her. She made fast friends with another yellow lab named Stanley and a Brittany spaniel. 

At the pool party Cash not only got to play with people but she also got to play several water games. The first one was a dog pool that had ball in it .The object of the game was to retrieve as many of the balls and diving rings as she could. She got 4 which got her a second place and a new toy.  The second game was a version of musical chairs. There were hula hoop on the ground and a sprinkler in the middle and when the music stopped the dogs had to find and empty hula hoop and sit in the center of it. She also got second place in this game.  The last game was a slip n slide that had water shooting up through the center and the dogs had to heal while getting sprayed with the water. Cash got a prize for this contest as well. I got very wet!!

We are back home now and Cash is sound asleep on the couch. Avery is just glad we are home so she knows where every one is and Tank stole Cash's new toy.  All is right in the world.

Darree Fields Dog Park - Dublin, OH

Through some friends I found out about a new dog park in Dublin about 20 minutes from our house. Of course I had to check it out. It was fabulous. Cash and I had the place to ourselves except for two other black lab mixes. It was several acres fenced in with several agility obstacles to play with.  They had a tire jump , teeter totter , jump , and tunnel. Cash loved the tunnel. She kept running back and forth inside of it. The other two dogs that were running around were scared to enter the tunnel so Cash quickly figured out that she could run through the tunnel with a toy to hide from the other dogs.

What a perfect day, I just wish I would have had Tank and Avery with me.

Columbus Dog Scouts - hike at Prairie oaks take two

The Columbus Dog Scout troop had a second hike today to promote the Hike a Thon fund raiser. I was held at Prairie Oaks Metro Park. This hike was not only attended my Cash and I but Dave came along with Tank. ( I don't think I will be seeing Dave at many more of my scouting events)  We got several miles of hiking in at the park, then when we were done we took the dogs to the water area to let the pooches swim.  They loved it!! Dave had brought some retrieving bumpers and tossed them out into the lake. I had no idea Cash was such a strong swimmer. Her and Tank love the water but Cash is kind of a bully and kept stealing Tank's bumpers from him.

The dogs were out cold on the car ride home. But a 30 minute power nap is all they need once we got home they were rearing to go again. They wrestled and played in the backyard once they were home and Avery played too. She was feeling a little left out since she didn't get to go to the park with the other dogs. I wish I had a way to bottle up some of there energy to keep for myself. ( I could get so much done ).

Well thanks for reading and I will keep you up to date on the events and adventures of 3 Black Dogs

Hound hike

Cash and I had our first hound hike tonight with the Preservation Parks of Delaware County. Hound hikes are a series of hikes around Delaware county at the various nature preserves,  they are lead by a naturalist. 

Cash had a great time making friends of the 2 and 4 legged variety. Our hike was at Gallant Woods preserve and we hiked 3 miles.

After our hike was completed today we now have the 10 miles we pledged to hike for the dog scouts hikeathon. 

Prior to going on the hike today cash got to spend the day at work with me. She got to see her uncle navigator and go for a walk at lunch.

She should sleep good tonight. 

Mother's Day Hike

So today is mother's day and since I only have 4 legged kids I spent they day with them.  Dave and I took them for a 3 mile walk at the Pottersburg Bridge Trail in North Lewisburg. It's a nice paved trail about 15 minutes from our home. We started off the walk later in the evening since it was so hot out. Every thing was great on the walk temperture was wonderful and the bugs weren't to bad. Dave even found some geese sitting in a field not to far off  of the trail and he let Tank ran and chase them. Good time for all. The dogs got to play in the creek at the end of the trail before heading back to the car.

As the sun was going down and we were on our way back to the car  we saw a skunk on the trail about 50 feet away. At this point the trail was deserted so Tank and Avery were off leash. Not a good thing when they love to chase critters.  Dave and I quickly got leashes on the dogs and froze. No one blink , bark, or move. I did not want to ride home in a car that had 3 dogs freshly sprayed by a skunk. The skunk was in no hurry as it moseyed down the trail for several minutes. I was to scared to even breath. The dogs saw the skunk but were so good they didn't make a sound. Once the skunk went on it's way we were headed home. Rather quickly to avoid any other encounters with critters.

What a great mother's day overall puppy time and a hike what more could a girl want!

 

Columbus Dog Scouts - hike at Prairie Oaks

Today Cash and I had an exciting outing. It was our first event as a dog scout. Cash passed her dog scout test last week and today we went on a hike outing with the club.  We are currently having a hike-a-thon fundraiser for the month of May to raise money for the national dog scouts of America club.

The club met at Prairie Oaks Metro Park in Plain City. We were met by Andrea and her husband and there two dachshund as well as Denise and her mixed breed Mugsy.  We started off the hike at the picnic area and followed a trail around a lake. Lots of goose poop ( one of Cash's favorite treats ) so I had to watch her close so she didn't spoil her dinner with dessert first.  After a trip around the lake we went into the woods and over a bridge to a second trail.  There is no tiring out Cash, she loves to go go go on her walks.

Over all we had a great time and met some nice people and dogs.We look forward to doing more activities with the Columbus Dog Scout troop.

Hiking at Mohican State Park

Cash had her first adventure today at a state park.  We decided it was to nice to stay home today so I called up my brother ( Scott ) and his wife ( Lisa ) to see if they were up for a hike in the woods.  Off we went to Mohican State Park with Cash and Tank. Avery got left at grandma's but she loves it there with all of the extra TLC.

We arrived at the park after a 1 1/2 hr car ride and the dogs were rearing to go. We hiked the Lyon Falls Trail and then followed it around to dam , then back to the Covered Bridge entrence. It was about 5 miles over all. Mostly up and down hills and over a few small streams.

Cash loved the water. She would splash and play in the puddle and we let her swim in the streams a little. Nothing seemed to bother her ( but there are no scary balloons in the woods ). There was lots of activity with families, other dogs , and small children.  Cash met a little girl on the trail and the little girl walked Cash for a little while ( they both thought that was great ) then we went our separate ways.

On the way home we stopped in Centerburg and had lunch at an ice cream shop and ate outside, while the dogs lounged around the picnic area.  It was a great day and I can't wait to get out on the trails again.