30.05.14

morning run:
Godzilla
Elewah
Monkey
Daisy
Luna
Steve McQueen
Mega
Hazel
(8)

Hidden trail: ~8k. I intended to get Amber out as well but she freaked out on me in the launchpad and insisted on bolting for the porch; it wasn't worth the fight so I left with eight... I'll just have to grab her by herself one day and get her out on a leash. Mega had not been out for a long time; I had to trap him in a crate and carry it into the launchpad but once out on the road he was an angel. He was carried along by the momentum of the group until we were just across doce and then he realized it was okay and was his old self again: he stayed on point for most of the run but listened well and came back to me to drink from the bottle every time I called him. Steve has gotten to go three times in a row due to the chub factor which also is what landed Monkey in the mix. I thought maybe we'd do the usual Northern Charcos route but Monkey was breathing pretty hard when we got to the head of the hidden trail so I decided a dip in the ocean would do her some good; I was also keen to see it since it had been a while and it has been dry enough for long enough now that the spiny plants are manageable. The actual hidden part of the trail across doce was really overgrown - clearly nobody but us ever goes there. Mega did a good job on point of finding the place where the trail darts off to the North - I was having a hard time finding it after so long and he picked it right out. Once on the beach everyone took a series of long dips and Monkey seemed rejuvenated by the time we got to Au Soleil Couchant. We came home via the main land bridge to avoid Angel's pups, which probably brought the distance up a tad. It took us a while, largely due to off-roading, but it was a nice run and everyone did well. The kitties were wrangled into a crate before I left so there were no worries coming home; everyone was good anyway and nobody barked at them, wide-eyed as eight dogs piled up at the gate.
GRADE: A

morning swim:
Greta
Tori
(2)

Tori really wanted to go out and do something and Greta is so patient with her so what the hell. There was nobody around; I took a leash out just in case Tori needed it but it was fine. Tori did her standard cannonball entrance at the start of each lap, I dragged them both out as far as I could manage (more than 100lbs of dog) and we all swam back to shore. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Greta did well and even Tori was breathing hard by the time we were done.
GRADE: A