26.10.15

morning run #1:
Godzilla
Otto
Shirley
Daisy
Hazel
Junebug
(6)

Up the beach to Au Soleil Couchant: ~5k. The main idea was a training run for June that also got some of the shorter-distance dogs out. I decided before I left I wouldn't try any leash work with June on this one, I just wanted her to listen, have a good time and be influenced by good dogs. It worked out well: we did not run into any salt workers and even if we had I think June was listening well enough that it wouldn't have been a problem; last time when I had both her and her sister it was that much harder when we ran into humans, and the fact that they were uncooperative made it worse. We left with Hazel on the leash; I let her off as we were reaching the wooden shack to the north and she was fine from there on. We took the long way via the blue bag trail in both directions. The ocean is churned up right now from a storm but even so June was game to swim several times and tested herself in the waves a bit - very cute. Otherwise she listened well and played a lot with Hazel and Daisy; I made sure neither of them roughhoused too much with her but she doesn't seem to have any issues that way and everyone was friendly. On the way home she got a little squirrely at the shrimpery and wanted to run ahead a little to get home but she didn't just run off and I managed to keep us together across the road and to the gate.
GRADE: A

morning run #2:
Rufus
Jack
Twiggy
Luna
MoMo
Roxy
(6)

Up the beach to Au Soleil Couchant: ~4k. Rufus really wanted to get out and it will probably be the case that I have to take dogs to the vet this week so we wanted to make sure he got a run in today. Roxy can always get thrown in on these kinds of runs - she always needs it. Rufus was a little less of a bear about the muzzle yet again. Every time we do it it gets a little easier; I think he's starting to get that it comes off when he calms down but he still gets himself worked up too much. I think if we keep this up for a while he will calm down more and not need it but for now this is better than the old way. I had Rufus and Roxy both on the leash from the shrimpery until we turned north at which point I let Rufus off, but I ended up putting him right back on when I saw Angel's moto up at the wooden shack. As we got near I saw four of the adults that both Angel and we have been watching over emerge from the shack, where Angel was obviously hanging out with Chino, his buddy who spends a lot of time there. Once everyone saw everyone else the four monte dogs bolted up the blue bag trail, which is their normal way to get around and south to Angel's corner. Luna and Jack were the only ones serious about giving chase and I reeled them in verbally before we made it down the embankment. There were no hostilities or even barking. I'll go see Solitaria (the female) and her pups later. I took the shorter way around the charco to the north to leave those dogs alone, and we took the maginot line from the beach coming home to avoid the shack altogether. All in all everyone was good, listened and had a good time. It was overcast yet hot; it even rained on us a bit on the beach but when the weather is like this nothing gives a break. Hardly any bugs noticeable for some reason.
GRADE: A