Ole has a spa day

We started today with a training session in the park by the house. We ran into Tracey and her three pugs on the way there. Her little tribe is looking very good these days all trim and slim. Ole was happy to see them and was particularly intrigued with Bamboo (the tan pug) for some reason or another. I'm just glad Ole likes small dogs so much. It's not pleasant having a big dog that doesn't like small dogs when you live in a crowded area like we do. We then played fetch and leave it and catch the frisby as well as the ball with Ole and then we practiced him staying in a sit and then a down while I hid the ball. Ole had to wait until I came all the way back to him and told him to get it, before he could seek out the ball. He loves all those games. Abner came over to the park with Elmo and Shelly and we finished up the walk together. then everyone got to have their well earned breakfasts.
Today Ole and Elmo had baths at Noahs. Elmo won the dirtiest dog award...made Ole proud. Lots of brown water came off that small guy. I don't know what he's been rolling in but he definitely was the winner. Shelly got a repreive and spent the afternoon helping Abner do work at apartments. Ole probably wished he could either join Shelly or move back to the farm where real dogs splash in the creek instead of getting foo foo baths. He was pretty good in the tub, only semi leaped out of it once. Hannah who works there, was able to help me get him back in and i actually scrubbed him up pretty well. Elmo was as usual, a little gentleman both during his bath and with his blow dry. Ole did not get a blow dry and is proud of it. I got some pretty cute photos of Ole in the tub but I'm too computer stupid to figure out how to post them on this blog. Maybe some day I will figure it out.

Yesterday was Nosework in Tustin day and it was a really fun class. Each dog got at least 4 turns to search which is a lot. There were only 6 dogs in class so it was nice. We also got to practice container searches. In a container search the dogs search a series of suitcases, shopping bags , paper sacks ,totes, kind of like search dogs at airports do when they look for contraband. It was neat to do and to watch. Elmo went first and found the right container in 26 seconds. I was very proud of him. Then Ginger found it in 10 seconds so Donna was the proud one until Shelly beat out Ginger by finding it in 9 seconds! Ole did not get to do the container search because he isn't experienced enough yet with birch scent. He is still searching boxes with scent paired with hot dogs or the scent containers hidden with hot dogs on top of them. He still had a ball. He is so fired up that I can barely hold him back. Peggy and Julie the instructors want me to get him a tracking harness so that I can control him better. He is BIG and STRONG! I got Elmo a little harnass and have him wear it whenever we practice his scent work and at class. The harness to him means "this is serious work not time for play." He gets very excited when I put it on him. Ole will be the same way I know. Shelly is just in this for the mind stimulation. She enjoys it but isn't as serious about it as the boys and little Ginger are.