Elsmere Canyon Hike

On Sunday after the dog play time, the parents and I (and Fancy) took a hike close to home in Elsmere Canyon. It was a loop trail about 6 miles total.  My calves are sore today from the steep sections on the trail.  Here in my town we don't have hills, so I'm not used to it.  It was a nice hike, even if my body thinks it is a lot older than it really is.

The hike started off next to the freeway.

Mom and Dad hike.

Fancy checks out the freeway.

Nice view from up here.

We took the road more well traveled, and signed.

Not so scenic power lines back up on the top of the hill.

Back down the hill in the oak trees and shade.

Some tar seeping out of the rocks.

Going back up the hill.

A convenient bench for picture taking.

Cutest Fancy ever!

Mom and Dad pose also.

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Old oil machinery.

Steep section.  Working those calves!

Little rock guys.

Using the zoom lens to check out Magic Mountain.

Last top of the hill view before heading back down.

Dottie Standard 1st Place

I entered Dottie only, and only on Saturday, during this week's trial.  Dottie took first place in standard, and we missed a double q by 1 bar.  Sad.  But standard was a nice run.  I think we could have had more speed if I hadn't been as stern on the contacts.

More Sleeping Dogs

This time Fancy gets the prize for the best pose.

But Dottie and Pie place high in the brace category.

Playtime in the Sun

Sunday was a beautiful sunny day.  I was pet sitting for our friend Hal the Aussie again.  We hung out at the parent's house and all the dogs (minus Fancy and Roscoe who didn't want to play) had a fun play date.

Just starting off the play time.  Pie looks sly.

Dottie and Hal are BFF.

Hal says- Play with me now!

This looks like fun.

Dottie and Kerby are also BFF.

Wheeeeee!!!!!!!

Pie was more about rolling than playing.

Kerby only pretended to be tired.

2 Girls against 1 Boy.  He looks happy.

More Wheeeeee!!!!

Muffin spectates.

Chompies.

I like Dottie's sneer.

Does this picture make Molly look fat?

Dottie plays hard to get.

Molly endorses 1-800-Get Thin.

Chomp!

Boxer House Guest

Jupiter is the first dog I've watched who I did not know his owner beforehand.  Let me say he is one of the best behaved dogs I have watched so far!

He is loose in the house when I'm home and he hasn't urinated on anything.  He doesn't bug my dogs constantly and he settles nicely.

The owner said he is fine loose in the house all day but I didn't want to leave him loose with my dogs just to be 100% safe. I left him in the kitchen with his huge orthopedic dog bed and when I came home from work he had NOT eaten the cabinets, shredded the mat or had an accident.  What a good boy! 

He plays with Dottie a little bit, but his is older for a boxer.  I hope any future dogs I watch are just as well behaved as him.

Dottie is in there and he is waiting for her to come out.

Dottie and Pie biting each other.  What fun!

Dog Photo Torture...

I'm doing it right!  (That is a common meme on the internet; something such as- "Driving, Your (it is usually misspelled) Doing It Wrong!" and then there will be a picture of a car on 2 wheels.I like the Facebook page- Decoying- You're doing it wrong!  Mostly it is people who only put on the bite jacket and end up getting bit by working police dogs in the leg or rear end.  I don't generally find dog bites funny, but some common sense should be used. 

Anyway, this could also be titled, The Retrieve- You're Doing it Wrong!

If looks could kill...

Looks photoshoped, it it is real.

Pie's head is nice and flat. I got Pie's ears up, but they knocked it off.

Home Ownership Pitfalls...

Luckily I am still renting, or else this would be my problem.  Soon after I moved in, water started coming up through a seam in the patio.  I say seam, but I suppose it is actually an old repair.  My guess is this has happened before.  I told the owner and they sent out someone from the home warrenty company (they just bought the property).  That person had to call a leak detection company to figure out where the leak is.  As it turns out, it is directly under the leakage area, which is bad news for the owner.  The warrenty only covers things inside or under the house.  Patio not included.  In the mean time, the puddle was getting quite large on the patio and next to it.  That was a pain because the dogs had to go through it to get into the house.  The gardener dug this trench and installed the drain extension.  So no more puddle, but now we can see just how much water is being wasted by watching the rate of flow.  Tuesday is the next day someone is coming out.  This time they should jackhammer up the patio (or I suppose they could dig under it maybe) and finally fix the leak.  Besides not owning the house, the other good news for me is the owner pays the water bill.  I am afraid it is going to be quite large!

Pie and Dottie in a typical yard play session.

Really Long Grass

There is a location on the Navy base with really long grass.  I've been using it on the advise of K to lay tracks were I can really see each footstep to make sure Dottie is being very precise.  I took these pictures after we had run the track.  I think the grass was up to Dottie's back when she is standing!  From the picture of just the grass you can see we are working on acute angles.  This is not only to help her on regular corners, but we'll also need it for the FH2.