Snowshoeing Near Price Creek

Pongo and I were invited to go snowshoeing with friends last Saturday.  We met at 8:30 in North Bend at the outlet mall, then carpooled to the trailhead.  We bought a Sno-Park Day Pass at the North Bend Chevron.  I also purchased extra water and a lemon Luna bar for my pack as well.  We took I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass to exit 62 (Lake Kachess), then got back on the freeway traveling West in order to take exit 61 to Price Creek.  The parking lot was piled with hills of snow towering ten feet high or more.  A dozen trucks and cars were parked, some with trailers or ramps angeled off the back of the truckbed.  It turned out that Price Creek is popular for snowmobiles as well as snowshoeing. 

It took awhile for me to figure out how to put my snowshoes on.  I bought them as a Christmas present to myself in 2006 but had only used them a couple of times since.  There were five of us in our expedition - six if you count Pongo.  My friend Carola and her daughter, Crystal, Wendy and her husband Steve.  It was immediately clear to me that they were far more experienced at snowshoeing than I.  They wore all-weather gear and hiking packs that I was sure were filled with emergency supplies.  I had forgotten a water-proof jacket (what was I thinking!) and was only wearing hiking pants, a long-sleeved hoodie and a vest.  I had decided against my hiking boots at the last minute and opted for my running shoes instead.  Wendy loaned me an extra pair of gaiters to try and keep my feet and calves dry.  I felt a little embarrassed that I wasn't more prepared.

I tied a red bandana with white snowflakes around Pongo's neck so he wouldn't be mistaken for a bear or some other wild animal.  He immediately bounded ahead of me on the trail, staying with Steve, who started out in front of the group.  Pongo loves to be at the front.  Having  hiked with him now for twelve years, I knew he would circle back, keeping his eye on me, and keeping track of where everyone was in the group.

Though I will never know what breed(s) he is, I am certain there is a herding breed in him somewhere.  Up the packed trail we went. It was a beautiful, cool day but I soon worked up a sweat. The trail started out fairly steep although our directions said the elevation gain was less than 1000 feet.  After a half hour or so, I noticed Pongo pausing to stare into the forest.  I thought maybe he smelled or saw a wild animal.  But soon we could hear the whine of snowmobiles.  I put Pongo back on his leash.  He had heard the snowmobiles first.  As they neared, Pongo began to pull hard and I knew he would slip out of his collar soon.  He was scared of the loud machines.  I wrapped my arms around him to hold his entire body and in doing so, fell into deep snow. At the side of the trail, the snow was soft and several feet deep.  I soon discovered that my poles disappeared almost to the top of the handles in the soft powder.  I struggled to get up after the snowmobiles had passed.  It sure is tricky

We hiked for a couple more hours, then took a break for lunch. Steve left the trail and climbed up a hill to look for a good spot.  Everyone followed him, taking off their packs and sitting in the snow.  Pongo stood on the trail, barking at us, refusing to follow.  "You think he has some herding dog in him?"  She teased.  Yep!  Pongo seemed to be telling us we were supposed to keep to the trail.  I went down and put him on his leash, and only then did he follow me up the hillside.  He sat between Carola and I as we began to unpack our lunch.  Pongo shared a peanut butter sandwhich with me, as is our hiking routine.  He got REALLY excited, though, when Wendy pulled smoked salmon out of her pack. I readily accepted her offer to share, and juggled trying to put small chunks of salmon on the Ritz crackers I had brought and keeping Pongo's quick tongue from beating me to a bite.  Silly Po!  No smoked salmon for you!

Instead of continuing to the ridge which now seemed within reach, we decided to turn back and return to the parking lot.  It was starting to rain and I was quickly getting soaked.  Pongo took off at a trot, seeming to want to get back to the car in a hurry.  I wondered if his feet were cold, or if he was just tired.  Maybe the snow had aggravated his arthritis and his legs were starting to stiffen.

Back at the car, Pongo jumped into the back seat and lay down.  We were both wet but blissfully happy.  This is what it's all about living in the Pacific Northwest!  I love spending the day among trees, being with Pongo, staying on the move, enjoying nature and getting some exercise.  When Pongo and I moved from Washington DC at the end of 2005, this is what I had in mind.  Although we had hiked in our early city days together, I liked the idea of living near big mountains, thinking our lives would be full of endless hiking adventures.  But when we got here, I didn't know anyone who liked to hike.  I have been cautious about hiking alone since I have a horrible sense of direction and don't read maps well! I am so thankful to new friendships with those who share our passion for hiking!  Thank you for allowing Pongo and I to join in your adventures! 

The next day, Pongo and I slept for most of the day.  It felt luxurious to lounge about, napping and watching tv.  It's not often that I allow myself to do nothing for an entire day.  We are ready for another adventure in snowshoeing before the snow disappears for the winter!

      Carola stops for a snack mid-hike.

Happy 13th Birthday, Pongosaurus!

I have always celebrated Pongo's birthday in February.  Not knowing an actual date, the Washington Animal Rescue League estimated he was one year old in February 2002. Beginning in 2003, I have had a birthday party for him every year, sometimes inviting as many as six of his doggie friends, complete with birthday cake and party favors.  His birthday always includes some kind of exercise - a hike or a walk to a park to play ball...  

Mid-Winter Break in my school district always coincides with President's Day.  I had a couple days off from school and decided kind of spur-of-the-moment to celebrate Pongo's birthday on Monday.  I wanted to take him on a new trail, and so I sat down at the computer to quickly research a hike somewhere close off of Highway 410.  There had been a lot of snow in the mountains over the weekend but the roads at home were only wet.  I found what sounded like a nice winter hike - little change in elevation, only five miles long, and not far from Enumclaw.  Perfect! 

I packed a couple peanut butter sandwiches, an orange, an apple, two water bottles and some dry dog biscuits for Pongo.  I put on silk thermals under my hiking pants and several thin layers on top.  Pongo circled, following me everywhere I moved about the house, tapping the back of my leg with his nose as I walked - his regular "let's get going" dance. 

Finally we were in the car, taking the back road to Buckley. I stopped for a latte at a drive-through coffee stand, then was surprised to see traffic backed up, barely moving as I pulled onto 410.  We inched along.  Pongo stood over the gear shift with his front feet poised on the console and his back feet on the rear seat, showing his anticipation by whining and panting.  Could this be holiday traffic to Crystal Mountain?  I wondered.  Was it backed up all the way through Enumclaw to the ski resort?  That seemed crazy! 

As I neared Mud Mountain Road, I could see a trooper stopping cars and talking to each driver.  When I reached him, he told me that the road was closed on the other side of Enumclaw and that he was only letting residents or those who worked in Enumclaw through.  I told him I wanted to take my dog for a hike and asked him if I could take him to Mud Mountain instead.  With his approval, I turned right.  The problem was, I had never been to Mud Mountain and had only heard of it.  I didn't have directions.  Soon I was at a stop sign where I could only go left or right.  I chose left.  I wound around, seeming to get further from what looked like a mountain.  I took another left and before I knew it, we ended up at Mt. Peak!  So much for my directional instincts!!

I was disappointed. We have been hiking Mt. Peak for years, sometimes twice a week in the summers.  I had wanted Pongo to get to experience something new for his birthday.  I didn't feel like doing the steep one mile climb to the summit and I didn't have my hiking poles in the trunk.  I had been planning an easy, flat hike.  Bummer! 

But Pongo was anxious to get out of the car and I was sure he needed to pee.  I decided not to hike the main trail as we normally would.  I have known there were other trails on Mt. Peak but never had the inclination to explore.  Having the day off, I was in no rush.  So I decided to take take a smaller trail to the right of the main trailhead and the Carl Magnussen Trail sign.  I thought I had been told it was wider and more like a service road.  I was surprised then when it started off similarly to the main trail.  It got steep quickly.  But instead of having switchbacks, the trail wandered up in much the same direction.  Pongo bounded off ahead of me, looking back to see if I was coming.  It was slow going for me. 

Instead of widening out, the trail got narrower and steeper.  The ground was wet and I was glad I had worn my hiking boots instead of tennis shoes.  Up we went without running across another hiker.  I began reaching for tree roots to steady myself and help pull myself up in places.  I watched Pongo try to jump up some rocks above me, then turn around and come past me.  I called to him, taking a few more steps forward.  "Com'mon Pongo!" but he refused and kept up with his descent.  He had decided it was too steep - an unprecedented event!  But I couldn't get him to go back up. Finally, I realized he was the smarter of us two.  It was better to turn around now than to fall and injure ourselves.  The way down was treacherous and I did lots of sliding in spite of the rugged soles of my boots. When we reached the car, Pongo lay down on the back seat and licked his paws. Although we had set out with something much different in mind, it had still been a glorious adventure.  That evening, I made him a special dinner. I made a dish called Canine's Curry, improvising for some of the ingredients that I didn't have. Pongo got excited when he saw me pouring something from the stove into his dish.  But waiting for it to cool was tortuous!  Sometimes he can be so impatient!  At least when it comes to food and going outdoors. 

 


After dinner I set Pongo's gifts on the table. He got a bag of beef liver and sweet potato treats, as well as a chew stick.  Instead of a birthday cake this year, I opted for making "Catty-cakes." I remembered making them a few years ago.  It was an easy recipe, I had all of the ingredients at home (no shopping required - always a plus!),  and that he liked them.  Del, Ashley and I sang happy birthday and his birthday celebration began to wind down to a close.  Ashley was rushing off to band practice and Del would be going to bed soon.  I would likely fall asleep watching tv on the couch. It was a low key birthday in comparison to other years.  I baked less treats than last year, aware that controlling Pongo's weight in his advanced years is crucial to his health.  Excess weight aggravates joints and arthritis.  He is slowing down and getting less exercise. 




Pongo waited patiently for Mommy to take the cupcake wrapper off, then devoured a couple Catty-cakes in a row.  It was a good birthday!  I am so thankful that Pongo's health has remained steady and that I have been blessed with another year with my sweet boy.  After a scare with a malignant tumor on Pongo's belly last year, I am grateful for every day I get to share with him. I hope that there are many more hikes and adventures for us to explore and more years to come.  I love you, Pongosaurus!

Pongo's birthday recipes came from Pupsnacks by Stephanie Mehanna.

Happy Valentine's Day - 'Ruff You

It's Valentine's Day! The day where we let those who are important in our lives know we love them.  This tradition now extends to our pets. Just do an internet search on "Valentine's Day for Pets" and you'll see ideas on Pinterest and adorable items for sale on Etsy.  Stop by your local favorite dog boutique and you can buy Valentine's Day themed toys, clothing and treats. Shelters have Valentine's Day themed adoption events and remind us of the love and joy that animals bring into our lives.  Who can resist?     When relationship woes plague you, your dog won't fail to remind you how much you are loved!  Just look into those sweet eyes! Ahhhhh ... (heart melts).  You can even read an article listing the ten reasons why your dog makes the best Valentine's Day date.  Read it, you're guaranteed to smile:  http://www.petfinder.com/dogs/living-with-your-dog/dog-valentines-day-date/.

Tonight, my husband is working an extra shift. We're celebrating tomorrow.  Pongo lies behind my chair as I type.  I reach down to pat him on the head.  My sweet boy. "I ruff you!"

Pongo, Valentine's Day 2003

Washington, DC

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

With love,

From Pongo and Eva

Rescued With Trust - Guest Blog by Heidi Steinbeck, CPDT-KA

A NOTE FROM EVA:  Here are some startling 2012 statistics.  According to www.statisticbrain.com, a website that publishes statistics and financials of organizations in the U.S, 5 million companion animals enter the shelter system annually.  60% of dogs and 70% of cats are euthanized.  Other sad statistics from another source include the fact that 20% of dogs relinquished to a shelter were adopted from a shelter. Reasons for return are most often due to dog behaviors that the owner doesn't like or can't deal with.  

Education about dog behavior and training is essential to change these dire statistics.  This is an issue very close to my heart.  It is essential that we stop looking at dogs as disposable. 

With this in mind, I asked Heidi Steinbeck, CPDT-KA, to share her thoughts on rescue dogs and the importance of using positive training techniques.  Heidi is the owner/trainer of Great Shakes Dog Training, educated to train dogs through Jean Donaldson’s Academy of Dog Trainers and serves the areas of Gig Harbor, Tacoma and Port Orchard.

Rescued with Trust

By Heidi Steinbeck, CPDT-KA

Training dogs cooperatively and compassionately is currently accepted as modern dog training.  It is  

backed up with a pile of well done research and successful training for all manner of dogs by those skilled in positive reinforcement.  These methods are not new but change is slow as molasses to humans because of emotion, past investment and belief systems among other reasons.  I am wanting to put that statement out in front of the rest of this blog because all dogs can and should be taught without coercion.  These humane training methods are increasingly being adopted by zoos, pet dog trainers, police, Schutzhund and hunting dog trainers and more resulting in dogs that are more emotionally stable and enjoy the learning process.

Now let us talk about rescued dogs which may include those gathered in raids from hoarders and puppy mills, strays, feral, or surrenders.  Many have had to find ways to survive in unhealthy and dangerous environments, many have never seen the light of day or the interior walls of a home.  Some have been reared like chickens in cages or lived a whole life on the end of a chain, while others had the comforts of a home they thought was their own only to be discarded and left confused in a shelter.  So many wonderful rescue organizations are working tirelessly to get these lives into the more “normal” environments of foster or forever homes to reduce the greater trauma of prison life that is riddled with stress and for many or most, resulting in death.  Many of these canine individuals have been trying to eke out a living on their own, learning that humans and new things may be dangerous to their survival.  Whatever the case may be, they come to their adoptive homes quite often with varying levels of fear, stress, PTSD, health and behavioral problems and gaps in their learning.  

 Now let’s get back to my first paragraph.  Why-oh-why would  anyone choose to interact with these fragile souls using efforts other than those which will instill trust and reduce fear?  I ask myself this question over and over again.  I can’t nail it down except to say that unlike our forced acceptance to advancements in technological science, we are resistant to adopt advancements in learning science.  There is no greater urgency for non-coercive training for any life, be it a puppy, happy adult dog or a stressed out rescue dog.

Any dog can be brought to fear through the process of abandonment, horrid life beginnings, dubious genetic offerings, maternal stress or by just plain scaring or hurting them to get the sought after behavior.  As for humans, most of us equipped with the ability for empathy, the question of why we don’t employ compassionate methods that are readily available and effective is unfathomable to me.

Our dogs are great at camouflaging true emotions.  It is not in their best interest to “show” their fear, since in the wild this would make them easy pickings for predators.  What is often seen is aggression, not the fear kindling underneath or their avoidance in an effort to disappear.  Another way to gain respite from terror is to not do the thing that causes it to happen.  In science this is called behavioral suppression and is quite effective for the dog when trying to avoid the choke, prong or shock of a collar, getting yelled at, hit or being forcibly rolled and pinned on the side.  Looking guilty has also been a great get-out-of dodge maneuver for many as it often keeps the giver of bad things from giving the bad things, even if the dog didn’t doing anything about which to feel guilty in the first place.  When re-habilitating our canine friends, previously reared coercively, it can be a task just to get them to offer a new behavior.  In their minds they weigh the odds of success and failure and frequently offer nothing as this may be the safest choice.  The behavior of an adopted dog may be suppressed for the first month or two before you start see the real personality emerge.  Sometimes what you see are just more of the behaviors that you have been inadvertently reinforcing during that period or other behaviors that could be of greater concern.  What is important is to recognize a dog that is behaviorally “in trouble” and to seek the immediate help of a trainer skilled in modifying behavior without the use of force.  An investment early on can save a life.    

We also assert, beyond any shadow of doubt, the contribution to learning suppression by way of brain chemistry.  It is not disputed by anyone who knows behavioral science and any research article known to neuro-chemistry that during chronic stress our brains prepare us for mere survival and produce a marinade that allows for fight or flight and not much else.  So let me put this in human terms.  If I walk to my car and out of the dark I am suddenly grabbed and held by sinewy heartless hands at knife point with the cold, sharp metal pressing firmly into my quickly pulsating carotid artery, I can assure you I will not be able to answer the question, what is 9x8?  My brain will be too busy preparing for survival and cannot be bothered by silly questions.  If a dog lives this way, day after day, week after week, month after month or year after wretched year must I then explain to anyone why new learning is a struggle without first addressing the underlying issue of chronic stress?  This is a repeating saga in the lives of rescued dogs as well as dogs reared with fear.  The stress is already there, we do not have to add any deposits into that stress account.  In this scenario we must make withdrawals and transfer funds, instead, into the trust account.  Then with regular deposits, the stress account becomes more depleted and the trust account begins to yield dividends in the form of a dog who isn’t waiting for the next shoe to drop, isn’t as afraid to encounter new things or people, isn’t paralyzed when trying out a new behavior and can rest in a more peaceful state.

So, just as we would be with one another, let us be with all dogs.  Let’s teach rather than force what they will benefit from learning in order for them to live with us in our human world more comfortably and cooperatively.  As we become better educated and better consumers, we will, I’m sure, drum out the old coercive methods and lobby for the safety and wellbeing of our charges.  Do it without force, without fear and without pain.

All of the photographs in this post are of dogs who were rescued by force free trainers.  The two dogs above are Lilly and Ringo.  The stories of Hazel and Bernie, written by their owners, are below.

Hazel was surrendered because her owners could not afford on-going treatment for her mange.

She caught the eye of a few volunteers who were drawn to her because of her sad disposition. Believing that she would not make it out of the shelter without foster care, a volunteer reached out to my husband and I and we went to meet her on May 9th. We brought her into foster car the following day. Hazel spent several weeks healing from her mange, secondary skin infections and an upper respiratory infection. Once she had healed, we began working on training and officially listed her for adoption.

  

 Hazel was adopted for one week and returned to us. At that point, we decided that she would stay with us, as we had deeply bonded with her. Since that time, Hazel has proven to us how amazing she is time and again. Reward-based training has turned this once sad, scared little girl into a superstar whose ability to learn and to make us smile never ceases to amaze us!

 

 Bernie was left in a house when people moved out, he was eight years old. His foster family told me that he had been alone for about 2 weeks. I went armed with turkey meat to pick Bernie up. Bernie

was very thin, and had flaky dry coat, he was timid, afraid of small dogs and cats, vacuums and apparently didn’t like water. He also seemed withdrawn and kind of sad.  Every time he approached me on our initial meeting he was given a nice helping of turkey. This helped him to warm up to me and he has followed me around ever since. Bernie has thrived in the 3 years he has been with us, his coat is stunning and he is always, always happy. He has learned to trust people and is now good around small dogs and even sleeps when I vacuum.

  

 Heidi Steinbeck, CPDT-KA

Owner/Trainer of Great Shakes Dog Training

Nose Work in the Cold New Year

After ringing in the new year, Pongo had a nose work practice date with doggie friends Crosby, Lincoln and Daisy.  We met at Allan Yorke Park on a cold, Sunday morning.  The temperatures were in the low 30s and the ground was crisp with frost.  We tethered the dogs while we set up hides on the children's playground.

Pongo barks, "Let's get this show on the road!"

It was decided that Pongo should go first, since he was eager to get started.  There were seven or eight hides, all birch.  We had put out a combination of low and high hides, including some in the ground.  The odors were mostly hidden in metal, magnetic tins that we were able to attach to play equipment. But we also used some small, hollow, plastic stakes which hold your scented Q-tips and can be pushed directly into the ground.  Because it was a new search site for all of our dogs, we paired each of the hides with a treat. 

Pongo and I hadn't practiced in over a week and I was concerned that he might be a little rusty.  So I was amazed as he quickly located one hide after another.  We began to speculate:  does the scent pool stronger in the cold?  The answer is yes!  Air and scent molecules become more dense in cold temperatures, pooling in a higher concentration per square inch.  Here is a wonderful article that explains the science of scent in simple terms:  http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/dogs-smell-scents-better-cold-4799.html.  Check it out for more info!

Crosby went next.  Crosby, who is about the same age as Pongo, has recently begun to lose his hearing.  While he used to do agility, he can no longer hear verbal commands.  His owner, Mary, started him in nose work last year as it does not rely on vocal trainer directions.  Crosby enthusiastically got right to work.  He, too, had quick success.

Crosby works scent on the ground.

 Crosby follows his nose up the stairs.

It was a wonderful way to start the new year with our dogs.  Though my friends and I are still novice nose work trainers, we are learning from our dogs each time we get together to practice.  Pongo and I look forward to more nose work in 2014.  Did Pongo make any New Year's resolutions?  Of course he did!  Pongo's goal is to start competing and earning titles this year.  But he's got to train mommy some more, who is still learning to read his signals. 

,

Wishing You All The Best With Your Canine Friend In 2014,

May Your Year Be Full Of Outdoor Exploration Together!

Pongo and Eva

Pongo's Merry Christmas

December 16th was Pongo's last nose work class for the fall session at Paws-abilities.  When we arrived, we found a long table was set with festive boxes.  Christmas stockings hung between each one.  I was tickled pink with excitement.  Pongo may have been too, but it was hard to tell under all his black fur.  But he distinctly wagged his tail as we started our search!  We were instructed to have our dogs go down the line, detailing each stocking, then box.  But Pongo ignored the boxes on the table and seemed only interested in smelling the stockings. I had to keep circling back to try and call his attention to the boxes.  However, each dog in class did the same thing, which lessened my frustration.  It was a difficult task.  For the next search, our instructor put the boxes on the floor.  Interestingly enough, Pongo then only cared about the boxes and ignored the stockings.  Each time, we eventually found the target odor.  The last search, the instructor told us our dogs would be searching for their own Christmas stocking.  Pongo's was a red stocking with a puppy on it, filled with dog treats. 

Once the dogs had finished all of their searches, our instructor had one more for us. She hid a treat for each of the dog owners in a box.  We were instructed to sniff each one, using our noses to decide where our own food treat was hidden. I laughed.  What a farce! I have a horrible nose and I'll readily admit it.  This would be an exercise in futility, I thought.  When it was my turn, I sniffed each one, but I thought they smelled like cardboard. They seemed all the same.  I finally settled on a purple box . . . did it smell sweet?  "Alert," I said and to my utter surprise, I was right!  Inside were several big chocolate chip cookies wrapped in plastic.  How funny - I certainly didn't smell chocolate!

I think I'll leave real nose work to the dogs.  I know who got that evolutionary gift!

 Pongo and I left class feeling happy.  We were both thankful for the generosity of our instructor and now I was in the mood for Christmas!

The rest of the week was filled with lots of baking and holiday preparation. I love baking during the holidays.  I made more than 60 gingerbread cookies for my students for the last day before the break, then awoke to a snow day with school being canceled! My daughter and I made plates of Christmas cookies for the neighbors and friends.  But on Christmas Eve, I realized I had very little for Pongo's stocking. I better start baking, I thought!  I made two batches of dog biscuits.  I tried a new recipe I found on the internet that called for two jars of babyfood applesauce.  I blended a cup of oats in the food processor into a coarse flour and mixed it with whole wheat flour.  I cut out large dog bones, then after they had cooled, I wrapped them in a big fabric bow.

Next, I made his favorite peanut butter treats, turning them over half way through the baking time so they were hard and crunchy. Pongo followed me around the kitchen as soon as they came out of the oven.  Silly Pongo, you have to wait for them to cool!

On Christmas morning, we unpacked Pongo's stocking for him.  He sat guarding his cow trachea from the cats, his homemade treats beside him on the floor. It has all been long-devoured.

It was a very merry Christmas indeed!

It's fun when mommy is off work!

Pongo urges me out the door, in search of the next scent or adventure!

Happy Holidays to All!

Wishing you happy dog days in 2014!

A Trip To The Farm

On December 14th, we decided to take a trip to the farm. Well, technically, it was two farms.  Saturday morning, we put Pongo in the car and drove to my cousin, Jen's house.  She and her husband, Marcus, have a small farm South of Bellingham near Lake Samish.  It's an idyllic little place that I love to visit. Pongo loves all the smells and always insists that we take a walk through the woods behind the house, which is an extremely muddy venture much of the year.

He gets impatient when I sit around the house, knitting and talking with Jen, which is what I love to do when we visit.  Pongo always reminds me that he wants to be outside exploring, by pacing and barking at me.  Finally, I indulge him. We go for a walk.  After all, that is what it's all about to him - all the wonderful smells on acres of land, a dog treasure hunt or smorgasbord.

Pongo ignores the sheep in their pen and keeps his head to the ground, nosing in the dirt and grass.

Jen and Marcus let their chickens free range in the yard.  It made me nervous the first few times we visited.  I didn't trust Pongo with them.  I was sure he might decide he wanted to chase one.  I kept him on leash when he was first exposed to loose chickens, and I never leave him unsupervised with them.  But he leaves them alone, focusing his attention on smells in the grass and the bushes.

Jen and Marcus currently have a cabin and a yurt on their property.  We visited both as we took a walk.  Here, Pongo says hello to Jen on the cabin porch.

 

Jen's son, Sam, stands chest to nose with their Great Pyrenees, Luther.  Luther loves to escort us through the woods, as he knows every pathway.  His job is to protect the farm animals from coyotes and other prey animals in the area.  A gentle soul, Luther will steal your heart. 

We fit in a vehicle search on Marcus' truck before we leave.  It's a great opportunity to practice nose work in a new location with lots of distractions.  At first, Pongo was more interested in smelling the surrounding terrain.  I kept him on a short leash and paired treats with the odor. 

Next, we drive North to Ferndale to visit my cousin, Aimee, Jen's older sister.  Aimee and Homero have a small working farm with several animals.  Here, the girls have just finished feeding the animals in the afternoon before it gets dark.  Ivory greets them at the gate.  Ivory is a greyhound mix who is about the same age as Pongo.  Seven years ago, she stayed with Pongo and I for several weeks when Aimee and Homero went to Mexico.  I love her dearly - it is always a joy to see her. 

The cow is the newest addition to the farm. 

Pongo meets Marley, a black lab, that Aimee's daughter, Rowan, acquired since the last time we visited.  They instantly like each other, but Marley is only a couple years old and has way more energy than Pongo does.  She wants to run and Pongo moves slowly at his own pace.

At Aimee's house, there are animals both inside and out.  They now have two ferrets, who were sleeping in their cage.  Pongo has never met ferrets.  I thought it was a good idea they stay in their cage.  Pongo once tried to eat my niece's gerbil.  He only gave it up after we pried it out of his mouth.  He definitely seems to have a strong prey drive for small rodents, which makes me continue to question his ancestral blood lines.  While hiking with Pongo and my sister's dog, Calder, last year, Pongo showed no interest when we encountered a pheasant, but Calder had to be called off the chase.  I am always fascinated how dogs have been bred for different purposes for thousands of years.  In today's society, most dogs have lost the opportunity to do the jobs they were bred for.  The result is that many dogs develop behavioral problems out of boredom, or a mismatch between the owner and dog's activity level.  Sadly, a large number of them are given up to shelters or ultimately euthanized.  In rescuing Pongo, who spent six months in a no-kill shelter in Washington, DC, my goal has been to provide him with the appropriate training and exercise to meet his individual needs.  At times, it hasn't been easy.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that this is my commitment to Pongo.  When I come home tired and all I want to do is sit back and relax on the couch, I remember my commitment to Pongo, and we go out the door.

Pongo sits happily sporting his winter snowflake bandanna ($1 at Walmart)! It has been a wonderful day visiting both our two- and four-legged family in the Bellingham area.