A Perfect Day For Dog Training!

Have you ever had one of those just absolutely perfect days? You wake up and the sun is shining and you know it's going to be awesome? Well, as I said yesterday I'm not really a morning person. I don't really do the whole rising and shining thing. More like I grumble about how I could still be sleeping until a little bit of caffeine kicks in.



The other day was one of those mornings. I haven't been getting my best sleep. I was grumbling, even though I love going to the park and letting the girls run and I know it will be fun when I get there, it's just the getting there! Well we got to the park and I get them on the trail and unleashed and the first thing I see is that the cherry trees have blown up with beautiful flowers. It's 7:45am, it's cold but not too cold and the sun is shinning. It's a brilliant day.

So the girls take off running and they are just racing around, they hop over the fence that you can see in the picture above and are racing off into the bushes. Don't worry there's a second sturdy mesh and wire fence next to the freeway that they can't get over and it's WAY further than it looks in the photo. So the girls are racing off and I decide that's a bit too far. I whistle a few notes and they turned right around and raced back to me, immediately, no hesitation, no "but mom!! Sniffs here!!" They just came back. I didn't even have time to get the camera ready but let me describe it for you.

Have you ever seen on of those movies with race horses? It's really early in the morning and they are just getting onto the track, the morning light from the sun is just gorgeous and as they snort you can see their breath? Then they start running and it's so beautiful you want to cry? That's what happened that morning for us. The girls racing back to me, you could see their breath as they bumped and raced each other back to me with absolute joy and reckless abandon on their faces. The sun is shining and creating that really pretty light. It was perfect and beautiful. I will never forget it.

We continued on our walk, 4.77 miles!! It was so much fun! We played recall games and some attention games. Zoe even saw a wild hare and didn't take off after it. Towards the end of our time at the park people started showing up with dogs Phoenix greeted a bunch of them appropriately and only one dog inappropriately. The one dog that she was inappropriate, it was a combination of both Phoenix and the other dog being too excited and wild more than anything else and it turned out okay. A bit of rough play with me only being a little nervous about it.

We had a great time! I think it was one of the most perfect days I've ever had. I was "positively reinforced" for getting up early and I am going to continue to do so! There's just so much to be said for having an entire thousand acre park to yourself! We loved it. The only thing that would of made it better was if my husband had been there to see it, too! Hopefully I can get him out there with us soon.

I hope you all have a great weekend!! What has your dog done to make you smile recently?