December - Welcome Lulu!

December is upon us and it is almost the new year. We have a new little love in our afternoon groups. Welcome to Lulu who walks with us in Claremont canyon and at the Albany bulb on Mon, Wed, and Friday every week. Lulu comes to Little Paws' Big Adventures from Brenda, who is a small dog walker in San Francisco. Because she's walked off leash for years with another dog walker, she's on the fast track to romping off-leash. Here she's pictured in her little red raincoat training a 6' lead on her romp around the albany bulb.

In the new year, Little Paws' Big Adventures will be reinstating the morning walking group. This will free up a few slots in all of our groups for new small dogs. We accept small friendly dogs, under 30lbs, who live in Piedmont and the surrounding Oakland neighborhoods. For more information please visit our website at www.LPBA.net

Have a great holiday season!

Fun in the Sun

Murphy, Pace, Turnpike, Santo, Alba, Maisie and Mochi hiked at the Albany bulb a couple of weeks ago. These pics are towards the end of our hike. Alba and Santo are on leash because they're new and I like to give new dog walking clients a month or so to get used to walking with me before they go off-leash. Masie and Mochi are on leash because they already had their big adventure, and now I want them to stick close by for the rest of our hike.

Little Paws Big Adventures groups are filling up fast! If you'd like your little dog to join our trail play groups please visit our website: www.LPBA.net.

September - Welcome Santo, Alba and Everest!

September has been an amazing month. Little Paws' Big Adventures welcomed 3 new small dogs into our morning trail play groups. Alba is a beautiful and loving Papillon! Santo is a playful and energetic chihuahua mix, and Everest is a treat-loving, frisky, Tibetan Spaniel! Everest is going to have a great weekend boarding with Turnpike and her human, Karin Cornwall, for the next 3 days. We've been going to the Albany Bulb a lot on these hot summer days to cool off and check out the rad artwork. Everest is especially interested in art and looks at it critically, while the other dogs bark or pee on it.

Little Paws' Big Adventures trail play groups are filling up fast! We have space for just 3 more clients in out morning groups. If you've been thinking about joining up, visit our website at www.LPBA.net to find out how. We look forward to meeting you!

Welcome Violet!

Welcome Violet!

Violet is a hairless mix who's joining Little Paws' Big Adventures Tuesday Afternoons and our brand new Friday Mid-day Hikes. Violet is also boarding with Karin Cornwall, the owner and sole operator of Little paws' Big Adventures for a whole week while her parents are out of town. Violet is a love! She loves to cuddle and sit on laps and she loves to run around in the yard and chase Turnpike.

Little Paws Big Adventures has just started morning trail play groups Mon-Thurs and a Friday mid-day trail playgroup. To sign your small dog up, visit our website at: www.LPBA.net

August - Welcome Picasso!

Finally! A picture of Rosco. Albeit, he's checking out his friend Scout, but who could resist her? She's such a cutie! Days lately have been h-o-t, hot!

Picasso, on his bed at the side of my bed, is a new boarding client. Picasso is a corgi. He got to stay with me for the last week. We went on morning hikes with Melika, another pet sitting client and Pike, every day for the past week. We went to Sausal creek and Bridgeview trail. Melika loves to play in Sausal Creek.

Parker is up to his usual tricks, playing fetch with pine cones and sticks, so long as they haven't been defiled by one of his friends' mouths.

Little Paws' Big Adventures has space for 3 more dogs to fill up our morning trail play groups Mon-Thurs and Friday, midday trail play group. We serve Piedmont and 94610. Check out our website at www.LPBA.net

July

July saw some hot days up in Claremont Canyon. We're glad that Strawberry Creek runs year round. The "kids" like to play in the creek and cook off. Parker's been known to lay down in the creek and refuse to get up for 5 or 10 minutes. The three musketeers chase eachother around the creek bed and up the sides of the ravines in claremont canyon.

June - Welcome Abby!

June brought a new client to Little Paws' Big Adventures, Abby, the fabulously lovey-dovey cocker-doodle, for morning walks. Abby hiked with Turnpike in the mornings for two weeks. Abby had terrible carsickness. We're all hoping she out grows her carsickness because she's a love and Turnpike fell completely in love with her.

May

Alright loyal customers and followers of my blog. I am *finally* getting caught up with this. Here are some picks from the trail. As usual Little Paws' Big Adventures three musketeers-Maisie, Scout and Turnpike run and chase each other all over the place in Claremont Canyon. The three of them are inseparable, often playing with the same stick. Mochi and Murphy also got some camera time in May running and sniffing with their friends. Relay perches on my lap during water breaks to absorb some of my body heat. I figure Relay needs as much clothing as I have on. Gotta love his raincoat with a built in snood!

this week in photos

On Wednesday Parker, Murphy, Maisie, Blue, Turnpike and I hiked up in Strawberry Canyon. The kids played in the creek and chased each other up and down the hillsides. After his hike and a bath to wash off the black stuff he had rolled in, Murphy crashed out on his living room rug and barely lifted his ears when I said "goodbye".

On Thursday Maisie, Mochi, Turnpike, Scout, Parker, Blue and I hiked the Phillips loop. For the Phillips portion, where bikes aren't allowed, Mochi got to be off leash for a while provided she always came to me the first time I called her. Mochi went back on leash as we hiked back to the car on the East Ridge trail.

lost cell phone

Oy Vey. I lost my cell phone today, and with it lots of pics of happy dogs milling around meeting, greeting and playing fetch with one another. Here are the first few that I emailed to myself while I was on the trail.

First is Scout, looking back to see her friends chasing each other up the trail.

Next are Maisie and Parker, engaged in a game of fetch with the rare and coveted tennis ball. Tennis balls get lost quite frequently in the bushes and brambles on the sides of the trail.

The right-most pic is of Mochi. This was her second walk. Mochi is a love-bot and a treat beggar, and a hater of bicycles in motion. She is on leash because she's new and doesn't know this trail, and because of her extreme emotions in regards to bicyclists whith whom we share these trails.

Blue and Turnpike also walked with us on thursday. Pike loves to play chase and wrestle with Maisie and Scout. Blue like to get involved with games of fetch and she loves to meet every dog we pass along our walk.

Mud Puppies!

Little Paws Big Adventures went back to Claremont Canyon today for another round of hiking steep hills and playing in the mud.

Mochi, Maisie's sister joined us today on a group walk for the first time. Her broken leg has healed up and she's ready and raring to go. She got to ride up front on the way to the park to help her bond to me and to keep anyone from "protecting" the back of the truck. Her first walk was on leash as she's new to the group and has probably never been to this park before. I walk each of my new clients on leash for the first several walks, then they graduate to long leads, then to trailing long leads and finally to off leash should all the other steps go well. I do my best to ensure each dog's safety and enjoyment of their hike. I brought freshly cut treats to help keep all of the dogs stay nearby and I check on each of them, counting to make sure they're still all present and accounted for every couple of minutes.

Relay is on leash because he's fearful of large dogs and prone to bolting when he sees them.

Maisie, Turnpike, Murphy, Blue, and Parker are all old hands at hiking off leash and staying with the pack.

caterpillar season

Spring has sprung in all of its majesty. The caterpillars are out. Little black furry ones on the trails and in the bushes.

Gizmo had surprise walks on Monday morning and afternoon.

Little Paws Big Adventures has instated Parent Days! The first Saturday of each month we'll meet up at a trail your dog normally walks and parents can get a sense of their dog's doings during the week.

Today was Pace's last walk until August. We'll miss him, but I'm sure he'll come visit during Parent Days.

Today Pace, Parker, Blue, Maisie, Turnpike, Scout, Relay and I hiked up at Claremont Canyon. I really like these trails for the incredible cardio workout the hills afford me and the pups.

Yay Sun!

Yay for the sun who came out and dried up most of the mud...  It's so exciting to only be wearing two layers instead of five!

Today Maisie, Scout-ling, Turnpike, "who's"-Blue, Parker-bear, Pace-poo-poo, Relay-bug, and I hiked in Claremont Canyon.  

Relay had his first day free of ear scratches in many months.  And he managed to rough-house with Maisie, which he loves.

Blue got involved in an extended game of fetch, some of which is seen in the second photo above.  The stick was much coveted by all.

Scout played gladiators with Maisie and Turnpike.

All is all the day was perfect!  Tuesday afternoons are full!  Yay for having full groups!  Little Paws Big Adventures has space for a couple more small dogs in our afternoon Mon/Wed groups and we're considering expanding to start Mon-Thurs morning group walks.  If you're interested, please visit our website at www.LPBA.net

Earthworms Abound

Well these days are rainy and lovely in their own way.  I get to layer up and wear my new coat that makes me look like a green sack of potatoes but keeps me warm like nobody's business.  relay dresses up too.  The other day he was wearing three layers, four if you count his harness.  I love to watch the rain clouds drift across the hilltops, down the valleys breaking up in the trees and across the trail right in front of me.

These days are much easier for Blue as she has much more hair than anybody else.  Today she was quite sprightly and chased the pine cone with Parker.  

Pace, Turnpike, Maisie and Scout ran and chased up and down the hillsides, into and out of funs and between all the trees.  The four of them love to explore every deer trail that forks off the main fire trail in Claremont Canyon.

Relay stays on leash and plays well with Maisie, Scout and Turnpike.

B5 finished his walks at the end of February.  I'll miss him, but I'm sure he'll be happy in his new home.  Ruben still comes out with me twice per week.  I'll get some new pics of him before too long.

Little Paws Big Adventures still has room for two more small dogs on Mondays and Wednesdays in the afternoons.  To learn more, please visit our website at www.LPBA.net