Blue, Murphy, Bandit, and I went to the Albany Bulb this afternoon. The clouds were coming in so low over the bay and making beautiful patterns on the water. Murphy and Blue chased each other around the beach. Bandit stayed on leash because he's got no recall.
We have room for three more small well-behaved dogs in our Friday afternoon hiking group. Want to join us? Learn more about who we are at www.LPBA.net.

on the Job

Blue decided to drive Parker and me to the trail today. We had a nice long hike at Bridgeview Trail with lots of splashing and playing in the creek.

Yesterday Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon, Murphy, Bandit and I went to the Bridgeview trail where it was quite quiet. On our water break, Bandit got to lose his muzzle for a few minutes so that he could drink out of the squirt botttle. Murphy is a love as usual.

Friday with Blue and Murphy

On Friday Blue, Murphy and I went to the Bridgeview trail. Bridgeview is great because it's shady and there's a creek for the "kids" to splash in, play in, explore and drink from. Murphy and Blue loved exploring the stream and its rivulets. Blue and Murphy love to cool off in clean running water, although neither of them are swimmers.

We have room for four more dogs in most of our walking groups. Do you have a little dog you think would love to run and explore in the great outdoors? Find out more about who we are at www.LPBA.net

Farewell Bonner

The lizards are out and brave. They're out sunning themselves on rocks, eating big meals and then scurrying, sometimes rather slowly, back to safety when the dogs round the bend. And all those caterpillars that were all over the trails have metamorphosed into butterflies. There are literally butterflies everywhere, speckled little ones all the way up to big yellow swallowtails.

Today was Bonner's last walk. His folks are in a hard spot. At day care he doesn't get any exercise; with me, he has to stay in his crate when he's not on his walk to prevent him from tearing apart the house. I think he'll grow out of that destroying everything phase, but in the meantime, he's back to doggy daycare. We are all going to miss Bonner. His trail manners improved really quickly. He totally sticks with me as his pack leader and plays well with all the dogs in my groups. Bonner's always welcome back!

The trail was more or less empty today, so I let Bandit hike without his muzzle for the hot parts of the trail. Murphy found some fresh horse poop, and everyone got a little nature's own "greenies" today. I discourage the dogs from eating horse poop because the horses may have infections.

We still have a few open spots on our walks each weekday that we'd love to fill up with friendly, well mannered small dogs. Little Paws Big Adventures serves neighborhoods bordering Freeway 13 / Highway 13 in Oakland and South Berkeley. Visit our website to learn more: www.LPBA.net

Pace and Parker walk together!

Pace joined us at Pt. Isabel today. Pace is about 5 years old; we have no idea what breed he is, some suggest part monkey. Pace's a great example of what Parker would look like if he were a healthy weight.

Yes it's true, Parker is overweight. Despite the endless games of fetch and limited amounts of treats, Parker still has quite a lot of excess fat, especially around his neck. His dad and I are working on an exercise and diet regimen to get him down to a healthy weight.

Overweight dogs have a lot more health problems. In the summer months, they get tired far more easily, and even when it's not so hot, they tend to tire more quickly than their healthy compadres. Getting out everyday for a long hike, with lots of water breaks in the shade, can help get dogs feeling happier and more energetic.

Buckeyes in bloom

The buckeye trees are just starting to open up their blooms and the scent of leptospermum japonicum is in the air. Bonner, Parker and I walked at the Bridgeview Trail today. There are large redwoods that tower over the trail and shade it from the summer sun. In the middle of our hike, we scamper down the hillside to play, drink, and run around in Sausal Creek. On the way back to the car, I started to teach Bonner "touch" which is a great command to get him engaged in interacting with me and to teach him tricks.