Watching Shakespeare in the Park with a Dog

When the boyfriend suggested taking Mr. N to Shakespeare in the Park, I was a little apprehensive. It's a long time for him to be sitting still (+2 hours) and there are a lot of dogs in that park. But I thought we could try it and leave early if need be.

Mr. N and I walked over to the park so he would get some exercise beforehand while the boyfriend drove over with supplies. While the boyfriend set up, I let Mr. N run around in the off-leash area to work off some energy.

We settled in to watch the play armed with a bag of treats . Had I known what was involved, I might have left him at home. There was frequent whistle blowing from the prompter, the actors yelled a good deal to be heard over the sound of traffic and the cast frequently wandered through the area where the audience was sitting. 

Also there were various improv segments throughout the play including interpretive dance, act like you're in a silent film, and zombie soccer players. Mr. N does not approve of zombies. He let out a small bark when the zombies were lurching around and shoving each other. The boyfriend says if we get invaded by zombies, we'll be dead because Mr. N will bark at them.

We could hear dogs barking from somewhere else in the park at some point and the prompter told several of the cast members to bark back then encouraged the audience to join in. Thankfully, Mr. N did not chime in. 

They also threw food around several times during the show (including a hot dog!). That part I wasn't worried about with Mr. N but I know several dogs who would have joined the cast about then. 

There were two other dogs in the audience and one (the one sitting two rows behind us) left at intermission but there were dogs passing by frequently down the path about fifty feet from us as an added distraction. 

The first half, he was a little restless. He wanted to go sniff people and wander around and we had to remind him to settle. By the second half, he sprawled out on the blanket and ignored all and sundry. 

We were in the first row and after the performance, the prompter came over to tell us how well-behaved Mr. N was during the performance. He gave her a high five and danced and she thought he was adorable. 

I always value the compliments about his behavior and/or training more highly than the ones about his appearance. Because really aside from brushing him and taking him to the groomer, he was born that way but we work on his behavior all the time! 

I was pleasantly surprised at how good Mr. N was overall. It's always nice when your dogs surprise you (in a good way!). 

BW Sunday #46 - Smile

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

FitDog Friday #36 - Revisiting Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

Mr. N and Sage hadn't seen each other for a few weeks and the reunion was joyous. They wrestled frantically on the couch and ran around like maniacs.

Sage's human commemorated the occasion by presenting them with matching bandannas made out of squirrel fabric. Or as I call them their matching "couple t-shirts."

We ventured out to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden because they have ducks and geese to keep the dogs entertained and it's mostly flat so Ann could get around without too much trouble (due to her leg injury).



The flowers weren't as lush as they were the last time I visited but there were still plenty of fowl and the greenery was soothing.

Sage eyeing the ducks. Although out of the two of them, Mr. N was much more gung ho about the birds. Sage gave them the hard eye, Mr. N wanted to chase them so badly.

Sage was like water at last! And promptly dived into it as Mr. N looked on.

Mr. N takes modeling to new heights. Literally. I put him down on a railing and told him to stay still.

That's all, folks!

Wordless Wednesday #42 - Meeting

Monday Mischief #36 - Crashing a Family Reunion

It's always awkward crashing a family reunion. Even when it's a canine reunion. The Cascadian Nomads invited us to come to Huxley's family reunion on Sunday at a sheep farm. Well we had some communication mishaps and we were at the Collie reunion for three hours before they got there. And someone is very obviously not a Collie.


Even at a canine reunion, family connections matter. People would introduce themselves as this is Fido from so and so's X litter. Who is your dog? I felt a little out of place with my mutt pup. He doesn't even know if he's from the wrong side of the blanket!


Out of the Nomads, Huxley is Mr. N's favorite playmate and he didn't have any qualms about being surrounded by the masses of Collies. Besides the Collies, he also met some ducks.


And sheep. Most of the Collies tried their paw at herding.




I kind of wanted to see if Mr. N could herd ducks but I was also afraid that he would try to eat them. He does like duck after all. And lamb.



So instead of herding, he romped in the field with the collies and bossed them around. Huxley's breeder commented that Mr. N has no fear.



He found a piece of wool on the ground and enjoyed rolling on it and playing with it.


The collies weren't quite sure what to make of Mr.N. Neither were some of the humans. One woman said, "What is that?" when she saw Mr. N running.


There was also a livestock guardian dog in the next field who popped in to say hello.


Before lunch, we also played with the agility obstacles in the barn.


Then back to the field. I was looking at the clock and thinking about leaving soon when the Cascadian Nomads showed up! Wilhelm and Mr. N played together for a little while but Mr. N's favorite playmate of the trio is still Huxley.

We had to leave shortly after the Nomads arrived so we took a group photo right before we left.

Wilhelm got a little distracted and went over to say hello.

If dogs measure their enjoyment of the day by how filthy they get, Mr. N definitely had a ball. He rolled in something disgusting and I had to wash him and his vest as soon as we got home. I also brushed him twice because he had all these grass seeds in his fur and a foxtail in his foot. 

Mr. N sends his thanks for the invite to Wilhelm, Brychwyn, and Huxley! 

BW Sunday #45 - Round Table

FitDog Friday #35 - Random Tidbits

1. Mr. N's recall has improved quite a bit since I hid from him. He was running towards these two guys to say hello and I called him and he ran back to me. Also I called him in the middle of dog play and he came back as well (a little slower but still).
2. Mr. N is taking super secret classes and if he graduates... he may find a purpose. 
3. Sage's human is on the mend and we're hoping maybe next week, we can go for a walk together.
4. I took Mr. N to watch a world cup match at a bar's courtyard. I had to solemnly swear Mr. N would be good and not bark or be a nuisance. They used to allow dogs but changed their policy because the dogs were disruptive. He was good. The last ten minutes or so he started getting squirmy but he was quiet. He charmed the food cart people and the couple sitting behind us who said they were going to add Yorkies to their prospective dog list.
5. The day before that, he got called a "vicious little creature" when he was minding his own business. 
6. I brushed another foxtail (weed with barbs) out of him today. Does anyone know how long it takes foxtails to burrow under the skin?
7. I took him to the park where he tired out three other dogs and went for a walk before deciding maybe it was time to go home and curl up in the shade. Granted, two of those dogs were fat. Thin dogs have more energy. Or in Mr. N's case, all the energy. 

Wordless Wednesday #41 - St. Francis and Mr. N

Mr. N can fetch!

Mr. N is not a natural retriever both by nature and genetics-wise. His toy drive was utterly squashed as a puppy. When his foster got him at the age of two, he didn't know what toys were or how to play with them.

He'll play fetch occasionally when he feels like it with soft toys but only then. Basically he is not a "mouthy" dog. When presented with objects for shaping, his inclination is to paw at them or nose them.

I've wanted to teach him how to put away his toys for quite a while but I didn't think it would happen anytime soon seeing as I would have to teach him fetch from scratch. In the past two weeks, he has progressed from refusing to putting his mouth anywhere near objects to fetching a toy and putting it in his toy box. Next, we'll be working on fetching the rest of his toys and putting them away as well.

I'll be sharing more about the training process and putting up a video of Mr. N putting away his toys for next month's Positive Pet Training Hop on July 7th.

So proud of my little pup.

Also don't forget to enter our giveaway!

BW Sunday #44 - Hydrant

Can your dog balance on a fire hydrant?

Also don't forget to enter our giveaway!

FitDog Friday #34 - Recall

I took Mr. N out to a nearby school yard after hours so he could run around for a bit. When he's off-leash, we usually practice recall at least once or twice. I decided to try this method of sharpening recall that I had read about. You hide from your dog and it supposedly encourages them to keep an eye on you and not wander too far. Well Mr. N usually keeps an eye on me so I haven't had a chance to try it before.

He was off in a corner so I took the opportunity to hide behind some bushes. He finishes marking some grass, and looks up to find me. And he didn't see me. If a dog's face could express four letter words, his did at that moment.

He sprints across the yard and playground in seconds, headed in the direction of home before I got a chance to call his name. Mr. N comes running back and I rewarded him with treats.

How do you work on recall with your dog(s)? Are they velcro dogs like Mr. N or do they want to go follow their nose? 

We went for a short hike last weekend. No recall photos. He moves too fast!