Can you believe this photo was taken yesterday, December 26th? It was 66 degrees in northeastern Ohio, the day after Christmas.
So of course, we took this fine opportunity to go hiking with dogs. This most of the pack, sans Nikki. She is 12 and no longer up to going on walks. Zekie, Shelby, Cassius, and Baxter thought hiking was a grand idea.
Zekie, my reactive dog, even did very well. He was fine with the other people we encountered. We only met one other dog whose owners had him on the side of the trail. I told Zekie that he was being a good dog, and to keep going with the “on by” command. He looked at the other dog a few times but did not bark or react until the other dog, who appeared to also be reactive, barked. But after Zekie barked in response a couple times, he continued walking at my command. It was a proud moment for me!
Zekie is learning to be a good dog. If you’ve been following his antics, you know he is quite the challenging dog. But he is eager to please so his good behaviors continue to happen more often. Here he is (on the left) near the end of our hike at Shaw Woods over the weekend. He and Shelby are holding a stay so I can get some pictures.
Oops, he got distracted and wanted to see what daddy and the other dogs were looking at. He didn’t break that stay command though. And I didn’t even have treats! Good dog Zekie, good dog.
What do you do when your hubby isn’t home but you want something to do? Take dogs hiking! Although it was hot, Cassius, Baxter, Zekie, and Shelby all had a good time.
Nikki stayed home because, hey, it was hot and she’s 12 years old.
We walked at West Branch State Park on the path along the dam. These turkey buzzards watched us from atop the building. There seem to often be a lot of buzzards in the area. They must like all the wooded areas that surround us.
The pups were all well behaved on our walk and we enjoyed ourselves despite the heat.
Except for today when I refused to go outside in the afternoon.
Cooler weather means a return to hiking for us.
Last Saturday I took Zeke and Shelby for hike.
And then on Sunday we took the dogs and hiked at Towners Woods. Although I am out of shape, it was a fun time. And I am in better shape than before I went.
We did try to hike this morning before it got too hot but Cassius re-injured his toe. He tore the nail off it while running at high speeds and turns in the pasture. The trail was rather rocky so it didn’t go well. We turned around and came back home when Cassius started having trouble. There were also quite a few mountain bikers using the trail so it was crowded.
But with fall being near, we should have numerous opportunities for other hikes. Looking forward to it!
Spring weather is finally here and that means time for hiking! Actually we have been hiking for the past two months even when it was cold but it is much more fun now. Who knew all these rock walls were at the far end of a trail at West Branch State Park? Actually, probably lots of people knew but I wasn’t one of them.
The trail that we took on Sunday even had streams to ford in two places. Cassius, Baxter, and Shelby all crossed with daddy. Zekie was back with me.
Someone left a rock cairn in the tiny center island of one of the streams. It looks like a miniature temple against the rock cliffs rising up in the background.
We walked through some brush so we could get a better look at a couple of ponds and an old stone foundation. Here is Zekie trying to keep up with the pack but he’s stuck on leash with me.
The ponds drew lots of bird life which was fun to watch. We put in over 6.5 miles which I logged on Wooftrax, an app that will give a few cents to the registered rescue of your choice for every walk that you log. Of course mine go to Northeast Ohio Shetland Sheepdog Rescue. Shelby and Zekie insist!
We had some tired dogs when we got home. After a day that includes frisbeeing and hiking, Cassius is too tired to hold his head up!
A head study of a good boy. Cassius the greyhound is tired.
Everybody knows that a tired dog is a good dog. We hiked the mountain bike trail at a nearby State Park this afternoon. All the dogs are passed out now. Even Nikki who didn’t go with us. She gets a pass though, she is 11 and tiny. She did go outside to romp with the others for an hour this morning.
Zekie is resting as well. He was a good boy on our walk. Mostly. He did some quiet growling at the first walker that went by. Even though I made him sit. He didn’t react too much to the second walker. This was a relief. He had been doing better but yesterday he growled, barked, and lunged at every person that went by. I have no idea what was different.
What are signs of spring in our family? Lots of hikes! Here we were making our way down to the water at Towner’s Woods near Kent, Ohio.
Zekie, the former foster dog, enjoyed it as much as the rest of us. We discovered that he loves water. We walked down to the edge of the lake and he jumped right in. So did Cassius the greyhound.
The park was full of hikers and Zeke was good! He didn’t growl, bark, or lunge at anyone while I walked him. This is a first! I was so proud. And he seemed intent on paying attention and interacting with me. Let’s hope this was the first of many such peaceful walks.
Just a quick update on foster boy Zeke. He is a happy pup.
He still has separation anxiety but it is manageable on the Prozac. If you don’t mind a dog with sizable amounts of drool in his crate when you come home. The crate is now more or less where it was when we left. Mondays are always the worst after I go back to work for the week. It’s a good thing I don’t wear expensive clothes (although this is part of the reason why) because Zeke jumps and paws at me for a while when I return. Dogs are far superior to nice clothes any day!
But the rest of the time he is a joy. He becomes a 43 lb. lap pup for about 10 minutes every day. We both enjoy this. On Sunday last week, he got to go to grandma’s for a visit along with Baxter and Cassius. The girls, Nikki and Shelby, stayed home because they were having a turn to go away the next evening to visit at the nursing home. Zeke was well behaved and listened. We had our 10 minutes of lap time there because I suspect he was feeling insecure.
Yesterday, hubby and I took Baxter, Cassius, Shelby, and Zeke for a walk on the Hike and Bike Trail and there were no incidents with other hikers. Of course this may have been because it was 15 degrees and snowy, so there were no other hikers! 😉 Hey, you seek progress where you can find it.
And last but not least Zeke has wormed his way into my heart enough that I call him Zekie!
The weather was lovely on Saturday so we decided to take dogs for a walk. Shelby also went along but was too busy sniffing things to be present in this photo.
After my last walk with Zeke the Foster Dog, I expected it to be a work out. I was not disappointed. We leashed everybody up in the parking lot at Towners Woods. And the fun began right away. Another lady walking her dog was also in the parking lot. For whatever reason, her dog began barking at us. This set Zeke off and he became a barking, lunging, slavering beast. I was not able to break his focus from the other dog and he became quite ferocious acting. I finally had to pick him up and flip him over on his back and hold him down. After a few seconds of this he calmed enough to get up and quietly stare bullets at the backside of the lady and her dog as they scurried away.
Although my dog put on the better (read, more embarrassing, show), at least mine was now quiet and her’s was still barking as they hurried off into the distance. All of our own dogs seemed to be thinking, well let’s get this show on the road, we’re here to hike! So off we went with Zeke now behaving like just one of the pack.
Zeke and Shelby
Zeke did growl and jump at some other hikers but his heart didn’t seem to be in it except for the couple who had a Rottweiler and a Boxer. Them, he barked ferociously at. Umm, Zeke, you only weigh 42 lbs. But all in all we had a nice afternoon.
Shelby
Shelby even took time to pose for a photo. And since the sun finally came out, we saw some beautiful scenery.
Towners Woods, Kent, Ohio
Infact I was so absorbed looking at the beauty of the foliage that I tripped on some tree roots and fell down. I fell down without catching myself because I twisted so I wouldn’t land on Zeke and hurt him. Although there were some minor pains the biggest hit was taken by my ego. Always save the dog!
Although I often share Zeke’s more troublesome antics, rest assured that he is a wonderful dog. The quiet times just don’t make as good of a story. Zeke is affectionate, loving, and good company. He gets along well with other dogs and cats at home. He is always happy to see you. Once he has settled into a permanent home, I have no doubt that he will blossom even more.
It’s been a beautiful day in Northeast Ohio for mid-February. It’s 64 degrees and sunny. Quite the rarity. So we loaded up three of the dogs and headed to Towners Woods for a hike.
As you can see, a good time was had by all. That’s a walk 6 out of the last 7 days for us.
Baxter and Shelby are quite reliable. They can hike the trails off leash. They come back when they are called. Even when they see other dogs, people, or wildlife. And then there is Cassius the greyhound. You will notice that he is NEVER off leash in the pictures, or anywhere for that matter. He’s what we call a flight risk. We know from experience that he is not reliable off lead. Granted we have only had him for six months but given his temperament we realize that he may never be. That’s ok. We still think he’s an awesome dog.
And this is what the dogs are doing after our hike. A tired dog is a good dog!
Sanctuary Acres 