Shelters and Husky Woofs

Oh my goodness, what an interesting week! I must say, it was pretty fun. I got to go out for runs and walks with Cymry and Mom, and you know, it wasn't TOO cold. This week, though, isn't looking good for getting lots of outdoor time. Man, I wish Mom had a fur coat like me. She'd be able to withstand colder temps. Bummer. Oh well! I'll just plan to bug my sister more!

When I say "bug," I literally mean I'm going to woof at her until she stops being lazy. She's so BORING, and I want to PLAY! For example, check out this footage (Mom caught me in the act of being a pest):

Mom and Dad think I'm very special when I woof like this. Not to sound like a big shot or anything, but I'm pretty darn cute. ;-)

OH, and the BEST thing! I got to go to work with Mom last week, and we went to a doggy class to LEARN. Mom's training company, Teacher's Pet Training, offers group classes to the shelter's dogs and volunteers. How cool is THAT?! Since I'm a shelter alumni, I had to be on my best behavior and really wow those volunteers. And boy, did I impress! Here's a fun photo from the class (I'm on the left!):

You should check out Teacher's Pet Training's Facebook page for more cool photos. Mom posts them all the time! It's so fun to see all the great things we get to do in class!

Well, I gotta run - Mom is about to get us out some puzzle toys...I'm excited to try and get my kibble out of that tough toy. Cymry always gets it in a few minutes...I don't understand why it takes me an hour!!

**JIS**

Mondays, Runs, & Naps

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, what a week! I've had a lot of fun. Last week, we started back on our regular running routine...now that it's warmer outside :). It was so GREAT to see my friends for our run...FUN!

Today, Mom took us out for a run. What a lovely day to be outside! Snow, snow, SNOW!! Gosh, I just love that white, fluffy stuff. Sometimes, I get so excited that I start running too fast. Since it's been kinda icy out, Mom usually says, "Jisa, slow down." She says it very calmly, and I just know I need to be careful, not just for my sake, but hers! See, humans can be sorta clumsy. She's really scared me a few times by falling down! It took me awhile to get what "slow down" means.

What Mom did to help me is to first teach me to match her speed. If she started to slow down, I looked back at her, as in "What are you DOING, Mom?" She immediately said YES (oh boy!!!!) and fed me a treat. Oh boy!!! Then, she'd start speeding up again, and as I kept up (on a loose leash, of course), she'd offer me my marker word and, sometimes, a tasty treat! Eventually, she'd start saying "Slow down" right before she started to change her speed. So easy!

Whew, that's a lot of running and learning! Two of my favorite things :). You know what else I love? Snuggling on the couch with Mom for a nap! Proof:

Well, I'm off to finish up my day. Hope you have a fabulous week!!! Mine is sure to be exciting...

**JIS**

FREEDOM and Friends

UGH!!!!!!!!!!! I never thought I'd be complaining about the cold. BUT, since it was...what did Mom say..."below zero," we couldn't go out for our regular runs and walks for a few days. It was terrible! I thought I was going to explode with ENERGY!!!

Mom did a great job keeping my energy in check, though...here are some ideas for helping an energetic doggy out:
1. KONGS!!! Feed breakfast and dinner in puzzle toys. YUMMY and challenging!! Mom really makes me think for my food.
2. TRAINING!!! I just love when Mom uses my kibble for easy training. She's so smart! And, it makes me smarter, too!
3. JUMPING!!! Set up a couple chairs, and then use a broom to create a jump. Oh man, it's so much fun! Mom made a video of this a while back: http://youtu.be/YR7v5hUcVMs
4. PLAY!!! Throw a tennis ball, wrestle with a tug toy, inside playdates with friends, and more! There are so many ACTIVITIES we can do inside!!

Speaking of playdates with friends...one of my best friends stayed over the last week or so. His name is Buddy, and BOY, is he FUN! We play so much when he visits, and he even goes out on runs with us! I love hanging out with him. Here's a cute photo of us (we are in the middle of playing):

Well, better go! Mom is calling us for our walk, and I don't want to miss that!!!! I'm so glad it got warmer - I feel so FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I missed the outdoors!!

**JIS**

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Wow, another year! I'm so excited for this upcoming year...I mean, 2013 was pretty awesome (re: read yesterday's post), but I am sure this year will be even better!

Mom and Dad are setting goals for this year, and I thought I'd do it, too! Here is a (short) list of my current 2014 goals:
1. Chase more squirrels, rabbits, etc.
2. Go for more runs with my friends.
3. Snuggle with my Mom & Dad more.
4. Visit Grandma, Grandpa, & Giant...A LOT!!!
5. Schedule frequent playtimes with my BFFs (Brianne, Payton, Fin, Pepper, Kaepo, etc).
6. Learn "Roll-over" and "High 5."
7. Meet new doggy and human friends!
8. Go hiking...A LOT!!!
9. Be more polite when I greet humans (this one is TOUGH!).
10. SHOW PEOPLE HOW MUCH I LOVE LIFE!!!

Of course, I also want to add more exercise each day. This is what I want to look like more often:

(I just finished playing with toys, duh.)

I'll keep you posted on my goal progress! Hope you are all enjoying this SPLENDID day off...maybe in the snow?

**JIS**