Hiking with your Dog

What better way to explore the outdoors than with your four legged, canine, hiking buddy.  We chose Maui from the 600 adoptable dogs at Best Friends because he was adorable (but then they all were), he needed a good home soon, and most of all because he had lots and lots of energy.  This energy has proved challenging, as Maui needs alot of exercise EVERY day.  But, I think most dogs crave exercise.  Honestly, I think most people crave exercise, but alot of people don't realize it.  Our bodies were designed to move, and we are happiest when we have exercised both our bodies and our minds. 

I love to hike.  I love the steady, rhythemical movement of walking up a big hill.  I love the sites you see along the way. I love feeling free, and hearing the sounds of the birds.  I love the smell of the tree and the clean fresh air.  I like hiking mountains the best, there's nothing more enjoyable than breaking through the treeline and seeing the beautiful view below. 

Hiking with your dog allows you to enjoy all of the above, but also experience the happiness and sheer excitement through their eyes.  The chipmunks to chase, the streams to splash in, and the peaceful relaxation at the end of the day.

Canicross Race at Pineland Farms in Maine

Shortly before I arrived in Connecticut, my new mom (Kathy) found out about a sport called Canicross.  It is a very popular sport in Europe, and just becoming known in the United States.  Canicross involves 1 dog (that would be me) hitched up with a harness to one person (Kathy).  You both  run over a course of 5 kilometers to 5 miles. The dogs job is to pull and help their human run a little faster than normal.  It's a lot of fun because there are lots of people and dogs running at the same time.  I've only had 6 weeks to learn how to do this.  Kathy and I have worked hard to get ready for my first race at Pineland Farms, Maine, and I love having my own job.  

 Saturday morning we got up very early, and drove to Pineland Farms.  It was nice to be one of the first dogs there as I got to look around the course, I got very comfortable, and I met other dogs as they arrived.  There were all sorts of dogs... big ones, little ones, friendly ones, not so friendly ones....  Of course, my tail wagged non stop like always, so everyone knew I was friendly and pretty soon I had lots of new friends.  I think 100 people must have petted me and told me what a beautiful, good boy I was.    By the time the race started, I was ready for a nap and I laid down right on the starting line.

But when the bell rang, I was ready to "GO".   I got a little confused at the start because there were dogs everywhere, and they were bumping into me and getting tangled up with our leashes, but after 4 or 5 minutes, I really got the hang of it and I LOVED it. 

I ran so fast, and Kathy held on for dear life.  We passed the snooty poodles who wouldn't play at the start, and we passed a bunch of other dogs too.  We ran and ran, and pretty soon, just as I was getting tired, I heard cheering and bells.  People were calling my name and saying "GO MAUI".  So, I did!  I just ran right to the finish and then Kathy picked me up and told me what a good boy I was.  

 All kinds of people came over to see me and tell me how good I was.  I didn't even know it, but we won a prize!  It is a nice wooden trophy- I took a bite to be sure that it is real wood.

We had some snacks, drank a lot of water, and then watched Ken run in a different race.  I would have gone again, but I was pretty tired and there weren't any other dogs in this race so it didn't look as fun.  All the people in his race were barefoot, and Ken is trying to learn to run barefoot too.

 That night we drove to another hotel, and I crashed out on one of the beds.  Tomorrow is another big day- we are hiking Mount Washington.

First 5K Road Race

Today I did my first race!  It was a blast!!  Mom decided at the last minute to run with some friends of hers, and since they weren't planning to go very fast, I got to go along (although actually I am the fastest).  I loved everything about the morning.  First we hung out for about an hour with everyone petting me and telling me what a beautiful, good boy I was.  Then we lined up at the back of a big crowd of people.  I guess because some people might not realize what a good dog I am, Mom thought it was best to stay in the back and out of everyone's way.  Of course, everyone I saw loved me.  People were cheering and clapping for me the whole way.  I was so well behaved, everyone that knows me would have been proud.  I was a bit tired at the end, but they gave us water and after a drink and a short nap, I was ready to do it all over again.  Here are a few pictures of my day.  Next week we are going to another race that actually has lots of dogs- I'll report on that soon.

One month in my new home

Wow, I've been in Connecticut for an entire month. I've had a lot to learn about birds, chasing squirrels (or not), pooping in the house, chewing only my own toys, and lots and lots of new words.   It sure does feel like home now though.    I have calmed down, quit worrying too much about my people leaving (although I still do block the door whenever mom gets ready for work) and stay in my yard.  I don't need to be tied up anymore, but I still drag a long rope, just in case I forget and wander towards the road or too far into the woods.  My rope gets shorter every week, and sometimes they take it off all together.  I can run so much faster without it... which I really like because then I always get to the tennis ball first.  I come back to mom or dad almost all the time now.  I  love swimming, running, playing frisbee and tennis, and chewing up squeaky toys.  I get along with my dog sister, Nala.  This week my human brother came home- I am pretty excited to have another person to play with and he loves to swim too so we're going to be spending alot of time at the lake.  Here are some pictures of all my activities..... let me tell you, I am one busy dog!

 Cani-Cross--- running while pulling my "mom" up the hills.  I love this.  

 We go to some beautiful trails.  Sometimes I get a little distracted by squirrels and chipmunks, but most of the time I am really good.

 Playing tennis ball at the field by our  house.  Here, I am still wearing my rope to be sure I don't run away.  I don't need it too much anymore though- I really like it here so I want to stay with my people.

 I get a little too excited when my sister, Nala, is chasing the ball too, but I usually let her get it (even though I am faster).

 The absolute best part is getting toweled off afterwards.  It is like a trip to the spa.

And then when I'm nice and tired, I just lay down on the kitchen floor and wait for a treat.

What I've learned this week!

I've had a busy week in my new home.  Here are some pictures of all the things I have been doing:

Playing on the beach and swimming are two of my favorite things to do.  The water is cold, but I LOVE it, even when I start shivering.  I can swim really far out into the lake now too.

Here I am, bringing back my "Wubba" toy.

I've also gone on a lot of hikes and runs.  Plus I'm learning to catch a frisbee.  That's almost as fun as swimming.

As much fun as it all is, I am pretty tired by the end of the day, which is why I'm not able to write too much.

Flying to Connecticut

My name is "Maui".

 I am a 9 month old pitbull who has lived most of my life at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. Best Friends is a wonderful place to live and my caretakers, Erica and Adria always took very good care of me. I also love my trainer, Tamara. She trains all the puppies who live in the puppy preschool. About a month ago, some really nice people came to visit Best Friends for a few days. 

They took me on two sleepovers at their condo, and I had such a great time. I loved sleeping on a couch, in a bed, and going for walks. They even took me to the sand dunes. Here's a link to the story of my adventure to the sand dunes.http://kanoeracer.wordpress.com/
I was very sad when they had to leave, and I tried to block the door, but they said they had to catch a plane and go home. I didn't really know what that meant, but now I do. 

You see, a couple of weeks after she got home, my mom (Kathy) realized that she missed me too. She called Best Friends and found out that the plans they had for me had fallen through, and they decided it would be best if I got on a plane and came out to be with her. Personally, I thought it would have been easier if she had just stayed with me in Utah so I wouldn't have to leave my old friends. But, she said she has a job, and that now I was going to have a job too. Mom's a track coach at the University of Hartford in Hartford, CT and she has a lot of kids to train. She thought I could help out as "Team Mascot".   

 So, that brings me to Friday, April 15th. For many, April 15th is simply known as "tax day". For me, it was the day I learned to fly. First they loaded me into my crate. They put my old name (Dyango) on the crate, packed up all my paperwork, and put me in a van. After a 4 hour van ride, we got to Las Vegas. I had to wait around for a long time, but then they picked me up, (crate and all) and loaded me onto this thing called an airplane. It was very noisy, and even though I am a really brave dog, it was scary. I was on there for such a long time, and finally things quieted down and then they took me off the plane(crate and all).  I was happy because I really had to go to the bathroom and I thought now my mom would be here to greet me. WELL, I thought wrong. I waited and waited and waited, and then you can't believe it, but they took me (crate and all) back to another airplane. I couldn't hold it any longer and pooped in my cage. I know, that's really embarrassing and rude, but I tried to wait, and I AM only a puppy. The noisy part came again, and when it stopped they took me off again (crate and all of course). I had barely gotten off when guess who I saw? MY MOM. She was so happy to see me, and I was just wagging and wagging my tail. I was a little embarrassed to be covered in poop, but who cares, I was here and there was mom smiling at me. Mom had a guy with her that I'd never met before, but come to find out, he's my new DAD. His name's Ken and I like him alot. As soon as they got me out of that STINKIN crate, we went to the car. I jumped right on Mom's lap and she didn't mind at all. She held me all the way home, and I took a nap. When we got to our house, I was very hungry. I had a bowl of food, and then Mom said "bath time". Dad said, "how about a shower?" but I said "NO FREAKIN way am I getting in there". So, Mom picked me up and put me in the tub. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It was very dark outside, but we went out anyway. We all played in the yard for awhile and then Dad went to bed because he had to work the next day. I wasn't sleepy, so Mom took me for a walk and then gave me some chewy toys to play with in a clean crate. She kept it right by her bed, so I knew she was there if I needed anything in the night. I finally went to sleep, and was just hoping this wouldn't all be a dream when I woke up. 

Saturday morning- bright and early, I was ready to GO. First one up, as usual, and ready for some breakfast. Mom fed me, and then we went for another walk to the park by our house. It's a beautiful park in the daylight, with lots of fields, trees, and a big lake. I'm not so sure what you're supposed to DO in a lake, but I liked drinking out of it. Dad hooked up a big rope in the front yard so that I could play.

 I think once I am used to it here, I won't need the rope, but for right now they want to be sure I don't get lost. We played tennis ball, and we chased around. They called me, and practiced my new name, "Maui". In case you didn't know, Maui was actually Superman in Hawaii. Mom thinks I am kind of like a dog superman I guess. Dad left for work, and I took a little nap. Later, me and Mom went for a long walk with one of her friends, Dani. Dani has two dogs that I will meet later. I wanted to meet them today, but they said "NO". Bossy ladies. I loved the walk though- lots of birds, streams, and trees.

 When Dad got home we took another walk, to another park with even bigger streams. I was a little nervous at first, but they showed me that it was safe to cross and I actually kind of liked it.

 Now I go in every stream I can find. Mom and I went to bed early and I slept a little better, but still needed to go outside in the middle of the night to pee. You know, one thing about playing in the streams, it's easy to drink a lot of water.

 Today's Sunday, and phew has it been a busy day for a puppy. I've been on 3 walks, I met my new sister, Nala, and we had visitors spend the night. I liked everything I did, I am really having fun and my tail wags all the time. 

The most fun thing though, was meeting my new "team". Not everyone came running today, but about 15 kids came and we went on an old railroad trail. I couldn't keep up, or go as far, but I sure did like it while I was with everyone. I ran right out in front of Mom (honestly, she's kind of pokey). When we got tired, we played in a stream for awhile and waited for everyone to come back. A couple of the kids were complaining about their race yesterday, so I gave them a little pep talk and I'm sure they'll do better next time. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day. 

We're going to the Boston Marathon! I don't get to run, but I get to watch and help cheer on some of Mom's friends and people she coaches. I'm going to go to bed early and get ready for the day.