Thursday Pack Activities
Adventure Pack
Griff, Sputnik, Colby, and Racer took their time heading up the Chautauqua Trail, as they wanted to sniff around numerous boulders and tufts of grass along the way. I've been thinking lately about what a long way Racer has come regarding walking on the leash. I suspect she would regress at least some if I went back to using her collar, but she has been an exceptionally well-mannered walker on the harness. The trails were very busy today, and Colby didn't seem nervous about all the people around. It seems to be that she gets the most skittish when the hikers we encounter are fewer and farther between. Sputnik behaved himself well through each pass of other dogs we encountered on the trails. Griff surprised me when he licked his lips while his packmates were drinking from the CamelBak. He usually isn't very interested in taking water on our hikes, but he had some today.
Variety Pack
Zoey and Ruffers were surprisingly tame during our hike around the CU South Campus trail loop this afternoon. The two of them are often full of playful energy, but they spent their off-leash time lagging behind just to sniff along the edge of the trail with Benny. Meanwhile, Isaac and Avo walked nicely on leash at my side. There were only a few moments when Avo got excited about a smell and started to pull; the rest of the time, she was right in pace with me. The CU South Campus trails were also busy today, and we stopped a number of times so the pack could sniff hello with passing pooches. Ruffers was especially excited about one big, male dog named Oso, who looked like a jumbo version of an Australian Shepherd. She made lots of playful, flirty bows and hops in front of him. He stood with his ears perked up and watched her curiously, but didn't engage with the level of enthusiasm that Ruffers displayed.