Warm Spring Day - I'll get that stick!!

Spring

Everything goes so fast. Just when you thought that spring has just arrived, it is gone, and you wonder how you actually spent it or enjoyed it. Luckily, with a big garden, we have spent quite a bit of time outdoors, cutting grass, removing some bushes and trees, and cleaning. And we do spend a lot of time outside with the dogs. But you always find out too late that you didn't - either because you didn't have time or because you didn't think about it - spend enough time just lying in the grass, staring at the blooming trees.. And suddenly it is almost too late. Today - seemingly within minutes - the plum tree lost its white flowers, while the apple tree - which until yesterday was only green - exploded with flowers. It is so amazingly beautiful, and you wish it could stay there forever. At least for one more day, because I have so many things today that I cannot enjoy it, that will have to wait until tomorrow.. and tomorrow.. and tomorrow..

Right now I just want to plaster this blog page with apple tree flowers. Then I am sure that I can come back here tomorrow to look at them :)

Stella is afraid of

Stella is afraid of three things only:

1 - The vacuum cleaner
2 - the grass cutter
3 - the neighbors little white cat

LOL

(PS: Maja basically doesn't care!)

Morning has broken

If I should point out just one thing about dogs - the very best thing, it wouldn't be the love, the friendship or the loyalty, even if these things exist in abundance.

It would be the mornings :)

How every morning is full of joy. How they happily run out the door every morning, expecting the day to be full of happiness, full of plays, full of interesting things to see and sniff. Everything feelw fresh and somehow new, like you see it for the first time - in short, it is the best day EVER, because it is today!

And as I walk behind them, watching two golden tails wag and wag and wag, I feel so grateful for this; that every day they give me this wonderful gift: a fantastic start of the best day ever :)

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word

LESSONS TO LEARN !

Yesterday we went to our first dog classes :)

It felt like a huge thing for us - we have been talking about it for a while, and now we finally got in touch with a dog trainer. We have such good dogs, but they are probably good more because... well... they just ARE, and not so much because we have done everything right. And also, after we got dog number two, it became more apparent that it would be good to have a LITTLE bit more control. Especially when we go for off-leash walks, it can be really tricky to call them - they basically go wherever they want, come whenever they want, and expect us to be there :)

And so we went... And, yep, there are things to learn :) The dog trainer was great - really good with the dogs, very energetic, very clear, very interesting! So - what was the most important lesson?? That we are not enough interesting for the dogs!! That somewhat felt like a small punch in the stomach. Yes, the dogs are happy and safe, they are physically well trained, we go for long walks every day. But, especially when it comes to Maja, we don't play with her enough. And it is true: we don't spend much time playing with the dogs.. The trainer spent some time playing tug-of-war with Maja, really physical and really loud. Wow, it was so clear how much fun Maja had, and I really felt bad there and then - it was like we had taken something away from her.

So - these are our tasks.
- We have to get a little bit more unpredictable, so the dogs will expect something nice, they just shouldn't know what!

- When we go for walks, we have to take a chance and leave them behind. No waiting, no cuddling when they finally decide to catch up. We go, and the dogs will have to find out themselves that they have to pay attention. If we stop to wait, we start walking again immediately when the dogs come.

- Names are for positive feedback only.. (Yeah, it has been a little bit too much of the; MAJA, COME HERE).

- And playing! Especially with Maja. Not much, just some few minutes, but then really intense and really loud.

It is weird - after spending so many hours watching dog programs on TV and talking about bad dog owners, the finger was now pointing at us :D But that is great - we now have a trainer we like, tasks to do.. I think it will be good fun, both for the dogs and us :)

WAGGING EASTER

Easter came, wagged, and left.. It really was some beautiful days, warm and nice. Sunday was so warm that if it hadn't been for the fact that I had a concert on Monday, I would have taken a swim :)

It is starting to get green everywhere, lawns are green and during the last couple of days, trees have been sprouting leaves like crazy. It is this sharp, sharp green colour that you can only see these days. Somehow, the older I get, the more I appreciate exactly these few days, where everything is new and fresh.

The girls are enjoying spring, too. We were again talking about it; how fantastic it must feel for Stella to be able to roam around freely, to sniff and experience everything she wants to.

Maja has not forgotten her swimming skills from last summer, and is happily taking a swim now and then :) Besides from her duck hunt a couple of weeks ago, Stella is not into swimming - she loves walking in water, it just doesn't seem like she has found a good reason for WHY she would swim yet :)

So - here are some pictures of the dynamic easter duo; checking out water and the scent of some mysterious animals that have been there before them.

Easter.... ehmmm.... bunnies???

 This has to be the most adorable pictures of Easter Bunnies that I have seen in my life :)
 http://mogley-adogslife.blogspot.com/2011/04/getting-ready-for-easter.html