Barking Embarkers

My first travel therapy job while having Chloe was in multiple nursing homes in Worthington, Minnesota. She was just a pup who had some issues with separation anxiety and spending time in a vehicle; therefore I would need to find a daycare for her during the day. I set about looking for daycare, and found a perfect boarding kennel. The family was more than happy to keep Chloe busy during the day for the mere cost of 10$ a day! This is an incredible deal (daycare is typically closer to 30$ a day) and I jumped on it!

The Day and the Life of a Puppy

Chloe would wake up in the morning for a fresh 30 minute walk around the beautiful campground in Adrian, Minnesota. Then she would sit and watch as I got ready for my work day, her curiosity showing as she wondered what on earth I am putting on my face and why I have to open this door full of cold air and good smells to gather food for my lunch. Chloe’s curiosity is one of my favorite things about her, and her intelligence is evident, even though she loves to be silly and playful. Then she went to daycare while I went to work, and I picked her up at precisely 4:45 everyday on my way home. Sometimes we would go to the dog park to train or play, other times we would go back to the campground to rest, eat and take our nightly walk at about 8pm. For Chloe’s puppy life, routine was everything and her potty training went perfectly. Walking on a leash was a different enchilada, as Chloe still pulls while on leash, but she is working on it.

Training hilarity: Our First Time at Scheels

As Chloe began to show her personality, which is calm, sweet and curious, I decided to start puppy training to hopefully become a therapy dog someday. We found a great deal with the American Kennel Club to start STAR puppy training. Chloe was accompanied by a couple other puppies in a variety of stores throughout Sioux Falls.

Our first time in Scheels was a huge learning experience. First, it was discovered Chloe is not the biggest fan of the steel grates that are on the floor as you walk into the store. We began walking through the parking lot, Chloe prancing along happily. She paused at the automatic doors but consented to walk through them until, the dreaded moment… The steel grates on her feet. The texture was so unique and she did everything in her power to dodge around them, including hopping, jumping, crawling until she made it past them onto the regular floor. It was so hard not to laugh, but I kept encouraging her, pausing every time she let her foot touch the grates to give her a treat.

Our next obstacle was the large, stuffed grizzly bear that roars at you as you walk up the stairs. Chloe was not a fan, and began to bark and back away. Therefore, it was decided that this was the perfect obstacle to practice training and by the end Chloe was comfortable with the bear, and even gave it a big sniff prior to leaving the area. The real question is, what will she do when/if we meet a wild bear? In some ways, I wasn’t so sad about the barking. However, since this experience, Chloe gets to go to a random store weekly/biweekly to practice exposure to as many different sites and smells as possible.

Chloe’s First Camping Adventure

Minnesota was full of firsts, including Chloe’s first fair, concert, waterfall; her first time seeing a lake (since she was tossed into a river as a baby) and her first experience with nursing homes. For our first camping adventure, Chloe and I went to Amnicon Falls state park in Wisconsin, close to Duluth, MN. Chloe did amazingly, meeting another pup while on leash, sitting while I took photos and smiling hugely at her first waterfall. She played in the water and met some young children as well. Chloe loved this adventure, and slept in the tent as happily as any puppy could possibly be while sleeping in a tent. This was my first realization that Chloe was truly an adventure girl, and her heart smiles as big as mine at the prospect of hiking and the outdoors.

We have learned much together, this Minnesota Summer. Chloe’s puppy personality is the happiest, sweetest thing and our adventures together were beginning with hilarity, lots of play time and time outdoors. What funny moment have you shared with your pup? Has anyone else experienced some interesting or surprising moments when on an adventure with your pup? Thanks for reading! Feel free to share! Happy trails and happy tails to you all.