Update on the Labs

The summer is upon us and life just gets busier by the second for us and the Lab girls. They are now down to 1 day of doggie daycare a week and actually doing quite well. We had thought there was going to be some separation anxiety issues, as they were used to going 3 days a week, but they are actually enjoying their time home. The doggie daycare has served a major purpose in socializing the pups and now that the dogs are 15 months and 7 months old, they no longer need extra socialization.

In order to compensate the difference in the amount of socialization, the dog park has become a regular weekend trip. Early on Saturday mornings, we pack the girls up and head 20 minutes north to a large fenced in dog park that not only has hills and heavily wooded areas, but also a river that flows down the west side of the park. Here the girls are starting to test out their water wings. That is not saying that the girls do not like water; it just gives them an extra appreciation of it and a greater desire for us to get a pickup truck to drive the muddy girls back home in after.

Both Labs, Dakota and Cheyenne, love the outdoors so much that we will be making routine visits to other dog parks throughout the summer. Some are free, while others cost a yearly permit. Of course, I don't believe in those that cost a permit fee and will tend to stay away from them. Why? It is just another way for the city to make money. That does not mean that we don't believe in giving something back to the free parks; in fact, we are active members and pay a yearly donation to the girls' favorite dog park - Granville Dog Park in Milwaukee, WI , which is more than the permit fee at the city park. Why do for one and not the other? Well, because the girls enjoy the free park more and with our Labs eating so much (since they are still pups), any place that makes us pay money is not the place for us.