Lab Sleigh-less Ride

Training Labrador Retrievers can sometimes be hard work but the payoff is always well worth the effort. So what do you do when you are doing obedience training outdoors and there is nothing but other dogs and snow as far as the eye can see? Hold onto that leash tight and pray that your Lab doesn't take you for a sleigh ride without the sleigh!

Yesterday was outdoor obedience training for both Dakota and Cheyenne. Right now Cheyenne is in the beginners class with me and Dakota is in the beginner novice class with her daddy. With the snow being so deep here in Wisconsin, the instructors decided to move all training to the parking lot so that the tiniest of Chihuahuas wouldn't be able to see over the snow.

The problem wasn't the change of training space nor the frigid cold but rather the snow! The Lab Brats LOVE snow and Cheyenne would eat, sleep, and play out in the snow all day if I let her. Needless to say, training went alright but not as good as it could and when our training session ended, I brought Cheyenne up to the hill so she could run free in the snow while we waited for Dakota's training session to end.

What was I thinking?!? Cheyenne stayed on the hill with me for about 3 minutes before noticing that she could stand on top of the hill and see the last two training groups in the parking lot. She got sight of a large chocolate dog and took off down the hill and barrelled straight through the group. The funny thing was that the large chocolate Lab was not her sister but a friend of the Lab Brats; Moose!

Luckily for Cheyenne, Moose's owner let him go immediately and run back up the hill, towards me, with Cheyenne for some play time. From a distance, I watched the two dogs run towards me and up the hill as I laughed so hard I almost fell over. There, across the parking lot, was Dakota pulling her daddy towards the action and giving him the sleigh-less ride of his life! (laugh)