Easter Egg Hunt!

and family gatherings

Hi all, we hope you are happy and healthy out there!

First of all, for those who celebrate—Happy Easter!

Let’s break down the week!

SO MUCH SNOW

Ok. This week hasn’t been the “best” for Kris, as every single day it has snowed. In fact, as I’m typing this late on Sunday evening, it is snowing right now. And it’s been snowing all day. It didn’t look like it was going to snow yesterday—but it did.

None of it is a ton of snow, and it’s not really building into anything deep—it seems to melt pretty quickly. However, for Kris, this week is wearing on her mental health. She grew up in the valley near Vancouver, where snow is rare and doesn’t stick around long. I keep telling her that winter isn’t over until the end of May, and she keeps throwing shoes at me. I should probably keep my mouth shut, but the flying shoes seem to do the trick.

Aside from Kris, the Berners and Beaker LOVE the snow as it falls. It gives Bunsen a ton of energy, and the older guy has been frolicking as the drifts slowly melt along the creek walls on the farm.

Easter Egg Hunt!

On Saturday, Marla invited us to the annual Easter Egg Hunt she organizes for dogs. We also brought Beaker with us. Jason came with Marla, and another couple—Dan and Alisha—joined the group.

Eggs filled with delicious dog treats were hidden around a park and parking lot, and the dogs had to go find them. We had Chesnyy, Kenji, Chloe, Dug, Bernoulli, and Beaker.

Bernoulli and Beaker hadn’t done this before, and initially Bernoulli had some struggles. He apparently isn’t amazing at tracking scent, but he got much better by egg 10. Beaker, on the other hand, was AMAZING. She sniffed out treats like a tracking dog—it was so special to see.

Chesnyy was a pro, the rapidly growing Kenji had so much fun, and Dug and Chloe did great! (It was also really cool to meet them!)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it—Beaker never gets enough credit. She is just our steady, quiet, gently good girl. She sits in the shadows of her big brothers, but she shines. This activity showed that she was leaps and bounds ahead of Bernoulli at scent detection.

It was really awesome to be included in the Easter Egg Hunt. Kris and I have a very small circle of close friends, as many of our colleagues and family don’t fully understand what we do in our spare time with the dogs and social media. So it was just awesome to be with people who celebrate dogs at whatever level they are at—and who don’t think it’s weird at all to film dogs looking for Easter eggs.

Also, this game is a great confidence booster for Bernoulli, and something we can do in places around Red Deer.

A Visit with Adam Before Heading Home

After the Easter Egg Hunt, we briefly met up with Adam and went for a walk around his neighbourhood. He was coming down for a visit today anyway, but being in Edmonton, it would have been silly not to pop by and say hello. Plus the dogs LOVE Adam.

It was great to catch up with him and have him show us parts of where he’s been living for almost eight months now. He is really funny and had some hilarious stories about the weird things that go on and the eclectic people who frequent the area.

We walked to a local coffee shop for some delicious coffee and a baked treat. While Kris and Adam were getting the order, I stayed outside with the dogs. A couple from inside came out and asked to see them (which was really nice of them).

Bernoulli has come SO far. If this had been last August or September, he likely would have barked at strangers approaching him quickly. But now he has so much more confidence. They said hello, and Bernoulli was all smiles. Then he leaned his massive frame into them, asking for cuddles and pets.

The couple was kind and gentle, and both dogs really enjoyed the interaction. It was a huge win for Bernoulli. Beaker, of course, was her megawatt-smile self—she just loves people.

The work we’ve been putting in to help him feel comfortable around people again is really paying off. Going into dog-friendly stores a couple of times a week, having strangers give him treats, and using strategies from Waggles and Marla have made a massive difference.

Kris scampered upstairs for a quick Ginger cuddle. She is doing amainzg and looks so healthy and happy

!

Easter Gatherings

Kris and I just got back (with Duncan, Adam and Annalise) from my dad’s gathering. It was great to see my sisters, brother, and their kids. Plus, Jane and Marina—our newest Canadians—were there as well.

My brother brought their dog Ozzie, and my sister brought their dog Rosie. So not only were there a ton of nieces and nephews running around, there were dogs too! Add in good food, and it made for a really great day.

As today is a holiday and we just got back, that’s where this newsletter will end.

I hope you and your family had a great weekend, and we’ll talk soon!