Smokey skies and an epic splat

Our province of British Columbia is burning. Forests are on fire everywhere. For many weeks there has been heavy smoke in the air. The sun is orange. And we spend most of our time inside because it hurts our lungs to breath too much outside.

We still get walks. But we are not rushed. I like this, because I get to go as slowly as I want.

So the first half of the story of this picture is the orange light from our smokey skies.

The second half of the story from this picture is my muddy paw. You cannot see my back paws, but they are even muddier.

Friends, the reason there are so many fires right now is because it has not rained in practically forever. Everything is very, very, very dry. There is no mud anywhere.

Except for one creek. In the winter this is a fierce creek, with much flowing water. When we cross this creek, Ojo and I make epic leaps.

Today I made an epic leap over the creek, just like I usually do. But something happened. My leap failed. I landed elbow-deep in the only mud in the entire city. I am not sure why my person was laughing so much? Now I have three paws to clean!

Ode to Chewing on a Stick

Chewing on a stick

Is very satisfying

My jaws feel strong

Wolf jaws

Hunter jaws

Stick chewing jaws

There is nothing more satisfying

Than lying in the grass

On a summer day

Chewing

Chewing on a stick

Urban art (by Ojo)

Hi hi hi! Ojo here! We are part of urban art!

We are busy, thankyouverymuch

No, sorry, we do not want to do the posing thing for pictures right now. We are busy with these smells. Yes, this is a very pretty place. And yes, we are very pretty too. But you can admire the prettiness without us, thank you very much. We are busy.

ME in action! (by Ojo)

Hi hi hi! Ojo here!

When Cobi shared our Beach adventure, she forgot to share these action pictures of ME!

I think she forgot on purpose. She is jealous that I am so agile!

She is jealous that I am such a good Ball hunter!

She is jealous of my mouth that snatches things out of the air!
(Cobi isn't very good at snatching things.)

She is jealous that I turn so fast that I make a splash!

I think she is just jealous period!

So she did not share all these pictures of ME. But I will share them, because I am amazing. And because chasing Ball at the Beach is one of my favourite things ever!!

Beach day!

Today was Beach Day!

Beach Day is our favourite day of all!

Also our Balls came out to play. Days with Balls are our second favourite kind of day!

Happy Beach Day!

New Sniffing Job - Search!

Dear friends,

I said I would tell you about this new thing my person is doing with me to celebrate how amazing I am at ten years old. I am learning a new job! The people call it nosework.

Ojo is learning it too, but guess what? My person picked ME, Cobi, to go to class! I haven't gotten picked for class in forever! But she picked ME!!!

I am just getting started learning. Here is what I know so far...

First I put on my special collar. I only get this collar when I am working. Also my person tells me that it is time to work. So this is how I know it is time to work.

Then there is this SMELL. It is a funny smell. (My person says it is wintergreen, pine, and thyme. Some Dogs sniff out bombs or drugs. We only sniff for these funny oil smells.)

The SMELL goes inside of something. Something like this:

(And yes, there are holes in the blue lid so I can still smell it!)

Then my person hides the SMELL.

I am asked to Search. And my job is to use my nose and my amazing sniffing powers to find the SMELL!

I sniff all over!

There it is! I found it!

The SMELL can be pretty much anywhere.

Hey, I found it again! Momma B, look here! There it is! Do you see it? I found it! (Treats please!)

Now we are outside. My special collar goes on! It is time to work!

This time the SMELL is in a flower pot. (Although I did not know that. It was a surprise to find the SMELL in a pot! I still found it though, no problem, because I am amazing.)

The SMELL is in a pot because Ojo fetches the container with the blue lid. This is not supposed to be a fetch game. It is a poke-it-with-your-nose game. And Ojo will not fetch the flower pot. So the silly pot is Ojo's fault. Like most things are.

Time to Search!

I found the SMELL in the pot! (I am very good at this job.)

I need to stick my nose on the SMELL for a while, or at least poke it again and again, to make sure my person knows I found it. (She's kind of slow sometimes.)

I still have my nose on it. Do I get my treat now?

Aren't I amazing?

I love this new sniffing game! And we only just got started. I wonder what we're going to learn next week?

Pee Ess This is not the first sniffing job for either of us. If you'd like to read more about our other sniffing jobs, look here!

Ojo is employed as a Thing Finder. She finds lost things. Here is her job:
http://dogdoesntfetch.blogspot.com/2017/02/my-new-job-by-ojo.html
(She is even better at it now, by the way!)

My first sniffing job was finding lost people in the woods. And the stuff they'd dropped too. But haven't done that job forever and ever. So I am glad I have a new job.
https://dogdoesntfetch.blogspot.com/2011/09/sniffing-day.html
and
https://dogdoesntfetch.blogspot.com/2011/01/world-under-water.html

We Dogs have the most amazing noses. I love my new Search job. I hope we practise again soon!