Twas' the night before the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse...  Wait a sec, it was actually 3 night before Christmas and I was lucky to spend time with three stirring creatures: Moxie the Giant Schnauzer and his fur siblings Ziggy (a fluffy Persian) and Felix (an orange tabby).  It was so nice to have these 3 sweethearts to snuggle with and help me wrap presents.  Moxie and I went on some nice long walks through the neighbourhood to get fresh air and then when we returned both Felix and Ziggy were keen for some attention.  Ziggy (I believe may be part dog) because he loves attention and followed me around the home.  Felix kept more of a distance but whenever I pet his head, his purring motor started.  We watched the "I Love Lucy" Christmas special and I got most of my gift wrapping done.  I must say it also was a nice escape from the Christmas rush and time at the malls shopping.  I hope there are more opportunities with this trio soon.

Pet Sitter: Ruth

DISTANCE: 7.11 km  DURATION: 57:27

Hey there Junos! Apparently after the big snowfall we had this week, neither of the Junos seemed too interested in running. Instead they took every single opportunity to play with each other, especially right when I was trying to run; always getting the two leashes tangled with another. Juno F also decided today was a good day for lots of treats and belly rubs. She would periodically stop until I fished out a snack and then she'd trot along with a smile, or she would flop over and just beg me with her eyes to give her some affection. Then after we found our pace, the other Juno decided that she needed to get all the snow out of her leg hairs, even when we had put booties on her! So for the first half of our run one Juno just wanted to eat and get rubs, and then the second half the other Juno would just lie down all the sudden! No matter, all three of us will had fun and that's what's important! The scoop: 1 poop and 5 pees for Juno F.

Runner: Taylor

DISTANCE: 12.10 km. DURATION: 1:11:57

It’s chilly today but like clockwork Tara showed up for our run. This was our last run before Christmas break so we wanted to make it a good one. Mum also showed her my new harness which was  festive (green and red)! So looking fly and feeling good, we started our run. Although Tara tried to take photos before the cold got her phone, I was moving too fast for her to catch a good one! Each run we get faster and when we finished our loop we realized we had 15 minutes to kill. Must have been the sun.  A quick jog around Fort Calgary and home in the hour made for a perfect day! Merry Christmas Nell.

Runner: Tara

DISTANCE: 8.1 km.  DURATION: 1:01:00

Hello Mr. Kayto! Well, we’ve reached the end of our week and the end of our year! Thoughts? Well it looks like he’s happy with a couple extra runs a week based on the greeting I got. And he is as fit as ever as well after over a year of running with Tracy. And he has associated running with earning himself two very special things: sticks and treats. Both of which, I’m happy to say were a part of today’s run. We romped around Edworthy Park and while we both expended a lot of energy, we didn’t log any quick paces there. Then we made up some time, running the perimeter of our neighbourhood, finishing with a play in my backyard with Juno and Taylor. It was a fabulous way to wrap up my week and year! Thanks Kayto! Happy Holidays to you and your humans! Scoop: 3 poos and several pees.

Runner: Tammy

DISTANCE: 10.41 km  DURATION: 1:04:32

Nothing like running a Husky X in winter snow to make you feel truly Canadian!  I was pretty excited to have my last official DGR run of the year be with Mira as I knew I would get a great 10K workout with her.  I have been a bit jealous that her regular runner Tracy has seen moose a few times in the coulee with Mira so thought briefly about running on the trails as I was wearing my Icebug shoes. However, we had a Bobcat plowing the coulee pathway on top so I thought we would opt for smooth, clear paths and speedwork.  Mira was keen.  She is funny because she lets me take the clear paths and she pops to side into the snowbanks and prances about.  I recently had a foster dog that was a Husky X and have become pretty fond of this mixed breed.  Dogs like Mira and Sally are pretty awesome.  That said, I cannot forget about awesome Mulligan who is so patient while we run and then so happy when we go for our stroll.  The scoop: 1 poop for both M&M and Mira had 12 handstand pees at last count and Mulligan had 2 pees.  Thanks to Mira and Mulligan's family for the homemade cakes with peppermint frosting.  With 3 growing boys/men in my household, they were happily devoured.

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 7.51 km  DURATION: 54:12

What a wonderful start to Zenna and my morning and weekend!  It was so calm and quiet running along the river today. I think we only saw about two other people out walking. One of the people we saw had two beautiful Huskies and we stopped so Zenna could get a quick sniff. I could tell that she could’ve stayed and played with them all day. Zenna loved the snow and would actually start running a bit faster if she was going through some fresh tracks. Happy Holidays to Zenna and family, I hope to see her soon again. The scoop: too many pees to count and one poo.

Runner: Owen

DISTANCE: 8.78 km. DURATION: 1:08:37

Chester was all alone when I arrived today. I quickly threw his harness, sweater, and cheddar coat on and we were off! Every other dog in Chester's neighbourhood appeared to be out at the same time! We ran into a beautiful young Shepard/Collie mix, then a miniature Australian Shepard, followed by a Shepard/Husky mix.  Chester gets a long with everyone! Shortly after, we caught up to a young (but huge) Shepard mix that I know Chester and I have passed a few times before. This time the playful dog noticed us and came out on the path for a visit. She was extremely playful, and a little mouthy, but I could tell Chester was loving the attention and enjoying the dogs rambunctious personality. Her owner told me she was nearly old enough to start running. We walked along the path for a few minutes as I told her about DGR and the services we offer; Chester and the other dog played non-stop! Who better to represent DGR than one of the fastest, and sweetest dogs we have the pleasure of running! There was a fresh thin layer of snow on the paths from last night, much of which had yet to be cleared. I could feel my feet sliding back a few inches with every step - the new studded winter runners we just ordered are going to help drastically with this problem! Chester found the long stick he brought at the end of yesterday's run, and we played a game of tug-o-war before heading back inside. Today is the last day I'll see my new best buddy for a week and a half so we spent some extra time inside together saying goodbye. Once I started with the bum rubs, Chester wouldn't allow me to stop. He was being extra sweet as if he knew we were saying goodbye for longer than usual and must have kissed me at least 50 times. It took me a while to finally get up and leave.  I'm really starting to get attached to this incredible dog.  Merry Christmas Chester! Have a wonderful relaxing week with your family! I'll need you to help me burn off this extra holiday weight in the New Year.. The scoop: 3 pees, 1 poop.
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Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.34 km. DURATION: 1:00:30

Hey Lincoln! There's still lots of powder out there to be sniffed, sprayed, dug through, and stepped on, let's go.
It's deceptively cool, especially in the shade. It might be early into this afternoon, and with the sun barely getting a third of the way up the sky; direct sunshine is few and far between on some of the streets.  There were lots of cars out moving noticeably more slowly due to the precarious road conditions. There were other dogs and their walkers out, but no "visitation privileges" today;  just jogging through the powder.  Scoop Score:: #1 >10, #2 x1..  Merry Xmas to you and your family Lincoln, I'll see you soon!​
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Runner: Michael

DISTANCE: 6.25 km  DURATION: 1:00:48

Hello again Sam.  The last time I was here, it "felt like" it was 50°c warmer than today! I hope you're up for the challenge. Let's go! You definitely made it seem like a 50° down swing was no big deal! Apart from a few breaks to clean out snow balls from forming in your feet pads, you were near unstoppable out there. Scoop Score: #1 x8, #2 x2 Hopefully it's less than 6 months before our next run, and many degrees warmer (for me). Happy holidays Sam! 

Runner: Michael

DISTANCE: 4.69 km  DURATION: 55:45

3 days until Christmas G and T! Can you believe it? For our last run of 2017, I brought a special guest.. ROBBIE! The girls were so excited to see him and Gibbs knew she could not miss out on this playdate! Out the door we went for a run around the neighbourhood! The wind blew much colder today than yesterday and Toki’s shivering and Gibbons’ paw lifting confirmed this! We decided to keep moving to stay warm! The girls, Rob and I ran along through the thick snow, but eventually got too cold to continue so we headed for home! Luckily for the girls, there was a Christmas treat waiting for them at home (new sweet potato dog biscuits!!) and lucky for me too, Gibby, Toki and their family had a Christmas treat waiting for me! Thank you girls for making my 2017 so amazing.  I cannot wait to get all of the kisses in 2018! 2 pees for Toks and 3 pees for Gibbs. Happy Holidays to my favorite sisters!

Runner; Jaime

DISTANCE: 6.20 km  DURATION: 1:01:54

Ah Marley is such a character. We got one kilometre from home and he decided to flop down in the middle of the road and do a major back rub and body roll. It must have felt great because he was a happy man the rest of the way except for seeing that huge Irish Wolfhound. All was great and I look forward to seeing him in the new year. No poos but many pees!

Runner: Bob

DISTANCE: 4.68 km. DURATION: 1:00:44

Hello friendly Spud. Let’s go for a rockin' walk around the Christmas Tree! We rocked and walked around Spud's neighbourhood.  He is very popular to say the least. He is so friendly with everyone and is a very lovely dog. I have a feeling that Santa will be very good to Spud this year. Golden’s love snow, and he is no exception.  He did a full face dive into the fresh white stuff and loved every minute of it. We walked by Starbucks and were tempted by the eggnog latte, but we controlled ourselves.  Soon after, we walked by a young lady with a Starbucks in her hand, Spud headed for her and me for the coffee. So loveable, Spud is so kind and wonderful.  Merry Christmas Spud and to all a good night. 3 pees and no poops.

Runner: Audra

DISTANCE: 11.53 km  DURATION: 1:21:56

Winger, it is great to see you! Let’s do the Winger Loop today. I heard you are one of Strides' Streakers, so let’s get it done and streak away! Fast is Winger's middle name, going down the Annie’s Hill slowed us down, because of the huge amount of snow. While we were headed down we saw Dancer and Prancer run by. Winger got confused and thought he was a deer for a moment! We met up with my friends (Andrea & Peter) at the bottom of the hill.  They were doing their morning walk. We had a little break and chat, Winger took a snow roll, then we headed on. The wind was brisk on the other side of the park, but Mr Winger did not miss a beat. The only thing that slowed him down today was me, with my footing on unplowed areas. Winger you never disappoint!  You are a great runner and a great dog! You're the best! Merry Christmas! No poops, no pees.

Runner: Audra

DISTANCE: 4.5 km  DURATION: 45 minutes

Buster is described by his mom as all party and no brains.  That statement makes me laugh! She is totally correct that Buster wants to PARTY! Brains, well he is a puppy so he is still growing. Buster and I walked through the neighbourhood and headed to the ridge but my phone froze so I could not get an accurate map, I drove the basic route to get some sort of map. We then headed down Annie’s Hill, to see if we could see the running deer like Winger and and I had seen early. No luck. Buster loves the snow like his older brother, and loves my mittens too. When we came up the hill, Busty started to lift up his feet, so I knew it was time to head home, I was starting to freeze after Winger's run anyway. Let’s not get frostbite for Christmas! Merry Christmas Buster and Family.  I can’t wait until you can run. The scoop: 1 poop, 1 pee.

Walker: Audra