My staycation with wonderful Bear started with an evening walk in Scarboro across the bridge. He was so funny because he kept eating snow like a snowplough (he prefers to eat snow rather than drink water).  I called him Velcro that 1st night because he followed me wherever I went except for when I went to bed.  He has a specific place where he sleeps.  Every day, I would take Bear for a walk 3 times a day (the morning, afternoon, and evening). We would take a nap after our afternoon walks which he would lay at my feet as we booth dozed off. We also played twice a day as he would pick a stuffed toy from his toy basket and it was go time. He is so funny because he likes to tease!!! He has so many facial expressions. When we weren’t walking or playing, we were relaxing and cuddling.  Bear was teaching me the Art of Relaxation over the past 4 days.  He has mastered it and he is very good at pacing himself (activity followed by relaxation then repeats).  I have learned a lot by observing him. We would sit outside in the front or in the back as much as we could when the sun was out. He loves the fresh air just like me. He was so priceless every time we came in, he would sit on the towel and give me his paws so that I could wipe them off. Just too cute!!!  The last 2 nights, he slept beside my bed on the floor which I found priceless because the 1st two nights he didn’t. I have taken many photos of Bear because he is so adorable and his facial expressions and body language are so precious.  As I was packing my car, I let him roam freely in the front yard and he laid there sad like he was behind bars.  He gave me those sad puppy eyes which just melted my heart. He gets an Oscar award for that great acting moment.  Bear was truly a pleasure to spend time with.

​Pet Sitter: Ginette

DISTANCE: 6.1 km DURATION: 1 hour 1 minute
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I was so happy to get the chance to run this cutie again! I cannot gush about him enough! He is an awesome running partner who is so polite and easy-going, and a real looker too. We didn't seem to go as fast as our last run together, Bear reminded me to relax and enjoy this fabulous weather while we still have it! It also meant we got to take some breaks for pets and cuddles. Even when he wanted to chase squirrels and stare down a cat, Bear listened really well. He sat and waited nicely when other excited dogs passed by, Bear really is a dream to run with. He's a smart cookie for sure, I hope he enjoyed our morning together as much as I did!  The Scoop: 10 pees, 1 poo.

Runner: Gabi

DISTANCE: 10.4 km   DURATION:  1 hour 12 minutes

Bubbly Bear, today is what I would call perfect running conditions. I am a bit of a creature of habit and I think Bear might be too as we headed down our familiar route that includes a swim/fetch stick stop. Bear loves the water and I share this passion with him. We also saw DGR Runner Colton with dogs Jack and Juno so I think they were on the same route. With all the daily unexpected changes in life, it is nice to stick to this happy routine with Bear. I love healthy habits. Bear wagged his approval!,  The Scoop: 23 pees (wowza!) and 1 poo.

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 9.6 km  DURATION: 1 hour 4 minutes

​Today was all about being in the moment with Bear. I decided to give him a quick dip in the Bow River early on and he LOVED fetching the stick. He was then cool to do some serious running layered with sprints whenever he sensed a critter crossing the pathway. Bear sure brightens my day so I hope I do the same for him. The Scoop: 12 pees, 3 poops.

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 8.58 km DURATION: 58:07

​It was an awesome run today! We decided to visit Calgary’s surf wave at the 10th Street bridge. Bear was quite positive he’d like to become a surfer dog, and was wondering why there were no boards in the rack. Maybe next time, we’ll get lucky and be able to watch some surfers! The Scoop: 1 poop, 10 pees.

Runner: Niki

DISTANCE: 7.49 km DURATION: 1 hour
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Bear was a superstar today! It was much cooler so we managed to do more running and less swimming. Though he still insisted on  submarine-ing 3 times throughout the run. I couldn’t blame him! Such a happy camper and a pleasure to take out. The Doggy Business Report: 1 poop, 10 pees.
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Runner: Niki

DISTANCE: 5.97 km  DURATION: 57 minutes

I showed up to meet Bear and immediately we were best friends! However, his loyalties quickly changed as soon as we got to the Bow River.  He was a dog on a mission and immediately dived right in; pretending he was a submarine. He did NOT want to leave the river so we played fetch for a good while! Such a water dog. Really fun morning with this guy, hope to see you again soon Bear! The Business Report: 1 poop, 1.5 million pees.

Runner: Niki

DISTANCE: 6.85 km  DURATION: 58 minutes
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​It was lovely to meet Bear today.  He is such a lovable guy (and an awesome runner too!). For the first couple bocks, he gave sled dogs a run for their money, until he got all his beans out. I was not too familiar with the area so we mostly just winged it. Happily, we came across a very beautiful trail called Quarry Road Trail that leads to the Douglas Fir! Unfortunately for me, it was almost all uphill! Bear did great right until we left the trail, and its shade. He was happy to have the sun out but it sure does make him hot  so our run back was quite a bit slower. He has the most beautiful black coat. It was hard not cuddle him for a full hour! Bear is a gem to run with and his manners are on point! I cannot wait to run with this guy again! The Scoop: 1 poop, 7 pees.
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Runner: Gabi

DISTANCE: 5.00 km DURATION: 31 minutes

Hello sweet Bear!  Bear is the recipient of 2 runs that DGR donated for a silent auction for The Gateway Project (a dance performance group that two of my sons are involved with).  He is a dream to run with and we set out on a good pace. This athletic Border Collie was trying his best to keep up with the morning bike commuters.  This was our 30 -minute trial run but he could have easily joined me for an hour.  It was quite lovely when we found our way on the Douglas Fir Trail  and found a nice puddle for Bear to dip his toes in.  Thanks for the morning sweat session Bear!  The Scoop: 1 poo and 1 pee. I hope to see you soon for a full power hour!

Runner: Ruth