DISTANCE: 6.01 km . DURATION: 55:48

As I was running Byrdie today, I had a David Letterman Top 10 Reasons I Love Running Byrdie list running in my head. #10: Byrdie is waiting at the door with anticipation of our outing.  #9: It is Friday so it is the last DGR run of the week. #8) Some days we go fast and other days we just enjoy the moment at a walking pace. #7) There are so many great places to explore in Byrdie's neighbourhood from majestic churches to off-road paths.  #6) I am a morning person and I love sunrises.  Today was a good one and look at the beautiful colour of Byrdie and Teddy's fur. #5) Teddy and Byrdie are social dogs so we always meet new friends.  Today we met a Border Collie puppy and Byrdie and Teddy were so well behaved. #4) I get to bring my dog on my run with Byrdie so I don't feel like I am cheating on him by running another dog. #3) I get to catch up post run with Byrdie's mom and dad (some of my favourite people). #2) The bond between Teddy and Byrdie.  Teddy whimpers  when we get close to Byrdie's and I heard she is equally thrilled.  Today, they even look a bit like twins in their blue coat and harness.  She also always has kisses for him.  Aww!   #1) One word - BYRDIE!  The Scoop: 1 pee for Miss Byrdie and Teddy marked everything. I did not really talk about the run but it was amazing!

Walker: Ruth

DISTANCE: 6.02 km  DURATION: 58:20

Today, Byrdie got to met Teddy's brother Keno who is staying with me until the new baby comes home.  Once greetings were made and leashes untangled, Byrdie was off with the boys towards the Nose Creek pathways.   It warmed my heart that she has no issues keeping up with the brothers.  Teddy and Keno got some off-leash time running in and out of the Memorial Forest and Byrdie  pranced on-leash  with me towards all the activity.  She was definitely just one of the guys! She was also sporting a new coat that kept her warm and she looked quite stylish.   This outing went by so fast and I was sad to see it end.   The scoop: pees only for all 3. Thanks again to their mom for the shortbread!

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 5.53 km  DURATION: 1:00:21

Good Morning Byrdie!  Instead of fighting crowds at the mall on this Black Friday, why don't we get some fresh air and explore some new pathways.  Today's mission if you choose to accept it is to reach the Telus Spark Science Center.   I was not sure at first if this was attainable as both Byrdie and Teddy (her Friday walking companion) were both pokey pups.  However, once all the sniffing and marking (for Teddy) were done, the pups were ready to run.  We went though some off-leash areas where Teddy raced ahead while Byrdie and I followed on-leash.  She really enjoyed this game of chase and it helped us reach our destination with big grins on our faces   The Scoop: 1 pee only for Miss Byrdie.

Walker: Ruth

DISTANCE: 6.94 km  DURATION: 55:48

Two whirlwinds arrived in Calgary recently.  The first one was a strong wind that arrived last night and changed Calgary from a balmy autumn to a frigid winter.   The second one was Miss Byrdie who showed me how fast she could run  this morning.  She was actually outrunning my dog Teddy who is 3 times her size (at least). I was grateful that we were going at a steady pace through gusts of wind and snow so we kept warm.  We took a new route down towards Nose Creek and past the golf course. On the return, the wind was at our backs and it was quite pleasant.  Holy Smokes Byrdie, at this pace, we are going to get close to 7K.   We had a few stops to crumble ice caught up in Byrdie's and Teddy's paw pads; otherwise it was go, go go!  The scoop: no poo and 1 pee. 

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 5.14 km  DURATION: 54:01

Today I enjoyed a pleasant walk/jog with best buds, Byrdie and Teddy. Did I get tangled up in leashes frequently? Yes. Were my toes freezing for half the run? Of course. Were Byrdie and Teddy having just the grandest time? Well of course. I took the pups on this quiet morning to the not so quiet dog park. I let Teddy roam free and hooked the two leashes together so Byrdie could have a longer lead. She watched intently as Teddy chased after the ball, although she didn't have much interest in playing with the ball herself. I learned this after I gently rolling the ball in her direction. Teddy's eyes not once leaving the rubber sphere. The ball stopped at her feet. Byrdie looked at the ball, then looked up at me as to say, "What do you want me to do with that?" Byrdie had 0 poo, 4 pees. Teddy had 0 poo, and 6ish pees.

Walker: Ryan

DISTANCE: 5.47 km  DURATION: 1:15:44

On today's walk with Byrdie, we faced the usual and the unusual.  Teddy and I were greeted with Byrdie's usual enthusiasm at the door.  Per usual, Byrdie also started with sprints next to Teddy and kissed him as she ran.  We started on our usual route and then we decided to take a turn or two.  It was unusually foggy outside which made it a bit eerie.  With the change in route, we discovered some unusual art: a graffiti eye, painted birdhouses, and a statue of a deer which sparked Byrdie's curiosity and frightened Teddy.   It was also unusual to see 2 different big dogs with their paws over the fence barking at us.  I was glad they did not jump!   The walk ended with the usual time spent catching up with Byrdie's lovely mom.   The scoop: Teddy did the usual poo and pee and Byrdie had no business today.  Thanks Byrdie for our usual Friday walk with some unusual twists.

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 5.85 km  DURATION: 59:21

This morning, I  went on a run/walk with the best running/walking duo there is. Who are they, you ask? Well, obviously no other than Teddy The Terrible and Byrdie The Bold. Teddy's not actually terrible, it just sounded better than Teddy The Terrific. Although, Byrdie sure is bold! Do not underestimate this pup, for she may be small but she has the heart of a lion. I always get a laugh going with these two because Byrdie just runs circles around Teddy and get right up in his face. Teddy doesn't get annoyed with it at all. Actually, I think it's quite the opposite. I think he enjoys all the attention from her and it makes him feel like he's a movie star. 1 poo each and 4 pees for Byrdie and 5 pees for Teddy.

Walker: Ryan

DISTANCE: 5.2 km DURATION: 1 hour 5 minutes

It was a Trick or Treat kind of morning with Byrdie and Teddy.  Byrdie's neighbourhood sure looks ready for Halloween as there were lots of spooky lawn decor out on our stroll today.  Byrdie and companion Teddy were in the mood to sniff today and found some treats along the way: bunny nuggets.  They are irresistible to dogs but I thought I would pull out my own doggy treats and found I had been tricked.  I reached into my bag of treats to pull out kitten poop instead of liver treats.   I grabbed the wrong bag and my son must have been cleaning out the litter and left this litter bag on the ledge by the door where I have treat bags. I think the dogs would have loved this treat but we proceeded to the nearest garbage can.  The fall morning was gorgeous and we headed to Fit Republic to see if my friend Jane who is the owner was there.  She lives in Australia now but is back in town. No luck so we proceeded back through the quaint neighbourhood to home. Have a lovely weekend lil' bird (Byrdie)! The scoop: 1 poo and 2 pees for Miss Byrdie.

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 4.65 km  DURATION: 1:18:55

Wowzer, what a gorgeous morning to go for a walk in Calgary! I thought we pushed past fall and went directly to winter so it was nice to have this sunny, warm autumn day.  Byrdie and Teddy, however, were less interested in walking and more distracted.  For Byrdie, there were roads to lie down in the middle of for belly rubs.  Silly girl!  Byrdie also got  some hugs from a boy at  the Langevin Science School who claimed that Byrdie was the best smelling dog he has ever met.  Teddy's distractions came in the form of a gigantic hare running across the Bridgeland field.  He also got some off-leash play-time with a gorgeous Golden Doodle named Stella.  They sure did zoom around the field while Byrdie pretended she was right with them.  It was definitely one of our shorter distances but with fun distractions like these, it was worth slowing the pace and being int he moment!  The scoop: 2 pees.  Byrdie also collected copious amount of twigs and leaves in her fur

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE; 4.62 km  DURATION; 1:13:33

This morning, Byrdie got a special walking partner named Ollie who is an  8-month old Golden Doodle.  Ollie who is my house-guest over Thanksgiving, has been very playful with my dog Teddy so it was interesting to see Byrdie being the playful one with Ollie.  I was excited to photograph them together as they both have gorgeous golden, reddish fur.  The morning was crisp and cool as we headed to Bridgeland through tree-lined streets. We also did some stair climbing along with another runner out for some exercise. It was a picture perfect day with these 2 redheads who had wonderful leash manners.  At the park, Byrdie did some snow rolls and Ollie pat her head. They were adorable! The scoop: 1 poo and 4 pees for Ollie and no poos and 2 pees for Byrdie.  Thanks again for the chew toy for Ollie.

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 5.64 km  DURATION: 1:08:36

This morning's walk with Byrdie and Teddy was all about using our senses to enjoy the journey.  As for sight, we looked at lots of great street art and grafitti.  Teddy was eager to pose but Byrdie was a girl on a mission so we did not capture her in front of many colourful walls.  We also saw some gorgeous sunflowers that brightened our moods.  As for sound, we did hear a meowing cat.  It was so loud that I thought it may be in heat (I have experienced my own cat in this situation and let's gets say,  it is LOUD!)   As for touch, I think Byrdie gave Teddy lots of kisses. Today, we also went up several flights of stairs so I think they could feel the burn of the workout!    Lastly, Byrdie found a bone using her keen sense of smell and tasted it only briefly as I was on it and took it away.  The scoop; 1 poo and 1 pee for Miss Byrdie.  One more thing to mention:  Byrdie's mom told me that she told her that Teddy was coming over and Byrdie's excitement level picked up right away.  I love how dogs gets excited to see their pals too!

Walker: Ruth

DISTANCE: 6.34 km. DURATION: 59:47

I had a beautiful run this morning with beautiful Byrdie. The array of fall colours was spectacular, although I don't think I've ever seen this much green during Calgary autumn. It was quite damp out today. There was dew on the grass and the fog was hugging the buildings downtown. Since Byrdie is so low to the ground, she experienced the dampness to the max; soaking up the water from each blade of grass she trampled over like a little sponge. She didn't seem to mind her water saturated fur, as she kept on prancing all over, smelling everything that her nose desired: the posts, that pole, this fire hydrant, etc. Such an enjoyable pup to run with! Thank you Byrdie. The Scoop: 0 poo, 2 pees.

Walker: Ryan

Byrdie has been our houseguest for two fun-filled nights.  It was fun having another girl in my male dominated home.  With the cooler and wetter weather, we had most of our time together indoors with snuggles while reading or watching a movie.  Here are a few things I learned about Byrdie.  For a small doggy, she sure can snore.  She must have had some good dreams!  She also likes to snuggle really close to your face; it is a full body experience (see above photo).  She tried this with my dog Teddy a few times and he was less impressed. On Saturday, we went to River Park where Teddy chased the ball and Byrdie stayed on leash and greeted other dogs.  She is so social!  It must have been big dog day at the park because most dogs out were even bigger than Teddy (Newfies, Pyrenees, Berners). At the end of our park visit, we found a Chihuahua and a Cockapoo to greet and I could see Byrdie's confidence pick right up.  Thanks again for the fun weekend! My kids loved having such a sweet gal at our house!

Pet Sitter: Ruth

DISTANCE: 5.01 km  DURATION: 52:58

Change is here!  Not only was there snow on the ground but today, I was picking Byrdie up from her new home.  It is a gorgeous place and I got the full tour from Byrdie's mom while Byrdie gave my dog Teddy a tour of her lovely backyard.  We then  leashed up and went exploring the new hood in Renfrew.  I love checking out new areas and we made it along the Ridge above the Science Centre. Byrdie and Teddy had a few pit stops to roll in the snow and both came back to the house with wet fur covered in leaves. Byrdie's fur sure is a magnet for sticks and leaves! Official moving day is tomorrow but we decided it would be fun to have Byrdie visit my house a day early so the fun continues.  She is giving me one of her famous Byrdie hugs as I type this blog.  The scoop:  1 poo and 1 pee. 

Walker: Ruth

DISTANCE: 6.02 km  DURATION: 1:03:03

Written by Byrdie

It's Friday!  It's Friday!  I better wait by the door as I sense Ruth and Teddy may be here soon and that means a walk to Confederation Park. Who do I see a few blocks from my house but Chubbs, an American Bulldog, who is lying down and can't wait to meet me.  We touch noses and sniff and then I follow Teddy who shows me all the best places to smell.  We make it to the park and then Teddy shows me the ducks in the water.  I guess dogs are not the only ones who enjoy birds and there are several humans with these big binoculars looking for birds. Now, I am going to try to impress Ruth with my full-on short sprints.  Look, how fast I can run!  Time to slow down which is perfect as Teddy wants to roll in the grass .  He also finds a stick to chew on.  That one is too big for me.  Well, this adventure is pretty exhausting.  I see a lady carrying a little dog in her arms and wonder if Ruth will carry me.  She senses I am tired so we take a break for belly rubs.  I am now re-energized so I show her how I can sprint home.   I had 1 pee and no poos.  Fridays are the best!

Walker: Ruth