DISTANCE: 1 hour DURATION: 6.2 km

I am being 100% honest with you that I LOVED my run with Ollie today even in -27C with a wind chill.  I have felt like I have a case of cabin fever with this deep freeze in Calgary so I just got lots of layers on and grabbed this sweet boy who seems unfazed by the cold except for his paws (thus the booties).  My original plan was to run to my house, have a warm-up and visit with my dog Teddy (Ollie's buddy) and run Ollie back home.  However, I went with Plan B as I had a last minute dog guest at my house.  I was also concerned that once at home, I would not want to leave.  Plan B included a stop at Global Pets for a warm up and a treat.  Ollie was in total agreement that this was a good idea.   I surmised this by the wag of his tail.  We did a quick walk through the store and then did a light jog back home.  Ollie even found a small twig to carry for a block or two and was happy as a clam. Thanks for the putting a big smile on my face Ollie!  The Scoop: 1 poo. 3 pees.

​Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 12.1 km DURATION: 1 hour 31 minutes

Today was my final day of doing 12 days of 12K's starting December 1st so it was great to have fit Ollie join me.  I decided to do my blog in the 12 Days of Christmas theme.  On the 12th K of of our run, my true love gave to me - 12 geese a honking, 11 bunnies leaping, 10 frozen fingers, 9 stoplights blinking, 8 snowflakes drifting, 7 strangers smiling, 6 dogs passing, 5 inflatable snowmen, 4 hills to climb, 3 parks to run through, 2 squirrels scrambling and 1 happy puppy!  The Scoop: 1 poo, 4 pees.

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 8.9 km  DURATION: 1 hour
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Running Ollie always puts me in a good mood! He was happy to hit the road and we worked on some intervals. How do you do that with a dog? Well, I took Ollie by Repsol Centre and the bunnies and squirrels gave him reason to pick up his pace. His mom also told me that he has been mountain biking with the family so when he saw a bike, he also tried to catch up. He is an athletic guy just like his mom who was off mountain biking with DGR Dog Paisley’s mom. Thanks again for the interval training. Cheers!  The Scoop: 1 poo, 6 pees.

Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 9.35 km DURATION: 1:03:06

Summer Lovin' Had Me A Blast!  It sure felt like a Summer morning with the temps nice and warm at 9:00 a.m.  I was hoping to get in some good distance with Doodle Ollie so I had to be strategic with water stops.  We did a very summer-like run through the sprinklers on Riverdale Avenue.  We then made out way through Sandy Beach and Ollie dipped his toes into the River. We also ran on trails wherever possible so we could be in the shade.  We also tried a few hills.  Thanks Ollie for helping me train for Sinister 7. Despite our water stops, a 10K was not in the cards as Ollie was slowing down and ready to head home to his PB-filled Kong.  The Scoop: 3 poops and 2 pees. Thanks for a taste of Summer running!

​Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE 9.01 km  DURATION: 59:39

​Today's run with Ollie was bookended with two cat experiences: one at the beginning of the run and one at the end. The first one was a sad one. Ollie and I stumbled upon a dead, fluffy ginger cat in a yard we ran past.   The second one was a live black cat who scrambled up a tree when we ran past it at the tail end of our run.   Ollie is a big fan of squirrels, cats, and geese and we sure saw a lot of them. It was a great day to run and as always such a pleasure to run with dog who simply LOVES to run!  I can always count on a good workout with a lovely friend (Ollie).   I left him enjoying his PB-filled Kong.  The Scoop: 1 poop and 2 pees.

​Runner: Ruth

DISTANCE: 8.13 km   DURATION: 56:27

Ollie and I ran through a light drizzle today. It was a little chilly out, but I am happy with anything as long as there isn't any snow involved. I think we've all had enough of that. We made our way through the dog park where a few dogs, greeted Ollie as we ran. Later, we visited another park closer to Ollie's house where we saw a massive crow. Ollie tried running at the crow, but was held back by the leash. Meanwhile the crow, cawed and stood its ground. It was probably searching for the worms that were emerging from the sound of the rain. Ollie and I saw a few on the sidewalks. Thanks for the solid 8K today and great job Ollie! 1 poo, 3 pees.
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Runner: Ryan

DISTANCE: 11.27 km   DURATION: 57:17

Ollie and I were a quick team today! We just kept on running and running. Most of the pictures I took of him were in motion and I had to turn backwards while I was running forwards to take the photo. Ollie was a great running buddy!   He would pull me up the hills and whenever he saw a squirrel. I didn't mind it when he pulled today, as a matter of fact, it actually helped me keep going. The hardest hill of the day was definitely the one in river park that goes all the way up to the parking lot. Ollie and I managed to run up the whole thing with no stops or walking necessary. When we got home, I made sure Ollie got enough water as I did a quick stretch. Awesome job Ollie! 1 poo, 2 pees.
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Runner: Ryan

DISTANCE: 10 km DURATION: 1 hour 30 minutes

I just adore Ollie and we bonded quite a bit when he stayed at my house so it is always a treat to run him.  We meandered around the city and pathways without a care in the world.   I did not really l have a destination in mind so we just turned whenever we felt like it. As a result, I got lost in my thoughts and we extended this outing by 30 minutes.   Ollie did not seem to mind as we could then do a combination of run and walk.   We also did a photo session that I like to call "Dog with a View" as I captured tis handsome boy against the backdrop of our beautiful city.   The Scoop; 1 poo and 2 pees.  Thank again for the spending some extra time with me today Mr. Ollie!  Please note: Runkeeper turned off so the map does not accurately reflect our destination which included Repsol Centre.
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Runner: Ruth

Ollie is by far one of the easiest going dogs I have met.  He really fits in well into our household and makes himself at home.  He and my dog Teddy play but also respect each other's boundaries and lie next to each other while I am working. They also both love playing fetch so took turns with the Chuck-it and orange ball.  We had lots of great outings including a trip to Canmore to get fresh air along the river.  Ollie also did a 12K with me and Teddy over the weekend and probably could have gone further.  He did really well on a few car rides.  We went to Cold Garden Brewery to get items for the Doggy Dash and he was really well- behaved with all the other dogs there.   I am sad to see him leave so am glad to know we have some funs together in our future.

Pet Sitter: Ruth

DISTANCE: 10.03 km  DURATION: 1:22:01

The perfect recipe for today's run was adding 1 dog (Teddy) and 1 runner (Colton) to the mix.  We had such a great time that this 10K literally flew by.  I also got distracted so I think we went past Ollie's house on the way home for an extra loop.  Ollie and Teddy did not seem to mind.  Ollie is so light on his feet and Teddy just took a stop or two to rest in a snowbank. The Scoop: 1 poop for Teddy. 2 poops for Ollie, and lots of pees (they are boys after all!)   Written by Ruth
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I met Ollie and Teddy for the first time today. Teddy already knowing the drill was focused and prepared to run. Ollie was very excited hopping all over; not a care in the world. The boys had lots of energy and pulled for the first few kilometres but settled Into the run after that. Two squirrel sprints, one stick grab, and a roll in the snow later and we were backed home with only one detour around the block to find the house. I’m convinced Ollie knew exactly where to go but just wanted the extra time running. The Scoop: Ollie had 2 poops, 3 pees. Teddy had 1 poo, 3 pees. Thanks for the run guys!  Written by Colton

​Runners; Ruth and Colton

DISTANCE: 8.69 km . DURATION: 1:00:53

Oh what fun to see Ollie and get a chance to do a run with him!  Ollie is a Golden Doodle (who looks a bit like a Duck Toller). I pet sat him over Thanksgiving so it was  fun to see him again before our next pet sitting gig.  I was going to do a walk/run with him but he decided we should run and who am I to say no. It also was an amazing outlet for me as my car got towed this morning from the gym.   Ollie enjoyed prancing in the snowbanks and trotting along the back streets.  We did the Glencoe stairs, ran along River Park and went past the library in our 1 hour tour.  Thanks for being such a good stress reliever for me Mr. Ollie and doing a wonderful job on the almost 9K.  The Scoop: 1 poop and 1 pee.

Runner; Ruth

Wow, this has been an epic weekend with weddings, guests, Thanksgiving and puppy Ollie.   I think he had a really good time with all the activity happening at my house.  He enjoyed the extra attention from 20+ relatives in my home who wanted to throw the stick to him, pet him, and make him work for a treat or two (like my nephew Oscar).  When Ollie got tired, he would lie down on the floor while we played board games.  I think he enjoyed the sound of the conversation, the aroma of turkey and feeling like he was part of a big family.  He also had another outing to River Park where he met a pup around his age and there was lot of chasing and wrestling that ensued.    Ollie became quite good at holding the frisbee in his mouth and had great recall.   The house is starting to empty as kids return to university and guests fly home.  Ollie too will be on his way home tonight.  It will be quiet but I will have some great memories.  Thanks Ollie for being part of the fun and being such a  good boy!  The more the merrier!

Pet Sitter - Ruth

10/05/18
Ollie got to go on an official DGR run/walk today with DGR King Charles Spaniel Byrdie (read Byrdie's blog for all the details).   He had a great time except for the car ride home where he lost some of his breakfast.  Sorry Ollie, I was trying to drive as smoothly as possible.  Most of the day was spent playing in the backyard with Teddy followed by visiting inside with lots of new faces.  My nephew is moving to Banff so he was in town.  Unfortunately, his car was broken into at his place in Kensington so Ollie was there to give him some TLC.  My son's buddy Max also stopped by as he is at UVic but home for the holidays.  Ollie was very excited to meet him.   I think Ollie will be our Official Greeter this weekend as we have various relatives in town for a wedding and Thanksgiving.  

10/06/18
This morning we had our first off-leash experience with Ollie and he was amazing.  He loved catching the ball, playing with the Frisbee and meeting other doggies at the park.  It was a great outing with Ollie, Teddy, my son Noah who his home from uni and my husband.  Stay tuned for the next episode entitled "The Birthday Party,"

Pet Sitter: Ruth

With Thanksgiving weekend approaching, I have so much to be grateful for including the opportunities I get to pet sit dogs like this lovely Doodle pup named Oliver (Ollie for short).  His family dropped him off last night and we took him for a walk right away to our nearby park.  He romped in the snow while my dog teddy chased the frisbee.    I think this tired him out and he slept extremely well in his crate.  The morning started and I had  a run with another dog so Ollie got some extra playtime with my son Ryan.  I must say though, Ollie's favourite chew toy is Teddy.   The photo  above shows Teddy looking ferocious but he and Ollie play pretty gently with one another and Ollie lies down when he senses he is pushing Teddy's too far.  He sure is one smart and easy-going dog.   Teddy got a long trip to River Park with his brother  so I took Ollie on his own private walk.  He is easy on the leash and we enjoyed the scenery including my neighbour's cool snowman!   More adventures to come.

Pet Sitter: Ruth