DISTANCE: 6.24 km  DURATION: 58:51

How’s Rocky The Rock Star today? I should have picked up that Rocky may be a bit under the weather, when he did not greet me at the door. A couple downward dogs to warm up and a few belly rubs and it was time to go outside. Rocky just was not himself today and we had lots of breaks. It was evident that Rocky’s tummy was giving him some grief so I did not want to use too many treats to keep him moving. He sure gave me the ‘eyes’ for more every chance he had. We had a nice neighbourhood jog on this hot sunny dry day.  Rocky take care of your tummy my friend. The Doggy Business Report: All runny stuff and 6 pees.

​Runner; Michelle

DISTANCE: 6.02 km. DURATION: 1:06:20

Rocky requested to write today’s blog: It’s cold outside ✔️ It’s snowing outside ✔️ Well then, it must be that crazy running lady coming in the door✔️ ‘Hi Michelle” let’s just play on the carpet and you rub my belly. Hey, I think this is working, maybe she has forgotten about going outside. Chase me and play INSIDE with me!! No, she didn’t say ‘Let’s go outside!’ No No, I ran and sat at the top of the stairs so she would have to give me extra playtime. Okay, I surrendered to amuse her. As per the photo, I even pretended to sleep sitting up so Michelle would take me back in the house. The treats in her pocket got me to open my eyes. I was not in the mood to run today because it is a holiday. I emptied her pockets of all the treats she had and finally convinced her today was a power walk day. I actually like that crazy cold running gal😊. I almost have her totally trained🐾🐶. The Doggy Business Report: I had 1 poop and today was a 7 pee day.
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Runner: Michelle

DISTANCE: 7.57 km. DURATION: 1:01:02

Hi Rocky, I promise that one day soon we will have a ‘date’ where the weather is not so gloomy. Today when I arrived, I called Rocky’s name several times and then I found him having a siesta in his bed. I swear Rocky thinks, "Here is that cold weather gal”, After a couple of minutes, Rocky got out of bed. I am sure he just wanted me to stop with all the silly voices and antics😊. Oh my, Rocky you are sporting a new haircut.  It looks snazzy. Outside we went and the brrrr factor was upon us. Truly Rocky, I am not ‘the cold weather girl!!’ In the snowstorm, Rocky & I headed into Ranchlands. I see Rocky you were giving me the gears earlier, and you are more than okay with snow running. PLUS I can tell someone has been keeping up with their running between our dates. At times those little fluffy ears were flying and flapping straight back! That was a fun run, thanks Rockstar🐾. See you tomorrow and I will bring another towel. Rocky may be little but it took a while with the towel to get the snow and mud off today. The Doggy Business Report: 1 poop and 6 pees.

​Runner: Michelle

DISTANCE: 7.10 km  DURATION: 1:08:25

Good Afternoon Rocky, I told you I would be back. Not the same enthusiastic greeting that I received yesterday. Actually Rocky said ‘Hi’ and went back and laid down near his bed.🐶 I promise you, you will like today’s outing. Let’s get leashed up. With a perfectly executed downward dog, of course in Rocky’s own time we got outside. As promised, no big up hills to start. Varsity was our destination. We hit lots of ice going over the Crowchild bridge. I was amazed at how Rocky has fantastic balance and gait on ice. For a little low rider, he has pretty wide paws. He gracefully saunters over ice like it was nothing. I think your yoga moves are doing you wonders. I must hit my yoga mat because my balance was more slip & slide😊. Our speed was not there today, which is okay with me. What was a true constant was I tried not rushing Rocky and we kept a pretty relaxed leash the whole way. I think if Rocky had a Garmin on it would show a pretty even steady pace for him. I hope we see each other soon. The Doggy Business Report: 1 poop and 4 pees.

​Runner: Michelle

DISTANCE: 7.08 km  DURATION: 1:02:06

Rocky, it is so wonderful to see you! It has been a while, have you been keeping up on your running? I was wondering when I picked Rocky up from his home if we would continue on from where we left off? I received a very energetic and excited welcome. On that note, let’s hit the sunshine. We got as far as the driveway and the brakes came on, so out came the ‘toss a small treat forward’ game. We did this for a few blocks and I said to Rocky, “Okay Buddy let's try this running thing like it is day one.” We slowly took our time and had a few more treats and climbed that hill which seemed to last forever. My bad, maybe our route should have started off slightly more level. We are at the top and Rocky was starting to like ‘this running stuff.’ At the 5.5 km mark it was a light bulb moment! Rocky was for sure in the running game and when we got closer to home he wanted to show me the way. Yahoo Rocky🎉🐾. I’m back tomorrow and I know you will be ready for more. I promise to find more snow to cool down in and we will start off downhill. The Doggy Business Report: 1 poop and 5 pees.

Runner: Michelle

DISTANCE: 7.01 km. DURATION: 1:03:31

Well Rocky to answer your hesitant look, "Yes, it's cold out there." Rocky looked back at me just as we started our adventure, to give me a second chance at changing our minds. Rocky you have no idea how hard it was to leave the couch and go out today. Well, I'm guessing maybe Rocky does. (Wink wink) Rocky got himself ready to embrace the cold by doing a lot of stretches before we left, so maybe you were on the couch too.🤣. Today was all about back-up plans so we stuck like glue to our community sidewalks. No speed records broken today because it was a wee bit slippery and boy did we both channel the message 'cold outside?' Rocky, let's stop into my house and warm up and get some of those ice balls out of your paws. Hey Rocky, I see you eyeing up that couch!! Let's head on home before we both end up snoozing on it. I bet you are a great couch buddy. Hope to see you soon. You are a real trooper! The Doggy Business Report: 1 poop and 6 pees.

Runner: Michelle

DISTANCE: 4 km  DURATION: 45:00

We all have those lazy days and today was Rocky’s. So when I showed up ready to rumble with Rocky, he responded with sleepy eyes. “Come on bud!” We got his leash on and I tried a few snacks to get some energy going! Rocky mused me for about 1 km until he sat down and decided that was enough. Though he was keen to get in my car and go for a drive. We drove to a nearby park and tried running again. This smart pup lead me all the way back home! Today was his chill day! Oh well at least we tried.  I decided to respect his wishes.  I definitely have those days too! We did get in at least 4K but with all the stopping and going my map gps didn’t capture it all, nor did it store my photos. I guess Rocky and I were both having a slow day. No where to go but up for our next run!
Runner: Tara

DISTANCE: 8.0 km  DURATION: 1:03:56

​I caught you napping, 😊! Rocky, a nice nap is always good. Since you are fortified and the day is magnificent, let's see if we can increase our distance. Rocky took this challenge very seriously and I was surprised when it took only 1 little liver treat broken into 4 pieces to keep Rocky running. "Rocky......are you starting to love ❤️ running?" Haha, I think the running bug has bitten you. Varsity here we come and it was fantastic and since I had my IceBugs on we were unstoppable. Well, we had one stop when I was trying to get creative and get an action shot of Rocky & me. Phone on the pathway and timer set and we were doing so well and Rocky runs up and licks the phone just as it clicks. We tried a couple of times with the same response so hence some sky and chin photos of us😂. Thanks Rocky for getting me out of the office and hamming it up for me today! Let's not forget that this was our longest run yet, together. I see 10K in our future. The Doggy Business Report: 1 poop and 5 pees.

Runner: Michelle

DISTANCE: 6.03 km  DURATION: 56:32

Happy Lunch Hour Rocky🍴. I say this with a little smile because Rocky has me wrapped around his paw and has somehow convinced me 'the no treat gal' to carry treats plus use them on our run. So the first 10 minutes is Rocky stopping until I throw a little nibble in front of us and he sprints to where it is, runs a few steps and stops again. So I'm going to call these treats 'Power Lunch' and once Rocky the Rockstar has had his fill, he is on a running mission. PS. Rocky, don't tell the other poochies that I run about our arrangement (wink wink). Today can be summed up as Brrrrrr, but Rocky was on fire after his power lunch and passed the not too cold ear check all the time. We had a game plan in mind about today's run, which was to make sure we were never too far from a warm spot. We stopped into my house for a quick 10 minute warm up and off we went again. We also had several stops for the pesky ice balls that build up into the paw pads. You did brilliant today Rock Star - we must have another 'Power Lunch' soon. The Doggy Business Report: 6 pees .

Runner: Michelle

DISTANCE: 7.64 km. DURATION: 1:06:40

Hi Rocky, I'm back!! With a warm welcome and little wiggle, I think Rocky was saying "Good, you are the running gal". Wow was the sun bright this afternoon! Rocky, we should have brought our shades with us. Today's adventure was a mixed bag of terrain and Rocky now has the title of 'Rock Star Rocky - the Canine Athlete of the NW'. Those legs may be shorter than some but this mighty little guy can conquer any running surface. First off, slick sidewalks are no problem. Then on to water puddles that were like swimming pools, check - no worries. On to stairs in the sun; a real breeze for Rocky. Finally, just good old deep snow with no trails; no challenge for Rocky plus I think he enjoyed the cool-down. To finish our run off, we had some cool-down play time with 'Rocky Jr.' a 10 week old Bernese Mountain Dog, which Big Rocky was so good with. Rocky, you are a dream running partner and I look forward to our next adventure.  Let's not wait too long😉. The Doggy Business Report: 2 poops and 5 pees.
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Runner: Michelle

DISTANCE: 7.02 km  DURATION: 59:28

Hello Rocky it's a pleasure to meet you and go for a run in the sun. I was really excited about today's run because Rocky & I live in the same neighbourhood so it is always great to meet your neighbours. Rocky greeted me with a quiet little tail wag and let me pat him right away so we were off in a blink. Once on the sidewalk. the brakes came on and Rocky needed some 'tasty encouragement' and then when we turned the corner and headed into Ranchlands and the run was on. Now it was me who would stop us, checking on Rocky's paws for any slush and ice balls. What was so amazing was that nothing was sticking or getting balled up in his pads. I think he had magic fur😊.  I wish my new trail shoes were as good as his paws. On the note of magic fur, Rocky is like one of those soft cuddly teddy bears; he is just soooo soft. I promise on tomorrow's run to not cuddle you so much, haha. The Doggy Business Report: 1 poop and 5 pees,

Runner: Michelle

DISTANCE: 5.63 km  DURATION: 1:06:36

When I first arrived at Rocky's home he was nowhere to be seen. I called his name and he sleepily came downstairs. He had no qualms about me leashing him up and hoisting him up into my truck. But he didn't look exactly thrilled either. But I was thinking, maybe that's just his natural expression with the sleepy eyes. Once out in the snow, he still had the same expression. In fact he sat in the snow a couple times and he looked almost disdainful. At one point, I even carried him through an especially snowy field. Same expression. Then we found a series of nicely shovelled sidewalks and BOOM! Expression changed! Now I know what his happy face looks like. We happily ran and walked around Silver Springs, and when we came across one of the many snowbanks in our way, he leaped over (or rather through) it in a single (or two or three) bound! I had so much fun with this little guy! We made it back to the truck and I could tell we were now friends as he rolled over right on my seat so that I could rub his belly. And once back home he playfully brought me a toy to show me! Aww Rocky, you're okay in my books too! Scoop: one poop and three pees.
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Runner: Tammy

DISTANCE: 6.5 km  DURATION: 1:05

Rock 'n Rolling Rocky! Rocky is just a kewl dogger! With his skull bandana, he has style... When I got to Mr Rocky’s house to pick him up, he was so excited.  We, then went outside. STOP! THERE IS SNOW! Rocky seem quite surprised about the cold, snowy weather. It’s winter. It will be a white Christmas. It took a bit to get going, but we made it happen. The sidewalks were icy, so we were very careful. Rocky likes to take a seat randomly, once in the middle of the street! Was it something I said? 🙊 Rocky is a fun, free spirit, with a little bit of attitude... which I love. He was able to take me directly to his house when I got turned around... until next time Rocky. 1 poop 4 pees.

​Runner: Audra

DISTANCE: 7.20 km. DURATION: 1:00:20

Hey, it's great to meet you, Rocky. On our introductory run, I told your mom that we would let you completely dictate the pace. And it seems that I completely underestimated you and your energy. We did need to take a quick car ride as you clearly didn't understand why you were being lead away from your home by a complete stranger (mental note to self, one block is not quite far enough, but we managed.) And as soon as we got moving you surprised me with your speed, and then how steady you ran at my side. We didn't have to worry at all about tasty treats on the ground, squirrels or rabbits. You just kept moving with a consistent pant at my side. Sometimes you sped up, and so I quickened my stride to match yours. And sometimes you dropped back a little and allowed us both to recover. When we started moving back towards your house, Rocky, I could sense your pace picking up again. It was time to clean-up your paws and have a quick treat for your efforts. Great to meet you sir. The scoop: 4 pees, 2 poops.
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Runner: Sheri

DISTANCE: 3.15 km. DURATION: 24:51

Welcome our latest DGR athlete, a Cocker Spaniel named Rocky.  This champ at the age of 9 is becoming a runner and has some energy to burn.  He greeted me  with a dinosaur toy and a wagging tail. He was pretty adorable with his hind legs sprawled out on the floor.  He was a bit apprehensive about our start and encouraged me to go back to his house so we did some walk-bys of his home before we got him around a corner and he could focus on running instead of missing his mom.  I think he will  be an 8K dog before you know it once he bonds with his runner and gets into a routine.  With the balmy weather, his paws got a bit muddy but I think he was happy  prancing about on our afternoon run.  Great job Rocky!  For those of you wondering, I did sing the theme song from the movie Rocky while we ran.    The scoop: 1 poo and 3 pees.

Runner: Ruth