Training, learning, new adventures. Orka just turned 18 months old, ordered a mountain of carting / drafting gear. He's doing really well with the commands. Lots of wild dog time, last night hiked in 100s of acres of deserted land on an island in the Columbia River where he ran, frolicked, splashed, chased deer and dug holes in the sand. Today he went wild stallion at Sellwood where the Willamette has flooded very high and has inundated the dog park. Such a crazily happy pup playing with other dogs in the water. There was a professional photographer there who spent a long time focused on Orka and said she'd send pix.
Finished buying all the kayaking gear for waterwork training (hello Hullivators!) and rented a space for storage right on the Willamette so we can take the bus daily and train and explore. Orka is out of his mind with excitement at this. He did all the shopping with us and knows something major is up having to do with water. One eager beaver. Been taking him down all the ramps and docks and getting him used to the heavy boat, ppl, bike traffic. Today we were at the boathouse and cannons were going off, maybe Rose Festival or ships or pigeons or Memorial Day -- it took him a while to get used to the very loud booms and the concussive richochet off all the bridges and cement downtown.
Ordered landrollers for rollerjoring. We'll be joining the Cascade Sled Dog Club for training in skijoring and canicross. They have pull clinics and great events, all seasons. The mountains here are still covered in deep snow. It snowed yesterday and the rivers are overflowing, high flooding. We took our tandem SOT kayak to train with Orka today and there are no beaches anywhere, water literally gone over all banks and put-ins. Snowmelt from the Rockies has swollen the Columbia and backed up the Willamette. Sandy River Delta is under water. Who ever heard of too much water to train for waterworks? Nuts.
And of course more obedience training and service tasks, and walks. Adding backpacking in the mountains, forest, coast range and Gorge. I know the backpacking is supposed to be the dog behind the walker but I like to see Orka in front of me so that's how we're going to do it.
So lots of new sports, lots of training, lots of fun, all with and because of my sweet playbunny Newfie bear. Now everywhere we go ppl say, "Oh that's Orka, I saw him at the park, or the bus, or the mall, or on the river, or the waterfront, or Mt Hood ... "
Today 2 kayak instructors showed me how to cart the kayak, position the cart and straps so Orka can steady and balance it and pull (but no weight) from the front with me steering / pushing from the back.
LINE OUT! is going to pertain to so many things! And we are already having a blast.
