It’s Monday and I am on SUCH a high from our adventure weekend.
This was our first holiday event of the year, focused on members who have progressed on their journeys but who wanted a safe and fun space to have a holiday while also taking things to the next level. So we hit the Pennines for a weekend of adventuring, letting dogs be dogs and taking the next steps on their journey and WHAT a group we had.
Over the course of the weekend we covered 60kms of hikes, across forests, moors, cliffs and waterfalls, it was honestly the best feeling to just see a bunch of formerly reactive dogs making the best choices and sniffing, exploring and even playing with each other. Some wore muzzles, some still had moments of big feelings, some needed help regulating their energy but all made so many great decisions and the safety of the group allowed their humans to keep working on their goals with them.
We had some epic wins, dropped the lead for the first time in 7 years with Mr Rocky, and he did SO well to just settle into the group.
We have been building up to removing the long line with Ivy and this weekend we smashed it, Ivy got a whole weekend of just being a crazy GSP, running around and making SUCH good choices, a great chance for to see how far she has come!
We had Obi getting some unmuzzled time on the social walks for the first time, Max making some great choices around a LOT of water, Elsie showing us just how chilled out she is now, Nala keeping her listening ears on while getting to roam safely, Frankie settling in to a brand new group of dogs like it was no big deal, Fred hanging out on his first social walks and learning so much, Chunk taking snacks from all the strangers, Moosh just being Moosh and showing us how you truly meet a GSP’s needs and mine and Kym’s dogs just kicked about like it was no big deal.
It was the best feeling.
We dedicated the Saturday to progressing and working on goals, taking the time to troubleshoot in the house on goals while led a great lure session which allowed dogs to work on their arousal levels while also having a fun competition.
We also got the chance to just hang out and be humans without our dogs, we did quizzes, pondered our death row meals, played board games, ate great food (thank you Sam and Kym!) and just got to know each other better.
There is something very special about hanging out with people who just get it, no one had to explain the challenges their dogs had, no one needed to justify their choice of muzzle, and the whole group stepped in to support when needed.
I love this community and on a sunny Monday morning I just want to thank you all for being here and being so awesome.
We have a few holiday events left this year, including two Wellness Weekends and a camping adventure - so if this sounds like a vibe for you, check them out on the Events page of Honest Hounds.
I am also working on one final event that I am SO excited to announce soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that 🕵🏼
What a weekend ✨
(shoutout to Elisa for the amazing photos!)
