Hey everyone, Skaha here with my February pupdate from Kelowna. For those just tuning in, I’m Skaha, a female Labrador Retriever and proud service dog student with Pacific Assistance Dogs Society. I’m now 17 months old, and this month is the shortest of the year, only having 28 days, but wow… it was packed with action.
February turned out to be a huge sports month in my household. First, there was the big game, the Super Bowl, and I made it clear who I was cheering for… GO HAWKS! Then we had all the excitement of the Winter Olympics on TV with all those amazing winter sports….Go Team Canada. But the real nail-biters were the gold medal hockey finals for both the men’s and women’s teams. Sadly, we lost, but between cheering humans, tense moments, and dramatic goals, I had to supervise closely to make sure everyone stayed calm.
The live sports continued here in town, too, when I went to the University of British Columbia Okanagan to watch the men’s volleyball quarterfinals. The place was packed, and the crowd was loud. Every time there was a big play, the stands were shaking with cheering. I tried to catch a few naps between the sets, bumps, and spikes, but those humans made it pretty hard to get any restful shut-eye.
My weekly puppy classes continued as well, where I’ve been working alongside the other Okanagan PADS pups, all of us practicing our skills and learning how to stay focused even when there are lots of distractions.
Winter finally decided to show up this month, too. Believe it or not, February brought our first real snowfall of the season. When I got outside in the backyard, I wasted absolutely no time running around in it, zooming through it, and giving it a proper Labrador taste test. Sadly, it didn’t stick around very long before melting away, but it was still fun while it lasted.
I also had a couple of new outings this month, including trips to the optometrist’s office while one of my raisers had their eyes checked and got fitted for new spectacles. I behaved like the professional service dog in training that I am, calmly observing the strange machines while keeping a close “eye” on my human.
Back at home, a mysterious new piece of living room equipment arrived. Naturally, I assumed it was a new, raised bed just for me and claimed it immediately for a nap. Turns out it’s actually an exercise rebound trampoline for my raisers… but I still think it makes a pretty decent dog perch when no one’s looking.
Another big win this month was mastering my jump into the back seat of my raiser’s pickup truck. It’s a pretty big leap, and I used to put my paws up and wait for a boost. Well, not anymore. After some practice and confidence building, I’ve got it nailed, one smooth jump, and I’m in. Focus, determination and trust in my abilities got that one accomplished.
I also kept up with lots of hikes this month, which are some of my favourite adventures. It’s great exercise, and more importantly, it lets me put my nose to work checking all the local “p-mail” messages left along the trails by the critters who were there before me. Very important community updates are happening out there.
Well, that wraps up another busy month. February may only have 28 days, but I definitely filled them with plenty of adventures. Stay tuned, though, March has 31 days, which means even more time for exploring, learning, and reporting back in my next pupdate. Until then… Skaha out.
Submitted by: Terry & Sandy
