JOHNNY DOG WALKER BLOG
All the latest gossip from our daily adventures, welcome aboard!

Monday 01.08.11
* Water for the Soul!
Wow, so a TRUE winter has landed after a barren few years. Dogs off the leash, diving into rivers, running for the pure joy of it - AMAZING! This is my favourite time of the year. Myself and The Hounds with acres of space, rain in our face & nostrils raised to the breeze. The difference between most dogs in summer & winter is interesting.. The soggy grass, puddles & fresh smells activate a higher sense of interest, the earth is alive once again. May the rain continue.
* Today we ran head first into flash storms, soaked to the bone, chasing sticks and sliding on the grass. Atticus Finch (male lab) impressed with his stick fetching prowess, he has now joined my dog Buka (female lab) & Molly (kelpie/heeler) as the only three legitimate bridge jumpers down by the swan, brave stuff guys, impressd! Fred (pug x) retains his crown as the top 'tagger' in the game, never has eyes on the ball, always the man, at the ankles, tough as they come mixing with the bigger hounds, respect Fred! Maddie The Matriarch (flat coat x) continues to enjoy some socialising as she battles cancer, keep up the top form old girl and good luck with your next chemo treatment... Max (kelpie x) had a full on day as he enjoyed a whole day with a multitude of hounds at the River, Park and Lake Gwelup... I bet he still doesn't look tired though! Ever alert Maxie :) 'The Boxing CLub' has been established on Mondays & Fridays with Chewy, Noddles, Daisy & Duke bashing there way through forest and water in a one hour power session with their new mate Billy (ridgeback x). Tessa (golden retriever) enjoyed her first stay at the 'JDW Hotel' spending her time wrestling and chewing bones with another lodger, Coco (staffy x) and Buka. Just a few moments from the month so far. Till next time!
JDW


Thursday 30.09.10
* Spring has arrived! Long time between blogging, I've been occupied with a new house & renovations over the past six months, the dog walking adventures have continued however! A multitude of new mutts have entered the world of JDW including the cheeky scotsmen, Henry & Louie, Leith & Rebus the Labs, Madison the Globe Trotting Lab X, Shadow the Enthusiastic HuskyXMalamute.. Along with the trusted regular hounds we've been heading out in groups to tne river, beach etc for some fun times. The heat is rising as our short winter seems to have come to a end :( six months of beach antics ahead!


The Day The rain Came! Highlights March '10
* WOW! Monday 22nd March the long awaited rains came with some impact, hopefully your family, home & possessions escaped with relatively low damage... For myself and the dogs, everything was fine. It has been a long hot & dry summer and I can't wait for the cool temps & rain to come, the dogs love it & the adventures become that much more interesting.
* Tuesday 23rd 'The Day After' - Dog Heaven! What a reaction these animals have to the new smells and deep water holes created by high rain fall. Down at Lake Gwelup Roxy, Denim, Buka, Molly, Miley, Dancer, Molly all enjoyed th best fun of year so far.... My call of 'HEYHEY!!' has returned, prompting all the dogs to run ahead toward the water and start bomb diving in with great enthusiasm... These moments are what makes this gig the best, a bunch of ridiculously happy dogs jumping, barking and playing, getting dirty and being real dogs... Miley the Spaniel Pup showed some true water skills, obviously a hidden passion for the water emerging... Proud I was!
* After we dropped off the mob me & Buka headed to Molto the Great Danes house. We went to a local park where water levels had also risen... The two of these guys jumping in & out of the stream, Buka jumping onto Moltos back and dumping him under on numerous occassions, I was honestly laughing outloud, they were just having the best time..
* Sad news! A little friend of mine who I walk regularly was killed recently. Mickey the Pomeranian cross was bitten by a Mastiff while at the park with a friend of his owner.. Apparently the little fella died instantly. Mickey was a wee dog full of spirit and energy. The smallest dog I ever walked, he possessed the aura of a dog 10 times his size and his personality was bright and assertive, a grand dog indeed. He will be missed by his best Pal, Lucy the Maltese X. Rest in Peace wee man, we'll miss ya...


Highlights Monday 8th Feb - Thurs 11th Feb
* Monday - Marley the english pointer getting involved with the gang. Only joining the group roughly a few weeks ago she has come along really well. Playing with the 'established' members, attracting attention & making her mark with the JDW team.
* Thursday - Miley, Tequila, Max, Buka, Dancer & Molly chasing the pesky white cockatoos at Carine.. Great to see little Miley the Cocker/King Charles Spaniel Pup charging into the white mass and returning to me with a triumphant 'look what i did john' look on her face... Meanwhile crazy Buka pup struggled to keep up with Molly the 3 year old athletic labradoodle, managing an interesting looking failed rugby tackle/slash crash into a tree summersault with a halftwist backflip nosedive.... ummm... 8/10 buka, top job!
* Wednesday - Old Max, Tim, Fred, Fidget, Buka & Tamu down at Floreat Beach chasing a stick with persistence. Tamu always finds a stick, Buka always steals it, Fred always manages a manic attempt to unsettle everyone while little Fidget keeps her distance and the Old BoYs Max & Tim scour the beach for any hidden treasures.... Funny, both Max & Tim generally hold a dignified persona, then when i let out a few loud 'rarrarrar' the two of them revert back to a puppy state and chase me down the beach in a short explosion of enthusiasm, makes me happy to see the older dogs enjoying themselves.
Wednesday - Mickey, Lucy, Frankie, Taj, Barney & Milly sniffed their way along thr Swan River. Mickey the Pom Cross & Lucy the Maltese are fairly new to the scene and are finally showing some great signs, running around, really responsive and slowly but surely getting used to the group walks. Meanwhile Barney 'MudMan' the Poodle Cross has the best nose for filth in the business, if there's dirt, he's there... There and extremely content.. haha. So, while Barney is searching for a way to defile himself Frankie & Taj are frantically scuttling about at high tempo, jumping thru the water & wrestling with each other... Each to their own I suppose!
* JDW would like to welcome Yogi the 6 month old flat coat retriever pup and Lou Lou the 2 year old Schnauzer/ Cavalier Cross. Both dogs seem to have great JDW personalities and I can't wait to take them out for their first walks.
* Thursday - Big Esso the Grey/Wolfhound extremely jealous seeing two other Greyhounds running off lead at the park.. Sorry Esso Man those hunting instincts of yours are a little too high for offlead antics just yet.
* Poor Dozer missing out on his group walks after picking up a cough, get better soon buddy and you'll catch up with your mates soon.
* Sadly, BillyBlack the 14 Year old Kelpie X has spoken with me in length regarding his group walking.. The Old Boy has told me he has to retire from the game. His Mind is willing but the legs just aren't up to it anymore. Enjoy your retirement champion and if you happen to be feeling good one day then let me know and we'll head out with the gang again, just like old times...


Highlights Monday 25th - Friday 29th January
* Miley the 7 month old femaLe Spaniel x joins the team & is right in the thick of the action with one of JDWs more 'ruff & tumble' groups (buka black lab, roxy, molly & denim the kelpie x's, bill the ridgebck x & marley the english pointer). A wee bit shy but the little talker didn't back down and looks set to build her confidence with future playdates with other poodle x's & spaniels etc.
* Marley the English Pointer was also on her second walk with the group, still learning the ropes but some on/off lead techniques and stop/start focusing has the 'freedom fighter' slowly coming into line & adding her own personality to the piece.
* Max, Buka, Roxy & Denim, Tequila, Molly, Dancer & Molly all earned the right to head to the secluded section of Scarborough Dog Beach to enjoy a truly beautiful beach play on a balmy Thursday morning... These guys know each other well and were straight into it - Splashing, Swimming, Chasing the ball & following myself into the depths & crashing thru the waves. Roxy always by my side in the deep, with Buka, Molly the Labradoodle, Max the Kelpie x & Molly the Red Kelpie x running & swimming in the shallows & the usual 'cheer leaders' Dancer & Tequila egging us on. i Was very proud today as Dancer the little 'Bitsa' showed some swimming ability and met us on the sand bank after swimming thru some deep water to get to us, good on ya sneaky man!
* Molto the Great Dane enjoyed some socialising with Buka etc.. Buka & Molto have definitely taken a liking toward each other, constantly rough playing and rolling in the grass... (future black lab/dane cross pups maybe?? hehe..) Buka (my 7 month old black lab girl) managed to cheekily squeeze under a fence to go swimming in the creek and the whole time big molto (year old dane male) was lying down trying to squeeze thru with no luck. Buka eventually had enough swimming and then sat confused on the other side of the fence (unable at this stage to figure out a way thru), the two dogs looked like a pair of young lovers exchanging sad looks at the end of a jail visit.... BUka did manage to 'escape' however and the two were at it again in no time, great moments....
* Taj the Staffy, Frankie the young German Shepherd & Buka running thru the sprinklers on very hot Wednesday afternoon. Haha, Taj is hilarious, just sitting directly in the line of the sprinkler and enjoying the full force of it directly in her face, smiling and really enjoying her time out with the gang, great to see a dog enjoying herself so much.
* Having a rest in the shade with the old boys, Timmy the Poodle x & Max the German Pointer, also with big lanky Esso the WolfHound/Greyhound x.... All Four of us breathing deeply and enjoying the tranquil views of a nice park in City Beach.
* Down at Swan River on Friday with Ben the Corgi/Staffy(?) x, Fidget & Wilson, Buka, Frankie, Freddy & Timmy.. Awesome! I've never seen Fidget the Jack Russell swim out so far & Timmy was right in there too!! (fair call tho, weather was prob close to 37 degrees!) Lanky Franky, Benny & Buka always wrestling for the Stick with Fred the Pug on their toes & also showing off his bravery swimming with the big dogs.. "Mate those dogs look like there having a bloody good time!" I respnd waist deep in water, "We're all having a good time mate! Haha!"


Friday 23.01.10
* The first time they meet Dozer the Staffy X & Bill the Ridgeback x just go for it. Wrestling with each other for the majority of our group walk. I was just amazed how these two young boys got along, was especially interesting because Dozer is new to the group and I still wasn't too sure about his temperament (being a bit excitable, high pitch barking etc).. I actually extended the usual hour walking time just to see these two really unite & become good friends. By the end of it Dozer was so exhausted he would happily roll over and let Billy sniff him thoroughly & vice versa... Amazing how some dogs just bring out the best in each other, testing each other hard as they were, you could just see the respect they had for each other by the time we jumped back in the van.Just witnessing this moment made a tiring week on the walking trail more than worth it, a TOP TEN JDW moment for sure.. Can't wait for the two to catch up next friday.


Monday 18.01.10
* Hot! Hot! HOT! Well today was spent under sprinklers, swimming down the beach & at the river.. Phew!
* Taj the black female staffy joined the group today and made an instant impact with her enthusiasm and love for the bouncy green ball..
* Would also like to make welcome Dozer the excitable male staffy x, already off lead and running with the pack, his high tempo style has made a good addition to the JDW team.


Thursday 14.01.10
* Frankie the 10 month old German Shepherd was treated to the full works today. Travelling with my pup Buka we hit the beach with an amazingly well behaved and equally adventurous group of animals (quila, roxy, dancer, molly etc!)... The beach was pristine with some nice big shallow sandy pathways about 20 metres out that Buka, Frank, Roxy, Molly & Molly took full advantage of... Funny seen all of us walking for at least 50m while the little pups barked from the shore 'cheering' us on.... Great JDW moment for all.


Tuesday 12.01.10
* Molto, Buka, Denim, Molly & Roxy combined for an enjoyable outing at the beach. Nice teamwork Dogs!
* Tequila jumped onboard for a group walk down at Lake Gwelup, little chubby after xmas hey quila? We'll get to work on those extra holiday grams.... oh, and good to see you rollin in the mud again, always fun!
* Old Man Max the german short haired pointer & tamu the border collie enjoyed a beach session with Buka down at Floreat. The beach to ourselves we splashed around in the messy waves while tamu continually searched for 'the ultimate stick', a life long obsession! ;)


Monday 11.01.10
* The return! Roxy, Molly, Molly, Denim, Dancer & Buka enjoyed a group beach walk down at Scarborough. The wind was up early but we still managed a big play & swim. Roxy was in fine form and inflicted a nice big scratch down my thigh, 'welcome back John!'
* Picked up the Chipmunks, Lucy & Mickey, along with Barney & Buka we enjoyed the leafy surrounds down at a park in Leederville. Lucy & Mickey definitely stood out and seemed much more confident, impressed I am.
* Essssssooooo the Hound scoured the inner city streets with myself.. The tourists in Northbridge are always surprised and excited to see the big man gallop along. People are always waving & offering funny facial expressions.. Quote of the day was a young boy saying to his dad, "I want a big dog like that one day Dad"..... Oh, and we also found a nice watering hole down by the Northbridge library, always good on a hot day!
* The Swan River down at Maylands provided the playground for this afternoon. Fidget, Benny, Wilson, Bill & Freddy Man took to the riverfront with their usual enthusiasm... Great stuff.


Friday 08.01.2010
* Happy New Year Dog People! Just returned from my Scottish & Czech Adventure and will be commencing dog walks from Monday the 11th January. Looking forward to gettin out there amongst it and hopefully shedding a few haggis induced kilos from my 'post holiday' frame. Good to see the majority of dogs are back for the new season, promises to be a big Johnny Dog Walker year with more advertising & marketing campaigns in the pipeline. So keep in touch with this news link as I'll be sporadically updating it with dog stories over the course of the year.
Stay tuned! John (Johnny Dog Walker).

Thursday 26.11.2009
* Max the border collie x was in fine form toying with the other dogs. Roxy, Denim, Molto & Molly were being run off there feet trying to catch Max as he simply trotted out front, build for speed you are Max! After this we entered an open grass plain and about 100 Swallows were enjoying some kind of feeding frenzy, a sight we were, a man, a great dane and his companions surrounded by a swarm of feeding birds, great moment.
* Toby the Golden Retriever has really come along in recent weeks, at first a handful and now he is almost the model student, off lead & socialising like a champion, top marks my friend!

Monday 23.11.2009
* Milly (nickname Milligan, Millimetre) the little Maltese x enjoyed an outing with her similar sized companions, Mickey, Lucy & Ronnie at an open space in Morley. Milly's confidence has soared since socialising with other dogs who don't always tower over her..
* Toby (Golden Retriever) Bruce, Dancer, Bill & the Gang enjoyed some early morning swimming at the 'old watering hole' down Karrinyup Way. Bill & Toby enjoyed the water the most, continually swimming around and 'hunting' for floating sticks & plant debris, entertaining!
* Roxy, Molly & Denim revelled in the late arvo sun as we hit the beach for some rough & tumble. We met several other dogs down at Scarborough who joined in for some high velocity pack stick chasing.. Roxy as always the stand out in retrieving with Molly (red heeler x) showing of her natural cattle dog jumping ability.
* Old Black Dog Billy (kelpie x) is getting on at the age of fourteen however the mind & heart are still as strong as ever. Maylands was the location as we enjoyed a mid morning swim with Buka & Freddy Man (pug x).
* Esso encountered two very feisty little Border Terriers while in Northbridge The big man was desperate to chase them down (being a greyhound x) but luckily for us the dog lead was nice & secure, can't fight those instincts your breed was developed for Esso!

Monday 16.11.2009
* Esso the Wolfhound Cross enjoyed a lengthy lead walk around the Inner Perth Region. While circling ME Bank Stadium a pesky pair of Willy Wag Tails were in a protective mood. Swooping Esso's head, the male followed us from the Eastern side all the way to Beaufort st next to the Brisbane Hotel, it was continung to attack even as we walked thru a service station talking to the attendant! hehe... Esso was clearly getting annoyed (big softie), I attempted to catch the brave little bird, people walking past us thought it was hilarious, highlight of the day! After this on our way home I found a Mulberry Tree and we briefly picked some berries for consumption (i think Esso would have preferred a nice juicy steak but anyway....)
* Johnny Dog Walker today welcomed Lucy the Maltese x, Mickey the Pomeranian & Ronnie the Pom x to the gang. Mickey officially becoming the smallest ever dog to be walked by myself, barely weighing 1kg, the small fella certainly makes up for size with his bright & confident personality.. :-)

Friday 13.11.2009
* Fidget, Fred & Wilson ventured outside of their normal walking zone and met up with Bill, Roxy & Denim for an adventure at Lake Gwelup, not a soul in sight. Fidget initiated the chase & for much of the walk was playing games with her larger & more lumbersome chums, good to see you back in good form Fidggeeee.

Thursday 12.11.2009
* The rain was coming down then suddenly at around midday the sun started to shine & an offshore breeze was in effect. Luckily for the group we headed to the beach & had a blast. Molto the entertainer was jumping pipes & showing off his athletic ability while Roxy, Denim, Bud, Cola & Buka ran riot on an empty beach in Floreat, great times!

Wednesday 11.11.2009
* Bill, Buka, Roxy, Denim & Max enjoyed a physical play down at Scarborough Beach. Bill the Ridgeback cross was the standout improver with some good retrieving, although he did find himself under the water alot, wrestling with Roxy & Max for the right to return to the shore with stick in jaw :-) Buka the pup continues to grow in confidence with her swimming, each time we head out she swims further out, natural Black Labrador instincts starting to show!
* Happy man Macleod enjoyed a bushwalk with his chums Milly, Frankie, Fred in Morley. A hot day out there, Frankie & Fred always manage to find some mud to roll in, 'The Mischevious Two'.... hehe.
* The Nedlands foreshore was the spot some mid arvo walking. Max, Tamu, Fidget, Wilson & Timmy the Poodle Cross enjoyed a leisurely walk with some of Perth City's best views.

Tuesday 03.11.2009
* Molto, Bud, Cola, Roxy & Denim enjoyed the best beach day of the season so far, not a drop of wind down at City Beach, not another human in sight.. We were swimming right out as there were basically no waves.. Roxy the standout performer (as per usual) with Molto on her tail the whole time, beautiful!
* Lake Gwelup was the early location today, the Gang was in full swing as we investigated the many smells & sounds around the Lake.... Max the Border Collie Cross managed to cover himself in dirt with ease, 'dogs will be dogs...'
* Tamu & Max from Subiaco enjoyed a shady stroll and stick chasing at a local park, with the temperature rising we managed to find a leaking hose with plenty of water to splash over ourselves.

Monday 02.11.2009
* Macleod the Lab/Staffy joined the gang for his first adventure down by Swan River. Immediately off lead, strolling around & enjoying the company of Frankie, Fred, Billy & Buka.
* The sun was shining as Molly & Dancer enjoyed a group walk & swim with their new haircuts... Very smooth.
* Esso the Wolfhound Cross enjoyed a solo walk throughout the inner city, the big man always turns heads but is extremely humble in the limelight. Good on ya Esso.

Thursday 29.10.2009
* Picked up my new van today (finally!), a Citroen Berlingo 06, hopefully it lasts me a few dog walking seasons!
* Molto the Great Dane & Freddy the Pug Cross provided the biggest laugh of the day, Molto on his back while Fred was wrestling him like a champion, Pound for Pound Fred is the best wrestler in the business! (however I do believe Molto was being a little kind...)
* Roxy the Kelpie Cross & Denim the Blue Heeler Cross jumping excitedly as I approached the back gate today, they just love their daily adventures and their enthusiasm makes my job so much more fun..
* Frankie the German Shepherd Pup rejoins the group after her sterilising surgery, sorry to keep you on the lead Frankie but you'll be free again in no time.
* Buddy the Kelpie from City Beach had a quick visit to the vet for his sore eye but was still his usual hyperactive self on our group walk this arvo.
* Murphy the Black Lab had her final JDW group walk for the year, her owner has finished Uni and will keep her company... Hopefully see you in the New year Murphs, thanks for the card & chocolates :-)
* Tequila the Cavalier getting excited & jumping head first into the Lake, go Tequila!

Tuesday 27.10.2009
* Barney from Tuart Hill really impressed today. Jumping in the lake, rolling in the mud & wrestling with his mates Roxy, Buka, Max, Denim down at Lake Gwelup.
* City Beach was great this afternoon, no breeze and a hint of sunshine. Murphy the Black Lab was in great form, crashing into the waves with me while being chased by Bud, Cola & Tamu the Border Collie.
* Big Molto the Great Dane had a lead walk today around Herdsman Lake, for a big lad he's surprisingly easy to manage.
* Molly & Dancer from Stirling looked hilarious today as their owner shaved them (in an funny attempt to prevent the prickles getting stuck in there) tomorrows 'professional' grooming service can't come quick enough! :-)