Mel's Mutts in Motion

08/26/2024

The last dog that I will be celebrating for 2020 is Bobby, a Beagle who joined my second leashed pack 3 days a week and was your typical "hound dog" - nose to the ground, sniffing for whatever interests him. Bobby had a sweet nature and never begrudged any dog joining the pack. He was part of my pack till the last year when he became too old to continue.

08/19/2024

The next dog that Mel's Mutts in Motion is recognizing and celebrating in August is Frankie, obviously named after his breed (lol), a Dachshund who joined my second leashed pack 3 days a week. Frankie brought a level of excitement to the group although, being a "low rider", his nose was more concentrated on the ground than the group he was walking which kept me on my toes making sure he did not eat anything that he found!

08/14/2024

The next dog that I will be celebrating is Milo, a pitbull mix that joined my last off-leash pack 3 days a week and definitely added energy to the group ... as well as proving to all who met him that the breed was anything but dangerous ... unless you called jumping on people and licking them dangerous. Not that I was a fan of this but trying to train that out of him was like trying to tell him not to breathe - sigh!

08/06/2024

For August, Mel's Mutts in Motion will be recognizing the dogs of 2020. Because of the Covid pandemic, my company took quite a hit as did many people and companies and it definitely took time to recover so only 4 dogs will be celebrated this month, starting with Finn, a Golden Doodle who was both the joy and bane of my off-leash walking because of his love of life and all aspects of it ... including getting down and dirty, especially in the bodies of dead fish - aaagghhh! In spite of that not so fun characteristic, he really did boost my last walk each day with his goofy nature and friendly greeting each day. I missed when this wonderful boy had to retire before I did in the summer of 2023.

07/29/2024

The last dog that Mel's Mutts in Motion is recognizing in July is Wyatt, a tri-coloured collie and Shotgun's "little brother" who joined my pack as a puppy along with Zoey and Louie until, because of his size, he graduated to becoming part of my first leashed pack, made up of Bailey, Chop, and Brandie. Unfortunately I did not get to know Wyatt well as his Mom ended up moving to Oshawa later that year.

07/24/2024

The next dog that I will be celebrating is Marvin, a Rhodesian Ridgeback who joined my Oshawa Boxer B**b pack 3 times a week. Poor Marvin, who was named after Marvin Gaye, was absolutely no match for the craziness of the Boxer crew so chose to move instead at his own pace - grapevine pace - especially when in the dog park where everyone could hear me calling Marvin .... Marvin! ... MARVIN!!! He definitely was named appropriately - "getting it on" at Marvin speed! Sadly, I lost this big lug in 2022 when he finally lost his battle with cancer. I then actually missed having to call him - just did not seem the same for a long time.

07/20/2024

Fyi, for whatever reason, since I added the video of Zoey playing with Lou and Wyatt as puppies, I have been unable to edit my photos to provide captions ... even after removing the video and then the entire post?! Going forward, you will find my captions as a comment unless/until this issue gets resolved. Sigh!

Send a message to learn more

07/20/2024

The next dog I will be recognizing and celebrating is Louie, or just Lou to me, a "Potcake" dog (Island mix - think Aussie and some other dog due to his bob tail) who joined my pack because he was Spence's little brother. Lou started out with the other 2 puppies (Zoey and Wyatt) but quickly graduated to leashed walking with my smaller pack and then to off-leash with my Boxer B**b pack as a "Wannabe" because he did best off-leash with his "Big Bro" Spence. Although he was still nervous/fearful of most people even 4 years walking him, he was steadfastly loyal to his brother and the other boxers in the pack as well as to me which endeared me to him. I still miss him today although, as with Spence, I suspect I will still see him via petsitting till I move from the area.

07/20/2024

The next pup that Mel's Mutts in Motion is recognizing and celebrating is Zoey, a French bull dog mix and Max's little sister who was quite the "little monster" at times. Zoey started with me as a puppy, along with Louie and Wyatt, where all three got to enjoy puppy dates every day till they were old enough to be added to my packs. Once she had all her shots, Zoey then joined my second leashed pack where she kept me on my toes by insisting on being the neighbourhood "vacuum", picking up whatever she thought could be tasty from the sidewalks - stones, twigs, cigarette butts, garbage, etc. Aaagh!! Like I said, she kept me constantly on the alert with her antics but she also was a sweetheart, getting along very easily with the other dogs in the pack and I was sad to say goodbye to both Max and her due to Covid.

07/12/2024

The next dog that I will be celebrating is Spencer, aka Spence aka Boxer B**b #3, a crazy, high energy ... basically typical Boxer who joined the Boxer B**b off-leash pack in Oshawa at noon hour every day until his parents retired in 2023. Spencer was and is everything I absolutely love ... and hate (lol) about boxers - his mind and body constantly moving in never-ending boxer energy, even after his little bro Louie "came aboard". Spencer and Lou will always be part of my memories and I don't think I will really be "rid of him" till I move which is okay by me ... in the short term - lol!

07/08/2024

For the month of July, Mel's Mutts in Motion will be recognizing the dogs that joined her pack in 2019, starting with Louie the Cockapoo. Louie joined my second leashed pack whenever his Mom was working (she was a nurse on shifts) and was the model client for the most part, very accepting of the other dogs that came and went and even a great pack mate with either my foster pups or Issie when she came to live with me. Louie and his family were awesome clients - I even pet sat him quite a bit when they had to go away on some weekends - I was sad to lose him when I decided to drop leashed walking in 2023.

05/30/2024

The last dog that Mel's Mutts in Motion is recognizing and celebrating in June is Jax, a Bull Terrier puppy who is Dakota's little brother and who I just had scheduled puppy visits with until he was old enough to hold himself till his Mom and Dad came home. He was a real cutie and a nice break between my dog walks plus he gave me the opportunity to see his big sister again and spend some quality time with her as well.

05/27/2024

The next dog that I will be recognizing and celebrating is Nala, a Golden/Border Collie mix who was the sweetheart of my Ajax off-leash pack and quite the character too because, whenever she could, she would sneak off to jump into the creek - was the Golden in her - against her Mom's wishes which was to keep her clean and dry if at all possible - not! Sadly, Nala started having seizures so had to leave my pack and more sadly, her family because she passed away soon after but I will always remember her for her gentleness and sweet personality.

05/20/2024

The next dog that I am recognizing and celebrating is Mamo-chan, a Maltese mix who joined my second leashed pack and was a source of energy and fun every day - he just loved people, dogs and being out on a walk, socializing with his buddies. He was such a joy to walk and I sadly missed him when his family decided to move back to Toronto the following year.

05/16/2024

The next dog that Mel's Mutts in Motion recognizes is Earl, an English bulldog mix who was her only real private walk because he didn't get along with all dogs and couldn't be 100% trusted off-leash. Earl gave me the opportunity to walk the neighbourhoods of Oshawa while showing off his turf and he was quite the character but I only got to share this privilege for a short time as his Mom decided that he did not need a dog walker any more.

05/12/2024

The next dog that I will be recognizing and celebrating is Tanzy, a senior Border Terrier who joined my second leashed pack whenever her parents had to go into the office to work. Tanzy, aka the Tanzinator or Miss Marker, was a "force to be reckoned with" whenever she joined us as she immediately took over as the leader or "boss dog" - noone messed with Tanzy - lol! I totally loved every time she joined the pack just because of this and was sad when she ended up injuring herself and then becoming too old to continue to walk.

05/09/2024

The next dog that I will be recognizing and celebrating is Chloe, aka Cloe Bow or Bow Bow, a Shih-Tzu who joined my second leashed pack up and stayed with me until Covid where her family ended up moving away. Chloe easily stole my heart because, although she looked sweet and cuddly, she was anything but, having a fierce, independent and tough spirit - she was afraid of nothing and easily kept up and led her pack. Chloe's favourite pastime, besides walking, was chasing her ball and each daily walk had to end with at least 3 ball throws before I could say goodbye!

05/01/2024

The first dog that I will be recognizing and celebrating for 2018 is Max, an English Bulldog/Pug/Jack Russell mix (I used to always say that he was Bull dog in the front and Jack in the back - Pug was only in the colouring), who joined my Ajax off-leash pack and stayed with me until Covid in 2020. Max was one of my favourites and my "comic relief" because no matter how much bigger the other dogs were, he always managed to be right there with them and make me laugh with his sheer happiness, lolling tongue and zest for life. Just seeing those big "bulldog feet" in the front trotting along behind the others made my day every day he was with me and I missed him dearly when he left the group.

04/26/2024

The last dog that I will be recognizing/celebrating in 2017 is Shotgun, or more affectionately known to me as Shotty, a senior Beagle/Dachshund mix who joined my second leashed pack and was a constant companion and buddy until Covid in 2020 where his Mom (a teacher) not only had to move to online teaching but then physically moved to Oshawa. Shotty was quite the character - a beagle in every way except for size - Dachshund part kicked in there - which actually made him all the more happy because his nose was that much closer to all the smells around him. Shotty was one of my favourites in my leashed pack and I really missed losing his companionship when they moved away.

04/22/2024

The next dog that Mel's Mutts in Motion recognizes is Marlee, a Golden Doodle who joined my Oshawa off-leash pack in June 2017. Marlee was a typical Doodle, fun-loving and friendly with both dogs and people but his penchant for chasing squirrels whenever he saw them was stronger than his recall so unfortunately that meant he had to be leashed and eventually no longer part of the pack.

04/15/2024

The next dog that I will be recognizing and celebrating is Paco, aka Paco Man or Paco Taco, perhaps one of my favourite dogs in my almost 10 years of dog walking and definitely my favourite boxer. Paco became the second member of my Oshawa off-leash pack and was a "founding member" of the Boxer B**bs along with Dexter, Spencer and eventually Paco's sister Phoebe! Paco's only real bad habit which he refused to let go of was his love of p**p - his or any other dog's but only fresh of course (blech!!) and it became his curse as well as he got older because it meant his loss of off-leash privileges although I would still allow him 5-10 minutes at the end of each walk to beat up on his sister. I will confess that, in retirement, Paco and Phoebe are 2 of the pups I do still miss as they both brought smiles to me on a daily basis.

04/09/2024

The second dog that I will be recognizing and celebrating is Bella, a Golden Retriever/Yellow Lab mix who joined my last Ajax off-leash pack 3 days/week. Bella, or as she was more affectionately known to me as Bella G, B.G. or Beeg, was much loved by all because of her sunny personality, her overall friendliness with everyone, her goofiness and her genuine love of life. B.G. easily won over my heart, along with her Mom and Dad who were also awesome, and I very much missed her in my pack and heart when she and her family moved in 2021.

04/03/2024

The first dog that Mel's Mutts in Motion will recognize and celebrate in 2017 is Olive, a Golden Doodle who joined my second leashed pack every week day and was quite the character - a typical doodle. Olive was super friendly with both people and dogs but was not your "prissy pooch" - probably one of the reasons she remained with my leashed pack as she loved to play and play hard. Olive remained with my group until her family moved away in 2019.

03/31/2024

The last dog that Mel's Mutts in Motion recognizes in 2016 is Bella, a husky that started with my first leashed pack but ended up being either a private walk or sometimes off-leash although I could never allow her to be totally off-leash (put her on a long 15 foot training leash) because, in typical husky fashion, she would take off and not always come back. Because of this, her family ultimately decided to opt for walking her themselves so she did not become a long-time member of my pack.

03/28/2024

The next dog that I will be celebrating Watson, a Springer Spaniel who was part of my second or small-sized leashed dog pack from 2016-2022 and then, for a short time, with my afternoon off-leash pack till the summer of 2023. Watson was quite the character - an "old man" even when he was only 4 months old - not once in all our years together did he ever really want to be part of either pack as his only wish was to be left alone on the couch. I almost cancelled him 6 months in because of his indifference to me and the other pack members but his family told me that he was just the same with them as with me and they wanted him to at least get some exercise each day?! Watson would have stayed with me till I retired had he been more receptive to off-leash walking - you would think that he would have preferred the "freedom" but I had to coax him for the first half of each forest walk and then do my best to keep up with him as he "booted" it back to the parking lot as soon as he realized we were on the way back - so sadly, his family made the decision to retire him last summer. Oh Watson! Definitely not your average dog!

03/25/2024

The next pup that I will be recognizing and celebrating is Hendrix, a Norwegian Elkhound/Lab mix who joined my Ajax off-leash pack 3 days/week and who both delighted and drove me crazy at the same time with his so very happy-go-lucky nature and his antics. Hendrix was the worst for taking off into the woods but, on most occasions, he would come back after I called out: "Hendrix ... Hustle!" in my "oh so quiet voice" (LOL for all those who know me!). It was when he did not come back that both his parents and I would be "not so loving" of him because that always meant that dear Hendrix had found something dead that needed to be rolled in ... over and over again! Aaagh! Even so, I loved the guy and had the pleasure of his company up until Covid in 2020 where sadly, like so many others, his walks had to be stopped.

03/20/2024

The next dog that Mel's Mutts in Motion recognizes is Charlie, a chocolate lab mix who joined my off-leash afternoon Ajax pack. Charlie got along great with all the dogs and he loved taking off on the trails with them - my only issue was that he never seemed to want to come back home - he delighted in playing "hide 'n seek" on every return back to the car so I had to let him and his Mom go from the pack.

03/17/2024

The next 2 pups I will be recognizing and celebrating are Chance and Sarah, a Pekingese/Maltese brother and sister duo who I walked privately at noon hour 3 days a week. These 2 were such characters and so polar opposite of each other - Sarah was a "princess" and Chance was a rascal, always looking for trouble but together, they were "cuteness overload". Sadly, I only got to experience their awesome personalities till the end of the year as their Dad became ill and had to move in with his sister.

03/14/2024

The next dog that I will be recognizing and celebrating is Bella, an Australian Shepherd/Lab mix that joined my off-leash Ajax afternoon pack and assumed the leadership role without any consultation from me - such is the way of an Aussie as anyone who knows the breed will attest to. Bella thought it was her duty to notify the rest of us of anyone coming our way which sometimes left me having to apologize for her "exuberance" but she was just making us know her importance. Bella was a mainstay to the pack until she retired in the Fall of 2021.

03/12/2024

The next dog that Mel's Mutts in Motion will recognize and celebrate is Meatball, or as I loved to affectionately call him "Meat", a 7 year-old French bull dog who became part of my pack when Koda's Dad married his Mom. The 2 of them were as opposite as they could be but Meat, just like his brother, quickly endeared himself to me with his love of life and happy-go-lucky demeanour. Sadly, when my soul dog Koda passed away in June, Meat no longer became a regular in my pack but I still was graced with his presence on and off for another year.