Coot Lake

We are lucky to live in a neighborhood with lots of dog owners. Our neighbors in the apartment below ours have a 5-month old puppy, Bandit. Chai & Bandit will bark at each other through the windows or will sneakily pretend they have to go out to do their business just so they can play together. Along with Bandit, there are many dogs that walk past our apartment. German Shepherds, Pitbull Terrior mixes, Great Danes, Shih Tzus, French Bulldogs, mutts, and Max, a "Shocker" (Shiba Inu & Cocker Spaniel). Max's mom invited us to Max's 2nd birthday party at Coot Lake near Boulder Reservoir.

At first, we thought it'd be nice to meet the neighbors and be able to get to know them instead of just letting our dogs play for a minute or two while on walks. Not to mention, we assumed it was a gated dog park.  In the coming weeks we asked the locals about Coot Lake..... turns out there is no leash law here, just a "Voice & Sight Tag" program. "Okay?!" ...we thought.  "So it's just a really big dog park, right?" BOY WERE WE WRONG!

The only thing separating the dogs from the road is a very old barbed wire fence with huge gaping holes, and a parking lot.  Oh yea...... really well protected! The entire time we were at this "party" we were yelling "Chai" at the top of our lungs and running after him.  Great Pyrenees were originally bred to protect herds of sheep by themselves in the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain. Being true to his breed, he was wandering right off by himself through this 10+ acre park with a 1.2 mile trail around the lake. Atleast there were trails for him to stay on?! UGH! We let him off leash so he wouldn't pull us around while playing with the ten other dogs that were at the party and so he, also, wouldn't get the leash attached on the rocks and trees growing in the lake. What a pain!

Chasing Isa, 4-month old German Shepherd

Barking at birthday boy, Max

Isa, Chai & Max

What do you call a Great Pyrenees off a leash??

Begging for treats.

Half-Swimmer

Lakeside with Shelby, 8-month old Great Dane

Debating whether he should jump in...

Chasing

Isa & Chai on the rock ledge

Stick found!

LOL

Stick hunting

Found it!

Meanwhile, all of our neighbors, self-proclaimed dog trainers, were trying to pacify us by telling us to think positively and that he would come back.  WHAT?! Do you (1.) have a puppy? (2.) know our dog? and (3.) know the breed?! We think NOT! Keep your opinions to yourselves!  Do you know what a Great Pyrenees off leash is?! GONE! Take that "dog trainers." We could only put up with opinions and Chasing Chai T around for about an hour and a half...

At Four Paws

Mud laden and wreaking of wet dog, we took Chai straight to Four Paws and gave him a bath.  Luckily our breeder was there grooming German Shepherds. She has the best dryer! It only took 30 minutes to dry him versus the typical 45 minutes.

Twenty hours later.... and we still have a groany, sleepy puppy on our hands. Thank gosh we rescheduled our play date with Chai's sister, Nubikins, for tomorrow. He would have fallen asleep at the park! What a day! Oh, what a day.