Is Spring Here for Good?

cody

Some of you might remember our post from a few days ago “When will it be Spring?”  It seemed like the cold weather would never go away.  Well… finally today it got warm and it was an incredibly nice day.

We decided to take the dogs for a nice long walk to Sherwood Gardens.  Along the way it was clear that lots of other people were enjoying the nice warm 50-60 degree (Fahrenheit in case any Europeans where wondering or you like to use Celsius) weather too.  We saw lots of runners, kids on bikes and scooters, adults on bicycles, other dogs, etc.  Seems like everyone came out of their house for a little bit today in Maryland to enjoy the better weather from this long and harsh winter.

From what I can tell the forecast looks like it will be nice, but on Wednesday and Thursday it is supposed to be cold and rainy.  This makes washing muddy dog paws a real pain. 🙁 It's already a PIA with all the melted snow in the yard making the place a mud pit instead of a backyard.

Anyway, if it was nice where you live, how are you enjoying the nice weather and the start of Spring?  At least we hope the start of Spring is upon us.

An English Shepherd always finds other English Shepherds

A couple days ago I was walking with Cody and Sierra in Sherwood Gardens, one of the best places to go in Baltimore this time of year, and I saw what I thought looked like an English Shepherd.   I wasn't so sure since everytime I see a dog that looks slightly like our dogs I think “That dog looks like my dogs!”   Most of the time it is usually an Australian Shepherd or Border Collie mix though.  This usually what most people assume when they see Cody and Sierra too.  However, on this day I was pleasantly surprised.

At Sherwood Gardens this dog was lying down casually when he spotted us walking by.  Bandit, which we later learned was his name, starting pulling to come say hello to Cody and Sierra and it looked like his owner couldn't stop him.  Since Bandit  looked friendly I thought I would let my dogs have a little greeting Bandit.  After I was confident no snarly faces would be directed at Bandit I casually asked his owner, “What type of dog is that?” she replied, “English Shepherd” to my surprise.  I told her that Cody and Sierra were English Shepherds too!

Being such an unknown and rare dog breed I was pretty surprised that we meet another person with an English Shepherd in Baltimore city.  I mean Baltimore isn't a huge city but it isn't small either.  What are the chances of English Shepherds running into each other?

Some of you might remember, the last time we meet another English Shepherd in Baltimore was when we fostered Scout.  You might remember that Sierra gave Scout a singing lesson and he was pretty good.  Scout doesn't live in Baltimore city anymore though since he is currently being fostered again by the NESR with a great trainer in Pennsylvania that knows a lot about working with English Shepherds.

What was interesting to see was that Cody and Sierra both really liked Bandit.  Sierra was especially playful and they both wanted to run off leash with each other.  (Not a good idea in Sherwood Gardens though.)  It seemed like Bandit, Cody, and Sierra all knew they were the same breed or something.  Usually Sierra is a bit snarky with other dogs but she was fine with Bandit.  I took this picture of Sierra and Bandit lying together.

english shepherds

Bandit really like Cody and Sierra too.  When we tried to say goodbye and started walking away, he pulled his owner and followed us.  He probably thought “Oh no, my friends are leaving!” He clearly felt an English Shepherd kinship too.     

Talking with the girl that owned Bandit we agreed that having an English Shepherd is a bit different from other dogs.  They can be too smart for their own good sometimes, but it would be hard to own any other breed of dog.  It is a lot of work but a lot more interesting and fun in my opinion.

Since Bandit doesn't live to far from us we told his owner he and she could come over for a dog playdate sometime.  Cody and Sierra love having friends over since I think they get bored of each other sometimes.  (Cody definitely doesn't like dealing with his little sister.)

Hopefully we will see Bandit again and run into more English Shepherds in our area.

Wordless Wednesday: Cody and Sierra at Sherwood Gardens

Lately I have been taking Cody and Sierra to Sherwood Gardens, which is a famous Baltimore park, often on our daily walks now that is is Spring.  The walk there for us isn't too bad and both dogs really love seeing the Tulips, which are in full bloom right now, and all the people who come to enjoy Sherwood Gardens.

I took this picture of Cody and Sierra while we were at Sherwood Gardens the other day.  The day I took this picture at Sherwood Gardens it was a bit overcast at the park.  However, the picture came out really well and it almost looks like I went to edit and smooth out the image, but I didn't.  I like how happy the dogs look and how surreal the picture is.  It looks like a painting or piece of art.  (Ok, I might be getting a bit over-my-head now.)

sherwood gardens

I hope everyone likes my Wordless Wednesday picture.  What do you think?  Leave a comment below and let us know!

Cody and Sierra in Sherwood Gardens

sherwood gardens

This is a cute picture of Cody and Sierra at Baltimore's famous Sherwood Gardens I thought I would share.  As you can see Sierra likes to sit on the bench with me when walk over to Sherwood Gardens.  I guess it shows she is the boss since she is above Cody.  She definitely thinks she is a princess and should be treated as such.   It's nice for the dogs to sit and watch people since they are herding dogs that are supposed to keep watch over things.   I think the dogs need mental stimulation just as much as physical exercise.

Sierra actually escaped twice because she couldn't resist chasing a rabbit and squirrel.  When she was chasing the rabbit, with me and Cody trying to catch her, she was skipping just like the rabbit.  It was pretty funny to watch but nerve-wracking too I wasn't sure if she would go into the street.  Sometimes she is a really bad girl, but she doesn't care!  Cody tends to be more agreeable, at least most of the time.