Protecting The Pack

We decided to take the girls for a hike that would tire them out for the rest of the day.

Since Ivy is still a puppy, we weren’t sure how long she’d be able to hike before getting lazy and stop walking. She’s a little (well, a lot) more low key than Addie is.

Addie can hike, swim, run and play ball all day long. Ivy on the other hand…likes to just sit.

We found a trail that was 3.6 miles all together – enough that they would be tired, but not too much that little Ivy would have to be carried back to the truck. The trail was rated as lightly trafficked and a moderate hike, which was perfect for the girls.

We packed up our stuff and head out on our journey. The girls carried their backpacks, which contained our lunch and our drinks for the day.

The backpacks are so convenient and hold a ton of stuff. These were another Amazon find and for the $40 are totally worth having the extra storage. You can fit dog food, bowls, water…and even drinks for yourself all in one.

If you follow The Adventures of Addie, you’ve definitely seen how useful this can really be…

Ivy’s was still a little big for her, but she’ll grow right into it. Luckily it has adjustable straps and Velcro to keep it snug on her and comfortable as she adjusts to it on her walk.

We loaded everyone up and away we went.

As expected, Addie had to have her ball and had to carry it up the entire mountain. The hike seemed to be much longer and tougher than we expected, but we were enjoying our time being together and being outdoors.

Poor Addie was dragging Ivy around the whole time. Ivy wanted to carry her leash to make sure she knew that they were walking together. Addie was completely unphased…she was just happy to play with her ball and run in the woods.

You could see the excitement on her face…

We finally made it to the top to enjoy our lunch. The girls were having such a good time, and were definitely getting all of their energy out. They were ready for a break and a snack of their own. We sat down to enjoy some lunch and take a look at the mountaintops. It was a bit foggy unfortunately, but we thought if we waited it out, it might clear up.

While we were eating, another dog and group of hikers showed up. Addie instantly spotted them and went into guard dog mode. She didn’t just have to protect Ivy; she also had to protect her mom and dad.

She went nuts…

Addie was barking, and whining…causing Ivy to do the same. As Ivy would whine, Addie got more nervous and the barking continued. Addie is a cute little lab, but when she’s tired…she looks mean and tough. As you can see, she’s pure muscle…there isn’t one ounce of fat on her. Her bark is fierce and when she wants you to know she’s there, she’s loud.

Luckily the other hikers were friendly and we finally got them to settle down with some snacks. It was time to pack up and head out. We waited long enough for the view to clear and to get some space from the other family of hikers.

Right after we left, we realized we were missing something…

Addie didn’t have her ball. She climbed up the entire mountain and carried her ball the whole day. While Ivy was chasing her, biting her neck or carrying her leash, Addie was only worried about her ball. When she thought she had to protect us, she forgot about it instantly. She knew she had a job to do and that was to protect her pack.

It was a long hike back down, and Addie and Ivy were still energetic. Although we were short a ball, we learned a valuable lesson.

Once we arrived at the end, we noticed a sign that said the hike was 4.5 miles…each way. Luckily Ivy didn’t slow down at all. She couldn’t leave her mom’s side.

Overall, it ended up being a great day and we were all tired for the remainder of it. The girls got their energy out, and their parents got some fresh air and exercise.

Today’s Lesson: selflessness. If you’ve been following our stories, you know how much Addie’s ball means to her. But she surprised us, as she always does. There was no hesitation in her actions. She knew what she had to do. She was not going to let anything happen to her family, and she wanted us to know that we were her main priority.

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