Just Making Smiles LLC

11/03/2026

Leo and I had a beautiful, sunny solo stroll today, soaking up this unusually warm November weather! He started out strong, but when we reached our usual turn, he gave me a firm "nope" and decided we were taking a completely different route. It was a little unusual for him, but this dog walker is always ready to roll with it!

​He happily looped himself around his newly chosen path and then made an absolute beeline straight up his front steps. I have a sneaking suspicion someone was home and he was just eager to get back to them! Usually, he hangs out with me a little longer, but hey—it's his walk, so we do it his way. 🐾☀️

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11/03/2026

Our Tuesday playgroup served up a fun mix of moods! A big thank you to our energetic hostess, Olive, who brought all the “woohoo, let’s play!” vibes.

​Ringo was his usual stoic self, opting for a peaceful sniffari around the garden. Adley started strong but petered out much quicker than usual, and Aspen gave us a funny mix of short play bursts and long sniffs before deciding she was ready to head home.

​Since the pack couldn't quite keep up with Olive's stamina today, we improvised. After dropping Ringo off, Aspen, Adley, and I took a nice group walk to drop Aspen off, looped back around to get Adley home, and finally returned our hostess Olive to her house. It was the perfect extra stroll to make sure that sweet girl got the energy burn she needed!

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11/02/2026

Cheyenne (aka Waffle Fry) had a successful mastectomy today! Along with having four teeth extracted, the mastectomy required four separate incisions to get everything—including one tucked right up under her armpit. That is a massive amount of surgery for one day!

​She needs restricted movement for the next 10 to 14 days, which hopefully will be reasonably easy because she is such a naturally calm girl, fingers crossed. For tonight, she is mostly just sleeping it off. She turned down water but ate a little bit of canned food, which is great because she doesn't have to chew and it gives her some moisture. I’ll try offering a little more food with extra water later just to make sure she’s getting her liquids. Tomorrow we start with cold compresses twice a day and keeping her comfortable with her pain management medication.

​I am incredibly grateful to the 15/10 Foundation for generously funding this crucial care, and to BARCS and their partnering surgical team for making her healing possible. We got you, girlfriend! ❤️

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11/02/2026

Dolly held court as Queen of the Porch today, soaking up this gorgeous weather, while Beefy Seal reigned supreme as the king of casual lounging—happy to nap anywhere as long as he’s keeping an eye on us. Meanwhile, Rocky was on an entirely different wavelength!

​After a quiet nap while I was out handling Cheyenne's drop-off and off-site tasks, we got our afternoon walks in. Joy and Rocky had some great play sessions, but eventually, even our Queen was kaput. That's when I headed out with Rocky for some flirt pole work, only to quickly realize he was far too wound up for it. Pivot time! We switched to a solid half-hour of rapid-fire ball tossing across the yard, followed by a brain-burning round of launching the ball through the tunnel.

​He finally achieved semi-relaxed status, but with Cheyenne's pick-up on the horizon, we will keep a close eye on his vibe for one last pre-departure walk or ball session to keep the kennel peace. Odds are this crew will be served their dinner just before I leave to get her. And then they'll be ready for potty breaks and hopefully snuggle time once she's back and settled in. We're hoping that Cheyenne will sleep soundly through the night. We are sure she's going to need it after the day she's had.

​It’s the absolute calm before the storm—we are all ready for Lady, Otis, and Pinky to roll in tomorrow and help absorb some of this endless puppy enthusiasm!

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11/02/2026

Neighborhood strolls hit a little different after Halloween! 🎃🍬

​Ringo, Adley, and Olive enjoyed a wonderfully leisurely walk through the neighborhood today, taking in all the fantastic leftover scents from Saturday night’s festivities—from little kid feet smells to all the furry friends who were out celebrating. Naturally, this dog walker kept an extra-sharp eye out to make sure nothing unwanted made its way into any curious mouths!

​I just wanted to send a huge, heartfelt shout-out to my amazing pet parents. Thank you so much to those of you who adjusted your schedule requests so I could attend Bud’s funeral services today. I truly appreciate it.

​For the three amigos, today’s extra-relaxing walk was the absolute best way to reset and find a little balance before heading off. Thank you, Ringo, Adley, and Olive, for being such wonderful companions. ❤️🐾

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11/02/2026

Today is the Big Day for Cheyenne (aka Waffle Fry)! 🐾✨

​Our brave girl Cheyenne—known to many as Waffle Fry—is officially at the clinic this morning for her major mastectomy and dental surgeries. Let’s just say she wasn't thrilled about being on an empty stomach today (can you blame a gal?), but true to her golden heart, she went in so sweet, loving, and trusting.

​We were waiting right at the door when they opened for the day, and with another pup right behind us, they swept her straight back before we even had a chance to snap a drop-off photo. But we've included some adorable pictures of her at home and outside while we waited for them to open!

​We are holding all the best thoughts and sending mountains of good juju her way for a smooth operation and a comfortable recovery. 💚 Once we get her back home and safely downstairs, our ground-level outdoor bathroom alcove setup will save her from having to tackle a single step. I'll be asking whatever neighbor happens to be home to give me a hand getting her downstairs. Thank goodness for wonderful neighbors! Small victories mean everything right now.

​Please join us in wrapping Cheyenne in all your love, prayers, and positive energy today. We can’t wait to share the good news when she’s safely out and on the mend!

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11/02/2026