Land of Laughing Waters

Alfie's a great hiking buddy.  One of our most interesting recent adventures was last weekend, visiting Ha Ha Tonka State Park .  Grandpa Bob was here visiting from California, and it was a great excuse to take off and do some exploring! The park features the ruins of an amazing, grand old mansion commanding a breathtaking view of the countryside below.  I loved wandering around and imagining what this place must've been like in its heyday a century ago.

Sure, it's a grand mansion, but where are the dog beds?

Looking down on what was once a grand ballroom. 

A circle drive at the rear, big enough to accommodate horse-drawn carriages.

 Looking up at the "castle" ruins from the gorge beneath, near the springs.

 I defy you to say "Ha Ha Tonka" three times without laughing!  Fittingly, the name actually means "Laughing Waters" in a Native American dialect, and refers to the natural springs there.  

The sign said "no swimming"...it said nothing about wading!

There are several trails to explore in the park, and we sort of combined the most interesting parts of a few different ones.  There were steep inclines --the toughest climb was made easier by a series of over 300 steps, linked by boardwalks such as this.

The native karst limestone gave rise to many interesting features such as sinkholes, a natural bridge...

...and this interesting balanced rock formation.

We all loved the caves.  You weren't allowed to go in, but we didn't have to in order to appreciate the refreshing current of 55-degree air wafting out.

Air conditioning!

You might appreciate a cool cave, too, if you were doing all this hiking in this kind of weather!  Take a minute and look at that thermometer...which was in the shade, by the way!  We took a bunch of water, and let me tell you, not a drop was wasted.  Alfie was the only one to have his own water bottle, though, lucky dog!  Don't worry, we took regular rest/re-hydration breaks, and no one got heat exhaustion...although, a stop at Sonic afterward sure felt good!

Alfie was a bit of a show-off, as usual.  Tim had climbed up a couple of big boulders and was standing at the top...I was on the middle one and could see Alfie on the ground below, wanting to get up. I was thinking of giving him a boost, or showing him that he could follow Tim by using the smaller boulders to climb up on the big one.  Nothing doing! In one giant spring, Alfie had gone from the ground below, to the top boulder with Tim. 

Here's how it's done, folks! 

Well, hello up there...!  I guess Alfie has superpowers.

Take time to enjoy the journey...and all the smells along the way!

Silly Pics to Share...and Signing Dog?

Summertime...and Alfie's been keeping us laughing, as usual.  He strikes this pose every morning while I'm getting ready, leaning all squished up in the corner between our bedroom and bathroom.  It gives me a crick in my neck just looking at him!  But it seems to satisfy his need to be totally relaxed and keep an eye on me at all times.

This is my signature pose, "Dog with Broken Neck."

For advanced doga experts only!

Alfie also knows how to keep cool on a summer day...okay, he doesn't really wear hats, but this impromptu outfit made me laugh!!

Whose crazy idea was this?!

Of course any blog readers who know Alfie's personality at all, know that he's happiest when active and learning.  Sadly, I haven't had time to work on his favorite activity, tracking, this summer.  (Although I still plan to, eventually!)  But I'm always on the alert for new things to try with him.  When I found this book on teaching dogs a special type of sign language, I thought...why not?

Hmm...looks interesting.

Honestly, as I read through it, I went back and forth between thinking, "Wow -- what a great tool for communicating with your dog!" and "Seriously?!"  But I'm always game to try new things, so I started Alfie in on the "signing" lessons.  The book has a definite system laid out, using each of the paws, and the head, to refer to different types of things (depending on the type of motion).  I'm not doing it exactly according to the lesson plan for a few different reasons.  But Alfie quickly learned that his left front paw means "Food," and his right front paw means "Toy."

One fun result of this endeavor is that it gives Alfie yet another way to communicate.  Granted, he already had ways of letting me know when he wanted to play with a toy, or of asking for a treat.  But last night, as we were watching a movie, he came up and laid his head in my lap.  Thinking he might want to cuddle, I invited him to jump in my lap.  But nope, he didn't want that!  Backing up, he shook his head and panted, giving me a little "gruff."  So I ignored him, but soon his head was back in my lap.  I knew he wanted something, I just didn't know what!  So I looked down and asked him, "What do you want?"  He gave me an exaggerated wave with his front left paw -- the "Food" sign -- and then looked pointedly at my glass of ice water!  

Now, Alfie doesn't normally like ice.  I've tried giving him some before, and it's just ended up all over the floor.  But it has been hot lately, so I gave him a cube of ice out of my glass...at the risk of totally spoiling him (yeah, I know, too late for that!)

Sure enough, that was exactly what he wanted.  He crunched it up happily, licking up every last piece.  Then he returned, sat politely, and signed even bigger than before, "FOOD!" -- all the while looking at my glass of ice, silly smile all over his face!  So, yeah, the little rascal talked me out of five cubes of ice...then curled up in a happy little heap at my feet for the rest of the movie!


PS -- Stay tuned...video of Alfie signing is coming soon!

Well, Hello There!

This is Alfie's not-so-subtle communication method:  The Look.  It's his way of telling me that I've been at the computer long enough...and wouldn't it be a great time to go outside?...play ball?...go tracking?...do some obedience work?

With great patience and persistence, your human can be trained

to do amazing things!

We Interrupt Your Regular Alfie Programming...

...for a shameless plug of Alfie's predecessor, Dakota, featured in this great news story!   We raised him as a guide dog for GDTX, but later he was career changed for diabetic alert work and we were able to do his basic scent training before he went to work with his new partner, Ben.  He'll always have a unique place in our hearts (yes -- have to admit, I cried to see him again!), yet we're glad to be able to share him.  Dakota and Ben seem to be made for each other!


I'll leave you with a cute Alfie picture so he doesn't feel too left out...

It's my blog, after all!...

Well, I guess it IS nice to be related to somedoggy famous.

You Know You Have a Retriever When...

...sitting down watching TV for an hour in the evening, you wind up with a haul like this at your feet!

Behold the King of Fetching!

This just seems to be something Alfie does when he's bored (guess he doesn't share our taste in movies)...and trying really hard to get your attention.  Last night I was all wrapped up in the show when I noticed his scruffy little face, depositing a shoe ever-so-delicately on my chair.  So I tell him thanks and give him an ear scratch, still engrossed in the show...then the next thing you know, he's disappeared again.  A few minutes later, he's baaaack...this time giving Tim the other shoe of the pair!  Then, he gives Charissa a sock...and on and on.  I do think that last night's 4 matched pairs of shoes, and a pair and a half of socks, is his current record! He ended up being funnier than our movie, I think!

Of course this is only a thinly-disguised variation on one of his favorite games, "I've-got-your-stuff-catch-me-if-you-can!"  (A game we strongly discourage, by the way.) Since we'd rather have him bring stuff to us than run away with it, we always act really excited about his "gifts"... and if you know Alfie at all you know he's a total attention sponge.

Although...note to self:  Make sure the closets are closed before you start the movie next time!

White Coat Syndrome?

Yesterday was Alfie's annual checkup.  He was due for a couple of booster shots as well as routine tests to make sure he didn't have parasites (he didn't, yay!) 


Alfie's always done fine at the vet.  He's well-behaved -- a little apprehensive (licking his nose more than usual, etc.), but nothing too severe.  But yesterday afternoon was different.  Since we live right on the edge of town, our vet is a country vet who sees all kinds of emergencies as well as handling more routine stuff.  Yesterday as we walked in, I realized they must be slammed with emergencies. They were very full, all the techs were busy, and it was much more chaotic than usual.  In addition to all kinds of crazy animal noise from the various exam rooms, there was even some kind of angry family squabble that you could hear going on (yikes!)  Alfie crouched down to half his normal height and pressed into me, panting and obviously anxious.  I've always heard that you should try not to be extra-reassuring to anxious dogs, as they'll feel their worry is justified.  So I tried to "act normal," but I couldn't help noticing Alfie just wasn't himself.  

 Well, I ask you:  do you like going to the doctor?!

Unfortunately, the busy office meant that our appointment was delayed, and Alfie's anxiety had time to "develop."  When we finally got into an exam room and the tech took his temperature, she looked at me with some alarm.  "Well, how long has he been sick?  Has he been eating okay?" she wanted to know, adding, "His temperature is three and a half degrees over normal!"  I assured her that he'd been fine, and his appetite certainly wasn't suffering...but tried to explain that Alfie seemed to be reacting to the stressful environment.  She agreed, but pointed out that in her experience that usually didn't raise their temperature more than a degree or so!  They finally asked me if I'd be willing to wait a while with him, and see if he improved...obviously, they didn't want to give him any shots if he really was sick!


I know Alfie, and I knew he wasn't sick, just stressed out!  I wasn't sure how long it would take him to recover, though.  But I decided to wait and see if he improved.  We went to the very end room, closed the door, and settled in.  Slowly, things quieted down out front.  I sure wished I'd brought my own book to read...with a sigh, I grabbed their stack of reading material.  By the time I'd gotten through Cat Fancy, Alfie was lying on the floor, his chin on my foot.  By the time I finished Dog Fancy, learning more than I ever wanted to know about everything from Otterhounds to Obesity, Alfie was lying on his side (head still on my foot...of course!)  As the clinic got quieter and quieter, I worked through a nasty assortment of graphic material on heartworms and hookworms.  Bleah!  At long last, our tech returned, and the verdict was...his temp had dropped three degrees!!  Even I was surprised.  They were able to finish his checkup and give him his shots.


Happily, everything else was routine.  The vet praised Alfie's manners, as well as his "beautiful ears, teeth, and coat"  (hooray!)  He was also happy with his weight and fitness.  So, all in all, a good checkup!  

                          Two paws up for a good report card!


It just seemed crazy to me, though, that Alfie could have such a marked physical reaction to his surroundings.  Has anyone else ever had this experience?  I'd be interested in your comments, if so!  I think next year I will try to schedule his appointment first thing in the morning, and see if the clinic is quieter.  I could also try taking him there when he doesn't have a checkup, giving him treats and positive reinforcement, to help desensitize him a bit.  Still, if it's another crazy day like yesterday, he might just have his fears confirmed!


In the meantime, all is back to normal.  Some of you will remember that last year in the spring, I started working with Alfie on trailing/tracking, with the possibility in mind of eventually working with him to find lost pets.  Several things have come up that have made the "lost pet" venture impractical...but, if anything, I've gotten more interested in tracking!  I've been doing some research into local classes that teach "formal," or AKC tracking, and am now exploring that option.  It turns out that, although labradoodles are considered "mixed breed" dogs by the AKC, they can still participate in competitive tracking as part of the Canine Partners program.  I think this would be a great goal for us to work for!  And, Alfie's always game for a new challenge.  Stay tuned!

Day at the Park

Easter weekend was the perfect time for the family to go to a new park...we've been to Doling park before, actually, but it's been closed for renovations since last summer.  We loved the beautiful new landscaping, tranquil pond, and scenic walkways.  We  enjoyed the flocks of ducks and geese.  Alfie didn't even attempt to chase them...though, if he'd been off leash, I'm sure it would've been a different story!  Loved this neat cave (below), and a plaque explaining the history of the site.

As usual, Alfie attracted lots of attention.  In general -- whoever sees Alfie loves him, and he loves them right back.  A good arrangement.  It's interesting how Alfie interacts with people in public; he is good at scaling his enthusiasm up or down to fit the individual.  (At home, he's much more excitable!)  When we meet people who seem confident and dog-experienced, he's definitely a little bouncier, a little more excited.  With young children, he puts his head down to their level and controls himself, not wagging too hard (maybe he doesn't want to scare them away!)  With senior citizens, he will stand quite still and careful.  What a good boy!


People always are curious to know what kind of dog he is.  I heard a new one at the park this time:  a little boy pointed at Alfie and, looking up to his dad, asked, "Hey, what kind of dog is that?  A Doberman?"  












Hmm...maybe if he changed his fur?


Have a good week, everyone!

Spring Has Sprung!

Not too long ago, Alfie was enjoying the snow.

But toward the end of January, as his fur got thicker and thicker, I was no longer sure we had a dog!  Perhaps a bear?

All those curls are extremely cute and huggable...but I was getting so tired of brushing all the time. So I took my clipper blades in for a little seasonal sharpening, and once the weather warmed up, I went to work!

Alfie was really quite patient with it all.  Once I got going, I couldn't believe how much he shrank!  He started to look like a puppy again!  The funny thing is that when I got him to this stage (below), my neck started bugging me and I just had to call it a day.  The neighbors must have gotten a good laugh when I let him out in the yard that night.

Umm...this is embarrassing...

Never fear, I got him finished the rest of the way in good time.  Now we know for sure that spring's here:  the daffodils are in full bloom...

...and Alfie looks like himself again!

I'll leave you with this fun video of Alfie at one of his favorite games:  we call it stair fetch.  He uses the stairs to full advantage! (Please ignore rambling voices off camera!)

[video of Alfie at the top of the stairs; Charissa is off camera down the short flight of eight stairs and throws the ball up for Alfie to fetch.  It bounces around into the upstairs bedrooms and each time she throws it, he brings it back, then drops it down the stairs so it'll roll down the stairs to her to be thrown again!]

In Praise of Snow Boots

When it snowed last week, I thought Alfie would be cold and maybe even avoid going outside.  I know he's got long fur, but when the wind blows it can part it right to the skin -- brr!  But, basically, Alfie proved that he's a lot tougher than me when it comes to cold weather.  He loved the snow.

He snorfled in it and ate it until his whiskers were white...

...went exploring the whole yard as if it were new, digging up sticks and leaves to play with...

...even (gasp!) lay down in the snow for a little snooze!  

All day he was in and out, in and out...never wanting to stay inside too long.  Reminded me of a little kid!  Well...if any of you readers have experienced this, you'll know what it led to:  snowballs developing in between his toes.  I'd clean them off every time he came in, then he'd go out and get more. Ack! 

Time to get out the snow boots!  When we bought these, the weather was warmer and they were on sale.  They're nothing fancy or professional, just basic and functional.

One thing you must know about me:  I am not, repeat not, a person who enjoys dressing up my dog!  So this was all about keeping his feet snowball-free.  I'd gotten them remembering the blizzard we had here last winter...this winter has been much milder, but hey, a dog has to be prepared!  Here he is, all dressed up:

Snazzy or silly?  Time for some product testing...

We put them on inside first.  He pranced around high-stepping for a few minutes, then seemed to settle in all right.  Out he went into the snow, and it took only a few moments for him to realize, wow, he had really good grip with them on!  If he liked the snow before, he loved it now -- he zoomed around the yard faster and faster in giant circles, zigzagging and bounding through the snow.  It was hilarious!  They stayed on really well with their velcro closure and were clearly a big hit.  So -- yep -- these boots get a resounding 4 paws up from the Alf.

But wait, there's more!  Alfie loved the boots so much, in fact, that he didn't want us to take them off when he came back in.  The whole main level of our house has hardwood floor and he's never been able to run around without skidding.  With the boots, though, he was unstoppable -- he circled through the kitchen, careened past the dining room, raced through the living room--around and around again, with the greatest of ease.  Show-off!  When we finally did take them off and left them behind closed doors in the sunroom, he asked to go out -- only to run in to the sunroom, grab his boots, and bring them to us so we could put them back on again!  Finally, to stop him incessantly asking to go out, I brought the boots inside the kitchen to dry, putting them on the top of the fridge.  Charissa and I were watching tv a few minutes later when we heard a strange scrabbling sound accompanied by some rather pathetic vocalization...went in to the kitchen to investigate, and sure enough, there Alfie was on his hind legs, looking longingly up at the top of the fridge!

...And, nope, I'm not getting anything from EthicalPet for this endorsement, although I think I should!  

Think we'll get any more snow this winter?!

Sous Chef, Revisited

Last night Charissa and I were baking, and just as I got my yummy pumpkin-oat-nut muffins in the oven, I realized--oops--not enough flour left for Charissa to make her World's Best dark-chocolate-mint-chip cookies.  Rats -- time for a trip to the corner store.  Grabbing our coats, we dashed out the door.  This should've been just a quick trip, but you know how it is...you get to the store and, wandering down the aisles in quest of flour, you see just the perfect gift for this person...something else you'd forgotten you needed...and on and on.  Perhaps there is no such thing as a quick trip to the store, especially at Christmas!

Only as we were checking out, which was rather too late, did it occur to us that the muffins were probably going to be wayyy overdone (read: torched) by the time we got back.  The timer I'd set only beeps once -- no second chances.  Sure, Tim was home, but he'd be the first to tell you he's not known for his kitchen skills. Plus, if he'd been in another room, he probably wouldn't have even heard it go off.  I hadn't thought to call him, and now there was no real point.  Bemoaning our muffin losses, we headed back.

Walking in, though, a delicious (as opposed to burnt) smell greeted us, and we saw two dozen beautiful muffins happily cooling on the counter. 

"Oh my goodness, Tim, you did take them out!  I thought you wouldn't hear the timer!"

"Um, yeah, I guess I must've heard it, but it didn't really register that it was your kitchen timer until Alfie ran over to the stove and barked..."  Apparently Alfie, who does rather have a way of insisting, made it quite clear that this was Something Important and Tim should Do Something! 

Good Dog.

Saving the world, one muffin at a time.

Will accept medals of honor, treats, and tummy rubs...

Oh What Fun

This year, decorating for Christmas felt extra-special: due to our move, it had actually been two years since we'd gotten out all the Christmas things.  Everything old was new again, and we found some things we'd forgotten we had!

Like these curious little musical toys:

...when you wind them up, the little rides start spinning, and they play Christmas music.  Okay, cute.  But Alfie found them totally amazing. 

He carefully watched us wind one of them, tilting his head first to the right, then to the left...when the music started to play he was surprised and very excited.  We set it down where he could see it and it seemed as if he wanted to play it himself, first flipping the toy over with his paw, then nibbling at the key to try to get it to work! This went on for quite a while, until I fear the tiny Victorian people on the ride were getting a great deal more excitement than they bargained for. We laughed til we cried, then I finally thought to take a little video before we had to take the toy away:

Enjoy your Christmas season -- in the midst of it all, Alfie reminds you: don't forget to let go, play, and have some fun!  

...and take time to snuggle with someone you love...

Two Years Ago...

...on this very day, we brought Alfie home for the first time!  Little did I know that that tiny ball of fluff and puppy breath would grow up to make himself a permanent part of our lives, bringing his special blend of humor, mischief, and affection with him. 

What a personality he's proved to be! Perhaps one of Alfie's most amusing traits is his natural curiosity.  I have never seen a dog as interested in every detail of our daily lives as Alfie. For example, the first time Tim did some work in the crawlspace beneath the house, the rest of us nearly died laughing as we watched Alfie trot alertly from room to room, tracing Tim's route by snuffling into the heat registers on the floor.  Then, one day, I helped Tim up into the attic to check on the insulation -- Alfie, who of course was watching these proceedings, gave an unexpected and valiant attempt to follow right behind him!  I had to hold him back, much to his irritation.  As he heard Tim's footsteps above our heads, Alfie followed his progress around the house, looking up at the ceiling with an occasional excited bark.  From time to time, he would just stop and look at me intently, as much as if to say:  Well, aren't you going to do something about this?  When Tim finally reappeared, Alfie greeted him as if he'd just gotten back from the moon, or perhaps some mysterious fourth dimension.  What an adventure!

Life is better with a friend by your side.

Right by your side!

Thankful

Thanksgiving week -- and there's so much to be thankful for!  I'm not so sure that Alfie understands the concept of thankfulness, as we know it.  But there are many things that make him happy, most of them very simple:

Games of fetch

Games of find

All games

Learning new skills

Showing off old skills

Friends and family

New people

Walks

Dinner

Breakfast

Anything that smells funny

Anything that smells

Squirrels

Rabbits

All other animals

Morning

Night

...so, you get the picture, he's happy pretty much all the time!  There is very little, in fact, that makes him unhappy.  The three main things:

Being ignored

Being left behind

Having to skip a meal

Enjoy all the little -- and big -- things that come your way this week, giving thanks for them all!   As G.K. Chesterton said, "When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude."

Happy Thanksgiving!

First Flurry

Yesterday evening as we headed out on our walk, it felt colder than usual...sure enough, before we were halfway along our route, tiny snowflakes were stinging my face.  Our very first snow of the season!  Okay, so it was just a teeny bit, but it was still exciting.  Couldn't resist taking a picture of Alfie with a couple of tiny white flakes on his face...

Sous Chef

Hi again blog friends -- Alfie's World has been quiet lately as I've been investing time and emotional energy in other areas.  Some big decisions have been brewing and we're excited for that.  But in the meantime, who keeps me grounded, makes sure I laugh several times each day...oh yeah, and makes sure I get my exercise?

I'm considering the title 'personal assistant'...

Alfie may no longer be a service dog, but that doesn't keep him from helping me out with many important things.  Sometimes I admit they are only important to him (such as alerting me that Hey!  Look!  The neighbor's dog is out AGAIN!); sometimes, though, he does help out in ways that are actually important to me.  He is a very alert and curious boy and not much gets past him.

One very minor inconvenience in our new home is the old electric stove...I'm still trying to get used to its quirky performance and miss some of the conveniences of the newer model I used to have in Texas.  I'll turn the oven on to bake something and keep having to go back to check it...it doesn't have a little beeper to let you know when it's up to temperature, and the guesswork can get frustrating.

That's where Alfie comes in -- twice now, he's actually come and alerted me when the oven was up to temperature.  Apparently he hears the little click when the heating element switches off.  Then he rushes over, gets my attention, and dashes back to the stove to show me what's going on.  Of course he got lots of praise and a nice treat for that -- I can use all the kitchen help I can get, so I want to reinforce the cool new trick he's teaching himself!

Last night, I'd made us a yummy casserole (shepherd's pie with lots of mashed potatoes...mmm...), set the timer, and popped it in the oven.  With a long time to wait while it baked, I went upstairs to work on the computer.  Alfie was napping on the rug near my feet.  Long before the timer was set to go off, though, he sprang up suddenly with a grrrUFF! and, making sure I was coming after him, raced down to the kitchen.  I opened the oven door to find that the gravy in the casserole dish had just boiled over.  Yikes!  I think Alfie must have woken up when he heard the first drops sizzling on the bottom of the stove.  Needless to say, I was glad he heard it when he did, saving me what could've been a very nasty cleanup job!

All in a day's work.  PS -- Can I have some??

Funny Face

I have tried for sooo long to catch this photo.  Now, I know it's not great quality or anything, but it's too funny not to share.  Probably someone out there needed a laugh today.  Probably someone out there was just thinking:  "It's been a horrible day.  I'm really down and need something to make me laugh.  I need a picture of Alfie's Deranged Pig Impression!"  If you are that person, what can I say -- it's your lucky day!

...Mwahaha!

He actually does this a lot.  Do you think it looks comfortable?  No, me neither!  But he is not explaining why he does it.  Your guess is as good as mine.

In the meantime...yeah, we've moved!  Alfie's been busy supervising.  Of course.

No, actually, the Borders box should go on top.  Let's do this right!

I think he wishes this sleeping bag were still on the floor, like it used to be when we were at Grandma's house.

Hey, where's my air mattress? It should be right here, with my sleeping bag...what do you mean, of course it's my sleeping bag...

No place like home!

New Friend

On our walk yesterday morning, Alfie and I met this friendly horse.

This morning, as we approached the pasture, the horse was way off on the far side...but oh, how Alfie wanted him to come over and say hello!  He sat politely and snuffled the air, hopeful. 

Sure enough, the horse saw him and pricked his ears...then cantered over to investigate.  So fun to watch them touch noses.  Somehow I wasn't quite able to catch it with the camera, but you get the idea!

But what really made me laugh was that after a couple minutes, the horse put his head down to crop the grass by the fence.  Alfie, seemingly intrigued by this, started to do the same thing!  They grazed together like a couple of old friends. 

What can I say?  I hadn't had my breakfast yet!