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...

What's Wrong With This Line?

We're at the grocery store.  I've gotten the three things on my list and am ready to go so I ask Alphini:  "Find the counter."  This he does, and he's all wagging and proud of himself for getting us right up to the edge of the counter -- his objective.  There's only one shopper ahead of us in this line!  The only hitch...it's a mom with two kids and approximately half the store in her cart.  Hmmm.  I wonder ruefully if GDTx has tips for teaching the concept:  Express Lane ?  Just a thought!

Picky, picky!  I say, more time to relax!

What's That?

Today we got to walk past something potentially scary...this odd whirly thingy out in front of a car wash.  Well, yes, I know "thingy" is not technically a word, but what would you call it?  Its movement has always gotten my attention as I drive by -- I guess that's what it's designed to do! -- and I've been meaning to work Alfie past it.  I had some slight reservations about this because, to be honest, that thing freaks me out a bit...it's wacky!

His reaction was, to say the least, anticlimactic!  Alfie sat and looked it over (his usual response to new stuff), then walked past as calm as you please.  The light changed, cars whizzed past, and he put his ears back a bit as if he understood that traffic is what you really have to watch out for, not silly whirly things!

He actually found these balloons quite distracting as they tossed in the breeze.  I think he would've enjoyed sitting and watching them as long as I let him, silly boy!

Then it was on to a store to pick up a few grocery items.  I confess, I am a label reader.  All 3 puppies I've raised so far have eventually figured that out.  They learn that as soon as I start reading a label they may as well settle in and get comfy...it'll be a while!

Mmm, good thing the floor's nice and cool!

New Look

Time for a haircut!  I loved Alfie's luxurious, fleecy fur but it was starting to get impractical for a working dog.

What's that say, do you think...'Teddy Bear in Training'?

At about 4" long, the fur hung down over his shoulders, obscuring the words "Guide Dog" on his jacket.  Sometimes I don't know if people read that anyway...they certainly don't act like they do...but the cuddly stuffed-animal  look probably wasn't helping anyone to take him seriously!  Then there's walking him in the rain...Alfie doesn't mind it a bit, but that long fur does certainly get wet and takes a while to dry!

...especially the paws...

We were scheduled for a training walk with our supervisor Michelle on Monday, so I asked her if she'd mind bringing me a set of clippers to borrow.  The actual clipping (later that night) was a family affair.  We got out a card table and put Alfie on it, with Charissa and Tim helping to situate him so I could reach him (and preventing his accidentally falling off!), while Katharine scooped up the swatches of fur as they came off (otherwise he'd just step in them and make an even bigger mess).  So, what do you think, does he look different?

Ta-da...look what was under all that fur!

I have to admit that at first, his new look just cracked me up.  I was so used to his fluffy, rotund appearance that the new streamlined effect caught me off guard.  I'm no longer worried about him being too fat!

Me...fat?!  I'm a lean mean guiding machine!

Our walk with Michelle Monday went pretty well.  We visited a grocery store...

Mom loves the produce section...boring!

Dog toys?  Now you're talking!

...and then a coffee shop where Alfie actually laid down like a mellow little boy while we talked.  I was pleasantly surprised!

I know it's important to try and impress the boss, that's all.

The real fun began when Michelle brought out another guide dog in training, Jethro.  I call him the Jolly Grey Giant.  He's huge, even for a German Shepherd...the pictures don't even really do him justice!  Apparently his work is terrific but he needs a little help with dog distraction.  Alfie and I were more than happy to help until...surprise...coming toward us he lunged forward and the strain snapped his leash in two!

Ready or not, here he comes!

After that little unscripted moment, we let the dogs greet, Michelle tied the leash back together, and everything was great.  You see, Jethro's not mean at all, just a little...shall we say...enthusiastic!  That, and he's pretty much just a force of nature.  We took the dogs inside Whole Earth Outfitters and they both worked nicely. 

Best buds.

We even switched dogs for a while, and I got to take Jethro for a test drive.  For all that size, he does handle really well!  He's very responsive...he'll be a great guide dog I'm sure.  The strangest thing for me, actually, was people's reactions.  When I worked Alfie, wherever I went there was a wave of "Awww...isn't he cute...ohhh..." in that high voice that people use around puppies.  When I walked out with Jethro, a hush fell over the bystanders and it was more like the parting of the Red Sea!  Funny how people react to appearances, isn't it?

Jethro, do you think you could teach Alfie your intimidating look?

 

On second thought...looking at this face...I'm just not sure Alfie could pull it off!

The great thing is that with the variety of dogs used at GDTx, and the attention given to matching the right client with the right dog, I'm sure that both Alfie and Jethro will end up being just the perfect dog for their respective partners.  Wonder who that's going to be?

On the Go

I like this picture because it captures our lives for the last couple of weeks: something of a blur!

The early weeks and months of puppyhood are important for socialization, so we've tried to get Alfie out into as many different environments, and around as many different people, as possible.

One of this week's stops was the grocery store.

Ready?

Alfie examines a change in the flooring before trotting down the aisles with me.

Another day, we went for a little jaunt downtown.

What in the world is this?

Up...

...and down...the courthouse steps!

This morning, we stopped by a farmer's market.

Hey, don't we need some lettuce?

In case you're worried that we're wearing out the little guy...don't! The only one getting worn out here is the driver, I think. That's because, although we go on many different walks, at this age we only walk for a very short time -- just enough for Alfie to have a good training experience -- then leave while he's still eager and happy. The funny thing is that although it may take me ten minutes or so to get ready to go, and another fifteen to twenty minutes to drive to the walk location, the walk itself may only take ten minutes! So we sometimes laugh about calling it a walk when it's really more of a drive!

In any case, Alfie loves his outings and has already learned our getting-ready routines. When the leash and jacket come out he gets all excited and bouncy, controlling himself just long enough for me to get the jacket on.

Let's go!