Miss Me? (by Alfie)

Well, if you've missed me here the last couple of weeks, it's 'cause I've been super busy taking care of Mom.  First she goes and steps in a mole hole and twists her ankle despite the fact she's only got 2 feet to keep track of!  Poor clumsy thing. 

She got better and I knew right off I had to get her back going for walks again.  With the weather nicer, we've been going all kinds of places.

Can't believe she let me sit on this bench!

Oohh...tadpoles.

It's hard to look noble and inspiring when your paws are muddy.

Duck-watching!

Sometimes when you get real happy...you just have to dance!

Just when things were getting back to normal she gets sick again!  This time a sinus infection.  I took good care of her though.  When she's sick she just lays there so I figure she needs entertainment.  I try to provide this by bringing her things...socks, my ball, a pencil, gum out of Grandma's purse, whatever I can find!  I've heard that people need lots of mental stimulation to keep healthy so I try to provide that for her.

Whew, Monday she said she was feeling better!  Uh-oh...guess what that meant?

Let's put the camera away, shall we?

And the very NEXT day...out came the clippers!  I guess she really IS doing better.

Then TODAY...off to my new vet!  Unlike some people I know -- according to the vet I'm "the picture of health."  Woo hoo!  I took full advantage of the chance to make a bunch of new friends -- people, dogs, and cats.  Some of the dogs in the waiting room were not quite as happy as I was about being there, I wonder why?  When I sat nicely on the scale to be weighed the vet tech just sighed and said, "Wow, I wish ALL my patients were that good."  I gave her a big kiss for that!  Since I was so nice for my exam and shots, she asked Mom if I could have a treat.  Mom said yes, and I tried to help matters along by sitting nicely as soon as I heard the word "treat."  That sure made the lady laugh!  If there's one thing I can tell all you young pups, it's this:  Do what you have to, to impress the people with food!

That's it for now, I've gotta check and see if Mom needs another walk. 

Wag. Walk. Repeat!

--Alfie

The More Things Change...

A little over a week has passed since Alfie came home.  One change you'll notice -- his cute haircut.

I left about an inch of curly brown fur to ward off the spring chill, but overall, I think he feels better, and looks neater.  He's certainly easier to brush!

But in most ways, Alfie's exactly the same as I remembered him. He still loves attention and petting more than anything.  He loves people...

New friends, awesome!

...and people seem to love him!  

Just like I remember from his guide-dog-in-training days, Alfie loves to learn new things.  One difference is what he's learning!  As a service dog, Alfie wasn't allowed to do "tricks"...however, now that he's our dog, Charissa is enjoying teaching him fun and cute little things.  So far she's got him to "shake hands," "spin," "roll over," "back up" and "bow."  It seems like every time I turn around, Alfie's doing something new for her!

Look what I can do, Mom!

Another thing is still the same, too:  Alfie retains his ability to surprise me!  Last week we had guests over at Sunday lunch and, wondering where my nephew was, I asked Alfie to "find John."  I wasn't actually expecting him to do it  -- after all he'd just met John the day before, and I didn't think he'd remember him by name.  He did, though -- trotting straight over to John, nosing him, and then giving me a pointed look to make sure I noticed!  When we all laughed, my sister-in-law asked what happened, and could Alfie please do it again?  All 9 people gathered around to watch -- and to be honest, I didn't know if it wasn't just a fluke!  So I had Alfie sit, "watch me," then I told him again to "find John"...Alfie literally pranced into the living room (show off that he is), threaded his way through all the other people and around all the furniture, going straight to John and giving him a definite nudge.  When spontaneous cheers broke out at this little achievement, you'd have thought Alfie had won the doggy lottery or something!  For an attention-loving guy like him, that was better than all the liver in the world -- he smiled, twirled, wagged and was ever so pleased with himself.  Funny boy!

Of Doodles and 'Dos

As much as I like Alfie's cute-teddy-bear look, it was still time for a trim.  His soft, curly coat doesn't shed at all, but grows fairly quickly -- sort of like our hair does. It would get sopping wet when we walked in the rain and took "fur"-ever to dry!  He seemed hot in our summer weather...and his training jacket was even starting to get tight!

I'm not fat at all - I swear, it's all fur!

As you can see from the photo below, the fur was even starting to block his peripheral vision.

 

I know where this is headed...sigh...

A couple hours and a lot of clipping later, I discovered THIS skinny little puppy hiding somewhere underneath...

Betcha don't recognize me now, heh heh!

I'm having a hard time getting used to his short look...oh well, it grows back fast!  And a bonus -- right after a haircut, his hair goes from its normal soft texture to supersoft, like velvet.  Fun!

Soft fur = more petting, right?

Good News, Bad News

So I get this phone call from Michelle yesterday..."Hi Beth, I've got good news and bad news for you -- which do you want first?"  Well, I don't know about you, but I'm a "good news" kind of person so I asked for that!  "The good news is...you can get your dog back today!  The bad news is...he's been playing with Jethro at my house and the back of the property has burs...so he's covered in burs...and I don't have time to clean him up for you.  I'm REALLY SORRY."   

She wasn't kidding, was she?

I have literally never seen so many burs on one animal in my life.  I could hardly recognize Mr. Alf at first!  But oh, was he happy to be home...and he most definitely recognized me!

All four of us took turns combing and de-burring, off and on, through the evening.  Although Alfie doesn't shed, sometimes bits of fur come off in the comb, especially when they're stuck with these little clumps of 20-30 burs!  So by the end of the evening this is what we had...

...and I estimate we're only about half done!  I'm pretty sure Michelle owes me something after this...not quite sure what but I'll think of something, haha!  But really I'm just happy to have Alfie back, burs or no.  Apparently his swap family turned him in to Michelle all beautifully groomed, and really I don't think he's very hard to keep nice under normal circumstances.  But one definite downside to doodles is that their super soft, nonshedding fur is the world's greatest bur magnet.  Am I ever glad I clipped him extra short beforehand!

In other news, meanwhile, I'm very curious to take Alfie on a walk again.  Why?  Well, as usual after a swap, I was eager to hear how he did for his new handler and family.  Not surprisingly, they had their ups and downs as we all do.  In general, though, it sounded like by the end things were going fairly smoothly around the house and on walks.  Apparently Alfie did well on keeping a nice straight line, and it sounded like his "curb work" (sitting at down curbs and indicating up curbs) went fine also.  What didn't go fine was his "finds."  Apparently Alfie refused to find a single thing for his new handler!  Not one seat, trash can, door...not a button...not a single solitary elevator or bathroom...nothing!!  Now, since in the past this has been just about his favorite thing to do, I'm puzzled.  When he went to stay with Natalie he was pretty little, but even then I remember she did finds with him.  When he boarded at the Travis County Jail I never heard about it being a problem.  I know his swap handler, who is a very experienced puppy raiser, so I'm pretty sure it's not HIS fault either!  But for whatever reason, Alfie decided not to do it.  From what I understand, it didn't sound like Alfie was even trying...I don't think he was "finding" the wrong thing, more like he just ignored the command.

So it remains to be seen...will he agree to work for me now he's back home?  Or has he decided that finding things just isn't in his job description?!  Wish me luck and stay tuned!

But for now...I'm just going to enjoy having my dood back.

Getting Ready

Splash Day is this Saturday!  Alfie's going to enjoy a playday with all the other GDTx puppies.  It's also the day he'll go home with another raiser for a month-long swap, so I'm trying to prepare him for it.  One thing I've learned about doodles and splash day:  long curly fur + water + sand + burs + doggie slobber = HOURS AND HOURS OF GROOMING!!!  Here's our doodle Dakota (now a working dog) at Splash Day last year.  Look at his long wet curls! 

Despite the fact that Dakota had been nicely groomed before, he took me hours...well, days, really...to get kinda-sorta back to normal.  Not wanting to get Alfie and his swap family off to a bad start, I thought I'd give him a nice short haircut to make things easier.  He accepted the clippers pretty well, and although it did take me a long time, I was able to do most of it by myself.  When we got to the tricky part around his head, I had Charissa come help me hold him, but other than that he was fine.

The super-short hair does make him look a bit scrawny I think!  Every time I clip him, I think, Now he won't look as cute and people won't stop and talk to him while he's working.  Wrong!  The very next day I was in Walmart and people were oohing and aahhhing as usual...the checker even asked me what I did to get his hair so beautiful and shiny, because (I quote!) "It's prettier than mine!"  So I give up.  Whoever Alfie gets matched to...I hope they like attention because apparently he's a head-turner in any haircut!  Silly boy!

Sorry these pictures aren't the greatest, but they're the best side views I have to give you an idea of BEFORE (coat a little more than 2" long all over)...

and AFTER (coat about 3/4" long).  I prefer it a little longer but it grows so fast that it doesn't seem worth the trouble of clipping unless you do it pretty short.

Which makes me think, this is as good a time as any to share the odd bit of trivia that Alfie actually doesn't like his picture taken -- quite unlike Dakota, who hammed it up at every opportunity.  For every decent shot I take I have to throw away 10 like this one, because he barks at the camera! 

He doesn't mind you taking a picture while he's doing something else, but being posed just seems to tax his patience.  Which reminds me, some of my friends are exactly the same way (you know who you are, hehe!)

Ah, Alfie, we'll miss you while you're gone!

I'll be back!!

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?

This & That

Off to the vet today!  Nope, nothing's wrong with Alfie...it was just time for his last puppy vaccination.  As usual, he was a trooper and although excited, behaved pretty well for us.  At 4 1/2 months old, Alfie's between 18 and 19 inches at the shoulder, and weighs in at just over 26 pounds.   I wonder how much of that is fur?

I recently had to give him a haircut around the face, as his shaggy locks hung over his eyes, blocking peripheral vision.  I learned with our last doodle puppy that  this can really hinder their work on overhead obstacles!  Now his face fur is trimmed to about an inch and a half, and the rest of his coat is still around three and a half inches.  Sooo...he looks...FAT!  Dr. Boggs even thought so, until she felt under all the fur and said, nope, she could feel all the ribs and he was just the right weight.  When the weather warms up a bit, I'll see about trimming the rest of him so he seems a little more proportional.  Until then, we'll just enjoy all that soft cuddly fur!

We're still working on those long down/stays I mentioned a couple of posts back.  I think right now, that's his biggest "working" challenge.  We've been practicing a lot, and I think we'll just have to be patient.  There is some progress though...I've been taking him to church with me and last week, one of my young students observed, "Wow, Alfie's so much better this week!  Last week he was terrible, but this week he's way better!" Kids always tell it to you straight, don't they?  I love it! 

Alfie's in that period of puppyhood that our book calls cryptically, "the juvenile period."  According to these experts of understatement, at this time "Chewing is a priority." That is their gentle way of expressing that chewing is almost the ONLY thing the puppy does!   When Alfie notices something new, you can tell his brain is assessing:  #1--Can I fit it in my mouth?  #2--How good is it to chew?  (everything is good to chew -- only some things are better than others, e.g. erasers, pencils, dolls...) and of course there's #3--Can I chew it without being noticed?  In Alfie's defense, I'll note that there's excellent reason for his chewing...he's teething like crazy.  And also, whenever I notice him chewing something inappropriate, all I really have to do is ask him to "fetch" it for me, then substitute it with something actually meant for puppies.  He's got a lot of growing up to do, that's all!

Favorite Grooming Tool

A high-tech gadget?  Nope.  For Alfie's basic grooming, all you really need is a good comb and 2 of my secret weapon:  yummy (I guess, haven't really tried them!) organic dog cookies.  They're big enough that he can crunch on one for quite a while as I'm combing...then I show him the 2nd one, and he knows he can't get it 'til I finish. 

Alfie doesn't really like being restrained for grooming...he used to put up a fuss and make this noise that sounded exactly like a Tasmanian devil straight from a National Geographic nature documentary.  Yikes!  I think persistence is paying off though, and he does enjoy cuddling on my lap...that, and the cookies!