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!

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...

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!

Hellooo out there!

So, to start by stating the obvious...haven't updated in ages!  Time to fill you in on what's been going on -- and a fresh look on the blog to go with a new season. 

Hey, anyone out there still remember me??

The purchase of our new home went through smoothly.  Now we're proud owners of a great house that, due to much deferred maintenance, falls squarely in the "fixer-upper" category.  There's a lot to be done before we can move in:  new heating and air, new floors and paint, as well as various exterior repairs.  By the time we're done it'll feel like a brand new house!  The great thing is, since it's just a couple of doors down from Mom's, it's easy to supervise the repairs from here.

In the meantime, I've also been busy doing freelance editing work, as well as getting in gear with the new year for homeschool. Things are hopping!


I love the neighborhood -- very friendly.  Of course, people are always more friendly when they meet you out with your dog, don't you think?  This is the first time I have met all my new neighbors, including those across and down the street, before we've even moved in!  Alfie loves his dog neighbors:  Missy the toy poodle on one side, Baxter the Norwich terrier behind us, and schnauzers Winston and Bosley, the self-appointed neighborhood watch, rounding out the field.  Across the street there is little Molly...she looks a lot like a bichon to me although I can't say for sure.   Anyway, you know the type:  a sweet, smiling ball of white fluff.  Alfie mainly meets her out on walks, and he is absolutely smitten!  Two doors down we have Reesie, a sweet but shy Jack Russell terrier who was rescued from an awful life caged as a puppy mill breeder.  It's so great to see her now, happily going for walks and playing in her yard -- what  a difference!

Went to the doctor for a checkup recently and they asked me, Did I exercise?  I said yes; I walk just about every day.  For how long, they wanted to know?...Well, I explained, about 45 minutes to an hour every day -- see, I have this dog...

The nurse grinned as she scribbled on my chart.  "You have a lot to thank that dog for!  You better keep him."

Smile. Couldn't agree more.

Critters

Here's a cute little critter we encountered on last night's walk (Alfie's latest word:  bunny !)

Can you spot him?

(Hint:  toward the left, right next to the tall grass.)

Enlarged so you can see the little guy!

Wait -- where'd he go?

Yeah, I know, he's super hard to see.  Alfie didn't see him at first, just  smelled him.  Mr. Rabbit was stock still til we got right up next to him, then jetted off with a flash of white tail...I said, "Bunny!"...and since that moment, I cannot say that word (b-u-n-n-y) without Alfie going on High Alert. 

Then, the other day we were in a new park and I saw a giant lump of brown next to a pond, which I at first took for a stump.  Charissa said she thought it was alive...turned out to be a ginormous woodchuck.  Honestly, he must've weighed more than Alfie.  I'm glad he lumbered off into the woods while we were still a long way off!

Much smaller and cuter are the tiny spotted and striped ground squirrels, which seem to be everywhere around here.

And of course, you can't have small mammals without their predators...I've enjoyed watching some amazing hawks, and, if I'm up early enough, owls.  Less appealing to me are the snakes.  Last night Alfie spotted a (harmless) garter snake slithering in a panic across our path, where he'd been sunning himself.  While house hunting recently, the girls saw a stunning red milk snake -- you know, the ones that look almost exactly like the deadly coral snake?  So we're standing around reassuring ourselves with, "Hmmm...'Red on black, venom lack/red on yellow, kill a fellow'...that IS how the saying goes, right?!"  The Missouri Department of Conservation assures that the coral snake does not live in this state -- out of the 40-odd species of snakes here, I only really need to worry about the cottonmouth, the copperhead, and 3 kinds of rattlesnakes.  How comforting...?  Ah well, good reason to look where you're going.

Out of all the critters so far, though, the most annoying have been ticks.  Alfie's on tick preventative/repellent, so they don't "bug" him (I comb him to make sure)...it's US they like, aarrgh!  Thank goodness for Deep Woods Off.

Ticks or no ticks, there's nothing like a walk in the woods!

Simple Joy

There's absolutely nothing like an early morning walk.  I love the cool, invigorating air; the birds; the sky; and just the way it makes me feel glad to be alive (not to mention the exercise)!  Somehow, though, without a walking buddy it's hard to have the discipline to take time for myself like that.   I think of all the things I have to do for everyone else, my agenda fills up, and I figure I'll squeeze a walk into my afternoon somewhere...maybe! 

Why is it so easy to put off doing something you know is good for yourself?  That's the great thing about Alfie: he gives me motivation to get out there first thing in the morning, totally guilt free.  Good dog.

Awesome Blogs -- Awesome Nose!

Many thanks to blogging friends Lisa, Ellie, and Hosta AND L_Squared for this award!  I'm passing it on to some more awesome dog blogs you'll enjoy:  Raising Ruby, Assistance Dog for Autism, Ours for a Lifetime, Service Dogs: A Way of Life, and Southeastern Guide Dog Puppy.  Tail wags all round!

The Awesome Nose Award, however, I can take no credit for.  I'm awarding it personally to the Alf for his latest little adventure.  Last Saturday morning I was walking him at the local cemetery, taking a path I hadn't taken with him before.  As we rounded a bend, Alfie hit the end of the leash pulling hard -- very uncharacteristic for him. Curious to see what bird or squirrel he might have in his sights, I followed along.  He led me at a brisk dash across the grounds, past a good 25 to 30 markers...straight to...my Dad's grave!  There was no question that was exactly where he was headed, because when he got there, he stopped and thoroughly examined Dad's headstone, sniffing and licking with great interest.  Then he looked up at me with a satisfied smile and a wag, and sat down!  Now -- to explain -- Dad passed away 5 years ago so nope, Alfie never knew him.  But I do come out and visit Dad's grave from time to time, and each time I do, I'll stop and rest, spend a little time in prayer, and wipe the marker clean with my hands.  So my thought is that Alfie was responding to my scent, or maybe even scent from other family members, accumulated at the site.  The only catch:  I haven't been there for weeks, since before our huge snowstorm!  And, after asking family about it, it seems I was the most recent visitor.  While I know that cool, damp conditions are favorable to scent survival, I was still incredulous that Alfie seemed able to detect scent that old.  Of course, dogs' noses are incredible -- I've learned that firsthand in the process of training service dog Dakota in his diabetic alert work. 

Have any of you ever come across similar situations with your dogs?  Leave a comment -- I'd love to hear about it!  Hats off to all our dogs...and all their amazing abilities!

Take Time

Dogs are great for reminding us:  Take time out.  Go for a walk.  We'd all been working hard Friday and needed a break.  I thought that since Alfie's just here a couple more days -- and our family's only here in Texas for a couple more weeks -- we needed to get out and enjoy meandering around the capitol building one last time!

Find the seat, good dog!

As usual -- it was gusty.

Funny little story:  We waited in line quite a while to get in, due to the new security measures and metal detectors.  I thought going through a metal detector would be a great new experience for Alfie!  I asked the officer if he wanted us to go through separately, or together.  He said together -- and that if the detector went off, we'd just have to get "wanded" by another officer.  We went through together and Alfie was fine despite the LOUD beeping when --yes-- we set it off.  I obediently went over to get "wanded."  The lady there said (no kidding):  "Oh, you don't have to come here unless you set it off.  Did you set it off?"  Seemed to be on the honor system!  I was oh so tempted to say no and avoid the hassle, but of course I'm too honest.  She used her metal-detecting wand on Alfie and that DID make him jump -- it seemed a very threatening gesture, plus it beeped too (collar and tags).  She shrugged and said, "go ahead," and off we went.  I guess we just don't look that suspicious, hehe!

We worked lots and lots and LOTS of stairs.  Then we found elevators...and bathrooms.  With bathrooms on so many floors, the capitol is a great training location.  I did my best not to give him any hints so that he could practice finding and decision-making on his own.  Fun!  

Loved this big live oak...

...and the peaceful, manicured grounds.

Couldn't resist this shot!  Plus, a chance to practice down/stay in the presence of pigeons and passersby.

And to close, another thing I'll remember about Alf:  when in the car, he's usually good about curling up in the passenger-side floorboard.  But the moment I turn the AC on "outside air"...he's up and resting his chin like this, drinking in the smells.  There's just enough space for him to stand comfortably between the seats.  He can't see much but I don't think that matters -- he can smell it ALL!

Good Thinking

I LOVE to work!

Had to laugh during today's walk when I noticed Alfie was paying better attention to our work than I was!  We were working at a new location (Sports Authority) and came to the section where they had row upon neatly arranged row of bikes for sale.  Great place to practice turns and "watch me."  So we were working our way through this rubber-tire-smelling maze and Alfie was doing great when I asked him to turn left into the next row.  He snorted loudly and refused, giving me one of his...well...looks.  I thought he was just being stubborn and repeated my command.  He refused again, this time sitting down rather decisively to emphasize his point.  That's when I actually took the trouble to look down that aisle...to see that way down the opposite end of that row, someone had pulled one of the bikes out into the aisle and it effectively blocked the path.  Since the aisles were so narrow (no room to turn around), I'd have either had to roll the bike out of the way, or we'd have both had to back out the way we came.  I had to laugh out loud at myself for missing that...and was pretty happy with Mr. Alf for avoiding the obstacle!

I can't say that all Alfie's mental activity is quite that commendable, though.  One of the things I worry about is his poor tolerance for boredom.  I was down with some type of virus for a couple of days and was treated to such attention-getting pranks as this...

Heh heh, look who's got your Chips Ahoy now!

He didn't actually try to chew the can of cookies open or anything, he just wanted to flaunt it at me so I'd notice and play with him.  Not exactly what you want when you're in bed snuffling and sniffing...sigh!  So for the next day or so Charissa gave him some extra backyard training sessions, and we made sure he was stocked with chew toys to keep him busy.  That seemed to work pretty well.

So yeah, ups and downs...but overall I think he's coming along!

In the GREAT NEWS category for GDTx...their 1st ever brood, yellow lab Poppy, gave birth this morning to a fantastic litter of 8 gorgeous puppies.  5 girls and 3 boys, the "A" litter is getting the GDTx breeding program off to a great start!

Downtown Again

Sorry, no action shots today, so here's a random cute Alfie picture for you!

Alphini and I spent the morning working in downtown Austin today. It's neat to see him starting to grow up a bit, acting responsibly, and doing much of his curb work without needing constant reminders.  There was a lot of construction going on downtown today...the stench of hot tar combined with deafening machinery for a nasty sensory overload.  I don't think he liked it, but he was calm, and actually seemed curious about what the workers were doing.  We practiced a bunch of finds and got to work on "overs" and "ins" as we negotiated signs propped up in the middle of the sidewalk.  His crowd work was pretty good today, and he didn't do anything really wrong although we had an embarrassing moment when he sat on a candy wrapper and it stuck to his rear end!  I had to help him get it off, poor guy.  As we worked back to my car we approached a coffee shop where we've stopped before.  I told him to find a seat, thinking he'd get me the bench on the sidewalk.  Instead he wanted to take me to a seat inside the coffee shop!  Maybe he thought the air conditioning in there would be nice, I don't know.  Of course I made him go back and take me to the nearest seat instead (like he's supposed to).  He's still a bit too assertive about thinking he gets an equal vote in where we go! 

But though I tend to focus on all the little areas that could use improvement, I'm actually starting to see that my little pup is growing into a nice dog.  Of course that strikes me the most when we're out around other (pet) dogs, like the other day at the dog park.  Alfie was playing and socializing, when some of the dogs started to chase a squirrel.  He's never been allowed to chase anything, so I don't think he quite understood what the excitement was about, but all the same I called him to me and he came right over.  I praised him, and off he went again.  Then later he picked something up in his mouth and I asked him to drop it, which he did immediately.  A lady who was watching nearby just gave me this amazed look and said, "Wow, my dog would NEVER do that!"  The dog park is the only place I seem able to go "anonymously" so I didn't let on about Alf's secret identity as a guide dog and the countless hours of work I've put into making sure he will do just that!  I also have a healthy awareness that we're far from perfect...sigh...but wow, it's nice when you can see some of that effort start to pay off!

Day at the Museum

Over the weekend we enjoyed a delightful time with family...Tim's cousin Kristin and her husband Greg happened to be visiting on business all the way from Manhattan!  Fortunately their schedule permitted some time with us, so we decided to stop by the Texas State History Museum -- an Austin icon and, just as important, a place where you can walk around and visit in air conditioned comfort.  In this 100+ degree summer heat that's a must!  Naturally, I hoped Alfie would be on his best behavior...maybe even show off a little of the great work he's been doing lately.  But it was not to be!

Alfie got his own admission sticker -- how cool is that?

You see, the evening before, Kristin and Greg had come by our house for dessert and gotten acquainted with Alphini.  Naturally he loved them both, but for some reason he went kinda nuts over Greg.  He adored Greg!  The feeling was mutual, and they were best buds for the evening.  Then when the next day came along and we met them at the museum, Alfie lost all focus.  He didn't actually do anything outright bad, like bark or jump or lick...he still obeyed (most) commands (eventually)...but his concentration was completely shot.  He panted excitedly and pulled like crazy...and Alfie NEVER pulls!  As we worked our way through the exhibits, I was kept constantly advised of Greg's location by which way Alfie's nose was pointing.  Alfie may think he's a big dog, but I was reminded that 10 months is still very much adolescent territory! 

Can you spot Alfie?

A nice "sit."  One of the few things he was doing well.

Still, he didn't cause any major disruptions and all in all I think it was an extremely valuable experience for him.  Greg did a great job of ignoring Alfie, which was just what he needed!  I did have an interesting moment when one of the docents approached me and kindly warned me to be very careful, as the footing throughout the exhibits was uneven (it was uneven, with many different surfaces, and even artifacts embedded in the floor!)  It wasn't until she walked off that I realized what had happened and asked Kristin, "Oh -- did she think I was blind?"  It's always an odd feeling when that happens...

I was pleasantly surprised at Alfie's behavior in the theater.  They've got a little 20-minute Texas history show complete with all sorts of special effects:  billowing smoke for the war scenes, thunder that shakes the seats and strobe lightning effects throughout the seating area, talking figures, seats that "pop" (to simulate a rattlesnake strike -- yikes!)...not to mention water misters that spray all over the audience as Galveston gets ripped apart by a hurricane.  Alfie was fascinated by it all.  He sat erect at my side watching and sniffing with intense interest but no real signs of alarm.  I guess he figured that as long as we were enjoying it, he might as well enjoy it too!

We rounded out the day with a trip to Amy's ice cream...ahhh.  By this time, Alf was too pooped to do anything but lie on the cool floor and pant.  He even ignored dropped spoons and bare toes walking past...good dog!

His reward?  Taking off the jacket for a last goodbye hug from Kristin and Greg.  Thanks for all the fun, guys!

Back to the Post Office

Who's afraid of the Post Office?

Well, after my last two trips to the post office , I was rather dreading having to return.  But today I needed to pick up a parcel and ship something, so there was nothing for it but to take a deep breath and face my fears.  After all, I hadn't done anything wrong!

We started off at an office supply store to purchase a box, which gave me a chance to practice some obedience, finds, and straight-line work with Alfie.  He did a good job of listening and working through the store, even in fairly crowded conditions.  We've been working on his distraction around children, and today he did well -- interested in them, but still able to focus.  I paid for the box and we worked our way back out to the car, where I realized that I was short on tape as well.  Rats!  Oh well, all the more practice for Alfie. 

Back we go to the store, find the door, right, left, right again, guide around the display in the middle of the aisle, GOOD BOY!  OK, down/stay while I look for tape and answer questions from a clerk...nice job Alf!  Up-sit, let's go, find the counter, steady, watch me, GOOD boy for not licking that little kid right in front of you, sit, down, wait while I pay.  Time to go now, but first answer more questions from the nice lady behind us, then find the door, and out we go to the curb.  GOOD BOY for that automatic sit at the curb, let's go!  GOOD dog for indicating the step up, LEAVE that grackle alone, find the "bus" (my car), good dog for sitting, get in the bus, treats for the good dog.  I think Alfie was hoping I'd forget something else so we could do it all a third time, but thankfully that wasn't necessary.

With that nice warmup, we headed to the Post Office.  Leash in my left hand and giant box in my right, I walked in and joined the line. It was very busy, with clerks at each of the four stations.  As I entered, four heads snapped up...turned in my direction...and just as I cringed for the worst they all went back to work without a peep.  One of the clerks even smiled at me!  I could scarcely believe it. They were not only polite, but downright friendly...such a pleasant surprise.  It made me wonder if they had received some kind of memo about ADA law since my previous visit!  The clerk who helped me got to chatting about Alfie, and I mentioned being questioned about him before.  He said he could tell he was a service dog with his jacket, and was very welcome, but did remark that they've "had some problems lately with people bringing in their pets."   All in all, things ended on a very good note.

All's well that ends well.

Adding Up

No big news today, no access-related drama.  Just a good day working with a good puppy...nice for a change.

As we walked today I was thinking of how so many extraordinary things are achieved through small, daily effort.  My wonderful Grandma crocheted each of her granddaughters an heirloom-quality tablecloth or bedspread as a wedding present.  The tablecloth  Grandma made me is among my most treasured possessions.  But I cherish almost equally the little piece of paper in her handwriting that she gave me along with it:  a log of how many stitches...and how many hours...went into her labor of love.  I was thinking today that these ordinary little walks with Alfie are like that...each one a little "stitch" helping to build the valuable gift I hope he'll become.  It all adds up! 

Have a great weekend!

Rough Day

It's been a long time since a business has tried to deny us access.  Today, to make up for it, we were challenged twice in one day...at the same place!

We were at the post office getting ready to mail a package and as we waited in line, a postal employee came out and announced loudly:  "Miss, you'll have to take your dog outside."  I politely pointed out that he was a guide dog in training, and the guy just sort of went back to wherever he came from, not bothering to reply.  I went on with my business and the folks at the counter were courteous as usual...after all, Alfie was in his work uniform and I've been taking various pups in training to the post office for a long time now! 

As it turned out, we had to go back again later on in the afternoon.  This time a different man told me firmly that dogs were not allowed inside.  Again keeping my tone polite and cheerful as possible (despite the knot in my stomach -- I hate confrontation!), I pointed out that he was a guide dog in training.  The postal employee replied, "Well, are you blind?"  I responded that no, I wasn't blind, but I was his trainer and then offered to show him my ID badge and a copy of the Texas state law which grants access to service dogs in training (it's actually printed on the reverse of my badge and boy, was I happy I had it!)  Again, he just sort of grunted and went on with his business, never answering me.  Sigh!!  I was allowed to stay, but I admit it gave me an unpleasant feeling.

As I waited, though, a nice gentleman in front of me in line turned around and gave me an explanation for what was happening.  He said that he'd been in the post office last week when a man brought in a dog and claimed it to be his service dog.  Some kind of incident ensued, and the customer said the dog's handler wound up angry and cursing everyone, making a huge scene. It probably didn't help that the dog in question was a large pit bull...I really wasn't sure if the dog was behaving badly, or just his master!  At any rate, it has my local post office turned against me.  Rats!

That really made me sad, and illustrates how the poor behavior of one dog and/or its handler can have such a negative effect on those of us who have a legitimate reason for bringing a well-behaved service dog (working or training!) into a public area.  It's such an important part of a puppy's training to get used to all kinds of surroundings and all kinds of people, and this is something you can only do (in my opinion, and the opinion of our school) by working the dog in public environments.  At the same time, it's a huge responsibility not only to train the dog, but to make sure it is well-behaved and not an annoyance to people in public...a responsibility I take seriously! 

 How did Alfie take all this?  He behaved perfectly, following every command.  But I could tell he felt my tension.  He scarcely took his eyes off me.  After all that, we ended the day on an "up" note with a trip to the library, which is like visiting the Alfie Fan Club.  Hooray for friendly faces!

Expect the Unexpected

I've gotta be prepared for anything these days!

Strange things have been happening to us on our walks lately.  Yesterday I was at Hobby Lobby and as I got my card out to pay I put Alphini into a down/stay and dropped the leash, pretty confident he'd just take a snooze til I was done.  As I waited for my receipt, a lady walked by, distractedly talking on her cell...with a flexilead attached to a little dog who was, shall we say, "flexiwalking" about 6-10 feet from her (yes, inside the store)!!  Alfie saw this too, and was at least as surprised as I was.  He picked up his head, looked at them, then looked at me, with "??" written all over his face!  What a good boy, he never got up or anything despite it all.

Then today, we were off to pick up some items at Target and as we headed toward the counter to pay, 2 kids somewhere in the 5-7 age bracket careened around the corner, racing full tilt toward us.  The little boy wasn't even looking up, but down at a toy in his hands...before I had time to think "where's your mother" we'd collided, while his sister screamed at the sight of Alfie and dashed to the other side!  Now that was a real test, even for a well-trained dog, let me tell you!  But this is where not only training, but also Alfie's good temperament, came to the rescue:  his typical response to the odd, unexpected, or even frightening things that pop up on walks is a great one -- he stands still and just sort of watches, taking it in and I suppose, trying to figure it out!  That's just how he's always been, and I love it.  Pretty soon Mom and Grandma had shown up with effusive apologies...phew! 

After that came an episode I'd rather not go into, but suffice it to say I found it odd to encounter what seemed to be an entire bag of Doritos spilled on the floor of the bathroom stall at the library!  Hmmm...talk about a training challenge...

Then at the store this afternoon I had a rather unusual exchange with my checker, who wondered (in a sincerely concerned voice) why I talked to my daughter as if she were a dog (you know, giving little commands, kissy noises, etc.)...only to find that, really, I was talking to my dog...oh dear!  It's been quite a day. 

The good news is that with all the strangeness going on, Alfie's been a real trooper.  Larry from GDTx came to visit and do a short walk with us and was very pleased with his progress...hooray!

On that note, let's walk into the sunset...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

...We're talking about Alfie's respect for Katharine, which needed a little shoring up.  He's always tested her more than the rest of the family, possibly because she's the youngest and he thinks he might just get away with it!  We started off earlier by putting her in charge of his meals (including the obedience routine he does before each meal).  This helped him tune in to her, but I could tell more work would be good.  So Michelle decided to have us meet her at the mall for a training walk...only this time, Katharine would be walking Mr. Alphini!  As Katharine put it, "I feel like an underage driver!"

Although Katharine's pretty familiar with the whole puppy-walking drill, it's different to be the one actually holding the leash.  Michelle gave her a few helpful tips and they were off.  I mainly bit my tongue (the urge to shout out random things to your puppy like, "No, leave it, in, steady, watch me!" are surprisingly deeply ingrained)...and avoided making eye contact with him.  Katharine needed to be in charge, and Alfie needed to get his information from her.  At first he kept glancing over his shoulder at me, like, "Hellooo back there, help me, is this OKAY?!" ...but with Michelle's coaching, Katharine coaxed his attention back to her.  They did surprisingly well! 

Hmm, think she'll let me cruise over and check out the food court?

And below, 5 seconds of gripping action footage!  Grab your popcorn!

You could tell they were both tense, not in an antagonistic way, but just because they were unused to communicating on this level.   We walked and walked...at one point, to give them a break, I took over the leash and they both got a little breather.  There was a train in the mall -- first time we'd seen that!

Alfie:  Are trains allowed in here?

Train guy:  Are dogs allowed in here?

Katharine worked Alfie some more...taking a break and putting him in a down every so often.  It was very cool for me to see Alfie do so well with her...following her commands, "checking in" with her, and wagging that tail like crazy when she praised him.

Aaahh, a well-earned break.

At the end of one full tour around the mall, Alfie was more exhausted than if he'd walked several miles with me.  Such a good mental workout for him!  Katharine is committed to ongoing obedience mini-sessions with him outside the home, which should help keep him tuned in to her.  Relationships are always better the more you work on them, don't you think?

Katharine's pretty fun!