Playing with the Dog — What a Treat!

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S MYSTERY

Congratulations to Robin, who indeed guessed correctly that Ryan was the thief.  Here’s what happened:

When Daisy told Ryan about the missing dress, he guessed the exact price.  This means he had to have seen the price tag up close–as in when he was stealing the dress.

When asked about it, Ryan admitted he was jealous of Rita’s success and needed her to have a reputation-damaging experience or two.  Also, he considered Mrs. Winger his prospect and didn’t want her to work with Rita May Designs.

And why did Mallory walk away?  She was in a new relationship and the cell phone call was from her new boyfriend.  Daisy could surely understand this, but Rita made a note to work with Mal on her honesty issues.

Now, on to other items …

PROPHET LEADS AGAIN

Two dogs play chase at Chatfield State park.

Prophet & Kuma playing chase at Chatfield State Park.

Yesterday, while we were at Chatfield State Park,  Prophet showed me I’m an old dog that needs a few new tricks. I had forgotten his dog food, which I usually use as a reward for fetching a ball we use for exercise.  The wind was up a bit and the temperature down a bit, so I didn’t feel much like throwing anyway.  So we wandered the dry, gold land, just enjoying the sun.

Recently, my husband read a book where he learned that army dog trainers use tone of voice for clearer communications with their dogs.  Low tones connote alpha behavior, while high-pitched “baby talk” is used to reward and excite dogs.  Hmm…Interesting.  Would this work with Prophet?

As we wandered I would call him in my usual happy tone.  Occasionally, he looked up, but generally kept sniffing at or chewing on wild grass and dog poo.  Then I used a deep voice, and Proph came running.  How cool is that?

Later, I called again, and again my dog ran up to me.  This time, when he arrived, I got down on one knee and hugged, laughed, kissed, and squealed my delight with my doggie. Proph responded by coming so close you’d think he wanted to jump inside my skin.

Suddenly we were rolling on the ground, with me laughing and him panting.  Great stuff!

It was then that Prophet decided to take the lead in our play–literally! He rooted around the doggie pack I keep with me whenever we go for walks.  The pack usually contains treats, but is also good for carrying extra poo-bags, park dog pass, and Prophet’s leash (you must have all these things in order to be a patron of good standing with the state parks).  I keep the leash clipped to the outside of the doggie pack for easy access.  You never know when Prophet’s enthusiastic play will be interpreted as aggression from other dogs or dog owners.

Prophet grabbed the leash in his mouth and started tugging.  Soon he was at the handler’s end of the leash with me at the clip end.  He took off at a trot, strong enough to make me run after him, but he didn’t run full-out.  He was dragging me into doing some nice cardio work!  I could almost sense my guy coaching me along.  When I’d had enough (after about 20 feet of all out running on my part), I stopped.  Proph understood I was out of breath, but he looked at me as if to say,”Okay for today, but you’re way out of shape.  We need to do this again, soon.”

When I got home, I was curious about whether running is a dog’s favorite game, so I looked it up on-line.  Didn’t determine for sure, but I found a great site I bookmarked for future game ideas. Shiba Shake is a website I plan to return to often.

How’s your pet today?  Are you two having fun?  I hope so.

Out in the Cold–With Prophet

The weather report on my computer said ten degrees.  The temperature on my car dash generously reported thirteen.  I grabbed the long-johns, ski pants, scarf, hats, two pairs of gloves, and, oh yeah, the dog.  Time for Prophet’s morning walk.

Taking your dog for a walk when the weather is bad may be one of the most difficult jobs for dog caregivers.  For me, unlike my healthy friend, Daisy Arthur, cold weather is a real threat.  I have had chronic bronchitis for nearly 45 years, ever since I walked home from school in inappropriate clothing and weather cold enough to make the most hearty among us run for a scarf.

Still, I skipped Proph’s walk yesterday (the temperature was listed as seven on my computer weather report) so I really needed to get my guy to the park.  After all, he needed to wear off the bits of chicken that “fell” to the floor, the marshmallows snuck from my bowl and whatever else it was that made his tummy so grumbly this morning. I forgot my camera to illustrate today’s post.

Miracles are part of this special time of year, and today we had ours. The walk was easier than I’d expected, and we bumped into a few friends along the way. Have you ever noticed that when you force yourself to do something good, good things usually happen to you?  For me, I was okay with the weather–amazing how proper dress keeps a person feeling good.  Then, Prophet actually played nicely with a little German short hair who chased and ran off a little excess Christmas energy.

We also bumped into Indy and her caregiver, John, who has become more and more of a friend over time.  This past fall, John was the one who brought apples from his fruit tree.  We loved them.  Indy is a shepherd mix, but probably a good 60 pounds shy of Prophet’s 115.

Proph and I are back home now.  My cheeks, while not glowing, feel fresh from the cold, and my fingers are okay.  I am breathing easy and looking forward to a nice cup of tea.  The snow was lovely to walk through.  Denver and Littleton had a “white Christmas” without any blizzard or other hazardous over-the-top snow and sleet to wreck the spirit.

Sometimes, Christmas doesn’t have to be a big, lalapalooza of an event.  Sometimes the holiday season is special just for the snow, the smiles and the walks with your dog.