I've mentioned in several of my blog posts about Alfie, our Yorkshire Terrier. He's a very bright and intelligent little dog. I've explained about the Comic Relief ball which he loves. If it's dropped or hit, it makes a laughing sound, which sets off Alfie howling. He's quite capable of setting it off himself. He can even throw it, which seems unlikely, but he is able to set it off. I have to take it away and put it in one of the drawers in the bookshelf nearby. He knows very well where it is and stands and looks at the shelf. There is a footstool near the shelving and he'd grown wise to the fact that if he jumps onto this stool he can then stand up with his back legs on this stool and his front legs on the shelves and very nearly climbs up to the drawer with the Comic Relief ball in it.
He had a Baker's treat tin for Christmas. He knows exactly what's in this tin. He will go and look at the tin, in expectation of getting a treat from it. We set up a game with him, hiding several treats around the room for him to find, which he does without any problems. His new game is to tap the tin with his paw. The lid of the tin has got somewhat bent, so it won't now close properly, so I've had to put the tin out of his reach, otherwise he will be able to help himself to treats. It can be quite easy for him to help himself, so it's a good idea to have it up out of reach on the shelf.
His new trick is to bark whenever Carol needs help with something. She just needs to move about upstairs when I'm in the lounge, and he starts barking, as if to tell me I should be doing something upstairs to help. Just moving about without it being something important, and it sets him off barking. Alfie would make a very good assistance dog, perhaps for someone who has a hearing problem or perhaps has a vision problem. He could go and find them and bark if the telephone or doorbell rang or an alarm went off. He's good at letting you know what he wants, staring at whatever it is until you deal with it.
Alfie sleeps on our bed. He always has done, from when he was a puppy. Whether it's right to let him do so, I don't know. He can jump up on the bed, he's perfectly capable, but we usually pick him up. Carol sleeps on one side, and me, obviously, on the other. Alfie finds his place under the duvet, where he knows he'll be safe and warm and pushes up against my back. But when I get out of the bed, he often manages to shift his position to the exact spot which I've vacated, often with his head on the pillow. He won't move unless I make a comment. This is definitely one of his vary crafty little things he does. But for a small dog he takes up quite a lot of room, stretching himself out on the bed, but usually he curls up in a ball.
He had a Baker's treat tin for Christmas. He knows exactly what's in this tin. He will go and look at the tin, in expectation of getting a treat from it. We set up a game with him, hiding several treats around the room for him to find, which he does without any problems. His new game is to tap the tin with his paw. The lid of the tin has got somewhat bent, so it won't now close properly, so I've had to put the tin out of his reach, otherwise he will be able to help himself to treats. It can be quite easy for him to help himself, so it's a good idea to have it up out of reach on the shelf.
His new trick is to bark whenever Carol needs help with something. She just needs to move about upstairs when I'm in the lounge, and he starts barking, as if to tell me I should be doing something upstairs to help. Just moving about without it being something important, and it sets him off barking. Alfie would make a very good assistance dog, perhaps for someone who has a hearing problem or perhaps has a vision problem. He could go and find them and bark if the telephone or doorbell rang or an alarm went off. He's good at letting you know what he wants, staring at whatever it is until you deal with it.
Alfie sleeps on our bed. He always has done, from when he was a puppy. Whether it's right to let him do so, I don't know. He can jump up on the bed, he's perfectly capable, but we usually pick him up. Carol sleeps on one side, and me, obviously, on the other. Alfie finds his place under the duvet, where he knows he'll be safe and warm and pushes up against my back. But when I get out of the bed, he often manages to shift his position to the exact spot which I've vacated, often with his head on the pillow. He won't move unless I make a comment. This is definitely one of his vary crafty little things he does. But for a small dog he takes up quite a lot of room, stretching himself out on the bed, but usually he curls up in a ball.
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