plays with puppies

Thursday, January 15, 2015

How to occupy a puppy

A young yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy is lying sideways under a folding chair, facing right. He is wearing a baby blue Future Leader Dog jacket. He is intently licking the large end of a red Kong toy, which is filled with frozen kibble and peanut butter. There is a person sitting on the folding chair facing away from the camera, and a person to the left on a chair, and a chair to the right. The puppy is lying on a wooden floor.

FLD Henry works at his peanut-butter-kibble-filled-frozen Kong.

The same shot from the same angle, only the puppy is holding the Kong with both his front paws and his eyes are closed.

Working it. Hard.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

We took FLD Henry to the first "Friday Fireside" for 2015 at the Skyline Event Center in Comins. The striking log building, run by the non-profit Economic Development Alliance of Oscoda County, is a "gathering place" for the community.

Friday Fireside is a free concert every first Friday of the month. The January entertainment was troubadour Lee Fitzman. An added bonus was the opening of an art show with the work of photographer Dave Rider, of RTL Images. (For an interesting story about Dave, click on this link: Another Sunrise.)

FLD Henry burst into the Skyline with his usual aplomb. The handful of people already inside didn't mind his exhuberance, they wanted to meet him as badly as he did them. Of course, being the good puppy raiser that I am, I redirected his attention and asked that he be ignored.

At least until he showed some self-control.


FLD Henry looks at me like he is thinking, "Okay, isn't this good enough?"

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Stairs!

To break the time up during a long drive to Baraga in the U.P., FLD Henry and I stop at the Cut River Bridge. It turned out to be a good opportunity to practice stairs.

A LONG staircase down to Lake Michigan. While the landings are wood, the stairs are open metal grates.

This shot is looking back up the wooden staircase. A small yellow lab/golden mix puppy is standing at the top of a flight looking at the camera. His leash is tied onto the railing.

FLD Henry hasn't seen stairs like these!

Taken from above looking straight down on the puppy walking down the grated stairs. The puppy has his front paws on one step and his back paws on the step behind him. He is looking up at the camera. His brown leash is loose.

"I got this!"

A scenic shot of a small rushing river with a leaf-covered trail on the right side. Colorful trees line the far side of the river and trees already bear lean over from the right. In the distance with a blue sky behind it, is the green trusses of the Cut River Bridge, high above the river.

The river-view of the Cut River Bridge.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Playmates for Henry

Two sets of dog guests took the puppy-heat off Gus recently.

A cute-as-a-button yellow lab/golden puppy is sitting on a fall-colored rug, looking at the camera. He is leaning slightly to the left. He has a silver round tag on his collar with "Leader Dog 10813" on it.

FLD Henry thinks, "What? Four-legged guests?"

First, retired Leader Dog "mom" Amber and cc'd Autumn came to visit. They stayed for more than a week.

Three dogs sit and one dog is lying on her back on a wood floor. On the far left is a black lab, looking at the camera, he is sittingon a blue and brown striped rug. Next is a chocolate lab, exposing her belly, then a small golden/yellow lab puppy sitting just in front of a yellow lab. All are looking at the camera.

All pups sat when asked, except "melted chocolate" Amber. From left to right is cc'd Gus, retired mom Amber, FLD Henry and his bestest playmate, cc'd Autumn.

One weekend, two German Shorthaired Pointers came to play. Oh, and to chase chipmunks around the woodshed.

Five large dogs mill about on a light wood floor. The two on the left are brown and white German Shorthaired Pointers, in the middle is a black lab, on the right is a chocolate lab and in the background in the middle is a yellow lab. In the background someone is standing with blue jeans on, only his legs are visible. Another man is sitting on a black desk chair at a wood desk, wearing blue jeans and a yellow shirt, but is visible only from the waist down.

Odo and Gauge mingle with Gus, Autumn and Amber. FLD Henry is not in the mix. Yet.

Now the group of dogs are starting to play. In the foreground is the yellow lab. Behind her is the black lab and one of the german shorthairs - they are engaging each other with their mouths. In the background on the left is the older german shorthair, he seems to be sniffing the butt of the black lab. Off to the right is the chocolate lab, she is looking at the group with her mouth open. Behind the group of dogs you can just barely see the small head of a short yellow golden/lab mix puppy.

The play begins. Can you spot FLD Henry in the background peering at the action?

It is interesting how the dogs sorted themselves out. Gus and Odo paired up. Momma Amber sometimes acted as the fun police and barreled her body between pairs to break things up. Old-man Gauge, who doesn't play as much as he used to, found Autumn to be a sweet young thing.

A close shot of the heads of two dogs playing. The dog on the left is an older german shorthair pointer, his muzzle is gray, the dog on the right is a yellow lab. Both of them have their mouths wide open and they are facing each other. The lab is showing her large white teeth.

Gauge and Autumn hit it off. Dog-play can seem scary.

The group of dogs are now sitting or standing at "attention," looking to the right up at someone standing just out of view (you can see blue jeans and socked feet. The person is dispensing treats. In front is the yellow lab, sitting, next is a german shorthair, standing but about to sit, next is the black lab standing, the other german shorthair is sitting, the little yellow golden/lab puppy is the only one looking at the floor. Of course, there is a very small bit of kibble on the floor by the person's feet, which no one is paying attention to, except the puppy. On the right is the chocolate lab, standing with her muzzle up about to receive a treat.

But all is well as the pups are called out of play. FLD Henry is the only one who notices the dropped piece of kibble.

FLD Henry was not too shy, and eventually got into the fray. Autumn seemed to be his favorite playmate, she adjusted her play with the little guy. Gus will miss her when she goes home!

A small yellow golden/lab mix puppy sits with his hind legs splayed out in front of a pine door on beige carpet. He is looking at the camera. There is a lamp shade partly in view on the far left side, and the back of a chair with a blue blanket on it on the far right side.

FLD Henry waits at the bedroom door. Gotta love a puppy that asks to go to bed in the evening!