[derwos]

From the time Aly was a puppy, at the end of the day when I took off my socks, she'd come to investigate with glee.

From early on, I'd animatedly say "Booooo!" in a high tone and quickly place the sock over her muzzle.

Does she try to get it off? NOPE!

Here's an image, just taken... she's nearly 20 months old. She's just run from the deck, with the sock over her muzzle... 20 yards from the deck.

GOOFBALL!!!!!!! Gawd, I love this mutt!!🤣😂🥰🤣😂🥰

 

[Gabica]

From my two gangsters Miksa carries anything I give to him in his mouth and by now he helps me with laundry, he cannot wait to do so! Bende on the other hand I can put any clothes, objects, towels whatever on and he would balance with them on a way that they don't fall off, super fun too.
You can actually register for a trick title at different levels, it is fun, not a lot of extra work once you have done as much as you do with your dog. it is just something to have for fun. Since Covid you can do even a virtual version, I have not done that, only the live one.

 

[derwos]

@Gabica, I include Aly in every daily activity! It's a blast! It can also be time consuming... though, I don't care! From a tiny puppy, Aly has ALWAYS done laundry! Carrying dirty cloths... to immediately reacting to the dryer alarm, when we go fold cloths.

I made a big mistake by teaching her to jump on my back when I was on all fours. Now, whenever I get down to clean something on the floor, it's apparently "trick time" for Aly! She's on my back!🤣😂

Making the bed? OH MY!!! When she was tiny, making a bed took me 15 minutes more! LOL Now, it's comical and adorable in how she's learned "excuse me" means to move... and she scoots from under a sheet or blanket just fluffed over top, to around and on top of it. Suffice it to say, bed making has become more efficient... only takes 5 minutes now! LOL It's a load of fun!!!

I could go on and on!

Here's another sock picture... where I was playing with her. She full understood it was all in fun... and it's from episodes like this, I can dress her up with goofy things on her head, for funny photos. Was she freaked out at all? Not in the slightest! She just loves the interaction! She's a GOOFBALL!!! LOL

 

[texasred]

If there is not a goofball award, there should be.
Clearly Aly is practicing for the competition.

 

[derwos]

Yeah, @texasred. Inside the house, she's very frequently a clown. The lines of who is training who are very fuzzy! When I'm inside and trying to get things done, she seems to have figured out silly little antics will gain her my attention. Manipulative mutt!!!

I'm also in favor of some type of award for "Nefarious plot to gain attention"! I'd have a champion!! Below are a series of photos of Aly having crawled under a little deck off the living room. When I was outside doing stuff, she crawled under and began "talking" loudly. Not barking... just whining and talking.

Over the first 1/2 hour she was under there, I tried coaxing her out several times. The first photo below is one of those times. Her face suggested she "might" actually feel trapped and be stuck under there. In the photo, you can see how close the rim joist is to the ground.

In an attempt to get her out, she wiggled her way to the furthest place of any side. The second photo shows this. What it also shows, she certainly doesn't appear to be particularly distressed. I began getting the feeling I was being played. Still, it was beginning to get late in the afternoon and didn't want her "stuck" under there (if she actually was), after dark. I tried several more times to coax her out. Each time, she'd come to the rim joist and then immediately wiggle back to that spot where she was safe from my grasp.

I decided I didn't want to dig a trench to get her out because I knew she'd use the freshly dug spot to get back under there. So my next option was to take off a deck board or two, to give her an easy way out. Darkness was not too far off, so I gathered some tools. Particularly, my Dewalt impact driver. A great tool for getting the deck screws out! I also thought the noise it would create might be a benefit in maybe scaring Aly out from below... or at least freak her out enough that she wouldn't ever go under the deck again.

The third image below shows the moment I removed the deck board. Look at that face!!!!! Voros Angyalarcu Ordog... "Red Angelface Devilchild"!!!! (thanks for this reference, @Gabica) It was all a ruse!! I'd been played!! I'd been setup!!!! She stuck her head out from below, with that face... and then immediately went below again!!🤣😂🤣😂

I just walked away, laughing my butt off! After 5 or ten minutes, she just crawled out of the spacing I created by removing the deck board and she came to greet me out in the yard, as a bundle of excited and happy energy... telling me "That was fun! Let's do it again!"

After cleaning up the mess and tools in the yard, I went back to the deck and replaced the deck board. Then brought all the tools to the other side of the house and into the garage. I then immediately walked back around the house, to the deck area.

GUESS where Aly was?!?!?!?!?!😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

Turns out, all I ever had to do was say to her: "Come on... Let's go for a walk!" Within one minute of walking away from the deck, telling her we were going for a walk, she was dashing by me!

 

[texasred]

Oh she really played you.
Your right they are such attention hogs.

 

[derwos]

@texasred, from quite a few months ago, I remember a post you made. I can't remember if it was an OP or a response to someone else. It was about how one of your older mutts was "demanding" attention and you eluded to taking her away from the hub-bub of all the dogs and giving her some quality alone time.

The gist of that post has stuck with me. i.e., it's a good thing to go out of your way sometimes to provided them the attention they demand.

Aly is maturing nicely and in actuality giving me much time to get things done overall. Her attention demanding antics? Funny and adorable! Even when it takes me 2x or 3x longer to get stuff done, then it should.

Thanks for the great tip ya didn't even realize ya gave!

 

[texasred]

That was my Sugarfaced June.
I lost her to lymphoma.
I realize she looks huge in this picture, but she had been on steroids for months treating a ear infection.

 

[derwos]

God Bless June and yourself. You both taught an invaluable nuance!