Monday 29th September 2014 – Ari’s training

Ari’s training is proving interesting. With us ‘heel up’ means come round ready to walk to heel. Unfortunately, Ari has learnt that ‘up’ means stand on his hind legs with his front paws on our Mistress’s shoulders. It means that when my Mistress has said ‘heel up’ to Ari she gets a surprise as he rushes towards her and almost bowls her over. She has had to change the word she uses with him to ‘round’. Anyway, he is much more focussed when he has to work for his breakfast. He was prepared to lie down outside and sit on command even outdoors. He picked up ‘round’ and moved on to ‘right’. He showed he could remember both ‘twist’ and ‘twirl’ from when he was a puppy and is ready for the next step. Unfortunately for Ari as fast as he learns one thing, another idea occurs to our Mistress and is added to the list. She has in mind teaching him to ‘kiss’. Now I don’t mean like Shadow who goes for full on the lips and half the time with tongues as well, no Ari is learning to be a gentleman and is learning to greet people a Swiss dog should with three kisses alternating from cheek to cheek. He says that is much more his style than learning to roll over and beg. I didn’t like to tell him that they were on the list as well!

Not having telephone and internet is all very well but it means that my Mistress is spending all her time in the pub. She says it is a better option that McDonalds, but unfortunately the pub is not open on a Monday so she is having to make other arrangements. It wouldn’t be so bad if the mobile phone signal was good enough her for her to access the internet, but it isn’t! It’s as though she has stepped back in time and she doesn’t like it.

Alfie’s Diary – the Book is available at Amazon UK –https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00583ZGSA

You can find short stories to read at www.alfiedog.com