Hop aboard the Euka Express

Gimme a challenge here, Food Lady. Let’s set this thing on fire or something.

You know how they say dogs know basic math, right?  Show your dog you have three dog cookies in your hand, then only give them two. The dog knows you’re holding out on them and why are you being such a jerk about the cookie because you’re not going to eat it and they know that too.  I thought we were friends here, says your dog.

Our dogs show us their smarts all the time like this. Not just our über-intelligent CCI pups, of course. Each fuzzy comes packaged with their own brand of cleverness.

For instance, as a former stray Jager has a level of survival skills that he exhibits even these seven years after his Gotcha Day with us. Street smarts, so to speak. When in the office he does his Tiny Tim performance with my dog loving co-workers.  Oh please sir, says Jager with an affected cockney accent. He expands his pupils until his eyes are watery black pools. Could you spare a sandwich for a hungry dog? They don’t feed me until the weekend, you know.

And so he’s handed a pity cookie by a kind soul. Which he spits out. It’s my jaw, you see, says Jager. I don’t have much muscle here. Might you have a softer treat for the poor likes of me?  And sure, he gets a different treat. Who could say no to that face? Jager chomps down the soft treat, then snatches up the one he dropped and trots away to nosh upon the treat back on his dog bed. True story. Except for the cockney accent part. He actually has a hard time pulling that one off.

He’s a clever one, our Jager.

But we know Euka’s a rather smart girl, too.  She observes her environment and misses nothing.  I notice her relaxed posture as we walk into new situations, but I also see how she needs to process things. Not a fear or hesitation about what’s going on, but instead she cases a room with a what’s in this for me attitude.



You do have matches on you, right?

Our local chapter of puppy raisers for Canine Companions for Independence was provided the opportunity this weekend to introduce our pups to an agility course. Not as training for any competition, but an excellent and safe way to reinforce confidence with novel experiences.

It’s a long drive for us, about an hour and a half, to reach the agility facility (heh. agility facility.) and we show up a bit after things have started. Activities in full swing with dogs and people absolutely everywhere. At one point I counted sixteen pups with their handlers. (During the playtime break, I’m sure the thundering herd was at least twice that.) It was so very interesting to watch Euka scan the room, the agility equipment, the dogs in motion. Her body posture – head up, ears perked – was all Coo-ell! Bring it on!

I’m just not getting this sandworm* thing.

The Euka Express bursts from the train tunnel. Woe to those dog in the path of the freight train. All three of them.