February 6, 2017

White Dog saw a touch of Spring Fever creeping over the White Dog Army this afternoon and came to me suggesting we do something to break up the routine. "Sweet Girl," I told her, "We need dad to take everyone out to the yard for a rousing gave of chase or fetch. I am not not able to do that."  She understood. "Maybe you cannot do those kinds of things but you always come up with fun games that we all enjoy. Put on your thinking cap, momma."

I scrunched up my forehead so WD would know I was giving the matter thought as I munched on a chickpea salad.

The White Dogs all LOVE chickpeas and in no time all were sitting around me pleading for samples. Eureka!

I closed my salad container and told the WDA to wait for my return. I headed out to the kitchen where I grabbed a can of garbanzo beans and quickly drained them before patting them dry. On my way back into the office I kicked/rolled the carpet to a pile at the the far end of the the hall.

The White Dogs wathced me intently.

Then i sat back down at my desk but turned the chair to face the hall...and most of the WDA. When they saw the bowl of peas they surged forward expecting a treat.

"If you want THESE treats," I told them, "you are going to have to work for them." They looked at me with heads tilted.

I repositioned the mob to sit facing the door with an aisle space from me to the door. They were asked to sit and stay. I called Sachi to the open slot.

"This is how the game is played," I explained to all but focusing on My Little Man. "I am going to roll this garbanzo down the hall and you have to Get It! ready?"

I wasn't sure he did but he is the White Dog who loves to play with his food often rolling it on his own or rolling IN it.

I gently rolled the pea and Sachi went charging after it. He looked at me when he stopped the roll with his paw. "Yes, you may eat it." He came rushing back for another.

"You will get another turn but you must sit and wait while Nilla has a go at it." I called her front and center. She ambled over to the garbanzo and inhaled it before returning. Bella was next for I feared her strenuous sitting and paddling her arms at lightspeed would make her burst.

And so it went all around the Army until the beans were gone. Each had a unique method for garbanzo wrangling. My favorite was Zso's VERY enthusiastic running grab and slide into the piled up rug.

YoYoMa and Stormer because of their impaired vision played a variation called "Guess which hand."

It was a fun half hour that broke up the boredom a bit and made the usual drill of essential skills (like sit, stay, wait) mentally engaging. As the crowd dispersed, White Dog put her paw in mine. "That was such a clever idea," she said. "I swear sometimes I think my training is starting to sink in."