Life with Riley

I can see how it takes more than a 100 years for this stuff to break down - it's impervious to my vengeful puppy teeth!

Today, Riley “helped” Mommy with switching her closets over to her winter wardrobe… by “killing” the completely busted SpaceSaver bags (which, btw, I caution you against believing all of the hype on these – yes, conveniently puts everything in one place, but they are incredibly susceptible to tearing. I suppose the small, flat versions are probably fine, but the cubes are not hardy at all. And, frankly, if you have “too much stuff, not enough space”, perhaps it’s time to cull through all those “never wears” in your closet!). If you ask me, all SpaceSaver bags should be inspected by “#25” (literally, “lbs 25″… Riley the Ripper)! Please note: No animals were harmed during filming. 😉

Kill! Kill the Evil Direct Marketing Empire!

Woke himself up by passing gas this afternoon… and then walked to the other side of the room, to sleep next to Mommy (gee, thanks!). Holistic food my foot!

And to think that Daddy wasn’t even here for him to blame.

Daddy left for London tonight… and won’t be back until Thursday night – after we leave for grandma’s house. So he’s not going to see Riley until after Thanksgiving!

Exactly 5 minutes.

I’ve heard that this breed can have a tendency to fixate… and the rug fringe has now become the latest in a long line of obsessions. So out comes another toy out of the magic bag… and voila! new obsession!

But how long will it last…???

come to me... you are getting sleepy... you will come out, mr. treat!

Uncle Jim Holt arrives! We walk to the Boat Basin and Riley gets a barstool of his own. Much better to be up and part of the conversation, than sitting on the floor, waiting for people to pay attention to you!

Sharin the luv with Uncle Jim, the original luv machine!

Photo of Riley in exchange for photos of Lily. Who thinks that was a fair exchange?

Today, Riley figured out how to get the treat out of the rubber toy in less than 5 minutes. Thinking it was a fluke, I tried it again. And again. And again…! Each time, less than 5 minutes…

So give that a grand total of TWO DAYS to figure out how to get the treat out… so I think I either need to get a different toy… or a different shaped treat!

The Lish-Master making short work of another Kong challenge!

A.D.D. on rug fringe this a.m… but I think it’s from being strung out on stinky salmon “chummy” doggie treats.

Monday evening:  Puppy play! More than 20 puppies all in a room… and while all of the others seemed to want to nothing but tussle and fight… all Riley wanted to do was RUN! When things got a little heated (particularly from a poodle with 10+ pounds on him), he would run full speed under the folding chairs lined up along the wall… the equivalent of the tube that is part of agility competition! The staff monitor happened to also be our regular puppy instructor, and she commented on this new skill/proficiency… and encouraged us to consider training him to compete. She actually thinks he could win!

Hey! Stop looking at the kid in the sweater! I know she's yours, but CLEARLY, I'm the one who knows how to sit! Treat, please!

Today was the 3rd installment of puppy obedience – and the NYC marathon! Lots and lots of people on the sidewalk usually spells trouble with a short attention span… but Riley is so tired after romping around with the other pups that he just wants to get home and take a nap!

Meanwhile, mommy broke down and got the red rubber toy she swore she never would: but the toss up of touching a slimy treat-infused toy vs. Riley the Chewmaster unleashed on the living room… not really a hard choice!

Let’s see how long it takes him to figure out how to master it…