Life’s a walk in the park for Ralphie!

Ralphie seems to find happiness everywhere he goes.

I can tell, because of his constant tail wag, frequent snuggles and shining bright eyes. However, Ralphie finds extreme happiness on walks, whether a quick jaunt around the block or when I take him to a local park and walk for 2 miles. (I mean what dog wouldn’t!)

The sun is shining today and as far as he’s concerned, it’s all for him.

“I really like these trails, there’s lots of nature to look at up close!”

“See my shadow? For some reason it follows me everywhere when it’s sunny out. Do you have one?”

“I’ve been benched. Good time for a treat anyway.”

“I think I’m ready to go home now.”

“Finally in the car. I’m pooped and ready for a nap when we get home!”

Get out there and take your special boy or girl for a walk. Fifteen or thirty minutes will brighten their day, as well as yours.

Happy Sunday from Ralphie.

Ralphie shows us what he knows, plus a little secret!

Ralphie knows a lot of things. It’s amazing how many commands he has mastered over his 10 years! It’s genius really.

So, we would like to share with you a few of his amazing tricks and tips today.

Then, one day during a horrible thunderstorm, we discovered his fantastic secret!

We knew that loud claps of thunder and flashes of lightning caused Ralphie extreme of anxiety, but we did not know the bathroom was his “safe place”. He figured this out all on his own!! (Good boy.)

We came home from work after a huge storm with hail and tornado warnings and found the shower curtain askew and the bath mat rumpled in the tub!

These were telltale signs that Ralphie had been in there since we know he likes to have a towel on the tub floor when he gets bathed and I always pull the curtain closed.

A funny moment when we returned from work on another stormy day, we actually found Ralphie shut inside the bathroom…Poor little guy! Since then, we continue to put a door stopper down before we leave for work everyday.

If you can imagine, this is what it looked like. (A little reenactment by our little actor!)

Ralphie hasn’t been trapped in the bathroom since that one time, but we know that he has been in the tub on a few more occasions.

Clearly, he hasn’t figured out how to take the mat out of the tub yet, the key word being yet!

Does your pup have any fun tricks and secrets of their own? Let us know!

Ralphie wants a treat and knows how to get one. He looks for the weakest link!

It’s time for Steve and my dinner and Ralphie knows that his people always eat first. However, I can tell that he is pretty hungry and would love a treat to tide him over until his dinner.

What do I do? Well, it doesn’t take long to figure that out…

It’s hard to say “No” to such a sweet face. I mean, seriously, look at that face…See what I mean? It’s hard.

Just when I thought I could be strong and teach Ralphie something about the virtue of patience, I broke.

Ralphie says happy Friday to everyone and hopes his canine friends get an extra treat tonight to kick off the weekend!

Cheers!

Wonder Dog Wednesday (A day late!)

Happy “It’s almost Friday” Thursday!

Cheers to a fun weekend ahead with your wonder dog!

The Sunshine Blog Award goes to The Ralphie Chronicles!

The Ralphie Chronicles was recently nominated by a very cute, inspirational and educational blog, Paws to Talk. Thank you very kindly for this awesome recognition!!

Paws to Talk narrators Bella and Didi, who are standard poodles, never cease to amaze Ralphie and me with their knowledge of all things related to the world of dogs. Some of the topics that stand out to us are dog anxiety remedies, how to behave around children & how dogs really are your best friend…to name a few!

Ralphie and I enjoy reading this blog. When you have a moment, be sure to check it out too. I promise you will be happy that you did! Paws to Talk

Other great blogs that we recommend are:

No Ruff Days

Modern Scottie Dog

Wags and Whiskers

Squirrels in Wren’s Nest

Top 5 things that Ralphie loves:

1. to be brushed
2. to wear his bandana
3. walks
4. naps
5. snuggles

Get out there and enjoy this Sunday with your four-legged friend. I know I will!

Thank you.

Ralphie gets a haircut!

It’s time for Ralphie’s in-home haircut!

Here’s the complete task from start to finish! He’s so patient. (Steve is patient too!)

To achieve the best results all you need is a nice pair of clippers, scissors and a brush. Ralphie loves to be brushed! Oh and treats, you must reward the little guy with plenty of Milkbones!

There’s definitely a lot of love throughout the whole process and sometimes a little friendly coaxing is required.

We’ve been doing this ever since we brought Ralphie home. Taking him to a groomer makes him really stressed out, so to keep him happy and stress-free Steve has mastered the art of his

Signature Ralphie haircut!

The tools:

Make sure you get my ears trimmed!

Steve, I am trying to sit still for you.

Please don’t trim my sides too short!

Stop! I think you might not realize how short you’re trimming me…I have an image to uphold. I’m getting outta here!

What, this look is all the rage you say? Well, in that case I’ll let you finish. Thanks, I love you too, Steve!

Make sure you trim around my nose just right!

And make sure you get the top of my head, it’s getting rather long.

Are we almost finished?

How am I looking so far?

The finished look:

Ralphie was happy throughout, as he’s quite used to this routine and was rewarded with plenty of treats afterwards.

Do you think Ralphie is handsome or what? (I’m pretty biased!) This is his pre-summer cut, he’ll shrink a tad more after his summer cut. Stay-tuned.

Thanks for reading today’s entry in The Ralphie Chronicles!

Ralphie Thoughts

I wonder when someone will play catch with me and throw Duckers around? It’s either that, or I will use him for a chin rest! Chin rest wins.

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Hey guys, I love my bandana. Are you taking me to a hoe-down anytime soon? Where’s my cowboy hat?

Excuse me, will you let me in now?

Hrumpf! I’m really tired after a long walk, time for my favorite past time, a nap.

Whoa, you startled me. I was getting some much needed beauty rest!

Guys, did you forget about me? Please let me in. I still need to eat dinner!