10 Things About Riley

Blog 11 – 2.6 Challenge – 26 blog posts over 26 days…

Today marks 4 months since Riley and I started training together. Our partnership is still in its infancy and I am continuously learning about his character. I have listed below the 10 things I know about the black Labrador cross retriever so far.

1. Probably not his most glamourous feature, but Riley is a serious drool machine. At the sight of food the saliva just slides out. When working Riley is rewarded with treats when he finds something well. This means I have started to take a small towel with me for when we reach our destination so I can clean the pup’s mouth up on our arrival to make him look handsome again.

2. Riley enjoys being underneath the dining table. He darts under there when he has something he shouldn’t, races under there when he doesn’t want to be groomed, dives under there when I get his lead or relaxes under there just because. If I ever can’t find Riley it is a guarantee he can be located underneath the table.

3. Riley walks up the stairs in the house rather than runs. It is the most bizarre quirk of his. I don’t know if it is a learnt habit from Guide Dog training, but he climbs each step slowly and carefully. This often means he can sneak upstairs without you realising and so has been nicknamed the ninja.

4. Riley talks. He is very communicative with his whines. They generally mean I need a busy, I’m bored or I want to play.

5. Riley’s favourite thing to do in the whole wide world is to find crossing boxes. As soon as he is given the command to find the box or clocks one his speed rapidly increases and we literally sprint to the box.

6. Riley loves to launch himself at Calvin. It is great that Riley adores his big brother. However, I do fear that Riley might properly break him one day with his bouncy ways. Without fail when I bring Calvin in from spending in the morning Riley is always poised to pounce. We all remain still and it is usually me who makes the first move that results in Riley catapulting himself at Calvin.

7. Riley has the biggest ears. Big ears on a human are not cool. Big ears on a puppy are the cutest thing ever. Riley’s ears are far too big and long for his head. I imagine they give him a pretty boy look.

8. Riley has super recall. Three blows on the whistle and it doesn’t matter if he is out of sight and sound, Riley will come charging happily, bells jangling on his collar.

9. Riley can give you his paw. I know a lot of dogs can do this. Riley can of course do a lot of other amazing things like guide me around obstacles and find doors etc, but I feel like it was a hidden skill that I discovered by chance. I simply asked him one day ‘paw’ and without hesitation he gave it to me. I wonder what other secret skills he has.

10. Last but not least Riley is a water boy. He can often be found dive bombing into streams and pools. When it comes to being washed clean on the other hand Riley develops a sudden aversion to water.

I am taking part in the 2.6 Challenge to help save our UK charities. If you enjoyed my blog post or are feeling generous please consider donating as little as £1 to support my chosen charities: The Norrie Disease Foundation, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Look UK, RNIB and Girl Guiding UK. You can find my fundraising page by clicking here

Thank you and stay safe x