At 2:00 in the morning, Callie Golden Retriever walked to the side of my bed and sat facing me. She “snorted.” I don’t know how else to describe the sound she makes. It’s not a bark, or a “wuuf,” or a growl. It’s just a “snort.” Usually, she uses a “snort” to get my attention.

Sometimes, Callie walks right to the edge of the bed and sits down in a place where I can reach her neck to give it a vigorous “puppy scratch.” And sometimes she sits down a few feet away facing the door. This means, “I gotta go pee!” But this was different. She was facing me, but too far away for a “puppy scratch.”

So, what’s she trying to say? Running out of options, I guessed maybe she wanted to go out. So I dragged myself out of bed and walked to the kitchen door that leads out to Callie’s side yard — her place to pee and, maybe, chase a racoon or possum. Got it. Right?

Wrong! She didn’t walk to the door. Instead, she sat down in the middle of the kitchen. Not close enough to the puppy treat bowl to be asking for a puppy treat. Just in the middle of the kitchen. Then I noticed that her food bowl was on the sink and that it still contained a few bites of dinner.

That stinker! She remembered, at 2:00 in the morning, that there was still a little dinner in her bowl, and she was asking me, very politely, to serve it to her.

I’m sorry, Mr. Research Scientist, but when was the last time a 2 1/2 year old kid did something like that? I swear; dogs are smarter than we think!

Sometimes, to understand what your dog is saying, you have to go through all the possibilities and be real creative about trying to understand what they are thinking. On the other hand, “food” is probably the answer more often than not.

You can tell from this blog that I really love Callie Golden Retriever – and that I am very bonded to her. We have a terrific two-way, give-and-take person-dog relationship. My favorite activity with Callie is our daily soccer game – because it’s her creation, from the first day she arrived at my house, at age eight weeks.

But our daily soccer game is just a small part of our relationship. Another important part of our dog-person relationship is my ever-increasing “appreciation” for dogs in general, and for Callie in particular. Dogs continue to amaze me. I know, I know, the scientists say they have the intelligence of a two-year-old kid. But there’s something more going on with dogs.

Maybe it’s all the cute things they do to endear us to them. Maybe it’s their complete honesty and openness of their dog personalities and dog nature – the way they reveal their dogginess to us every day. Maybe they have figured out how to get a reaction out of us. Or maybe they take “cute pills” when we’re not looking.

Anyway, visiting Lake Arrowhead with Callie is always a special treat. She loves being outdoors, having lots of new smells to check out, going on long walks, and swimming in the lake. On our most recent visit, Callie did ten special things that made me appreciate her even more. So I decided to write them as a serial adventure in “Dog Appreciation.”

If you’ve ever wondered how we arrived at “Dog Appreciation Lessons” as the title of our first CD, now you know. These are the kinds of fun stories that make up the CD – and our fascination with “dog appreciation.”

So here’s installment No. 1 of “As If I Needed Ten More Reasons To Love And Appreciate Callie Golden Retriever.”

One of our extended walk/jogs at Lake Arrowhead takes us past the UCLA Conference Center and two tennis courts that are separated from the road by a twenty-foot high row of bushes. In the past, I have found an occasional tennis ball tucked away between the bushes and the tennis court fence.

Realizing from whence these tennis balls were magically appearing, Callie started, some months ago, to search the bushes herself. She would run along the edge of the bushes with her eyes firmly fixed on the area behind the bushes, where an errant tennis ball might be hiding. She has found three or four tennis balls this way – and they become her treasure for the day. She carries them home and stays close to them until bedtime – and sometimes after.

Well, this last visit, Callie amazed us by taking the tennis ball search to a higher level. She climbed behind the bushes whenever she could. She pushed right through the opening between two of the bushes and walked along the gap between the tennis court and the bushes. Unfortunately, this time, she did not get rewarded with a ball, but we were amazed at her creativity and persistence.

It won’t be long until she finds a tennis ball this way.

I don’t know if this qualifies as “smart” or not, but it’s certainly clever and creative behavior. And another one of those little endearing “dog appreciation” moments for me.

Watch this space for nine more “Reasons.”

Alexandra Horowitz, author of “Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know,” describes her research on “dog cognition.”  Hear Alexandra’s extremely interesting insights into what life is like for a dog.  Anyone who has tried to write from a dog’s point of view, for example, has had to deal with this.  An interesting insight:  That lick on the face you get from your dog when you return home may not be an expression of friendliness; it may be checking to see if you found food on today’s hunt!

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews dog whisperers, dog trainers, authors of dog books, and experts on all aspects of dogs and dog behavior and dog nature. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

Check out the dog-relationship books written by all of the authors who have appeared on the “My Doggie Says…” show: http://mydoggiesays.com/blog/?page_id=1479

Dean Koontz has published over a 100 books, and, in many of them, he has included a dog as a character.  He has also written several books about Trixie, his Golden Retriever, such as “Life is Good!  Lessons in Joyful Living,” by Trixie Koontz, Dog.  On the occasion of the release of his newest dog book, “a big little life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog.”  Dean describes the close relationship between himself and Trixie, as well as several humorous things that Trixie did.  He also expresses amazement at Trixie’s intelligence.

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews dog whisperers, dog trainers, authors of dog books, and experts on all aspects of dogs and dog behavior and dog nature.   The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

Check out the dog-relationship books written by all of the authors who have appeared on the “My Doggie Says…” show: http://mydoggiesays.com/blog/?page_id=1479

Last contest, we had four winners:  Marte Cliff, Margaret Donohue, Sheila Wedegis, and Ann Ranlett.  Congratulations, all!

We dog owners know that dogs are lots smarter than scientists think.  Researchers say that dogs have the intelligence of a two-year-old human.  But you and I know we’re constantly outsmarted by our “dumb” pets.  How smart do you think your dog is?  What’s the smartest, or cleverest, thing you dog has done?

Best comment(s) on this blog gets a free copy of “My Doggie Says…: Messages from Jamie.”  Contest ends 12:00 midnight, Pacific Daylight Time, Sunday, June 28.  Callie’s decision is final.

Louise Jones and her husband, Robert, wrote a fun book titled, “Gone to the Dogs: Life with My Canine Companions.”  The book recounts their experiences, largely centered around hunting and fishing, with seven different dogs.  They were especially attracted to Labrador Retrievers.  Bob also wrote “Jake” and “Upland Passage: A Field Dog’s Education.”  You can find his books here.

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews experts on all aspects of dogs and dog ownership. Listen to past interviews at www.mydoggiesays.com/blog/. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

Claudeen McAuliffe, author of “Mindful Dog Teaching: Reflections on the Relationships We Share With Our Dogs,” makes a guest appearance on the “My Doggie Says…” show.  Listen to her thoughtful comments about dog behavior, human-dog relationships, human-dog interactions, and the role of nutrition in forming our relationships with dogs.  Claudeen also talks about the “Tellington TTouch” method of calming a dog.  Check out Claudeen’s web site by clicking here.   Especially interesting are Claudeen’s 25 dog-training tips.

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews dog whisperers, dog trainers, authors of dog books, and experts on all aspects of dogs and dog behavior and dog nature. Listen to past interviews at www.mydoggiesays.com/blog/. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

Tonight on the My Doggie Says show:  Tom Sullivan, author of “If You Could See What I Hear,” talks about his four guide dogs.  Visit Tom’s site by clicking on this link.

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews dog whisperers, dog trainers, authors of dog books, and experts on all aspects of dogs and dog behavior and dog nature. Listen to past interviews at www.mydoggiesays.com/blog/. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

Callie, like lots of dogs, has a “security object.”  It’s like her “puppy pacifier,” even though, at 28 months, she’s hardly a puppy any more.  Since she was about 8 weeks old, Callie’s security object has been “Stinky,” the remaining front half of a stuffed puppy, sans ears.  The back half and the ears were casualties of over-aggressive chewing.  But Callie is pretty gentle with Stinky, so with the help of a local seamstress, we’ve been able to keep Stinky more or less intact.

Callie could destroy Stinky in a nanosecond, but she doesn’t.  She just lies near Stinky, or she “gums” Stinky to relax in the evening.  Sometimes, Callie trots the length of our house to retrieve Stinky (named after our granddaughter’s security blanket) and bring him (or is Stinky a her?) to where we are.

But now enter “Ducky Wucky.”  A few weeks ago, while Barbara and I were travelling, Callie spent a few days with our daughter’s Golden Retriever puppy, Magnolia (Maggie).  Callie took a liking to Ducky Wucky, and our daughter, Karen, gave Ducky Wucky to Callie as a going away present.

Over the past few weeks, Callie, has begun to pay more attention to Ducky Wucky.  She still hangs out with Stinky, but she has started to use Ducky Wucky in the same way that she uses Stinky — like a pacifier.

Here is a photo of Stinky Winky and Ducky Wucky together.  Which one would you choose, if it were your choice?

I am continually amazed at dogs’ thought processes.  The wheels are going around.  Dog intelligence is different from people intelligence, but it’s real.

Does your dog have a “security object?”  What is it?  How do you know it’s a security object?  What does your dog do with it?  Are there special times when it uses it?  Share your experience; post a comment

Poor Lily, she’s seven years old and physically healthy, except for her eyes. Two weeks ago, she lost her second eye because of glaucoma. She still wears a “lampshade” so she can’t scratch at the stitches from her surgery. The lampshade also keeps Lily from banging her head into walls and furniture as she tries to navigate around her home.

I spent three days at Lily’s house, as a guest, and it was pretty amazing to watch Lily cope with her new situation.

As you would expect, Lily bangs into things – walls and furniture. But she doesn’t get discouraged. She manages to work her way around the obstacle. What gives Lily “direction” is usually the sound of a human voice. Wanting to be with people, she follows the sound of voices until she reaches the same room. Then she waits until she can feel soft carpeting under her doggie paws and then she curls up on the floor, enjoying the respite from walls and furniture.

Just in the time I visited with Lily, she learned to follow the path from her owner’s garden back to her home. It’s a well defined dirt road, and Lily has already learned, by the feel of the path, to find her way from the garden to the house.

In a loving partnership between owner and dog, Lily has learned to follow her owners’ (my sister, Eleanor and her husband, Ignatius) voices, as they steer her along an uncluttered path to get where she wants to go.

We have this ongoing debate about “How smart are dogs?” If you read this blog, you know I am on the side of “smarter than most people think.” This story about Lily probably isn’t about “smart.” It’s more about courageous and resourceful. Regardless of how smart you think dogs are, you can’t deny that they can be incredibly brave and clever.