The Riley Factor #18

The Riley Factor

Fort Plain, NY, December 31 -- As dawn breaks, snow falls gently on Riley, known around here as the Center of the Universe.  He strolls with Susan for his morning constitutional, as Stevie watched from the comfort of her computer work station.  After the red ATV was rescued from its snow-bound resting place on one of the little-used back trails, where Nancy and Gabby ventured on their morning ride/run, Riley strolled the grounds with Chris and Susan, stopping on the grain shed porch swing for a view of the pond through the still-falling white flakes.  Back at the ranch, Chris dismantled the wall behind the washer & dryer to find the cause for the non-operational, dis-functional, mal-performing, anti-labor-saving washing machine, which problem was determined to be the end-result of a frozen hot water pipe.  Final result and repair to be decided.

The Riley Factor #17

The Riley Factor

Fort Plain, NY, December 30 -- Dawn welcomed bitter cold with stiff breezes as Riley strolled only briefly for his morning constitutional.  Once back inside and duly warmed by the fire, guests Miranda (Dewey) and Johnny (Johnny) ran Riley silly and taught him to get up and down the staircase, following-up on Susan's lessons from the last two days and early this morning in the barn.  After an unscheduled 'accident', Riley watched from the hole (errr ... his cage ...errr ... his alternative housing unit) as Susan and Beverly played checkers by the kitchen stove.  Yesterday afternoon, he played first outside on the driveway during a road maintenance operation and then ran around silly as Dewey and Johnny put him through their paces.  He dropped from exhaustion at about 7:30PM and was horizontal for the night, spending his third consecutive accident-free uncaged night sleeping in the bedroom upstairs.

The Riley Factor #16

The Riley Factor

Fort Plain, NY, December 28 -- Sunday was a perfect afternoon at the compound in beautiful downtown Fort Plain - sunny, 50 degrees, snow melting.  Riley took an hour-long walk around the orchard and pasture fencing, sparring with the Herd of Four, going nose-to-nose with Michael, Raphael and Gabriel on several occasions, offering each his lick-the-face 'kiss' and even receiving one back from Michael, among the many head butts offered by the black bovine in an effort to drive the puppy back to his proper side of the fence.  Eli remained in the second row, soaking in the behavior and following the big boys around, but declining to participate.  After the walk-a-thon, Riley went on a long slow ride in the Ute on the trails and fields, including many of the secondary trails that had not seen traffic since the fall, sitting (wedged) in the front seat between Susan and Chris.  Riley fell into deep nap-land in late afternoon, which lasted through his second cage-less night's sleep.  House training continued to improve, with perfection being the ultimate end game.  Monday morning awoke to snow falling and more warm temperatures, and Riley and Gabby went on a long walk/ride with Susan and Nancy on the trails and field roads, traversing among the snow flakes and wildlife.

In related stories, high-speed DSL internet access is scheduled to arrive at the compound today, and the Green Bay Packers have added the NFL Playoffs to their holiday season scheduled activities.

The Riley Factor #15

The Riley Factor

Fort Plain, NY, December 27 -- After an evening journey from Eastern Massachusetts to Middle-of-Nowhere, New York, Riley was ready for romping, and ran around like a crazy man (dog) for an hour before settling in to his first night sleeping out in the open, cage free.  This morning, he awoke at dawn for his morning constitutional,and then spent time with Susan in the greenhouse and later with Nancy wandering around the back yard.  The herd were released to the pasture for the first time in several days, and stampeded past Susan as she opened the barn door to freedom, with Michael leading the charge.  The Fearsome Foursome was last seen sprinting the length of Rock Creek and doing the 'happy dance'.  Gabby assisted with a herding effort, which kept the cattle on the run.

The Riley Factor #14

The Riley Factor

Hopkinton, MA, December 26 -- Daybreak saw NVA commies swarming over the hill as we lay trapped under the jungle cover and immeasurable heat of Southeast Asia's summer.  A season so hot that swamps become deserts between dawn and dusk and trees melt under the blistering noon sun ... no, no, wait ... that is just another 'Nam flashback ... it will pass ... here we go ... Daybreak saw Riley prancing outside the front door on his morning constitutional in the balmy December Eastern Massachusetts air.  An hour later, he was 'helping' the yard crew re-shovel the front walk and steps, and widen the rear walkway to fit adult travelers.  Pupperoni was the new food of the day, with CJ reporting, "Riley loves it".  Izzy and Einstein, the feline patrol, circled, waiting for a crumb to drop and be targeted for the ubiquigtous cat pounce.   In reciprocal effort, Riley stole a canister of cat treats that CJ had to forcefully remove from the Jaws of RIley and refile under - 'food, protein, feline, desserts & snacks.'  Clearly not Riley aimed.  There are a dozen stories lurking in the naked city, and this is just one ...

The Riley Factor #13

The Riley Factor

Hopkintion, MA, December 25 -- Christmas Day marked Riley's first day of traveling following his mid-December move to New York, as he returned to Hopkinton, the first place he lived after leaving the pet orphanage.  Although his first stay in Hopkinton was a brief one, on his return Riley appeared to remember CJ, his first master, as well as Jess, Stevie and Scotty.  After a walk around the old neighborhood, Riley played in the snow and resurrected the old backyard dog line for a romp.  Evening activities included his regular nap, followed by a night of cage-sleep.

The Riley Factor #12

The Riley Factor -- Christmas Eve

Fort Plain, NY, December 24 -- Christmas Eve is just another day in the Life of Riley, where every day is a play day and every eve a holiday.  Riley was out early this morning for a walk and has already been out several times walking on the leash.  On one sojourn, Professor Mittens was found lurking in the pine tree at bird feeder height lying in wait for some unsuspecting prey to stumble near in search of a meal of sun flower or other seeds.  If Professor Mittens were to have his way, he would soon be burping bird feathers.  However, owing to his pronounced lack of hunting skills, his bird feasts will have to remain his dreams.  Riley will be destined to spend much of today in his favorite cage, as the family travels to spend the afternoon and evening in Western Massachusetts at the famous (infamous?) Slate Family Christmas Eve Bash, this year to be held at Richie Crowley's in Southwick.  Neighbor and friend Annie and her daughter Barbara will visit in the carriage around 4-5PM to feed the cattle and fowl and give Riley and Gabby a brief exercise and feeding.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

The Riley Factor #11

The Riley Factor

Fort Plain, NY, December 23 -- Today, Riley has been given a one-day pardon from wearing the training collar, in recognition of doing pretty well lately.  He seems very content wandering around the kitchen.  For a first time, we have tried tying him outside on his own for a few minutes at a time.  This morning, he is outside, watching Ephram bring firewood from the wood pile near the garage to the basement for stacking.  He and Gabby the Belgian Tervuren are getting along better these days.  Riley tried a bit of split pea & ham soup for lunch ... yum.  Last night, Riley collapsed at about 8PM after a day of play.

The Riley Factor #10

The Riley Factor

Fort Plain, NY, December 22 -- After spending an evening with the dog flu (very, very, extremely very distant cousin of the swine flu), Riley rebounded this morning to his playful self.  Spending quite some time outside in the brisk 20 degree sun light, Riley walked around the back yard and played near the firewood pile before returning to the cozy confines of the kitchen hearth.  Last seen chewing on one of Susan's slippers (bad dog), he morphed to hunter and chased AJ and The Professor for a couple of laps around the room before they cat-screamed to be let out.  Back to the slipper for a quick hors d'oeuvres, no doubt he is soon destined for an early afternoon nap.  Ahhh ... the dog's life ... the Life of Riley.

The Riley Factor #9

The Riley Factor

Fort Plain, NY, December 21 -- Sun & 30s forecast today for the beginning of Riley's Christmas week.  On today's schedule will be Riley pestering Chef Susan and Chef Nancy during the afternoon-long cooking baking marathon festival.  On Sunday, Riley played numerous games of fetch and took several walks to the barn and to the greenhouse.  This morning, Riley has his first experience of being home alone, when all human residents were visiting neighbors, in the barn or otherwise absent.  When Susan returned home, Riley looked a bit nervous at the door, but was otherwise fine.

Yesterday, Riley spent his first afternoon watching NFL football.  After witnessing a particularly troubling Green Bay Packers last-second loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Riley quipped, "I am not an NFL coach, if I were, and it was down to the final play of the game, and the only way I could lose is for the other team to go 19 yards into the end-zone for a touchdown, I would rush two, have one spy the QB, and drop eight back into coverage with every receiver being double-covered.  Single coverage in the end-zone is unacceptable."  There may be a future for this pup yet.

The Riley Factor #8

The Riley Factor

Fort Plain, NY, December 19 -- 'Fetch' was the word and game of the day yesterday and this morning in the Life of Riley.  As his baby teeth continue to drop out, Riley finds chewing hard things increasingly difficult.  He is still ever-happy and is doing fairly way on the whole house-training gambit.  Riley is totally at ease with all four cats and with Gabby, Nancy's Belgian Tervuren, as are they all at ease with him.  Riley got off the leash for a bit of a time this morning, and chased AJ into the small side woods, where they spent 5 minutes playing cat-and-dog.  Eventually, he returned to civilization.  Currently, he is curled-up in Jack's dog bed, sleeping soundly right next to the kitchen wood stove.  Arwyn is crouched right next to him on one of the dining chairs, busily hissing and growling at AJ and Professor Mittens whenever they happen by -- great Cat Theatre.

The Riley Factor #7

The Riley Factor

Fort Plain, NY, December 18 -- Sunny & 25 degrees welcomed Riley to TGIF.  After his morning constitutional around the grounds, he got down to it.  First, he climbed up on to a footstool, the first ascension to any height in his young but all too consuming life.  The then played with the "I like carrots and I cannot lie ..." stuffed rapping rabbit.  Chasing his nemesis Gabby, Riley did get his front paws up onto the first step of the kitchen staircase, perhaps that well-storied first step with which every long journey begins, or perhaps simply a wrong turn on his eternal cat-chasing life.  In store for later in Riley's morning are a ride in the Ute to the compost pile and perhaps a circuit around the trails to the upper pond or through the woods.

In the background of The Life of Riley, Nancy and Susan are playing with glitter and glue, on a mission to make a Christmas Kissing Ball, along with also making chocolate Christmas candy.  "We're having memories", quipped Susan.  "We're making memories', Nancy quickly corrected, "what we're having are breakdowns".  Ahhh ... one would think they are an old married couple ... at least they are not busy forgetting memories, or making-up memories.

The Riley Factor #6

The Riley Report

Fort Plain, NY, December 17 -- Single digit temperatures proved no problem for Riley Fuchs, as he completed a second day of intense training.  After recapping his mastering of walking on a lead and the 'down' command, he went to the bull pen for more work on house training.  Unable to match yesterday's perfect 'no accidents' performance inside, he stumbled twice on the day for a still respectable outing.  Late in the afternoon, he went on his first NY car ride, making the round trip to the bank, post office and hardware store without so much as a whimper, looking like a seasoned veteran in the passenger seat.  Riley capped Thursday with an evening playing with several toys, napping and watching NFL football.

The Riley Factor #5

The Riley Report

Fort Plain, NY, December 16 --  Today marks the formal beginning of training for Riley Fuchs.  First up ... walking on a leash.  Wearing his smart new blue training collar, coupled with its blue & white training lead rope, Riley was taken through the paces by Rock Creek Farm CEO Susan Fuchs.  After a 15-minute walk around the back yard, Fuchs commented, "It was a little hard, but Riley is off to a good start."  Coupled with the accompanying video and booklet, training expectations are high.  Watch for future updates on the Life of Riley.

The Riley Factor #4

Daily Dog Report

Owing to our increasing popularity and expanding subscriber base, we here at the Daily Dog Report recognize our need to increase our profile and rebrand our moniker in order to reflect the speed and dynamics at which our world, the dog world and the entire world is changing.  Accordingly, we commissioned a renowned marketing firm to create a new identity for our masthead, an identity that reflects our position as a leader in the dog reporting business, and the reporting of about chief subject, Riley the dog.  We would like our readers to have a say in how we are to be known going forward.  Please reply to this e-mail with your vote as to which name best reflects the quality in reporting that we offer and have provided, without missing a single day, since the early days of our existence.

With apologies to David Letterman, the Top Ten choices under consideration are ...

     1.  Daily Dog Report (our current name, and the name we have used since our founding in late 2009)
     2.  The Dog Blog
     3.  The Daily Dog
     4.  The Riley Factor
     5.  It's a Bird, It's a Plane, No It's a Dog
     6.  Dog But Not Forgotten
     7.  It's a Wonderful Dog's Life
     8.  Dog With the Wind
     9.  The Wizard of Dog
    10.  Star Dog, Captain's Log

Be sure to make your vote count.  Like in every Massachusetts and New York election, vote early and often. 

Chris Fuchs,
Editor in Chief

Thanks for the votes, all.  The poll are now closed.  Results to be announced with today's publication.

P.S.  This was meant to be more humorous than serious.  But as that great philosopher Stevie Fuchs said (circa 1995, age 12), "Dad, if you need to explain your jokes, they are not funny".   Oh well, all these years and I'm still explaining.

The Riley Factor
Fort Plain, NY, December 15 -- Riley has recovered from yesterday's late night bout with intestinal flu.  All family members are greatly appreciative of his return to normal.  This morning, he went for his first run.  (Slave) Drivers Susan and Nancy coaxed the three-month old pup into the Ute under the guise of a morning ride through the trails, to watch Gabby on her daily run around the property.  But half way home, they hurled the young Golden to the snow and urged him to run home like the wind for his breakfast.  He made it back to shelter and safety, all the way from the top of the second field, and was last seen collapsed on the couch recovering, under an afghan.

Editor's Note: In a landslide victory, The Riley Factor won yesterday's  election to rename The Dog Report.  In the tradition of Massachusetts and New York elections, there were seven registered voters, with the winner collecting almost a dozen votes.  Finishing tied for second place were The Daily Dog and Star Dog, Captain's Log.

The Riley Factor #3

December 14, 2009

Monday Dog Report

Fort Plain, NY, December 14 -- After an hour of playing outside and in the barn among his bovine, canine and fowl cohorts, the subject is resting comfortably under the table next to the kitchen wood stove.  Teething is his favorite activity of late, with young Riley seen munching on virtually everything from the door step to drawer knobs to the odd stray boot or slipper to this author's pajama pants (fortunately he struggles to reach much higher than the knee).  May the Force be with him.

The Riley Factor #2

December 13, 2009
Sunday Dog Report -- Early Edition

Fort Plain, NY, December 13 -- By 8:15AM, Riley had already been outside four times for peeing & pooping, been down to the barn in the Ute to participate in the bovine and fowl feeding programs, fed breakfast and introduced to two chewing toys.

The Riley Factor #1

December 12, 2009

Saturday Dog Report

Fort Plain, NY, December 12 -- All is well with the new Golden Retriever puppy.  He loves trips to the barn, riding in the Ute, and being in the barn in general.  He regularly goes nose-to-nose with each of the Dexters and the Holsteins.  Otherwise, when outside, he stays 5 feet or less from us.  When inside, his preferred activities are (in no meaningful order): peeing, pooping, sleeping in my lap, lying on the couch, wagging his tail furiously.  He gets along really well with all the other animals, be they feline, canine, bovine or fowl.  Ahhh ... the dog's life ...