Meet Alfredo

Make no bones about it...Alfredo, my beloved Boston Terrier, makes my world an incredibly happy place. While most of my family, friends, and yes, even my students, know how meaningful my little four legged friend kid has been in my life, here are 10 interesting facts about Alfredo. 
1. Alfredo is highly intelligent with a very extensive vocabularly. Words he knows: Alfredo (of course), yum-yums, potty, outside, ball, piglet, chicken, sit, treat, & bye-byes. Okay, maybe it's not so extensive, but it's probably more than what the average dog knows.
2. Alfredo is very springy, especially when he's excited. At five months, he broke a front leg, which you would never know today. He can jump directly in my arms without any problems, even with a little rod and two pins in his leg. Likewise, he's quite the hiker. He's been to some pretty great places, such as Sedona and the Grand Canyon. I guess this also makes him quite the traveler!
3. Alfredo's full name is Alfredo Rumpelstiltskin Panizzo. Alfredo's other best friend, known as bes frie, is the only other person who understands his middle name. While you may like to know the meaning behind this, some things are just for us. Other names include Alfie, Fredo, Alfred, and Stinky.
4. Alfredo is quite the artist. He has participated in Barktoberfest for the last two years, which has given him the opportunity to create work of arts. These paintings are hanging in my home, of course.

5. When I'm home, Alfredo must be in the room where I am at all times. His ears never fail him, even when he's sound asleep. Closing doors won't work; he knows how to open them!
6. I make it a point to keep in good contact with Alfredo's biological family members. His mommy's name is Sadie and his daddy's name is Chance. One day while at the dog park, we randomly ran into one of his brothers (yes, from the same litter)! They have hung out a few times since. Here is Alfredo and his brother, Artie. Alfredo is on the left.

7. There is no denying that Alfredo is an AZ dog. He wants nothing to do with water. He dislikes the rain. This will be his third summer (and my third attempt) to successfuly make him a swimmer. His new rain coat is ready to go for the upcoming monsoon season!
8. Alfredo is quite the cuddler. Some people don't agree that dogs should sleep on the bed. I happen to think otherwise.
9. As you  can probably guess, Alfredo is spoiled with a large bucket of toys. He likes to jump in the bucket and dig around from time to time in search of a specific toy. His all time favorite toy is his soccer ball. He carries it around with him, specifically at night time. Toys with stuffing don't last long. However, this toy is different. I guess you could compare it to a child and his blankie.
10. There is never a dull moment with Alfredo around. Why do I try to give him the best life possible? I think this picture, which hangs in my hallway, says it all...