Waffle
Senior Nap Officer, Bed Designer & Security Manager
Waffle’s career began in Los Angeles with an internship with Long Beach SPCA where she discovered exactly what she didn’t like, which was a lack of super soft dog beds and blankets, and a lack of high quality and nutrient balanced home cooked meals. After being hired by BAI and working closely with Adrian, she has excelled at designing and constructing intricate burrito like bed and blanket structures, often using up-cycled materials. Sometimes she consults with Adrian on construction techniques, but lately she’s been going out on her own.
Through her training at BAI she has learned that redundancy is very important in waterproofing, and she has parleyed the same strategy into construction of her sleep structures, using multiple blankets for warmth and darkness redundancy. Waffle occasionally attends site meetings with Adrian, where she acts as moderator and group therapist for all parties.
Because of her very short stature, she requests that Adrian carry her at all times so she can have a better vantage point of construction activities and to keep a watchful eye on meeting participants. Her command to Adrian for this is “uppies”. Adrian always complies, but it has been much harder to carry her around since she was originally hired, given that she has gained so much needed healthy weight. Waffle has also trained with Whiskey on security issues, but mostly she just stays in bed to review and test her bed and blanket designs. Her security manager duties include barking very loudly when people or even inanimate objects are found on the property. She excels at exercise breaks and practices her security duties, which she takes very seriously, when out in the world.
A Word From Waffle
When I’ze picked out my new Dad at the Long Beach SPCA, I’ze instantly knew he was the one. During the long drive back to San Rafael, I’ze nervous because I’ze previously on the streets and wasn’t sure what my new home situation would be. As soon as we came homezies, it was like Dad had read my mind - there was a soft nest on our bed, several super soft blankies, and a whole bunch of squeekies to pick from. I’ze showed him my approval with zoomies and jumping into my nest. I’ze started training Dad right away, showing him that I’ze a serious blankie and nest connoisseur, and I’ze always require several: on our bed, around the house, and in the fast machine that takes us different places.
It took about six months of me rejecting all the various store bought food that Dad was trying to feed me, despite them being high quality, until he finally figured out that I’ze only eat high-quality dog-specific home-cooked meals. I'ze also trainey Dad to give me these peanut butter and chicken wrapped “sticks”. We go on at least two walks a day minimum, and I’ze require sticks immediately after each walk as an appetizer - before breakfast and dinner. I’ze also demand dessert sticks. Dad says I’ze can only get 1/2 stick for dessert, so I’ve don’t get fat - pfft, whatever! If Dad doesn’t give me my appetizer stick, then I’ze protest and don’t eat my meal, so he always gives in.
Dad is always worried about me. Oh, did I’ze mention I’ze try to chase kitties on our walks!? In addition to my breakfast and dinner appetizer stick, I’ze frequently also require a post breakfast and post dinner squeekie. People think Dad is crazy when they see my ever expanding giant collection of squeekies, but they don’t know how well I’ze trained Dad, and what’s the point of the toy after I’ze kill the squeekie part?! I’ze require a lot of affection and love, so I’ze trained Dad to tell me how much me loves me - like probably 100 times a day. He says it like this - “I’ze lovzies SO much”, so I’ze know it’s true. I’ze also know Dad loves me a lot because he kisseszies me like 100 times a day. He tells me when he is doing it. I’ze like to be gently pet and tickled, so much that my eyes roll back in my head and I’ze go into a sleepy trance. I’ze trained Dad to pet me for extended periods of time, especially on long rides in the fast machine where he has nothing else to do but pet me. He's thinks I’ze asleep and he stops petting, but I’ze let him know that as soon as he stops petting me I’ze wake up and require him to keep petting. I’ze immediately start pawing at him to start petting again, and that usually works pretty well. Nobody knows how to pet me like Dad, because he lovzies me SO much and from all my training. I’ze also trained Dad to know that I DO NOT like it when he is out of my sight. He tells me he missizes me SO much when he’s had to go out, so I’ze know he doesn’t like being away from me either. Oh, I’ze forgot to mention, I’ze also require a stick as reconciliation when he’s been out. If you'ze are disciplined and train your Dad properly, it can really pay off…