Griffey wakes up the neighbourhood

My dog Griffey is the source of all joy in my life...okay maybe not ALL joy, but a lot of it. And the joy he gives does not end with me, it is almost endless. He is like a fountain of pure good and sweet and shares it with everyone he comes in contact with.

I’m not sure if it was joy he shared the other night on our walk, but it was kinda funny.

It was already dark and the streets were quiet when we set out on our walk. We turned the corner and ran into Buddy (a big beautiful golden doodle - read 5x the size of Griffey).  When the two saw each other, Griff instantly went into play mode, doing a bit of a downward dog and bowing at Buddy. When Buddy didn’t follow suit, Griff let out a little bark. Some sniffing ensued while Buddy’s owners and I chatted.

This was not suiting Griffey’s need to play and he let out another playful bark. At this point we thought it best to go on our separate walks. But the damage had already been done...

“Cherrie? Are you outside with Griffey?” said a little voice. It was our neighbour Kelly. In first grade, she needed to be in bed already, but heard Griff’s bark outside her bedroom window.

As I told Kelly to go back to sleep, a light went on on their porch and Meg (Kelly’s mom)  opened the door and asked if Griffey wanted to play with Dakota. Of course! Dakota is Griffey’s girlfriend, a very pretty lab, shepherd, collie mix, and yes, at least 4x the size of Griffey. The two ran up and down the boulevard a few times, chasing each other when both Kelly and her older sister Natalie appeared at the front door.

As much as we all wanted to play and as much as Meg and I enjoy the time to catch up, it was bedtime for the girls and they all went back inside...We probably made it 10 feet before another door opened. This time it was Denyse and coton de tulear Rocket. Rocket has this amazing talent of hearing Griffey any time he is nearby...and barks incessantly at his owners to let him out. So they came out to say hello and Denyse and I had a nice visit.

Ohhh Griffey...so it may not have been joy that was shared the other night on the walk. But he sure did bring out all the neighbours to say hello and I am grateful for that. Because without Griffey I’m not sure I would have met everyone that I have in the neighbourhood, and would not have made such great friends.

Thanks Griffey!


Griffey History
I got to choose between Griffey and his brother when they were just 5 weeks old. At that point he was so small he fit into the palm of my hand. My brother wouldn’t even hold him for fear of dropping the sweet little thing. His little heart beat so quickly as I took him from the breeder. But soon calmed down and relaxed into my hands as I held him close to me. We were instantly bonded to one another.

I toyed around with other baseball players names before I met Griffey that day. Moseby and Carter made the top of the list as well. But when my brother Christopher and I met him, we knew he was a Griffey.

OH! We are asked anytime we take Griff anywhere in the city...Here are the FAQ’s of Griffey

1. What kind of dog is he? He’s a Maltese-Poodle, a Maltipoo
2. His colour is so unique, did he come that way? Yes, he is naturally a reddish brown, I did not dye his hair!
3. Is this as big as he gets? Yes. He is fully grown at 16lbs and is even a little big for is breed.
4. Where did you get Griffey from? I got him from the same breeder (in Aylmer, ON) as my former neighbours Neil and Tina. They have two maltipoos, India and Jasper (10lbs each). Neil’s brother has Griffey’s baby brother Guinness (the runt of the litter). Neil and Tina are Griffey’s godparents.
5. Griffey is an interesting name? Griffey is named after Ken Griffey Jr., my favourite baseball player

Griffey at 5 weeks old

Griffey waiting for the subway at St. Andrew Station