Pitter patter, pitter patter,
On the wooden boards,
Pitter patter, pitter patter,
Is the sound of my dogs claws,
The click-clacking tapping,
As he traipses across the floor,
The bump bump thumping,
Of a heavy footed paw.

Heavy panting and tail wagging,
He looks up at me in awe,
Sitting proudly to attention,
Awaiting his reward,
Fur once black as darkest night,
Age has now speckled grey,
But eyes still shine with puppy’s joy,
Always ready to run and play.

His obedience is… selective,
His excitement ill contained,
He likes to swim in rivers,
Be it snow or wind or rain,
Often choosing to ignore,
The desperate cries of “Alfie no!”
He dives right in to scare the ducks,
And chase them as they go.

“Alfie out the way,”
In unison we whine,
As he’s removed from the kitchen,
(For the umpteen millionth time)
If eating food you’re guaranteed,
A head resting on your knee,
Strands of drool soak your skin,
As he watches fixatedly.

His confidence is overflowing,
A character full of charm,
Yet if you chance upon a picnic,
Be filled with terror and alarm,
Sandwiches go missing,
As they’re swallowed one by one,
Angry parents shake their fists,
Annoyed their cake is gone.

Chaos reigns abundant,
A child weeps and wails,
“Dad! He’s got my stick,”
But a retrieval is sure to fail,
At tug of war he’s never beat,
He’ll hang on whatever the cost,
You can pull and pull with all your might,
But soon enough you’ve lost.

Another warning is for OAPs,
Out on their Sunday march,
Leave your walking canes behind,
If you’re travelling round these parts,
He’ll rip them from your frail grasp,
So be ready for a fight,
Oh and please avoid wearing clothes,
That are beige or cream or white.

A lady cries a loud “Good Heavens!”
As he shakes water across her dress,
She quickly faints and hits the floor,
At the sight of such a ghastly mess,
But Alfie doesn’t care about that,
Alfie doesn’t mind,
He’s already half way down the path,
All troubles left far behind.

There are no words to describe,
What Alfie means to us,
There is no feeling better felt,
Than stopping to make a fuss,
A gentle scratch behind the ear,
The biggest belly rub,
Playing legs when he was younger,
Or perhaps wrestling… or tug!

And even as the years go by,
He’s been with me all the way,
From pup to dog and boy to man,
He’s loved me every day,
So to sum up a dog like Alfie?
I really wouldn’t know where to start,
Than at the pitter patter, pitter patter,
Of his paw prints on my heart.