"Sam the Dog" Profile

It's just Sam, the resident golden retriever, waiting patiently for his belly to be rubbed.

"He finds himself irresistible to people," says Alpenhof innkeeper Mark Johnson. "He thinks he is the cutest, friendliest, nicest dog ever, but.. he is a little overbearing at times."

Indeed, although Sam has no official title, nor is he on the payroll of the Alpenhof (unless one considers dog treats and the occasional sauerbraten bone tantamount to wages), he does occupy its largest office.

"There's a computer, a nice little couch and enough room to chase his tail if he wants to let off a little steam" says Mark. "But mostly, he does a lot of napping on that couch."

"One time, we came in and found him asleep with his head on the keyboard. But that's okay. He's the only employee who's allowed to take naps on the job. We've had to write a special employee manual just for the canine members of our staff."

Isn't he the only canine on the staff?

"Well ... yes," admits Mark, sheepishly.

Director of Guest Services
Sam enjoys his quiet time, but his first priority is people pleasing. Guests longing for a doggy fix frequently request his presence.

"People leave home and they miss their dogs," says Mark, "so Sam is available for visits. He loves the guest to rub his belly and scratch his back. We call it puppy therapy."

As dedicated as Sam is to serving the guests at the Alpenhof, he is, at heart, a free-spirited outdoors Jackson Hole kind of dog.

Favorite Things

"His absolute favorite things to do are swimming and retrieving from the river and skiing the backcountry," says Mark. "This morning, we let him out and he didn't come back. He was sitting at the edge of the pond, waiting for us to throw sticks for him so he could get his water aerobics in. He actually went swimming in February. We had a little warm spell that kind of opened up some of the water. In fact, one morning he went in the Snake River when it was minus 10 degrees, then came out and rolled in the snow."

"That's more than a Minnesota Swede could ever hope to do."

Sam's Philosophy
Sam's abiding philosophy can generally be described as live, let live, and while you're doing so, please rub my belly.

But, like most other canines, he has a strong instinctive drive to hunt, and the Jackson Hole ecosystem provides him with a rich source of gaming options.

Squirrels vs. Birds
Squirrels he can take or leave. First and foremost, he's a birder. He has a curly coat and golden retrievers with curly coats are instinctive bird dogs. Mostly, he is just fascinated by them (too bad his owners aren't hunters).

To brush or not to brush
One thing Sam does not enjoy is someone taking a brush to that wavy golden coat.

"He likes to look rough, tough and wooly," says Mark. "He'd rather be outdoors than indoors, but he knows he has to put his eight hours in at the office."

Missed Calling?
Some believe that Sam missed his true calling: a career as a K-9 avalanche rescue dog.

"He would've been the best, because he sniffs things out way under the snow," says Mark. "He dives in there and brings things out you would never imagine, including caps, gloves and other less savory goodies.

Helping Out
Sam also enjoys helping his pal Peter shovel the snow.

"Actually, he's kind of a pain," says Mark, "because he likes to get up on the snow bank and catch the snow as it comes, and he ends up knocking as much down in his leaps for the snow. He loves to leap."

If he could talk, Sam would admit "there's nothing better than leaping up and catching a mouthful of snow."

Obedience School
But life has not always been a romp in the snow. Around Teton Village, there are whispers that Sam flunked obedience school. What's the lowdown?

"Truth is, he was expelled from puppy class," confesses Mark. "One of the other dogs swiped his chew toy, he started barking and some people got their leashes all in a twist. He was a puppy and acted impulsively, but its not like he bit anybody. That's just not in his nature."

Great Grandpa
Although Sam Likes to act like he's just one of the dogs, he has the blood of the Field Champion Frisbies. With that name you would expect a frisbie retriever but balls are his first choice to retrieve.

"Sam came from Minnesota," explains Mark. "His great-grandfather was the famous Benjamin Rajah Frisbie. We had a Frisbie dog prior to Sam who was an incredibly intelligent golden retriever who died in August 2001. So we went back to Minnesota and we were able to find a dog with the same lineage."

Playing Ball
Ironically, Sam prefers chasing balls to catching Frisbies. He'll fetch a ball as long as you're willing to throw it, although he is sometimes reluctant to give it back.

"He's a tease," laughs Ann, Mark's wife.

Renaissance Dog
When you come right down to it, Sam is nothing short of a renaissance canine—a goodwill ambassador, a lover of people and belly rubs, an outdoors dog, and above all, a cerebral pooch.

"Sam is a thinker," says Mark. "He analyzes everything. He's very intelligent that way. Any sound, any movement, he's always got a look in his eye that says, 'What is that? What does it mean to me? What should I do?'"


Sam's Vital Stats

Full Name: Ann's Samuel Jackson
Weight: 85 lbs.
Birth Date: 9/19/2001
Title: Lodge Dog
Ambitions: Ride the tram to the top of the mountain and ski down. Sail the Caribbean.
Turn-Ons: Belly rubs, tennis balls, squeaky toys, deer parts.
Turn-Offs: Vegetarian doggie cookies ("He's more of a meat and potatoes guy," says Ann). Being brushed.
Favorite Movie: "Snow Dogs."
Favorite TV Channel: Animal Planet programming.
Downtime: Lounging by the pool.
Biggest Joy: Swimming. ("He's never happier than when he's wet, cold and chasing sticks in the river," says Mark.)
Ideal Human: A fit, active outdoorsy woman.



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