The Smart Dog U Blog

Talos Fits In!

There's light at the end of the tunnel! I got an email last night from Peggy about Talos. It was such good news I had a hard time falling asleep:

He is one of the gang now. He met all the puppies today, played with Gryphon [his brother], and went to the lake in the evening. He even took a drink. Big brother Arrow was there and he played with everyone. We took a few pix with an iphone. One is a blur with him in the left corner of the frame. He's a blur because he was playing!

At the training center he spent some down time in Amber's office and she said he was not gassy. He did talk to her quite a bit though. He went out to lunch with me and was a pro- slept on his mat and was perfect. He is doing great, making lots of new friends, 2 footed and 4. He is getting tons of love and attention. He really loves it too. 

I slept much better last night and today's outlook is much sunnier now. Go get 'em T!

The Details: Talos' Turn-In

I knew I'd cry, I knew I'd miss Talos. I was completely unprepared for how much and for how long. For me, turn-in's are never easy, but with Talos, the dream Great Dane, it was unbearable. It all started out fine enough...

We were headed to Chris Greene Lake in Charlottesville, VA, where there's a terrific dog park. In hindsight, I think T knew something was up. Normally, he stands in the Element, watching out the back window. For this trip, he had his head right between the two front seats.

When we got to the dog park we let him go off and explore - which he wasn't so keen on doing. He stuck with us for the most part, wandering off a little now and then.

It was ridiculously hot - triple digits - but Talos wouldn't get into the lake to cool off. I tried my best to show him the water wasn't deep, and it was safe to go in, but he was too keyed up. 

His brother, Gryphon, another service dog in training arrived with some Labradors from Service Dogs of Virginia. 

Talos liked them just fine, but wasn't in the playing kind of mood. He wandered, then he'd hang close. Wander and cling, wander and cling. I don't know what I was hoping for, but it wasn't this. He was quite stressed: panting a lot more than normal (even for the heat), his pupils were huge, and he pooped twice. That's a stressed dog. 

We hung out with Peggy, the Training Director, and the Service Dogs of Virginia dogs until dark. Finally when we couldn't see the lake anymore, we headed for the cars. This was the moment of truth for me.

I vowed not to cry in front of Talos. If he wasn't nervous enough already, that might put him right over the edge. I was pretty pleased with myself thus far - I'd managed to stay tear-free (no small feat, I might add). 

We called Talos and showed him the correct vehicle to get into and he said emphatically: NO WAY. Not going. You can't make me. Which is all true, of course. He's 160 pounds - you can't move him if he doesn't want to move! We tried everything, but it was very clear that the more we tried to convince him, the harder he was fighting it. His stress level was rising - not good for any of us. 

I now had to do the thing I so desperately didn't want to do. I had to take Talos to Peggy's house and leave him there. The best laid plans... It would have been so much better (for me) to put Talos into Peggy's vehicle, wave goodbye, and we'd both go our separate ways. I never -- ever -- want to leave a dog and walk out the door with them on the other side.

But guess what I had to do. And let me tell you how hard it was. I thought I wasn't going to be able to leave. I thought my feet wouldn't carry me out the door. And if I did make it out the door, I was certain I wouldn't make it to the car. Not with Talos on the other side of that door, wondering why on earth we'd forgotten to take him with us.

Before I had to do the unthinkable, though, we were able to spend about 30 minutes at Peggy's house with her, Talos, and the dogs (Gryphon and the two Labradors). Talos was more certain than ever that something was up. He was clingy and still panting despite the cooler temperatures after dark.

It felt like a dream to me. Or more accurately, a nightmare. I was sure I was going to wake up and be so relieved that I'd dreamed the whole thing. I kept waiting for that wake-up. And it never happened.

Obviously, I WAS able to walk out the door and leave him behind. I did do it. I managed to get to the car before the torrent of tears started. I cried the entire trip home. I cried that night. I cried the next night, and the next. 

I have vowed to never raise a Dane again. I don't think my heart can take it. It's too painful when I have to let go. The next Dane will be a keeper. I can't go through the misery. Heck, I'm STILL IN the misery!

But each day is a new one. And Talos is adjusting (after a really rocky first night). He'll get into the groove of things and he'll be a superstar service dog. And I'll forever be attached to him no matter what. The pain is excruciating, but I have no choice but to accept it. It's what I signed up for when I brought him home on my lap 14 months ago. 

Stay tuned, there will be more Talos posts - I've got a great Talos tribute video I'm working on. It's going slowly right now because turn-in is still a little raw for me. But give me a month or so, and everyone (including me) will be smiling when they see the video.

Life Without Talos

There'll be another post later today about turn-in. I got pictures and video of the event. Why I want to remember it is beyond me, but I figure in time (a long time), I might be able to look back on this and smile. A little.

I'm trying to ease myself into this life-without-Talos thing. I tried to blog about turn-in yesterday, but found it impossible. Too many tears, too much heartache. So maybe if I go slowly I'll do better.

Life is much less interesting without Talos here. Even the dogs are different. We sat outside last night, enjoying the cooler weather and all the dogs just laid with us.

When Talos was here, he was the ringleader of all things playful. He'd have Nemo up and running all evening. And when those two were running, Tango was retrieving his tennis ball. And when all three dogs got really going, even laid-back Lily would join the melee - and that's something to see! Lily rarely lets her hair down, but Talos' antics could kick her into high gear.

It's amazing all the little things you miss. At every turn this weekend, I'd notice his absence and memories would pluck at my emotions, my heart. I'd occasionally smile, though, which is a good sign. There are still more tears than smiles, but I'm hoping over the next few months, I can at least equalize them.

Hopefully Talos will have his first day at Service Dogs of Virginia. I say hopefully because at turn-in we couldn't get Talos into the vehicle. I'll tell you all about it in another post, but let's just say it was a less-than-ideal turn-in for me. But here's hoping Talos does get in the vehicle and that he has a good first day at school.

Life is Tough for a Puppy

So the latest service pup in-training has arrived. Hero Dogs Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy) has been here almost 24 hours and here's a list of the (many) things he's learned already:

• Walking on a dog that's laying down isn't a good idea.
• People go away when you put your paws on them.
• Paws on the floor is a good thing - lots of cooing and petting happens when you do this.
• People really like it when you pee and poop outside.
• The crate takes some getting used to.
• Objects in his reach that aren't dog toys disappear the instant dog teeth touch them.
• Kongs are filled with food. And sometimes even a smear of peanut butter. Kongs are GOOD!
• Being quiet in the crate brings lots of soothing, calm attention.
• Barking in the crate makes people and all the dog friends leave the room.
• 8-week old puppy legs are clumsy.
• Water is useful: it tastes good, it cools you down, and it's fun to be in.
• A mouth can hold all kinds of stuff! Leaves, grass, toys, food, and even a leash!

There will be plenty o' updates daily now that the new guy is here. Maybe even twice daily updates! The rate that pups take in information is staggering - they have so much to learn! And believe it or not, they're learning whether you're teaching them or not. So you might as well spend a little time teaching the pup what you want him to know instead of trying to undo bad habits later.

A quick update on who is excited about the arrival of the new pup: just one dog is happy and that's Talos. The others have all told him very quickly that he's just a puppy and they are not even a little bit impressed. Nor are they wooed by his cuteness. In fact, I think they hold his cuteness against him a little bit. Except Talos, of course, who has always been entranced by the smaller dogs.

To be continued...

Big News

Today's a big day here for us. A new service dog puppy's coming today! I'm pleased to be working with a new organization: Hero Dogs. Located in Brookeville, MD, this organization raises and trains dogs for military veterans who have been injured and/or disabled while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

This puppy marks a few firsts for me: this is the first puppy I've raised for Hero Dogs, and it's a Golden retriever. I've raised Labradors, mixed breeds, and a Great Dane, but this will be the first Golden retriever.

I'm excited to begin this new venture with Hero Dogs, but at the same time, it's just another reminder that Talos will be leaving me shortly. Stay tuned, I'll have lots more information later today about the new puppy...and about Talos' turn-in date.

How To Deal With a Stubborn Dog

June's issue of Your Smart Dog is ready! We're talking about stubborn dogs this month. Have you ever said your dog was stubborn or hard-headed? You'll find this month's newsletter interesting! Read the feature article here.

If you aren't a subscriber to Your Smart Dog, you're missing out! In this month's newsletter, you're also missing the announcement of a new Out + About class, an update on my struggle with Talos' impending turn-in date, some cool new pictures taken by Mary Kate McKenna, and lots of good, doggie news! Don't want to miss another issue? Subscribe here for free!

April Edition of Your Smart Dog

Your Smart Dog subscribers received the April edition in their in-box this morning. If you haven't subscribed yet, you're missing out on a lot of information. You can subscribe here, it's free!

This month's training article features K9 Nose Work, a new sport for dogs and handlers. K9 Nose Work is something your dog is already good at because dogs have better sniffers than we do. In fact, with K9 Nose Work the dog is our teacher!

You can see the K9 Nosework article here. What you're missing if you're not a subscriber: 

• information about local dog events and happenings
• updated Smart Dog University course information 
• educational opportunities
• the latest news on Talos, the Great Dane in training to be a service dog
• interesting dog behavior information and advice

Noseworks - The Cool New Canine Sport

Nemo and I went to an all-day  Noseworks seminar on Saturday. Noseworks is a new canine sport that incorporate's your dog's natural ability to use it's nose. 

I took Nemo because he's got an really good sniffer. Not only is his sniffer good, but Nemo really likes to use his nose! Here's the basic premise behind Noseworks:

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and a natural desire to hunt.  The sport of K9 Nose Work is designed to develop your dog’s natural scenting abilities by using their desire to hunt and their love of toys, food and exercise.  It’s a great way for your dog to have fun, build confidence, and burn lots of mental and physical energy (from the Noseworks website). 

Noseworks is good for every type of dog: big ones, little ones; tall ones, short ones; fast ones, slow ones; mellow ones, hyped ones. It's really a sport for any dog that can walk and sniff. 

There is (of course) a competition set up for dogs who excel at Noseworks. The National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) sets the standards governing the sport of canine nose work. NACSW is the only official sanctioning and organizing body for nose work titles and certification in nose work.

I'll be posting some video in the next few days of Nemo and the others trying their hand - um, nose - at this cool new sport. If there's enough interest, I'd be happy to offer some Noseworks classes for my clients. Interested? Leave me a comment!

On His Best Behavior

 Spam Lite. 

That's what I took with me this morning to the Frederick Chamber's Summit Award breakfast. Talos and I were there to accept the At Your Service award for Smart Dog University. 

It was diced into tiny pieces and it was my super-duper high value reinforcer for Talos to reward a job well done. He earned quite a few pieces this morning. 

We walked into a full room - over 100 attendees were there for breakfast and the awards. Talos noticed the bacon wafting through the air while we were still in the parking lot! The room was packed and to navigate through the sea of people, Talos had to follow closely behind me as I cut a path through the room. 

He's a big dog - he stands taller than the standard table top - so everyone's breakfast was at the perfect viewing, smelling, and eating height for this hungry Great Dane. He passed every plate he saw, not even stopping to get a better view (or smell). I took him through the buffet line and he politely kept his muzzle clear of the blueberry pancakes, crispy hot bacon, scrambled eggs, and oven roasted potatoes.

Upon returning to our seat, I cued "your mat" which means lay down on your mat and be a good, quiet boy. The picture above, taken by crazy-talented Mary Kate McKenna, is proof that he earned his Spam Lite this morning by doing everything I asked. 

 He sat patiently through the meeting. You'd have thought he'd been training for years as composed as he was when we were introduced and received our award. He was more pulled together than I was! 

Then the other recipients came up to receive their awards and carefully stepped around Talos and his tail. Talos never batted an eye. As if he was born to accept awards and attend ceremonies. What a dog. 

Finally, the ceremony came to a close, and it was picture taking time.  He got to have some fun after the formal ceremony was over and really enjoyed the social aspect of the event. 

If he's anything, it's a social butterfly. Never one to turn down a scratch under the chin or a belly rub, Talos is always up for whatever attention will come his way. 

A quick thanks to everyone who came up to say hello to Talos - every function he attends with me is a learning experience for him. You're not just saying hello, you're helping him learn. 

Here's a little bit of the morning on video:

This Blog's In a Book!

We're a little excited here at Smart Dog U. This blog - the one you're reading right now - is featured in a new book about blogs and blogging! 

And not in a bad way! (We don't believe in the whole "any publicity is good publicity, even bad stuff." We prefer good publicity thankyouverymuch.)

The book, TypePad For Dummies, is a great resource if you'd like to start your own blog on TypePad. (TypePad hosts this blog.)

We're in the Ten Bloggers Using TypePad Well chapter. I'm as happy as a Labrador with a tennis ball!

In case you're wondering: 

• I pay TypePad to host my blog (they're very reasonable)
• I don't get paid to mention them and
• I didn't get paid to be included in the book. 

I write this blog so I can help dogs and their people. I'm spreading the word about dog-friendly training and this blog helps me do that. While I'm happy to be included in a book about blogging, my passion is with dogs and dog behavior. 

So if you've been thinking about blogging - maybe about your own dog - my advice is: DO IT! It's a whole lot of fun and you'll make great friends along the way. 

Happy blogging!