The Smart Dog U Blog

Talos Makes the News! (Again!)

Here's a quickie sneak peek into what went down at Transfer Camp on Friday. I got to meet T's new person, Kathy, for the first time ever. And I got to see Big T again -- both of which were fabulous. The local news station came to do a follow-up on T and Kathy's progress after working together for a week.

This'll have to hold you 'til I can get a proper blog post (or three) together.

That's a picture of Kathy, Big T, and me, right before I headed home after a full day of watching the two of them together. It was a terrific experience. Service Dogs of Virginia's Peggy Law (not pictured here) deserves a big thank you for allowing me to tag along all day Friday. For another reason, too: she was Talos' second "mom" after I turned him in. Big T lived and trained with Peggy from turn-in (July 23)  until Friday, when T's third "mom" took him home for the weekend. 

Both Peggy and I know the hole that a big dog (both in personality and stature) leaves. But what a great thing he'll do for Kathy!

Kathy and Talos will return to Service Dogs of Virginia on Monday for another week of coaching and testing before being officially turned out into the world. I'm confident both will pass with flying colors. More to come...

Clicker Training a Service Dog (Talos, to be exact)

As you read this, Talos and his new partner, Kathy, are learning how to become a fluent, confident, efficient working team. She and Talos are in Transfer Camp. Friday, I'm headed to Charlottesville to (1) meet Kathy for the first time ever, (2) have a joyful, but brief reunion with Big T, and (3) witness the transformation and the teamwork that's happening between Talos and Kathy. 

Earlier this year, I created a video that shows Talos' journey. I hope to have more footage after my visit with the two of them on Friday. Until then, click here to watch Talos' journey from gangly Great Dane to life-changing service dog.  

Talos Makes the News!

Talos (Big T, as I affectionately call him) made the news in Charlottesville, VA, as he and his new partner, Kathy, kicked off their Transfer Camp. Transfer Camp helps both the service dog and the recipient familiarize themselves with one another.

Read the rest of the post at our new home on the Smart Dog Blog. 

C'mon over, it's prettier, tidier, and easier on the eyes. It's just one click -- fast, easy, and better. 

A Talos Weekend

I was nervous about seeing Talos last weekend. I haven't seen him since the dreaded turn-in. Would I cry? Would it be too hard to leave him again? Would I upset him by appearing and then leaving again? Would he remember me?

I didn't cry (much). It was hard to leave him again, but not nearly as hard as the drop-off. I don't think I upset him. He definitely remembered me.

Talos wiggled, he talked, he danced. I was just as ecstatic. I always wonder what the dogs think: one day we're there, the next day we're gone. He clearly remembered me; where did he think I'd gone? Did he care? Did he wonder why I left again? Does he wonder if I'll be back again?

When I left Talos at Service Dogs of Virginia, he was scared, unsure of himself, and looked miserable. The dog I saw on Saturday was a different dog. Yes, he was very happy to see me, and he was very confident, very comfortable, and dare I say...more grown up. I left Talos as a teenager, and now he's a grown up. Ready to go out into the world. <sniff, sniff> My little boy has grown up.

He works beautifully for the Training Director, he has terrific housemates who eagerly play with him. They chase, they romp, they carry the stick together. It's really quite sweet.

And did I mention what a grown-up he's become! He looks so much bigger (but can he really be, it's only been a few months). And the maturity - he's a real working dog now! Don't worry, I managed to get him back into his silly, no-work mode for a few moments while I was there. The silly, ridiculous dog is still inside him, he just knows when to turn it on and off now.

I got some video while I was there. I hope to get it up in the next few days.

I left this visit with a little bit of closure. He's happy. Therefore, I'm happy. Would I take him if he was dismissed? In a heartbeat. But I'm super proud of the silly dog. I'm happy to have played a tiny part in his development. And he put my head in his mouth just like old times. What could be better? (For the record, the agency frowns upon that kind of behavior in a service dog. Odd, huh?)

 

A Match for Talos (Video)

This is why we raise service pups. The tears and heartbreak at turn-in seem to disappear when you see "your" dog with his new person. Oh, I still miss him. I always will. But the sense of accomplishment seems to be a balm for the sharpest pain. 

I was very pleased when I heard that a match had been made. It means Talos is almost done with all the training and ready to go out and make a life-changing difference in someone's life. This is what it's all about.

His partner is a great gal and she's watched Talos progress from a wee baby into the handsome gentleman he is today. She's known for quite some time that Talos could potentially be hers - and she's sent him gifts in the mail, supported me through the terrible turn-in, and will be a terrific partner for a terrific dog.

Generally, the match between dog and person is done first on paper. The service dog organization identifies the dog (or dogs) that have the skills to match the applicant. A match on paper, however, is only the first step. There's got to be a personality match. The dog and the person have to have chemistry. Without that chemistry, the perfect dog and the perfect person might  make an awful team.

I wasn't there when Big T got to meet his match, but I heard it was quite impressive. There was chemistry. I do, however, have a little bit of video of the two of them together (compliments of T's new partner). (See below.) The official transfer from Service Dogs of Virginia to the new partner will begin in late January. It will take about two weeks of long, hard days for the two of them to learn how to work together, how to become a team, how to trust one another.

I'm a proud mama. The first time I saw the video, I burst into tears. Big T is going on to do good things. Great things! Go, T, go!

Click here to watch the video full screen on Smart Dog U's YouTube channel.

 

A Quick Talos News Brief

It's been a long, hard twelve weeks since I turned Talos in. I can't believe it's only been twelve weeks, if I'm being honest. It feels like FOREVER ago. I miss him as badly today as I did the day we turned him in.

The good news is I don't cry every day. But it took me a long, long time to even be able to look at pictures of him. Just looking at this picture here is a little difficult still.

I got a nice "Talos Update" from Service Dogs of Virginia. He's sleeping in bed with the Training Director (yay!), he's learning to retrieve, and he's doing well on his footwork behaviors.

Brace dogs need to be flexible. I don't mean the bend-y kind of flexible, but more like able to do a lot of different things with their feet. His job is going to be to help someone keep their balance. So if his person needs him to move closer, he's got to be able to figure out - quickly - how to get closer to matter which direction he's facing, where his hind end is, etc.

He's got to be able to pivot, to turn in tight quarters. That's not an easy thing for a dog as big as Talos to do! Big T is taller than me when he's on his hind legs - he's no shrimp! So I'm doubly impressed that the big lug is learning how to be so light on his feet.

I'm hoping to get his tribute video together soon -- seeing as I can now finally stand to look at his picture without dissolving in tears. (One or two still slide down my face, but they're at least controllable now.)

And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to drive down for a visit in November. My birthday present to myself. I think I can handle it. Actually I think I'd enjoy it - and be able to control my urge to run for the border with him.

I Could Have, But I Couldn't (Talos)

I haven't written a whole lot about Talos. Not for lack of material, just because I'm still finding it very hard to think about him without some pain.

I was talking to a good friend who gave me a light-bulb moment. She said "You're grieving."

I thought: I can't be grieving, the dog is still alive! How can I grieve something that's still there, just not with me. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized she is right on the money. I'm going through a grief period, as silly as that may sound.

I had the opportunity to visit Big T while I was on vacation. The Director of Training at Service Dogs of Virginia has been so very kind to me in my, well, mourning and offered me the chance to visit with him.

I couldn't do it. Just the thought of seeing him again exposed all the pain I'd spent weeks burying. I wasn't ready to see him. It was really hard for me to be so close (we vacation about an hour away from SDV) and not see him, but I wasn't really sure if I could leave him again. It was unbearable the first time, it would only be worse the second time.

So I'll wait. Wait for this heart to heal a little more. Then we'll have a joyous reunion. Oh I'll still cry when I see him. Cry while he snuffles and huffles and bowls me over. And I'll cry when I leave again. But hopefully in a few more months, it'll be less painful.

I did get some good nuggets about the Big Boy, though, when I had dinner with the Training Director. Talos has made all kinds of dog-friends and is really enjoying playing with everyone. He's especially good with the puppies, of course, laying down to make himself smaller for them. And he's a big hit with all the people he meets.

He's been living the good life the past few weeks and not working very much at all. He's able to do his favorite activity -- sleep!! The agency was in the middle of transferring a dog to his new person, and that takes lots of people and lots of time, so the service dogs get a little mini-vacation during that period. Word has it that Talos LOVES transfer camps because it means lots of long naps for him!

He may also get the chance to be a model. I think he'd be a smashing dog-model, but I AM pretty biased! I don't want to jinx it, so I'll leave it at that. I'll be sure to post more updates as soon as I hear them.

Video from Talos' Turn-In

Talos graduated from puppy-raising into advanced training on July 23. While that means we lost the gentle giant, the good folks at Service Dogs of Virginia have gained a new friend and trainee! By all reports, Talos is fitting in just fine in his new environment.

Here's a little bit of the time I spent with Talos at turn-in. It was crazy-hot and I was trying to convince T to at least wade into the water, or maybe just take a drink. He was having none of it.

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.