Friday, December 28, 2012

We're Still Here and All Is Well

Hello again, everyone! We're still kicking, and Dog is still with us, and training is going well.

Rachel has been working hard at both school and training, so was very ready for her two week Winter Break, which we are now halfway through. She was hugely surprised when her boyfriend presented her with a promise ring for Christmas, as he will be going into the Army in the Spring, and they are committed to weathering the separation.

Dog's training is going well in most respects, and he's learning more all the time. We have begun alarm training, and though he's motivated and wanting to work, he's having a hard time with the lanyard he's supposed to pull. We've surmised that because the cord is black, and flat, he can't see it well, and has a hard time getting his mouth around it.

We have a plan to replace the black cord, with a bright yellow nylon cord, and put a big blue bead on the end for him to grab. I did a ton of internet research, hoping to get clues to which colors dogs see best, and it looks like yellows and blues are the best. We're hoping to get that sorted this weekend, so that training can really move forward, and he won't get so frustrated and confused.

So, for those of you who are still checking in from time to time, I apologize again for the amount of time between entries, but I can't promise I'll get any better anytime soon. Rachel still has another semester of high school, and then right at the end of the year she'll be working on certification with Dog, her boyfriend will be leaving for the Army, and she'll be preparing for graduation. Things are about to get real around here.

Rachel experienced an increase in seizure and panic activity for the first couple of weeks that Dog was here, but then had a lovely 4 week break, which was such a gift. Dog is sweet, and bouncy, and playful, and we love him, so we very much hope the team continues to do well, and will be certified soon.

I'll leave you with a photo of Rachel and Dog taking a walk in the park, on a gorgeous Winter day...


-Kelly