Libby goes home

What a joy and an honor to take Libby to finally meet Cpl D! Libby was a little shy at first, but after Cpl D took her for a walk, she seemed to connect with her and I feel very good that this is match made in heaven.

This was my favorite picture even though it's a little blurry...

Here are a few more pics and a video of the introduction that is priceless.

To top it all off, Cpl D made me my favorite cake - chocolate/cherry! Yum!

I'm sure they will live happily ever after.

Last full day

Today is our last full day with Libby! It's a very exciting time for me. Many people ask me about my attachment to the PFV dogs I train. It's a common question I get asked after explaining how the program works and that I typically have the dog in my home for 4-6 weeks. Of course it would be disingenuous to say that there is no issue here - yes, I do love these dogs and I do have an attachment to them - and visa-versa! They get to know and love me too. But the overwhelming difference is I have seen first hand what these animals can do to help their veterans manage their PTSD and other physical and emotional effects of having served in the military! When I think about that, there is no reason for me other than to be excited to finally get to match a dog with a veteran - and in this case, Libby will soon meet with Cpl D - and, I am excited!

Libby is 100% ready to go. She will be delivered with all the fixins (as we say in the south) - crate, bed, blanket, toys, treats, food, bowls, leash, tags, all veterinarian paperwork, brush, nail clippers, 6 month supply of Flea & Tick preventative, 6 month supply of Trifexix (for heartworms), microchip registration, and probably a few more things I'm forgetting. :-) Yes, Libby is a little spoiled now, but just WAIT till Cpl D gets her, I'm SURE she will get a few more goodies. :-)

When I met with Cpl D to do the preliminary paperwork last week, she told me that she wanted to bake me a cake... WOW - that is certainly not necessary and it is completely humbling that she is so very thoughtful and appreciative of the time and effort spent to get her a very special dog. It really wasn't me though, it's just what God is doing thru me. I think I will also eat the cake for Him! :-)

Thank you Lord for finding Libby for me and allowing me to keep her and train her for Cpl D. I hope and pray I did Your will and Cpl D and Libby will be able to share their love together and help each other thru the events of everyday life.

Libby will finally be in her forever home after a long journey thru abandonment, shelters, living with me temporarily, and now finally to Cpl D - and Cpl D will have Libby to love and care for and in return, Libby will provide her support in a way that only Libby can!

Who couldn't be excited about that! :-)

Busy Day!

Libby and I had a busy day yesterday! I took her to PetSmart to get a few remaining items she needed and get her name tag.

She went to the vet (McDonough Animal Hospital) and got her annual rabies vaccine and a microchip. Then, we came home and went for a long walk. I also trimmed her nails and we did a little more training for "stay". She's making progress, but still likes to follow me everywhere I go. :-) Libby is just such a sweet dog and I can't wait to deliver her next Tuesday to Cpl D!

I met with Cpl D last night to do the preliminary paperwork and she is just as excited as I am - maybe even more so! I'm off to Dallas this weekend for a Pet's for Vets conference to learn even more about the program. I hope to share some insights with the other trainers from around the country.

Here are a couple more picture I took yesterday!

I played this video and Libby heard it on the computer and got all excited - all over again! :-)

Libby does talk!

Libby doesn't bark much.  She has barked maybe three times. Once when Pam came in the door and once when the doorbell rang. I think maybe one other time, but it's rare - and I cannot get her to "speak" on command - yet.

I just took her out in the backyard... She's so good, I don't even need the leash! We saw a squirrel in the yard - she didn't see it right away, but I did... :-) When she DID see it, she alerted, and took off like a rabbit! Of course, the squirrel saw her coming and jumped up a tree - and Libby was so excited! She came right back to me and her tail was going a mile a minute! (wiggle butt)

Libby sure does enjoy being outside - actually, I think she enjoys doing anything that I am doing! :-)

Weekend weather!

Libby has got to spend much of this weekend outside. Yesterday, Pam and I went to the Baxter property to cut/split wood - Libby had a great time. She got to run free in the yard for a while and relax in the shade while we were working. Since it's mostly wooded, she was entertained by the birds and I think she saw a few squirrel - she loves to watch the squirrel at home as well.

Today she enjoyed being in the backyard. She can get around to most of the yard, but she will try to stay as close to me as possible if I'm out there. She doesn't mind laying in the grass and watching for anything that moves.

I just noticed my shadow taking these two pictures.

Libby likes it outside, but she is also very comfortable to be in the house. I actually think she would prefer to be with people 24/7.

Still cannot get her interested in any sort of toy. She ignores everything - the ball, squeaky toy, and rope. She has no interest at all in any of these things.

Wiggle Butt

It's so fun to be with Libby when she gets excited - and that's really very often. She wags her tail so hard that her butt wiggles! It's the cutest thing!

She's adapted well to the "routine"! She's so smart. She knows in the morning when she wakes up, she will go for a walk.When we come back, she knows she has to "go to the crate" - which she obviously would rather do something else... :-) So I tell her, "OK, time to go to the crate" - which she immediately recognizes, but is hesitant. Sometimes she goes in the bedroom and goes under the bed. But I just call her, and say "Come here Libby" and she comes right away - and with another "Go to the crate", she'll go. Then, when I get home, here comes the wiggle butt. :-)

We (myself, Pam and Libby) went for a walk the other night on the walking path and she saw a bunny run across the path - boy she got excited then! She really wanted to chase the bunny. She did very well maintaining composure though and in a few short minutes, she was back to the regular walk.

I did talk with Cpl D earlier this week and we made a date to deliver Libby to her on 21 Oct. Cpl D said "You made my day". I'm really looking forward to that day because I know how much Libby will mean to her. Libby is such a very sweet dog and I know she will be perfect for Cpl D. God surely has His hand in this match and I know He picked the perfect dog and answered our prayers.

Libby knows

Training Libby has been challenging and delightful - all at the same time. She's the most Beta dog I have ever worked with! She is SO eager to please whatever I say, I think she get's confused when trying to get her to do multiple commands back to back... Individually, she knows them all like the back of her paw, but won't do them easily when used together. Sit & lay down are an example - I had previously been able to teach dogs the difference and get them to sit from any position - even laying down. Libby only likes to sit if she is standing. If she is already laying down - forget it... :-)

It's cute - really. And getting her to "stay" in any place other than the crate is also been challenging - now, she will stay in the crate with the door open - in fact, I know she likes it there and she's VERY comfortable in it.

Forget all the tricks - Libby is a smart dog and I know Cpl D will have her doing all kinds of crazy tricks one day!

Libby's personality is very, very sweet. She has a lot of manners! She will try to stay close to me, but will always move out of the way - I never have to ask her to "move". She's also very dependable and catches on quick. She knows now when I get in my chair in the late evening just before going to bed, she is welcome to come sit in my lap, but she never comes up unsolicited! She waits till I call her or tell her it's "OK". Then, right up she comes. She also will give "kisses" - again, not unsolicited... When you ask her for some, you get some... it's really very cute.

When she gets up in the morning, she has to stretch. She will use the floor if I'm "busy", but if I'm near her, she will want me to tap my legs so she can use me - again, it's like she asks first... And when I get home after not seeing her for a few hours (or in the case of last weekend a few days) she doesn't jump up unless I let her know she can. All she wants to do is please whomever is near her.

Sometimes we will sit outside and she loves to watch the squirrel. She doesn't try to bolt after them - just watches. Then, when I talk to her about them, she just wags her tail in excitement. When she wakes up, I ask her if she was dreaming about catching one of those squirrel and she gets all excited.

 I'm going to make the post a little longer since I haven't posted in a few days - I took a short trip to FL to go fishing with my boys.


Anyway, Libby is up to date on all her shots and had a clean bill of health straight out of the shelter. I have also checked her over pretty good and she looks great. She still weighs 19.2 lbs so I'm pretty happy with that. Her ideal weight would be about 1-2 lbs more.

She will need a rabies update and I hope to get that this week - along with a few other treats for her and Cpl D - like a green harness and leash! :-)

Pam had Libby for the weekend and she really did great with the grandkids! She was obviously nervous at first around little people - and she seems to still be that way when we walk her on the walking path - she will try to get as far away from them as possible... Adults she will all but ignore - and other dogs, well, she can take 'em or leave 'em. If she is introduced, she remains calm even if the other dog goes wacko.

Well, it's off for a walk tonight - oh, that's another thing - Libby will walk in the dark, but she certainly prefers the daylight. :-)

The breed

I've been trying to figure out what breed Libby is and the closest match I could find is the:
Italian Greyhound
There is a very good description below which matches Libby very well (all except the small children part).
http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/italian-greyhound#personality

Libby had another great day yesterday! We did a little training session with the "Stay" command. It's obvious she doesn't know this one... :-)

She loves to follow me around the house and always wants to be close - at least where she can see me. If I move, she moves.. so the "stay" command is very difficult for her to follow - but she will get it soon because she is extremely smart - and LOVES her treats! :-)

She knows the command "Time for bed" now and will go to her bed when we start going to the bedroom... She won't go into the room unless we go too... She also seems to like her food, but she's not eating very well just yet - small bits here and there. I think this is OK and I'm not very concerned at this point. She's still adjusting to her new environment without her sister.

A couple more things - Libby will not got on the furniture unsolicited, but I can call her up in my lap and she will snuggle and cuddle - and even give "kisses" briefly when she first gets comfortable - it's really very sweet!

Libby is going to be a perfect companion dog - I'm very confident of that and I cannot wait to introduce her to Cpl D! She likes when I talk to her ask her questions.

She get very excited when I tell her it's time for a walk and will sit down before tethering.

I did trim her nails a bit yesterday - she's only a little uncomfortable with that. She allowed me to do most of them, but there were a few I didn't get - we will try to do the rest today... I just didn't want to try and "push" it with her.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Libby is a great name and she responds very well to it - almost like she likes it too... :-)

Bath time

Had a great day with Libby today!

Spent a better part of the day with the grandchildren - it's obvious that Libby will tolerate smaller people, but had no interest in being in the middle of things. This behavior is fine with me as Cpl D has no small children in the home and I don't see this as an issue even on family visits where small children may be present. Libby is fine as long as she is left alone and even if she is "chased" a bit, she was never aggressive took the avoidance approach.

I gave Libby a bath tonight and again, it was  perfect. She was very relaxed except for the initial placement into the tub. The water was not more than 6 inches deep, but for some reason, Libby thought she was going to have to "swim for it". After she realized she could stand at ease, she did that for almost the entire process. She shook 2 or 3 times when I washed her head, but that is not unusual or unexpected. And she just got the water away from her ears - it wasn't an entire body shake.

All in all, she's really a very sweet dog. She did jump straight up on my king size bed which is elevated more that most - that was surprising, but I immediately instructed her to "get down" and she complied. I'm not sure if she was just so excited to be clean or what.

She was scratching around her neck/collar area 5-6 times a day before the bath and that in itself is not necessarily unusual, but could be a sign. Since the bath, I've noticed she is much more comfortable.

Here are  a few recent pictures...

We took Libby to the park on Sat and I was very impressed with her agility! Agility training is not part of the PFV program, but I am certain that Libby would do very well!

I will continue to work with her as I get the opportunities.

As for the jumping on the bed, it was the first time I had witnessed unsolicited jumping on furniture - this is something I will work on.

So far, Libby has mastered the following -

Sit, Stay, Lay Down, Sit for tether/untether, walk behind on entry/exit, the walk (right side), come here, and  she also will give "kisses" when you invite her into your lap.

I'd say it has been a pretty productive weekend! :-)

I'm excited to deliver Libby before expected. I'm not committing to a date/time, but I'm sure it will be less than the typical 6-8 weeks.

Libby is an exceptional dog for an exceptional veteran. I cannot wait for them to finally meet.

Got the goods

So I went shopping for Libby. I guess I need to say that Cpl D renamed Dora to Libby, I think Libby is a much better name! And she likes it already!

For Libby, we picked up the following items:

Crate, Bed, elevated bowl set, food, a couple toys (rope, play toy and balls), nail clippers, & treats. She already had a collar and I had a spare leash, but I'm going to get a green harness and leash because that is Cpl D's favorite color!

Libby slept very well last night and had a great day with us today! She's already mastered the walk and loves to sit with me in my chair! She is so sweet! She met my grandchildren at the park and it was obvious that she is skittish around small children - that's OK though. She let them all pet her, but was very nervous. No sign of aggression though.

Libby also had some steak tonight - I think she really liked that treat!

Good night. Another post tomorrow with some updated pics.

Adoption Day!

It's finally here - yes, I was able to find and adopt a dog for Cpl D! I'm so excited - I just couldn't help myself and I had to call her - even before I picked up - Dora.

Here's a few pics.

Here's a link to her PetFinder Profile
https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/29072111/

And here she is at her new home - but for only a short time. Can't wait now to work with her and get her ready to meet Cpl D!

I'm so excited - and I know someone else who is also... :-)

I'm off to the store to get all the fixin's she needs... I'll post when I get back.

We meet again!

I got a chance to meet with Cpl D in person again last night and it was just, well - simply wonderful. Cpl D is so sweet and kind and is the consummate veteran for our program! She is just so delightful to talk with and when I told her I felt bad about the match taking longer than I anticipated and she looked at me and said - "don't worry, I'm patient" with a smile on her face and it was right from her heart!

She amazes me with all the difficult things she has to put up with, yet she somehow manages to share a smile and she also told me that sometimes she just looks on the internet at cute little dogs and that makes her day!

Here is a dog she found and she told me “He is so ugly, he’s cute!” – I laughed because I didn't see her picture until later!

I did send in an application and an email to this rescue group, although I am not overly excited about this particular dog – these dogs have a great deal of energy and if that energy doesn't have an outlet, it can turn into chewing and other destructive behaviors. Also, these dogs can be really hard headed and have a stubborn streak meaning that you can train them with positive reinforcement (they become confused and aggressive if trained with force) and they will easily know and understand all the commands, but they will do them when they want to – and not do them for no good reason! (includes house training!)

Here’s the other thing, this dog is labeled as a Corgi/Basenji blend – Corgi’s bark at anything and everything, and Basenji’s are called “The Barkless Dog” – so there is no telling when this dog may open his yap! J

I’m really glad that I got to see Cpl D again yesterday. She inspires me to be the best I can be – and I am going to continue to work hard to find her the perfect dog!

Meet Monte!

This is an interesting dog - I had a collie when I was young and we all thought he was the smartest dog on the planet - and very well behaved!

True enough, border collies are among the easiest dogs to train because they are very intelligent. Many of the dog trick youtube videos will show these dogs doing amazing things (usually a pure bred border collie) - which of course, takes time, but these can be very special dogs...

I saw this guy -

His name is Monte and and he weighs 40 lbs (doesn't look like it in the picture) but I thought he might be worth a shot... If he is not too high energy (some collies are - most have a high exercise demand) and if he's not too bad in the shedding dept.. (some are depending on the mix) - he may be worth evaluating. I sent them an email this morning and I hope to get to meet him this week.

Another one lost!

On 14 Aug, I applied for the dog Nicholas - and I just heard back from them this morning (after a few follow-ups) that Nicholas was adopted - well, good for him! And I would hope so by now! If he would have checked out, he could have been adopted 8 days ago!! :-)

I guess volunteer help is as good as it can be... That's about the nicest way I can say it... ;-)

Here Doggie-Doggie!

I've been looking, but unfortunately, still not found the right dog. I even have another trainer who regularly visits shelters all over the ATL area on the look out and there seems to be a shortage of dogs for Cpl D.

This is unusual, but even using a national search engine is producing limited results for a dog that matches the 15-20 lb range, not a yapper (like a Chihuahua), protective, yet playful and a light shedder.

I know it will happen - I'm praying that He will show me the right dog - and SOON! - although I know it's not on my timeline. I'm going to contact Cpl D to discuss the progress and just check in.

Not finding many

I've been checking the usual places regularly and I have communicated to many people who can assist in locating the perfect dog for Cpl D, but for some reason, it's not happened yet.

I found this potential dog on PetFinder (I check it regularly) and applied through the link provided on Monday, but have not heard back... yet. I'm still hopeful they will give me a chance to evaluate Nicholas.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/28605459/

Petfinder strikes

I inquired about these two little creatures I found on https://www.petfinder.com/. This is Happy

and located in Marietta. Apparently, he's having some health issues and is not currently available..

Then I found April

at Henry Humane and they have already told me they are not interesting in working with the PFV organization! Good thing I don't give up easily! :-)

Nice dogs, just not perfect...

I got a chance to meet a few dogs on Friday - sorry it's taken so long to get this post out... :-)
I met this one,

Her name was Hannah and she was very sweet, but one big problem was she shed - a LOT! :-) I also met a dog named Peanut who was a little bit smaller and didn't like strangers - good behaviour pattern, but also shed a little too much. Then I met another dog (can't remember the name) who was a poodle breed (mix) but the first thing she did was pee on the floor... and - she was very independent and that was not going to be a good fit! 

So - I am still looking... 

On the hunt

I stopped by the Paw Pad in McDonough yesterday, but there was nobody available to allow me to evaluate any dogs. I was unannounced - I had to be at the McDonough Animal Hospital which is right next door and I thought I would just stop in.

I hope to have some time on Wed and I will make an appointment this time. :-)

Initial Interview

I had the distinct honor and pleasure to meet with Cpl D on Monday evening, 14 Jul 2014. She graciously welcomed me into her home and it seemed to me that we talked like we knew each other. The military bond always seems to live up to its legend and I am so grateful for Cpl D and her service to our country. 

Cpl D is a perfect candidate for the PFV program and I am fortunate to be her trainer. We discussed the perfect companion dog and I am actively looking for a 15-25 lb dog lovable, mid-size (not "small"), quiet (not a Chihuahua), alert - basically an amusing and caring companion that is highly sociable. I think a Lhasa Apso would be perfect, but I am more interested in the perfect dog than a particular breed. I’ve always said mutts are my favorite breed!

I did get a call from a previous match and I will have to delay adopting a dog, but that doesn't stop me from looking and I already have a few good leads.

I pray that God will help me find the perfect dog for Cpl D and I know He will help me.