It Happened

May 15, 2009

Well, it happened. Kruiser (now spelled Kruizer which is actually the correct spelling--I didn't want to change the blog name once I found out) has gone to his boy Matthew. Sigh. Here we are at the hand-over. It may not show but both Ed and I were fighting tears. Kruizer will still have some training to do as he bonds with Matthew and then in a couple of months or so he will be certified as a full-fledged assistance dog.

Events surrounding the hand-over: the new puppies were born to Kruizer's parents on May 14th, the day before we said goodbye to Kruizer. We went over to see them their first night of out-of-the-womb life and named the last one born "Kaboose." It ends up Kaboose will be our next puppy to raise (see http://kaboosesjournal.blogspot.com.) Then a week after we handed Kruizer over, my dad died. Sweet sorrow partings. In Kruizer's case it was mostly sweet. Matthew will have an amazing, smart, energetic, devoted, and mostly obedient dog for many years.

Here's to you, Kruizer!

You can continue to follow Kruizer's training with Matthew at http://dogandhisboy.blogspot.com.

It's Really Going to Happen

May 4, 2009

After a delay due to the need for a 6 ft high fence, fundraising for said fence, and the first weekend of manual labor to put in new fence posts, it looks like Kruiser will be going to his family in just a little over a week. (Today I saw the need for the fence up close--Kruiser jumped out of a neighbor's yard several times to get to me, sailing effortlessly over their 3 ft. high wood fence.) Over the last couple of months we thought the transfer was imminent, but because of the need for the new fence, it kept being pushed back. After two months of goodbyes we're now truly ready for Kruiser to move on (not that the final goodbye will be tear-free!) Also, Kruiser's mom Kando is pregnant and due to deliver puppies on May 16th. This means we'll be in the beginning stages of puppy raising again by late July and we look forward to a break between dogs to mentally prepare for loving a new puppy...and housebreaking.

To make the transition easier for Kruiser and his boy Matthew, we met with them last Friday at Colorado Mills for a training session. Matt picked up on the basics very quickly. Initially Kruiser was a bit confused about who he should listen to, but by the end of the session he was on the floor fully attentive while Matt taught him how to crawl. It was wonderful to see them interact.

Here's a picture of Kruiser and Matt working together.


Thanks go out to everyone who contributed money for the family's fence. It's been amazing to see people's generosity in helping to make this relationship between Kruiser and Matthew happen.

Backlit Drool & Zen Dog

March 16, 2009

Remember those nude baby-in-the-bathtub photos your parents threatened to show your future spouse (or did!)? Here's Kruiser's equivalent. I was taking pictures of him for Ed (see below) and decided to get a few closeups so we'll remember him grown. Maybe it was my tone of voice, but clearly Kruiser thought there was some treat to be had.

Here's the Zen-dog photo for Matt (that's a meditation stool Ed built for him.) Note the hint of scorn in Kruiser's eyes.

Last Ski

March 16, 2009

We went for our last ski with Kruiser this weekend. After taking both dogs on the dog trails (photo above) we left Pat in the car and skied non-dog trails with Kruiser. Crushed at not being able to find a stick anywhere in the meadow, Kruiser pulled off a small branch of sagebrush and carried it for the rest of the ski. At lunch a trail grooming snowcat came by. We fully expected them to challenge us about having a dog on a non-dog trail, but the operator only stopped to say hi. He remembered Kruiser from an earlier ski and asked how he was doing. Later we bumped into a group of 3 women who cooed and gushed over Kruiser and another guy who actually threw the sagebrush limb for him to retrieve. It sure seemed like Kruiser was carrying out a campaign to open ALL trails at Devil's Thumb to dogs.

It's hard these last days, having so many "lasts" with Kruiser, but at the same time it's exciting how well he's doing with the detailed training for helping Matthew through non-verbal prompting. With reminders from Ed, Krusier now has the routine down to go out back to pee, then jump on the bed and nuzzle my ear and face to "wake" me up, then run down the front steps to "go get the paper," then gallumph up the stairs to "bring" it to me. I then sort the paper and rebag the sections to be recycled and tell him to "bring" them to Ed (the "bringing" of the paper will transfer into Kruiser bringing Matthew his medicine in a bag, reminder notes, etc.). After coffee and paper, I ask him (Kruiser, not Ed) to "go get my clothes" and point toward the pile I left the night before. One by one, he carries over my shirt and then my jeans. To Kruiser it's all a great game of fetch. Hopefully it will make Matthew and his family's life better.

The Yoga Gadfly

Feb. 24, 2009

Just before the beginning of yoga class this morning, Kruiser took it into his mind to great each and every person in the room. We went around the circle and he had a nuzzle and a sniff for each of these folks he'd been watching from afar since last October. Very sweet. Everyone was thrilled. Did he intuit that he'll only see them a couple more times? I leaked tears during the relaxation at the end of class as I pictured future classes where he won't be lying down beside me and sending mellow vibes my way.

Happy Birthday, Kruiser

Feb. 18, 2009

Today was Kruiser's first birthday. He celebrated by going to Deborah's and meeting up with his mom, the other yellow lab in the picture named Kan Do, and three sibs--Kookie, Missie who now lives next door, and Beau who is a family pet. No party hats, but plenty of treats all round. Some good looking dogs!

Kookie was the only sib at the party who is also in training to be an assistance dog. Two of Kruiser's other sibs went to other trainers and one of them is already in service, but unfortunately neither could come.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Feb. 6, 2009

With Deborah's guidance, we've added some new commands that are specific to helping Matthew deal with his morning transitions and his meltdowns. Kruiser is learning to wake up a person on command (and with a treat strategically placed on an ear.) He jumps onto the bed and then rummages for the treat and licks the ear and face. With a "get my clothes" command, he pulls clothes over from a pile I make the night before. Up to now, I've had to toss a shirt onto the pile first to trigger his retrieval instinct, but this morning he did it on command alone. For bedmaking, I have him pull at the bedcovers, though I don't know if we'll ever get it to be more than just an initiation of the process--I really doubt a dog has a mental contruct for a "made up" bed. I have him lie next to me when I playact a mild meltdown, and after his first few very worried nuzzle responses, he now mostly stays beside me passively. He sits by the cupboard where we keep Pat's thyroid meds when I say "time for your meds, Pat," (an easy one to teach since we've usually let Kruiser lick the knife or spoon after Pat takes most of the peanut butter and pill anyway.) And finally Kruiser comes and sits by me as I wash my face and brush my teeth. This morning I was in a rush and forgot to prompt him, but he still did it. In all these new commands he's an A, number one, star pupil.

But...last weekend up in the mountains and on Monday, he bolted out of the car or pulled the leash out from under my foot or slipped out of his collar to go say hi to other dogs, and this week there have been two occasions when he really wouldn't keep a down/stay. He was good at yoga, the eye doctor's, the grocery store, a bookstore, the pet store, and a restaurant, but in my pottery class he wouldn't stay under the table in a down for more than 10 minutes. Then last night after being perfect at Tokyo Joe's and Barnes and Noble, he refused to lie down at the movie theater. When I finally got him down, he was right back up, just like in pottery class. He was so restless that I finally took him outside to be sure he didn't need to go to the bathroom. He "performed" but not with any urgency and was only marginally better when we went back inside.

So today, with trepidation, I made a prearranged visit to a third grade classroom with him. He was wonderful--responsive to the kids but not overexcited, listened to me, relaxed when he lay down to hear some of the kids read, and kept a down/stay. What a relief! A classroom setting might the most important place for him to handle well for Matthew's sake. I plan to take him back next week during science when the class is more active and maybe try a recess as well.

I wish I could get inside Kruiser's head to figure out why some places work so well and others don't. Are we taking him too many places? Does he not like the darkness of being under the table or in a movie theatre? I'll just have to keep trying different venues and different strategies. As for the bolting, I need to set up situations where I can remind him that it's not okay to lunge to say hello, but most of all I need to be more vigilant myself--remember to shut the car door, don't expect snow to prevent the leash from slipping away, don't be adjusting his collar when another dog is chasing a frisbee nearby. For that, I'm the one who has to be the better pupil.