Our search team, People and Paws, was activated yesterday to search for a missing 8 year old Reedsburg boy. The boy had left his home around 3:45 the previous day and was reported missing to Law Enforcement several hours later after an unsuccessful search by family members. When I received the call, I quickly canceled the private lessons I had scheduled for the day. Everyone was understanding of the priorities and I appreciate that.
The location is about three hours from here and most of our team arrived at around the same time to discover a parking lot filled with fire department and rescue vehicles, horse trailers, squad cars and school buses. It seemed the entire town had emptied to assist in the search. On a personal level, I question some of the well-intentioned who were accompanied by young children. I cannot believe they had an understanding of what they might find and how shocking that might be to a child.
Ultimately we would move our command post away from that scene, to a location nearby where the dogs had shade and we could deploy away from the prying eyes of media. I have great respect for the Incident Command System in place for our team and those we work closely with. There are other teams whose knowledge, certifications and expertise dove-tail with that of PnP and who we work jointly with on numerous searches. K9SOS and WolfSAR were two of the other teams who worked the incident with us.
I will not go into detail about the search except to say that I was extremely impressed by the work of Lynn Gardiner and her bloodhound, Abby. Abby is a youngster but demonstrated ability and a strong work ethic. In the end, there is a tragic post script to the story; the young lad had apparently entered the Baraboo River and drowned. I dislike the term "closure". Does a family who loses a child ever truly close that door? But he is at least returned to them to say good-bye. Pray that this family finds strength to deal with their loss.
The team will be answer the call to locate another missing child in the future. We will pack our gear, load our dogs, and hope for a different outcome, never forgetting the families who are waiting to bring their loved ones home.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Photos from the MR trial
Melissa Mims and Lykos, decoy Scott Dunmore
Lykos
Mongoose on Object Guard
Lisa Geller and Mongoose, DOH
Pi, decoy Dennis Bilik
Steve Garvin and Bogan
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Algonquin von Schoerling, UCD,11xSchH3/IPO3,MR1
WOW! We did it! Quinn earned his MR1 by earning qualifying scores both days. Granted, they were nothing to write home about but he did pass! And the only other dog to trial both days was not successful in his bid. Lisa Geller said later that she didn't think I realized what a big deal it was to have taken an almost 8 year old experienced schutzhund dog, with not much training, and earned a MR1 in his first weekend.
The other thing that Lisa said was that I am responsible for Mondioring in the Midwest. I hadn't considered that, but I suppose it is true. When we began bringing in Michael Ellis for seminars, after Ivan became unavailable, our area had never heard of ringsports. Michael introduced it and we began to teach our dogs proper entry on leg sleeves and how to do positions. We started to train a twisted schutzhund version combining portions of mondioring, including the environmental challenges, with the schutzhund requirements. I firmly believe this makes a well-rounded dog. Michael also sold his Loups du Soleil dogs to club members and I think that has forever changed the sport landscape as well as the presence of the malinois in this area. Ultimately, members who only wanted to do MR broke away from our schutzhund club and look where we are today!
I can't believe how nervous I was! In schutzhund, I am a zen goddess (though anyone who knows me understands not to talk to me before or immediately following my turn). I was so out of my element and sooo nervous. It is a little funny to look back on when I recall that I wasn't so nervous about Jinx but yet she failed her second day's attempt! I was petrified what Quinn might do, and he did even better the second day. I was very concerned about whether to even try again on Sunday. I had wanted to do some "clean up" to make sure I had an "out" since he had not been reinforced with multiple grips on Saturday. The last thing I wanted to do was to create the same problem we had in schutzhund where Quinn decided that releasing was not a priority. I spoke briefly with Michael Ellis on Sunday morning and he encouraged me to give it a try. I'm glad I did.
In two days, Quinn did NOT eat the food on the food refusal. That is our biggest accomplishment, as he is a total chow hound! I had learned (darnit! have to read the rules some time!) that in the MR1 I could pick my dog up from the guard, so I opted to try that. I also decided to use voice only, rather than whistle. Clearly the whistle was not working for me the day before. Once the decoy hovered over Quinn and made eye contact, it was game on and he wasn't going anywhere. Of course, I will have to reinforce the whistle for the MR2 level, but in order to pass, I let him do his schutzhund guard and walked up to heel away. He released perfectly, too! I was so proud of him! The poor boy was handicapped by a stupid handler who cost so many points we are lucky to have passed. Score-wise, we did worse than the day before by 1 point, earning 168 points. 160 is passing! whew! However, on Sunday, it was almost all on me. Quinn did super but I lost my brain, failing to acknowledge the horn that signaled the start and end of the exercises. I have to admit that Melissa Mims had told me to practice with the horn, and I even bought one, but I was worried the dog would learn to pay attention to the horn and perhaps release too soon, or recall too soon. In the end, what I discovered was that because I had not practiced with it, it became back ground noise in my nervous head and I paid no attention to it! The one time it pierced my subconscious was in the heeling pattern, where it actually startled me and I stopped abruptly. My stop startled Quinn, who apparently thought he had screwed up and he remained sitting when I continued forward. We lost all the heeling points because of that error. No kidding, my awesome heeling dog failed heeling! arggghh. dumb handler!
That morning, Steve Garvin, who was an apprentice judge and a super nice guy, asked if I was excited. Excited? no. Nervous? you betcha. I just wanted it all over. I didn't even break my camera out of the case on Saturday. I just wanted the whole thing to be done, pass or fail. On Sunday the MR1 competitors were just me and Scott Dunmore, who did double duty as a decoy, as well, and has a very nice V litter LdS dog. I asked to go first, to get it over with! Once my turn was done, it took awhile to work up the courage to go look at our score but once I did, I was free to relax, chat and take photos. It felt so nice to be finished! For our troubles, and First Place, we received a nice bite pillow.
The location was lovely and Ed and Cindy were great hosts. I would have loved to have had the time to look around more, maybe even taken a drive around the area. Maybe next time. What?? next time? Obviously a glutton for punishment, we are now planning our move to MR2. Call me crazy.....
The other thing that Lisa said was that I am responsible for Mondioring in the Midwest. I hadn't considered that, but I suppose it is true. When we began bringing in Michael Ellis for seminars, after Ivan became unavailable, our area had never heard of ringsports. Michael introduced it and we began to teach our dogs proper entry on leg sleeves and how to do positions. We started to train a twisted schutzhund version combining portions of mondioring, including the environmental challenges, with the schutzhund requirements. I firmly believe this makes a well-rounded dog. Michael also sold his Loups du Soleil dogs to club members and I think that has forever changed the sport landscape as well as the presence of the malinois in this area. Ultimately, members who only wanted to do MR broke away from our schutzhund club and look where we are today!
I can't believe how nervous I was! In schutzhund, I am a zen goddess (though anyone who knows me understands not to talk to me before or immediately following my turn). I was so out of my element and sooo nervous. It is a little funny to look back on when I recall that I wasn't so nervous about Jinx but yet she failed her second day's attempt! I was petrified what Quinn might do, and he did even better the second day. I was very concerned about whether to even try again on Sunday. I had wanted to do some "clean up" to make sure I had an "out" since he had not been reinforced with multiple grips on Saturday. The last thing I wanted to do was to create the same problem we had in schutzhund where Quinn decided that releasing was not a priority. I spoke briefly with Michael Ellis on Sunday morning and he encouraged me to give it a try. I'm glad I did.
In two days, Quinn did NOT eat the food on the food refusal. That is our biggest accomplishment, as he is a total chow hound! I had learned (darnit! have to read the rules some time!) that in the MR1 I could pick my dog up from the guard, so I opted to try that. I also decided to use voice only, rather than whistle. Clearly the whistle was not working for me the day before. Once the decoy hovered over Quinn and made eye contact, it was game on and he wasn't going anywhere. Of course, I will have to reinforce the whistle for the MR2 level, but in order to pass, I let him do his schutzhund guard and walked up to heel away. He released perfectly, too! I was so proud of him! The poor boy was handicapped by a stupid handler who cost so many points we are lucky to have passed. Score-wise, we did worse than the day before by 1 point, earning 168 points. 160 is passing! whew! However, on Sunday, it was almost all on me. Quinn did super but I lost my brain, failing to acknowledge the horn that signaled the start and end of the exercises. I have to admit that Melissa Mims had told me to practice with the horn, and I even bought one, but I was worried the dog would learn to pay attention to the horn and perhaps release too soon, or recall too soon. In the end, what I discovered was that because I had not practiced with it, it became back ground noise in my nervous head and I paid no attention to it! The one time it pierced my subconscious was in the heeling pattern, where it actually startled me and I stopped abruptly. My stop startled Quinn, who apparently thought he had screwed up and he remained sitting when I continued forward. We lost all the heeling points because of that error. No kidding, my awesome heeling dog failed heeling! arggghh. dumb handler!
That morning, Steve Garvin, who was an apprentice judge and a super nice guy, asked if I was excited. Excited? no. Nervous? you betcha. I just wanted it all over. I didn't even break my camera out of the case on Saturday. I just wanted the whole thing to be done, pass or fail. On Sunday the MR1 competitors were just me and Scott Dunmore, who did double duty as a decoy, as well, and has a very nice V litter LdS dog. I asked to go first, to get it over with! Once my turn was done, it took awhile to work up the courage to go look at our score but once I did, I was free to relax, chat and take photos. It felt so nice to be finished! For our troubles, and First Place, we received a nice bite pillow.
The location was lovely and Ed and Cindy were great hosts. I would have loved to have had the time to look around more, maybe even taken a drive around the area. Maybe next time. What?? next time? Obviously a glutton for punishment, we are now planning our move to MR2. Call me crazy.....
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Quinn's First Mondioring Trial
This is one of those rare instances where having a one-legged dog is a good thing! Quinn made his Mondioring debut today at the Competitive Canines Mondioring Trial at the Leerburg propery in Menomonie, Wisconsin and earned a qualifying score. It wasn't pretty, and we were in last place, but he passed. That means he has one leg toward his MR1 title.
I am very proud of my Quinnster. He retired from schutzhund with 11 SchH3/IPO3 titles, including many regional championships and a number of National events. While earning our FH is still on the agenda, I thought we would make a detour into the world of Mondioring after discovering that Quinn really seems to enjoy the longer fight and grip of MR. I am doing this for him. I have not found the fun and comraderie in MR that I have in schutzhund and dislike intensely the concept of having to pay a decoy to get anywhere in the sport. And there seems to be a whole thing to which decoys work with which group's dogs. I just want to train my dog.
You would think that with all the competitions behind us, I wouldn't have been so nervous. After all, I competed in MR1 with Jinx, as well, but for some reason my stomach was bound up in knots this morning as I waited my turn. I was very worried about all the things that could go wrong with Quinn. We first walked through the exercises and were allowed to ask questions of the judge, Margaret McKenna. I scribbled what I needed to remember in a small notebook and innocently asked the judge whether I could review my notes between exercises. She looked at me as if I had suddenly sprouted a third eye and asked "are you serious?" She did not appear amused. Next the "Dog in White" walked through the same exercises. Finally it was time to draw for our positions. I thought I would be able to watch several other teams and confirm the exercises in my head...until I drew #1!
In MR, you report in to the judge and introduce yourself, your dog, club affiliation, your jump choice and whether you will use whistle or voice to recall. When I told the judge I had no club affiliation, she asked "then how do you train, if you have no club?" I told her I attend seminars. No need to explain that I am Switzerland. That I don't need the drama associated with club membership and prefer to be able to go where I like to train, even if that means I am an outsider. Or that I have not been asked to join any mondioring clubs!! haha! She didn't look as if any of that would have either interested or amused her.
The first excercise actually began when I reported in. Contrary to the way we had trained, with being able to cue the dog at the prep line, we had to place the dog on a down as we reported in and that was part of the food refusal exercise. After the introduction, I turned around to face Quinn-- which was helpful--- as the food was tossed. When the exercise was finished and I went to him, he was still focused on finding the food, though. Next was the retrieve. Quinn likes to retrieve and the object was a plastic candle, so quite like a dumbbell. Quinn also did his positions on the first command, and I was very happy with that but since I had to whistle him to position and had forgotten to move my feet apart, I did that after I took my initial position earning me criticism from the judge. She was correct, of course; I simply forgot.
Next came the absence. Thankfully, it was not behind any objects tempting Quinn to peek over the top, but instead was also very schutzhund-like in that I placed him on a down and then walked to a blind. whew~! The send-away followed. I have had to work on this particularly, as in schutzhund we often send TO a cone or marker but in MR you are sending the dog between markers. The markers were plastic Santas, not cones and the handlers had elected to whistle back the dog once he crossed the line, without signal from the judge. Wouldn't you know, I watched Quinn run and was so happy to see him run past the Santas that I forgot briefly!! Then had to quickly grab my whistle. And oh yes, move the damned feet apart AGAIN. Quinn did turn back quickly but meandered his way to me a little, but that does not cost points, I learned. It is all about the dog running straight and crossing the line between the distractions. The judge also considered it "training" if your dog continued to touch the fence or look for a marker after you whistled back and took something called "allure points". There is a category outside the written rules, termed "general allure" which apparently allows the judge personal latitude. I learned that you must wear capris or long pants, no shorts, or you will be docked "allure points." Tell that to the gals at Hooters, I say! At any rate, the judge gave me a very strict "this is your last warning" for having moved my feet.
The heeling pattern was simple and I finally felt I could breathe! Quinn knows how to heel. I march right out there, moving quickly, getting it done. I've heard comments about that because the MR folks, with their leaning dogs, don't heel in the same manner. But in MR it doesn't matter, only that the dog stays with you and stops when you stop (without command). The hurdle was the last exercise in the obedience portion. I have not taught markers to Quinn so I relied on throwing a toy one way over the jump in training, expecting him to go further away thinking it was out there. He didn't go quite as far as I expected today, and nicked the jump slightly on the return. I was still very happy with his performance. To that point, the greatest detriment had been me!!
The order of the protection exercises were face, flee and DOH. In the first one, Quinn released on the whistle but needed two to leave the man and get back to me. After that, with the decoy bent over him and making strong eye contact, there was no leaving. Quinn guarded instead. In the second, I ended up recalling him by voice and in the last he didn't return at all. I had broken my whistle and replaced it with a different type that did not carry as well, but I don't believe that was it. Quinn just got stuck. I did not believe we had passed after that performance but we squeaked it out.
There is no critique, so you don't learn from the mistakes of others in the same way you do in schutzhund, but they do post the score sheets following each performance. That is more like AKC, but at least you do find out where the points were taken, if you didn't already know.
The weather has been ungodly hot. Today my van temperature gauge showed 99 degrees. I don't know if that is accurate, but it sure felt like it. By late afternoon I couldn't concentrate on anything but the sweat running down my back and I took a brief trip back to the hotel where Quinn and I could cool off in the A/C. When we returned, the group was clapping and celebrating and concluding the awards celebration. Aida and Bordeaux, after much work and persistence, achieved their MR3, so it was a particularly touching moment. My brain was so fried, I had entirely forgotten about any closing ceremony.
At this moment, Quinn is sacked out for the night and I am listening to the thunderstorm, trying to decide whether to risk competing tomorrow without having been able to clean that up. I'm not convinced he will let go two days in a row without reinforcement.
Sam, if you read this-- thank you! I know our scores aren't anything to be proud of, but we did pass, and without your assistance that would not have happened.
I am very proud of my Quinnster. He retired from schutzhund with 11 SchH3/IPO3 titles, including many regional championships and a number of National events. While earning our FH is still on the agenda, I thought we would make a detour into the world of Mondioring after discovering that Quinn really seems to enjoy the longer fight and grip of MR. I am doing this for him. I have not found the fun and comraderie in MR that I have in schutzhund and dislike intensely the concept of having to pay a decoy to get anywhere in the sport. And there seems to be a whole thing to which decoys work with which group's dogs. I just want to train my dog.
You would think that with all the competitions behind us, I wouldn't have been so nervous. After all, I competed in MR1 with Jinx, as well, but for some reason my stomach was bound up in knots this morning as I waited my turn. I was very worried about all the things that could go wrong with Quinn. We first walked through the exercises and were allowed to ask questions of the judge, Margaret McKenna. I scribbled what I needed to remember in a small notebook and innocently asked the judge whether I could review my notes between exercises. She looked at me as if I had suddenly sprouted a third eye and asked "are you serious?" She did not appear amused. Next the "Dog in White" walked through the same exercises. Finally it was time to draw for our positions. I thought I would be able to watch several other teams and confirm the exercises in my head...until I drew #1!
In MR, you report in to the judge and introduce yourself, your dog, club affiliation, your jump choice and whether you will use whistle or voice to recall. When I told the judge I had no club affiliation, she asked "then how do you train, if you have no club?" I told her I attend seminars. No need to explain that I am Switzerland. That I don't need the drama associated with club membership and prefer to be able to go where I like to train, even if that means I am an outsider. Or that I have not been asked to join any mondioring clubs!! haha! She didn't look as if any of that would have either interested or amused her.
The first excercise actually began when I reported in. Contrary to the way we had trained, with being able to cue the dog at the prep line, we had to place the dog on a down as we reported in and that was part of the food refusal exercise. After the introduction, I turned around to face Quinn-- which was helpful--- as the food was tossed. When the exercise was finished and I went to him, he was still focused on finding the food, though. Next was the retrieve. Quinn likes to retrieve and the object was a plastic candle, so quite like a dumbbell. Quinn also did his positions on the first command, and I was very happy with that but since I had to whistle him to position and had forgotten to move my feet apart, I did that after I took my initial position earning me criticism from the judge. She was correct, of course; I simply forgot.
Next came the absence. Thankfully, it was not behind any objects tempting Quinn to peek over the top, but instead was also very schutzhund-like in that I placed him on a down and then walked to a blind. whew~! The send-away followed. I have had to work on this particularly, as in schutzhund we often send TO a cone or marker but in MR you are sending the dog between markers. The markers were plastic Santas, not cones and the handlers had elected to whistle back the dog once he crossed the line, without signal from the judge. Wouldn't you know, I watched Quinn run and was so happy to see him run past the Santas that I forgot briefly!! Then had to quickly grab my whistle. And oh yes, move the damned feet apart AGAIN. Quinn did turn back quickly but meandered his way to me a little, but that does not cost points, I learned. It is all about the dog running straight and crossing the line between the distractions. The judge also considered it "training" if your dog continued to touch the fence or look for a marker after you whistled back and took something called "allure points". There is a category outside the written rules, termed "general allure" which apparently allows the judge personal latitude. I learned that you must wear capris or long pants, no shorts, or you will be docked "allure points." Tell that to the gals at Hooters, I say! At any rate, the judge gave me a very strict "this is your last warning" for having moved my feet.
The heeling pattern was simple and I finally felt I could breathe! Quinn knows how to heel. I march right out there, moving quickly, getting it done. I've heard comments about that because the MR folks, with their leaning dogs, don't heel in the same manner. But in MR it doesn't matter, only that the dog stays with you and stops when you stop (without command). The hurdle was the last exercise in the obedience portion. I have not taught markers to Quinn so I relied on throwing a toy one way over the jump in training, expecting him to go further away thinking it was out there. He didn't go quite as far as I expected today, and nicked the jump slightly on the return. I was still very happy with his performance. To that point, the greatest detriment had been me!!
The order of the protection exercises were face, flee and DOH. In the first one, Quinn released on the whistle but needed two to leave the man and get back to me. After that, with the decoy bent over him and making strong eye contact, there was no leaving. Quinn guarded instead. In the second, I ended up recalling him by voice and in the last he didn't return at all. I had broken my whistle and replaced it with a different type that did not carry as well, but I don't believe that was it. Quinn just got stuck. I did not believe we had passed after that performance but we squeaked it out.
There is no critique, so you don't learn from the mistakes of others in the same way you do in schutzhund, but they do post the score sheets following each performance. That is more like AKC, but at least you do find out where the points were taken, if you didn't already know.
The weather has been ungodly hot. Today my van temperature gauge showed 99 degrees. I don't know if that is accurate, but it sure felt like it. By late afternoon I couldn't concentrate on anything but the sweat running down my back and I took a brief trip back to the hotel where Quinn and I could cool off in the A/C. When we returned, the group was clapping and celebrating and concluding the awards celebration. Aida and Bordeaux, after much work and persistence, achieved their MR3, so it was a particularly touching moment. My brain was so fried, I had entirely forgotten about any closing ceremony.
At this moment, Quinn is sacked out for the night and I am listening to the thunderstorm, trying to decide whether to risk competing tomorrow without having been able to clean that up. I'm not convinced he will let go two days in a row without reinforcement.
Sam, if you read this-- thank you! I know our scores aren't anything to be proud of, but we did pass, and without your assistance that would not have happened.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Renewal
Life goes on. Despite thinking at times that it cannot, or that things will never be the same, the truth is: they never are the same. And still, life goes on.
My life has taken turns that I never expected. Some have been challenging, some thrilling and some terribly sad. To do less than look forward to the challenges of tomorrow would dishonor the memory of the wonderful people and brilliant dogs I have know. You know, of course, that I am still thinking of Jinx. We planted a tree in her memory that a schutzhund friend gave us, scattering some of her ashes there so that Jinx would live and grow again. It is a lovely baby blue spruce, planted so that we can see it from the living and dining room. It will give shelter to birds, and I can already envision decorating it at Christmas. Thank you, Chuck, for a gift that celebrates life.
As sad as that loss has been, if I would have stopped loving when I lost Eros, I would not have loved Sofie; if I had stopped at Sofie, there would be no Digit, no Quinn and no Jinx. And if I refused to surrender my heart after Jinx, there would be nothing for Cooper or Ridley or the dogs that may come after them.
The other day a man I know said that if his current young dog had bad hips, that would be it for him. That he couldn't or wouldn't handle another dog. I have to admit that this has never crossed my mind. To toss away all the good, all the lessons for one or even two set-backs? I have had more unexpected injuries, illnesses and issues than I have fingers on both hands. I don't know that I am more of an optimist than many, but I do know that l refuse to stop living, to stop learning and looking forward to tomorrow. I fully expect that a good dog will be at my side.
After taking time to reflect, the sad little faces of my under-worked dogs beckoned me. I started a walking regiment and every morning this week have taken a dog for a walk on the local recreational trail. I imagine the walks Jinx and I took there with fondness as I lay down new footprints, matched in step by a set of pawprints. I'm quite certain that sometimes, in the outer fringes of my vision, I see a malinois matching pace.
My life has taken turns that I never expected. Some have been challenging, some thrilling and some terribly sad. To do less than look forward to the challenges of tomorrow would dishonor the memory of the wonderful people and brilliant dogs I have know. You know, of course, that I am still thinking of Jinx. We planted a tree in her memory that a schutzhund friend gave us, scattering some of her ashes there so that Jinx would live and grow again. It is a lovely baby blue spruce, planted so that we can see it from the living and dining room. It will give shelter to birds, and I can already envision decorating it at Christmas. Thank you, Chuck, for a gift that celebrates life.
As sad as that loss has been, if I would have stopped loving when I lost Eros, I would not have loved Sofie; if I had stopped at Sofie, there would be no Digit, no Quinn and no Jinx. And if I refused to surrender my heart after Jinx, there would be nothing for Cooper or Ridley or the dogs that may come after them.
The other day a man I know said that if his current young dog had bad hips, that would be it for him. That he couldn't or wouldn't handle another dog. I have to admit that this has never crossed my mind. To toss away all the good, all the lessons for one or even two set-backs? I have had more unexpected injuries, illnesses and issues than I have fingers on both hands. I don't know that I am more of an optimist than many, but I do know that l refuse to stop living, to stop learning and looking forward to tomorrow. I fully expect that a good dog will be at my side.
After taking time to reflect, the sad little faces of my under-worked dogs beckoned me. I started a walking regiment and every morning this week have taken a dog for a walk on the local recreational trail. I imagine the walks Jinx and I took there with fondness as I lay down new footprints, matched in step by a set of pawprints. I'm quite certain that sometimes, in the outer fringes of my vision, I see a malinois matching pace.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Till we meet again, Sweet Jinxy girl
It has taken me several days to write about this, but we said good-bye to Jinx on Monday, May 10. It was not unplanned, and it was time. She had rapidly lost motor function in the rear once it began, and within one week was no longer walking without support of a harness. It was very taxing, considering that left her with only one good leg. Yet, her spirit never wavered. The body no longer allowed her to run and play and so we had to make that decision to let her go, to a place where her body was united with the joy and freedom of her mind.
I cried so much the previous week, saying my goodbyes and "I love you's" over and over, my heart aching to lose her. It was difficult to recognize the miracle that we had in her in those extra months post-diagnosis, through the tears. In my head I knew the lives she had touched, and the things she had accomplished and how she rose through each challenge to overcome adversity. In my heart, it just hurt.
We were blessed to have the resources of two excellent veterinary services. Dr. Strickfaden (Country Care) for the holistic treatments that I feel sustained Jinx much longer than predicted, and Dr. Jay Peters (Countryside), who I consider a friend, and who is the vet I rely on for all my routine care. He is always willing to answer questions, find answers for me and exhibits such tender care to both animals and humans. On Monday, Dr. Jay came here to our house, where Jinx could make her final goodbyes in the comfort of a place she knew and loved, in the arms of those who adored her. Jinx and I napped all morning together on the bed, and then it was time.
We drove to the training field. Oh, the happy hours we spent there! Tom lifted her from the van and when I said "Jinx, lets go to work" she literally pulled him onto the field with a surprising burst of strength. The gleam was in her eye. There was no pain there, only the excitement over once more going to work. We lay on a blanket on the field, with the sun shining. One final time I asked her, "Jinx, want to go to work?" and she barked for her tug toy, and gripped it hard and full. That was how she left us for the Rainbow Bridge, going to work, with her tug toy in her mouth. And the grip was full.
The many messages of love and understanding that I received meant so much to me. People who had met Jinx and remembered her (one person mentioned her pink collar that she wore at the USAR testing when we traveled), and many who simply know what the love of a good dog means. The unfortunate responsibility that we take on when we do love such a dog, is to promise that we give them the ultimate gift to honor their service, when the time comes, giving them the release that they cannot bring themselves. In that, we promise to respect them and not serve our own ego by insisting they struggle and/or feel pain just so we have them near us.
The house feels so empty without a dog to greet me. I expect to see Jinx around every corner. I wonder if she will "visit" me, as several of my past dogs have done? In the meantime, I decided to allow Ridley, aka "little one", more indoor freedom. She had been very well behaved on previous sessions. She was excited to be in the land of beds and bones and happily gathered her finds. And then something happened. She found a sock and brought it to me. This might sound insignificant, but what you may not know is that the sock would almost certainly have been left there by Jinx, who had an affinity for carrying socks in her mouth. She never ate any, just like the carry them to you and have you give them a gentle tug. And now, here was Ridley exhibiting the same behavior, even though they were only together once... when a crate door was not properly closed... so she would not have learned it from Jinx directly. I would like to believe that Jinx nodded and passed the torch to the Little One... and all is better in my heart.
I cried so much the previous week, saying my goodbyes and "I love you's" over and over, my heart aching to lose her. It was difficult to recognize the miracle that we had in her in those extra months post-diagnosis, through the tears. In my head I knew the lives she had touched, and the things she had accomplished and how she rose through each challenge to overcome adversity. In my heart, it just hurt.
We were blessed to have the resources of two excellent veterinary services. Dr. Strickfaden (Country Care) for the holistic treatments that I feel sustained Jinx much longer than predicted, and Dr. Jay Peters (Countryside), who I consider a friend, and who is the vet I rely on for all my routine care. He is always willing to answer questions, find answers for me and exhibits such tender care to both animals and humans. On Monday, Dr. Jay came here to our house, where Jinx could make her final goodbyes in the comfort of a place she knew and loved, in the arms of those who adored her. Jinx and I napped all morning together on the bed, and then it was time.
We drove to the training field. Oh, the happy hours we spent there! Tom lifted her from the van and when I said "Jinx, lets go to work" she literally pulled him onto the field with a surprising burst of strength. The gleam was in her eye. There was no pain there, only the excitement over once more going to work. We lay on a blanket on the field, with the sun shining. One final time I asked her, "Jinx, want to go to work?" and she barked for her tug toy, and gripped it hard and full. That was how she left us for the Rainbow Bridge, going to work, with her tug toy in her mouth. And the grip was full.
The many messages of love and understanding that I received meant so much to me. People who had met Jinx and remembered her (one person mentioned her pink collar that she wore at the USAR testing when we traveled), and many who simply know what the love of a good dog means. The unfortunate responsibility that we take on when we do love such a dog, is to promise that we give them the ultimate gift to honor their service, when the time comes, giving them the release that they cannot bring themselves. In that, we promise to respect them and not serve our own ego by insisting they struggle and/or feel pain just so we have them near us.
The house feels so empty without a dog to greet me. I expect to see Jinx around every corner. I wonder if she will "visit" me, as several of my past dogs have done? In the meantime, I decided to allow Ridley, aka "little one", more indoor freedom. She had been very well behaved on previous sessions. She was excited to be in the land of beds and bones and happily gathered her finds. And then something happened. She found a sock and brought it to me. This might sound insignificant, but what you may not know is that the sock would almost certainly have been left there by Jinx, who had an affinity for carrying socks in her mouth. She never ate any, just like the carry them to you and have you give them a gentle tug. And now, here was Ridley exhibiting the same behavior, even though they were only together once... when a crate door was not properly closed... so she would not have learned it from Jinx directly. I would like to believe that Jinx nodded and passed the torch to the Little One... and all is better in my heart.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Lessons from Jinx
My Miracle time is coming to an end, I am afraid. Jinx was very well last week at her biocom appointment but I had started to notice some wobbling in the rear. Things have gone very quickly and it appears the cancer has invaded her spine, as she is having great difficulty controlling her rear end. On hardwood floors she cannot gather her feet or stand at all, so I drove to Fleet Farm last night and covered the house with carpet runners. My friend, Shari, lent me a harness contraption with a handle on the back, so that I can help her stand and move. When she is on the grass or carpet she can still get around on her own, but doesn't do much of that unless she is going to eat or needs to go outside in which case she will leave her bed. Tom is away at training all week and I know he wants his opportunity to say good bye to his "girlfriend", as I affectionately call her, so I am doing what it takes to keep her comfortable. She is still eating heartily and today was barking on command for treats. She does not appear to be in pain, but I wonder what she thinks about not being able to control her body? For a dog who lived by grace and agility, climbing ladders and racing the ATV like a sable rocket, is this simply a stage she accepts or can she make comparisons to what she used to be? Either way, she still thrusts her head under my arm for attention, still pushes herself over to snuggle with me on the bed at night. I've had six months beyond what was predicted, which is quite a miracle in itself. And knowing Jinx, working her, loving her... has been the greatest miracle of all.
I started thinking of the things I have learned from Jinx and thought I would write them down as I think of them:
GRAB LIFE BY THE TAIL. one of my favorite photos of young Jinx is of her, impish sparkle in her eye, about to grab the tail of her unaware grandmother. Seize the tail, seize the day. That's the way Jinx lived.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY NEW THINGS. Jinx and I started out training in Mondioring and then I discovered Urban Search and Rescue. We flew together three times, with Jinx sitting between my legs on flights to Texas, New Jersey and Conecticut. During the time we've been together, Jinx has rappeled from a building and I did my first and only tandem sky dive. Jinx not only accomplished her Type 1/CE in USAR (rocked the test!!) but when I decided that she should compete in schutzhund, she did, earning a SchH2. And when I thought we should also title in MR, Jinx threw herself into that, as well. I will forever have a dimple above my left knee, a permanent reminder of a badly performed defense of handler in a training session.
YOU CAN OVERCOME ADVERSITY. When Jinx had surgery for a torn ligament and we had to attend rehab, Jinx accepted the UnderArmor T-shirt that she had to wear while recuperating, and she learned new tricks and behaviors to facilitate her rehab. And when her front leg wasn't working anymore, she ran on three. She still did biting games and all her tricks and positions, jumped on the bed, and acted silly. I know that dogs don't speak, so they can't complain, but they can be depressed and sad and Jinx never was. She just seemed to say "okay, so this is the way it is... so what."
TOUCH A LIFE. Jinx and I did a number of demonstrations for school kids, summer library programs, Take Your Child to Work Day. When traveling, she was a wonderful ambassador, happily performing her repertoire of tricks and greeting new friends.
ENJOY YOUR NAPS. Ohhhh, napping was something Jinx and I exceled at! Usually late in the afternoon and all it takes is "let's go to bed" and she is headed down the hall. The best day is enhanced by a nap with a friend.
SAVOR THE SIMPLE PLEASURES. sunshine on your fur, an unexpected treat. A walk. The simplest things can bring the most pleasure, especially in the company of a good friend.
I'm sure there are so many more lessons Jinx has taught me. I just have to look around.
I started thinking of the things I have learned from Jinx and thought I would write them down as I think of them:
GRAB LIFE BY THE TAIL. one of my favorite photos of young Jinx is of her, impish sparkle in her eye, about to grab the tail of her unaware grandmother. Seize the tail, seize the day. That's the way Jinx lived.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY NEW THINGS. Jinx and I started out training in Mondioring and then I discovered Urban Search and Rescue. We flew together three times, with Jinx sitting between my legs on flights to Texas, New Jersey and Conecticut. During the time we've been together, Jinx has rappeled from a building and I did my first and only tandem sky dive. Jinx not only accomplished her Type 1/CE in USAR (rocked the test!!) but when I decided that she should compete in schutzhund, she did, earning a SchH2. And when I thought we should also title in MR, Jinx threw herself into that, as well. I will forever have a dimple above my left knee, a permanent reminder of a badly performed defense of handler in a training session.
YOU CAN OVERCOME ADVERSITY. When Jinx had surgery for a torn ligament and we had to attend rehab, Jinx accepted the UnderArmor T-shirt that she had to wear while recuperating, and she learned new tricks and behaviors to facilitate her rehab. And when her front leg wasn't working anymore, she ran on three. She still did biting games and all her tricks and positions, jumped on the bed, and acted silly. I know that dogs don't speak, so they can't complain, but they can be depressed and sad and Jinx never was. She just seemed to say "okay, so this is the way it is... so what."
TOUCH A LIFE. Jinx and I did a number of demonstrations for school kids, summer library programs, Take Your Child to Work Day. When traveling, she was a wonderful ambassador, happily performing her repertoire of tricks and greeting new friends.
ENJOY YOUR NAPS. Ohhhh, napping was something Jinx and I exceled at! Usually late in the afternoon and all it takes is "let's go to bed" and she is headed down the hall. The best day is enhanced by a nap with a friend.
SAVOR THE SIMPLE PLEASURES. sunshine on your fur, an unexpected treat. A walk. The simplest things can bring the most pleasure, especially in the company of a good friend.
I'm sure there are so many more lessons Jinx has taught me. I just have to look around.
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