Happy 4th of July!

Tristan's pie making technique

Two handsome hunks

Warm and Cozy or Cabin Fever?

I'm warm and cozy but Tristan has cabin fever. We've stayed in yesterday and today and are doing without our daily trip to the park.

Yay, snow!

Happy 2012

Tristan and I stopped in at our old Schutzhund training fields today. Other than one very quick visit to say hi, it's been two years. Tristan has never completely bounced back from his back surgery and it's been very hard for me to acknowledge that he will never be 100% again or get back to Schutzhund training. We still do obedience work on our own (otherwise it would be Tristan in charge) but it's just maintaining basic levels.

Tristan was ecstatic. As in, absolutely ecstatic. He ran, he romped and then he went for the equipment. Before I could stop him he was up and over the A-frame wall. Wow, I certainly didn't anticipate that. I got him away from the jumps but then thought about the blinds. Would he really remember how to search blinds? Yep, perfect the first time. What a show off. The second picture is Tristan coming back from a blind search after I managed to get the camera out. The photo is too dark but I'm happy to have captured it.

I feel so badly that Tristan never titled. He really deserved to and was so capable of doing so. It's totally my fault for not becoming adept at Schutzhund training and working harder before his back problem occurred. We were so close.

My amazement at Tristan scaling the wall is mostly because I just took Tristan in to see his vet for an evaluation of his back. Clearly we will not do more back surgery but I wondered if it is time for Tristan to get on a medication or maintenance regime. He will still run like crazy if allowed but about half the time he crawls up into the Xterra using the runners rather than leaping in. I got stairs for him to use for getting onto the bed but his attitude is "I don't need no stinkin' stairs. He'll use them if I lead him onto them but otherwise he'll hop up on the bed on his own. The vet was actually very positive about Tristan's condition and in good shape. He reminded me that GSDs are built to run swiftly and laterally but aren't built for jumping. He cares for the Seattle police canine dogs and tells them to do what they need to do for training and certification but then to keep jumping at the minimum. So much for today's adventure - but it was all the rascal's doing.

Merry Christmas!

Tristan and friends Christmas shop

New Park For Us

Scary Tristan wishes you Happy Halloween!

The Halloween beauty shot

Tristan and his BBQ buddy

Dalmatian Duty

The mastiffs are here! The mastiffs are here!

Remember this posting when Tristan and I sent the neighboring pugs packing with our best wishes? Foolishly I joked about the possibility of the new owners having a mastiff. Well, welcome Gus and Gatsby.

How ironic. I'm a bit spooked that I make an offhand quip and suddenly mastiffs appear. The good news is that the mastiffs are not next door but rather three houses down the block. Tonight was our Neighborhood Block Party and I met the new neighbors. I literally did a double take when they said they had two English mastiffs. Two? I asked weakly. The picture is cribbed from on line but I can't wait to meet the guys in person (sans Tristan). They are only seven months old so they must be goofily adorable. I love big dogs but I find it hard to fathom voluntarily signing up for two humongous ones at the same time. Anyway, the mastiff joke is on me.

I have terrific neighbors and the block party was great fun. The people on our block all look out for each other but are never intrusive. It's a great mix of folks from 14 month old Samuel to Robert in his 90's. Robert is in a nursing home now but his very caring daughters bring him so we can all still get together. There's a great tribe of four to ten year olds that race between homes and sets of parents and are absolutely delightful. Everyone always asks about Tristan. I miss Annie who recently moved out of state with her elderly cat, god. When Tristan was still young, Annie and another neighbor spent several hours trying to round up a wandering German Shepherd because I wasn't home and they thought it was Tristan.

Here's to great dogs and great neighbors.

The Tail End

Tristan is finished with the tail wrapping. Two weeks ago he had another set of x-rays taken. His tail is taking a long time to heal so we did another two weeks of the splint. We're at a wait and see stage now. The vet doesn't think keeping the splint on is necessary and wants to see him again in September. Tristan definitely has a bumpy tail section but it doesn't seem to hurt and the tail end seems healthy.

So, wait and see we will. I'm not entirely convinced that Tristan won't re-injure it. He must really whack his tail around when he's outside in the backyard alone. The splint is a sturdy but moldable plastic type material and it was pretty mangled this last time when it was taken off.

But wait, there's more

Soccer

Untended soccer balls don't stand a chance with Tristan around. Tristan was better at playing soccer with me today. Usually he takes one big bite, the soccer ball is quickly deflated and Tristan proudly carries his trophy around. This particular ball, however, resisted all of Tristan's efforts to chomp onto it so he was willing to play soccer with me. I kick the ball, Tristan chases it down and then he stands over the ball waiting for me to kick it again. Usually we don't get beyond the first kick since it's chase, crunch, no more ball.

Star Patient

Tristan went in for another tail wrap today and he was a very good patient. He's really great about sitting still and letting the vet tech work on him. First a lengthy procedure to remove the previous wrap and then another long process to wrap his tail again.

This is the final week for the tail splint and next Friday he gets x-rays to check out how his tail has healed. I think it will show a crook in his tail. There definitely is a bend in it which was evident when the splint was off. A rakish tilt may be the price he pays to keep all of his tail.

Here's the great wrapping tape for our "star" patient. I love that Dana, Tristan's super tech, is joining in the fun spirit.

The pugs are gone! The pugs are gone!

The folks kitty corner from my back yard have two pugs who bark at Tristan a lot (he is entirely blameless). When both the pugs and Tristan are out, they talk ferociously at each other and one side has to go in. Well, the moving truck is there today and Tristan and I are very happy to send them off with our good wishes.

Obviously Tristan isn't totally blameless although he and the previous golden retriever occupants quietly cohabited their respective corners. The pugs, however, insist on barking at Tristan and he, of course, is determined to have the last woof so he often gets brought inside. We will enjoy a respite and hope the new owners don't have a huge male mastiff or other big guy (or pugs with attitude) that will set off new rounds of going mano-a-mano.

This Week's Wrap

Cone of Shame

Tristan hasn't actually needed the cone but I couldn't resist the chance for a photo op.



Tristan looks happy but he only tolerated the cone because of his "hold still" command. The minute I uttered "break" he launched into a determined duel to the death with the despised object. Tristan was winning when I intervened. I'm lucky he's leaving the tail splint alone as there's no way the cone would be tolerated.

Tale of a Tail

Tristan's tail is fractured. I don't know how he did it as we're always together these days and nothing has happened. We were walking along and he shook himself and let out a yelp. Then he looked all around (and at me accusingly) to see what caused it. Several hours later he yipped as he settled down on the front seat. I'm always super nervous because of his back surgery so I took him to the vet the same day. He seemed fine all over but finally reacted when his tail was handled. The end of it about five inches up was tender. We opted for a wait and see and Tristan went on a NSAID. When I felt his tail later in the week it was no longer tender but he had a bump there so the vet wanted to x-ray it.

I really, really hate for Tristan to have anesthesia so I was very emphatic that I wanted them to try to get it done without it. I gave the office appropriate commands for him like platz and hold still. I knew he would obey me but I was afraid the techs would try to wrestle him into position (too strong, too resistant) or be too passive when giving the commands. It's a good thing Tristan is not a dog actor since I would be a total stage mother. Tristan was a stellar guy and did fine - or at least I've been kept in the dark about any grand wrestling match.

The vet and radiologist concurred that Tristan's tail probably can be saved if he wears a splint. He'll need to wear it for a month. It will be changed weekly and it's hot pink this week.

I think Tristan is giving a very reproachful look at having a humiliating picture taken.

What is it with me and my dogs' tails? My beloved Rocky broke his tail by standing up under a glass and bronze occasional table. He lifted the very heavy thick glass, turned and caught his tail between it and the metal frame which acted as a vise. It was very bloody and very traumatic and fortunately I was home when it happened. Rocky (half collie and half elkhound) had a lovely fluffy tail that would curl tighter the happier he was. It couldn't be saved and he ended up with a stubby tail. Tristan is lucky to have a very long tail just in case...

Tristan has had the splint on for two days and he's been very good about it. The vet thought he would need a cone but so far Tristan has been a very good patient and left the splint alone. It may be that he's seen the cone of shame and wants no part of it. It's huge and the size of a large lampshade.

Please think good thoughts for Titus, a lab/husky mix. His owner gifted me the cone. Titus has aggressive cancer and is receiving chemotherapy.

In Good Company

Kraftwerk K9, where I got Tristan, is mentioned in an article in today's NY Times and Wayne Curry, the owner, is quoted.

For the Executive With Everything, a $230,000 Dog to Protect It

Yep, that's Tristan and me they're talking about (and our 30,000 square feet house).

Well maybe that's a bit of a stretch. The dog described is a female, the owner has six GSDs!!! and my assistant seems to be missing but they got the "exalted pedigree, child-friendly cuddliness and arm-lacerating ferocity" part right.

It's an interesting article but I hope it doesn't promote an increase of marginally bred and poorly trained German Shepherd Dogs. GSDs are a fabulous breed because they really can do everything, obedience, tracking and protection, while being a great family pet and companion. Other breeds might be able to outperform on a particular skill but it would be hard to find another breed that has it all in one package.

A great GSD has to have both excellent breeding and excellent training. A stable temperament is paramount. Schutzhund training directors won't work with dogs that aren't stable. Poor pit bulls get such a bad rap, however, I have to admit I'm very wary of them. It's because there has been a lot of very poor breeding, terrible training and irresponsible owners. I would hate for GSDs to surge in popularity for all the wrong reasons, be a product of all the wrong methods and suffer a similar fate.

I hope I don't sound holier than thou (I'd like to save that for a future rant). I'm just aware of the care and restraint that should go into breeding dogs and the immense about of training required for high performance dogs.

Here's the article if the above link doesn't work:

New York Times
June 11, 2011
For the Executive With Everything, a $230,000 Dog to Protect It
By JOHN TIERNEY
MINNEAPOLIS

Don’t call her a guard dog.

When she costs $230,000, as Julia did, the preferred title is “executive protection dog.” This 3-year-old German shepherd, who commutes by private jet between a Minnesota estate and a home in Arizona, belongs to a canine caste that combines exalted pedigree, child-friendly cuddliness and arm-lacerating ferocity.

Julia and her ilk have some of the same tracking and fighting skills as the dogs used in elite military units like Navy Seal Team 6, which took a dog on its successful raid of Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan.

In fact, Julia was sold by a trainer, Harrison Prather, who used to supply dogs to Seal Team 6 and the British special forces. But then Mr. Prather switched to a more lucrative market.

“Either rich people discovered me or I discovered them — I can’t remember which happened first,” said Mr. Prather, the president of Harrison K-9 Security Services in Aiken, S.C.

He and others in the high-end dog training business say prices have shot up thanks to the growing number of wealthy people around the world who like the security — and status — provided by a dog with the right credentials. Moguls and celebrities now routinely pay $40,000 to $60,000 for a well-bred German shepherd that is certified as an expert in the sport of Schutzhund, which means “protection dog.” The price can go much higher if a dog does well at an international championship, as Julia did.

“She’s a top deal,” Julia’s owner, John Johnson, said as she escorted him around the grounds of his 15-acre estate outside Minneapolis. “She’s won awards. She looks at you, she’s got the most beautiful face.”

But $230,000?

“It’s a lot of money,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s the speed, the smartness, the quickness — and you would not believe the roughness that she has inside. She’s like a little pit bull when she bites. She has that model face, and then opens the gums up and lets you have it.”

Mr. Johnson said he got his first protection dog after receiving personal threats while he was running the Northland Group, a debt-collection company in Minnesota that he founded and eventually sold three years ago. Now he has six protection dogs, all German shepherds, and normally takes a couple in his car whenever he goes out.

“It’s for both security and companionship,” he said as Julia nuzzled his leg, looking like a gentle enough companion. But when an intruder emerged near the tennis court of his estate, all it took was one command, “Packen!” (the bite command from the German word for “seize”), to send Julia racing across the lawn.

She sunk her teeth into the intruder’s arm, which was encased in padding for a demonstration, and hung on even as he lifted her off the ground in a vain attempt to shake free of her. She let go only upon being commanded and then stood guard over her new prisoner, barking and threatening to bite again whenever he made a move to escape, which he wisely did not try.

Julia’s was a controlled ferocity, which trainers distinguish from the anger manifested by ordinary dogs. When two dogs try to intimidate each other, they stiffen, growl, bare their teeth and stare intently. Protection dogs are trained to continue looking around and protecting their owners, not establish their own dominance.

And, when commanded, they are supposed to switch instantly from attack mode to pet mode.

“The dog has to get along with children,” Mr. Prather said. “The client is often a guy on his second family. He travels a lot, leaves his wife alone with the kids in a large house — maybe 30,000 square feet, so big you don’t even know what’s going on at the other side of the house. He wants peace of mind and a dog that his wife can handle. We don’t sell tank-stoppers.”

The price tag for a protection dog has risen because of increasing demand in the United States, Latin America (especially Mexico), the Middle East, Asia and other places, said Mr. Prather and Wayne Curry, the owner of Kraftwerk K9 in Rochester, Wash.

“I’ve turned down offers of more than $200,000 for one of my champion dogs,” said Mr. Curry, who added that he knew of a dog that had sold for more than $400,000 because of its bloodline and breeding potential. (Although Julia’s offspring most likely would have commanded top prices, Mr. Johnson said he had no time to breed her and instead had her spayed shortly after buying her in January.)

To clients who can afford the $50,000 price for a typical well-credentialed dog, there are lots of ways to rationalize the price.

“When you compare the costs of a full-time bodyguard versus a dog, the dog makes a lot of sense,” Mr. Curry said. “And the dog, unlike the bodyguard, can’t be bought off.”

Mr. Prather said one client, a well-known entertainer, came to him after first trying to ward off a stalker by hiring bodyguards.

“The stalker stabbed one of the bodyguards, got out of jail and started showing up again,” Mr. Prather said. “Then they got a canine, and they haven’t seen the stalker since. People just have an innate fear of animals with sharp teeth. We don’t want to be on the menu.”

Mr. Prather’s dogs are trained for three years in Germany before they go to South Carolina, where they receive further training and are put to the test of family living. Before her sale, Julia lived for four months in the home of November Holley, the company’s vice president and head trainer.

“I’ve probably trained a thousand dogs, and she’s the best I’ve ever seen,” Ms. Holley said. “The total package. Did absolutely everything you wanted, no questions asked. Good with kids, good with horses, good with cats. A perfect lady in the home.”

Julia also proved her mettle as a babysitter, Ms. Holley added. “If my daughter Kailee was outside in the woods, I’d say, ‘Julia, where’s Kailee?’, and she’d go out and find her. She was like a person.”

At her new home in Minnesota, Julia has a part-time trainer, Jeremy Norton, who also works as a firefighter in Minneapolis. Mr. Norton agreed that Julia was a special dog, but he smiled a bit uncomfortably when asked to explain the $230,000 price.

“It’s in the eye of the beholder,” he said. “That’s as politic an answer as I can muster. I mean, Julia’s nice, but that’s half my house. There’s no way to wrap your head around that.”

Tristan's next gig

Stop me before I spend $270 for this GoPro video camera. Think of all the videos I could have of Tristan retrieving balls on land and in water.

Happy Birthday

My wonderful road tripping buddy is seven today.










Always some quality play time after posing.

Some dogs have it worse

Too bad Tristan didn't see these guys so he could understand what further horrors I could impose upon him. They were totally decked out with wigs, frocks and sunglasses. Ok, I give you that Tristan has endured sunglasses and maybe a bow or boa (or fifty) but never a frock or a wig. Wigs are completely, completely, different from modeling hats.

I was actually pretty impressed with the trio. The chihuahuas were very sweet and exceptionally well trained.

I can has cheezburger cat