Chariots of Fur (again)

I signed up for the Chariots of Fur 5K again this year. Unlike last year, Jedi and I didn't train beforehand. Honestly, we haven't seriously walked since Trooper joined us back in June.

• Good news: we were only 1 minute, 19 seconds slower than last year.
• Bad news: we were both really sore after the race.

We each took species appropriate NSAIDs and rested for the next couple days. (Remember, NEVER give your dog Ibuprofen.)

Hubby and Trooper met us after the race. Hubby was even able to snap a picture of us crossing the finish line. What a good doggie daddy!

Several of my dog club friends did the 5K with us. Afterward, we all went to a dog-friendly restaurant for beer and pizza. (I ❤ my friends!) Wanna join us next year? -- K

Trooper Takes a Ride

One of the officers needed me to help him with a project and we went in his car. Trooper came to work with me that day. No problem, Trooper was put in the back of the squad car!



Trooper was not impressed. The back seat is hard, molded plastic designed for perps, not paws. Trooper couldn't get any traction and slid around too much. He prefers the Animal Control truck.

We ended up dropping Trooper off at the kennel . . . after taking pictures, of course! LOL. -- K

Pet Blogger Challenge Recap

Last month I participated in the 2019 Pet Blogger Challenge. It took a while, but I read all fifty entries. I tried to follow links and wander through as many blogs as possible. Below are some of my favorite finds from this year's hop. I hope you'll take the time to check them out.

• Companion Animal Psychology spelled out five fun things to do to make your dog happy today. I like it so much that I shared it on the GSD club FB page.

• Doggone Destinations is a fun travel-with-your-dog blog. Many of the places mentioned are close to me including Orlando and Savannah. 

• German Shepherd Dog HQ is a brand new blog but you know I had to check it out. How to Select a German Shepherd Puppy has some great tips. There are also some nice posts about what to look for in a vet and ways to exercise your GSD.

• Gone Dog Mad shared four quick, easy and cheap DIY Brain Games to keep a dog's mind active. The blog is chock full of interesting how-to ideas and dog-friendly recipes, Enjoy!

• Life & Cats has an interesting post about cat shows. Yes, cat shows. They are completely different from dog shows and I found that fascinating. Who would have thought a cat blog would be mentioned on a dog blog?

• Oh My Dog shared a beautiful post about the echo a dog leaves behind when it dies. It's absolutely beautiful. The blog if full of interesting and often thought-provoking posts. This is definitely a blog to spend some time meandering through.

• Paw Print Pet Blog covers more than just dogs. You'll find information about fish, reptiles and rabbits too. My favorite: the did the Blogging From A to Z Challenge in 2016 and the theme was dog snacks. Everything from Apples to Zucchini was included. I loved it.

Did you see the blog hop? Did I miss any of your favorites? Let me know! -- K

What's That Smell?

Jedi works that nose

Last year's AKC Scent Work workshop went so well that my German shepherd dog club held another one this past weekend. I signed up both dogs. What a busy day that was!

Jedi hadn't done any scent work in a year. Fortunately, he remembered how the game is played:

* Find odor
* Tell Mom
* Get chicken

We were both a little rusty. I need to work on leash handling and remember to stay out of Jedi's way. Jedi needs to be more specific about where the odor is hiding. The instructor gave us exercises to help Jedi hold the alert longer and communicate the find more enthusiastically. Basically, we're trying to convince him that his dope-on-a-rope handler (me) needs a little extra help.

Trooper likes hot dogs

On the other hand, this was all brand new for Trooper. We started off just encouraging him to find bits of hot dog. To build drive, the instructor would throw the hot dog pieces and I would send him with the "go find" command. Then we moved to hiding hot dogs in places like open boxes and on chairs for him to find. We ended the day pairing the target odor (birch) with the hot dogs. Eventually, I will uncouple the two and just have him find the odor -- and when he does he will get lots o' hot dogs.

Instructor said that the workshop was about four weeks of class jammed into one day. We'll probably have to backtrack a couple steps to make sure Trooper's got it, then progress slowly. Instructor warned of stopping the pairing too soon, stating that we should realistically wait 3-4 weeks. (Note to self: look for a sale on hot dogs.)

A change from last year: The instructor alternated teaching the novice group and the advanced group, instead of doing one group before lunch and the other afterward. This new format worked really well. It gave dogs time to rest and process what they just learned. It also gave handlers a break in between exercises. However, I had a dog in each group so I was running all day. On a happy note, I reached my Fitbit step goal!

What's in the bag?

The club members hosting the workshop this year have multiple titles in NACSW Nose Work and AKC Scent Work. They wanted the workshop to mimic trial conditions. As such, there were designated parking and potty areas. Also, all dogs were crated in a centralized location. This created some mild stress for Trooper, but I think it'll be good for him in the long run.

The worst part of the day was the weather. It was cold by Florida standards. I wore heavy socks and leggings under my jeans. (I got to wear my 2018 Westminster sweatshirt, so that was cool.) The dogs were inside the garage where it was nice and warm. The handlers weren't so lucky. We bundled up and gathered around the fire pit in between runs. I'm not going to complain too much though, it was equally cold and raining the next day.

I'd really like to start competing with Jedi again. He enjoys the game, along with the hotel stays and on-the-road junk food. I also think scent work will help boost Trooper's confidence, even if he never formally competes. But it's not going to happen if I can't find time to train. I've got to find some way to make this work. Have I mentioned that this must-have-a-job thing really gets in the way of my dog sports? If only I could hit the right Lotto numbers . . . I'll keep you posted. -- K

Catch of the Day

I got a strange call just after lunch today. There was an owl stuck in the ditch and a crowd was forming. Great. My tools and training are for dogs and cats, so I was going to have to wing it (pun intended). I grabbed a box out of the recycle bin, a roll of packing tape, a pair of welding gloves and a net. I may or may not have sworn under my breath. (Just kidding! You know I swore like a sailor.)

I arrived on scene to find a group of Good Samaritans who wanted something done, but didn't want to do more than gawk and get in the way. I hate having an audience.

First thing I noticed: this was more than a ditch. It was the major stream that runs through the City. I saw an owl sitting in the water about five feet below me. I was able to climb down the bank and scoop the owl out of the water on my first try -- and without falling in! Seriously, it could have been ugly.

Barred owl

Getting the owl from the net into the box was more difficult than it could have been. The owl wrapped it's talons in the mesh and didn't want to let go. My welding gloves protect my fingers from the beak and talons but provide no dexterity. I ended up closing the box, leaving only a foot exposed. I had a cop work the box flaps while I slowing pried the talons out of the net one by one -- sans gloves! We taped the box shut tight and cut a few holes in the top. I loaded the box on my truck and took it to the ferry. The Bird Emergency Aid and Kare Sanctuary (B.E.A.K.S.) picked the owl up from the other side of the river. Hopefully it'll be better soon.

My best guess is that it was a barred owl. I didn't take any pictures. So many things could have gone wrong that I was more worried about getting out as quickly as possible. However, a bystander took this (unflattering) picture and sent it to my boss, who promptly posted it on Facebook. I've shared my feeling about work putting me on Facebook before (recap: I hate it). But that doesn't stop me from stealing the pic to share with you.

So . . . how was your Monday? -- K

Trooper's Sleepover

Trooper and I cutting the corner in Savannah

Part of the Futurity/Maturity shows discussion with Trooper's breeder included me telling her of all the problems/shortcomings I saw:

• Trooper is very sensitive and stresses easily.
• Trooper doesn't like to be touched by strangers, especially men.
• I cannot get Trooper to hold his stack.
• I have not attended handling classes as regularly as I wanted.
• I cannot run fast enough to keep up with him.
• My work schedule won't allow me to go to North Carolina for the shows.

I told J-Lyn that before we made any decisions I wanted her to spend some time with Trooper and make an honest assessment. I took him to her kennels to spend four days with her. He was happy to be back to his birth home, playing with his sister and cousins. He genuinely loves J-Lyn and her family. The jerk barely even noticed I was gone. (Good for him, but it hurt my feelings.) I missed him so much. It reminded me of when my boys went to summer camp.

I got daily updates:

• Enjoyed playing in the yard with all the other dogs. No problem with other dogs.
• Ate his meals enthusiastically. No signs of stress being away from home.
• Did well meeting strangers. He was intentionally introduced to men, children and people of various ethnicities.
• He's not fond of pushy women or smokers. (LOL, neither am I.)
• Walked nicely through Home Depot. His threshold seems to be about 20 minutes.
• Doesn't appear to be overly sensitive to sound.
• Seems to prefer free stacking (self-stacking) versus hand stacking.
• Beautiful movement, needs room to open up. Would probably do better at larger, outdoor shows.

I also got homework:

• Practice free stacking.
• Get him out and around people as often as possible.
• Hand him off to trusted strangers.
• He'll be a year old next month. Should start road work (running alongside a bicycle) soon.

So what's next? I filled out the entry form for the Futurity/Maturity shows. Breeder and I are planning several more sleepovers so she can get Trooper ready for the show. Her granddaughter will be working with him as well. She's young, tall, confident -- and a much better handler than I am! She will be taking Trooper in the ring in North Carolina.

OMG, we're doing this!! I excited. And nervous. I'm also looking for a used Kelley-sized tricycle for road work. I'm not the most coordinated person. And I don't trust Trooper not to pull me. I think three wheels may be a safer option. Anyway, I'll let you know. -- K

Why ACO?

I was asked a strange question today: Why did I choose to become an ACO? Wow. That one threw me for a loop. I didn't have an answer.

Honestly, I became an animal control officer by accident. My husband retired from the Navy in 2005 and we quickly discovered that I could not remain a stay-at-home mom on his retirement pay. No matter, the boys were getting older and didn't need me around like they had before. Up until then I had worked with children as a room mother, den leader, camp counselor, a retail vendor of high-end children's books and an educational assistant for children with learning and behavioral issues. I was good at what I did, but kids weren't my passion. I really wanted to be a zookeeper. (L-O-N-G story for another time. Short version -- elephants are awesome!) Unfortunately, that never came to fruition.

I applied for 20+ jobs in a 2-month period, focusing on animal related positions -- veterinary offices, boarding kennels, pet stores, etc. I got a few callbacks but the employer always "went with someone else." It was disheartening. I saw an ad for Animal Control Officer online and filled out an application with no expectations. Surprise! The County called me back.

Me & my M-14 in Gaeta, Italy

The interview was like none I'd seen before. A panel of three people were firing questions at me, and some of them didn't make any sense. Why did they want to know the last book I'd read? (My answer was John Grisham's The Client. Dead people drama. Oops.) And when asked to describe a time I had to make a difficult decision under pressure I told them about how I nearly shot four Italian divers in a Zodiac raft because I thought they were terrorists trying to bomb the USS Yosemite. (It's a good story!) I finished with "840 American lives depended on my decision." They all looked at me in silence, wide-eyed and open mouthed. I knew I'd blown the interview.

Months later I was offered the job. I became friends with one of the guys on the panel. One day I asked why I was chosen when obviously I wasn't qualified. He laughed and said "We couldn't get over that story about the Italians." The director felt that qualities like problem-solving, courage and honor were paramount -- they could teach ACO skills.

I transferred to a small beach town 18 months later because they offered me better benefits, shorter commute, less euthanasia and a schedule flexible enough for me to finish my Bachelor's degree. Long time readers know I have a love/hate relationship with the job. I'm good at it -- I like rules, have a compassion for animals (and some people), think on my feet, multitask well, and have a thick skin and strong stomach.

Just another day on the job

On the other hand, this job is frustrating. I get tired of dealing with stupid people. Even worse are the cruel, callous people. I feel like I've done about all I can do in this small town. There is no room for advancement or professional growth. My "collateral duties" are unbelievable. I often wonder what else is out there. And I worry that I've been here too long. Is it even possible to switch careers at 50?

And then the big question: What then would you like to do? IDK. I love to learn and share what I know. (One of the reasons I continue to write this blog, even though only a dozen of you read it!) I've often thought that Humane Educator would nicely marry my work/volunteer experience with my degree in Workforce Education and Development but -- sigh -- neither the Zoo nor the Humane Society seem to want me. Any ideas from you guys?

So, while waiting for the next job to come around (hopefully soon) I'll continue to do my best at this one. And I'll continue to share those crazy, funny, frustrating stories. Later, -- K