Tag

Moose - An Obedient Lil' Fella

EPISODE 3 RED BALL vs. THE GOLDEN RING

Just because...

Just because Tag is back in Iowa, doesn't mean I can't post more pictures of him! The guys in our photo studio took this picture of Tag.

Hey Butley!

The benefits of being a Pet Partner in Iowa include exclusive invitations to the Iowa State Fair. You can perch yourself high above the cattle, sheep and pig barns, enjoying the wafting smells that seem to linger in the air. You can eat the stuff on the ground and screech in delight at everything that moves. It is wonderful. There couldn't be anything like it in the Bronx.

You're missed, Cadence from the Country.

I'm just a lover boy!

Thinkin', with these looks and my demeanor I'm a shoe in for a fashion cover!

Hark....

Hark, who goes there? Oh, it's just you!

Puppy + Water

Downright exhausted!

Two full days of doggy daycare, two evenings of training, another half day of doggy daycare and this is what you get:

Tag's Girlfriend

This is Charlette. The next door neighbors dog. Any chance they get, they love to play fetch in the backyard.

Video of Moose taken July 6, 2009

Moose at about 10 weeks old demonstrating with Nicole his healing skills.

Hmm... to many decisions.

Tag and I went grocery shopping today at Target. Starbucks in one hand, leash and cart in the other. Which by the way, was the noisiest shopping cart I could find. He didn't like it very much at first but got use to walking next to it after a few strolls down the isle. The only decision now is Rice Krispies or Corn Pops?

Sporting the summer hair cut

Here we see Tag sporting the new summer hair style.

Visit to the big house

Last week, Tag and I went to Crosspoint which is a big video editing house. It was after hours and everyone wanted to play with him. That's why his vest is off. I figured, he put in a full day of work. It was time to play.

LORD OF THE DINNER BOWL.

Episode One. Lord of the Dinner Bowl.

Moose is a "Lab" after all ... its good to the very last lick or until I can see myself in the bottom of the stainless bowl.

Tag vs. The Escalator

We went up and down the escalator today at Dick's Sporting Goods and did very well. He didn't care to much for getting on it to go down, but with a little encouragement he did it. It was kind of funny, he kept backing up at the very top as the escalator was going down. So really, he was remaining in the same place. He caught on quick enough though.

Eric and I were trying

to make the backyard look as if we don't regularly host four or six dogs in our home. To mulch. To weed. To refill holes. To swear. To try to make the frame on the back door appear as if it hasn't been chewed by any number of puppies. Or scratched by dogs of varying heights (you can definitely tell which scratches are pit bull height.) At least Eric was trying to get all that done. I was just weeding and mulching.

Regardless, in the midst of all of this, we were finding an assortment of toys and we found:

Tag and Boss

I'm watching a friend of mines 80lb Bernese Mountain dog for the week. As you can see, they love to run, play, and wrestle. Tag is definitely enjoying a new playmate.

The Signature Pose

Need I say more?

Shopping

Today, Tag and I went shopping. It started out with a trip to Starbucks. Then it was off to Lowes to find a new office light. Then after that, we headed over to Colorado Mills mall where we went to Target, Banana Republic and walked the entire loop looking at all the stores.

Hey Steve! Post the Tag video!

I'm not getting loved around here!

Then and Now

Barred from entry to Heaven!

Good effort, Butley, but there's a backlog right now. We aren't taking pit bulls in heaven, you'll just have to wait.

I was gonna write this whole long letter to say hello...

...to everyone back in the heartland, but... it's hot. Here in DC. I mean ... HOT.... So, I'll just say "Hi" now & write more later....

Pssst. Hey Moose. Get 'em to give you the Burger King. You know they want to....

Help the man get his checkbook.

DaYcarEs FUn at CaniNE craZe

Here's me with Fletcher and Sophie...Fletcher's the bulldog.

I really like chewing on Fletcher's face.

Me and my brother, Keeper.

We're tuckered out. You'll just have to squint to see me. We like napping together.

I'm growing up! I think I look a bit different than when you saw me last.

Walk. Don't Run

It always amazed me since Tag was a pup on how he would run full blast towards his food to eat. This past week, I've been working with Tag to walk slowly to his food. By placing my hands in front of his face, releasing him, then guiding him slowly toward the food while my hands are still in front of him. Sure, he still eats in 2 seconds flat. But he doing great on the approach.

Moose (and a guest appearance by Gabor!)

It wouldn't be any fun unless you could have every single service dog Paws & Effect owns in one place at one time (except for Tag.) No fun at all! The weekend will start with five dogs and end with six (an UnHeard of circumstance...thank you Ryan and Katie.) Here's a quick peak at Moose and Gabor showing off their sit stay. By the end of the weekend, Gabor will have had his first forays into public, Moose will have his crate games improved and Seneca will be looking more and more like a guide dog.

Another trip to the vet for Tag.

Really. I wouldn't make it up. Tag has a vet fetish. It even sounds good. He sees the vet monthly. In every city (Toronto, Boston, Louisville and more.) Ask Todd. He'll confirm this. You should see the bills. He is lucky, lucky, lucky that he's a great dog.

Long Lost Ball

After playing fetch at the local park for about 45 minutes, we went home to rest. Somehow, someway, Tag picked up on something in the evergreen. He poked his nose in, and I'm thinking... Oh no, he found the fox that hangs out in the yard. I called for him and he went into the evergreen. I called to him again and further in the evergreen he went. (called him only twice). As I approach, he comes out of the evergreen with a big tennis ball he had found that used to be Sinatra's years ago. It is now his favorite ball!

Tag has his puppy raisers wrapped around his paw :)

Seems I recall a bunch of photos from Todd that look just like this.

Tag's first day in Colorado

For those of you who miss Butley....

he's been enjoying a short stay in New York! He's doing great and looking fabulous.

Thanks Integer Denver!

Paws & Effect

By Nancy Svoboda on Monday, 06 July 2009

As an agency, we have agreed to support a non -profit organization called Paws & Effect™. One of the most important segments of this business is the raising, training, and placement of service dogs locally. Service dogs need real-world experience to learn to help those with special needs. This is where we have agreed to help out. Beginning the week of July 6, Steve Hirsch will be bringing a service dog to the agency for training 2 or 3 times per week. The yellow lab will be wearing a vest indicating not to pet him because he is working. He will be at Steve’s side wherever he goes. Obviously, this is a new experience for the agency, and we hope it will be successful. However, we recognize that some employees may be allergic to dogs. If you have any questions, concerns, etc., please contact Nancy Svoboda so we can work together to make this a great experience for everyone. From Paws and Effect: We're excited to introduce you to "Tag," whose full name, Partager, means "to share" in French. Tag, a yellow lab, will be a year old on July 1. In the true spirit of the word, we appreciate your willingness to share in the experience of training a service dog. Tag has learned to open handicapped accessible doors by touching the associated pressure plate; open and close interior doors by tugging on the handle (when a tugging object is available) or by pushing it shut with his nose; retrieve large and small items and placing them back in a person's hand. Consistent with the minimum standards of Assistance Dogs International, Tag has learned at least three tasks to offset the limitations a person may experience if they were mobility impaired. You'll find that Tag is very quiet and gentle as well as hardworking and diligent. For now, he has demonstrated some fabulous work in public, although he still has some resistance to going up and down stairs. With that, there may be times when you see Steve actually training Tag and we hope that you'll acknowledge them with a quick greeting and continue on. Of course, every once in a while, Tag's age will shine through and he'll demonstrate that he can be a silly, adolescent dog. We are seeing that less and less, but know that there will be times that it is just too plain hard to work, and an effort to engage others to play will be offered. Again, ignoring the behavior when it happens will provide Steve the opportunity to redirect Tag into more appropriate public behavior. We know it is challenging to resist petting a dog while it is working, but refraining from doing so allows the dog to keep his focus on the person for whom it is working. This dog has been trained to avert eye contact with other humans as well as making the effort to keep the tail wagging to a minimum. In doing so, the dog discourages further interactions because he appears aloof. Mistakes happen, sometimes it is just too much to ask and we end up speaking with the dog or reaching for them. Recognize this is a good training opportunity for the dog, no apologies are required. However, we hope to see spontaneous interactions decrease as people get used to seeing Steve with Tag. Once things settle in, we'll try to set up an opportunity where people can play with Tag when his vest is off. Tag enjoys water, retrieving, tugging, general fun and games and, of course, being a lab, food. Know how much your efforts are appreciated and how valuable this experience is for Tag. He will be placed shortly after his stay with Steve and we'll be happy to share all the details of his placement as they become available

Tag: Gettin' ready for the Rocky Mountains!

Tag and Steve enjoyed their first meal together at Jethro's in Des Moines. His defiant puppy streak is showing....regardless, he did settle down and demonstrate that there is hope, somewhere, for him as a service dog :)

Smellin' Like A Rose

Steve is coming to Des Moines to take Tag to Denver...and meet Moose. Moose even received his first bath in anticipation of the occasion. Which is more than we can say for Tag at this point. Maybe he'll get a bath by hose later in the weekend.

By Request

The Big Swap continues with Tag! Butley's been recast as a....cute, little labrador retriever named Moose. It isn't the same, nothing at all, but we're happy to have the little guy. While Moose remains in Iowa for some training, Tag will be traveling to Colorado for a bit. We're happy to introduce....

A Theatre Lovin' Dog.

Back no more then a week in Des Moines and Tag had a hankerin for the theatre. So we took him to a local troop who was performing The Twelfth Labor at the Side Show Lounge in downtown Des Moines!

Tag (I'm not so sure about this part) got a bit animated if only a moment when the mother of this turn of century household was takin' care of the cat! Yes, the cat killed one of the chickens and had to be takin' care of (the cat in this part was a stuffed toy animal that looked like a cat). Tag perked up during this scene but quickly recovered and went back to his "Don't pet me I'm sleeping" position.

Tag really does enjoy the theatre shows. If you don't believe, just ask him.

Morning fetch in the clover

...yeah. Pittsburgh is fun. We're gonna miss staying at Todd's dad's house...!

Tag is relocating, too.

Just got the word that Tag will be able to go to work with Steve and, when Steve travels, Tag will be safe and sound with the Sporte-Ehn Family.  Lucky, lucky dog.  Summer and fall in the Colorado Rockies!  

The plan is to have Tag return to Iowa in October or November to finish his post with Paws & Effect.  Tag will be spending his time working the legislative floor during the 2010 session.  Lots and lots and lots of stairs!

Kentucky, here we come!

Cadence is none too happy about this packing, saying good-bye, relocating thing.  Not at all.  She keeps trying to crawl back into Butley's bed...'cept she can't.  It's full of stuff that we can't forget.  Not yet acquired:  money to reimburse the Cerveris-Reed family for their Tag related expenses, but I'm off to the bank.  Not yet packed:  Butley's allergy stuff, but it will be before we leave.  Gabor, check.  Butley, check.

Inside the Service Dogs mouth!

The resolution of the Tag photos was amazing. It allowed me to peer inside a service dogs mouth. 

Not sure that I would do that intentionally but ... 

Not that I'm all about the details but ...OMG, Yuck! 

Tag appears unfazed by the dog hair and crud on his tongue. 

When we get that unsuspecting dog hair in our food or if they snake their way into our mouths we do the Dog Hair Dance. 

Hands a flailing towards the face. Fingers grabbing at the tongue in a pinching motion. Repeating this motion in rapid succession. First the thumb and fore finger then its the thumb and two fingers then its the thumb and three fingers. That appears to not be working we resort to scraping the tongue with the mashing teeth as you thrust the tongue out, mash the teeth down as the tongue retracts. Again, repeat this motion quickly and multiple times until you determine the hair is still in your mouth. When that doesn't work, out comes the napkin. Using both hands for this exercise you hold the tongue with one side of the napkin and do a swiping motion across the tongue with the other half of the napkin making darn sure you don't go to far on the sensitive buds that you get the gag reflex. Then as all else has failed you, pick up a bottle of beer, glass of whiskey, ice cold soda pop and flush it down as if it was never there. You go on about the rest of the meal not making eye contact or acknowledging anything was the matter in the first place. Don't worry, the others will know what happened.

But for a service dog none of that means a hill of beans. See for yourself!

No, I won't push the fence over. I won't. I promise.

Two Peas In A Pod

Spring is really, really fun.  The windows are open and the dogs can hear everything.  Nothing intimidating at all about having a pit bull and catahoula staring out the window of our nice home in our very middle-class neighborhood. 

Tag has taken to walking US...

...on our evening walks, heading back home...



He seems to think we need a little direction...

Serious chill time, after fetch in the park...

Spoiled. Period.

Butley's ability to clean out a Planet Dog strawberry filled with frozen peach banana baby food has really improved.  You can't tell, though, cause he's figured out how to nestle the toy under his paws between the mattress and bumper of the dog bed to secure it.  He's quite efficient.  And spoiled.  

Hey, Good Lookin'!

Butley takes Canine Craze by storm!

And enjoys an evening with Rowdy, Kanya, Roggen and Cadence.

Tag got his eyes checked today...

And he got a clean bill of health from the veterinary opthamologist. At least we know now that this service dog won't need a guide dog...

Coming home, his pupils were dilated from the drops, and I got a hilarious picture of the Devil Dog retinas...



And then, of course, everything was so bright...



But it was a tiring visit, all in all, including the vet, Ikea, Home Depot, the post office, and CVS...

Trifecta!

We're tired from last night's play!

Hiking in Marlborough

Dog Play!

While it may seem a little out of place, Cadence can be a bugger some times. 

She leads you on and then tromps on you when you engage her on her terms. 

It's so not fair but hey, life's not fair and when we all play well together.

Got to go finish the laundry and fix the bed!

At least I can be on the furniture!

Those service dogs don't get to steal cake, they have to lay on the ground, they have to WORK for a living.  I've got the Life of Riley.  Now, if I could just get everybody to stop making fun of me....