Settling in . . .

Phew! We are finally catching our breath and settling into a new normal! I don't think I have shared our graduation photo from 4 Paws yet:

That was quite a day-- Abbott and Mike passed the public access test, we packed up the hotel, filled out gobs of paperwork, and visited with lots of special guests at graduation. Abbott's foster mom, Beth, and her boyfriend came to celebrate with us and the Miami University branch of the 4 Paws foster program came bearing goodie-bags for all the children. It was super-sweet and a wonderful capstone to two weeks of hard work and growth and community-building.

We were very fortunate to have Mike's mom with us for week two of training, and she and Abbott also hit it off!

Since we have come home, we have begun establishing some routines for Abbott and Silas. Abbott knows when it's mealtime and gets excited when he sees Si amble over to scoop the food into the dish. Si loves to help groom Abbott.

Abbott seems to like living with us-- especially the fenced back yard! He really gets galloping back there, which makes Si laugh and laugh! Abbott also seems to enjoy going to school with Si, and that feeling is mutual. Abbott has been wonderful riding the bus and staying on his "place" mat during class time. He is doing a great job learning to take commands from his school handler. Here are the boys waiting for the bus:

Here is Abbott on the bus-- he found a soft place to rest his head (Si's backpack!).

And here is Abbott meeting some friends at school:

As you can tell, Si is still not sold on sharing his dog. LOL! We are working on this. On the upside, he is finally starting to vocalize his feelings and stand up for himself. For many years, he has let curious friends pull his glasses off his face and take toys from his hands. So, even though we will certainly be working on sharing, the fact that his passion for his pup is spurring him to self-advocate is exciting!

Another exciting and unexpected benefit has been the way Abbott's presence relaxes Si. Si is a child who stays busy for all of his 12 to 13 waking hours. His attention span is short for his age and he jumps from activity to activity if he does not have one-to-one guidance and support. Even a new episode of his favorite 30-minute cartoon does not keep him in one place. So you can imagine  my shock when, the other day, Mike had left a History Channel program on and Si sat there, massaging Abbott's ear, watching it for 15 minutes. I actually checked Si's forehead for a temperature! Then something similar happened on the 4th of July. Si and Abbott went for a boat ride. Usually this means the adults on board are having to keep one hand on Si to keep him on the seat, on his bottom. But this time, Si and Abbott sat together, and were able to quietly ride for over 20 minutes!!

I don't know how to describe how this affects our lives-- but it does, big time. Just being able to glance at your child and know that you will not need to spring into action at any second; well, I could definitely get used to that!

Abbott also was a huge help at Si's dentist appointment this week. We go twice a year, so it is always kind of new and a little scary for Si. He does not like having to lay back so far on the chair. But Abbott came to the rescue. When he heard Si start to get upset, he put his chin up on the chair where Si could see him. I gave Si some treats to feed Abbott. Si fed him the treats, Abbott's tongue tickled Si's hand, Si giggled, and the scariness of the present situation dissipated for Silas. We used that tactic about three times, and it worked every time. Si also enjoyed talking about Abbott. I am still mastering my Si-wrangling, Abbott-handling, dog-question-answering while medical information-giving technique. To be honest, it was exhausting. But once I got us all safely buckled into the car afterwards, made sure I had not left any moving parts of our caravan at the dentist's, and looked at Si smiling in the back seat, I was able to realize how much better the appointment went for Si. And that is what it's all about! I am sure in a few months I will have a system down and won't even have to think about all the little details.

As of today, Si has been seizure-free for one year! We don't know what the next year will bring, but our hope and prayer is that we can go another year without a seizure. If so, we will be able to try to wean Si off of his seizure meds. To really simplify it, seizure medications calm the brain to stop the electrical misfires (seizures). Unfortunately, this also can dull the brain's ability to respond to stimuli and develop skills in a timely manner. This can cause developmental delays. Parents of children with epilepsy have a tough situation-- do you risk a seizure, which can cause brain damage? Or do you prevent them with medications that cause learning delays? For Silas, his seizures have always returned when his medication levels in his blood got low, so there was no way we could allow those seizures to continue. He needed medication to get them stopped. Our prayer is that whatever causes his seizures would subside, so that he gets the opportunity to live medication free. We are one more seizure-free year from testing that theory. Whatever happens, it is a wonderful, wonderful feeling to know we have Abbott by his side, keeping him safe!

Day 11: Still learning!

Today, Mike and I went in early to work with one of the trainers on seizure work. We wanted to find out what we should be doing since Si's seizures have been in "remission" for almost a year now. We don't want Abbott to lose the ability to detect and alert for seizures which the trainers at 4 Paws have developed in him, because we don't know when Si's seizures will return. Jeremy said we should practice (to Abbott, this is "playing the seizure game") daily at home until Abbott gets really good, then we can ease off to weekly. So, in case you have forgotten, the way we play the game is first by getting him to bark on command, then bark on command while we are sitting on the floor, then bark on command while we are laying on the floor, then bark on command while we are making Si's seizure movements on the floor, then bark (with no command) while we make the seizure movements on the floor. That sounds like a lot, but Mike, with Jeremy's instruction, was able to get through that whole protocol today, to the point where he just had to make the seizure motion and Abbot would bark. Each time Abbott barked for the seizure motion, he got the creme de la creme treat, Bil-Jac.

There are a few things we will need to remember and do to make this skill transferable to Si. We will both play the part of the seizing Si, and we will probably invite a few others to play the game, too. The more people Abbott plays it with, the better he will understand that "Everybody knows this game!" so when Si has a real seizure, he will bark like he is playing the game, too. Another important aspect is playing the game in the places we want Abbott to detect seizures.For us, that will mean playing on Si's bed. During the day, we are usually close at hand to see if Si is seizing. Night time is one of the times we really want to depend on Abbott for seizure alert. So we will play the game on Si's bed, in the dark. That way Abbott gets used to feeling the movement and identifying it, as opposed to just seeing it. Once we get home and get in a pattern of successful sessions, we will start to leave the Bil-Jac in the fridge, so that Abbott learns not to expect it immediately after his bark alert. That will be more realistic to a seizure situation. Finally, we have to keep the training sessions fun, so once he correctly barks at the seizure movement, we will do it again maybe six more times, then move on to another activity.

Here is Mike, practicing with Abbott today:

Another tip for helping dogs learn to alert at night: place a delicious lump of aromatic Bil-Jac on the ground a few inches from their nose while they are sleeping. Some dogs may take up to five minutes to sniff it and wake up, whereas other will quickly sniff and gobble. We want Abbott to "sleep with one nostril open" so he can smell any impending seizures, so this is something simple we can practice.

The dogs also worked on human food distraction training today with a bowl of tomato soup. Abbott did so well!

And Si furthered the training with some fruit snacks:

We learned a lot about flying with dogs today. Several of the families flew here, so their dogs are getting their first airplane ride on the way home. I am really glad we were able to drive!

Once we get home, we will have a period of time where the dog is getting acclimated to our home and yard. It's important that we keep up the training we have done at 4 Paws right when we get home, because the dogs will be wondering, "Do I have to obey at this joint or not?" They need to know that the rules absolutely apply. We should allow the dog to walk free on the leash and sniff around the whole house when we get there. Then we should practice heeling, sits and downs, just to get the message across that this place is under the same management as 4 Paws and our hotel was. We should also practice the place command, distractions, behavior disruption commands and seizure work.

Finally, Jeremy said not to go around doing a "Welcome Home, Abbot" tour the first month. Give the dog time to get into a rhythm at your home and with your child. Everyone will get a chance to meet him, but both your family and the dog need time to settle in.

Si continues to do well with tethering and bonding with Abbott:

They both were exhausted by the end of the day-- Si fell asleep shortly after this picture was taken.

And here's one last picture of the buddies hanging out:

Tomorrow morning is our certification test for public access with a service dog (Abbott). Tomorrow afternoon is graduation. Lots of important events that hopefully end with all 4 of us at HOME SWEET HOME. All prayers and positive thoughts for a smooth and successful day are very appreciated!
Thanks for reading!

Day 10: Practice, Practice and more Practice.

We have just two days left with 4 Paws, and Friday is our Public Access test. If we don't pass this, then we don't get to bring Abbott home. However, never fear, we had our dress rehearsal today, and Abbott performed like the champion canine that he is. Today we didn't learn much new, so here are a couple of pictures from practice.

 Here is "Bobo" taking Abbott for his 10pm potty break. Abbott doesn't yet have the bladder to make it from 7:30 to 7:30 when Si sleeps so each night Mike gets him up and they practice various elements of what we've covered in class. Since Abbott will be staying with Bobo, she needs to be trained, so Bobo got a first hand look at what it was like to walk with a dog that heels!

We did some practice at Target today, Abbott does really well with Si, and he's so gentle, even when Si doesn't reciprocate. Si enjoys walking Abbott, and the tether gives Si freedom that he can't get from holding hands with an adult or riding in the cart. It also gives us as parents peace of mind to know that he will be reasonably close when we have to pay for groceries, or are trying to decide which item to buy. 

    We did work on various scenarios that we may encounter. For instance at school, Si will have to walk on Abbott's right side where the handler typically is. This is because the handrail at Greenwood is on the right side, and the goal is to get Si independent walking the halls between the rail and Abbott. So we have to create a command for this when we get home. 4 Paws suggested "Walk" as this command, and if we only do it at school, Abbott shouldn't get confused. 

    In public we learned that dogs get very excited in places where other dogs are allowed, specifically a Petsmart or a Pet Supplies Plus, so if we don't have to bring them in with us, it's best that we don't. 

Short post tonight, our energy levels are really getting low! Seizure detection work in the morning, taking our dog home preparation in the afternoon, and Friday is Public Access Test and Graduation! Thanks for all your support!

Day Nine: Mobility support, "Over", and some tummy meds . . .

Today we learned a way that Abbot can help us with some tasks that are getting hard now that Si is getting bigger. Up til now, we have been lifting Si into the bathtub, which is hard for me since he is almost 50 pounds. Si is somewhat able to step in, but he often loses his balance. Abbot can help by standing and allowing Si to use his shoulders as a touch-point. It's important to note that Si will not be putting all his weight on Abbot-- that would be very hard on Abbot and could really hurt him. Here is the training process we will use. First, we are getting Abbot excited about bath time. So far, he had steered clear of that excitement. Ha! So today, while Mike and his mom bathed Si, Mike called Abbot over and gave him treats throughout the bath process. Abbot was very happy to be there once the treats started being doled out! Once Abbot is in the habit of being present for Si's bath, we will work on having him "stand" next to the bath tub while Si gets in and out (and treat him). Once that becomes a habit, we will teach Si how to touch Abbot's shoulders as he steps in. This will also be something we can work on at physical therapy. It's super important that Si uses the correct part of Abbot's shoulders and not his back. It's the meaty part at the base of his neck where his shoulders meet. That is the most stable part of his back. We are excited to gradually work toward this so that Si can start to feel more in control and capable and he can get baths even when he is just home with mommy (rather than wait for daddy to lift him in!).

A few interesting points from Q&A today:

• Don't use the dog's name much during obedience training. They need to learn to be alert and ready without having us say their name. Ideally, when working, they will be watching/listening for us all times.
• If something happens to really distract your dog when he is supposed to be heeling, go in the opposite direction of the distraction and stop and practice "sits" and "downs".
• Canine Carryout treats from WalMart are a little cheaper than Puperoni and are another treat you can add to your dog's repertoire if he gets bored with treats easily. We are lucky because Abbot is stoked just to get a piece of regular dog food. Some of the pups in class need a lot of variety to keep them interested.
• This is not appropriate for search and rescue dogs, but it is something we can do with Abbot. We can play hide and seek. We can have Si hide with treats and yell Abbot's name. We can tell Abbot "Find him!" When he finds Si, Si can give him the treats. This will take some training of both child and dog, but I think they both would have such a blast once they figured it out! We will definitely try this once we get settled in at home!

The next command we learned today was "over". This is when the dog lays their whole body across the child's lap to provide deep pressure, which can be really soothing for some people. This command needs to be practiced separately from "lap" because otherwise you get a dog who comes up, puts his head on your lap, then automatically lays his body across your lap. It was easy to do this command with Abbot. You  sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you and the dog on one side. Take a treat in the hand on the opposite side of the dog and lure him across your legs with it, while saying "Over". Once his front elbows are on the ground, and tummy is on your legs, he's in "over" position. The elbows can dig into the child, which is why we aim to have them on the ground. Here's Abbot in "Over":

This afternoon Mike and Abbot worked on some specialized mobility training, but I will need Mike to translate the notes he wrote down before I share too much on that. In other news, Doc C., the 4 Paws vet, prescribed some meds for Abbot. He is having some lower GI issues that the meds will hopefully clear up. There are several ways I feel like the parent of a newborn right now, and one of them is definitely having to keep a "poop journal". :)

Here are some pics from throughout the day:

Si and Abbot in the 4 Paws play yard

Si knows to grab Abbot's handle when it is time to go!

Si is getting more relaxed giving Abbot treats.

And no day is complete without Si's end of day chore: feeding Abbot dinner. He really enjoys helping in this way.

Day Eight: Kisses and Tethering

We went in a little early today to practice with item retrieval. Abbot is doing well with picking up a dropped object and putting it in the box. Now we can start edging the box away from us, so he can get more used to taking the object to a desired location (Si) instead of returning it to us. This has to be done very gradually, say a foot at a time, per practice session.

During Q&A, we talked some more about seizure alert. A lot of our kids have "clusters" of seizures. You have one, then not long after you have another, and so forth. A seizure alert dog most likely will only alert to the first seizure in the cluster. If you remember when I explained the way the scent cells get full of smell and we stop noticing a smell, well this explains why the dog only alerts to the first seizure in the group. Now if the child goes from a small seizure to a big one, they might alert because it would be a more intense smell. One good tip is to air the room out after a big seizure, changing the begging and opening the windows. This will help to get the dog's nose refreshed and back to baseline. Another good piece of info is that, if you change seizure meds, that will change the child's innate smell, so this could throw off the dog's ability to alert until he gets used to the new smell. Jeremy made the point that the bigger concerns are smells that we emanate-- our body chemistry creates them-- as opposed to a change in fabric softener, etc. Jeremy also suggested that if you notice your dog "air-scenting" (putting its nose in the air with its mouth closed) you can "free" the dog and watch where it goes. This will help you make sure you don't miss an attempted alert.

Several people asked about the safest way for a dog to travel in the car. There is a seat-belt attachment you can purchase that allows you to somewhat harness your dog, so that, in the event of an accident, he will not slam into the seat in front of him or be ejected. Jeremy said this is the best restraint for our dogs.

We will learn more about service dog law later, but one question was about pet deposits at hotels. It is illegal to require a pet deposit for a service dog. It would be like asking for a wheelchair deposit from someone in a wheelchair. Now obviously, if your dog causes any damage, you would be responsible for that. But pet fees upfront are illegal for service animals.

Si had a hard time this morning for whatever reason- maybe a case of the Mondays. We used the lap command to help him snap out of his tantrum.

The first new command today was "kisses". This is not one we will be practicing with Abbot, because it looks too much like seizure alerting. But for those of you who would like to use it for fun or for behavioral intervention with your own kids, here is how you do it. You start with some peanut butter on your finger, give the command "kisses", have the dog lick the PB hand, then say "good" and give a treat. You repeat that quickly for about five minutes. Then you would do a session of this every few days, eventually being able to fade the peanut butter.

Tethering-- there are two modes of tethering: stationary and in a heel. Stationary will be used, say, when I am paying at Target. I will put Abbot in a down. Abbot will not move, despite many tugs from Si on his tether cord. We are not to practice this with Si, because we sure don't want to encourage him to tug at Abbot. Mike practiced this as handler while another dad played Si's role. Abbot did really well! The handler gives a lot of good treats during this, so that the dog is super-focused on the handler and doing what the handler wants. :) When we do this in a heel, the rules are the same, but we are walking. Abbot will be watching Mike or I like a hawk, staying right with us in a heel, and Si will be following or next to him. We have a special tethering handle for Si to hold, that keeps him close to Abbot but gives him a feeling of control. Si did not often actually pull at the tether cord when we were walking, as he was working to keep up and hold his handle. They both did great!

Si did not mind tethering at all and Abbot was way into it. Si was super excited because his tether belt is a Superman one with "S" logos on it. It is actually a giant adjustable dog collar! After such a good job, the boys got to take a mall train ride. They were way too interested in the scenery to pose for a picture, but here's what I got!

And here is a family picture of our first tethering outing:

Finally it has been brought to my attention by Mike that most of Abbot's things from 4 Paws say Abbott with two T's. So perhaps his letter of introduction had a typo. Regardless, please feel free to use as many T's as desired. Just don't call him late for dinner, and he should be happy!

And on the seventh day, we learned about TOYS!

Today started per usual with Q&A. We had some questions about walking three across. The world just does not seem built for this! Jeremy said we can deal with this by sending Si and Abbot ahead through narrow walkways. This will take some practice. We are also experiencing some balking by Abbot when prompting him to hop in the back seat of our car. Jeremy said to first have him jump to the floorboards, then up to the seat. That way it is not such a big leap. We will also add treats to the mix for now.

When we arrived at 4 Paws today, we were excited to learn that the pregnant golden retriever we had been watching all week had her pups around 4 this morning! This lady was VERY pregnant, and now I know why: she had 12 puppies!! 10 of them made it and we were privileged to get a close look at one of the little boys.

Mama is doing well and looks much more comfortable!

I did not realize how much I had to learn about choosing appropriate toys for Abbot. But this is great info for all dog owners, so get ready!

• Stay away from all animal parts! Chewing on these brings out undomesticated instincts, as opposed to the refined ones we want to cultivate.
• Stay away from rawhide. First, it is often cleaned with formaldehyde and insecticides while in production. Second, if ingested, it can cause a bowel obstruction. And third, it is leather, so they will then start to think that other leather items are also allowed for chewing, such as shoes, gloves, leashes, etc.
• Real bones are also a no-no. They can shatter and obstruct or stab through the intestines. All bones can do this, but chicken and turkey bones are notorious for this.
• Nix the rope toys, too. The strings come off and when ingested, can get wrapped in the intestines.
• If you are okay with the occasional backyard bunny massacre, then squeaky stuffed small animal toys are ok. But Jeremy said that these train dogs to hunt and hurt small animals. The squeaker sounds like an injured bunny, then the dog goes after it and "kills" it and brings it back to you to start all over.
• An important differentiation to make is between the PLAY toy and the CHEW toy. Play toys are just for interactive supervised play. A tennis ball is a good example. You don't want the dog to have that in his crate and chew it and ingest the rubber and fuzz. A chew toy is one the dog can have whether supervised or not, such as a Nylabone or Kong. Jeremy said not to buy a whole library of toys-- this can overwhelm and confuse the dog about what is allowed and what is off limits. Just one favorite Nylabone is plenty and keeps it simple for the dog.
• Nylabones are safe because they break down in tiny bits that can't harm the dog. That being said, once the dog has chewed it down to the point where he could accidentally swallow it, we need to get rid of it and replace it.  A Nylabone should last 4 to 6 months, unless you have a power-chewer (a dog who might chew six hours a day) in which case you would need to replace it sooner.
• Kongs are a great mental pacifier for dogs. You can't really play catch with them because they are dense rubber that could hurt the dog's teeth, but you can throw it and let them fetch it. You can tuck a treat or some peanut butter in them. Don't FILL it with PB or you will end up with a nasty peanut butter coating in that room. One family even ended up with a hole chewed in their carpet, where the PB had leaked out! Yuck.
• Outside toys: It's good to have an outside ONLY toy for your dog. Two suggestions were the "Jolly Ball" and the "Buster Cube". The Buster Cube looked pretty fun and I think I will look into that for Abbot.
• Tug toys: Big NO. These toys are used for a battle of wills/ establishing dominance. The dog believes that whoever walks away with the tug toy is top dog. This really is counter to what we are establishing with obedience training.
• Same with wrestling-- dogs see it as competitive and to establish dominance.

We also worked on some behavior disruption techniques today. We had done the "lap" command previously. One important point is that it won't be as easy in real life, with a crying/mad Si. So we will practice with Mike and I, and hopefully get Si on board to practice when he is happy. The sequence for that will be: Tell Abbot "lap" and walk him over to Si. Then tell him "down" next to Si, then treat him. The more we practice, the better we'll get.

Today we learned the "Nuzzle" command. Apparently all my life I thought nuzzling was something different. A true nuzzle is when the dog comes to you, puts its nose under your arm and bumps it. It's not kisses or sniffing your face. This command can work to help a child who is having a melt-down or just a regular tantrum or crying. To practice, we will mimic the sounds and behaviors of our child (This will be done when Si is not around.) when we want Abbot to nuzzle. We will have the high value treat in our hands, sit on the floor and do the negative behavior while commanding "nuzzle". Any time Abbot bumps my arm with his nose, I will treat him. This is harder than it sounds. First, it is rather humbling to sit on the floor and make ridiculous whining sounds at your dog! More importantly, I felt at times like he was just trying to get the treat from my hand. But Jeremy said just hold tight to the treat and don't reward unless it is a bona fide nuzzle. One point he has made throughout the last week is that, whatever you reward is what you will get. So make sure the dog is doing it exactly how you want it before treating them.

Last today, we started preparing for tethering training. I am REALLY looking forward to this. Si has improved some, but he still wants to run off in stores and in parking lots at times, which is unacceptable.  We will get Si a "belt" (giant dog collar that will fit around his waist) with a D ring on it to wear and then there is a tether cord that will hook to Abbot's harness. Si will also have his own leash to hold, so he can feel like he is walking Abbot, too. I am really hopeful that this will help in stores. Si is almost 50 pounds, and we usually have to lift him into the cart so he does not run off. It's getting impossible for me to do alone. This way, he can walk like he wants to and I can be sure that he doesn't slip away while I am paying, etc.

Si continues to develop a bond with Abbot. He loves to feed Abbot every morning and night. He dumps the scoops of food in the dish and lowers it to the ground, then squeals, "Eat, Abbot!!" Today, Si and dad came back to the hotel to swim while Abbot and I attended the afternoon session. After swimming, Si kept going to the door of the hotel room and crying "Abbot!! Abbot!!" Abbot has definitely embraced Si and Si loves being able to really snuggle with him.

Day Six: Seizure work, recall, health and grooming, too!

Today we began as usual with Q&A, which I will share later. We then delved a little deeper into seizure work. One of the commands we will use in seizure work and behavior regulation is "lap". This is asking the dog to lay his head on or against the child. This is a command the dogs tend to enjoy, because it is relaxing. I mean really, who doesn't like to put their head on someone and have the person stroke their hair and speak soothingly? So, we sit with our legs out straight, point to our lap and say "lap". The dog should rest his head on our leg. We praise just verbally (softly) and with petting (no treat). It may actually put the dog to sleep, and that is fine. We ideally will have Si practice this, when he is relaxed and calm. We need to practice it A LOT so that when Si needs it, Abbot will do it automatically.

A lot of us want the dogs to be able to alert to night time seizures, so we can know and go to our kids. To practice for this, we will get in the bed, bring the dog onto the bed, and practice barking on command. Once they are doing that comfortably in the bed environment, then we can start making movements like a seizure and commanding "bark". We want the dog to equivocate that seizure movement with the BEST treat, so once he barks while we are making the seizure movement, we will "make it rain" Bil-Jac and praise. This method can be carried over to any environment where your child has seizures-- the car, church, anywhere. It is good to anticipate and practice in as many possible locations as possible. That way the dog knows, "Oh, we play the seizure game here, too!" and when a real seizure strikes, he will bark for that Bil-Jac! It's going to take me a bit to get a fake seizure down. Every time the trainers do it in class I tear up. But I am going to do it!

The other big command we learned today is "come". Jeremy started by describing the way most people teach "come" and why it's not the best way to go about it. For teaching come, you should use high value treats and practice in a contained, off-leash situation. You start by just saying "come" when the dog is right in front of you and treat him right away. This associates the word with yummy treats. After doing that for five minutes or so, let the dog go off and get distracted. Then you can say their name and "come". Some guidelines for using this command: Don't have the dog come to you just to be punished (eg. you find a torn up shoe and yell "come!!!"). Don't only use "come" to get him to come in and get in his kennel. These are negative consequences for the command, and we need to keep it positive and fun. If the dog does not come when you give the command, go to the dog and say "No" and give a tug. When practicing, be sure to give treats each time the dog comes.

We started our health discussion with teeth. They should be brushed about three times a week, and Jeremy said this can add two years to a dog's life! No toothpaste is needed, as we are really just knocking the plaque off the outsides of the teeth. He recommends the finger brush, because then you can feel what you are doing and make sure you are not stabbing your poor dog in the back of the throat. He told us to start by massaging the dog's muzzle, then run your fingers across the dog's gums to get him ready for brushing. I tried that with Abbot today, and he was completely amenable to the experience!

Jeremy also said to get the dog's teeth professionally cleaned once or twice a year, depending on his plaque situation, etc. He said small dogs tend to get more plaque, which I thought was interesting. He said it has a lot to do with genetics.

Dogs do get sleepers in their eyes like humans. We only need to worry and call the vet if the drainage is green or yellow. I guess some things are the same in humans and dogs!

Dogs can get ear infections, and often one ear will look lopsided, several inches lower than the other one. The dog also may paw at his ear. In order to avoid this type of situation, we need to clean their ears every two weeks. There is an "ear wash" product that has a cleaning and drying agent in it. Jeremy suggested warming the bottle up in the microwave and testing it like a baby bottle, to make sure it is warm but not hot. Then, if possible, take the dog outdoors, and put several drops in each ear, massaging the base of the ear for about 45 seconds. The dog will then shake it out, making it spray everywhere. Then you can use cotton balls to get any excess left in the ear. Jeremy likes to work it into a game of ball, so the dog is having fun and then has fun again afterwards.

We lucked out in terms of grooming our dog's coat. Labs don't require very intensive fur care and they don't get ear hairs (Woohoo!).We can use a shedding blade if necessary, but a slicker brush can also help with burrs and dried mud. We will also get a soft rubber brush for Si to use on Abbot, as one of his pet owner chores. We will keep an eye on any hair growing between his paw pads, as that can make them slip on smooth surfaces, and it also can pick up snow and ice in the winter. I can't imagine coming in on a January day with ice stuck between my toes!! We can trim the hair with a little electric trimmer.

For bathing, we may need to get a sprayer extension for the shower, so we can really hold it up against his skin. Jeremy said to be sure to close his ears when shampooing to avoid ear problems and clean ears again after the bath to make sure we get them dry. We should bathe Abbot no more than once a week and we can use any dog shampoo. He said the dry shampoos advertised don't really work. I think that is also true for human dry shampoos-- another similarity!

Nails-- definitely the most intimidating thing about dog grooming (unless you want to talk rectal glands-- we haven't discussed that yet!!). Because Abbot is black, we can't see the quick (where the blood in in the nails) through the nails. We need to turn the nail over and look underneath to find the fleshy part. Well, I tried that and it all looked fleshy. So I am going to let them grow two weeks and then look again. We should trim their nails every 4 to 6 weeks with "bypass" nail trimmers and then file them down a little. Abbot is really good about letting me be in his business, so that part should be easy. The first time will probably take an hour, so I appreciate his patience!!

Now for the Q&A tidbits:

• Right now the dogs are trying to figure out if they have to behave for us like they do at 4 Paws. We need to be consistent with corrections and praise and the respect will come!
• The more new places we can go with the dogs, and praise and correct them the same way, the more they will realize the rules still always apply.
• You can talk dogs into anything with your voice, by getting higher and more excited: "Attaboy! Attaboy!" Abbot is a little hesitant to jump into our car, so all three of us are attaboy-ing like crazy!
• Dogs' excitement can be thought of as on a dial, from 0 to 100. You have to think about it and dial it back or dial it up depending on your goal for the situation.
• Dogs will play on, even with an injury. They are that kid who is having so much fun, he does not want to stop, even though he is bleeding, etc. Once the play is done, then they may start to limp, etc. So we really need to keep an eye on them to make sure they are ok.
• We should not allow our dogs to wrestle with other dogs.
• If the dog has trouble with going in the crate (separation anxiety), a Kong toy with a treat or peanut butter in it in his crate can be a great way to ease the transition.
• Abbot's neck is as strong and dense as Mike's thigh. So we can probably put a little more oomph into our corrections with the gentle leader, when needed. (Seeing as he does not seem to even feel it when I do it!)
• Since Abbot is doing balance work for Si, we will stick with the gentle leader collar for at least a year in public, as opposed to the training collar (chain style).

We ate out with Abbot twice today and he did wonderfully. Here he is under the table at Arby's.

Abbot is so sweet and patient with Si, and Si is getting more and more comfortable snuggling and hugging Abbot.

Well, we are half way done with training! I can't believe it! We have met some wonderful friends and have already grown and stretched in new ways. I am excited to see what the next six days bring! Thanks for reading.