The first order of business today was tracking ... and it was COLD! Really, it was only -2C (28F) but the wind made it really really cold. For a girl who is used to (and complains about) chinooks, this was NOT a warm wind.
Dawsyn was fully prepared for the elements. She even had new winter boots to keep her tootsies warm and dry. I had rubber boots so my feet stayed dry but warm they were not!
We returned to the 4 Paws facility about 11:00 for some training in a warmer environment. After lunch, Jeremy gave some further information about tracking and how the dogs do it.
Throughout the day, Lillith just looked cute and did her job impeccably!
When it wasn't her turn to demonstrate her expertise, she had a nap.
And then she looked cute again ... it really is her speciality!!
Her favourite thing in the world is a tennis ball. It is her very best reward for finding Dawsyn when tracking and for alerting us of a seizure. With this in mind, Ben went to PetSmart and bought two. Apparently he went for the economy variety because she had chewed right through one in no time. We dug out an old one of Milkyway's that was better quality and she destroyed it! We are going to have to get a recommendation on tennis ball brands safe for her to chew on!!
I am sure that we will need many of them because she is an absolute star at seizure alerting. Dawsyn was pretty sleepy when we got back to our hotel room around 4:30 so I let her curl up on the couch with blanket. Lilly also had a little nap. All of a sudden, she jumped up and loped over to Dawsyn. She sniffed around her mouth for a few seconds and I praised her up and gave her treats. Seven minutes later, Dawsyn had a Myoclonic Jerk. Lilly smelled it coming! Since she is so consistently telling us about the seizures before hand, we will continue to work on the "bark" command so that she can tell us even if we are not watching them at the moment.
We are absolutely over-the top-impressed with everything about this dog!!
6 comments:
Marv....I'm at a loss for words!?!? Lilith is truly a God-send.
So what kind of tennis balls would NOT be safe for her???
BTW the photo of Dawsyn all bundled up is beautiful :)
Any kind of tennis ball she can break into pieces is not safe because she could choke.
When I tell you the story of how we ended up with Lillith, you will realize what a true God-send she is! Her skin/sensory issues are nothing short of a miracle!! Now you can just stew on that until I get home. ;)
Oooooh, I'm intrigued!! Can't wait!
Me too! Sounds like a story...
Can you get her sponge balls? They still chew apart if the dog is dedicated but too small to choke her? Or are there hard rubber balls to chew on?
She has a hard rubber ball but prefers the tennis balls. If we buy proper tennis balls rather than the pet store models, they last much longer. It's a good investment since it's the only reward she seems to need for finding Dawsyn when she's "lost" or for barking when she has a seizure.
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