A Guardian of the Night

 

To the public, he is known as Police Service Dog #0172 – a pure black nightmare that you do not want to be on the wrong side of.

To me he is Ace, a goofy old dog with the playfulness of a puppy; a member of my family since he was 8 weeks old and could fit into the palm of my hands; but more importantly, my Dad’s partner and protector for the 10 years he served the Vancouver Police Department.

Today when Ace was unable to stand on his hind legs, my Dad had to make the heart-wrenching decision to have him put to sleep. While most pet owners understand the pain of saying goodbye to their 4-legged companions, I truly believe that what my Dad has to go through encompasses so much more than that.

You see, because Ace is not just a dog. Nor is he simply a member of the family. He is so much more than that. Ace was born and raised to be a police service dog. It has been his job to serve and protect the citizens of Vancouver city, but more so, to protect his officer, my father, from the dangers he encountered on a daily basis on the job.

Today, I grieve for my father, during this painful time, and mourn the loss of a childhood companion. My last few words are for you, Ace:

Thank-you..........

Thank-you for always managing to make my family smile, no matter how naughty you were being at the time.

Thank-you for helping me grow, and for teaching me the deep love for animals that I carry with me today.

But most importantly, thank-you; for bringing my Dad home to me every night safely; for making it your life’s mission to protect a human, because that’s what you were expected to do.

Thank-you for truly being a man’s best friend, and for bringing so much love and joy to his life.

My family, and the city of Vancouver, will be forever in your debt for your service over the years.  

Rest in Peace big guy – you’ve earned it.

 

 

 

PSD Ace

September 30th, 2001 - July 4th, 2013

 

 

Guardians Of The Night

 

                                                                         Author - Unknown

Trust in me my friend for I am
your comrade. I will protect you
with my last breath When all
others have left you And the
loneliness of the night closes
in, I will be at your side.

Together we will conquer all
obstacles, And search out
those who might wish harm to
others. All I ask of you is
compassion, The caring touch
of your hands. It is for you that I
will unselfishly give my life And
spend my nights unrested.
Although our days together
May be marked by the passing
of the seasons Know that each
day at your side is my reward.

My days are measured by The
coming and going of your
footsteps. I anticipate them at
every opening of the door. You
are the voice of caring when I
am ill. The voice of authority
when I've done wrong.

Do not chastise me unduly For
I am your right arm, The sword
at your side. I attempt to do
only what you bid of me. I seek
only to please you and remain
in your favor.

Together you and I shall
experience A bond only others
like us will understand When
outsiders see us together Their
envy will be measured by their
disdain.

I will quietly listen to you And
pass no judgment, Nor will your
spoken words be repeated I will
remain ever silent, Ever vigilant,
ever loyal. And when our time
together is done And you move
on in the world Remember me
with kind thoughts and tales,
For a time we were unbeatable,
Nothing passed among us
undetected.

If we should meet again on
another street I will gladly take
up your fight, I am a Police
Working Dog and together we
  are guardians of the night.

New Years Resolutions...

Yes, for those of you who are counting, it has been roughly 10.5 MONTHS since my last post. What happened? Well, simply put, life happened! Due to the prolonged break between posts, I am going to consider this post the "re-birth" of the Hunt for Success, and write it as if this were my first post (Take two).
             It only makes sense that I start with the inspiration for this entire blog, which truly was Hunter. What began as a blog to update family and friends on Hunter’s rehabilitation, swiftly turned into a blog about my struggles through this crazy game we commonly refer to as life.

 Hunter is now 22 months old, and is living with his original "family" (which is also my family) in South Surrey, BC. Let's back track a touch...
            My Dad is a Vancouver Police Officer who works on the Dog Squad. When his reliable partner "Ace" retired in December of 2011, he received 8-week old Hunter as a replacement pup. Hunter was born to be a police dog, and showed a lot of potential early on.
          When he was 6 months old he developed a chronic limp. After a couple of weeks of attempting to "rest" Hunter (an impossible feat) my Dad took him in to the VPD's regular Veterinarian. Following multiple x-rays and a consultation with the local orthopedic specialist, Hunter was diagnosed with a unilateral Un-united Anconeal Process (if this is German to you, refer back to the post "Elbow Dysplasia - the bane of our existence...). With this diagnosis, Hunter was rejected from the VPD's up-and coming- K9 recruit list, and needed somewhere to go while he recovered from orthopedic surgery. That's when Hunter and I's paths crossed, and he joined my tiny family in January of 2012.
         To pick up where we (sort of) left off; after I left my local job in September of 2011, I had been looking for work out of town, as a "locum" (a.k.a substitute) technician at different veterinary clinics. I had scheduled a couple of work periods in Fort St John, and thus we had a dilemma on our hands. Chris (my husband) is quite busy managing the roads and bridges of Creston and its surrounding areas. I was currently going through the Karen Pryor Academy of Animal Behavior and Training (refer back to post on KPA to refresh your memories) and I needed to bring our dog Buster with me, so that we could keep up-to-speed with all of our training exercises. Chris was hesitant to be Hunter's sole caregiver while I was working out for town for 3 weeks, and I cannot say I blame him; I had developed a strict routine for Hunter and he required a lot of management and supervision in order for this routine to go smoothly.
         It was decided that it was time for Hunter to return to my Dad. As much as I knew this was going to be an extra burden for my parents, Chris and I had played our part in Hunter's rehabilitation - he was now able to go for regular walks, and even enjoy some "off-leash" time without any lameness or swelling of his affected joint, and he was really starting to understand what it meant to be a "house dog." At his next check-up with Dr. Kuzma at Canada West Veterinary Specialists, Hunter remained in the Lower Mainland, and we returned home, just the three of us (Chris, Buster, and I).
          Today, Hunter remains a member of the Forster household; although they claim this is semi-permanent (we’re not fooled). He is healthy and one of the happiest dogs I know! He has "stiff" days after he pushes himself running the fence with the neighbouring Great Danes, but he recovers quickly and loves his life!

So where does that leave me? Here's a quick 2012 recap.....

In July, Buster and I successfully graduated from KPA's Dog Trainer Program. I am now a KPA Certified Training Partner (CTP) and Buster is…...well, brilliant really!

            Shortly after graduating, I developed (what will be) my dog training business, Sit Pretty Pet Services. I cannot say this is something I have accomplished on my own. After 7 months of refining and perfecting my dog training skills, I felt confident and ready to take on the world. Starting a dog training business? No problem! Bring it on! Boy was I in for a reality check.
            Business and I, well, we are not familiar with one another. This is where Chris really comes into play. Who knew his Bachelor of Business Administration would come in so handy for me? With his careful assistance and encouragement, I developed my business name, employed a new, dear friend to create my phenomenal logo (I get goose bumps to this day whenever I look at it), and am developing my business website (with the help of a professional, trust me).

 I have a lot to learn, and many questions, but thankfully I have made some great friends within the dog training industry, and have an incredible mentor who is a wealth of knowledge and support! There is a lot of work to do before I can even think about "launching" Sit Pretty Pet Services (SPPS), but with every challenge I feel more confident that this is what I’m destined to do!

            Business and dog training aside, 2012 brought several new exciting changes to my life! In June, we adopted our second dog, Kaslo. Kaslo came from a small shelter in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. I had been pushing Chris to let me get a second dog for years and years. He finally warmed up to the idea, and I leaped at the opportunity. After contacting many shelters in BC and Alberta, Chris found Kaslo (previously “Sparky”) through petfinder.ca. We went down to the States to look at an older dog originally, and thought we would check him out while we were there. He turned out to be exactly what we wanted; quiet, polite, and of course, absolutely adorable!
          Kaslo’s back story goes a little something like this: In May 2012, his owner ditched him in a Safeway parking lot. That’s right, they drove into the parking lot, opened their door, pushed Kaslo out, and drove away. An eye-witness to this event waited for 20 minutes for the people to return for their pup, and they never did. He was taken to the local shelter, where he lived for a couple of weeks before we adopted him. When we brought him home, he was approximately 5-6 months old, and was just starting to lose his baby teeth. What started as an obvious Beagle cross, has grown into a very leggy, Heeler/Basenji mix (to the best of our knowledge).
           Kaslo has an endless supply of energy, and has not failed to present us with many of the typical puppy challenges. He is starting to grow into what we hope will be a smart, mature dog, and has been a great companion for Senior Citizen Buster, although he is known to “poke the sleeping bear” from time to time.
          It has been a great experience for us to raise our first “puppy” as a family, but more than that, we have really enjoyed seeing how simple puppy-rearing can be when using strictly positive—reinforcement training! Kaslo knows a variety of verbal and hand cues, rings a desk-bell at the back door when he needs to pee, has a much better recall than Buster (the apparent “superstar” dog of the family), and is a real pleasure to train with! As always, I have many lofty goals for this little guy; just need to find the time to do it all!

              What else did 2012 bring for us? Well, we will be returning to our previous Northern home in 3 weeks. Chris’s work offered him a transfer back to the Fort St John office, and  we have decided that this move is the right one for us.

 In November of 2012 we found out that our family would be expanding yet again, as we are expecting our first baby in July of this year. More on this chapter later….

            2013 is already shaping up to be an incredibly busy and challenging year for this family, but we would want nothing less. While life continues to surprise me with the hurdles it throws in my way, I am so blessed for all that I have. I wouldn’t (and couldn’t) be in the place I am today without the love and support of my incredible family, and of course my husband, who truly makes me the best I can possibly be.

 Wishing you all the best for 2013, and I am looking forward to my new blogging commitment!

KPA Workshop One

Apologies for the late post about my KPA weekend - I have experienced my first attack of "Writers Block" since starting this blog. Hopefully this handicap will leave promptly and allow me to get back to some more decent writing...Happy Reading!

The past week rushed past in a haze, being the last seven days leading up to the first hands-on workshop for my KPA Dog Trainer Program. The weekend would involve 2 intense days working with my instructor and classmates on refining, practicing and testing the skills we've learned so far in the program.
While trying to keep a handle on my stress and anxiety levels, I scrambled to pack all of the clothing and paraphernalia necessary for Chris, myself, and Buster to spend the weekend in Calgary. I arranged for Hunter's weekend visit to the local boarding kennel, and clocked as much training time as I could squeeze in; trying to fine-tune all of the KPA behaviors I'd taught Buster this past month.
It's safe to say that 60% of the pressure I felt had to do with the workshop, and Buster and mine's performance, while the remaining 40% was associated with Hunter and his first stay at the kennel. My main concerns were how Hunter would react to being handled and taken care of by a stranger, all while living in a noisy, slightly chaotic kennel environment. I called to schedule his stay at "Pampered Pets", the local boarding kennel, and expressed my concerns to the owner. Luckily, she is an experienced German Shepard breeder and knows the breed well, much better than I do. Along with this she is experienced with training and handling such breeds, successfully showing hundreds of dogs in her career. She suggested that Hunter come visit her at the kennel one morning during the week to observe how he responded to the kennel environment, and allow him to become situated with the building.
Recognizing what an exceptional idea this was, I jumped on the opportunity. With some helpful recommendations from my amazing mentor and trainer, I prepared Hunter for his boarding 'dry run' Wednesday morning. I saturated his collar and bed with DAP (Dog Appeassing Pheromone), a pheromone that is said to produce a 'calming effect on the part of the brain that is connected to the dog's behavior and emotion, and packed him his favorite bone and stuffy. When we arrived at the kennel, the owner knew immediately how to deal with Hunter; ignoring his nervous barking and allowing him to check her out with a good sniff.
When I picked him up a few hours later, he was mellow, relaxed and quiet, and seemed to have developed quite a fondness for the owner of the kennel, licking her hands and rubbing up against her for a head scratch. Feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders, I took Hunter home feeling proud of our accomplishment. For a reactive dog, meeting a new, strange person and entering a foreign environment, full of multiple, noisy, new dogs is a lot to process. Hunter did incredibly well, and definetely gave me some encouragement that he will be capable of handling the 'real world' when his disability gives him the freedom to experience it.

Friday morning I awoke feeling strangely calm about the weekend and what was to come. The weather had taken a turn for the worse that day, giving us a sense of urgency to get out of town as soon as we could to attempt to avoid the snowy mess the highways were about to become.
We arrived in Calgary around 8:00pm, had some dinner at the hotel and were tucked into bed quite early, resting up for the busy weekend ahead.
The next morning I awoke extremely excited, and feeling refreshed after what I thought had been a good slept - despite being woken up a couple times to Buster growling at elevator sounds in the hallway. As I got ready for the first day of the workshop, but face provided me with completely different information about my night; my eyes were bloodshot and grainy, and my dark under eye circles were more prominent than usual! Great....
With my Tim Hortons in hand, and a truck full of dog related equipment, we arrived at the Dogaholics Center (http://dogaholics.ca/index.html) for the workshop extra early so we could get settled in before the workshop started. After helping me assemble my crate and organize my supplies, Chris left me...and that's when the anxiety started to creep up on me! The workshop was upon us!

The first day of the workshop, we were required to demonstrate two of the behaviors we had 'captured' in our dogs - the first behavior was a lip lick; we had to capture our dogs doing this, reinforce it, and eventually get it that specific behavior on cue. My second captured behavior was a right paw raise, which we also got on cue. I was nervous about demonstrating our behaviors, as they were not 100% reliably on cue, and we would be performing in a new environment, around new dogs and people.
Our lip lick (with the cue "Tasty") went OK, and our paw lift (with the cue "Owie") was demonstrated as well. My biggest issue with Buster is that he is SO incredibly eager to learn that he wants to offer every trick in the book in order to earn a reward; the treat. This is partly my fault, as I have not successfully managed to get all of his behaviors ' on cue'.
The second half of the day involved some discussion, as well as an exercise where we had to 'capture' a behavior in our partner's dog. I worked with a 10 month old Golden-Doodle named "Niso", and I captured her investigative sniffing nature by reinforcing her targetting her nose to my shoe. This went quite well, as did our 'demonstration' to the group.

Buster lounging on his bed at the Dogaholics Center during our KPA Workshop



The second day started with demonstration of our "shaped" behaviors; behaviors we've reinforced in small, 'baby' steps. The behaviors I had shaped, and we demonstrated to the group, were "Go to Bed" (pretty self-explanatory, Buster would run to his bed and lie down) and a bow (which we called "Take a Bow"). Buster's 'go to bed' behavior is quite solid, as this is something Chris and I have trained in the past, and my obedience instructor focuses strongly on 'mat work' and 'settling' behaviors on the mat. I had to encourage Buster to perform his bow trick by kneeling down to his height, which prompted him to offer the bow repeatedly once he figured out what I was asking.
The second half of the day we worked on shaping behaviors in our partners dogs: today I worked with a 15 month old Greater Swiss Mountain dog named 'Swizzle' and attempted to train her to target a dumbell. She is a slow and methodical dog, polar opposite from Buster, and the process went painfully slow, but we did make some progress in the alloted time.
Then it was time for our evaluation: we were given 4 minutes time, and a few rules: you could not remove yourself from the chair you were seated in, and you had to shape a behavior involving the pylon provided. Luckily, Buster and I have worked with a lot with props and objects, and I find the shaping process to be quite fun. When it was our turn, I sat in the chair and knocked the pylon onto it's side. I first reinforced Buster for targeting the pylon with his nose, and then increased the criteria to capture him targetting the pylon with his paw. Within 1.5 minutes Buster realized what I wanted, and was consistenly flipping the pylon with his paws back into the standing position. We then added the cue "Flip" to this behavior, and before we knew it our time was up! The second half of our evaluation we were alloted 15 'clicks' (the marker signal we train with to say "Yes! That's what I want") to get the behavior we'd just shaped on cue. This went relatively well, Buster even offered a pause to wait for me to cue him to interact with the pylon.
Before we knew it, the second day of workshop one was complete and we were packing up our stuff for the long, snowy drive home!
I departed from workshop one feeling confident, proud, and excited! After meeting some friendly new people and their pets, experiencing training with a couple of different dogs, and recieving a wealth of knowledge from the excellent workshop instructor, I was truly exhausted!
I am incredibly proud of Buster - who proved to be the most accurate choice as my KPA dog, and was extremely reliable and well-behaved all weekend (not to mention adorable in his Canucks bandana!)

Buster, exhausted after a busy weekend of training!

I cannot wait to get started with my next unit, to teach Buster new and improved behaviors, and am eagerly anticipating our next workshop in April!
Until next time...happy training!

Water Works.....for Rehabilitation!

It's hard to believe that it's been almost three weeks since Hunter saw Dr. Kuzma for his last re-check.
Following Dr. Kuzma's instructions, we've continued with Hunter on a restricted and controlled exercise regimen. Nearing the end of our 30 day period, we've begun to add somewhat more activity to Hunter's daily routine.
The past week or so, Chris and I have started to increase the duration of Hunter's walks, adding slightly more distance to them. Our morning walk now follows a little trail through a nice grassy field by our house, going up a gradual hill and looping back down into our cul-de-sac.
With the increase in distance on his walks, we've observed no evidence of lameness, heat or swelling associated with his surgical elbow, which is a very encouraging indication.

We've also begun to introduce some hydro-therapy into Hunter's exercise schedule.
Hydrotherapy involves 'the use of water for pain-relief and treating illness. The term hydrotherapy is synonymous with the term water cure.'
The following text is taken from www.canine-hydrotherapy.org :

Hydrotherapy can be used in the treatment of osetoarthritis, orthopedic conditions, neurological conditions, muscle, ligament, and other soft tissue injuries. Extensive work in human physiotherapy has demonstrated that a suitably monitored course of hydrotherapy acts by encouraging a full range of joint motion in reduced weight bearing conditions, thus improving muscle tone and promoting tissue repair, without imposing undue stress on damaged tissues.

 www.k9surf.com

Above is a picture of a dog performing hydrotherapy in a pool designated to rehabilitation for dogs. You will notice the dog is in a lifejacket and has a rehabilitation worker alongside for support and assistance. The pool is probably nice and warm.

Unforunately, Creston does not offer rehabilitation services for it's canine citizens in the recreational pool, so we had to get a touch 'creative' with our hydrotherapy sessions.

February in Creston, the temperatures can range from 0-10 on an average day. The first day we tried out our hydrotherapy 'experiment' it was 2 degrees at the Kootenay River, where we headed to for our 'swim'.  I can only fathom a guess as to the temperature of the water itself.

Above is the Goat River, in Creston, BC. We did not swim at this exact location of the river, but a bit further down in the Kootenay River, which the Goat River feeds in to.

Unsure of if Hunter had ever experienced swimming before, we decided to test the theory using something of great value to him....a tennis ball! Knowing how crazy Hunter was about a ball, we suspected we'd be able to enourage him into the water by tossing the ball.

Hunter proved us correct, plunging into the river without so much as a hesitation when the tennis ball was thrown.

We rapidy discovered that he was nervous about the actual 'swimming' part; as soon as his feet could not touch ground he would turn back and wait for the breeze to blow the tennis ball to within his reach at the edge of the river's drop off. Try as we might (without actually braving the cool waters ourselves) we could not get Hunter to go past the drop-off and physically swim - he figured he was pretty wise waiting for his ball to blow close enough to grab from the safety of the river bed!

The second session went similar to the first, Hunter still being quite unsure about going past the point where his feet couldn't touch the ground. We managed to get some video footage of Hunter's fun at the river:

At his last session we finally experienced a breakthrough! With no breeze to blow his ball closer, Hunter was determined not to lose the precious toy, and surged forward past the drop-off to retrieve it! A bit of water sloshing onto his face made him marginally nervous, but didn't prevent him from asking me to throw the ball again the instant he arrived on shore!

Hunter seems to really enjoy the water, adores chasing a ball, and loves being allowed to explore a new area in Creston, having previously been confined to our yard and neighbourhood trials. The swimming sessions definetely tire him out, which is aiding in the preservation of Chris and mine's sanity, yet the activity has not been demanding enough to elicit any lamness or swelling from his leg! All in all, it seems to be a success!

Here's hoping that his joint shows progression at the next vet check...

"Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change..."

I've been doing a lot of self reflection this past week. Observing myself and my life, and what it's become over the past year.
The past five and half months, I feel like I've been transported to a whole new world, where everything is new and unknown; still considered to be somewhat of a 'newcomer' to the Creston Valley, quite wet behind the ears when it comes to marraige, and making the extremely taxing decision to quit my job.
The past one and half months I've been travelling through un-charted waters of my own. Experiencing life as an un-employed Canadian citizen, entering a whole new world of knowledge through the Karen Pryor Academy and it's Dog Trainer Program, all while attempting to teach and grow alongside an eager, but unstable puppy.
To say that any of these adjustments and challenges have been easy, would be vastly incorrect.

I obtained my first job when I was in the ninth grade (approximately 14 years of age) working as the kennel staff at a busy veterinary clinic in White Rock, BC. Since the day I started that position, I never looked back, nor slowed down.
To say that five and half months ago when I quit my job my life came to a screeching halt, would be an invalid comment.
Almost immediately after leaving my job in Creston, I travelled up North to perform a two week locum at a veterinary clinic in Fort St John, BC. I returned three weeks later and did another two week locum. A week after returning home from the Great White North, I travelled down to Langley BC and worked for the Boundary Bay Specialty Center for 2 months. I finally returned home to Creston in the New Year. I now haven't worked for a month and a half; during this time starting my schooling to become a dog trainer.
When you put it all down on paper, it sounds like a lot.....yet I feel as though I haven't done enough.

I feel priviledged and proud to call myself an Animal Health Technician. The AHT program is a trying 2-year diplomma program that will either make or break you, and my fellow students can attest to that. A Technician's job is not an easy one; we do not cuddle cute puppies and kittens all day long. A technician is a nurse, a kennel attendant, an anesthetist, an educator, a friend, a caregiver, and a shoulder to cry on, all in the span of one day. We get to witness the miracle of birth, and bear the heartbreak of death. Yet, at the end of the day, we are passionate about what we do, and we'll do it all over again the next day.
I have been fortunate enough to have worked with many amazing veterinarians, technicians, and students throughout my short career. Since the beginning of it all, when I started my first job as a kennel attendant, I have grown a strong love for animals, and for the field of medicine I am involved in.

Once of my favorite FSJ patients -  a sweet little Chihuahua who's name has evaded my memory!

Here I am, sitting in front of my latop, surrounded by my pets, with the passion of a caregiver oozing from my pores. Each day that I don't have the opportunity to practice my skills and share my expertise, I feel like a lose a bit of myself in each passing moment. I'm almost afraid to let my hands rest by my side, worrying that my passion and talent will start to leak out from my fingertips.
Each locum I leave, I wonder how many people are murmuring behind my back: "What's next for her? It's such a shame that she's selling herself short...."
I know I've asked myself those same questions over and over again...

I've submerged myself in my training program the best I can, knowing that I am priviledged to have such an incredible opportunity. Animal behavior became a passion of mine during my AHT schooling, and I feel that with the proper knowledge and skills, it will be yet another way to make a difference in animals' lives.

At the end of the day, who's to know what is the 'right thing to do?' Who's to say that you've done your best, given it your all?
Most days I am OK telling myself that I'm doing what I have to for my family. We're fortunate that Chris has a job that allows us to be comfortable and secure.
Other days the sting of unfairness hits me like a whip.
I know that I simply have to be strong - but what does that involve? Is being resilient about me making personal sacrifices to be here for my family? Should I forget about what 'once was' and try to build a new life here in Creston? Or is being strong biting the bullet and working those locums and placing miles between me and my husband, so that I can feel that I am making a difference in the world?
I'm waiting for my moment of clarity; for the clouds to part and someone of greater authority to shine down and me and grant me with the knowledge that I am travelling down the right path.
I won't hold my breath....

VPD Dog Squad Competition

As previously mentioned, my amazing father is a Vancouver Police Officer. The past seven years of his career he has been a member of VPD's Dog Squad with his brilliant canine partner Ace.

Constable Reg Forster and PD Ace

Since November, when Ace retired, my Dad was been back working patrol; with full intention of re-applying to return to the dog squad in 2012. The specialty departments of the VPD require Officers to try-out in order to be admitted to the unit. This is to ensure that prospective officers have the experience, and physical and mental qualities necessary for the Squad they are applying to.

The 2012 Dog Squad Competition launched on February 9th, starting with the Dog Handler's Physical Ability Test.
This test is essentially is a timed obstacle course that each handler must completed in under 9 minutes and 30 seconds. (Test Map shown below).

My Dad finished the course in 8 minutes and 45 seconds, putting him in the middle of the group of men competing. Not revealing his actual age, he is the 'senoir' member of the group, and incapacitated back and all he performed remarkably well (not that we had any doubts).

Every competitor did an excellent job, completing the course in under 9 minutes, and advancing them all on to stage two of four in the competition.

The next part of the competition is the Driving Test, which assesses competitors on their basic driving skills as well as evaluating them in a driving 'scenario' that will be presented on the day of the test. If they pass the driving test, they advance onto stage three - the Practical Test.

The Practical  Test evaluates competitors on their practical policing skills relative to the duties of a Dog Handler.

If they pass phases 1-3 they then qualify to be selected to proceed to the interview stage; where they will undergo an interview in front of a panel of five Officers.

When the competition has finished, the first week of March, the judging panel will then select the next Officer(s) who will become a member(s) of the Dog Squad.

Among the prospective canine competitors are Scout, Hunter's brother, and Wrex, the puppy currently under my family's care. The dogs also have to go through rigorous testing before they are deemed to be appropriate candidates for the force; we will discuss this more when the canine training and testing commences!

February 16th will be the date of the Driving Phase of the competition - stay tuned for Dad's results!

Until next time...

"I have a Hankerin' for Healin' "- the Homeopathic Experiment

After the undesireable news from Hunter's surgeon on Friday, I reached out to a veterinarian friend of mine; less for advice, and more for optimism and reassurance.The supportive friend she is, she did some research on a popular Veterinary Information Network. She sent me an e-mail later that day about a homeopathic drug called 'Symphytum'. Symphytum is a perennial herb that contains a black root and large hairy leaves that bear small, bell-shaped flowers.

This herb has many therapeutic uses, one being the ability to aid in the healing of non-union fractures. The herb contains a small organic molecule called allantoin, which is believed to stimulate cell growth and repair, while discouraging inflammation. If used long term, there have been reports, in humans, of hepatotoxicity (which essentially means 'chemical driven liver damage').

I was definetely skeptical when she first mentioned it to me; not being a huge believer in all homeopathic medicine myself. After in-depth research of the plant and reading various clinical trials, I decided we should give it a try. We decided to instigate therapy with a short trial and would then re-evaluate.

On Wednesday I went to the local health food store in search of Symphytum, and was in luck. The strength I needed to give Hunter was "6C or 6X" which is the highest strength of homeopathic medications. The health food store in Creston only carried 30C Strength of the herb, which is five times weaker. I decided to buy it anyways, and would just have to give five of the small 'beads' of the herb instead of one; not a vast issue - a vial of 80 pellets only costs $10.00
Thursday we started administering the herb; the first three days he would recieve the medication twice daily and we would then taper down to a once a day dose for additional week.

At this stage in the 'game', we do not have much to lose...besides thousands more dollars in surgical bills; but that's not the point. Here we have a handsome, intelligent, adolescent dog who, to the naked eye, walks completely sound. Yet underneath the layers of dense hair, pliable skin, and toned muscle, there is a demanding bone process that simply refuses to co-operate.
So we sit, we wait, we supplement with potentially worthless herbs, and we pray.
Until next time...

Young Hunter 'facing-off' with Chloe, my parents tiny Pomeranian