Daisy and Baron Update

Hello Everyone!

This will probably be a shorter post just to let you know how things are going with Daisy and Mr. Baron.  I’ve been trying to work with them as much as I can when I have enough energy, and they’re very patient with their slow-moving Mom J.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to go out of the house much since December since coming down with something right after Christmas, but hopefully now that the weather’s improving, it’ll get a little easier to just take them out and do fun things with them!

Daisy Nov 2010-After a Bath

Daisy (my little redhead :), is doing well, and she’s developing a calmer demeanor, and she is incredibly fast at figuring-out what I’m trying to teach them (such as opening doors, etc.).  Sometimes she gets a little distracted and I have to regain her attention, but she’s still a happy, growing puppy who’s so eager to please and learn that I know once she’s grown a little more, she’ll be a wonderful companion to have for tasks where I need a little more help physically, such as leaning down and picking things up.  While she requires a that I have a little more energy when I’m working with her, she’s already progressed far faster than I would’ve ever thought, and I’m so proud of my little girl :)!

Baron  in Nov 2010 after a bath

Baron is my gentle giant J.  He’s now past my hips when he sits at my side (where he usually is if he’s with me and on a lead), and still recognizes, alerts, and responds when either my Mom or I are having problems-he can detect anaphylaxis, seizures, and, even more surprising, angioedema (Daisy can, as well-she just does it in a different way :).  If he’s with me, he’s learned that in some situations, the best thing for him to do is not necessarily attract attention, but to help support and keep me safe when I’m having a problem.  He walks really well on a lead with me, and lets me determine the pace and where we were going, unless he feels I’m in danger, in which case, he’ll let me know that, as well.  He is thoughtful and intuitive, and if told “No” or “Leave it”, he usually doesn’t have to be told twice.  He realizes if he is around someone fragile, and he is so calming that in addition to being a service dog, I think he would make an incredible therapy dog.

Both puppies are doing incredibly well with my novice-style scent training (they will sit and/or lay down in front of whatever I’ve told them to check for, even in cases where I’ve forgotten where I’ve hidden the “check product”), and I really am hoping to work and continue to build upon the talents both of them have.  It’s been amazing to see the differences and similarities between them, and I really hope that once the weather (and whatever tenacious bug I caught-ugh!) improves, others will have the chance to meet them and see what wonderful dogs they are :).

I’ll try to post more pictures of the puppies doing interesting things to show others what we’re doing, and, again, if anybody has any questions, comments….anything, feel free to comment below, or e-mail me at hnbain1@hotmail.com. Thank you, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Thank you!

Heather, Daisy, and Baron