update on the therapy team work

Hello all!

Hope everyone had a wonderful and food-filled Thanksgiving!

Callie, Sophie and I spent it with Mom. We didn't do much but that's okay. The next day Meemother and Granddaddy came to pick us up and we had steak! I've got to give Mom credit, she's pretty good with the charcoal!

But the main reason I wanted to post was to give everyone an update on our progress to become a therapy team.

As you all know, I have an issue with slick floors. And while I have been getting better, I'm not completely comfortable on them, so Mom and I talked about it and we have decided to forgo the evaluation this Sunday.

It was not an easy decision for either of us, but we know we're not 100% ready and we don't want to waste anyone's time, especially ours.

So we'll keep visiting places with slick floors until I am either 100% comfortable or completely neurotic! 

So take care everyone!

Paws out - sniff ya later!

The Samster

Every dog has his day. . .or not

Hello all,

I had hoped to be posting today that we passed our evaluation with flying colors, but alas, I cannot.

Mom and I worked very hard this week, the conference was a great experience (more on that in another post). We went through our grooming regimen yesterday and practiced some this morning on the things that could cause us trouble. That went smoothly.

When I walked in the rehab center I was raring to go. The ladies that were there to check our paperwork and show us to the waiting room were so nice. Mom was in good spirits and I was relaxed and ready to get this done.

We came into the evaluation room and started to walk around the room so we could get familiar with the space and so I could sniff around.

And then we turned a corner and I slipped. And when my feet slipped so did my confidence. I felt like I couldn't trust the floor. Mom took me outside and walked me around to see if I could shake it off. And the ladies that were helping with the evaluation petted me and gave me treats to see if I could overcome my feeling that the floor was going to make me slip again.

Mom, after given some wise advice from several people, decided that it would do more damage to me and all the work and training we have done to proceed with the evaluation.

Sure we were disappointed - everything really seemed to be going in our favor and we had good momentum. No one would have ever guessed that a slip on a floor would be so derailing.

So we now have our homework. More work with slippery floors between now and December!

Mom and I want to thank you all for all the support and encouragement you have given us and know that we have not given up! We just need to work on floors. :)

Take care ya'll - paws out!

Sammy

Another coaching/practice session = light bulb moment

Hello there - happy Monday!

Mom installed the 'bark to text' program on her laptop so I can post while she's at work. Clever human, my mom. At times.

Yesterday we had a chance to take another run at the requirements for the therapy team evaluation, which is 6 days away now.

Mom and I worked with Debb and Mary, who are fabulous by the way (such great treats and hugs and pets!) on what we will be required to do next Sunday during our evaluation.

So, Mom and I are working on "out for a walk"  and "neutral dog" when Mary points out to Mom that when she talks to me while we are walking, I pay close attention and don't wander off or get ahead of her. That I pay very close attention to her and I key off her voice/verbal commands.

I could see the light bulb turn on for Mom. And if you think about it, it makes complete sense. I am mostly Border Collie and herding dogs are experts in working off verbal cues as we may not be able to see the person giving us the command. When Mom speaks, I listen. It's instinct for me. I am so glad that Mary was able to tell this to her as it helped to make a few troublesome exercises much easier.

Debb gave us some good pointers too. That rubbing my chest really calms me down, not to tug on the leash, and to be sure my tail is up when I am standing up for inspection. And Debb gives the best restraining hugs too!

So now, we just have to practice, practice, practice. We are cautiously optimistic about our evaluation on the 23rd. Keep your paws crossed for us!

That's all for now folks - sniff ya later!

Paws out,

Sammy

The Canine Good Citizenship test - how we did

Today Mom and I had our, well I guess my, Canine Good Citizenship test. There were 10 elements and we had to pass all ten. Now granted they are a bit more lenient on this test than the therapy team evaluation, but it s still a major step along the path to becoming a therapy team.

We had a few minor wobbles but apparently not enough to prevent us from passing. Which we did thank you very much!!!

Now passing the CGC does not in any way guarantee that we will pass or therapy team evaluation, but we are cautiously optimistic!

So onward and upwards!

Paws out home dawgs!

Samarilla

Graduation day!!

Greetings all!

Mom and I had our graduation from the beginner obedience class tonight. We had to do some of the skills by ourselves in front of the whole class, like "out for a walk" (I have to heel and not try to herd Mom), "sit for exam" (I sit and stay, Mom walks away and then Miss Donna walks over and pets me) and "come when called" (don't think I have to explain that one and if I do, well then  . . .). We did those really well!

Then as a class we had to do a one-minute sit-stay and a three minute down-stay. I got bored during the sit-stay and laid down. We lost points for that, but I aced the down stay. Actually it came at a good time because I was tired, so getting to lay down for 3 minutes was very nice.

Mom was calm, I was calm, and that was a very good thing. 

We spent Saturday and Sunday down in Oxford with the Coyote, and that was good too. Callie, Sophie and I got to run around in his back yard, go to Lamar Park for a good long walk and a swim in the massive pond at the park. After that it was time for a bath for all three of us, then we got our ears cleaned and our nails ground down. Callie and I got the fur that grows between the pads of our feet trimmed too. It was exhausting! But we all look and smell great!

With the beginner obedience behind us, we start advanced obedience on Thursday night. Any additional training we can do will only help us get better and more prepared for our therapy team work. And our evaluation on the 23rd.

So as we continue down the therapy team training path, one paw at a time. 

Sniff ya later  - paws out!

The Samster

The Mock Evaluation - not our finest hour

Greetings everyone,

Last Saturday Mom and I had a mock evaluation. It was basically a simulation of the real evaluation that comes on September 23rd.

I wish I could say that we aced it and will have no problem with the eval on the 23rd, but being that I am an honest dog, I cannot. Big heavy Sammy sigh.

First off, it was raining. I DON'T like rain. I REALLY don't like rain. Thank goodness it wasn't storming or we would have been sunk! So I was not in my normal "let's do this" frame of mind. I was more in a "let's go home and hide in the bathroom" state. Mom did her best to reassure me and calm me down, but I was still a bit frazzled when we began the testing.

The first part of evaluation was to have me walk with Mom at a heel, I did not want to do so. There were so many interesting smells on the floor and there were these new orange things on the floor, cones I think they're called, so of course I had to check those out. The evaluators gave Mom some tips on how to get me to focus some more, and that did help a little.

There were other obedience tests and we did fine on those. And we did really good with parts of the aptitude test. I love to be petted so the being petted by the crowd, being bumped from behind and being clumsily petted were a piece of cake! The restraining hug, however, was not. Now I'm used to Mom doing this to me, clapping and squealing and then coming over top of me to give me a big, tight hug. But I didn't know this lady and that made me want to get away from her. 

Since the evaluation got off to a rocky start, it made Mom nervous. Well, actually more nervous than she already was. And that nervousness traveled right down the leash and into me. By the time we got to the "meeting a neutral dog" exercise I was anything but. And then Mom asked me if I was ready - bad choice of words on her part. See, asking me if I'm ready translates into my dog brain as "ready to go for a walk? ready to go chase a ball? ready to go chew on Sophie?" Needless to say, excitement + nervousness = one revved up Sammy. It was not pretty. However, we did recover well after the first miserable attempt at the exercise and did better the next two times.

When we left, Mom was dejected. She felt like she had let me down. She praised me and told me what a great job I did and I appreciated that.

However, I must say that while the evaluation didn't go exactly as we had hoped, we are not discouraged. We will go forward with the evaluation on the 23rd of September. We probably won't pass, but it will be a great way to judge our progress.

So please, keep your paws crossed for us. And if you'd like to help Mom with my training - give her a yelp! Any helping paws, or hands, are greatly appreciated!

More later home dawgs - sniff ya later!

Paws out!

Sammy

It's not easy being this handsome . . .Or putting your best paw forward

Greetings everyone!

Mom and I attended our first therapy team workshop together and we crushed it! Thank goodness Mom and I didn't get nervous, or we'd have been in a fur flying mess!

Part of what we are evaluated on is how we look, so there's a whole lot of grooming that I have to endure, I mean, participate in. And it makes sense when you think about it: Would you want to pet a dirty dog? Or be greeted by the pet's human partner if he or she didn't look presentable?

Humans have such a funny thing about smell - for some reason to be covered in the scent of a dead squirrel or horse manure or skunk is a BAD thing. Well whatever, I will have to comply with what humans deem as smelling good.

So I have to be clean, my nails trimmed short and rounded, my ears cleaned, my teeth clean, my breath non-stinky, and the fur that grows between the pads of my paws trimmed even with my pads. At least I didn't have to be waxed or my fur dyed - can you imagine? I shudder to think!

The grooming begins . . .

Like, wow, dude! 

The day before my first work shop I had my teeth cleaned. Mom took me to my favorite vet and they took wonderful care of me. The anesthesia rocks!!!! 

I was feeling pretty hip and groovy and my mouth felt kinda funny. I got home, climbed on my bed and took a good long snooze. I woke up a few hours later with the munchies! Well I couldn't eat the morning I had my dental, so I was hungry! And thirsty too. A big bowl of water and a bowl of food later and I was as right as a Border Collie herding sheep!


The grooming continues . . . 

Get ready for the shake!!!

Mom dons her scrubs and the process starts with what else, (sigh), a bath. Or in my case, a shower. Mom got the shampoo recommended by many of the therapy teams. I guess it smells good to humans, so I allowed her to use it.

After that came a good, brisk toweling off, a quick brushing and then she whipped out the hair dryer.

I was not particularly thrilled about the hair dryer, but I do have fairly thick fur, so it's a necessary evil. And Mom kept telling me what a good boy I am and gave me kisses, so I decided to "pit bull up" as Chunk, our next door dog neighbor would bark, and get through it.


Once I was mostly dry, it was time to trim the fur that grows between the pads of my feet. Now I'm not one to have my feet messed with(truth be told it tickles!), but Mom explained that trimming back the fur on my feet will help protect the people I visit by not dragging in mud or disease from the outside. And it will help protect me by not having any bad stuff come with me when I leave wherever I'm visiting. So with a heavy sign and an eye roll I acquiesced.

All neat and clean!

Next came cleaning my ears. This wasn't bad at all really. Just some cleaning solution on a cotton pad and then she rubbed that in my ears. It kind of felt good in an itchy sort of way, if that makes sense. I felt the need to scratch or rub my head against the bathroom rug.

After that it was nail trimming time. Mom has basically what is the dog grooming equivalent of a Dremmel and she set to work filing down my nails. Again, it wasn't pleasant, but I thought of my G'daddy and MeeMother and how delicate their skin is, so I can see how sharp or jagged nails could easily cause bleeding or rip out an IV. It's not unlike when Sophie bites me on the ear. Or the tail. Or the leg. Or the lip. You get the idea. But the pictures, and the wear on the sandpaper, speak for themselves.

It's not easy being me!

So, with everything as cleaned and polished and scrubbed as it can be, it was time for a final brush out and a well deserved break!

I sprawled out on the floor and had a bit of a snooze until it was time to head to the workshop. Normally the grooming wouldn't take place the day of the workshop (or visit), but I was so groggy from the dental on Friday night that Mom thought it best to wait until that morning to finish the grooming.

The workshop was great! We (well Mom actually, I was pretty much flawless) only made a few mistakes, but for the most part we did good. I was calm, Mom was calm, and we had a lot to absorb in a short amount of time. 


The long and short of it is this: I need to be sociable and agreeable, ready to meet new people and help those in need. And Mom needs to take care of me so I can do my job. She needs to pay attention to me and the situation to ensure that I don't get overly stressed. She has to protect me and work with me so I can visit with people who need me. I have a wonderful dog and human family and friends because someone took the time to notice me and to care. The same goes for Callie and for Sophie. 

Our G'daddy is alive because someone had the compassion to see beyond her own pain and realize that her death would not be in vein if she could give life to others. And she gave G'daddy the heart that beats inside him today.

So call us melodramatic, but this works means a lot to her and to me. We want to give back; it's our small way to say "thank you" to those that given so much to us. Life is precious; joy is precious. And like some diseases, happiness is also contagious. And I intend to spread it, one tail wag, one soulful look, one lean, one hug, at a time. It's the least I can do.

So wish us luck!

Sniff ya later, home dawgs, paws out!

Sammy

Update on our therapy team journey . . .we're gonna need a longer leash

Greetings all!

Well it's been a few weeks since I've posted, so I fired up the ol' "bark to text" app so I can fill you in on how Mom and I are doing with our quest to be a therapy team.

Mom and I have now realized that there is a lot, and I mean, a lot to do to get ready to pass the evaluation at the end of September.

Our obedience work has to be just about flawless and I have to be able, with Mom's help, handle a wide range of situations. Not just new sniffs, but new people, new sights, new sounds and even some new commands.

Whoever said you can't teach an old dog new tricks had a dog that was stubborn as hell. I'm up to learning new tricks and commands. And I understand why. Mom needs to be able to know that if she asks me or tells me do to something, that I will do it, no questions asked and no surprises.

Some of the training though seems awfully bizarre to me. I mean, who in their right mind tosses a tennis ball in front of a border collie mix and then WON'T let him go get it or play with it? It's hard, but it makes Mom happy and I get a jackpot of treats when I don't go after it. So I suppress my flyball instincts and sit by Mom's side until she tells me I can go get the ball.

And then she and Grandaddy have been working with me to help me not be afraid of plastics bags, especially when one is snapped open. Sophie and Callie have told me how odd we look - Grandaddy standing behind me, snapping a garbage bag behind me while Mom gives me treats. They laugh at me, but I'm the one getting treats so who's the dumb dog now???


That's not all - there's grooming too! I have to be bathed, brushed, nails trimmed, ears cleaned, teeth cleaned and the fur that grows between the pads of my paws has to be trimmed as well. It's exhausting! But I do look pretty spiffy once I'm done, so I guess it's worth it.

I can't wait to pass all my tests, get our credentials and start visiting!

We have another workshop on Saturday, so I'll post more after that.

Keep your paws crossed for me! Oh, and Mom too!

Sniff ya later - paws out!

Sammy

Lamb . . .Mediterranean Style

Greetings all!

I know my past few posts have been about me and Mom starting our work to become (hopefully) a canine therapy team. Keep your paws crossed on that front!

For this post I would like to return to my favorite topic, food. And especially lamb. My friend the Coyote had a birthday recently so Callie, Sophie and myself told Mom that the best gift we could give him would be to cook us, I mean, him, a great dinner.

Mom pulled out her editions of Food & Wine Magazine and found a wonderful recipe for Leg of Lamb Shawarma. Now Mom didn't follow the recipe exactly,but the results were just fabulous!

She did mix together all the spices (she used garlic powder in lieu of the roasted garlic), then cut the leg of lamb in two, make 1/4" incisions in the meat and smeared olive oil on each side. The spice mixture came next - generously sprinkled and then rubbed in, especially in the incisions. Then she squeezed a lime over both halves, placed them in a zip lock bag and let them sit in the cooler as we made our way down to Oxford. 

The meat when on a 400 degree charcoal grill - 7 minutes per side at first. Then it was checked and put back on for another 7 to 10 minutes per side.

Once the lamb was medium rare with a rare center, it was pulled off the grill onto a cookie sheet and covered in foil while the green beans were steamed. The lamb was then sliced and served with the haricort verts and some Tzatziki -Cucumber Yogurt Dip.

A 2000 Chateau Cantamerle was pulled from the Coyote's wine collection and from what he and Mom said, it did not disappoint. A classic Bordeaux with all the rich textures, dark red fruit and earth flavors coupled with subtle tannins. A nose of leather, lavender and mushroom with hints of current and dark cherry. They said it was a perfect pairing to the spicy, citrusy crust on the lamb.

Now we can't speak for the wine but Sophie, Callie and I give the lamb 12 paws up!

More on the therapy team training later!

Until next time!

Bone appitite!

Sammy

One hurdle cleared - several more to go!

Hello all,


This "bark to text" app mom got me works really well! Eliminates the need for a keyboard . . .or hands for that matter. :) (that's a little dog humor for ya folks)


Mom went to the Introductory Seminar that Mid South Therapy Dogs hosted on Sunday, July 22nd. They had therapy teams there that shared their experiences and she got to see an actual therapy visit. She came back home super-excited and very touched by the stories she heard. And that got me excited too! (But I didn't piddle on anything!)


I asked Mom what it meant to be a therapy team. She explained that we'd get to go visit hospitals, hospices, rehab centers, facilities for at-risk youth, and the like. That we'd go, I'd get to meet all kinds of new people and they would pet me, brush me, hug me, tell me what a good and sweet boy I am and maybe even give me a treat.  That the people we will go see are sick or sad and maybe don't have much to smile about, so the goal of our visits is to make them happy and smile, even if it's just for a little while. 


"Happy like a belly rub happy? Or happy like finding a forever home happy?" I asked. "It depends on the person, Sammy" she answered. "I think we may be able to do both." 


Well sign me up for that gig! I know how happy getting my belly rub makes me, so if I can make just one person "forever home" happy! Wow! That's a great feat for a mutt like me!


So we have to be re-certified in basic obedience (it's more for Mom, I'm good with the whole, sit, stay, down, etc. . . She needs to know how to get me to do it!) and we went to our first class last night.


It was kinda scary at first, lots of yappy young dogs jumping at me and Mom, trying to play with me, nip me, and sniff me. All I could think was "Oh my gosh, this is a million times worse then that squeaky beer bottle chew toy the Coyote got me!"


Things settled down a bit. I walked beside Mom for a bit, we practiced "sit". Mom would pull up on my collar or push up on my chin - it took just a few times before I realized that also meant "sit". Now why she didn't just say it I don't know, humans can be so silly sometimes!


Then we worked on sit-stay. That was easy. We'd never practiced it where Mom walked around me in a circle, but then the lady running the class explained that is so I would get used to people passing around and behind me when we go to visit as they might have to do in a hospital room or other small space. I thought that was pretty cool and very smart for a human to figure out!


Then for some reason we kept walking around and Mom would let me sniff the floor, another dog, get petted by another person, and then call me back to her! I guess she was lonely. So I came back to her to reassure her I wasn't going to run away.


The lady that teaches the class, Donna, is very sweet and she had excellent treats! I tried my dogi mind trick and my best border collie stare on her to give me more treats, but she is definitely a dogi master - darn it! She didn't give in at all. 


I got petted a lot and told how good of a dog I was. Mom talked to Donna and found out that she had evaluated me during class and thought that I'd be a great therapy dog. Mom was so happy! She hugged me and told me what a good boy I was (well, duh!). The attention was nice, though. 


Mom and I know we have a lot of work ahead of us - we have a lot to practice and to learn. I want to make humans "forever home" happy, so wish me and Mom lotsa luck!


I'll post more when I can. Battery is about dead on my Barkberry and Sophie is trying to eat the charger (sigh).


Sniff ya later - paws out!


Sammy

Let the journey begin!

Hello all,


Well this post is not really food oriented, but it's big news for me so I wanted to share it with you!


Mom and I are going to start the process of becoming a canine therapy team. This means that once we pass all of our training and all of our tests, we can go visit hospitals, hospices, assisted living facilities, etc. . .


So yesterday I got my shots (gotta be a healthy dog to do this) and Mom took me to visit her work, First South Financial in Bartlett. She introduced me to a lot of really nice new people who were more than happy to pet me and tell me what a sweet dog I am, how handsome I am, what a good boy I am, and so forth (of course it's all true, but i don't let it go to my head). I even got some belly rubs too!


After that we stopped by Pet Smart for some flea and tick treatment. I met a really big dog who was very nice. After we sniffed each other out we smiled and wagged tails to let our humans know we were cool.


Mom starts the process on Sunday - she has a workshop to attend. Monday we start obedience classes. I hope I pass! Cross your paws for me!


We will be working through Mid South Therapy Dogs to receive our certifications. I have to pass my Canine Good Citizenship test and Mom and I have to pass our Therapy Team certification. It's a lot of work, but Mom says I love attention so much that I'll be a natural.


Seriously folks, I remember being a stray on the street. Cold, hungry, chased off and when someone finally did take me in, they got tired of me and tossed me from a moving car. Then West TN Border Collie Rescue found me. My foster mom and dad were awesome, and then I found my forever home. I know what it feels like to be lonely. I know what it feels like to think no one cares about you. So if I can somehow repay the kindness folks have shown me over the years, then I might as well get off my furry butt and do it!


So in addition to my culinary reviews, I'll be posting pics and updates of how we're doing.


Mom and I thank you in advance for your support. We'll keep you posted!


Bone chance ( that's french for good luck),


Sammy

ode to a meat market

Hello all,


I know it's been a while since I posted anything on this blog, but Mom, Callie, Sophie and I have been busy. 


We've been visiting our friend the Coyote who moved to a place call Oxford (I don't know why they named it that - I didn't see an oxen). 


And right before her trip to Ecuador, the Coyote pointed out a meat market called LB's.  Here's their web site:http://lbsmeatmarket.com/

Once inside the door, Mom had found her new meat nirvana. They offer a wide range of fresh meats, dips, sausages and even seafood.


Mom took a liking to their cheese dips and the shrimp skewers and the stuffed mushrooms. She had MeeMother and GDaddy over and cooked up some delicious poached flounder as well (yes, we get to taste - I have to be able to accurately comment on the food!) 


Last night, she got home from the gym and we had a light snack for dinner - summer sausage from LBs, vermont cheddar cheese and spinach and cheese stuff mushrooms. It was all delicious! The summer sausage tastes like "real" sausage - not like the nitrate filled and highly processed summer sausage you can get at the store.


So on behalf of Callie, Sophie and myself, we'd like to give LB's 12 paws up!


Bone appetite!


Sammy