The "Dog Whisperer" I am not

[David C.]

...I'm probably the opposite.   Margie, Jessica and I were out in Louisville, KY visiting Margie's aunt and uncle.   They are part of a group called "Paws for Progress", which trains and socializes service dogs-to-be.    The dogs are trained by women prisoners during the week at the state penetentiary.   On the weekends, they are taken home by people like Margie's aunt and uncle to learn how to socialize and act in society.  Because they are service dogs in training, they can go anywhere...restaurants, movies, supermarkets, malls.

Their current dog is a nine month old Golden Retriever named Oliver.   Oliver is obedient, but can be a bit frisky.  I had managed to get him riled up a couple of times, so he would then seek me out as a potential playmate.  One morning before breakfast, I was sitting on the sofa.  Oliver began to play and I began to wrestle with him.   He first put his two HUGE front paws on my lap (His paws are about the size of Max's head), and then he jumped completely on the sofa and a rollicking human/canine wrestling match was on.

Needless to say that when we were discovered by Margie's aunt, it wasn't exactly a pretty scene.  Poor Oliver got scolded...jumping up on the couch is a definite no-no in their program.  I felt really guilty for "corrupting" this service-dog-to-be.   Oliver isn't the first dog that I've done that to, either.  Does this make me the "Dog Shouter"?

Oliver does have long way to go in his training, but both Margie's aunt and the woman prisoner who handles him during the week are committed to making it work with him.  They both successfully got a cream lab through the program last year.   If, for some reason, he does fail, the family that works with him gets first crack at adoption, and Margie's aunt's son has already volunteered to give him a home.

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

LOL David, that paints a great picture! There are several people in Hallie and my dog training classes that bring their guide dog puppies for training. I know of people who have sabotaged their dogs training because they fell in love with the dog and couldn't give them up and wanted to keep them. I can imagine, there is no way I could raise a puppy like that and then let it go...I really admire the people that do that, it's not easy but a very needed service.

[Mike]

David, maybe you're like me and a "Dog Magnet".  I don't normally do this but I almost got banned from some friends home because I would get their "basset from hell" all riled up.  It would take hours for her to calm down.

[Adela]

I bet you felt really bad.....but I bet you had so much fun. AND I am sure Oliver did too. You rascal you