Well, we spent another Christmas in Chicago with our buddy, Traveler the Koolie. Safe and sound back in Texas now, but we miss everyone. They look so great together.
And Boone is a year old now and well on his way through SAR training. It won't be long now before he puts on the big boy pants and joins the ranks of certified cadaver dogs!
Tempie has been really busy. We went out on a lot of searches last year, and it looks like this year will be just as busy. And Raja has been less of a PITA lately. Haha, as much as I rag on her, she really has turned into a great dog. Except she had a brief relapse and ate my dinner when I walked out of the room... But who could blame her? There was cheese on it!
Remember Boone's best dog friend ever, Aero the Aussie? Well, Aero is going to get a new sister for Christmas! Here's a picture of the as yet unnamed little fuzzball.
And they have a brand new blog, just waiting for you to peruse at your leisure! So make sure to stop by and check out The Fetching Merle. They're much better about updating than I am. ;)
And as for my crew, we've had quite the busy past few months! Tempie has been working hard at SAR, and I'm hoping we've helped to bring some peace to victims' families. I'm so proud of my Lil Yella Dog. Here's a picture of us on a search.
We also visited a school yesterday and met with some excited kiddos. They loved watching Tempie run through all of her tricks. And Tempie loved all the treats and bellyrubs she got!
Boone has been working hard to follow in her footsteps. He's really coming along, especially now that it's getting a little cooler. That summer was brutal! And he's been making friends right and left at all of our various fundraisers. He also came along to help when I was an instructor at a recent SAR seminar. Both of the heathens were on their best behavior and adapted well to camp rules. And best of all, they kept me warm at night!
So, we've been super busy, as usual. Tempie is working now, and she's doing so great. I've finally managed to get the weight back on her that she lost when she got poisoned, and she's just about back to her old self again. Boone is shaping up to be a really nice working dog. We were at a fundraiser yesterday, and he was absolutely perfect. He greeted the natives, became a crowd favorite, held some really long downstays while I helped serve food, and just behaved so well the whole time. I was really quite proud of him. And Raja has really settled down since she turned three. She's still a blast to be around, but she is a bit easier to live with now. I just got back from dog and house sitting for the past couple of weeks, too. The dogs had a blast with their furry friends, Ssouri and TruckDog.
TruckDog, Tempie, Raja, Boone, Ssouri
Little Miss Temporary
The Infamous Raja
Boone, puppysitting his Catahoula Cousins at the fundraiser
Great news! Last Sunday, Tempie passed her certification exam! The Temporary Dog is now a certified HRD K-9! Hellz yeah! I am so proud of my lil yella dog. She had some hard cards dealt to her, and she's been through so much. I can hardly wait to get her out in the field!
And in other news, Boone is a big boy now! Hard to believe it's the same dog when I look at those puppy pictures. He's seven months old now, and it looks like he's going to be quite the working dog. He just trained on water for the first time on Monday, and he did so great!
A picture update on the heathen crew:
Boonahoula at a recent fundraiser.
Boone, Tempie, and Sairi the cat
Boone, Raja, and Conan the cat
Boone, burning off some steam with his Catahoula cousin after his first water search
Work, SAR, and the new pup have been keeping me very busy lately! So I thought I'd give everyone a quick update to prevent my blog from fading into oblivion like most other projects I start.
Boone has been having a blast with his buddy down the street, Aero the Aussie:
He also took his first (accidental) dip in the pool at the dog park:
He's coming along really nicely in SAR training. He took to the agility equipment like nobody's business, and he's really nailing the scent work I've given him. He also knows sit, down, stay, shake, and speak. He's currently working on play dead, roll over, and take a bow.
And as for Little Miss Temporary, we're still making progress. We just have to take it slow. She hasn't shown any signs of aggression in a good while, and she is starting to open back up to people. She even let one of my team members rub her belly the other day. For those fans still rooting for Tempie, here's a quick shot of her, sulking because she missed out on the dog park.
Thanks again for all the kind comments, messages, and emails that I am still receiving. The support for my lil yella dog is both astounding and heartwarming.
Just a quick update on the Temporary dog. Since Tempie did so good in Chicago, we decided it was time for her to return to SAR practice. I hadn't worked her since early November, so I was prepared for her to look at me like I was an idiot when I gave her the command to search. But boy, was I ever wrong! Not only did she find all the body parts out there, but she was super fast. And she was so happy doing it! Her whole body wiggled, and she hopped from place to place as she worked. When she got to the last one, she gave this ridiculously joyous leap into the air and plopped down into her alert with a big grin. I am so happy that she can get back to doing what she loves.
On a side note, Boone is getting so big! And he is coming along really nicely with HRD work. I didn't work him on Sunday with Tempie because it was 35 degrees and pouring rain, but he's making a lot of progress.
I took the three mutts on a journey across the country to visit a good friend in Chicago. Getting out of Texas took half the trip, then it was smooth sailing. I love that my dogs travel so well. They slept the entire way there and the entire way back. Even the puppy. I was worried what Tempie would do when we got there. I was prepared to crate her the entire time and only let her out by myself. But she walked in and acted like she had spent her entire life in that house and it was perfectly normal for her to love everyone. I'd say this is a pretty huge step in her progress.
Between my friend and I, there were six dogs in the house. It sounds like it would be chaotic, especially when none of the dogs had met each other before, but everything went really smoothly. Except for the snow... I had never seen snow before. It was fun. It was beautiful. But mainly, it was awful! I hate the cold. And Boone agreed with me. He spent most of the time huddled in my jacket.
The girls, on the other hand, took to the snow like they were made for it. Of course, Raja really was, I suppose. And you can tell! She looked beautiful in it, and she had a blast. She and my friend's Koolie were completely in love with each other.
I just got home last night, and I miss them already.
