Look At Her Go!!!

Swimming might have been the only thing Raezor has approached with trepidation.  She danced around it. Tried to fly over it.  Tried to run on top of it.


In the end, she conquered her concern.... and just swam.   


I love this girl!  

A New Era

Fear.
And Promise.
The Future
Inevitable Change.


19 months ago, I said goodbye to an icon.  The dog that taught me what a search dog was supposed to be.  The dog that taught me what dedication was.  The dog that taught me what drive was.  The dog that taught me what willful disobedience was.  The dog that taught me that dogs read wind better than humans and silly puff bottles do.  


She is gone.


Here he comes.   I am afraid I won't live up to the things I think I have learned.  I am afraid I won't live up to what he will need me to be.  


I have to try.  I have to keep moving forward and give him the best possible chance at making a difference.


I suspect, he is just the push I have been needing.

Meet IC

Not I See.  Not Icy (that's his aunt).  I.C.  


In the SAR world, the I. C. is the Incident Commander.  The IC knows all that is going on and directs the search.   I decided that I should have the IC with me!   Cuz I KNOW he is going to direct the search!


He was born May 31st, 2011.  Soon, he will be home with us, and my new adventure will start.  I am not sure I am ready for this.  The funny thing is... I think he IS!

A Water Dog is born

Running around the shore, watching with envy as Kaeden leisurely swam, Raezor flitted back and forth nimbly, never venturing in more than chest deep.  We looked on, assuming that if she really wanted to she would get in.  


My lack of patience won out and I tossed a stick. I figured what had happened in the past would happen again - Kaeden goes after the stick, and she waits on shore to attack him and take the stick.


Imagine our surprise as the stick hit the water and Raezor flew in from shore like a true dock diving dog!  She very nearly jumped all the way to the stick itself!  It took a bit for her to stop trying to hold her head up (and thus look like she was swimming straight up in the air) and that first swim back to shore she fairly well road Kaeden back in.   But after more tosses of a stick and successful swims out and back, Raezor started to look like a dog that knew how to swim!


Then we stopped at one more spot along our journey home.  This one not so calm as the first.  As a matter of fact it had a pretty decent speed to it.   We tossed a stick in anyway, and she took off with Kaeden after the stick and didn't panic even when the current caught her.  For a bit she simply treaded water in the current and then properly rode the current to shore, watching Kaeden"s every move.


Then she started just playing in the water.  Pawing at the things on the bottom of the creek.  The next thing we knew... she was doing this...

Over and over again... pawing and shoving her head in

Sometime's she'd come up with a stick

And sometimes, nothing at all

Nevertheless, she kept dunking her head in, hoping for something good

It was a good water day.  

Another Milestone

This is Raezor suiting up for her first helicopter shorthaul.  It is only the second time she had ever had the harness on, but she wasn't disturbed by it.  None of the action and activity bustling on around her flustered her either.  


She waited patiently, having no clue what all the fuss was about.  Even when the reason for the 'fuss' became evident, she wasn't phased at all.

Being lifted by a rope dangling 100 feet below a helicopter was just another day on the job for her.  No worry, no panic, no fear showed on her face.  The helicopter lifted her up and she just enjoyed the ride.

Off she flew, over the trees and back down to the ground.  

Once again, she made us proud.  Whatever we throw at her, she catches with ease...


By the way... that was Kristi's first shorthaul too!!  She made it look like her 1000th....

A Party!!!

Our SAR team's 50th anniversary is being celebrated this Saturday at the Elks Lodge in Chico from 10 AM to 2 PM.  Raezor will get to be there and, if all goes as planned, might just get another helicopter adventure for all to see!


Come out and see us, see all that we're about!  Raezor would love to meet you give you a wiggle body kiss!

Making A Difference

Today, Raezor went to a call.  She could not participate as a search dog, because she is not ready yet.  She could do nothing more than sit in the back of the truck and wait and watch all the activity around her.  Trains winding their way through the canyon.  Helicopters flying overhead. People and more people and still more people with ropes, and packs, and poles and cameras and all sorts of other necessary equipment filing back and forth next to the truck, for hours on end.  


Today, Raezor helped a woman.  She couldn't participate in the search to find this woman's son, but she helped none the less. 


For hours, this woman watched all the same activity Raezor did.  Trains winding their way through the canyon. Helicopters flying overhead.  People and more people, and still more people with ropes, and packs, and poles and cameras and all sorts of other necessary equipment filing back and forth along the roadway. And she could do nothing more than sit on the edge of a road and wait and watch all the activity around her.  


When the call concluded, this woman's son was found.  The outcome was not good, but it was the outcome that was expected.  But, still, as the grandmother told me before we started, you still have to hold out just a little bit of hope.  What else can you do?


I heard his mom cry out; I watched as tears fell upon finally seeing her son and realizing his fate was real. And definite.  And there was no hope to hold out for any longer. 


We put all of our gear and equipment away.  We packed our truck and drove a short ways away.  We stopped to give ourselves a break before the long, winding mountain drive home.  Mom and grandma drove up.   They asked if, please, could they just say hi to the dogs.  Could they just pet the dogs for a moment.  


Of course.


The canopy lid was lifted and Raezor went to work.  She snuggled, cuddled and loved this woman as if they were long lost friends.  The young man's mother talked to Raezor and thanked her for being there.  She petted Raezor and let her lick her from one side to the other.  She talked to Raezor about her son, and Raezor listened.  And Raezor gave her more love.  


And I watched.  Amazed entirely at how much a young dogs love and enthusiasm could, if just for a moment, make a heartbroken woman's soul feel a tiny bit better.


Today, Raezor went on a call.  She didn't clear an area.  She didn't make a find.  But she made a difference.

Just Another Day

Initially tentative, Raezor watched as the helicopters rotors began spinning.  The noise got louder and louder and the wind from the blades got stronger and stronger.  She stepped back a bit, but watched with anticipation.

When Kristi and she were waved over, there was not one moments hesitation.  She trusted Kristi, and to the helicopter she went.

And on in she went, and waited patiently while Kristi got her self seatbelted in and settled.

Off they flew, for a short tour of the canyons surrounding Paradise.  Raezor watched bemusedly for a bit, but was never concerned about the experience.

It seemed, in fact, that she looked for me so that we could get this picture as they flew off.

They landed with out incident.

And exited calmly and professionally.

Once again... as if she had done all this before.


I see it in her eyes.  

Her first REAL Demo day!

It has been a month since my last post about Raezor.  She has been doing so so well!  But I haven't taken a camera out with me to get new pictures.  I will try to rectify that!

A couple of weeks ago we went to another county to do a demo for their 4 H group. It was her first real demo ... her first chance to show off ... and she was awesome

She walked on the agility equipment as if it had been built just for her.

She sat, mostly patiently, waiting for all the discussion to be over with.  Then she had to watch 3 other dogs do demos.  Other dogs that were more experienced and were losing their minds watching everyone else work.  

But then it was her turn.  You couldn't have ordered better conditions with the wind to get a scent cone.

The grass was just high enough that all one had to do was lay down and they would disappear from view. If you click on the photos your computer should make them bigger.  Raezor is to the  right to the subject in the  top photo, and at the subject in the next photo. You can just barely make out the blue the boy was wearing.

I missed Raezor actually giving Kristi her alert, but here she is showing Kristi back to the boy.

 For her first demo, Raezor did remarkably well.  She saw it as another opportunity to work and took it as such.


Even since then, we have worked Raezor and continue to see improvement.  She is definitely teaching us that her learning style is 'it sticks when I figure it out, not when you make me do it.' 
We had been in a slight struggle with the "I love the subject" issue... the SUBJECT was THE best reward you could give her!  She wanted to stay with them, whether they responded to her or not, and just kiss kiss kiss over and over and over and over. While working on this, we accidentally set up a problem that, because of the way she found the subject, she couldn't get to them because of berry vines.  She didn't waste any time with the subject and ran right back to Kristi.  When they came back to the subject, she then found the route in that avoided the berry vines, and a party ensued.  It must have meant something to her because last weekend she found a woman she is dearly in love with, left after a short confirmatory it is YOU, and went right back to Kristi for the alert.  We are hoping this lesson sticks!


We did a water cadaver problem with her that day too.... she who has tried all to walk on, over around or just in general keep from getting into the water, discovered that something she gets rewarded for can be IN the water.... we were all laughing so hard, tears rolling down our faces, as she, while standing in water up to her chest, stuck her head into the water MULTIPLE times trying to get to the item... then began pawing it, trying to bring it to shore.... I think we may have taught her that water is FUN!


She is 11 months old.  Kristi has been working her since Sept 2010 - 7 months into training and she has got this game down, almost solid.  


Day by day, she and Kristi are getting there. 


Now, we're off to train!! (and yes, I am bringing my camera!)

Rainy Day Fun

It was with great joy and pleasure that we got to go work in the rain on Saturday.  Raezor got two new subjects and got to work a beautiful scent cone that 5 people got to watch.  

She worked the scent cone perfectly into the first subject,  and spirited off when asked to go find a second.  She found him and raced right back to Kristi... well, not before licking both sides of the subject's face.


Both subjects were covered in 'odd' coverings....from camo netting to plastic bags... and no issues for her with that.  With both subjects we got to see what has become her signature when moving into the subject... a whole body melting wiggle from ears to tail.  It is very readable. 


Much appreciation to the people who went out with us; for being subjects, for taking pictures and for intelligent questions. 


Moving right along!!

Working Like A Pro.... Almost

She learned to find scent.  On the ground.  In the air. 


Then she began looking for scent.  On the ground.  In the air.


Then, she followed scent.  On the ground.  In the air.


The latest?  She is learning to use the wind!  She will have scent, lose it, and circle herself around to try to find it again.  She loses scent, she will stop, check the wind (I can practically see her pull out a puff bottle!), re position herself, and find the scent again.


The latest twist we added to her training.... a subject dressed in camo, covered in camo....


Amazing how a dog uses their nose, and their eyes become so secondary.  She followed a beautiful scent cone to the subject.... but couldn't seem to connect what she was seeing with what she was smelling.  She circled the subject twice, then moved on from the subject.  After a few feet, she realized she didn't have scent anymore, and went back to the subject.  Tentatively, she moved closer and finally believed her nose and her eyes and tossed herself INTO the camo cover with the person, dig dig digging her way in to her.


At this point, she had to be called back to get her to leave the subject, something Kristi hasn't had to do for a while.  Happily, her alert came without cue and the return to the subject was flawless.  


A long, well deserved,  happy puppy party ensued.


She looked just like a Pro.... Almost.  She's getting there!








Oh.... remember the vacuum battle?  With a LOT of work on our part, including leaving the vacuum in the oddest places in the house, and both of us nearly OCD-like having to touch it and make it move every time we came near it, Raezor now regards the stationary vacuum with little more than a cursory glance.  When it is running, it is a different story.  At that point, it becomes a sworn enemy that must be attacked at least once.  Then she lays down and watches all of her toys carefully to make sure the vacuum isn't going to take any of those away.
  
Her latest nemesis in the world?


Cows.  


Cows are EVIL.  Pure and simple. The puppy, who is half herding dog, believes all cows are evil.


Not sure how to fix this because I think we'd have a hard time keeping a cow in our living room just to get her used to it.  And I don't think I am going to be going up to any cow any time soon to pet them and show her that they aren't evil.  


Interestingly enough.... her predecessor, the purebred herding dog, felt the same way.  


Things that make you go hmmmmmm............

Coming Along Nicely

Raezor's maturity is showing through.  Don't be mistaken.... the puppy is still there, but her maturity is showing through.

Todays search problem gave her a trail to run with clues along the way.  Her experience has taught her what to do with scent she finds.  She has learned how to discern older scent from newer scent and and she has learned to cast for scent when she has lost it or hadn't found it yet.  She does all these things automatically.

Todays search clues gave her additional fun.  She found two of my shoes, my hat and my walking stick. ALL of which she gladly picked up and ran straight back to Kristi with.... exuding great joy!  She is not a wild retriever of things, but I think she thought they were her individual prizes for the good job she was doing.

We are getting there.  It is obvious that this game is something she loves.  Just a few more days she will be 9 months old and she can start the very adult process of sign offs to show what she does indeed know.

Our little girl is growing up!

Contemplations

Progressing, she is.   

Teaching, she is. 

Learning, she is. 

Problem solving, she is.

Entertaining, she is.  

Sweetness, she is.

Trusting, she is.

Contemplating, I am.

Sometimes, I catch a glimpse of the very old, wise soul that this puppy, slowing morphing into a dog, is. I don't just see it, it touches me.  It makes me turn around and stare, while the feeling of distinct familiarity takes hold.  It infuses itself within my soul.

I have said it before.... and I will say it again....

She has done this before.  

She has been here before.