Happy 2nd Birthday!

I am impressed by each of these pups and the dogs they are growing into. It always makes my day to get a picture or a story about one of them. Its been interesting to watch the patterns as they all grow. Most of them are very much alike in looks and personality. They have all inherited Jana's absolute obsession with fetching balls. They were all a real handful as pups - so intelligent and high drive that it was sometimes overwhelming for us mere humans to try and keep up with them. But keep up with them we did, and every one of them are growing into spectacular, high-quality dogs. 

What really stands out for me is that these are working-class dogs. They are more than pets - they were born to actively bring good into the world and they know it. They are at their best when they have a job. That job may be the absolute commitment to chase every single tennis ball thrown while they are at the dog park. It may be helping their person train for a marathon or bag 14ers. Or it may involve extensive months of learning to pull a wheelchair, warning their person of impending seizures, and going for help when their person is in trouble. Jobs come in all shapes and sizes, but make no mistake - your pup needs a job and its going to find one, one way or another. Probably already has. He needs to use his brain, stretch himself and meet new challenges. And she needs to know that she is absolutely vital to the functioning of the universe in at least one, small way. 

Dinah's mom was recently telling me about how Dinah has been thriving in her new Agility Class. Taking a class like this with your dog is brilliant - it pushes their brain and emotional control in new and strenuous ways. When Dinah got home from her first class, she was as worn out as if she had been hiking mountains all day - crashed out and slept for hours. Agility is a great choice - fun and challenging for the dog - but you could also take a class on tracking, search and rescue or anything that really challenges your pup. You don't have to wear him out physically, if you provide enough mental stimulation. Or there are lots of learning-to-track games you can do at home - you can do them from your couch while your dog wears herself out trying to figure out the fun new skills.

Kal is learning to fly on an airplane, pull a wheelchair through a crowded store (without getting his tail stepped on) and search out a stranger, walk up to them and convince them to follow him back to me if I need help. He's learning to "Go Find Dave" (my husband) when Dave is one room away or 1/2 a mile away or more. He's learning that he always has to help cary bags in from the car when we get home from shopping and how to pick up something I drop. These things are a lot more extensive than most dogs need, but some of what I'm learning applies to all our dogs. Kal has been a remarkably well-behaved pup, but even so, his energy and puppy drive has overwhelmed me more than once. Yet all of that difficulty has gone away as he has begun his final, intensive task training to be a Service Dog. And its not just age. Kal is finally getting what he needs, every day. A job. Something important which requires him to engage his mind. A way to focus his natural drive which he recognizes as important and meaningful. They all need that in some form. It doesn't have to be anything complex. What's your pup's job?