Adoption Update: Leo

Hi All!

Just wanted to give you another Leo update!

He is just the perfect dog! He seems to have been born to chase our geese and them alone! The other day he swam around the pond for 20 minutes harrassing them! The three labradors got tired and were sitting on the dock watching him. I think he was wondering why they weren't helping! The only problem was that I had trouble calling him off the pond and geese! But we are being diligent with our obedience work. According to My Smart PUppy, he is in the teenager stage and so we will just be persistent!

Leo seems to have enough drive to chase the geese relentlessly, but nothing else. He did try to give the BC eye to our horses, but they went after him and he got the message. And he is quite gentle with Petra, especially for a puppy. He has redecorated a few things, but we expected some collateral damage. Petra does that sometimes, too...you just can't watch them every single second! I must say that he has the biggest chew drive I have ever seen, and yet he takes treats from Petra and us so softly!

I will attach some pics for you I took with my iPhone...toddlers and BC's move very fast and the iPhone camera is slow, so most of the pics are a little blurry, but you will get the idea.

If you have any recommendations about books/resources for herding training (commands, etc) please let me know. I can adapt some of the stuff I used in hunt tests (sit and look on whistle, etc) but I would like BC specific herding advice.

Thanks again for our lovely boy!

Cathy, Steve and Petra

Adoption Update: Leo

Just wanted to update all...Leo and I had our first real adventure last weekend. We travelled 200 miles to MD for a weekend with my horse and trainer. We had a great time. It was nice to have a sidekick and my husband was happy I wasn't travelling alone. Leo and I stayed at the Westin in Annapolis which is a very very nice hotel--but not to worry, Leo was a perfect gentleman and impressed all the staff. He didn't bark once or chew anything or have any accidents. He and I ate at Morton's at a nice table they had set up on the sidewalk. Once again, Leo was a perfect gentleman. He watched my lessons all weekend and on breaks we would walk all over the farm. He llllloooooooooovvvvvvvvvvessssss the water!

He is a good boy. My labs have given him an honorary Labrador Retriever degree since he is a real power chewer....don't teethmarks increase the value of antiques?

He loves Petra. He is extremely good with her.

I taught him to use the dog door in about 2 minutes. At Kei's suggestion, I got the book My Smart Puppy and quite like what i do with my horses. I really like the philosophy about claiming space.

I promise to send some pictures soon!

Cathy, Steve and Petra

Adoption Update: Leo

Dear MABCR,

All of you are amazing! Not only are you thorough on the front end, this email of support for the present and future is unbelievable! Thank you for everything...Leo is curled up on one of the dog beds in the family room at my feet(only two dogs can fit on the couch) and I don't think it an accident that he picked the softest bed of all. We have had a wonderful day. He is a special dog. In just a few hours, it seems as if he has always been here...at least as if he was always meant to be here.

He travelled home well, slept well, and ate well. He enjoyed our afternoon walk, and before I remembered his recent surgery, he was off swimming in the pond with the other dogs, and keyed right in on the geese. He was very certain to alert them that there is a new sheriff in town...

Leo has a tremendous personality. He seems to know Petra is a baby...he plays so gently with her. At first i thought it was because he must be a bit timid in his new environs, but he turned it on with me and the other dogs. He consistently changed when Petra and he played. I couldn't have hoped for anythign more.

thanks for everything you did to bring us our new boy!

Fondly,

Steve, Cathy and Petra