A step above

As an assistance dog in training, Novel is generally held to higher expectations than your average mutt.
Most dogs know how to sit. Novel has to sit the first time I say it...and hold it even if I don't ask him to "wait."
Most dogs are house trained. Novel has to use the bathroom on command...on any surface.
Many trained dogs can walk on a loose leash. Novel has to be able to walk on a loose leash and stay focused on me even on strange surfaces, and with crowds of people around him...even with food on the ground.

The things mentioned above are things I am expected to teach Novel as a puppy raiser for CCI. We are by no means 100% there, but I like to think that largely through hard work on our part, Novel has a pretty good handle on them. However, I also know that Novel's own great personality plays a big part in our success in training.

Which brings up a well deserved comment on CCI's excellent and extremely high quality breeding program.
These dogs are literally born to be amazing - they are born to be a step above "your average mutt."

Because I work at an animal hospital, I feel at least somewhat qualified to make some observations about the "average mutt:" 1) Most are intensely attached to their owners. 2) Most are overweight. 3) Many suffer from some sort of fear or anxiety. In fact, I'd say it's the number one behavior problem that we encounter. Separation anxiety, traveling anxiety, fear of the vet, fear of other dogs, fear of men, fear of loud noises....fear of storms. That last one's a big one. My own dog Abbi suffers from some of these, and while we've learned to cope through training, I've accepted the fact that she will always be very timid. Novel is very different.

The day he came home, as I walked him around our property to stretch his legs and potty, our neighbors over the hill decided to do some target practice. The first time the gun went off, Novel lifted his head and looked around with intense curiosity, but absolutely no fear. I honestly think he was looking for the source of the sound as a possible playmate.

Novel's natural absolute fearlessness has been one of my favorite parts of his personality. It has made so much of our training so much easier. New sounds, sights, smells, or surfaces almost never stress him. I can count the number of times I have seen Novel worried, stressed, or afraid on one hand. This has made public outings, and life at home a million times easier.

Last week, coming home from training class, we drove through a terrible storm. I'm not kidding, it was bad. Cars were driving 35 mph on a 70 mph interstate. It was pouring down rain, and the wind slammed it into the side of my car so hard I thought I was going to have dents from it. Huge claps of thunder and lightning went off every few seconds, although admittedly the thunder was almost drowned out by the pounding of the wind and rain, and the lightening actually made it easier to drive because it lit up the road.

I was a little worried about how Novel was taking it all, because I knew that Abbi would be laying in a pool of her own saliva, shaking and hyperventilating and in real danger of dying from a heart attack. I glanced over at him, and I really wish I could post a picture of what I saw. He had pulled his big stuffed puppy dog off the front seat, and was curled up around it in the most adorable, cozy, and comfortable ball you've ever seen. He was fast asleep and in complete peace in the midst of the storm.

Please excuse my pathetic "paint" skills...but I had to try. It was too adorable.

This week:

This week has been mildly insane.

It has been one of the most jam packed but also relaxing weeks I have ever experienced. Unfortunately  Novel was left out of some of the main events, but I think he'll be ok. Just don't tell him what he missed out on. Let me explain by giving you a "brief" synopsis:

SUNDAY
Novel and I were House/Dog sitting for a friend. 3 young black labs in one house plus a Boston Terrier makes for quite a party. I also had to walk dogs at the vet clinic in the morning. There were 8 month old completely untrained Chocolate lab siblings. It had just rained and the clinic yard was muddy. I had quite the labby morning. All this was before I had to be at church at 8:30am to practice for special music. After church I stopped back by my friend's house to let the dogs out and straighten things up before they got home that afternoon. Then I headed home for a Mother's Day cookout. Visited with grandparents from both sides, an aunt and an uncle, and a family friend.

It's a lab party! Which one is Novel?

MONDAY
Begged to do something or go hiking somewhere since I didn't have to go to school. Finally got out for a nice short (2.5 mile) but steep hike to a waterfall with Abbi, Chai, my Mother and my Grandmother. Came home and wasted time on my computer. Got frustrated for wasting time, so I took Novel with me on a quick 5 mile trail run. We went to the same waterfall, but took the long way this time.

Trail runnin' with my monster!

TUESDAY
Ran errands with my dad in the morning. Bought a water filter and some other miscellaneous backpacking gear I needed. Came back and visited with even more visiting family around noon. So many wonderful people! Went on the same hike to the waterfall that I ran on Monday with everyone except one aunt, one grandmother, and Novel. Got almost back to the car to realize that no one knew where Abbi or my Grandfather was. I ran back to the falls, found Abbi, and got a text that said they had found Grandpa. Everyone was fine, but Abbi was too tired to run and I had to be at my graduation from the community college at 5:30, which meant I needed to leave home at 5:00. It was already past 4:00. I was 2 miles from the car on the Appalachian trail and another 15 minutes from home. I didn't have time to walk those 2 miles, so whenever I could, I heaved Abbi across my shoulders and we ran. I got home, jumped in the shower, and made it to graduation by 6-ish because of red lights and traffic. I was late but it ended up being ok. Then I sat through a very very long and boring ceremony and walked across the stage to get an empty tube from the president (apparently they mail the actual diploma). After that, I rushed home to grab a change of clothes and feed the dogs before driving back to the city to spend the night with my dear cousin who had come for graduation. We ate candy and talked in the hotel lobby until past midnight when we finally went to bed.

At Laurel Falls with Cousin

Chai the mighty trail Kitty at the falls

Graduation with Cousin and Sister 3

WEDNESDAY
Cousin and I met Sister 3 for breakfast. Then we drove back home and worked/played with Novel for a while before Cousin and Aunt left to drive back to VA. Sister 3 and I had a discussion about the best way to spend the rest of the week, and ended up packing our backpacks and kayaks into the truck and driving over to the lake to see how far we could kayak in 3 days. We got a late start, so we just kayaked to the nearest island, set up camp, swam, ate pineapple (and other yummy things), and generally had fun. We ended the day by kayaking out into the open water and gazing at the beautiful bright stars until our eyelids were droopy.

Campsite #1

Lake swimming at its finest

Pineapple!

The beauty that is Watauga Lake in the evening

THURSDAY
Packed up camp and kayaked lazily down the lake. On the way we ate the rest of the pineapple and got sunburnt. It was awesome. About noon, we made it to another adorable island, and since we were almost at the other end of the lake, we decided to stop there. We set up camp and then kayaked in to a little inlet where we found a beaver lodge and met the rather unhappy occupants. I've never been so close to a beaver before. Came back to find that some animal had found our food and taken all our pretzels, nuts, and bread. The carrots were spread all over the ground too, but apparently they weren't as popular. We cooked gobs of delicious food for supper and then went to bed. We were delightfully lazy all day long.

Campsite #2

Where we found the Beavers.

Our own personal Island!

Happy, Lazy, Beautiful days.

FRIDAY
Got up very late and ate some breakfast before going for a most refreshing swim. Then lazily packed up camp and paddled down the rest of the lake to be picked up and taken home. Abbi and Novel came with my dad to pick us up. Novel was...to put it gently...thrilled! to see me paddling toward him, and quickly forgot everything he had ever been taught about not pulling on the leash. I got home, unpacked, ate a ton more delicious and unhealthy food, took a nap, played with Novel, got on the computer to catch up with email, etc. and finally wrote this blog post before going to bed. At 1:30am.

My phone died so no pictures for Friday :(

Now tell me, how often do you encounter a week much crazier than that one? And it's not even over yet!

...oh goodness...what a thought...

Novel Barks in Public - a Second Time!

Yes, you read that right. *insert shocked expression*

For the past few days, Novel has been behaving extremely well in public. (Not perfect, just abnormally good. And he remains his usual self at home) So much so, in fact, that I have actually wondered if he is feeling perfectly well. However, he is still eager and as happy as ever to obey commands, so I am pretty sure he's fine. He has just been acting so extremely calm lately...reminds me a lot of when he was a tiny puppy. He has been quiet, mostly un-distracted, and basically just exceptionally easy to live and work with.

This evening I had my Human Anatomy 2 final exam. This afternoon, Novel and I hit the computers in the library to study. I had Novel go "under" my chair, and immediately got to work. About half an hour later, I realized with some apprehension that Novel had not moved at all since we sat down. I actually put my foot on his chest to be sure he was still breathing! The slow, even, rise and fall of his chest assured me that he was alive, and probably fast asleep. Utterly proud of my puppy, I went back to work. A few minutes later, a woman sat down at the computer beside me, and I am pretty sure that she had no idea that there was a dog merely inches from her feet.

After working peacefully in this manner for several more minutes, there was a sudden interruption. From the dark recesses beneath my chair, a series of high pitched, whimpering "woofs" erupted into the silence that was the library:

"MMMOOPH! muph muph muph!.....MOOph muph mph"

There was immediately a general noise of books closing, chairs creaking, and people moving as every head in the library turned to look directly at me. And then silence again, as all eyes quietly searched my person for an explanation for the strange squeaking that seemed to be coming from beneath my chair.

I laughed...or rather, smiled nervously at the faces for an instant before explaining vaguely:
"sorry...he had a dream"

"Or a nightmare!" the lady beside me whispered under a stifled laugh

I grinned and reaching down, gently ruffled Novel's ears to wake him up before he repeated his serenade. Between you and me, I happen to know that Novel's dreams can be rather long...and sometimes quite realistic.

He blinked his big brown eyes sleepily at me and stretched.

"Oh hai mum. I just had the coolest dream...there was this cat, and we were playing...and......and....."

And then he went promptly back to sleep.