Echo spent Sunday, and Monday morning with her new obedience trainer, Ursula. She came home this morning. "Little Girl" was hungry and tired when she got home. After Jean left, I fed her, took her out, and went to do some things in the bedroom, with Echo in tow. She, immediately, crawled up on the end of the bed, and crashed, hard. She kept on trying to keep her eyes open, and lift her head to keep track of me, but the "ZZZzzz Monster" got the best of her.
Ursula's assessment of her was good, overall. She was pleased with Echo's compliance with "sit", "down", "up", and "wait" commands. Ursula was surprised with how quiet Echo was. Collies are notorious for inappropriate barking. Echo lives with Gimli, a notorious inappropriate barker. The combination would lead one to believe that she would be almost incurable. Not Echo. Given those two things, her barks are pretty rare. And, she decided that Ursula's husband was her favorite person in the training compound. Apparently, he had a "canine shadow", whenever he was around. In a positive way, it was decided that Echo should receive private lessons, as opposed to training in a class environment.
On the down side, it was noted that Echo does not interact with other dogs well. In fact, she tends to do things that could start fights with other dogs. Apparently, Gimli is very patient with her. Possibly too patient.
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Actually, to back up a bit, Echo had a big weekend, even before going to the trainer. We didn't go out for "socialization". "Socialization" came to our house.
I've talked about the "Teen Horde" before. From early Friday night, until after Echo left to go to Ursula's on Sunday, anywhere from 6 to 10 members of the "Teen Horde" were in our house, continuously. Most of these members of the group had never met Echo before. It was a new experience for everyone.
So, Echo was receiving new "socialization input" from about 7 Friday night until about 11 Monday morning.
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Other than eating, going outside, and spending a little bit of time playing with favorite toys (less than an hour), Echo has been asleep, pretty much, since about noon on Monday.
Lots of information for that young brain to process.
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Now for the real "downside".
I don't know what happened. Mainly, because I know next to nothing about the person, but "The Veteran", Jean, Echo, and I were supposed to meet today. It was to be "The Veteran"'s first meeting with Echo and I.
I was looking forward to it. ... forget that, I was EXCITED that Echo could meet, and start helping a veteran this early in her life! I was excited about helping "The Veteran" to get to know Echo, and vice-versa.
Then, "The Veteran" backed out. Not just of the meeting, and Echo, as "The Veteran"'s service dog, but the entire idea of a service dog, entirely.
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Which I find to be a bit odd. "All American Dogs" does not actively solicit veterans that have need of a service dog to take one of their dogs. Quite the reverse, to receive an AAD dog, you have to apply for it, one of the service dog trainers (not an obedience trainer) has to do a "home visit", the application has to be approved, ... etc.
While the information about the service is readily available, to get the service, you have to seek it out.
There would not have been a scheduled meeting with Jean, Echo, and I, if "The Veteran" had not sought out AAD's services.
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I find this to be a bit odd. ... Something doesn't make sense.
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Anyway, I feel sorry for Echo and "The Veteran".
From what I know of "My Little Girl", giving "The Veteran" the help that is needed, would have made her a VERY happy dog, for a long time.
From what I know of "The Veteran", I think Echo could have been a solution to a number of problems.
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Not my choice.
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