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Ronja's New Life

Ronja - CGC TDI

Two weeks after Mom and Dad brought me home from the shelter, Mom told Dad that I was such a good girl and already knew my obedience so well, she wanted to try and bond a little more and then sign me up for a big test so that I could work as a therapy dog like my big sister Abby does.

Mom emailed the lady who tested her and Abby for their TDI (Therapy Dogs International) title, and the lady told her there was a test coming up at the end of April. So Mom and I worked hard on our obedience and meeting lots of different people to be ready for the test.

On the test date, April 21, Dad came home early from work and him, Mom, and I drove to Langley Air Force Base. Trips there are very special for me because there are big, fenced in baseball fields, and I have a special toy I only get to use in completely fenced-in places: a big soccer ball! I love to push it around with my nose, and I'm learning to "dribble" it back to Mom or Dad that way when they call me. It's really very much fun.

Mom and Dad let me play with the soccer ball for a good while, and then Mom brought the bite sleeve to work on some of my bite work and bark-and-hold work because this works my head as well as my body. After a little while of that, Mom felt I'd gotten enough exercise and we drove to a place I've never been before, called Merrimac Dog Training Club. It's a big warehouse with rubber-mat flooring and several obedience rings. It was very cool. There were lots of other dogs, too.

Mom made me wait while she filled in some paperwork, and then she took me into one of the rings and worked on some basic obedience with me. She used my red Kong (my favorite!) to keep my focus and I did really well. Other people were warming up in other rings. A lady with a Poodle came and worked in the same ring as us.

Then the evaluator lady came in and had everyone come into the largest ring and sit down. She explained the test and how it was going to go, what people were allowed to do (like praise and talk to their pups) and what people were not allowed to do (like give treats) while they were being tested. I thought that part was rather boring and flopped down on the ground, asleep.

Then we did the test. It was a lot of fun.

We got to walk around past other dogs. Mom and I met a bunch of different people, too. We met a man with a dog. We met a lady in a wheelchair. We met a lady with a walker. And we met a lady with a cane and one with crutches, too. All of the people we met petted me, and that was a lot of fun.

I also got to go into another room with a nice lady and hang out with her for a few minutes. I stuck my head into her lap so she wouldn't forget to pet me. She liked that a lot. She told Mom that I was very sweet with her and that I definitely passed the "supervised separation" with flying colors. I didn't know what the supervised separation was, but it was nice being snuggled for a few minutes.

I also had to sit, down, and stay while Mom walked away from me and back, and then I had to stay until Mom called me to her. That was very easy.

Some of the dogs didn't pass the test because they were just way too excited to be there. A yellow Lab, who was sitting next to me, just got all bouncy and licky when the evaluator lady came to brush him and examine him. She had to excuse him from the test because of how he behaved. And one of the Poodles just didn't listen at all. She didn't pass, either.

I passed, though, and earned both my CGC and my TDI.

Everyone thought it was really amazing I passed because Mom had only had me for just over a month. They were very surprised at how bonded I am to my Mom.

After the test was over, Dad went outside and got the bite sleeve and I got to show off some of my bite work. That was just what I needed, too, as a reward for all that hard work I did!

A Busy Weekend

I have been in my new home for a week now, and I continue to have brand new experiences every single day.

On Friday, Mom and Dad packed me up in the car very early in the morning and left my sister Abby at home. We drove for a long time, almost half an hour, and then passed through a gate where a security guard looked at Mom's and Dad's ID cards.

Mom finally let me out of the car in front of a white, one-story building, and after I went potty like the good girl that I am, she walked inside with me and Dad. Dad said that this is his office. I went and met Dad's boss and one of Dad's co-workers, and then laid down in Dad's cubicle while he checked his email.

Then we went over to a place called the Shopette, which is where Dad went to get his coffee. Mom and I waited outside, and lots of people who were all dressed the same came and said hi to me and petted me. I liked that a lot.

When Dad came out, he said we needed to go to the Retention NCO to get some paperwork so he could reenlist. I didn't know what that meant, but okay. We drove to another office and I had to wait in the car for dad to get his paperwork. Then we drove to another office for Dad to have it signed by his Colonel, and then we went back to the office before that one. I had to wait in the car for a long time there, half an hour! But it was fun - there were lots of people to look at and the weather was really nice, so Mom left the rear windows open for me. When Mom and Dad came back, they had a big backpack filled with all kinds of goodies that Dad got because he reenlisted.

After that, we drove to an old training area behind the Reserve Center and Dad let me out of the car to run and play. Mom had brought my tug and Kong, and we played fetch with the Kong and tug with my bumper for a long time. I had so much fun running and chasing the Kong, bringing it back, and running for it again. Mom faked me out a couple of times by pretending she threw the Kong when she really didn't. That was just mean!

Mom showed me a really big wall and held the Kong over it to see what I would do. Of course, I jumped over it - well, I climbed. I jumped up to grab the top of the wall with my front paws, then pushed with my back paws and scaled the wall. I'm athletic like that! Mom was very much impressed.

Afterward, we went to the PX and Mom and I sat outside when Dad went to get a slice of pizza and a soda. I got to share some of Dad's pizza and people stopped to pet me. It was a very good day.


On Saturday, Mom and Dad put Abby and I in the car and drove to Jamestown. Dad went to drop some books off with a friend who works at the Jamestown Settlement, and to meet some other friends who were there for the reenactment, Marching Through Time. Abby and I were not allowed to come in because dogs are not welcome there, so Mom waited with us outside. We met lots of people.

One of Mom's friends came out and talked to her for awhile, and some other people she knew came by and talked to her and petted me. Some strangers came up to pet us, too.

After Dad finally came back, we got back in the car and drove to Williamsburg and went to see Colonial Williamsburg. That was a lot of fun. I got to see other dogs, and lots of people, including people in weird clothes. A lot of people stopped to talk to us, and I got to make friends with a Labrador puppy and a Beagle.

We walked up the road and sat down on a bench to wait for something. A little boy and girl came up to pet us and hug us, and I liked that a lot. I like to lean on people to be petted, and I give them kisses if they put their faces down near mine. The little boy really wants a dog, but his family is moving to Poland in two weeks because his dad is a missionary. I think they could take a dog to Poland with them - I'm sure there are dogs over there, too!

Suddenly, lots of people came over, with a marching band in front that was making a lot of noise with drums. I didn't like the band very much, they were real loud. Then they fired off a cannon three whole times. I really didn't like that and tucked my tail. Mom said she was glad I didn't bite her and that I recovered real well from the shots. She made me sit and petted my chin when I did. I would rather not be there when they shoot the cannon, though!

Afterward, we walked back and around some more. The streets were starting to get emptier. Mom and Dad let Abby and me jump over some benches and other obstacles. Dad was impressed that I can jump the horse hitches along the road without even getting a running start. I'm a very good jumper. Mom says we're going to have to put up one heck of a tall fence when we move!



On Sunday, Mom and Dad's landlady came to the house so Mom and Dad could sign a new lease, since they've lived here for a year. The landlady was very nice and I liked her a lot. I was all waggly and happy. Mom told Abby and I to go to our crates and chill for a bit while her and Dad walked through the house with their landlady so she could see there's not been any damage in the last year. Then they signed the new lease and talked for awhile.

After the landlady left, Mom and Dad put our collars on us and took us in the car to Yorktown. We went to the house where Dad's coworker lives with his family. His boys were outside playing with a soccer ball. The boys were happy to see us, and Mom let us out of the car so we could play with them. I had to get the soccer ball, of course. It took me no time to catch it, and then I ran off with it and didn't want to get it back. We played for a very long time. The boys knew to distract me by petting me and then take the ball from me and throw it. It was a lot of fun.

Abby was trying to be a fun sponge. She likes to annoy me when I'm playing. She'll try to take the toy from me, or she'll bark at me when I'm having fun. I sometimes have to let her know I don't like that, and then she stops for a bit. Abby jumped in their pond and swam with the koi fish. It was very funny, but she wasn't supposed to do that. The boys let her in the back yard with the pond. They shouldn't have done that, either.

After we were there for a bit, Mom and Dad leashed us and we walked around Yorktown. We went down to the water, met a couple of dogs and a lot of people, and walked out onto the swaying dock to watch them open the bridge so a big ship could pass it. It was rather boring. Afterward, we stopped for ice cream and Abby and I laid down next to the table like good girls. It was another very fun day!

Water is Scary!

After five whole days of rain, we finally had some nice weather today - it was in the mid-50s and sunny!

Mom fed Abby and I our "morning" meal, which we get around noon, and then did the house work while we laid down in our crates and digested. When Mom was done, she packed up my harness and long line, some poop bags, and her camera into her blue bag, then leashed us both up and took us to the field at the end of the road.

Mom and I played with the tug toy for awhile and Abby ran around in circles and bumped me with her nose every so often. She doesn't want the toy and she doesn't want to play with me, but she also wants to make sure I don't have too much fun, the big fun sponge!

After a while, I told Mom that playing with the tug was getting boring, so she walked us down to the beach where there's water. The waves were slapping against the sand and Abby ran right in. I didn't know what to make of those funny slapping noises and wanted nothing to do with the water at all.

Mom walked us down to the other end of the beach, me on the long line since she's not yet sure I'll come back if called, even though I've been a very good girl and always come when she says "Hier!" (here) and always follow her if she walks off in a different direction. I have to make sure she doesn't up and leave me, after all!

Abby ran right into the water and Mom yelled at her, then Abby went and started digging holes on the beach. She sure is a weird one. While she was busy digging, however, I went and checked out that "water" stuff. Turns out, it's like a big bowl of water (or a really big toilet bowl!) and once I figured that out, I'd go in and even get my feet wet. It was pretty fun. Then, of course, Abby went and SPLASHED me! Ugh.

After awhile, Mom leashed us both up and we started walking back. We met a German lady with two dogs, a black Lab puppy and a white Poodle, and we went and met them. The puppy was kind of annoying and Abby barked at her. Then Abby and the puppy started digging a hole together. Oy!!! Weird dogs, they are!

Mom and the German lady talked for awhile in German, and then Abby and I and Mom started on our way home. We went the long way around this time, past all the houses and the fire station and along the road. We saw another dog that behaved real badly and was barking and lunging at us. I thought he looked stupid. Mom told me to "heel" and not pay him any attention.

Mom says she wants to me to get tested for something called the CGC but that she doesn't think I'm quite ready for it yet because I don't always sit when told.