Brady--14 weeks and growing

These photos were taken of Brady today.  We are liking this boy a lot.  He's smart, sweet, and very creative.  He says he is getting the idea of this thing he's supposed to do called showing.  He had his first lesson in nosework today.  He took to that game very quickly.  He begins an open/utiltiy obedience class for puppies in December.  I can hardly wait-that is going to be great fun.  He did his first therapy visit at an Alhzeimer facility.  The residents and empolyees there really enjoyed meeting him.  I was amazed at how good he was--very calm.  He seems to have the special personality it takes to do therapy work.  He is quite the people magnet.
Brady's ears are always up and his tail is always wagging.

Future Tracking Champion-Brady

Today Brady started his tracking career.  He figured out the game very quickly.  We start a pup by using small flags to mark a curve.  We do both right and left curves--doing each 3 times. There is food planted along the way so that the pup will learn to keep its nose on the ground.  Once the pups gets the idea, it will begin to skip some of the food drops to get to the glove.  Didn't take long for Brady to start skipping treats--good sign. Today I used boiled chicken which Brady loves.  We have high hopes that Brady will be our 4th generation Champion Tracker (his mother, Sadie, will be our 3rd; Great Uncle Jordi was our 2nd; Great Grandmother Mackie was our 1st and the first Dalmlatian to earn that title).  It will be great when we have 4 generations of Champion Trackers living here. Tracking is a lot of fun. Our dogs love it.

His first start-burying his nose in the start article to get the treat.

Great-found another treat.

What's this I see?

A glove with a jackpot!

Brady gets lots of praise from Tana.

Second track--he's got the idea.

Already pulling to the glove.

Another jackpot at the glove.

"If I shake the glove will it give me more treats?" 

Keeping his nose to the ground.

The glove is in view.

Intense!

Finally the glove and another jackpot.

Great Uncle Jordi and the dishwashser

Great Uncle Jordi loved his brood of puppies.  He often took them outside for mini field trips.  He watched over them like a mother hen.  He misses them now that most are gone, but still takes the ones we have here outside several times a day.  Soon he will have just one pup to watch over and 'raise'. 

Jordi 'cleans' Tedy

Proud Great Uncle Jordi with some of his charges.

Just checking!

The pups like him, too.

He's always careful not to step on them.

Joie and Jordi have a special relationship.  She adores him and he loves her.

Jordi and Joie

He thinks Joie is very smart and clever-which she is. 

Is Joie kissing him or chewing on his neck?

We've never seen a pup that didn't love to explore the dishwasher.

How many can lick the plate?

Helping BJ

Sometimes there's only room for one!