TDI Testing....... - Page 2

Congrat's Shepherd Woman and Chaos....way to go !

Congrats!  :)  I hope you two have a lot of fun going out together and visiting. Now aren't you glad you stuck it out and tried again? 

-Melanie

Congrats !!!! Thats  great !!!

congratulations! that's wonderful - more good pr for the breed! i'm still working with angus; he's been a bit of a pill lately! great work and hugs for chaos!

Thanks everyone, and yes I am definitly glad that I stuck with it and attempted it again.  I think he just had some maturing to do to get him ready again.  The evaluator asked me if there are any alzheimers units near us at a local hospital.  I told her I would have to check it out.  She said she thought he would do great in a department like that.  She went at him playing the crazy lady, flaring her arms and screaming and he wanted more!  She was shocked at the way he reacted to that.  So after I get the paperwork sent in etc. I will be checking that stuff out.

If you want to do therapy dog work with your dog, that's fine (but not a real title, IMO) and a noble cause. However, I fail to see that it's a great accomplishment for any versitle GSD with decent temperament.

Years ago, someone wanted to breed to my V-rated SchH3 male (who did not carry the LC recessive, BTW). She was referred to me by another breeder because she was insistant in wanting a titled import who was OFA certifed (mine was rated as "excellent").

This person always got her dogs (German stock) OFA certified and wanted to impress puppy buyers by having a whole string of abbreviations (mickey mouse "pseudo-titles", IMO) behind a dog's name--you name it: CGC, herding tested, TDI, etc. Hell, I even got my dog's eyes CERF'd at her insistance and expense.

She arranged for me and my dog to visit a nursing home a few times prior to being tested as a therapy dog. Hell, Lex loved crawling on the beds and schmoozing with the old farts. He was especially adept at reaming his nose into the crotches of the incontenent ones!  

However, meeting the TDI criteria was just another unremarkable, piece of cake for my boy. Yes, he was a versitile guy--did some AKC herding work and got AKC obedience titles.

Over the years, this breeder has bred several bitches to my males. Although none of her pups have been schutzhund titled, many got AKC obedience and herding titles. Some also became guide dogs for the blind.

That's great news SW!

I am waiting for Theo's paperwork to come in the mail, I have just renewed it.

It's a good feeling going & visiting the old folks, they look forward to the visits.
Louise, that was a little creepy about the crotches, but pretty funny, I have to make
sure that Theo doesn't start undressing everyone, he has a thing about socks,
and he will take them off your feet if you're not paying attention,  I have noticed
that when people come to my house to visit, he's pulling at their pants, it's
a little embarassing

Dogs have funny personalities!

"If you want to do therapy dog work with your dog, that's fine (but not a real title, IMO) and a noble cause. However, I fail to see that it's a great accomplishment for any versitle GSD with decent temperament".However, meeting the TDI criteria was

"just another unremarkable, piece of cake for my boy. Yes, he was a versitile guy--did some AKC herding work and got AKC obedience titles".

Once again, thanks Louise for making one of the funnest times I have had with my dog look like nothing!   And we have heard enough of how your dogs are the best damn dogs in the world!

SW - congratulations on your certification.  Although, the overall test skills for TDI may be fairly simple the actual visits can be really difficult and not all dogs are suited to it.  I recently retired my boy from TDI and therapy work after 9 long years of visits.  He was always a natural but his arthisis is making it hard for him to handle the slick floors in many of the nursing homes.  We'll miss it and I have high hopes that my new boy will have the right temperment for it.

BTW, Louise, I'm glad your dog was good at "schmoozing with the old farts" but his crawling on the beds and "reaming his nose into the crotches of the incontenent ones" is considered inappropriate behavior for a Therapy Dog (Yeah, it can be funny but not a good thing).   Both things are among the skills most of us try not to teach our dogs. 

Again SW, congratulations

Ty so much.  I appreciate your comment.