Funny how they know... - Page 1

So I have talked in the past about how my male often acts as a therapy dog for my special needs nephew.

Today, those instincts kicked in again with him, only this time for Mom!

We were at training and I had taken him out of the truck and was pumping him up to go out on the field to do protection.   He was all on his toes, ready to go do his thing and we were walking along and I stepped in a hole and rolled my ankle.

Now as anyone who has ever rolled their ankle knows, it hurts like a @$#%$% and as it was an ankle I had broken a couple of years ago this @%#@#$ was intensified.   Of course I also lost my balance and should have ended up really tumbling on my ass, in fact was expecting too.

Except, as the pain fog cleared my so called brain, I realized that when he heard me yelp and felt me stagger against the leash, my male had stepped back up against the front of my legs so he was perpendicular to me.  He was leaning into me and I was bent over with both my hands on his back leaning on him.   For the couple of minutes it took me to regain my equilibrium (freaking rolled ankles HURT!) he did a perfect stay right in front of me, letting me lean on his back.  Finally I was able to put weight back on the leg and we continued on to the protection work.

For the record, hoooo doogy was he full of himself in protection.   Having to pause and keep my butt off the ground didn't slow him down on wit on the helper today.

What a good boy;  I call that "anchoring".  I taught my last service GSD to anchor;  although I don't stand and do it, it do it from my wheelchair and put full weight while sitting.  What a good boy.  Don't you just love these guys.  Yes that was intuition all on his own.  My boy was like that and at 120 lbs.  could be very helpful.  Great day, a steak for dinner will do for him.  Nan

My male GSD likely saved my life one cold, snowy night when I fell into a fence post hole, and couldn't get out. He came and leaned against me, and let me lean my weight on his back to pull myself upright. He'd never had any special training for that, either, though he was trained as my hearing ear dog.

Another friend's service dog sensed this elderly lady was going to lose her balance and moved up beside her just in time to provide support. Even though she was terrified of large dogs, she was very grateful for what the dog did!

What wonderful critters our dogs are! 

And really I say I trained my boy to anchor BUT, he was a pain in the a - - for certain things like cutting his toenails, touching his feet, tail and trying to kiss him, but  he would anchor for me at the drop of a hat, and knew that command from say 6 months on, and I did not put much weight on him at all, just said anchor and he set himself solid enough like a brick house.  What a fellow he was.  Am patiently waiting for another boy.  He just knew what I needed and that was with everything.  They do have special senses that I feel they are born with, you may need to help to develop those senses but I feel for the most part, this breed has them.  Great days,  Nan

Very much so and wonderful expressions of the versatility of the breed.

What struck me about today was my boy did this all off instinct, I've never taught him any of his 'therapy' steadiness he just comes by it naturally.   At the same time, once that situation was over and I asked him to fire back up into full drive, he flipped the switch back to on and he was ON during protection.

Again, the versatility where he can bring it on the work field with a high level of natural aggression, yet in an emergency situation switch that off and be the steady companion I needed at that moment.

That is absolutely phenomenal.  That is definitely who they are and who they should be.  Don't you just love that.  Great days, Nan

They are marvelous, aren't they ?

They sure are!   

For those of you who've never read it before, here's the full story about Ranger (and some great stories about other people's 'heart' dogs.)

I've never done protection work with Ranger because he's a service dog, (now retired, at age 11)  but he does have a beautiful full-mouth grip, and he really lights up for a game of tug.

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/forum.read?mnr=512731-heart-dogs--please-share-your-stories-and-photos#519059

awh, Sun you have a sweet boy.  Best of luck with him,  Nan