Doggy guides.

I thought it would be fun in this new year to introduce the dogs in my pack...my doggy guides and teachers.  Pictured is Maxwell and me.

Maxwell is our granddog and he lives up to the description in every sense of the word grand dog.  He's my daughter and son in law's dog.  My daughter picked him up at a city laundry mat a few years ago.  Poor boy was tied in the back, the owner had to leave him or he would be kicked out of his apartment.  He was a dog, literally, without a home. She fell in love with him the minute she laid eyes on him and took him home on the spot. He's the best boy!  He didn't come to my daughter's home feeling sad or discarded - he farely jumped into their lives in a happy joy filled way that describes Maxwell "Stinky" (his old name) Ernst to a T.  How nice is that...no baggage, just thankful for a new opportunity to love these wonderful beings called humans...moving forward.

Maxwell and his family just welcomed their first baby to their pack - their family.  I was lucky enough to have him at my house for a couple weeks while Mommy and baby settled in.  We worked on "off" and "down","leave it" and "quiet". I explained to him about being a good dog with the new baby, allowed him to smell baby's hat from the hospital and named it "your baby".  I told him he had big paws to fill, the wonderful role of doggy guardian that has been played out for centuries between dog and baby human.  I assured him he could do it and that I had faith in him.  A couple people in the family said, "I don't know."  "He's very rambunctious and use to being the center of attention."  But, he did really well when he met his baby for the first time and has been a ever present, well behaved guardian since.  I just knew he could do it, I knew he would take it in his stride.  He envelops that wonderful heart of a dog...it would seem to be a very natural process if we humans prepare them and then get out of the way.

 I always enjoy having Maxwell here at "the farm".  And if you tell him he's going to "the farm" he knows exactly what that means.  He fits in the pack here very well! I was meeting a friend to walk dogs one day during his visit and Max didn't know the new doggy friends. My heart jumped when he saw the fluffy lamb looking dog and did the border collie stalk...head down...strong eye locked on that which he was intent on herding.  As the new dog came closer, Max figured it all out. In fact, his expression was priceless when he realized that that which he had locked onto with a strong gaze was a dog and stopped all proceedings immediately.  But, what a wonderful display, very natural, innate readiness to want to herd. I am hoping that my daughter will allow me to take him to the spring herding clinic I've been hoping to attend.  He is a corgi/australian shepherd mix after all - I think he'll do great. I had an excellent herding collie years ago, but he was struck with an autoimmune disease which brought our journey in the world of herding to a complete stop.  I have been looking for a partner ever since and I think Max will fill that spot.  How exciting is that. I've put this on my New Year's To Do List.  Moving forward no matter what life hands you is a very good thing! Thanks Max!

Wonderful lessons I've learned from Maxwell - continue to trust, enjoy life and invite others to enjoy it with you and move forward.  He didn't miss a beat from one home to another.  He is one of the purely happiest dogs I know. You can't help but smile when you are around him...in fact, he seems to be wearing a constant smile on his face.  I do believe it has a great deal to do with his mistress and master...they both just have that joi de vie and so does Maxwell!