Final Post

I had the distinct privilege to see Spec A again this morning - and I also brought him Leonidas!

Here's a pic of me and Leonidas headed to Spec A (still in the driveway of course)

It was slightly raining, but that didn't stop us from demonstrating our walk and getting a few more pictures. I think Spec A was pretty excited! I know Leonidas will take a few days to get used to his new surroundings and his new friends - the cat and the other dog! :-) Leonidas met the cat right off the bat and he seemed to understand that he had better respect that cat or he will probably lose his nose! :-)

Here is a list of things I brought to Spec A.

Petlink microchip tag and registration details
2 stainless steel bowls
Blue collar and name tag
Camo harness and matching leash
Large crate with chewed up blanket (just the way Leonidas likes it)
Chew rope (lightly chewed :-) and chewed up socks (yes, they were clean when we gave them to him!)
30lb bag of Pure Balance Chicken & Rice - well, maybe 20lb left...
chewed tennis ball and a golf ball (and I think a racquetball also)
3 brushes (Tooth, ripper and regular brush)
20ft cable (tether)
All documentation

In the end, Spec A was very happy and graced me with a few very special objects that I will treasure forever and they have already found their way to my coin box.

Today is a very special day! April 18th was the day Spec A swore to defend our country and started his military service. It's also the day Spec A received an honorable discharge. AND - it's his wife's birthday! Happy birthday Mrs. Spec A! :-)

Here are the pics I took to remember the day. I will always remember Leonidas (and Sid).

Clean as a Whislte

As promised, Leonidas got his bath and again, did very well! Surprisingly well!. I almost think he actually likes getting a bath!

Not the greatest pictures. 

Looking forward to sending Leonidas home a little later this morning. I know at least one person who is ready for this! :-)

Last 24 hours

In less than 24 hours, Spec A will get to meet Leonidas! I am very excited and looking forward to all the good thing Leonidas will bring for this very special veteran.

Leonidas has been a joy for me to work with and I know he will always remember me for taking him out of the shelter and providing some much needed love and direction. I know Spec A will continue to provide love and support for Leonidas for the rest of his life.

Here are a few pictures from yesterday...

He has really improved a lot with fetching the ball and will bring it to me everytime - he still needs a little coaxing as times, but he does it more and more. 

I also taught him another trick - "Pick up your mess" - or simply "Mess" - when he's eating, he will chomp away and sometimes food will drop on the floor - which of course is messy... :-) Leonidas knows we keep a tidy house and he (like everyone else) has to clean up his mess!

I've tried to teach him to "Pray" before eating, but we just haven't had the time to get this one down-pat yet - Spec A will have to finish this if he wants too. 

Leonidas still has little respect for my property. He has chewed up a couple of my landscape lights and likes to dig. I check on him frequently, so he has not been able to do any major damage - just a scratch on the surface of the lawn really. He knows he's not allowed to do that, but likes to test me... :-) He even chewed up his own sleeping blanket in his crate! He's at home right now and I'm headed that way. I gave him another Ham Bone for him to chew this morning - I expect it will be gone when I get home.

I'll post one more time tonight after his bath with a few final pictures.

Leonidas the Pack Leader

As expected, the older grandkids really liked Leonidas! Kylie (10) even walked him up and down the street. They actually did very well. I neglected to get any action photos - sorry about that.

He is still a big brute and wants to be the center of attention! It will be extremely important for Spec A to establish himself as the pack leader because Leonidas is a very dominant type dog and constantly demonstrates that behaviour.

I believe the only reason he has made so much progress is because he has learned that he is no longer the pack leader (and he forgets and reverts often!) I'm confident that he has always been a pack leader and has never before been anything but a pack leader. However, with that said, he has changed a lot since he has been with me and I need to make sure that Spec A will continue as his pack leader for the best chance of success for both Spec A and Leonidas.

Here are a few more things I've noticed about him:
- will chase his tail
- will chew on anything (including power cords, sticks, landscape lights, etc... )
- like golf balls and chewed the cover off one
- likes to play tug of war and will bring the rope to you when he wants to play
- will now bring a ball back to my hand if he's not distracted
- will poke holes in a tennis ball and even "destroy" them if he's allowed to chew them
- is still shedding - a lot
- will bark at strangers, cats and squirrels, but will let anyone approach and pet him if they are not too scared - the mail lady got out of her truck and came to meet him even after he barked at her from across the street - I think he really liked her and she liked him too

I've told Leonidas many times that if he were a little nicer and showed more manners, more people would pet him - he is just not at that place yet. :-)

I did get him a vest, however, it was WAY too small and he didn't like wearing it anyway. I mentioned before, he also doesn't like wearing a "harness" and much prefers the wide collar. I'm going to try to get him another vest - one that fits and hopefully he will wear. I think this is something that will take a little time for him to get used to and he will - just will take some time.

I think he will get another bath on THR this week.

One week left

I think the timing is going to be perfect! Leonidas is again, a very smart dog. Although I've only have him less than 3 weeks, he has made a significant improvement in almost every area!

He is starting to even gain a little bit of manners! He's not jumping anymore (well, rarely) and is generally more calm (still gets excited at times).

The problem is if I kept him longer, I'm afraid he would become too attached and that's not a good thing for the dog. Leonidas has been through a LOT and this experience has been good for him, but one more transition will again put more stress in his life. And - I kow Spec A is ready for him and because he has experience with dogs, I'm not too concerned about the final transition - just one week from today.

 We were working on fetch again last night and Leonidas will bring whatever he has in his mouth to me now. It was very ironic that Spec A texted me and asked about the same thing as we were in training! Even outside, while tethered, he will bring things to me. I haven't tried again at the tennis courts, but I will this weekend. I just think he's too distracted at this location and not quite ready - it will just take a little more time. I do know Spec A wants him to fetch a frisbee and I know by the end of the summer, Leonidas will be fetching frisbees all over the place.

Here's a picture of me and Leonidas riding back home after last weekend.

He was pretty excited and even jumped into the Yukon without me needing to lift him inside! He's wearing the chain because it's his training collar for walking. I don't use it anymore, but because he was going to be with our friends (a young lady and 15 yr old son), I thought it would be the best idea.

All the grandkids are coming over this weekend and I know the eldest two are really excited to see him. Should be lots of pictures to post on Sunday afternoon or maybe Monday.

Quick update

Leonidas spent Sat night with our friends and he had a GREAT time playing with Maizy - a much smaller dog who also liked to play! They chased each other around and Ms. S sent me a cute video of the antics! Leonidas was glad to see me when I picked him him early Sunday afternoon. This is important because Leonidas has bonded with me pretty quickly (I've really only had him two weeks) and I'm confident he and Spec A will have a very special relationship and I'm really looking forward to that!

Leonidas and I had a little wrestling match last night. He is certainly not bothered by his stitches. Of course, I won the wrestling match, but Leonidas loves to play - and he will play as rough as you want! :-) He never hurt me and is really a very fun dog. I think he would do nothing BUT play if he had the chance!

He pulled out his stitches earlier in the day and his cut from surgery looks really good (almost healed completely).

Leonidas will drink a whole bowl of water (and it's a BIG bowl) in one lapping if he's not distracted and thirsty enough.

He likes steak! (what dog doesn't?) I'm not a fan of giving any dog anything other other than consistent dog food, however, I do know that dogs, like us, like a little variety. So, adding just a little different flavor to the mix doesn't hurt and makes your dog love and appreciate you more!

Leonidas is a great dog and I cannot wait for him to meet Spec A!

Weekend without Leonidas

Pam and I are going to Dobbins this weekend and Leonidas will get to spend some time with a very special friend who also has a dog - I don't expect any issues and it will be a good test as Spec A has other pets as well. Leonidas has met a few other dogs and people as we walk and has always been very friendly and never aggressive.

He weighed 76 lbs at the vet. I meant to put that stat up earlier. Also, he was microchipped and is registered on Petlink in my name (because that's the way I had to do it) and we will transfer ownership to Spec A later (easy to do).

He slept great last night and so did we - no licking where he's not supposed to and the stitches look great. Still a hairy mess (sheds a lot) but it's expected this time of year.

Also found out he likes Publix fried chicken! :-) (who doesn't)

Name Tag

I got Leonidas his name tag today!

Also got all his tags (Rabies, Name Tag, and Microchip tag) applied to his camo harness.

He's doing great after surgery yesterday - seems like himself - no change. He also doesn't seem to be in any pain.

I mentioned earlier that he likes to lay with his feet crossed and I got a picture of that too!

I got to work from home and spent the whole day with him - I think he likes that and will really enjoy being with his new owner as Spec A. plans to take him everywhere with him!

The people at the McDonough Animal Hospital were extremely friendly, nice and professional. Leonidas got a clean bill of health and will be 100% in about 10 days.

Also applied Sentry Pro Flea/Tick treatment today.

Vet Update

Leonidas is out of surgery and he is fine. I just spoke with the nice ladies at the McDonough Animal Hospital and they checked on him for me. He is still groggy and I wont be able to pick him up till 2130 tonight. Everything went well and there were no complications.

He had all his shots, was neutered, chipped and heartworm test. I'm sure he will be a barrel of fun for the next couple days! :-)

I'll post some pics when I get him back.

Leonidas goes to the Vet

Leonidas seemed agitated last night with something around the right side of his head/neck area - scratching and pawing for much of the night... I checked him this morning and found nothing unusual. I have not found any more ticks on him since I picked him up.

It's off to the McDonough Animal hospital today where he will be neutered, shots, chipped, and general health check which I'm sure he will pass - plus, we will finally find out how much he really weighs. Any guesses? I'm going to say 68 lbs.

Here's a picture of him after he had steak dinner cooked on the grill in the background last night - more pics when I pick him up from the hospital tonight.

Fetch WIP (work in progress)

We made some significant progress with the fetch game today. I was working from home in the afternoon I got the ball for Leonidas. I threw it in the house and he just wanted to play and chew on the ball. I got a few treats and that piqued his curiosity! I consistently told him to bring me the ball, but he just wanted a treat - so - I ignored him (he hates that...) :-)

Soon, he picked up the ball and dropped it by my feet (progress) - still no treat, and after a little while, he finally brought it to me and let me have it out of his mouth! We repeated this several times each with a treat issued. Then, he even did it a few times without a treat!

Then it was time to try it outside - he didn't want to fetch it, instead, he just wanted to lay down and chew the ball (it was a tennis ball). So, I ignored him again and guess what - yup, he brought me the ball!

It was a beautiful day and when Pam got home, we had dinner and took  Leonidas for a walk. We stopped at the tennis courts and I thought we would try fetch without being tethered outside. Leonidas was not interested and even after several minutes of ignoring him, it was apparent he didn't want to play fetch. Here are a few pictures of the attempt.

Crate Trained

We put the crate together this weekend and Leonidas loves it. Also figured out that he likes Ham bones! Finally found something to get him to chew on - other than my brushes, gloves, shirts, and other things he's not SUPPOSED to chew on! :-) (yes, he ate one of my shirts... )

He also chewed thru his harness and will chew on anything he is tethered on if you're not watching - I'm quite certain this is how he escaped his last owner. So we bought him a cable tether now and a new collar - I don't think he will be able to chew thru either!

We also removed about 10 ticks from his neck, legs and chest area. He has a very thick coat and the ticks are very difficult to locate. I'm fairly sure he didn't get them from around my property and they were on him when I got him. He doesn't scratch much at all and this will surely be a sign he has to be checked.

Some more interesting things about Leonidas:
He likes to cross his front paws when he lays down
He likes Ham bones
He likes beef flavored treats
He gets along well with other dogs (not aggressive - likes to play)
He likes to wrestle and doesn't like to lose!
He does bark!
He will fetch a ball, but does not bring it back directly (we are working on this)
He is very smart and perfectly understands commands - but is sometimes very stubborn (typical sheppard behavior and will adjust over time)
Is very mischievous - like a little kid
Has been sleeping well at night
He has no manners :-)

We go to the vet on Thr morning for neutering, microchip and shots.

Hairy Beast!

The first week with Leonidas has been pretty good - all things considered. I'm having some issues with Vet's calling me back to get him the services he needs, but that's a whole other story.

Leonidas has made some very good progress in walking and simple commands. He really has no manners. He can be annoying at times as he wants (demands) a lot of attention and affection. I suppose I don't blame him as I have no idea how long it may have been since someone actually paid attention to him - to me, it seems like it has been a LONG time, but he's coming along well!

Some more characteristics I've noticed.
- He likes to cross his front paws when he lays down
- Understands Heel, Come here, Sit. Lay down, and Stay
- He ate one of my shirts when he was left alone
- Will play tug of war with a rope
- will not fetch a ball outside (yet)
- LOVES to go for walks
- has not barked (I've tried only a few times to get him too)
- Will sit patiently for a brushing for about 5 min, then wants to play
- is shedding - a lot
- wants affection 24/7
- is very careful not to bite when he plays - and he will play!
- has not made a mess in the house! :-)
- has been sleeping well at night - he sleeps in our bedroom on the floor by the bed (on "his" blanket)
- does not jump up without permission anymore

That's about all I can think of for now... Oh, one story my wife told me (I wasn't there) - she opened the back door to get some firewood off the porch and he bolted out the door and almost knocked her over... He thinks he can go wherever he pleases - whenever he pleases... this is getting better, and he did come when she called him (could have been worse if he just ran off).

It's OK that it's raining, we will get to practice wiping the feet off before we enter the house now... :-)

Our first full day

Yesterday was a pretty good day for Leonidas and both Pam and I! He is definitely getting more comfortable with his new surroundings and has really been a fast learner. We worked more on walking and he's really been great with that - needs fewer and fewer corrections every walk. 

We also worked on "stay" - he still has a problem to sit for more than a few minutes, but we are making progress and I'm sure it's just a trust issue he will overcome soon.

We had a very good night last night - he seemed to sleep all night and has yet to make a "mess" in the house - we are very thankful for that! 

I bought him several toys - a couple ropes, a carpet chew, and a tennis ball on a short tether. He destroyed the tennis ball and tether.. :-) I left him alone for a short period of time (with his toys) and when I came back, the ball was in pieces.

I got a racquetball for him and that seems to be something he likes... we haven't had a chance to play "fetch" other than in the house and he will retrieve items (his rope) and drop them close by - I need to get him out to an open area and throw the ball for him - that should be a lot of fun... I'm just still very leary to let him loose as I don't trust him not to run (just yet).

Leonidas is a very curious dog. He loves to sniff around every little thing - like a bomb dog! He will sniff high/low and it doesn't matter what the object is - he wants to poke his nose into everything!

Brushing is a daily activity and he doesn't mind much either - which is good. His coat looks great and he is so much more fun to be close too now that he is clean. :-)

He is eating and drinking regularly - he and I had dinner together last night. I cooked some beans for Pam and I and added the leftover water to his food - yummy for him! Of course he wanted to eat it immediately, but I made him say his prayers first which he was not interested at all in that part! Silly dog - like many of us, he just doesn't realize what is most important - he will learn. :-)

here are a few pics - the rope is just a tether while I took the pictures to ensure he would not run off - as long as he has something on, I think he would be fine, but I just don't want to take the chance just yet.

Leonidas is "home"

Well, at least he is out of the shelter. Soon, home will be with Spec A!

Leonidas was extremely happy to leave the shelter - here is a shot of him in the back of my truck

The trip did not go exactly as planned. I did not anticipate him getting sick all over the back of the truck. The surprising thing was I never even knew he did it till I stopped at B's downtown to get his crate. When I opened the back, it was neatly discharged as close to the gate as possible so it made cleaning out a little easier - what a good dog and I felt so sorry for him! I'm sure it was a combination of the excitement, just having eaten, multiple food products in the shelter, etc.. I'll be keeping a strict watch on his diet for now!

It could be he just doesn't enjoy car rides - but I doubt it.

When I got home, the grandkids were there and I didn't want to test him with them so soon so he stayed int he car - actually, he really enjoyed that because I went to check on him 5 min after we arrived and he was sleeping comfortably.

After they kids left, Leonidas and I went for a long walk to orient him with his surroundings. He struggled a bit and it was obvious he had not been "walked" for a long time. But in contrast, he did pretty well on his morning walk today! (He's a smart dog who learns fast!)

He was extremely thirsty last night (I don't blame him) and didn't eat anything before his bath. He really didn't smell too good after being in the shelter and I had to give him a bath. He did GREAT! He is such a big boy and I had to lift him into the tub, but he seemed to actually enjoy the cleaning! He was relaxed and didn't seem to bother him at all.

So after we got all cleaned up, we went back outside for another walk, then came in so I could just sit for a minute as I had a pretty busy day - it was 2145 by now. I took him out one more time about 2200 and we all went to sleep. Leonidas didn't sleep too well and I don't think any of us did. He was calm, but seemed like he wanted more attention. I did get up with him once and he really didn't want to let me go back to bed - just wanted me to keep petting him and tell him everything was alright...

Here are some initial characteristics...

He is very good natured. I think he was beaten and will immediately check your hand position as you approach him - a little nervous, but once he knows you mean well, he will welcome the attention. He is not used to walking, but has made a lot of progress in just this short time. I gave him some rawhide chips and he does not seem interested. I had a piece of cheesecake last night while I was sitting and he went crazy thinking I would share it with him. :-) but that didn't happen.

He does know how to sit and lay down, but will not stay in one place for more than a few seconds (this will change :-). He has no problem with people in general other than a little nervous at first approach. I have not heard him bark yet - he made a few grunts last night, but that was it. he loves to be with someone and will try hard to get as close as he can to you - including trying to give you a big hug!

I haven't weighed him yet, but he's a big boy - I guess 70 lbs or so. He is a beautiful dog and has a great coat - lots of hair and is shedding (it's the season).

Things to do - take him to the vet for updated shots, Rabies tag, microchip, overall check, name tag made, and neutered. Hope to have all that done within the next week.

More to follow - and more pictures coming - ran out of time yesterday! :-)

Leonidas - strong like a lion!

I adopted "Leonidas" today - he doesn't know it yet.. I had to leave him in the shelter till until Monday when I'll pick him up for good. The folks at Gordon Co Animal Shelter are fantastic and they told me that all I needed to do to secure him was pay for him up front and bring them a bag of dog food! It was a great deal! I gladly paid them and gave them a 50 lg bag of food! :-)

http://pfvspeca.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-first-hit.html

Next post will be on Monday. I'll share a few photos when I get him.

Spec A named him!

Mark.

Going to check him out

On 11 Mar, I saw a very nice dog at Gordon CO AC - 1299. He's still there, so I'm going to meet him tomorrow morning.

If he checks out, I'll pick him up Monday.

PawPad called

I got a call from my favorite agency - PawPad in McDonough and they gave me some good and bad news. First, they do have a shepard mix that may be a good match and I will be able to see the dog - just likely won't be till next week. They also told me that GSD's (German Sheppard Dogs) are not retained by most shelters for adoption (this explains why they are hard to find). They will typically hold them for a short period of time only to attempt to return to their owners. If unsuccessful, they are euthanized because they are considered high risk for adoption - which we both agreed was "crazy" - but that is what I learned.

I'll keep you posted if/when I find a match and make regular updates along the way.

Still looking for the right dog

Check a few different local shelters yesterday and I have not found any suitable dogs for my veteran, Spec A. I know he needs this to happen and it will, I pray that He will show me the right dog - and I believe He will.

The first hit

I'm looking for a male GSD and found this guy out in Gordon CO. Not sure if I'll get a chance to see him - working on it - Spec A seemed to like him too...

How I met Spec A's Mother

This is an interesting story...

Almost 4 years ago, I received a FB friend request from someone I didn't know (will call her Lady A) - so I sent Lady A a message as I usually do (after a quick review of their page to ensure it's not SPAM or just some girl looking for a "friend")

Anyway, as you can see, we had just two conversations and then things were quiet - until I recently got a veteran match from Barbara @ Pet's For Vets. She gave me the name Spec A - which did not ring any bells. So I met Spec A last Sat - we had a nice long chat. Today, I'm looking for his dog - I sent an email to my "dog" contacts and get an immediate hit - so I look up the dog on FB and make a comment - I share the picture with Spec A (who friended me on FB right after our talk) and I get this friend request - from - guess who - Lady A! 

So - I checked mutual friends and see Spec A (which was suspicious) and another friend! I accepted the friend request and guess who she is? Spec A's mother!

And that, my friends, is how I met Spec A's mother... :-)

Mark

• Conversation started July 29, 2010
• 

  7/29, 8:13am

  Mark Schubert

  Friend Request

  How do you know me? Are you Ron's spouse?
• August 3, 2010
• 
  

  8/3, 1:17am

  Lady A

  Hi Mark, sorry, I don't remember who recommended you to me as a friend...I do have a Son that just got home from Afghanistan in March...
• August 3, 2010
• 

  8/3, 6:28am

  Mark Schubert

  I would be honored to have a Mom who has a son who serves his country as my friend. Nice to meet you.

  Chief Schubert
• August 3, 2010
• Lady A

  8/3, 6:17pm

  Thank ya Sir! Thank you for your service! I have one son who went to Iraq all of 2005 and My oldest who just got back from Afghasnistan. Nice to meet you also!
• 

  8/3, 6:49pm

  Mark Schubert

  wow, a double honor! I admire you! and your sons!
• 
  

  8/3, 7:25pm

  Lady A

  Thank You! I really appreciate it! I too am honored to have a soldier as my friend!
• November 2, 2010
• 
  

  11/2, 1:50am

  Lady A

  Hey Mark...how's everything? I hope all is well. Just wanted to ask a favor...My cousin is a Marine and is about to leave for Afghanistan. Please keep him in your prayers. I really appreciate it. Take care...ttys
• November 2, 2010
• 

  11/2, 6:28am

  Mark Schubert

  I sure will! Can you tell me his name? if you send me his address,, I'll also send some care packages.
• November 2, 2010
• 
  

  11/2, 10:46pm

  Lady A

  Thank you Mark! His name is Charlie Brown and he is leaving sometime tonight I think. As soon as I get an addy...I will send it to ya. Thx again
• Today
• 

  3:34pm

  Mark Schubert

  Interesting - seems we were friends before? I'm curious how you know Jim Dandy? I just met Spec A on SAT evening - I've been assigned as his Pet's For Vets trainer...
• 
  

  3:35pm

  Lady A

  I saw that...Spec A is my son...thank you for what you do. I graduated High School with John and Jim Dandy
• 

  3:40pm

  Mark Schubert

  Wow - small world... My son Marcus used to work for Jim Dandy
• 
  

  3:40pm

  Lady A

  that is awesome

  I think that Pet's For Vets is such a great thing