Day 4

We started out the morning learning about dog grooming.  We now know more about dog ears and different grooming tools than we ever thought we would know.  We put what we learned into practice by doing some coat brushing (Miles liked this), teeth brushing, ear cleaning, and nail trimming. Throughout all of this, there was one little yelp from the dog (during the nail trimming), but otherwise all was well.  Afterward, the dog had a nice long visit in Miles' lap, which both enjoyed.  We also worked on finding a designated spot in our van for the dog and acclimating the dog to Miles' automated seat.

After a break we worked on "Get," "Hold" and "Give."  Most dogs really enjoy these skills and our dog was no exception.  At lunch, we had some special guests.  A local corporation that supports various charities, including CCI, provided lunch. Eight of their employees and the CEO came out to see the training and talk with the students.  It was a nice visit.

On the topic of lunch...  Each day, our lunches have been donated by various individuals or corporations. Many of the individuals are volunteers or donors who have either worked with CCI dogs or received a CCI dog.  There has been a ton of food each day.  It has taken a substantial amount of willpower from both of us not to overeat, although we will admit to indulging in the homemade brownies on Tuesday.

The afternoon lecture was given by a local vet and current CCI board member.  His slideshow gave a very detailed account of the dos and don'ts of canine health, common medical issues, parasites, good and bad medication (internet buyers beware!), and also gave some examples of unique trouble that a few dogs had gotten themselves into while unattended.  It was made very clear to us that while our dogs are well-trained, they are still dogs and are prone to making dog-like decisions if left to their own devices.

We continued practicing our team training for the rest of the day.  Some of the training was outside - another beautiful afternoon.  Today, goodbyes were difficult.  Miles seems to miss his dog.  It is a good thing we get to bring the dog to the hotel tomorrow night!