Yes, by all means read the explanation.  I'm astounded.

I love to watch my hunting dogs evaluate situations and make decisions or correct me with a look when I miss a shot or direct them in a direction that they know is foolhardy.  But this short video displays skills far above those I've witnessed.

I've always said that my dogs, based on their vocabularies and reasoning, seem as smart as a three-year old.  I may be undervaluing them.

I never knew guides were this highly skilled and trained.  It has been a lesson for me this last year and really reinforces how important it is for me to work with Sigmund and let him process and evaluate situations and try to learn to think them through and not just force him to do something.  It also explains why a lot can't move on to guide work.  I really admire the professional trainers that work with these dogs!

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We are puppy sitting another pup on program, Halsey, a 12 month old female lab. This photo is prima facie evidence that girls are smarter than boys!!! Halsey is about 10 lbs heavier than Sig and quickly figured out she did not have to win by tugging -- she could just lay on the ground and let him wear himself out pulling her around! Sig has never really learned how to play with other dogs, so having Halsey here has been great for this aspect of his learning. Some rough going to start, but we are making small good strides

www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/dog-amazing-doesnt-her-dog-042238891.html

Going to get on my soap box this morning for a minute. Thank you, thank you, thank you to this author who gets the difference between a comfort animal/ESA/ pet and a service dog. I was reading another article this morning about a family who has a DAD (Diabetic Alert Dog) for their 9 year old who were thrown out of a Smashburger because the manager didn't like their "pet" in his store. Sorry, but I think the rise of ESA's in public places has caused a lot of harm to service dogs and we need to get folks to recognize the difference.

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This was kind of a test.  We have been out and about and I have taken some good photos of Sig, but when I go to post, it says my attachment was to large.  I got a new camera and Bent looked at the settings and saw I had it on large so changed it.  So I took one this morning as a test. Sig, out standing in his field!!!

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Summertime and the livin' is easy!!!

It appears that a dog's life is pretty DOGgone good at your house.

It appears that a dog's life is pretty DOGgone good at your house.

Well, he does have to share the pool with Bent!!!

It appears that a dog's life is pretty DOGgone good at your house.

Well, he does have to share the pool with Bent!!!

He has to share or is it the other way around?

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Happy Fourth of July from Sigmund!!!!

Is he mortified or simply resigned to it?

Is he mortified or simply resigned to it?

Probably mortified.  I am sure he is thinking "Maybe if I close my eyes, when I open them, this will all have just been a bad dream".

Seriously thought, they like us to try and get them to accept hats and hairbands and things on their head without a fuss.  I guess it has to do with body handling and the dog accepting things being done on and around his head.  I am sure most blind handler's are not the most adept at putting on leashes and harnesses when they start and they want the dog to be calm and patient no matter what.

Seriously thought, they like us to try and get them to accept hats and hairbands and things on their head without a fuss.  I guess it has to do with body handling and the dog accepting things being done on and around his head.  I am sure most blind handler's are not the most adept at putting on leashes and harnesses when they start and they want the dog to be calm and patient no matter what.

I hadn't thought about that.

He really is a good looking dog.

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Thanks, I think he is good looking too.  He came to us at 11 weeks, so never had him as a real baby, but I found a GEB "baby picture" of him --maybe 8 weeks?  Sig is on the right and a cutie even then.