Norman at 16 weeks

Norman at 16 weeks

Friday March 29, 2013

I’ve posted a video introducing Norman on my YouTube channel, but I think it would be nice to see his handsome visage here on the blog. Here’s Norman, now 16 weeks old, holding a nice sit on the walk in front of my house.

Normanophiles may compare this most current still shot with the “Meet Norman” video to see how much he has grown in the past ten days. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6SYYsm1HIg

That left ear does come up sometimes; there’s still time for it to pop up and stay up.

KNHAR BBQ Benefit!

Norman and his 11 siblings were saved from death by Dr. Sheri Kyle and her New Hope Animal Rescue. http://www.newhopeanimalrescue.org/Home_Page.php

Thanks to the dedicated staff and volunteers, all the puppies found homes. And thanks to the generosity of City Barbeque, KNHAR will be able to help more homeless pets find their furever homes. 

Want to enjoy some delicious BBQ and help this great dog and cat rescue? Then come join the friends of KNHAR next Thursday, April 4th, at City Barbeque in Blue Ash. City will donate 25% of your tasty purchase to the rescue. It's an all-day affair, so you can eat lunch or dinner...or both!

You'll need to present a flyer in order for them to credit the donation to the rescue. You can pick up a flyer at Kyle Veterinary Hospital, or conveniently print one from the Kyle's New Hope Animal Rescue website: 
http://www.newhopeanimalrescue.org/Calendar_of_Events.html

How easy is that? Next Thursday, April 4th, all you'll need to help these wonderful pets is a flyer and your appetite!

City Barbeque, 10375 Kendwood Road, Blue Ash Ohio.

Cast of Canine Characters

Tank and Melanie

Sept 22, 2011

No worthy endeavor is without a group of supporting characters. The Norman Project includes a couple of very important players: my two dogs.

Melanie is my 7-year-old rescue whom I brought home as an 8-week-old from the shelter in Warren County. She’s the driving force behind my discovery of real dog training, and a prime example of why training is so important for every puppy and dog. Melanie is a Border Collie mix. Melanie can be described by those who know her as high-energy, happy, and full of spirit. She’s also opinionated and loves to verbalize. Melanie has earned two AKC titles, the Canine Good Citizen and the Companion Dog. We’re currently in training for the Open class, which involves heeling, jumping, coming when called and laying down when told, and retrieving a dumbbell.

Tank is my 22-month-old yellow Labrador Retriever. He was bred by a friend; I helped whelp him and his 7 siblings, 4 boys, 4 girls. In fact, Sheri Kyle, DVM, saved this litter. Tank’s mom Aspen had a difficult delivery and Tank was stuck. Thanks to Dr. Kyle performing an emergency C-section, Tank and his littermates all survived. Tank is not like the typical boy Lab: he is on the quiet side and not overly interested in food. He won’t say “no” to a good treat, but he doesn’t counter-surf, almost shocking for a Lab. Tank is very lovey-dovey and enjoys working with me. Tank also has two AKC titles, the Canine Good Citizen and the Beginner Novice, which he earned in January at Dayton Dog Training Club.

Meet Norman

Norman is a puppy with an unusually calm temperament for such a young one. One thing I noticed right away was that he appeared quite thoughtful. Dogs are such observant creatures, perhaps more so than any other animal. They watch everything, but most especially us. They are, as Alexandra Horowitz says in her book Inside of a Dog, anthropologists of us.

Norman is definitely a canine anthropologist, but he tends to violate the “prime directive,” since he is so interested in people. Although he has a puppy’s eager paws jump-up—which is an attempt to greet eye-to-eye, canine style—he is quick to sit. And once he does, he looks you in the eye.

Dogs seek connections with us; we’ve bred and trained them for thousands of years to work beside and for us, to guard property, to seek and find lost people and hidden contraband, to serve and protect. This led to a unique relationship, this ancient bond between man and dog, one that enables us to simply enjoy the privilege of each other’s companionship.

Norman seems an old soul. He is, however, a 15-week-old puppy, with all the enthusiasm and curiosity that every puppy possesses. But who says an old soul can’t be young at heart?

Here’s my first video of Norman, recorded Saturday, March 9, 2013. Recorded with a Samsung Galaxy 2 tablet; this is my first tablet, so the video quality is a bit shaky and has a few bloops. Mayhap I’ll learn to edit! Norman is romping in one of the dog yards at the boarding clinic. The current level of interconnection means that my YouTube channel will be linked to this blog, but here is the direct link: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6SYYsm1HIg

Something Special

Do you remember the first time you saw your best friend’s face? It’s possible that the first time you saw her, she was looking back at you from behind bars. That’s what happened to me, the day I walked into a local animal shelter and encountered a tiny bundle of energy that charged into my heart and changed my life. Our story is one that is repeated countless times, whether one’s puppy came from a breeder or from a rescue; the plan is for a happy ending with our chosen puppy becoming a part of the family.

But sometimes, the plan changes, especially when four-footed family members are involved. Dogs are much like people in that they have distinct personalities and preferences. Dogs, like people, don’t always like change, and a new puppy in the house often is too much of a change. This can lead to heartache, and sometimes, despite best efforts, a tough decision must be made. This is a heart-wrenching experience, one I well-understand, having been through it.

Even before Norman was adopted, I knew there was something special about him. One of 12 German Shepherd puppies dumped in two totes outside a West Virginia shelter, he had a thoughtful way of looking at the noisy world around him. And although he loved playing with his littermates, he was ultimately more interested in people. His adopters were excited about bringing him home to meet their older dog. Ultimately, though, she was not as happy about the youngster as he was about her. His adopters tried every measure they could to help the two dogs adjust to each other.

Do you remember the first sacrifice you made for love? Do you remember the pain of making a choice for the greater good? Ultimately, making that choice leads to a realization that you’ve done the right thing, but it takes time to believe it. It might help the process to know that good will come of your decision.

There is something special about Norman, something which impelled me to do something I’d never done before: become a foster. The Norman Project is all about ensuring that Norman gets the training his first family started, but also about discovering where Norman’s specialness might lead him.