Welcome Keiser

I've already reported how Reba entered and left our lives. Be assured, she is still well, well loved and well cared for.

Now, however, I'd like to introduce you to Keiser who, like Reba, is a Service Dog / Medic Alert In Training.

After our mistakes in adopting Reba (none that were her fault but simply that she was too large for us and too much puppy), we did our research before seeking another companion.

First we were interested in a smaller breed, who could fit into our space, who would match our energy levels and who would be happy with us as well as a breed who would make a good medic alert dog (i.e., a good nose was a factor).

Beginning with these factors (and having an inherent distrust of "toy" varieties), we decided to concentrate on the Terrier and Working breeds. Breeds in both groups have their advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses and, equally important, their likes and dislikes.

Both bassets and beagles -- the unarguable best noses in the business -- had to be eliminated because their noses were also their weaknesses; that is, they are such good trackers that they will follow a scent for miles and miles ... and get lost doing so. (Remember, we're in a rural environment where we have bears, mountain lions and bobcats ... who, for the most part are good neighbors but must be taken into consideration.)

Not to list all of the varieties considered -- that would take entirely too long -- we also had to look at behaviors; how they got along with other pets, with strangers, how were they to train, what were their grooming and exercise requirements, etc.

In the end, we came down to three preferred varieties: the miniature Schnauzer, the border terrier and the schipperke (actually classified as a non-sporting breed). Each of these had many attractive qualities. The two terrier varieties -- despite the fact that terriers as a whole have several disadvantages -- were atypical of the terrier group and became our first and second choices with Mary inclined to the miniature Schnauzers (because of their distinctive appearance and hoping to find one who "would match my beard" and "look great with me in a trench coat".)

Having decided on preferences, the question was where to find possible candidates. (One other criteria was that we hoped to find a mature dog rather than a puppy.)

We both thoroughly dislike "puppy mills" and had no intention of patronizing pet stores selling puppies (too many of these do support puppy mills), quite aside from the fact that we hoped for an older animal. So, our preferred avenue of search was to contact rescue organizations.

Many rescue organizations specialize in finding homes for specific breeds so we contacted (west coast) groups handing the three varieties we had targeted. We also, however, contacted several non-specialized rescue groups -- who are also plentiful in our region. These latter include a great many "No Kill" shelters as well as less formal organizations.

And we also filled out a lot of questionnaires to qualify, meeting various criteria. No problem with this; we'd be hesitant to deal with any one who did not exercise suitable screening.

Obviously, having specific preferences narrowed the available candidates and sometimes patience is necessary.

After several weeks -- and exchanging correspondence with several rescue groups -- we had an email about a miniature Schnauzer who was fostered with a woman in Tacoma (about a two hour drive). I had some medical appointments as did Mary so we had settled on a Friday afternoon meeting to get acquainted. This was only one possible candidate and it was every bit as important how he (a male but we had no preference on this point) felt about us as how we felt about him. Relationships work both ways -- for us, at least -- and we were looking not for a pet but for a companion/attendant ... which made this doubly important.

Late Wednesday afternoon, however, we had a message from another rescue organization telling us that the Kitsap Humane Society Shelter (one of those "No Kill" organizations I mentioned) had just posted a miniature Schnauzer who we might like to meet. This was about 4:30 PM -- far too late to make the drive which would be roughly an hour -- but a call to the shelter elicited a promise that the dog would be reserved until noon the next day, giving us time for a visit.

Meeting Keiser, we liked his attitude, manners and interests (he zero'd in on the liver treat in my jacket pocket very quickly). We were also impressed by his intelligence (and continue to be) and were pleased to learn that he'd been well taught a few basic (and important) commands and behaviors (i.e. come (whistling works also), sit, etc). Heel is still a little bit problematical but we'll work on it. He needs no invitation to jump in the car ... nor to jump out again. And he has a superb nose as he's shown me repeatedly.

I do not know Keiser's history or why he became available for adoption but it was readily apparent that he had been well cared for and well loved ... as he will be by us.

And, as quickly became obvious, he approved of us. Not in a subservient fashion but more as if he found us acceptable friends.

Please note: I do NOT expect or intend for Keiser to learn "tricks" such as rollover, beg, walk, etc. He is a working service animal and deserves his dignity; he is not a clown for the amusement of others. Of course, he does love to play fetch and some other games .... but that's different. These are his choice.

He does, however, continue to surprise me with the variety and number of " tricks" which he does entirely on his own ... and entirely as his response (solution) to something he wants to do. Nope, no need for "tricks" -- he's his own person ... and my friend.

I had thought about renaming Keiser when he joined us. Considering this, we'd looked though a lot of names and Mary had come across the name Darma (German). Since this place is called Dranpa, the name Dharma (the Sanskrit spelling but the pronunciation is the same) seemed especially appropriate. However, Keiser prefers Keiser and, as I said before, he is not a pet but a companion and, therefore, his name remains as he prefers.

It took Keiser a couple of days to feel comfortable here (as I write this, he's been with us just two weeks yesterday) and giving him a fenced area has made him more comfortable (by keeping the rest of the world outside). He can use the dog door to get there and also has a door which gives him free access to the outside areas (outside his "pen") when desired.

Harvey (friend/neighbor) predicted that my therapist (problems with PTSD) would say something as soon as she saw him.

She did. At our next meeting, as I sat down and Keiser jumped into my lap, she commented: "Well, by the grin on your face, I'd say he was helping you."

And I have this very happy feeling when I lie down in bed and invite him to join me. I really should try to get a picture of him airborne with his wings (ears) fully extended. (Pardon the poor quality of the video clip. This was taken using a digital camera -- not a video camera -- and then trimmed to the two seconds you see here.)

In this shot, he was asleep on the dinette before responding to a brief whistle. As you can see, he does extend his wings to get airborne.

He and Smokey are making friends. Keiser doesn't "rush" Smokey and, at 19 lbs, is roughly Smokey's size (14 lbs) so he, Smokey, is beginning to accept Keiser and -- shall I say before Halloween? -- they should become good friends. (Earlier, Keiser was half in my lap and half on the hassock ... with Smokey on the other half ... maybe an inch or two of separation?)

One of the things which -- potentially -- worried Mary was whether Keiser would bark a lot. It was several days, however, before we heard him bark at all. Actually, we were beginning to wonder if he could but the answer is that he's very discriminating. A few nights ago, for example, he "alerted" on something in the area while we were in the hot tub. No idea what but we took his word on it and went back inside. Probably nothing serious but he was concerned. (I mentioned the local wildlife earlier. At that time of night, the likely suspect would have been a black bear ... which is very little worry at all.)

With the weather cooling (and raining ... a lot), we started worrying about Keiser getting chilly. Granted, he does have a fur coat (and it is thickening) but we decided to order a sweater for him and settled on a nice red sweater (to match his collar), trimmed in a McDoggie tartan (Scotch plaid).

A neighbor very kindly sewed on the shoulder patches so that he can wear the sweater without his uniform vest -- having the patches saves a lot of explanation when I go shopping or out to eat. Of course, a lot of the places we go -- Keiser and I, with or without Mary -- the staff already know Keiser and he happily accepts petting, treats and other attentions ... but never forgets that his primary job is to keep any eye on me.

The sweater is nicely designed with a velcro closure running down the back. This lets Keiser (with some assistance) "step in" to the legs and then close the sweater along the back

Keiser wasn't sure at first what to make of the sweater (he's quite accustomed to his "official" vest) but after a bit of time out in the rain, I'm pretty sure he was appreciating his new weatherproofing. Of course, we may get him a raincoat as well (and there are boots for snowy weather also) but we'll wait a bit for those.

When I ordered his sweater, I was told to measure both his chest size and his length. Based on his length (the sweater matches his chest size), the sweater should have been about two inches longer -- a problem which I can sympathize with after years of shirts, coats, etc. which, if they fit at all in the torso (34 waist, 44 chest) are always too short in the arms and the body. So, I guess he fits with me pretty well.

And, I expect that his next sweater will be a larger size ... and I'll have it tailored to fit. Of course, that may give some tailor an interesting story to blog about but, hey, it's called sharing the wealth, right?

Keiser has some tastes which, quite literally in some cases, are unusual ... or unusual for dogs anyway. For examples:

In any case -- likes and dislikes as well -- he certainly fits into this family.

Owner-trained Service Dogs	A site devoted to owner-trained service dogs, their owner/trainers and methods of training, support, information and resources.
Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound	The mission of the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound (ADC) is to provide a safe, supportive and educational environment that will enhance the partnership of persons with disabilities and their assistance dogs
Assistance Dogs International	Coalition of nonprofit organizations that train and place Assistance Dogs
Delta Society	The Human-Animal Health Connection, good resources
SitStay.com	Excellent source for service / therapy dog equipment, vests, patches, etc. Also offers guide books. (recommended highly)
Summit Assistance Dogs	Service dog trainers, located in Mt. Vernon (Anacortes)
The Pet Store	All weather dog doors. (recommended highly)
WAG (Welfare for Animals Guild)	Pet Rescue Organization: The mission of WAG is to protect animals from neglect, abuse and exploitation; to advocate for their interests and welfare and to inspire awareness and compassion for the animals whose world we share. (recommended highly)