Happy Belated, C!


So being the horrible person I am, I left Corvus in a boarding kennel for his birthday while I was enjoying myself down in Georgia!  Actually, he's a dog and doesn't care about his birthday.  And I'm not one of those people that makes a big deal out of my dogs' birthdays.  BUT...I did a post for Barghest a while back so it's only fair to do one for Corvus.

 This will mostly be pictures-I take a lot of pictures of this dog.  A lot.  We've spent a lot of time together over the years, starting our treks to training when he was 9 weeks old.  Then training every day at home.  Going places around town and traveling together.  This dogs came from Texas, has driven to or through more states than many people and is an expert at staying in hotels.  He's super attached to me and I to him.  I don't know what I'll do when he's gone.  The last dog that I had this kind of bond with was my first husky.  Nyx and I are working on it and I think we'll be there.  But just as we connect more deeply with certain people more than others, the same holds true for animals.

 Corvus is now 6 years old...where has that time gone?  So six years ago, here was my first meeting with him as we picked him up from the Pittsburgh airport after a long journey from Austin, TX.



 

Bonding already!


See how in two of the three baby pictures he is staring intently at me?  This was how it was from the beginning...the dog wouldn't take his eyes off me.  Great for training but a little creepy.  I'd be watching TV or doing other things and get this weird feeling.  Corvus would just be laying there staring at me.

 One of his favorite toys was a gift from my good friend, Ruk.  To honor his Texas heritage (actually he was just born there-mom is from Slovakia and dad is from the Czech Republic!) she got him an armadillo!

So stressed about travel!  :)


A little possessive of his toys...he collected and laid them all out like this.

More random pics of my boy playing!



The sticks get bigger and bigger!
First water experience!



So one of the things that Corvus does that people don't always get is Schutzhund/IPO.  People struggle to understand the protection element of it though it is so much more and every part begins with a strong foundation in obedience and good temperament.  The best way I've heard to describe the protection side is equating it to martial arts.  The ability is there but it's about judgement and control, which is where the temperament and obedience pieces come into play.  Anyone who has met Corvus knows this dog is the friendliest, most stable creature out there.  He's great with kids and has recently become quite the hit with the kids in my part of the complex.  They think he's awesome and he loves playing with them!

Corvus and I spent years training together and that included hours on the road to New Bloomfield, PA for individual and club training (Mid Atlantic/Seven Mountains Working Dog Club!) as well as time spent every day on obedience and tracking.  It really creates a strong bond and, even now, this dog rarely leaves my side.  So here's my guy doing what he does/did...sadly I stopped training when I moved from teaching to working at PSU due to the time commitment.  Unfortunately, had I known that all the time I was spending didn't really matter, I might not have given up on C's training so easily...

Tracking at Atlanta Motor Speedway!
My goofy boy looks convincing!  He actually is...if need be.
 
 
Stopping the "bad guy"!
Training with Ivan Balabanov, a world champion competitor and trainer.  He remembered Corvus and I even after our first training session (I got to train with him more than once!)...one of the many reasons I should have stuck with the training.  Corvus was a great working dog!  Love the puff of dust on the ground, by the way!
Looking the helper right in the eye-no fear there!
Flying down the field for the long bite-he's FAST!
Only a few months old-never too early to start training!

Is it problematic when the handler looks meaner than the dog?  :)
Partners

Corvus after getting his BH title



Above is a short video to show what athletes these dogs are.  This is Corvus coming down the field for a long bite with the helper...but he has to clear the meter jump on his way!  Not only does that mean he has to get at least 3 feet of air before getting the sleeve, he was doing this at the end of a long training session!

I'll leave this post with just a few more random pictures of my guy.  This dog is awesome in every way-one of the best I've ever had and I've never not had a dog in my life.  Sorry I missed your birthday, Little One, but there will be plenty of walks in the woods to make up for it!

Chilling as a four month old puppy in the rental house on Tybee Island.
Being a good big brother to the new puppy!
Acting crazy in the snow!

I've not had much motivation lately but I hope to get moving on my Savannah pictures soon!  Stay tuned!







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