TK Goes to School: Our First Visit

On Thursday, we set out around 3:30 to make the hour drive to see TK! Our family was so excited to finally be able to make the trip - it had been two weeks since we laid eyes on his perfect little face! 

Disclaimer: 

This is a post that I am writing for our own documenting of TK's time at Obedience/Water Training school. It may be a little over-descriptive, but it is simply a documentation for us of his time here.

Once we arrived, Matt hurried over to his kennel and let him out. TK was so happy to see him. He just nudged up against him and loved on him for longer than usual. Most of the time, TK is "susceptible" to love, but he welcomed Matt with open arms. Once he decided that was enough, Matt walked him around the kennels to us, and TK seemed happy to see us, too. 

Once the initial "hellos" were said, the trainer (who's name is also Matt) started showing us the things that TK has learned thus far. 

Remember, he's only been here for 2 weeks! 

TK is getting a good handle on "sit means sit" which is basically SIT and STAY in one command. This particular trainer doesn't use the command "stay". If he says sit, he means SIT and STAY.

In this photo, Trainer Matt is telling us that TK is really showing out for us! He said that he hasn't been able to put that much slack in the chain while asking TK to sit before! ;)

TK is also learning "place". With "place", TK can follow the lead of a hand gesture to go where his master wants him too. 

He has even learned to JUMP up! Before he left, {he was not much bigger than this}, we would have to pick him up and put him in places! It's fun to see that he feels confident enough to do it himself now -even though he kind of hesitated a little. :) 

These next few photos are of he & Matt. Matt was so happy to see him and be with him, and I think it made him glad to know that his time here isn't being wasted. TK really is learning so much, and he respects his trainer so much already, too. You can tell by the way TK looks up at the person holding his leash that he is willing to do the things asked of him.

TK stayed close to Matt's side the entire time we were there. I never thought he would forget us, but it was crazy how HAPPY he seemed to have us there. 

I, of course, was so thrilled to be with him - even if it was only for a short time. TK truly feels like a member of our family. We had spent nearly every day with him up until he left. It's been hard for me to come home and not have him there or know that he isn't over at Matt's to go get. I keep telling myself that this is what TK was born to do - answer to his master, learn the tricks of the trade to hunting, be a disciplined canine who's one true desire is to do right in his master's eyes. He IS a dog, despite the fact that we sometimes think he believes he's a human. 

After visiting with him alone for awhile, Trainer Matt came back to join us, and we discussed the Labrador breed together. After a little while, he explained what TK's future in training looked like. He grabbed a duck wing from his toolbox and showed us a few things that he would do to teach TK.

Trainer Matt was impressed, I think, to see how well TK responded to the duck wing. Sometimes, he said, dogs can turn out to be great lap-dogs and not have it in them to hunt. With TK, Trainer Matt said it didn't seem like he would have any trouble teaching him the "on switch" to hunting. 

{I'm sure Matt breathed a sigh of relief when he said that!}

Do we miss TK while he's gone? Yes. 

Do we talk about what he would do if he was at home with us? Yes. 

* just the other day we were shelling peas, and peas were all over the floor - daddy said that he would be cleaning them up for us and wondering why we were making such a mess because when he made messes, he got in trouble! :)

Do we sometimes joke about going and getting him to bring him home? DEFINITELY. 

However, I think we all know deep down that even though we miss him, he's probably enjoying what he is learning and being around other dogs {although they don't have any contact with each other}. The envirnoment there is peaceful and serene, and TK seemed to have adapted well. It was almost like he thought, 

"HEY! Glad ya'll are here, let me show ya'll around my new place!" 

"When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself."

- Gene Hill