Since my last report, I have had two obedience classes with Kersey. I am very proud of her. She is doing so well. Two Monday's ago, we did mostly on-lead healing/down/figure 8's/sit-stay/down-stay/stand for exam, recalls, etc. I have been working daily with her and she is almost 100% off lead now. She heals great off lead but we have to work on figure 8's, as she tends to lag behind just at tad. At this point, we have enough training to start working towards her CD legs, but I am going to start her in the advanced/open class just to perfect her positioning, so as to increase our points when we are judged.

Kind of neat news...I had been trying to find tracking and/or SAR training for Kersey since I adopted her, and I finally found a group here in Michigan and was invited to their Yahoo group, and this past Sunday I had my first formal training in SAR. We did what's called "puppy runaways", and we did some baited tracks. I also followed a more advanced handler and his GSD on a 1 mile foottrack threw rough, wooded terrain where there was a volunteer victim. It was great fun, but pretty exhausting. Tonight I have a one on one training with an advanced instructor. And tomorrow I am going to another meeting for more socialization and some more low-level training like puppy runaways and some more baited tracks.

Candy, you just recentlly told me what tremendous work SAR was...you were RIGHT ON! It is very labor and time intensive. I enjoy it very much, and it seems like Kersey enjoys it as well, but it's too soon to tell if this is going to be the job for her. Between training her in obedience and our 3-4 day a week training sessions in SAR/tracking, I have little time left. Poor Graham, he has been left out with all the work I am putting into Kersey. When I get home from training Kersey, I have been taking Graham on obedience training sessions, just to keep him happy. He is already trained threw advanced, and some open training, but he enjoys the one on one with me, and I enjoy the one on one with him.