Monster is a "Canine Good Citizen" now. He performed all of hius tasks with flying colors. I was so proud of him....and so proud of myself since I trained him. We've really become a pretty good team the past couple of months.

We've been steadily working on developing his service tasks. Monster already looks more to the right than to the left when we are walking, seeming to understand that I have a limited field of vision on that side. He will nudge or pull me to either side to avoid objects some of the time. For 6 months old, and that not being a task we are training, I'd say Monster is pretty tuned in to his human.

He's developing a "prey instinct," so will go and get things. Right now, he wants to play with me more than he wants to give me what I have asked for. It's a work in progress. At least he can go get the item, even if he doesn't want to actually give it to me.

Mon is 6 months old and over 60 pounds - still growing. He is tall enough now that he only wears the "traffic lead" when we are working - a 12 inch lead that is made of a bungee cord-like rubber. He's learning to help pull me to standing from a sitting position. We'll work on from the floor once he has from a seat down. Another work in progress, but we are making progress.

One thing I had not set out to teach him is how to navigate the office by himself. Surprise!! He can do it!. We go for walks on my morning break, which takes us out the north-side door, around the building, in the south-side door, and through the call center back to my desk. We stop and say "hi" tyo people we know and he recognizes. He knows that when I ask if he is ready to "take a break" that until I tell him "find your desk" he is not working.

Once we have said hi to friends and family in the office, I give him the command "find your desk." He sets off with me, making turns a second before I give him the direction, and walks us all through the call center, back to my desk in the QA section on the north-side of the building. I've noticed that I've had to give him fewer and fewer directional commands, and had to refocus him less. So, today, I tried a little test of myown.

Once I Told Monster 'find your desk," I took off my glasses. I've worn them since I was 3 and without them, I can't clearly see past my nose - literally. So, I was walking basically "blind" with Monster.

He checked me a couple of times, touchinf my hand with his nose, and gave me a couple of pulls and a couple of nudges. I told him he was a good boy, but refused to give any directional commands, just repeating "find your desk." Well, he did it! He walked us back to my desk, all by himself!! I was so proud of us both!

NOw Mon is happily sitting under my desk, munching a dog biscuit. We'll go out and play ball in a little while, for lunch. He's shaping up to be such a good boy!!!