Posted on 06/18/2009 5:28:56 PM PDT by SandRat
6/18/2009 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- After three weeks, the newest member of the 37th Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness Flight knows her way around the three-story building and often bounds through open doors on surprise visits.
Aamee, a four-month old Belgian Malinois, is the first puppy to be fostered by a unit at Lackland through the military working dog foster program.
The foster program socializes potential working dogs to different people and environments to prepare them for a life of various handlers and locations. Aamee has been with the flight on a pilot test since May 1.
Sharon Witter, Airman and Family Readiness Flight chief, said it provides a different work atmosphere.
"It is a stress reliever, I think, for everybody," she said. "We definitely have to communicate more. You can't just leave her alone."
When broaching the program's pilot test of unit care, Ms. Witter, a dog lover with two of her own, admitted she likes to do things a little differently and jumped at the chance to support the program.
"When I started thinking about doing this for the office, I saw it as a win-win for everyone involved," she said. "The puppy gets the attention and socialization, and the Department of Defense puppy foster program wins. Eventually they will go do their job as a military working dog. They are just military working puppies right now."
The deciding factor was the ability to split responsibility between Ms. Witter, Master Sgts. Jason Hohenstreiter and Don Friemel, both assigned to the Readiness Flight, with the program's option for joint custody.
"(Adopting a puppy) can be a really big undertaking," Sergeant Hohenstreiter said. "Being able to take a break works out better for everybody, especially for the dog. Then the dog is getting all the attention it needs and is not becoming a burden."
Aamee, knows her way around the building, but she is getting to know the base as well. She's gone to commander's call, Veterans in the Classroom training and the Skylark Bowling Center.
"People love the visits," Ms. Witter said. "The puppy draws a crowd. We don't have to say 'Hey, here, look! It's the puppy!' The more visibility we provide her, the more people see her and the more people understand the program and ask about it."
The foster program requires constant puppy supervision and specific guidelines for care.
"You are trying to prepare the dog for training," Sergeant Hohenstreiter said. "You are getting it ready for school, almost like pre-K; you just want to help them develop the skills that are going to help them succeed."
Ms. Witter said the large kennel whether in the office or at home, is the puppy's main base so she gets accustomed to living in tight quarters.
"She has to eat and sleep in her crate," she said. "That's her home whether it's in my house or in Iraq. They want her to be comfortable in that adjustment."
Even playtime is more about building motor skills than having fun. Sergeant Hohenstreiter said playing fetch has rules; too, you never pull the tennis ball out of her mouth.
Describing tug-o-war, Ms. Witter added, "Puppy always wins."
Though caring for Aamee is demanding of time and patience, Ms. Witter said she's looking at the big picture.
"One day she might save a life; that's what these puppies are eventually trained to do in Iraq, Afghanistan or even an airport," she said. "When I see the grown dogs doing their thing, I'm just amazed and in awe of how they do it. Now, to be a part of how they develop and how they get there, it's just a good feeling."
Aamee returns to the military working dog program in August to undergo patrol or drug and explosive detection training.
Sharon Witter and Master Sgt. Don Friemel, both with the 37th Force Support Squadron, go over paperwork while
Aamee plays with a tennis ball. The Airman and Family Readiness Flight is fostering Aamee, exposing her to a variety
of social settings, and caring for her until she is ready for military working dog training.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Robbin Cresswell)
Playing tug-o-war, the way we end the game is that I instruct the dog to "sit" and then to "drop it". That ties into their retriever training, plus it's a little different than "winning" - the owner just stops the game.
I guess they want these dogs to hold on at all costs -- but I sure would want them to know the "drop it" command, just in case they get ahold of something they shouldn't have.
May I ask for your prayers? My beloved laborador-mix Maxie passed away, very suddenly and unexpectedly, Tuesday afternoon. He just howled in pain and fell over. He was 11. We are just bereft.
He used to lie under my legs while I surfed FR and I would pet his back with my feet. Please pray for the repose of his beautiful soul. Thanks...
I am so sorry. I lost my dog a month ago, so I know what you’re going through. It’s been a really sad time in my house.
OMG I am so sorry! My golden retriever sits under my feet while I freep. Prayers to you.
That is very cool.
Yes, it is very different.
I had a Chesapeake Bay retriever and was well informed to NEVER let him win with tug. In fact, I was discourage from playing such games. But could that dog ever retrieve.... he was a tank that couldn’t be stopped.
I let my GSD win, I want something entirely different out of him.
I like the Malinois breed, but I could never raise one. I am told that they are like GSD’s on crack. But what phenomenal working dogs they are.
I’m sorry to hear of your loss. Get yourself to a shelter when you can and find another dog who needs you. When I lost my old dog unexpectedly last year, I literally found a stray dog on the street not far from my home. He’s now well fattened up and healthy as an ox. When I awake each morning he’s there on the floor beside my bed. Sometimes I step on him, but that’s not important right now.
I have been where you are several times in my life. You have my prayers. I know that it’s tough.
I still think of my “once in a lifetime” dog that I lost 4 years ago... I still miss my boy so very much. 14 years was not enough.
>but training our retrievers as puppies we had one rule: “Owner wins all games.”<
Any dog being raised for protection work or schutzhund sport must be allowed to win every time, as a pup. Think about it, these dogs must be able to overpower an adversary. If you allow these dogs to play tug games and win, it increases their confidence exponentially. They are taught to out (release from the bite) later on in their training. The reward for outing on command? A rebite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLHeevq2tKo
Note: the video above is to shape a working dog, not a housepet.
I'm glad to know that. Thank you all for your kind words. (sob) I can't help but think how hard it is going to be for the "foster parents" to let such beautiful dogs go to their mission and maybe be killed or hurt. It'll almost be like sending your boy out there.
I have another dog, Lady who was Maxie's companion. She's a great comfort trying to fill in for him. I would say to film your goldie dog in an everyday situation (barking at the door, etc.) while you have the chance. I found some old videos of Maxie when he was much younger, barking and so forth, and it was a big help, and some footage my son took of him six months ago.
I hope those who are sponsoring the military dogs will get some footage of them after their training. We take too many things for granted it seems.
BTTT. Cool story
The house feels very lonely, and our female German Shepherd still misses him terribly.
I’d miss him too. What a dignified, beautiful dog. Thank you for posting the picture.
[IMG]http://i44.tinypic.com/ny9yj6.jpg[/IMG]
First came bright Spirits, not the Spirits of men, who danced and scattered flowers. Then, on the left and right, at each side of the forest avenue, came youthful shapes, boys upon one hand, and girls upon the other. If I could remember their singing and write down the notes, no man who read that score would ever grow sick or old. Between them went musicians: and after these a lady in whose honour all this was being done.I cannot now remember whether she was naked or clothed. If she were naked, then it must have been the almost visible penumbra of her courtesy and joy which produces in my memory the illusion of a great and shining train that followed her across the happy grass. If she were clothed, then the illusion of nakedness is doubtless due to the clarity with which her inmost spirit shone through the clothes. For clothes in that country are not a disguise: the spiritual body lives along each thread and turns them into living organs. A robe or a crown is there as much one of the wearer's features as a lip or an eye.
But I have forgotten. And only partly do I remember the unbearable beauty of her face.
“Is it?...is it?” I whispered to my guide.
“Not at all,” said he. “It's someone ye'll never have heard of. Her name on earth was Sarah Smith and she lived at Golders Green.”
“She seems to be...well, a person of particular importance?”
“Aye. She is one of the great ones. Ye have heard that fame in this country and fame on Earth are two quite different things.”
. . . .
“And how...but hullo! What are all these animals? A cat-two cats-dozens of cats. And all those dogs...why, I can't count them. And the birds. And the horses.”
“They are her beasts.”
“Did she keep a sort of zoo? I mean, this is a bit too much.”
“Every beast and bird that came near her had its place in her love. In her they became themselves. And now the abundance of life she has in Christ from the Father flows over into them.”
I looked at my Teacher in amazement.
“Yes,” he said. “It is like when you throw a stone into a pool, and the concentric waves spread out further and further. Who knows where it will end? Redeemed humanity is still young, it has hardly come to its full strength. But already there is joy enough int the little finger of a great saint such as yonder lady to waken all the dead things of the universe into life.”"
— C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
That’s very sad. It can be an incredible bond that we get with our dogs, I am just thankful that I have had the blessings of their unconditional love.
My GSD turned 1 year old last Wednesday. We went for a birthday walk, played in the lake and although I think he thought I was nut’s, I sang Happy Birthday to my gentle giant.
The nine year old is a leisurely retriever, but she knows her business, and if she sees a duck fall, it is HERS. Takes her a while to get to the long ones, but she gets there. Where she falls down is handling -- "who the heck is the bird dog here, and why are you telling me where the duck is? By golly I can find it by myself with my superior nose, thank you very much."
The two year old is a loon - more like a little racing car than a tank. She gets so excited on the line that she doesn't always mark accurately, but hopefully that will come with time and experience. She handles like a Ferrari.
Have enough trouble persuading her to give up her duck without letting her win a game of tug.
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