Alcatraz, day one

And in one swift move, the energy level in our house is back to what it was a few months ago. Behold, the power of the puppy...

The Back Story:
Alcatraz, aka "Traz", born January 1st of 2008, entered the Assistance Dog Training Program in March, 2008. After nine months of training, he was pulled from the prison program because he was a little too talkative, easily distracted and a little headstrong. He is still a candidate for becoming an "in-home" assistance dog, however, so he is still in training. We are now fostering him.

The Story So Far:
Traz arrived last night, circa 6:30pm, after an ill-fated trip to PetSmart (we missed their early New Years Eve closing by 15 minutes). Unfortunately, it was dark by the time we arrived home, which added a stressful element to the introductions. First up was Tank, who responded with a wide assortment of growls, then tried to bite off Traz's face. Old dogs - 1, New Dog - 0. Next, it was Sophie's turn. She responded by snarling, baring her teeth, then trying to bite off Traz's face. Old Dogs - 2, New Dog - 0. Finally, we introduced Traz and Darcy through the baby gate. Traz responded by leaping the gate and having his ankles bitten by the Spaniel Basset of Death. Old dogs - 3, New Dog - 0. To Traz's credit, he was unphased and continued bouncing at them: "play with me play with me play with me play with me play with me play with me".

Fast forwarding to today, things are surprisingly good. No baby gates, nothing separating any of the dogs; they all have free roam downstairs. Aside from the occasional nasty, snarling, resource-guarding episode from Sophie, there are no incidents to report. Traz keeps trying to half-heartedly hump TankMan, but he is having none of that. Some initial observations:

1) We've forgotten how much fun it is to watch puppies and their pure, unadulterated, unbridled joy. Traz loves to bounce and lope around, hoping one of the other dogs will join him; but if not, oh well - he will entertain himself by running back and forth through the house, then sliding across the tile floors.

2) It's been awhile since we've had a problem-solver in the house. If Traz sees something he wants, he gets it: be it the dish towel, a blanket, a toy on the counter, or something under the chair. It also took him less than 30 seconds to pop the lid off the food can in the pantry. He is not at all malicious and he stops what he is doing when you call him; just your typical, everyday puppiness.

3) Traz is an exceptional puppy. He turned a year old today and has what one can only describe as a "service mode". When you start putting him through his commands (sit, down, stay, kennel up, hurry, etc), you can see him snap to attention and you become the center of his world...albeit until he gets bored and wants to switch into "play mode". Still, for a dog who is working on his first 24 hours in a strange, new place, you really don't notice he is here.

4) He is going to start testing his handlers within the next few months. As is the case with most Labradors, he has a stubborn streak that will begin to show itself soon. He will work until he doesn't feel like working any longer, then is aloof and seems to just go through the motions. But the groundwork is definitely there and he has already surpassed Sophie in terms of temperament and obedience...though Sophie still has the record for most poop consumption per capita.

5) Traz's previous foster families note his uneasiness with reflections in glass, new people, and children, as well as his requiring constant supervision, lest he chews on furniture and pillows. So far, we've witnessed none of this (...other than him picking up the blanket a few times). He is fine with our dogs and the children from next door and pays no attention to reflections.

Traz does pick up his bowl and tries to carry it around and his hips are of concern. Otherwise, he looks to be overcoming most of the concerns listed in his notes. For a one year old Labrador puppy, he is very gentle and well-mannered.

If only one-year-old humans were this good...
Hopefully, he stays this good and I won't write a month from now about how "Traz ate the couch", or "Traz destroyed the kitchen table", or "Traz ate the 5-year-old next door", or "Traz stole a car, robbed the convenience store up the street, and is now an inmate at the State Correctional Facility".