After four months here, Hoobie went home this last Wednesday afternoon. He had a seven hour car ride awaiting him, and a trip through customs. I heard from his owner waiting at home during the last three hour stretch that Hoobie was asleep in the car, as his other owner finished up their long commute.
The hardest part, for me, is over; but I still have a job to do when Hoobie is home in the form of being support for unexpected situations, and commenting on the training an maintenance going forward. I am hoping that news starts coming as soon as the owners and Hoobie are settled; so that I know how things are going. This is the letting go stage, which is hard for a trainer like me. Hoobie was my charge for four months of hard work. While I am so enjoying my mini vacation this weekend, and can feel the weight of everyday care and responsibility for Hoobie leaving my shoulders, it is still my job to make sure everything goes forward at home well. Plus, I naturally worry about my dogs and owners for a good few months after a behavioral case like this. Hoobie being the most behaviorally challenged dog that I have ever seen in my care. Luckily, he was only forty pounds!! He is also bright, able to learn, and the problem was not that he didn't like people (or other dogs).
I should be back to my daily postings, now that "summer season" has officially ended. My dogs training has become sloppy, so I will be concentrating on that. I will also be concentrating on finishing up my training manuals on adult dogs and puppies during this period of time. I will be revisiting whether I think Jack can go through Open reliably next Spring, and hopefully take in some seminars. Also, I am considering doing some group classes next year----possibly. We will see on that.
I will pat my back on the Hoobie case a year from now if his owners are happy and he is still at home:) For now, I wait in anticipation for news of my little monster.
I was very proud that before he went home, Hoobie's owner bathed, brushed, clipped his hair, clipped his nails, et without a blow. This is something any one of which, he needed to be sedated and put to sleep for at the vets. We also watched tv together as my husband popped in and out one night, this is something that Hoobie would race across the floor for to bite the incoming person, whoever it was. Now the trick is, to keep the progress going at home.
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