Bringing Back BabelHund...at least until TheBroganProject.com is up

What can I say but life got in the way of my best plans to document every aspect of Brogan and my life on the road.  Since my last entry, we've visited ten countries and lived in four.  Brogan flew over 40 times before he retired and I bought him a car. So I guess I won't feel too bad that we were busy living instead of busy writing.

I'm not too ready to write after the sad event of last week, especially not someplace that could be considered public.  So this entry is just a little test of the waters to see if this rusty old blog works.  I've already started on building a new site devoted to all things Brogan:  TheBroganProject.com

In the meantime, this could be my place to share some great memories of my very best boy.   Here he is in Etruscan Tuscany in a little village overlooking the sea.

Top Dog Team #107!

Three cheers (or woofs!) for Top Dog Certified Service Team #107!!

This past week Brogan and I spent in Tucson, Arizona going through testing for his internationally-recognized service dog certification. Since we are heading off to Europe soon, I wanted more than just a California assistance dog license: Top Dog's out-of-state training program and on-site week-long testing were just what we needed to prepare us to take on Europe as a fully certified service dog team.

Brogan shows off one of his favorite tasks, carrying.

He can carry full water bottles, shopping bags, keys...even the Netflix envelope to the post office!

The adventure started with Brogan's very first plane ride. With his two metal knees, the first challenge was getting patted down by security. There was a bit of an argument in the ranks of the security agents about who was going to frisk the Rottweiler, but once they met Brogan (who appreciates a good petting no matter what the occasion) everyone was all smiles. Once on the plane, despite being wider than the space between seats, he shoved his way into the floor under the seat and stuck his head into the foot space in front of me. Our only mistake? He got turned around on the way out and Brogan had to back his way out of plane, all 34 rows, since he is too large to turn around in the aisle. Good thing I taught him that 'back up' command!

Our training guru Lydia gets bowled over by a bit of Rottie loving in the Tucson desert.

Once in Tucson, Brogan performed like a champ on all four days of testing. I am SO PROUD OF BROGAN! What a great dog. He strutted his stuff in a huge amount of tasks, such as carry, retrieve, paws up, back up, under and more. For the final test we scored a 178 out of 180... we missed two points for Brogan picking up his leash and giving it to me instead of letting it drag behind him as we walked. Since that is what I trained him to do, I'm even proud of his 'mistake'. Various tests over the four days included temperament testing with both friendly and aggressive dogs, hyper kids and assorted strangers. He resisted food dropped in public and on tables at home, he waited at doorways while I left his sight, he had clipboards dropped behind him (he didn't flinch), had to pick up and carry all sort of items, go under tables and wait quietly in restaurants.... the list goes on, but you get the idea.

Perla (human) and Sysy (Chi girl rescued from Mexico) are the heart of the Top Dog office.

All the people at Top Dog were lovely, especially our trainer Lydia who spent hours with us each day. She gave me a lot more confidence in my abilities as a handler and answered LOTS of questions. She literally (co)wrote THE books on handler-trained service dogs which are used worldwide, "Teamwork I" and "Teamwork II". I feel like I have two dog gurus now, Lydia and Cesar Millan. It seemed perfect that our graduation gift from Top Dog was a copy of Cesar's second book with Brogan and my names and our team number on the book plate. I can't thank Lydia, Perla, Lynn all the Top Dog crew enough for their advice, kindness and time. You all are great! Read more about Top Dog at www.topdogusa.org.

Brogan posing with his Easter basket from Fran at Garcia House, our home away from home in Tucson.

I'll hopefully have time to write more about our experiences in Tucson, but I have to also mention our lovely hostess of our vacation rental, Fran at Garcia House. Fran runs an amazing little operation and she and her husband Charlie couldn't have been more gracious and kind. We were greeted with doggie bowls and a doggie treat Easter basket with Brogan's name on it (and goodies for me, too). Fran took a chance on us as her first doggie guests and I'm so glad she did as the trip wouldn't have been the same without her. The apartment was wonderful and neither Brogan or I wanted to leave! Check out Fran's amazing apartment and fun website at www.garciahousevr.com.

Fran and Charlie's rescue Chi mix Eddie graciously shared his domain with Brogan.

Mornings were all about training but afternoons were all about discovering Tucson. To be honest, I didn't think the desert would be my 'thing' but I really got an education. The landscape is truly incredible and there are a myriad of things to see and do in the area. More on Tucson tourism and lots of photos of Brogan standing in front of cacti in the next post...

Brogan in El Barrio neighborhood in downtown Tucson.

Changes

Mama Jodhi looks over the beach on her last trip to Fort Funston, April 2008

This week marked several milestones that have left me feeling glad for a quiet rainy Northern California afternoon. The resounding theme seems to be change. Monday was both Brogan's seventh birthday and the day Cesar Millan's dog Daddy died. No, of course I didn't know Daddy personally, but like many dog lovers (and especially pit bull lovers), Daddy was a personal canine hero.

As a younger dog Daddy looked nothing like my pretty pittie girl Mama Jodhi, but as he aged over the last few years I saw more and more of the signs of a great dog nearing the end of his voyage on earth. The aging pittie 'penguin waddle', the whitening of the muzzle, the eyes opened wide to try to let in more light past cataracts. But also the sheer joy of life and wisdom of accumulated years. Many people saw their dogs in Daddy and many more saw grace and kindness for the first time in a pit bull. Most dog people respect Cesar as a trainer but we all LOVED Daddy.

Hearing the news pulled Mama Jodhi to the front of my mind, but with a year's distance it's becoming more sweet and less bitter. Just as my first Rottie Duncan saw me through the hell of burn recovery, Mama Jodhi's mission was to help two women in their transitions. Jodhi's first owner died, leaving Jodhi on death row: this is how I got her as a foster dog. She then shared a special bond with my mother, a cancer and then stroke survivor (and finally victim). Jodhi belonged to me, but my mother belonged to Jodhi and the two lovely ladies made their departures within weeks of each other.

In her younger days with me (ages 8-11) Jodhi was a great bee huntress. I had a huge walnut tree in my back garden with a honeybee colony living inside the 3 foot round trunk, and our 'bee friends' provided Jodhi with quite the entertainment. Vet records from her real youth indicate that it took her several years to refine the art of bee hunting, capturing and swallowing without getting stung. By the time she got to me she was a pro, and I usually decked her out in bee-themed collars to declare her prowess.

The bee colony was gone when I got back from my year in Europe and though I waited another year for them to come back, today I had the dead tree stump removed. Another change. The thing was damn ugly but it made me think of Jodhi chasing bees and whizzing around the lawn at a 100 miles per hour. More transitions.

This week has brought good change as well. Brogan is really starting to shine in his new role, and I am becoming a better teacher. After years (his entire life, really) of being the 'auxillary dog' in my pack, the two of us ARE the pack and I am at this late date finally learning how to be the right person for him instead of trying to fit him into my image of a Rottweiler as defined by Duncan. Today he crawled through under a low bench for the first time, just because he trusted me, and he did it with a big dumb smile on his face.

It would take too long to explain why that one act was a perfect ballet of teamwork for both of us... let's just say that Mama Jodhi and Daddy would be proud.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Travelogue Redux

Louis the Dog waits for the start of the Nightwatchman tour in the town square.

As I'm cleaning out my house getting ready to rent it and head off on another adventure, I ran across this hand-written note of an afternoon and evening I spent in Rothenburg ob der Tauber in December of 2008 (at the time I was living in Bamberg, Germany). Here's an out-of-season blast from the past about the German town that celebrates Christmas year-round.

Despite my trepidation at having to change trains three times to got here from Bamberg, the transportation portion of today's adventure went quite well. All of the trains were local and because of the time of day were filled to the brim with school kids. All things considered (i.e. no adults in sight) they were really well behaved. A few ten year olds sat on the floor and played cards and the one squabble that broke out between a couple of eight year olds was calmly put to an end by an older teen.

After five days of "schnee-regen" (slushy rain), we got an honest to goodness dumping of real snow overnight. Because of the earlier rain, the snow has clumped onto buildings and trees so picturesquely that one would think the entire region has been professionally flocked. The effect was pretty in Bamberg, but positively magical in Rothenburg under lit Christmas trees lining the streets of the town center every dozen feet or so. It is like walking through one of those Lilian Vernon miniature Christmas villages my mother used to love so much.

Lit and decorated Christmas trees lined all the town's main streets.

I got here around 3 p.m. and easily found my hotel. I wasn't expecting much for 25 Euro (about $40) per night, but it's actually quite nice. No TV and no bathroom but clean and larger than a closet. Given my current comprehension level of German the lack of TV is not really a hardship. And given that I have a least five hours of German "hausaufgabe" (homework) to complete before Monday, I have plenty to keep me entertained.

While Rothenburg itself is Winter Wonderland spectacular, I was underwhelmed by their Christmas market. Mostly yet more Käthe Wolfkarte stands (aren't three stores and a year-round "Christmas Museum" enough for one town?). The purveyor of the nicest quality stand - wooden creche figures - turned out to be from Israel. I told the man they were lovely and got quite an extensive conversation in German in return. He was easier to understand than most locals, possibly because as a fellow foreigner he took pity on me and spoke slower!

A perfectly flocked tree branch outside my hotel.

I had another nice conversation with a woman out walking her eleven year old block-like West Highland terrier. She (the dog) started whining and running towards me so of course I had to pet her and tell her how "suß" and "schön" (sweet and pretty) she was. The woman said she never meets Americans who speak German. That seems to be a common theme in Rothenburg, city of Anglophone and Japanese tourists. In Bamberg I'm expected to speak German and when I don't understand everything I get the "Poor thing you must be the village idiot" look. Here everyone immediately starts speaking English. The funny thing is when I open my mouth to speak and they hear my accent and "realize" I'm French (I have a French accent when I speak German) they start speaking to me in very slow, very loud English: "Do. You. Understand. A. Little. English?" Um, yeah...most days anyway.

One of the last walled cities of Europe, back 'in the day' this doorway was the only way in or out of Rothenburg.

I also happened upon a deserted Winter Wonderland park replete with imposing castle, views over the valley and river ("der Tauber") below, crunchy snow and an enormous sparkling Christmas tree. It was lovely, peaceful and just what I needed after what has been a frustrating and lonely week in Bamberg. It's good to be reminded that I can still enjoy traveling after 13 months on the road. Sometimes my unrequited yearning for my dog and pajamas lands me in the dumps... discovering a place as lovely as Rothenburg is a good antecdote.

A deserted park and crunchy snow... what could be better?

Tonight I'm off to the "Nightwatchman's Tour", whatever that may be. It's in English and hoping against hope it might involve history and maybe even a ghost or two. Now THAT would make my trip to Rothenburg complete!

That was the end of my hand-scribbled entry. If anything the night got better. The tour met in the main square and while loitering around waiting I saw an enormous dog with his people. It turns out this was "Louis" who belonged to American expats living in Brussels and on vacation in Germany. Despite being well over 100 pounds, Louis had made the trip to Europe with no problems and his people told me traveling with him in Germany was a breeze. Indeed, Louis was the star of the evening, with many tourists and Germans alike wanting their picture taken with him.

Louis and a couple other canines joined us for the tour, lead by a very sinister looking fellow with a wicked sense of humor to match. Rothenburg is a walled city and once the door was closed only a watchman at the one (small) door into town could open it. The whole system worked fabulously against invading forces, but did little to prevent the population from nearly being wiped out during the Black Plague. Like Bamberg, World War II mainly missed Rothenburg. In Rothenburg's case it was saved from full scale American bombing by dent of being a favorite tourist destination of an American general's mother.

After the two hour tour I tackled walking the ancient walls in the dark. Mmmm... not the best idea without a flashlight. I have to admit I gave myself the screaming habdabs imagining ghosts and ghoulies. And the frozen ice on the wooden stairs wasn't too reassuring either. The rest of the evening I spent wandering the snowy and deserted streets and gazing in shop windows at bratwurst and the town specialty, Schneeballs (don't ask... they look better than they taste). Sure it's touristy, but I can't imagine a better pre-Christmas destination and a better place for a California girl to enjoy the exoticness of snow. With any luck next year it will be Brogan's photo I snap in front of the town hall!

Soft-ball sized 'Schneeballs': eat at your own risk.

Happy Seventh Birthday to Brogan Today!

In honor of Brogan's birthday, a little trip down memory lane...

Brogan and me on his adoption day...

...and six years later after getting his CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Certification.

Brogan's mother and father were either dumped by their owners or seized as the result of a dog fighting bust in the Los Banos shelter: the exact history is a bit unclear. From there the pair was rescued by Nancy Wartenbergh, a volunteer for Second Chance Rottweiler Rescue. Nearly a dozen puppies were born in Nancy's home in Woodside a short while later. The irony of going from a prospective short and brutal life as a canine warrior to being birthed in the Silicon Valley equivalent of Beverly Hills isn't lost on me and I often think how lucky Brogan was that Nancy decided to take on the daunting task of first time puppy mom.

Auntie Johanna comes to visit 10 week old baby Brogan...

... and poses with him at Bark in the Park in September 2009.

My first Rottie super hero, Duncan, had only passed away a couple months before Brogan was born. As a short-time volunteer for Second Chance I met Nancy and was eventually given first male pick of the litter and allowed to bring him home at only six weeks. His new pack consisted of Tavish, a six pound toy poodle of undetermined age who hated him on sight, and Jodhi, an eight year old pittie mix who became his defacto dog mom (thus earning her the enduring nickname "Mama Jodhi").

Hanging with Mama Jodhi at three months...

... and a typical Sunday afternoon with his Mama at Fort Funston (2007).

We were an odd little group. Jodhi was technically still a foster dog and I was still mourning my first Rottweiler, the incomparable Duncan. In many ways, getting another Rottie pup so soon was not at all fair to tiny Brogan. Despite me desperately wanting him to be the second coming of Duncan, Brogan proved to be his own dog. He hated to be held and growled if I insisted. He used Mama Jodhi as his personal couch and was the butt of vicious (if bloodless) wars initiated by tiny Tavish. He was afraid of garbage cans, then orange trees, then strollers, then bicycles. Unlike Duncan, who was frighteningly smart, Brogan seemed to only understand life if Mama Jodhi explained it to him. I got used to the permanent look of confusion on his face. Then again that could have been caused by his left eye not pointing the same direction as his right, one of his most endearing physical traits.

Traveling buddies (2007)

Brogan has had some other significant challenges, not the least of which was developing on-leash dog aggression around two years old. As someone who believes my Rottie should be an ambassador of the breed, this was tough for me to handle. Solution? Take him to every class I could find which involved Brogan on a leash around other dogs. Fun tricks, agility, canine freestyle (i.e. doggie dancing) and obedience, obedience, obedience: we've done it all. The fact that he is now a Service Dog and a test dog for new fosters coming into the rescue group for which I volunteer says it all: the combination of training, patience and time have made him one heck of an excellent dog despite his dog-fighting genetic background.

Brogan enjoyed lots of camping during 2008 living with Mike, Mimi, Clare and Milo.

This year has been a roller coaster for our pup. I came back from my trip in February of last year and he had to learn to live without another dog for the first time (Mama Jodhi passed away in December of 2008). I took him away from his friend Clare Dog and his adored Mike and Mimi in beautiful Incline Village (Lake Tahoe). Then almost immediately he needed major surgery (a TPLO aka knee replacement). After months of recovery with no play, walks, etc., we welcomed Miss Emma, chihuahua/terrier foster dog extraordinaire into our home. For Brogan it was LOVE and it was a joy to watch them romp and play. Brogan used to run circles around Mama Jodhi on the beach... the first time he did this with Emma brought tears to my eyes.

Brogan and I are still missing Emma.

Then on New Year's Eve 2009 another blow: Brogan had surgery for his SECOND knee, yet another TPLO and another strict regimen of no movement. No more romps with Emma, but at least she kept him company and he enjoyed watching her run and play in the house. Two weeks ago life changed again when Emma (now Winnie) was adopted. The first couple days Brogan was fine, then it dawned on him Emma wasn't coming back. Though outings as a Service Dog and his new training regimen has helped, he's not quite my goofy baby boy yet.

Just the two of us at Fort Funston.

Now I hope that Brogan is on the road to recovery where both his knee and his heart are concerned. He does really love to work and is still the most social dog I've ever seen. He just lights up in public. I'm very much looking forward to completing his training and going for our official ADI testing at Top Dog in Arizona soon. Despite the fact that seven years is considered geriatric in the Rottweiler breed, I hope that Brogan being a mutt of sorts (and a mere 75 lbs) will keep him going for years to come. By this time next year, I expect to have lots of stories to tell about Brogan riding the vaparettos in Venice and meeting the firehouse boat dog in Paris. Allons-y!

Overlooking our favorite trail at McNee Ranch in Montara.

Backing Up is Hard to Do

A younger Brogan with former packmates toy poodle Tavish and pittie Mama Jodhi

(on a ceramic plate by yours truly).

This week's training assignment from Top Dog Service Dog Advanced Class: 'back up', 'under' and 'paws'. 'Paws' (learning to put both front feet on a counter or in a lap) is off limits because of Brogan's still-healing knee, but we're going full steam ahead with the other two commands.

Kind of.

Brogan has issues. Who knew? Poor guy backs up like he's been bellying up to the doggie shots bar. The butt goes right, goes left, does a little wiggle... does everything except go straight back.

The idea in teaching 'back' is the dog can eventually back under tables or between seats. I also want to teach 'back' while Brogan is next to me, so that he can better maneuver tight areas like commuter trains. We've done back before, mainly in our 'doggie dancing' (that's 'canine freestyle' for the sticklers) days and also as a convenient way to play fetch with a big dog in a small house. In both of those situations, Brogan does NOT 'back' like a drunken sailor. Why now?

My solution was to make a 'chute' out of a couple chairs and the couch. I load him into the chute and click/treat him for any step backwards. He caught on immediately and does a perfect straight 'back'. Take him out of the chute and it's Margaritaville all over again. Sigh.

On the bright side, 'under' is going much better than I'd hoped. I have him 'target' my hand and then have him touch the target further and further under the table until his whole body is under. He can be a bit of a 'fraidy cat about certain items of furniture in the house, and the dining room table (according to Brogan) is haunted, so I thought he's put up a fuss. But nope, three targets and then a down... right under the table and three days in a row. Good boy, now we just have to put a name to the command and practice until he doesn't even think about it. Hopefully the haunted table will cooperate by not choosing to levitate during a crucial moment!

Brogan's Going Paco!!

Artist Josh and Brogan pose at the Paco Collars store in Berkeley.

To celebrate Brogan's upcoming seventh birthday (February 22) and his knee which will be officially recovered a week later (March 1), today we ordered our very own Paco collar. After Emma's last obedience class (Brogan stood in for her admirably), the big guy and I made the hour-long drive to Berkeley to visit the real live Paco Collars shop.

While I was disappointed that we didn't get to meet the owner's dog (an ancient hairless breed) who hails from my favorite Mexican city, Oaxaca, the rest of the experience was fun for all. I'd seen the Paco Collars crew at the Golden Gate Kennel club show a couple weeks ago and been mightily impressed with their quality and designs. It's a young, creative group of dog lovers and all the work is hand done at their shop in Berkeley. Plus they support Bad Rap pit bull rescue... what's not to love?

This was the design I really wanted, but it just didn't look as good on Brogan

as the more subtle (and perchance MANLY?) design that I ended up with.

I admit to a certain blinding passion for Celtic knot designs and they had two collars which use gorgeous knot patterns. I was hoping to buy 'off the shelf' at the store once I saw which one looked the best on my boy, but Paco Collars really are made to order one at a time and the store is more design studio and workshop than retail store. As it turned out, the one I would have ordered over the internet because I liked it the best wasn't what suited Brogan the best.

Luckily designer/artist/leatherworker Josh was a very patient man. With his guidance, 'we' (i.e. he) designed a whole new collar for Brogan using a silver Celtic feature with brass hardware and brass studs in a beautiful swirl pattern all on top of a massive 2 1/2" wide black double layer leather collar. Josh will be making Brogan's new collar himself and it will go into the Paco Collar lexicon as "The Brogan".

They also do a wonderful over-the-shoulder leash which Josh will also be studding out to match the collar. The great thing about the leash is that it fits over your shoulder like a messenger bag strap which means hands-free walking. They took measurements so that it fits with my and Brogan's height (like the collars, the leash is made to order). This will be so great when negotiating crowded areas or with me carrying shopping bags while walking with Brogan, both of which are everyday features of city life in Europe sans car.

Brogan and I had a WONDERFUL experience at Paco's and can't wait to pick up his new 'outfit' in a couple weeks. Of course, Brogan will be modeling "The Brogan" here at BabelHund!