Dobby's day will come

A deaf and blind Great Dane is not on everyone's "must have" list, mine included. But there are folks out there who like to take on a challenge while also doing a great thing by giving a good dog a good home. Dobby is that dog and we're looking for that home.



I took him over to Erika's Friday afternoon for her to evaluate and work with him. He passed the kid test and dog test without any problem. She put a Gentle Leader on him and had him walking by her side in just a few minutes. I'll confess that I've not been a big fan of Gentle Leaders, but they work, and they allow a small person to control a big dog with very little effort. They are also particularly good for a deaf and blind dog like Dobby because it keeps the dog within "touch" range, which is essential for communicating with the dog. (I actually plan to put one on Della as a secondary means of control when she gets reactive to other dogs, but that's for another day.) Dobby fought the Gentle Leader a little bit in the beginning, all dogs do because it's an unfamiliar thing on their face, but he adjusted to it very well and very quickly.



Saturday there was a Valentine's Day thing that Green Dogs was having at a pet store in Charlottesville. I put the Gentle Leader on Dobby and we went. It was his first time at a public event with lots of people and other dogs. It's also the most crowded store in the world, but that's where having close control over Dobby's big head really came in handy. He would have been the proverbial bull in a china shop in that place but for the Gentle Leader. Even so, it was cozy and we spent a fair amount of time outside in a sunny spot. Some folks came specifically to meet Dobby and I think left with a good impression of him, so we shall see. His day will come.

This is Dobby meeting Killian. Both dogs were good.

Erika multi-tasking, as always, breast-feeding a
baby while training Dobby.

Dobby outweighs Finn, by a lot, but he was able to
control him easily with the Gentle Leader.

Any time Dobby encounters an open vehicle,
he climbs right in. He comes out cautiously,
but easily as well.

These pics give a good view of the Gentle
Leader. It fits over the dog's snout.

It's not a muzzle, it doesn't prevent them from
eating, drinking, licking, or biting, but it does
give the human control over the dog's head.
If you lead the head, the rest of the dog follows.

You can see that the top of Dobby's nose is a bit raw from running
into things. 

He's really a rather laid back dog.

He maintained contact with me most of the time. His foot
on top of mine let him know anytime that I moved.

As with most things in dog training, it's more about teaching the person
than it is teaching the dog. This is me learning to walk Dobby with the
Gentle Leader and a very short leash. I'd reach out and touch him as
a reward when he's walking appropriately.