Black Dog Day: Diesel & Clyde

I took Diesel and Clyde to a Promises adoption event in northern Virginia today. There were two or three other dogs there as well, all but one was black, so it was a day to celebrate the beauty of black dogs.  

I brushed Diesel a bit before he went in to remove some old fur that had been loosened in the bath. Between the bath and the brushing he was really looking good. He was good at the event, as I expected, but I was really pleased to see him enjoy it as much as he did. He had a little bounce in his step and I saw his tail wag a bit. Diesel got a lot of attention and he enjoyed that.  

He was good with the other dogs and with strangers, including children. One of the volunteers gave his nails another trim, which they needed, and he was good about that as well. He rode in a crate in the van with no car sickness or any other problem. He was tired after two hours of non-stop attention, people, petting, and general stimulation and he slept soundly on the drive home. Good dog, Diesel.

Diesel is calm, settled, well-behaved dog. I expected him to be good at the event even if I didn't expect him to enjoy it as much as he did. I really had no idea what to expect out of Clyde, but I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't put the Gentle Leader on Clyde, just a leash attached to the martingale collar. He didn't pull, certainly didn't try to get away. Clyde was curious about everything, good with everyone, and just generally very well behaved.

Clyde will sit on command now for a treat. I make him sit before giving him his food dish but when I put it down he goes at it and rapidly devours it all. There was a big jar of very small training treats on the table. Clyde would sit when he saw that I had one in my hand and he was incredibly gentle taking it. His jowls and lips enveloped the tips of my fingers but I never felt his teeth. I was quite surprised he had such a gentle touch taking treats that small.

Clyde got a lot of attention as Great Danes always do. He enjoyed it. He was good with children and would let anyone pet him. He was actually easier to handle than a couple of lab mix puppies who were also there today.

Like Diesel, Clyde was tired on the drive home after two hours of constant attention and stimulation in a new environment. I was glad to see that he also made the trip without any car sickness. Good boy, Clyde.