Time To Graduate

Carmen’s inmate trainer says that the past 10 weeks have passed in the blink of an eye.  He says that Carmen has an ecstatic sense of liberation that can only come from being aware that she is free to be herself.  Out of all of the dogs he has had the pleasure to work with he believes that she is by far the most curious.  She seems to live by the old adage of “Never be a butterfly collector, rather be the butterfly itself.”   

While she has spent 10 weeks learning new commands from her inmate trainers they have in turn learned a great deal from Carmen.  Her inmate trainer says that with each dog that passes through the training program their confidence grows.  He says the confidence grows not only in the individuals but in each other as a team.  He says that this is a program saving the lives of beautiful wonderful dogs, but what is not seen is the difference it makes in the lives of the men who train them.  He says that through this program they get the chance to rebuild their lives and find a way to restore the faith in themselves.  

The Arrival Of Swap Week

Swap week has arrived and Carmen spent the week with an alternate inmate trainer.  She got to experience taking commands from new people and spending time away from her primary inmate trainer.  Her alternate inmate trainer says that she was a joy to work with!  She’s a calm laid back girl who gets excited at training when she sees the treat bag.  She loves to play but wants to keep the toy for herself.  Her alternate inmate trainer says that he didn’t see any signs of aggression just the possessiveness with toys.  She didn’t mind being away from her primary inmate trainer.  

Carmen’s alternate inmate trainer says that Carmen is going to make a great addition to some lucky family!  She was a wonderful companion for a week and he knows that she’s going to wonderful in her forever home.

Finding Her Voice

This week while playing after a training session Carmen belted out her first bark!  Her inmate trainer grabbed the treat bag and marked this action for “speak.”  It took about 10 minutes but she’s finally found her big girl voice and now speaks on command!  Her inmate trainer says that he can just see Carmen using her voice with confidence fighting for the rights of female Greyhounds everywhere!  

It has also been discovered that rubber toys are the best for Carmen.  If she gets ahold of a stuffed toy she will systematically try to rip his head and feet off for a quick snack.  Her inmate trainer says that if you give her a stuffed duck for instance she rips its wings and feet off leaving her open for an angry mob of avenging ducks, which is never a good thing.  To sum it up…. Toy duck $5.99, rubber Kong $10.99 avoiding an angry mob of avenging ducks…. Priceless.  

Carmen continues to be a maverick whose independent style seems to drive her to push the boundaries of life, but her inmate trainer expects no less from one of the finest dogs he’s ever known.  

Happy and Carefree

Carmen’s personality has been unfolding like a beautiful spring flower!  Her inmate trainer says that she now prances around like a Tennessee Walking horse happy and carefree.  She loves to chase anything you throw her way and she’ll carry it around with her like a golden prize.  

Her inmate trainer has been working with her on the “stay” command in hopes that she’ll understand to stay versus getting up to checking out every passing human.  It’s pretty hard for her since she’s an explorer at heart.  Next week her inmate trainer plans to add some extra commands to her routine to give her a fun new way to earn treats. 

Sweet and Affectionate

Hi ya!  I’m Carmen a sweet and affectionate girl.  My inmate trainer says that personality never waivers and it’s just as certain as the sun rising in the mornings.  I might add that it’s also just as warm and bright as a beautiful as a Spring morning.  Now I will admit that when it comes to exercise time I lift the veil of calm retired racer and allow my ancestral skills to come forth… oh the feel of the wind in my hair!  

My favorite game is when my inmate trainer bounces a tennis ball and I hit it with my muzzle!  I’m doing fabulous with all my commands and believe that I should get a TV show – you know like Lassie had.   

Lady Carmen Has Found Love

This past week love came knockin’ on Carmen’s door… a door that she flung wide and welcomed love in with paws wide open.  Who’s the lucky guy you ask?  Why, Dudley the prison drug dog. He has this bad dog vibe that Carmen finds irresistible.   She laid eyes on him during exercise turnout and she was quite shameless in her flirtatious prancing up and down the fence like a deer.  Her inmate trainer tried to explain to her that boys respond best when you play it cool, but she would have none of that!  Sigh, they do seem to grow up so fast.   

Training wise Carmen is doing great!  They added the “shake” command this week to help break up the training routine and to keep it fun.  When she does shake she holds her paw forth like high society and you feel compelled to sweep down and kiss the elegant paw instead of just giving it a shake.  

Carmen is quite the lady.  Her inmate trainer says that she is hands down one of the best dogs to come through the program.  Despite the fact that she did cast him to the side in the blink of any eye for a lab mix dog named Dudley.  

Laid-Back and Sweet

Carmen continues to chase her dreams of being a great explorer.  She will look at things in a ponderous elderly way, then in the blink of an eye she’s ready to set forth on her next adventure.  

This week Carmen and her inmate trainer worked on the stairs and the “jump” command.  Once she figured out there was a treat at the top she figured out the stairs on the first try!  She knows all of her commands really well and most verbal and hand signal cues.   

Carmen’s inmate trainer says that Carmen is one of the sweetest most laid-back Greyhounds he’s ever had the pleasure to meet!  She’s loving, quiet, and smart!  He believes that she’s going to be a wonderful addition to some lucky family.  

Former Racing Goddess

Hi, It’s Carmen, former Racing Goddess.  It’s been a few weeks since I decided to retire from the spotlight and chase my dream of settling down on some nice family’s warm, comfy, couch. So far things could not be better!  There is this guy who is my inmate trainer. He tells me his job is to teach me new commands that will help me to be a well-behaved family member.  To reach this goal we have what is called “training sessions”.  I really look forward to those because all I have to do is pay attention and I earn lots of treats and praise!  But, that’s not all! Get this, after we are done I get to pick out toys from this basket full of all sorts of cool stuff!  I prefer the tennis balls that squeak, but there’s something about biting the face of a stuffed fox or duck that I just can’t say no to.  When my inmate trainer says that playtime is over I just give him "The Look".  You know, the one with my soul filled eyes with the “Arms of an Angel” song playing in the air.  I totally have this guy wrapped around my paw!

I’m really looking forward to meeting my new family!  I sure do hope they have lots of squeaky balls!  Hey, a girl can dream can’t she?

Curious About Everything

Carmen has an endless well of curiosity which she draws from on a daily basis.  Her inmate trainer says that she greets every little thing as if seeing it for the first time all the while wagging her tail. Her inmate trainer says that Carmen’s tail has been wagging non-stop since she arrived at the prison.  He says that he’s at a loss on how it has not fallen off! Her inmate trainer says that since it is Carmen’s mission in life to explore every nook and cranny on earth it’s hard to keep her focused for training.  It’s really not a problem though since it only takes 3 or 4 times and she has it down pat.   

Carmen's inmate trainer is enjoying his time with this sweet girl and can't wait to see what she learns next!  

What a Beauty

Carmen's inmate trainer writes "When Carmen walked into my life, the first thing I noticed was that her black coat shimmered like a deep pool of water with glimpses of something feral and wild, yet sweet lurking just beneath the surface.  Combine that with the eyes that swim with the warm golden colors of fall and you have yourself a case of love at first sight.  Complete with the cheesy Hollywood love music playing in the background.  Our bond was instant!!"  Can you tell he loves his new charge? 

After a good scrubbing, Ms. Carmen was first introduced to the toy box.  And, of course, she loves them!!  Her inmate trainer believes she may think they are eggs.  She either tries to eat them or she takes them to her kennel where she lays on them.  Maybe in hopes of hatching some baby chicks, who knows?  What her inmate trainer does know is that she is not only adorable but very smart.  She is also just as motivated by toys as she is with treats.  Believe it or not, but she has already learned to sit for toys. Brains and beauty?  You bet 'cha!

So far Carmen seems perfectly content in her new environment. She is a strong, beautiful female whose confidence shows in her every step. 

Her inmate trainer is looking forward to discovering what other secrets she will reveal to him in the weeks to come.  Training her will be a blast. He has no doubt she is going to make a perfect addition to some lucky, loving family upon graduation in May.