Discoveries

/

And from Sansa's inmate trainer (he writes to much better than I can):

This week was full of new discoveries for Sansa.  One was where she discovered it would be wise to not try and floss using the kennel upon getting her mouth hung up she released a set of wails, exploring a whole new half-scale of notes that threatened to break the fragile membranes deep inside the human ear.  This skirmish was met with no injury other than a bruised ego. 
Her other discovery was that she has a long lost big sister "Gwyneth".  Sansa greeted her big sister with a kind of haughty, imperial delight.  One that I think "Gwyneth" did not full appreciate, but over the course of the visit particularly during their inaugural run together, I could feel an unceasing, tectonic shift towards that special one of a kind sisterly bond. I have no doubt that they will soon be staying up past their bedtime sharing "secrets" and giggling over some cute new boy dog they met while attending a meet and greet.
As far as training goes, she knows all of her commands front and back.  Because of that we are now in cruise mode where we spend our last days reinforcing our already magical bond that will last for the rest of our lives.

Ah, now isn't that the sweetest? He has really done an oustanding job with Sansa and the entire dorm is in love with her.

Her list of extras is amazing.  Here is what she can do (besides the basic commands of hurry, let's go, kennel, release, wait, heel, here, sit, down, stay, bed, and jump):

  • shake
  • leave it
  • kiss
  • bow
  • spin
  • toys up
  • night night
  • go to sleep
  • brush your hair
  • drop
  • give
  • paws up

It's amazing how much knowledge she has soaked up during these eight weeks.  Only a couple more and she comes home! We are so excited!

The Teenager

/

From the written words of Sansa's inmate trainer:

This week our team has watched a small spark of defiance blossom into a flame of total rebellion. She gets in these moods where she shows a fierce kind of determination that suggests all who are witness would do well to steer clear.  Somehow she pulls this off in such a way that it remains endearing. It seems our little princess has hit her teenage years. In a way this is a good sign because it shows us she has a level of confidence, and that is something every proper lady should have.
Her training is still going great.  We have decided to strengthen the command we know instead of adding anything new this week.  Besides, she is already a circus dog and short of showing her how to jump through a flaming hoop, there isn't much more to teach.
There is always excitement in the air around Sansa.  The kind of excitement that might include you in some way as if this is all just some crazy game and you are her secret collaborator. To be honest, that would be just fine by me.  After all, Sansa is the shining star of this show and we are just the supporting cast.

As you can see, Sansa has the entire dorm wrapped around her sweet little paw.  Lawd, she is going to be in for a rude awakening when she comes home and she is not the princess she thinks she is! (Who am I kidding, I'm sure she will continue to reign here, that is, if Gwyneth is amenable to such!)

A Rising Star!

/

From the written words of Sansa's inmate trainer . . .

Ralph Waldo Emerson says that the secret to education lies in respecting the pupil.  Well, I have never seen a more perfect example than in the relationship I share with Sansa.  When it comes to learning, she is so eager to please due to the respect I bestow upon her daily.  We have used that to not only teach her the basics, but also some pretty amazing tricks. 
This week's tricks are "toys up" and "brush your hair".  Both are helpful because even though "Lady Sansa" was born into royalty, she must now learn how to care for herself. No more maid servants to do her bidding. That includes picking up after oneself and brushing your own hair.
"Brush your hair" is where Sansa rubs her paw over her head and face, thus brushing her hair.  After all, a lady never knows when some cute boy dog is looking her way.  Speaking of, her current crush is on a beautiful 75 pound fawn behemoth named "Buddy" (Sunderland).  When he comes around, she comes alive with a flurry of activity and I go from being the center of her universe to becoming some dismal planet on the outer reaches of space.
But in a way, we are all just planets in the universe hoping to be sprinkled with stardust from the celestial comet that is "Lady Sansa".

So, there you have it.  The summation you ask?  Lady Sansa is a hot mess!  I cannot wait until she finishes her prison training and can come home. 

She's a doll and we love her very much and cannot wait until she is a part of our home and our pack.

The Extraordinary Lady Sansa!!

/

Sansa has proven to the inmates in HER dorm (yes, it is her dorm now) that she is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise normally gloomy environment. She just radiates love and exasperates it so everyone feels her warmth!

Training continues at an accelerated rate. Her inmate says the only difficulty at this point is resisting the urge to hold her like a baby until she falls asleep in their arms. Truth be told, they do that on occasion - strictly for training purposes!  Ha ha!!

They've added "night night" as one of her extra commands. You tell her "night night" and she'll put her head down like she is sleeping. It's the sweetest thing, her inmate says. 

The other day Sansa discovered that some animals fly - in particular, birds! She sat watching them soar high above her head.  Her inmate said the look on her face was intent. She was probably studying the birds in flight with the thought that she, too, may fly one day.

And he wouldn't be surprised if she did do that, she is just that smart . . . and amazing. She definitely flies into your heart every time you look at her! What a love!

Brains and Beauty

/

"Brains and beauty" is quickly becoming the story of Sansa. She is quite honestly the smartest dog her inmate trainer has trained and the most beautiful. He says it's very difficult to keep training on track especially when you look into her deep chocolate eyes!  She is just so full of cuteness that you just want to play and play and not train and train!!

Her training sessions are kept short to keep her interested. He makes them fun which has played a part in her learning her basics in record time.  They've even added a couple of extras, just to keep her interest up.  When she is not in class, she prefers to spend her time like most kids, running around looking for "mischief". 

In her case, a "borrowed" shoe is usually just the ticket!  She loves running around the dorm with someone's shoe in her mouth.  She's not destructive with it, she just enjoys the game.  She's a puppy, afterall!!

Her inmate trainer is so proud of her accomplishments and is certain she will be one of the finest Greyhounds to have graduated from the program!

First Week of Progress

/

So, Baby Sansa's (we'll just call her that going forward) first summary from the prison has arrived.  Oh, and what an impression she has made with the inmates, those training her as well as those in the dorm!  Just as I suspected!  Here, in one of those inmate's words, is her first report:

Lady Sansa is a fitting name for a dog who any common peasant can see is descended from royalty.  This is made obvious by the fact that grown men can't help but kneel before her in hopes of being allowed the privilege to bestow upon her a gentle pet or perhaps receive a tail wag of acknowledgement. 
As for me, when I first laid eyes on her I felt a rush of emotion pass through me. It was almost more love than I could bear . . . pure magic!  Seriously, she is the sweetest puppy!  Her coat is this amazing shimmering blend of warm brown tones that reminds me of a north Georgia autumn.  To put it in layman's terms . . . she is so freaking cute!!!
As far as training goes, we are working on leash and kennel behavior since she has never really experienced either.  Right now the kennel is seen as a box of oppression but with time it shall become her fortress of solitude where she can take refuge and channel her inner Greyhound.
To sum it all up Sansa has bonded fairly quickly with our team and is learning that life has boundaries.  All while acting like a "big girl" even though she cuddles with her teddy bear every night when she sleeps!
She is such a doll and we are all infatuated with her!

So, as you can see, she is well loved, well taken care of, and is learning scads. Rumor is she already knows "sit" - on command!! I am so proud!

Sansa Goes to Prison!

/

Yes, Baby Sansa entered our prison foster and training program on May 5th.  Her arrival was greatly anticipated by myself, prison staff, but probably most of all, the inmates who will be training her.  They are thrilled to pieces to have a full-fledged Greyhound puppy in their dorm and I hear are already spoiling her madly.  She is getting lots of time out of the crate, you can bet on that. She hates the crate but I imagine is getting used to it little by little.  Here are a few pictures of her arrival, meeting her inmates, and the big bad bath which she hated but tolerated!

Baby Lady Sansa

/

This blog will follow the journey of my little Lady Sansa as she enjoys her first few months away from kennel life and being spoiled rotten to a few months in our prison foster program, well, being spoiled rotten. The difference is she is learning some commands and will, hopefully, come home a well adjusted puppy. 

Here is my dear Lady Sansa during our visit to the track back in January of 2016.  Isn't she just adorable!  She was about 3 months old here and what a love bug.  I don't think I let anyone else hold her for more than 60 seconds!

It's interesting how completely open she was to letting anyone love on her and I have to say she is just the same today.

Below is a picture of her at the track the day we tried to get pictures of her for this blog. She was so uncooperative,  just wanting to play like the puppy she is and who can blame her?  She is just the sweetest (you'll have to count how many times I say that in this blog), but it's true, there isn't a mean bone in her body.