12/08/2013

"Goodbye my sweet boy!" says Samson's handler.  He's become the biggest part of her life and the happiest part of her day.  This dog is truly, truly amazing and she cannot imagine one person he could come into contact with who wouldn't fall in love with him. He's well-mannered, social, friendly and - for the most part - calm and laid back. The most memorable moments she will cherish about him will be how he stares at her with those big, beautiful brown eyes and winks with a slight smile as if saying to her: "I'll tell ya something!"  This boy gets along with all the other greyhounds.  He doesn't mind being kenneled and will just get cozy and go to sleep.  He loves going on walks and will let you know when he's ready to stop!  He can get a little antsy at mealtimes, but he minds his manners in seconds and sits calmly.  She is in tears thinking about his departure, but she knows the two of them worked so well together and achieved their purpose to ready Samson for his forever home.  His new family will be thrilled, excited and blessed to have him.  And now his handler is so ready - and excited - to help another rescued K-9.

12/01/2013

Happy Thanksgiving! It was a truly wonderful holiday weekend.  There were so many different food smells in the air and Samson did absolutely wonderfully at leaving people's food alone!  He would sniff here and there but with just a mild correction, he'd walk off and mind his manners.  No table snatching!  They still continued their daily exercise around the track and tennis court.  The weather was kind of chilly, so he had his winter coat on.  You should see him in this leopard print coat!  He looks adorable and prances like a mix between a camel and a pony.  He has such character.  Everyone on the compound knows his name and loves giving him lots of attention.  The staff love to give him treats and at times he'll do every command/trick he has learned just to be rewarded with some good stuff.  Samson still likes to hang with his humans and doesn't mind the other greyhounds around him.  He's definitely a leader, not a follower - has lots of confidence, swagger and liveliness.  He's an affectionate boy and will completely steal your heart.

11/24/2013

This weekend they had what is called the weekend swap at the prison, where another handler gets to have the hound for 2 days.  He did really great with his weekend handler and responded very well.  They went for plenty of walks and he did all his commands well, including doing some for other residents in the dorm.  Back at home base Sunday evening, he was happy to be back, which he didn't express by bounding around, but in his calm stare at his familiar handler.  He then slept like a new born pup in a pile of cozy comforters  (he loves comforters and blankets) next to her while she wrote her report.  He still doesn't care about toys, though he will fiddle with a treat-stuffed Kong, trying his hardest to get the treat out.  Tasty treats are his favorite; they make his mouth happy!

11/17/2013

S - is for the super-intelligent K9 he is.

A - is for the amazing and awesome personality he has

M - is for the good manners he shows.

S - is for his soft, sensitive side (he's totally gentle :-) )

O - is for his outstanding behavior.

N - is for his natural beauty (he's truly handsome).

These words from his handler describe her little partner and more!  He's  come a long way on his journey and she is very proud of him.  Samson isn't afraid to step into new situations and surroundings because he's a very strong-minded dog.  He trusts his handlers and the team and is a very people friendly dog who wants nothing more than to please, earn teats and praise, go for long walks and eat (and sleep!). He's doing great in  his training and has come along especially well in handling steps - slower coming down than going up, but he does them!  And this week he allowed his nails to be clipped with hardly any fuss.   Now all he is waiting for is to share his gift of life with some new family.

11/10/13

Samson’s handler is ecstatic as this boy finally went up the stairs this week on leash. He was hesitant but did it! Next step will be to get him to go down. He will do it soon, she has no doubt. It was an alternate handler who helped with this – teamwork really paying off in training the hounds. Samson had also been difficult when it came to nail trimming time, but this week he was much better, with only a little grumbling. His handler was so proud of him and gave him several milk bones and some beef jerky as a reward…he loved it! Samson is a super friendly boy who craves attention and has a super duper personality. He has a new human friend who he adores: the side bunky to his handler, who thinks he’s the best greyhound in the world and loves waking to his friendliness and his sweet doggie licks. When he finds his forever family, she really hopes they will feel that way about him, too.

11/03/13

This week Samson got a lot of exercise and socialization with several people. A few girls from the dog team took him to different places on the compound, one being the "AA Big Book Study," and he relaxed on his little cot and was a good boy. "Bed" is one of his better commands! Yesterday he lay on his bed with Dixie Lynn (the dog) and let her roll around him. He even let her sit on his head and it was A-OK! Samson's a pretty laid-back fella. He is still pulling on leash but is a lot better than when he arrived and with stern correction he will stop. He's friendly and affectionate with people. And at times he appears to be truly a couch potato, but then again, he can be that playful dog you want!

10/27/13

Samson is a very social dog and continues to be super friendly and spunky. Everyone in the dorm wants to interact with him and he loves it. This past week, his handler has had more officers approach him than any other grey she's had. She's also been proud to get several compliments about how big and healthy he looks - it means a lot to her to hear them. Samson didn't like having his nails clipped this week, despite having done fine with it before. His handler and the vet tech are working with him to reinforce the positive in each encounter, especially with touching his paws. Training is coming along. His sit, shake and bed are his best commands. Down, here, heel and wait he does, but not as quickly. He's very cautious so far on the stairs and his handler is still physically hand walking him up and down. Overall, Samson is a very playful, energetic and fun-loving dog.

10/20/13

Samson's handler has trained a number of greyhounds and has been blessed and grateful for each one. Samson is teaching her to appreciate life and to look at everything in a positive way, even when storms are rough. She enjoys his company, his little funny faces (especially smushed up against the kennel bars) and the way he demands love and affection. She shares a quote she saw in a clothing catalog this past week that is printed on some of the items. It caught her eye and tugged at her heart: "It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them, and every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." In Samson, she has an easy and gentle dog, high energy at times, but easily calmed. He's coming along well with his training and knows sit, down, here, heel, shake, and bed. His pulling on leash has improved tremendously, helped with lots of practice with different team mates as well as daily exercise. He's a terrific K-9 and she prays he'll get adopted as he will be a wonderful holiday gift for a family.

10/13/13

Samson is fantastic. He's what they call the Power House around there. He's so strong and fast. He ran off leash for the first time this week and you should have seen him GO! He's a fast greyhound and moves like the wind. He's a high energy dog, though he calms easily with firm correction. He now knows how to sit. His back legs are still kind of shaky holding the position, but he'll wobble for that yummy snack. On his mission to explore, he's still pulling on his martingale but it's much improved since he arrived. A lot of it is due to curiosity - he has to smell everything - but his handler believes that with lots of exercise and play he'll "slow his roll." She's having a blast with Samson, and the assistant warden even adores him, likewise every inmate who comes in contact with him. He's so affectionate towards people. He's not into toys and shies away from all sizes of balls for now. He does well around the other greyhounds and at this point pays no attention to the service dogs (poodles, shitzus, labs etc.). Samson sleeps well through the night and might give a quick little whine in the morning to alert you that he's awake and it's chow and potty time...then he goes back to sleep. His future forever family will be thrilled and blessed to have him as a companion and family member.

First Impressions - 10/06/13

Right from the start, Samson connected with his handler and nuzzled her and since day one he has been comfortably lying next to her while she sits on the floor. He was slipping and sliding on the shiny floors for the first ten minutes but since then has been fine with them. In his new environment, Samson is curious about everything and is an extremely happy boy. He has a tendency to pull and as he is a big, strong hound with a mission to explore, his handler is going to use a gentle leader and a harness to get him on track early with heel walking. Samson hasn't whined, barked, marked or shown any aggression with dogs, inmates or staff. He's a big, gentle grey who is constantly looking for affection. He hasn't shown interest in toys yet, but he did enjoy discovering the kiddie pool. He just stepped right in after his walk and lay down in the water! Samson is a lovely boy and he also has the most unique and beautiful eyes - he is definitely an "eye catcher"!