[Ag-eq] german shepherds

[Fred C]

Ya,
I suppose Churchill is a character.  A day or two before graduation,  
the director of training sat  down next to me.  He said that  
Churchill came into the training program 2-months early.  He was  
precocious, and the smartest dog he had ever worked with.  He warned  
me to keep up with the training routine, and always be the Alpha.

He really loves to work, so when the harness is on, and we're  
working, he is all business.  I don't always walk a straight line,  
but at 87-pounds, he has the mass and the assertiveness to correct my  
path.

He almost never barks.  I've known him for just over 2-years, and I  
have heard him bark 16-times.  He barks once, and that's it.  A dozen  
of those barks were when playing with me or other dogs.  The other 4- 
barks when was something surprised or startled him.  Twice, I  
cornered him with the vacuum.  Twice I think we met opossum, raccoon,  
fox, or similar nocturnal animals.

I mentioned that he makes eye contact.  My cats still don't like  
him.  One is terrified, the other merely detests him.  When he was a  
puppy, the male cat in his puppy raiser's home would sleep with him  
in his crate, or on a rug.  My cats are just too old and too chicken  
to learn to be friendly with him.  My macaw likes him.  Birds are  
into eye contact.  Last week, the bird said his name.  Twice now, he  
has flagged down busses by locking eyes with the drivers.  Y'know,  
I'll be stopped on a sidewalk, no where near a bus stop.  Once tying  
my shoe, once taking a call on my cell.  Both times, busses appear,  
doors open, and the drivers ask if I want their bus?  When I smile  
and decline, they say something like, "Your dog was looking right at  
me.  I had to pull over and ask.  He looked like he wanted my bus."   
I remind the driver that he can't read.

Also, when crossing a street, he is locking eyes with every oncoming  
driver.  It's weird.  So far, everything stops for this dog.  I guess  
his light colored coat contrasts with his eyes, making them stand out  
more.

He is very good at training people.  When I leave him with someone  
while I go sailing or tandem cycling, he'll have them trained after a  
few hours.

Gotta go!
Fred, and Churchill, and Sammy the macaw, and Tane and Adia the cats.