ICAN Dogs: Past and Present

I've been involved with ICAN for almost 10 years and have met a lot of great dogs and people since that time. The first ICAN dog I trained, a black lab named Declan, was placed with a then-8-year old boy named Caleb. I've stayed in touch with his family over the years and it's always fun to hear updates about how they are doing. Caleb is now in high school and Declan is mostly retired.

Over Christmas break I was offered the chance to "borrow" Declan for an overnight. I hadn't seen him for several years so it was very special to get to spend some time with him. Declan will be 11 in March and he was diagnosed with liver disease over the summer. He is still acting pretty spry and you'd never guess his age or health condition just by spending time with him.

Declan and Morey

 I thought Declan might be slower and not want to play with Morey and Jamie but as you can tell he can still keep up with the best of them! He has his own version of playing and Morey adapted quite well.

 It was a lot easier to get pictures after they had worn themselves out with playing!

Worn out!

What a happy looking dog!

Doesn't look too comfy to me!

 Declan was the very first ICAN dog I trained while I was back in high school. He lived with me for about 6 months while I did most of his advanced training and so we have always had a special bond.

Morey and I also have a special bond and it was interesting to see Morey react to not being the "only dog". Jessie was around when Morey arrived so he was never very jealous of her but Declan was a different story. I don't think Morey liked having a "strange" dog come in and capture my attention!
While Declan was visiting Morey was extra affectionate to me and when I woke up one morning I found myself sandwiched between a yellow dog and a black dog!

It was so fun to get to spend this time with Declan. Since I've been involved with ICAN so long I have and will experience a lot of losses when it comes to my canine friends. When you know each time you see a dog it might be your last it gives each interaction special meaning. I guess that is the way we should all live everyday!