L.J.'s Updates

Dec 12th

Jordan Returns to the Place of His Birth

This past Wednesday, December 12, LJ and I made a quick “turnaround” trip to Santa Barbara.  The purpose of this trip was two-fold.  1)  I wanted to spread some of Jordan’s ashes in the ocean directly below the place of his birth; a Santa Barbara bluff overlooking the Arroyo Burro State Beach (also known as the “dog beach.”)  This was not only the place of Jordan’s birth in late 1993, but also where he spent much of his first 2 ½ years before we moved to Las Vegas.  2)  I wanted to introduce LJ to the ocean and see if he took to it as quickly as Jordan did.  (I would have to give the little guy a mild “thumbs up,” as he was a bit scared of the waves and deeper water.  Not to mention that the water was COLD!!  I do recall that Jordan didn’t really go very far out into the water until I went out there myself.  But, that was in the summer of ’94 and not the (almost) winter of ’07!

I thought the trip would be more emotional.  Yet, it was more cathartic than anything.  I simply felt as though I was doing the old boy a great service by returning his “spirit” to the water that he loved so dearly.  I know he is out there swimming, fetching his stick and desperately trying to keep up with passing sea lions even as I type this.

A final note:  LJ and I made the trip (690 miles roundtrip) in just over 13 hours.  And, during the entire time over and back, LJ did not make a single sound in the back of the SUV.  Seems like the little guy has another thing in common with his namesake:  He LOVES to go for LONG rides in the car!  (More “Paws Across America” trips in LJ’s future?  Who knows!!)

View the photos on LJ's Photo Gallery Page

10-29-07

“Curiosity”

That’s how I would have to describe LJ’s most prominent personality feature at 15 weeks of age.  He quite simply wants to see touch, smell and taste just about everything he comes in contact with.  But, labs are curious by nature and that is what makes them such wonderful bomb and drug detection dogs.

LJ’s obedience training?  I have to give him a pretty strong B+.  His kennel training and potty training are no longer an issue.  He’s had a few accidents (urine) in the house as his kennel (in his mind) has yet to expand to include much of the house.  However, he knows he is supposed to go outside and only resorted to peeing near the backdoor because it wasn’t open.  (Jordan’s doggy door is still a bit too high for him and he’s not comfortable going in/out of it.  I’m not going to press the issue until he gets a little taller.

He’s got the “sit” and “down” command mastered.  He’s learned also to “give me four” (shake paws) and is beginning to understand the “stay” command.  He still doesn’t like to walk on “lead,” but he gets a little better each week.  (This is something that he must master before I can do things with him in public.  He gets his final series of shots this Saturday and then will be “green-lighted” to go out in public.)

He’s learned how to get out of the pool so I don’t worry he’ll fall in and drown.  He has virtually stopped all the biting activity and each day is a day when my trust of him grows and grows.  He is growing at such a rate I don’t believe I’ll be able to pick him up much longer.  This will become an issue if he can’t jump up into the SUV pretty soon!

He’s turning into such a good little boy and my affection for him grows with each passing day.

Finally…. This past Thursday (out at Red Rock Casino collecting items for displaced So. Cal pets) a volunteer introduced herself to me as Marlene Lombardi, “Psychic to the Stars.”  We spoke for a moment and then she began staring at a portrait that Sue Victor recently painted of LJ and Jordan, silhouetted in the background.  Marlene look at the portrait and then asked me:  “Do you have a large window or sliding glass door in the back of your home?”  I told her there was a very big sliding glass door along with the doggy door.  She then said:  “He comes through it in the morning.”  I said:  “Who?”  When she replied:  “Jordan,” my heart skipped a beat.  She told me that she saw him coming through at the “beginning of the month” signifying in the AM (which is when Jordan would go outside each morning before work).  She also said that Jordan was “at the memorial service” and that “he’s here with you right now.  He’s fine and he’s happy.”  To say the least, this was very emotional, and yet uplifting for me.  (After all, if we don’t believe in the hereafter, what’s the point?)

Saturday morning (around the time Jordan would use the doggy door) LJ was sitting next to me on the couch.  He suddenly sat very still and alert watching the sliding glass door.  He started a low growl (never before) and then he let out a loud “woof” (never before.)  I asked him what he saw and then set him down on the floor.  He immediately started pacing up and down the walkway in front of the doggy door.  (I am not making this up.)  Also, yesterday morning in his kennel (which has a full view of the doggy door and hallway to my bedroom (where Jordan slept.) I saw LJ looking intently down toward my bedroom (never before.)  When I showed him a photo of Jordan and asked him if that is “who he is seeing,” he stared at the photo and seemed to get a bit agitated.  (They say pets can’t comprehend two dimensional images.  Who knows.)

I only know what I believe.  And, I believe this:  Jordan has “returned” home and is watching over us.  I believe this with all of my heart.  This belief gives me great comfort.

I miss my “old man” more than I can possibly explain.  However, I know that he is in a better place and that he comes to check on me and LJ each day.

10-6-07

LJ weighs in at 23.2 pounds this past Saturday as he turned 12 weeks and was due for his next to last in his series of vaccinations.  Dr. Kristine Ziegler at Sahara Pines thinks he might be SLIGHTLY overweight so we’re gonna taper off just a tad on the diet.  Otherwise he’s fit as a fiddle and healthy as a horse!!!

10-3-07

“A Test of Wills!”

That would best describe the overall “theme” of our first month together.  And, though I’m continually amazed how fast these dogs pick up phrases, speech patterns, commands, etc. LJ (like Jordan) has a VERY BIG stubborn streak and has even growled at me on occasion when I’ve tried to “correct” him.  I use the “get him on the back, hands on the chest and face into his face and talk in a very STERN voice” method of correction.  It served me well with Jordan and it avoids the use of corporal (physical) punishment which I’ve never been a fan of.  (Unfortunately, before I learned my lesson, there were times I would lose my temper with Jordan.  During those times, I would simply get him by the “haunches,” look into his eyes, give him a quick little “pop” under the chin with an open hand and say “bad dog” simultaneously.  And, while this is recommended behavior in extreme instances by many experts (it gets the dogs attention without ever revealing your hand as a threat as the dog never sees the hand, just feels the quick “pop.” This is fine as long as you don’t lose your temper and strike the dogs chin with too much force.  I can’t honestly say (during the early times when Jordan was very difficult) that I was always proud of my behavior but I can assure you that I never hurt Jordan physically.  Thank God.

Each day LJ seems to learn something new.  Potty training and kennel training were mastered very early on.  He does not like the kennel in the back of the SUV but I simply cannot trust him on his own back there, yet.  With the kennel here at work, I never have to worry about a safety issue with him getting under the crews feet.  Also, he’s taken quite nicely to the News 3 Doggy Run.  (And, on a related note, Channel 3 was recently changed to a workplace that was no longer “pet friendly.”  It seems there are some allergy issues.  And, why this hasn’t been an issue for well over 10 years, I suppose there is some legal angle to all of this.  LJ has been designated as an “exception” due to his on-air status.  However, I do feel somewhat uncomfortable as I don’t feel as though LJ is “above the law.”  It is something I may have to address down the road when he doesn’t have to accompany me to work each day.

We have established a very predictable routine (since dogs don’t like to have their routine disrupted.)  He understands;  “Eat your food,” “Go potty, “Go for a ride,” etc.  He has mastered the sit command but is having a little trouble with “down” and “come.”  (Two of the hardest.)  Come is particularly tough as there are parts of his routine he still doesn’t care for and he’s taken to wanting to run away from me.  I can run him down now, but if this issue is not mastered within the next few months, it will be a REAL big problem, just like it was for Jordan.  And then it becomes a safety issue.

All in all, I’d say my new little buddy is moving through his young life quite exceptionally and I’ve grown to care about him quite deeply with each passing day.  Every now and then (even though they are physically not identical) I will catch my old boy looking back at me through LJ’s eyes and I know that Jordan is looking out for us.  I still cry over my sweet old boy each day and I suspect I always will.  And, while LJ can never fill the void left in my heart in the wake of Jordan’s passing, I know that I will come to love this little guy in a very special, unique way.

Thanks, as always for your continued support for Jordan’s memory and LJ’s ongoing “misadventures!”

9-10-07

The first thing we did together on September 1 was to head straight to Jordan’s (and now LJ’s) vet, Dr. Kristine Ziegler of the Sahara Pines Animal Hospital.  The little guy weighed in at 10.4 pounds, was given his initial exam and deemed to be “in perfect health.”  From the vet we headed back to the House of Jordan and our first order of business was to show LJ where he was to go to do his business.  Then, it was into his new kennel and the real fun started!  Three straight hours of whimpering, whining, whaling, yelping and barking and then fast asleep from exhaustion.  (I simply ignored him.) So, I pulled him out of the kennel, took him for potty break and right back into the kennel.  Then, two more hours of crying, etc. ensued and then asleep from exhaustion.  We repeated this pattern till around midnight when he finally realized he was “home” and crying about it would do him no good.  So, kennel training was a “breeze.”

Potty training has been a little more of a chore.  And, though he absolutely will not go poop or pee in his kennel, he will pee on the floor if I don’t carry him outside to the doggy run.  With the poop, he’s pretty much all trained and now that I know his signs, I know when to get him outside.

He spent his first week at work with me last week and things went great.  When not on the air or Jordan’s old doggy run, he’s in his work kennel fast asleep.  So far, no accidents here at work and I think he’s going to make an outstanding member of the team!  One note:  Just like my old boy, LJ is quite stubborn and is constantly testing to see who is the “alpha dog” in our household.  I want to laugh whenever he gets frustrated and growls at me but I have to scold him and let him know his behavior won’t be tolerated.

This past Saturday LJ went back to see Dr. Kristine and weighed in at 12.4 pounds.  A two pound gain in one week.

Finally note:  I let LJ ride up front with me in the SUV the first few days we were together (as I did with Jordan) to help along the bonding process.  He now has a kennel in the back as it is a safety issue.  However, on our last ride together up front I noticed at one point he had lay his chin on the center console and was just staring at me.  When I looked down at him I saw my sweet old boy staring back at me.  It was as if Jordan had suddenly possessed LJ’s little body and was staring at me and letting me know that “I’m right here, Dad.  I will always be here looking out for you.”  I picked my new little boy up and said a prayer for my sweet Jordan as tears streamed down my face.