Do Your Best!

“In the dust of defeat as well as the laurels of victory there is a glory to be found if one has done his best.” -Eric Liddell

As a police dog we are constantly training, constantly trying to get better.  Like any person we have strengths and weaknesses.  I always try to fine tune my strengths and improve my weaknesses.  We are far from perfect but the important thing I have learned is that you keep trying, you don't give up, you do your very best.  Have you heard of Eric Liddell?  He's the man in the picture above.  Eric was a championship sprinter and he won the Gold medal for the 400 meter in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. There are many things amazing about Liddell's life, there was even a movie made about him called Chariots of Fire.  Liddell was not a favorite for the 400 meter because he was a shorter distance runner, the 100 meter specifically was one of his strongest events.  A 400 meter race requires a bit more strategy in terms of energy conservation and when to maximize your speed.  Liddell flew out of the starting blocks, he was expected to burn out and surprisingly he didn't. Liddell won the race and set a new world record doing it.  The race was just a small part of the amazing things Liddell accomplished.  He stuck to his principles, he did his best and he didn't always win but there was glory in much of what he did...win or lose.  

K9s for PAWsitive Interaction

October has been a good month filled with demonstrations and extensive training.  We also had a professional photographer do some great photos of me and the rest of the K9 Team. Amelia at Banyan Photography was awesome and we highly recommend her if you are considering having photos done and she is great with animals like me!  Visit www.banyanpetphotography.com 

My handler and I are also trying to start a program that involves Police and local youth called, "K9 P.I. (K9s for PAWsitive Interaction).  It's mission is to "Foster positive interactions between local youth and K9 Law Enforcement Officers to promote goodwill through deeds and actions." 

Our first action really was getting this blog going and the next step will be getting more consistent with posting (I know, I've been bad about it).  The plan will be to have posts twice a month and we will shoot for the first and third Wednesday.  We also started our Operation to promote goodwill.  Recently while on patrol in one of Oceanside's neighborhoods that is full of good people but also has a gang problem, we came across a little girl about 4 years old who wanted a sticker.  We offered her  something better if she could tell us if she had done anything to help someone else today.  The girl said she had helped her mom to make her bed and she cleaned her room with her mom.  Instead of a sticker we gave her a backpack filled with a bunch of little toys and games....you should have seen her face.  Hopefully we can continue and expand this idea but eventually we will need some support...for now we are keeping things simple and growing slowly. Every little bit helps though right!

Have a great day!

Oceanside Harbor Days 2013

It was great seeing all you kids out at Oceanside Harbor Days this weekend. On Saturday myself and K9 Nero did three demonstrations throughout the day showcasing what we can do.  These demonstrations are a great way for us to interact with the community and educate people about police canines.  Sunday, I got the day off but K9 Max and K9 Gonzo got a chance to show off! 

The other great thing is we had some awesome volunteers helping us out running an information booth and collecting donations. People were very generous and all the money we raised will go to helping dogs like me in the future in case of an unforeseen medical problem or something like that.  Anyway, it was great seeing those of you who came out and look forward to seeing more of you in the future.

Charity

Charity is doing something good for someone else with no expectation of anything in return.  Some people give money or items and others give time and effort. You can do nice things for people you know, such as friends or family or you can do something for a total stranger.  The little bit I've been working I've learned that there are lots of people out there that need help, there are a lot of people that have less and its nice to see other people helping out.  I want to encourage everyone reading this to do something nice for someone they don't know, someone you think needs help with something. 

Working...

So I've been working consistently without injury for a few weeks now! I feel great and have managed to cause a couple "bad guys" to give up because I'm so scary, LOL!  I was still getting some laser treatment from the vet and Myopulse/Acuscope Therapy from Bev and it has really helped my leg to feel 100 times better.  The highlight of the last couple weeks was doing a demo with K9 Nero at a US Marine Corps family day event on Camp Pendleton, it was an honor to show off a little for our Marines and their families since they do so much for us. 

Passed my Test

Today, after almost 3 months off the street from my injuries I re-certified!  Certification is a test they put you through to make sure you are capable of meeting the minimum requirements for police work. I was nervous but we made it!  We also found this cool barrel in my neighborhood that we brought home for me to jump on! Hope I can stay healthy and can report back with some neat stories!

Happy 2nd Birthday to me!

I turned 2 years old today and Yesterday was a great early birthday present....I returned to training and continue training today! If all goes well I should be back on the streets working this time next week...that would be a great birthday wish come true. We also got these K9 coins made which came in yesterday...lots of fun things going on!

Swimming......Just what the doctor ordered.

So the X-ray of my leg showed nothing abnormal and the vet took my splint off.  I was able to walk fine without it and put weight down on my leg......NO MORE LIMPING!  I still have to rest it a little bit but with any luck I'll be back in action soon.  Yesterday, I went and met a real nice lady named Bev who hooked my leg up to a machine called an Acuscope/Myopulse which is suppose to help the healing process.  Today, I did some swimming at Oceanside Harbor to help rehab my leg, it was fun!  I then went on a boat ride on the Oceanside Harbor Police Boat....Awesome! 

A Lesson in Perseverance

Do you ever have a stretch of bad luck?  Do you have times when you get knocked down, get back up only to get knocked down again?  How do you handle it? The important thing is you keep getting back up, you don't give up and you keep trying!  So my training after surgery had been going great and I was getting ready to go back to work in the field next week only to injure my leg.  The vet said I strained some ligaments in my wrist. BUMMER!  Another 3-6 weeks out.  My handler and I were pretty upset, it's normal to be frustrated I think.  Really we were left with two decisions, give up or get up.  Giving up is not an option so we will push through rehab and retraining. There is no need to complain about it as that would not accomplish anything. If we keep getting up, each time we get a little bit stronger, we learn a little bit more and eventually we move forward. George Washington lost many battles but won the Revolutionary War.  The Wright Brothers built many "planes" that didn't fly but eventually became the first to do it.  What will you do when you get knocked down?

Back in Training!

Sorry for not posting for so long but for awhile nothing was going on other than a lot of rest and relaxation while I recovered.  On June 28th, I saw the Vet again and got some good news. They said I could return to work gradually over 4 weeks.  Basically, that means I get to train in order to build my endurance up and give my ribs a little longer to strengthen up.  I just finished my first full week of training and things went well.  I was a little rusty here and there but it is pretty much like riding a bike.....except I can't ride bikes, but you know what I mean.  The trainer, Manuel Villanueva is very good and had modified the drills to gradually get me back into things.  Needless to say I'm happy and my handler is happy to be back working as a team and are anxious to get back out on the streets.  Check back soon!

Stitches out!

I went back to the vet today for a follow-up appointment. A follow-up is when you come back after an event, in my case surgery, so they can check and see how you are doing. Good news, the Doc says I'm looking good! He also took the staple stitches out of my chest since my incision is closed up. Hopefully in 4 more weeks I should be able to start training again then get back to work.

Road to Recovery

So it's been over one week since I had my surgery and I must say I'm feeling pretty good. I have a bunch of stitches down my chest from the incision ( incision is a fancy word for cut). I had some great people taking care of me. Thanks Sgt. Novak and Officer Wagner!  Now I'm back with my handler, who was away for a few days. It will take awhile before I can get back to work but I feel like running around right now even though its not good for me.  I usually sleep outside in my kennel and dog house, which is awesome however it has been nice sleeping inside next to my handler. He said its so he can keep a close eye on me until I'm better but I think he just likes the company. I'll post again soon! Bye!

Surgery a success

This is Officer Kevin Wilson, Atlas' handler and he asked that I write and update everyone. Atlas had a very successful surgery today and the doctors said they were able to remove the stuff that was making him sick. Atlas did great throughout the operation and is on the road to recovery. He will need lots of rest and probably won't be posting over the next week but hopes to be back on the blogosphere soon! Hopefully he will heal fast and be back on patrol within a few months. All I can say, is he is one tough dog!

New Haircut

So while at the vet I got a new haircut! What do you think? The Vet needed to do some more scans of my lungs but I guess all my fur was in the way. I was like awesome, it's almost summer and this will keep me cool! So word is I need surgery :( that's where they make a cut on you to remove what's wrong on the inside. If it makes be better I'm all for it! I'll post again when it's over. Bye for now.

Doggie Hospital

We are starting this blog off on an interesting note; did you know us dogs can get sick? Yep, just like you kids we have to go to the doctor sometimes for check-ups or when we get hurt. Our doctors are called veterinarians or vets for short. 

This is my third trip to the doggie hospital in just a couple days. I haven't been feeling real good and the vet is trying to figure out what is wrong. They have taken x-rays and stuff which are cool pictures that show what your insides look like. Yesterday at Pacific Animal Hospital, Dr. Fransioli took good care of me and I really like her. She thinks that a foxtail, which is kind of like a sharp piece of weed or grass, got sucked up into my nose and then went all the way down into my lungs. Our lungs help us breathe and I guess there is only suppose to be air in there. Well this little piece of foxtail went in there and stuck like a splinter. My body has been trying to fight it but can't and its making my lungs not work right. The doctors are trying to decide how to best fix me. I'm a little scared but know they are only trying to make me better. So here I am today at California Veterinary Specialists, another hospital, waiting to hear what's next! I can't wait to get better so I can get back to work or even just play ball with my handler! Check back soon, I'll try and keep you updated!