# Happy 1st Gotcha Day, Red!



## Squeetie (Jan 19, 2012)

This past Saturday was Red's first Gotcha Day! We celebrated by going to practice at our training facility (same as every other Saturday), but I also decided to rent one of the training rings for a half hour of private practice time to celebrate his special day. Red and I are working through his anxiety and this private ring time is great for that - he feels safe in the ring but still gets to hear all of the noises. We also poke our heads out to take quick peeks at the other pups and people, while having a safe spot to retreat to in the ring. Red was even able to hold a down on his mat while I walked around the perimeter of the ring (far away AND behind him!). I know this is not a big feat, but was great for Red - especially with puppies in the next ring on one side, someone practicing in the agility ring on the other side, and having a bit of a meltdown when there were too many dogs and he got over threshold just 10 minutes earlier.

After his "OMG I'm soooo tired from training" nap, he had dinner fun-time (food strewn across the floor, some in boxes, some in toys, etc) and LOVED hunting down his food. He then got the rest of his dinner frozen in a Kong with some PB topping. It's not as great as many others' Gotcha Days, but was fun and relaxing for all of us! Hopefully by next year, he will have progressed enough to do something more fun (hiking, go to the lake, etc).

Below are a couple of pics of my Red - the first three are from last year and the last three are from training on Saturday (his color gets so washed out inside!).

Where I found Red outside of my office
"Ahhh - it's not 100* in here!" - second day inside
"I can stay?" - after about a week at home
Doing good staying on his mat!
"I love you, Mommy!"
"Can we go home now, please? I'm tired!"
Thanks for looking! It's hard work, and we have a lot more to do, but I sure do love my little man! :wub: It's hard to believe it's already been a year - time sure does fly!!


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## My2shepherds (Jun 10, 2014)

What a beautiful and happy looking pup.... congrats on your progress together!


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## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

What a handsome boy! Sounds like a very fun successful day!!


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## Alice13 (Feb 21, 2014)

Dashing pup


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## Oliver'smom (Aug 15, 2013)

*Good story*

We need a "like" button. Good story, glad he found the right office to sniff around.


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## Squeetie (Jan 19, 2012)

Awww - thank you all! Of course I think my Red Dog is handsome, but it's nice to know I'm not alone in my thinking. I, too, am glad he found the right office to sniff around!  Thank you, guys!


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## Moriah (May 20, 2014)

The universe directed him to his mom  What a happy story and what a fortunate and happy dog. Best wishes to both of you!!


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Thank you for giving Red a great home!Happy Belated Gotcha Day to both you and Red. His day sounds fantastic and my pups are drooling over his dinner adventure. It sounds like Red is definitely in a great place. Wishing you both many more Gotcha days.


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## Squeetie (Jan 19, 2012)

Thank you for the Gotcha Day wishes! I'll certainly have to do fun-time dinner again soon - he really loved hunting around and a frozen kibble + PB Kong for dessert.

Red is my sweet boy and it's pretty cool to see his progression, even if it's not in leaps and bounds. Thanks for letting me share a bit about my "little" man!
:wub:


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

Happy gotcha day Red!! You lucky dog!


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