Category: Retrieving toys by name

24Nov13 Triple training delight

24Nov13 Triple training delight

December 4, 2013 | By | Add a Comment

In this video, I wanted to get a combination of Shayna’s top three skills: (1) Retrieving toys by name, (2) Stacking her ring toys, by name, on a pole, and (3) Retrieving one tennis ball or two, depending on the command (“counting”). I was able to get it all in just four minutes. Enjoy!   […]

Continue Reading

14Aug13: Ride to UVa, and toy training

14Aug13: Ride to UVa, and toy training

August 15, 2013 | By | Add a Comment

Come along with us as we drive to the University of Virginia, then do our toy training.  As you can see, Shayna was absolutely delighted.  Keep in mind this video was taken 10 weeks after she endured heart surgery. Be kind – you’ll hear me singing an adapted version of The Temptations’ classic “My Girl,” […]

Continue Reading

March 2013: Shayna’s continuing trick training, and more

March 2013: Shayna’s continuing trick training, and more

April 2, 2013 | By | Add a Comment

  30Mar13 Toy training at Albemarle High School On this relatively warm spring day, we did our training outside, and had a ball. As you can see, Shayna looks incredibly good, is running around like a maniac, and is feeling good. The end is as sweet as any moment in my life has ever been. […]

Continue Reading

19Jan13 – Toy training at Albemarle High School

19Jan13 – Toy training at Albemarle High School

January 20, 2013 | By | Add a Comment

It was a relatively warm day today (low 50s), so we did our after-lunch toy retrieval training at Albemarle High School. I comment in the video that she’s gotta be one of the smartest females I’ve ever met – which I guess either (a) means that she’s as brilliant as I think, or (b) doesn’t […]

Continue Reading

19Dec12: Toy training at UVa

19Dec12: Toy training at UVa

December 22, 2012 | By | Add a Comment

It was a gorgeous, unusually warm December afternoon, so I took Shayna to the UVa athletic fields to do our toy training today. She had a blast, as you can see. I am truly blessed – and I know it.

Continue Reading

15Nov12 Shayna excited getting her toys by name

15Nov12 Shayna excited getting her toys by name

December 7, 2012 | By | Add a Comment

Considering the fact that two weeks prior, she was given a terminal diagnosis, and had been (to my eye) not far from it, to see this – to experience it, to feel her joy and love and warmth and optimism – was like cool water to my parched mouth. I have never known a more inspiring, loving “person” than Shayna.

Continue Reading

Shayna on a rainy night in parking garage

Shayna on a rainy night in parking garage

January 15, 2012 | By | Add a Comment

Q) What does one do with a dog that loves to run, but hates water and soggy ground, when it’s pouring rain all day and night?

Continue Reading

Shayna shows off her new toys from Santa

Shayna shows off her new toys from Santa

January 2, 2012 | By | Add a Comment

2011: As always, Shayna has been a very, very good girl all year long – and as always, Santa brought her lots of nice things.

Continue Reading

January 7, 2008: Shayna gets a new toy for her birthday

January 7, 2008: Shayna gets a new toy for her birthday

August 26, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

(This is the second video we shot today; see the first one here) It is hard to believe that it’ was six years ago today that Shayna was brought into this world.  I thank my lucky stars for her, every single day. So today, we spent the afternoon in a park… in the middle of […]

Continue Reading

Getting toys by name for Aunt Gloria

Getting toys by name for Aunt Gloria

August 25, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

Shayna shows off her toy-retrieval-by-name abilities for one of our long-distance guardian angels – and I sing one of my “Shayna songs” for her, too.

Continue Reading