I was just finishing up a few things and getting ready to go to bed(it is almost 2 AM) and then I heard some ‘zoomy’ action and I look up to see Albert! He was zooming around the hutch and through the kitchen and back to the sunroom to his crate and back around again and again! The other dogs were just sort of in a daze for this is ‘quiet’ Albert getting crazy and at this hour! LOL I was so thrilled to see him and he was so darn cute! LOL It only lasted a few moments but WOW! What a delight! The other thing that Albert likes to do is take my shoes and just lie with them. He will pull them out of the shoe rack and just cuddle with them in his crate. He has also taken a coat and a sweater of mine too at one point. I have posted some pictures of him taken on February 17th on our BHRR FB group and shall post them here when I can. The difference in his hind end and body stature plus confidence is just amazing in only 4 weeks. I am now going to begin to get him out and about in the public more, just little treks here and there to continue to build up his confidence.

HUGE breakthrough today! BHRR’s Albert ate a treat! His first! OH YEAH! It was a Mar-O-Bone treat from a box that Mary brought up to the BHRR’s Mini Open House in early February and OH YEAH! GO ALBERT! GO! He is just so happy to see me after I get the kids on the bus and if he would stay still long enough, I could get some great pictures of that hind end! 😛 He is a long way off for me being comfortable to place up for adoption and no rush. Step by step we shall go! He is also eating better now that I have him on food that is strictly fish based. I believe thos bags came up from Pam at Global Pet Foods – Ancaster and we are most appreciative!!!! We had a couple of bags donated over the past couple of weeks and I shall continue to hunt out food of this type moving forward. I could not be more happy with his progress. I say every day ‘I love me some Albert’ and he comes bouncing over to stand near me(will not come over to touch me as of yet) and I get to hug and give him his good AM kiss.  🙂 He has been fully integrated with BHRR’s Storm now that her heat has ended and everything is smooth. I still have not intergrated him with my show bluez boyz and shall be doing this with Multi CH. Bronson this week as CH. Tain is off with his handler to settle into their routine before heading to Markham to show later this week.

I had one of the worst scares of my life with BHRR Inc’s Albert today. I was coming home from a Grocery run with one of my BHRR Inc BOD members and I received a call from Sean. He said that he ‘lost’ Albert. Apparently, Albert has done what no other dog has managed to do in our newly fenced in area; got through the fence just after Sean let him out to go pee and had gone walkabout. As I drove, I asked Mary pull out the spare leash I keep in the side door of the car and when we turned down our rural road; I saw Albert just leaving one of the neighbours places(they have 16 intact sled dogs and I worried about his safety) and he saw Sean who was approaching from our laneway area and I tried not to sacre him as I drove closer and I rolled down my window to call to him. I wanted him to know I was there and to hopefully not bolt in fear that a car was behind him. As soon as was past the neighbours place, who have the sled dogs(wolf hybids, huskyx’s etc.), I put the car in park and got out. I know Mary was feeling a wee bit helpless having to sit in the car for I knew that Albert would only come to me, IF he was going to go to anyone. He saw Sean and startled back my way and when he saw me, he was hesitant and then he trotted towards me and just stayed within inches out of my reach as he paced back and forth and turned about. He was cleary a bit stressed had some drool going on. I knew that if I rushed him, he would be gone to me and I waved Sean to just stay back and Mary stayed in the car behind me. Eventually, within mere moments WHICH seemed like an eternity to me; I was able to touch him and he did his ‘pause’ so I could stroke his side and then I was able to lightly get up to his neck and from there, I was hugging him and felt like I was going to cry I was so relieved. That moment of Sean calling and hearing the tone of his voice, fear just shot into my heart and I knew I loved Albert, I love them all; yet when I was hugging Albert; I just felt the most intense feelings of emotion. I ADORE this boy with everything I am and if he had been hurt or killed or lost; I just could not forgive myself, even if I had nothing to do with why he was lost in the first place. I just realised in that moment of the ‘trust’ he showed in me that I am beyond commmited to Albert. I am truly connected to him and it is going to take that super special right matched home that I am going to feel 100% ok in letting him go too. AND I looped my leash in his collar and he and I trotted all the way home AND you should have seen Albert move! The improvement to his hind end with the muscle and strength he has developed in his time here and the rehab I have been doing with him(one would think I would be 90 pounds with all the exercise the dogs here give me!) and he looked AMAZING! I wish I could have had a picture or better yet a video. He lifts his front feet up on a hackney horse type of motion when he is happy and his hind end was driving almost straight and it was so nice and strong and full of momentum. He just almost floated as he trotted. He had his head up high, ears forward and it was like sheer poetry if I could find any type of expression to explain it! In the short period of time he has been here, to see this type of massive improvement and he was SOOOOOOOOO happy with me as we jogged back to the house on our laneway in the sun(our laneway is almost a KM long) and I almost did not want it to end. He was just stunning!!!! I think people are going to be so happy to see the new pictures I am going to have to take of Albert and his hind end etc. Yes, when he stands for extended periods of time, he will begin to slouch down yet he is no longer that always shrinking, slinking, terrifed boy. He is still afraid of the TV yes. AND best of all, he has put so much trust in ME! I am humbled. I know many people at the Open House wanted to touch and love on him yesterday yet they respected his space and how he needs time.

At our BHRR Inc’s Mini Open House yesterday, I was so impressed with him coming out when our first guest arrived and he even nibbled on a bit of a large rawhide type treatie bone for a few tastes. That was a first for Albert. As more people arrived, he went into his crate and layed down. He did not attempt to ‘sleep’ to escape any overwhelming feelings he might have had over this many people coming into our home. Many dogs will sleep when they are stressed. We see it often on transports. Albert was content to lie in his open crate and watch the activities around him and I did not push him. At one time, I called him and he did come out briefly and stood with me in the sunroom for a bit, before walking back into his crate.

Albert is a survivor and he has proven to me that he is not going to be that dog that just is content in shuffling from A to B. He wants to get out more and more and to not just walk but trot and jog and yes run and that is when he just ‘kicks’ my tush! AND I love it! GO ALBERT GO! I cannot wait for Monday and how I am revamping the distance and location of our next rehab journey together. It is not just *I* that is going to get Albert into top shape; HE is going to get *me* into better shape too! Between him and BHRR Inc’s Potter, I am going to be most fit for my first marathon later this year afterall!  😛 I wonder if they can come run with me, at least part of the way!  😉 THEY both are deeply inspirational to me, just as quite a few other BHRR Inc. Dogs have been in the past.