Remembering Teach: 5/5/2011-10/7/2016 #TeachieThursday

I feel I owe everyone out there a post.

As many of you already know, that follow us on social media, we lost Teach unexpectedly on Oct. 7, 2016.  He was just shy of 5.5 years old.  I'm not going to get into the details of what happened, just know we were with him and comforted him until he passed.  And there was no suffering.

The last picture I have of Teach on my phone, taken 10-6-16

Teach was far too young to be taken so soon.  He was full of life until the very end.

Just a week before he passed he had fun playing agility at a show-n-go at the Festival of the Dog.  This was the first time I had ever asked him to weave all 6 poles in the middle of the course.  And of course he rocked it.  He tried so hard for me all the time!!!  Anything to please his mommy. #mommasboy #mommyissues

I won't lie, he's left a HUGE hole in our hearts.  Not a minute goes by that we don't think of him.  And the outpouring of support from family and friends (near and far) has been overwhelming.

Our good friend April made this collage of Teach from the spring agility trial.

Teach was named after Blackbeard the Pirate, Edward Teach.  I have a huge love of the Outerbanks and all the history from that place that we thought it would be neat to give him a unique name from down there.  But Teach wasn't a pillage and plunderer.  He actually was a teacher for us.  He taught me (and so many others) what it is to be a good dog trainer.  He taught me more patience than anyone else has.  And to also never give up!

Before Teach I was of the mindset of the traditional methods of dog training, use correction until they do it right.  Well that didn't work for Teach and I almost broke him because of it.  He introduced me to the world of Positive Reinforcement training (+R).  And let me tell you ... you can get farther from praise than you can from correction, Teach taught me that.  Poor Teach was my guinea pig, LOL!

Forever running free

He also introduced me to the Fenzi Academy, a fantastic network of +R trainers that offer online classes.  It was through them that I brought Teach back to a very happy working dog.  This is one of my favorite videos of his last Rally Excellent leg.  Look how happy he was.

Teach was also turning into quite the nose work dog.  I wanted to find a sport just Teach and I could do together.  Tucker does so much with conformation, rally, obedience, agility, and hopefully herding.  Teach was done with obedience and rally.  He would never be a conformation dog (although we think he was Champion).  And he did love agility, but they both did that sport so he had to share his mommy time.  Here is a video of Teach practicing for his Odor Recognition Test.  He never got a chance to take it, but I think he would have passed easily.

I started this blog because of Teach, and I'm undecided if I'll continue.  I have really gotten bad about posting.  But regardless I'll still be active on Facebook and Instagram.  As a matter a fact on our Instagram account I started #teachiethursday.  Its a way for me to remember this awesome dog that I am grateful to have been able to share my life with, even if for a short time.

With that I'll leave you with one more happy smiling Teach (the way I'll always remember him!) and a poem (grab a tissue). #teachforeverinourhearts 

R.I.P. 

Hunybahr's A Pirate's Life For Me BN, RE, NADAC IAC

 I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.
I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
“It’s me, I haven’t left you, I’m well, I’m fine, I’m here.”

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me.
I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.

I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care.
I want to re-assure you, that I’m not lying there.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said ” it’s me.”

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.
It’s possible for me, to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, “I never went away.”
You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew…
In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over… I smile and watch you yawning
and say “good-night, God bless, I’ll see you in the morning.”
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I’ll rush across to greet you and we’ll stand, side by side.
I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.

Be patient, live your journey out…then come home to be with me.

Author ~ Sammie Klaehn