Zeus

Zeus was quarantined as a puppy because all but one of his litter mates succumbed to Parvo, consequently he missed some important developmental opportunities. When I started working with him at about a year old he did not like to be touched and he didn’t know very much about the world. But he had a beautiful heart and an extraordinary nose, even by breed standards.

 

He was also very powerful – the black Kong Extreme toys lasted a matter of seconds with him. And he had a sense of humor. When I gave him the Kong bone (pictured) he got a silly look on his face, held the toy down with his paws, and tore it. For his personality to be expressed, and for him to realize his potential, a dog like this must be trained gently, respectfully, and patiently. 

 

After learning to live in a new home and participating in basic obedience and socialization training, Zeus started his detection training. On a hot summer day at a municipal recreational complex I released Zeus 140 yards away from a trash can that was about half full of food wrappers and beer bottles, in which I had previously hid  a micro-SD card. He searched over half an acre off-leash and alerted accurately in about three minutes.

 

Zeus went on to help professional scent-detection dog handler candidates with their training.