Our First Rehab Meeting with Ke-ola

Kadante & Ke-ola

It has been 22 days since Ke-ola began his Doggy Rehabilitation. It was important we not see him until he had found his balance with the guidance of expert dog rehabilitation specialist Nick Martinez and his pack. As I've written in previous posts Ke-ola had undergone abuse at the hands of humans and had never developed any socialization skills with other dogs. (For more info refer to, Day 10 of Ke-ola in Doggy Rehab. It took training round the clock with Nick, Kianah and their pack of special dogs to get Ke-ola in a calm and balance place. He has meet many new dogs without fear or hesitation. He has learned to trust in the dogs around him and to look to his pack leader(s) for guidance. 

Nick has brought Ke-ola such a long way in such little time it is amazing. We finally get to see who Ke-ola really is without the stress and anxiety that had gripped his every moment before. Nick has shown us that Ke-ola is capable of being a calm and relaxed companion in every situation he has encountered so far. Nick's taken him out to dog parks, pack walks, boardwalk strolls, even to out door dinning. It is reported Ke-ola stayed at Nick's feet in an outdoor patio filled with people and other dogs. 

Ke-ola on a pack walk with Nick and Kianah. (Wondering if Nick has a third arm?)

While this is most encouraging news it also means that my family and I now need to work hard to become the calm and assertive pack leaders Ke-ola and our other two dogs need us to be. Yesterday  my oldest son, Kadante, and I got to see and work with Ke-ola for the first time since he started rehab. 

We arrived at 3:30pm. Nick and Ke-ola were waiting for us on the sidewalk. Nick had spoken to us extensively on the phone about our first meeting and how important it was for us to remain calm and keep our excitement to a minimum. It was not easy to refrain from expressing affection as I was so excited to see our boy. I've missed him. I nursed him back to health for months, canceled clients, rescheduled class, cooked for him and loved him. These were the thoughts I was thinking as I went to bed the night before our meeting. Then that morning it hit me, I was only thinking about myself and my feelings not about what was best for Ke-ola. I realized because my family and I had invested so much in him we had to do what was best for him. I had to follow Nick's guidelines to the best of my ability.

We stepped out of the car, greeted Nick and ignored the wagging tail and wet tongue licking our hands. I had to force myself not to look down at him or it would be all over for me. Nick asked who wants to take Ke-ola for a walk first and I volunteered. Ke-ola and I walked for over and hour and a half with just a lead. He listened beautifully and stayed in sync with my energy. When I was calm and relaxed he too was calm and relaxed. When I became tense or apprehensive he did too. Nick was close at hand to offer corrections and encouragement helping me handling the walk properly. (Ke-ola already knows what he's doing, it's on us now.) Once Nick was satisfied that Ke-ola and I had faced enough challenges together it was Kadante's turn to be the pack leader. Kadante also had the opportunity to walk with Ke-ola and learn how to be a better dog handler and leader.  

Ke-ola relaxing with Nick's pack and some visiting dog friends. 1 of 2

Ke-ola relaxing with Nick's pack and some visiting dog friends. 2 of 2

We have a long way to go to develop the skills we'll need to have our pack trust us like Nick's pack trusts him but it is worth it. Seeing Ke-ola relaxed and happy with people and dogs means we need to step up our game so our pack can experience the same. 

Kadante and I have lots of homework to do with our two dogs at home, Sky and River. But the most important work is on our selves. Nick shared volumes of wisdom on our training walk and one of those gems was this, "If you would have gotten an "easy" dog you would need to learn nothing about yourselves. The dog would accommodate you. Ke-ola is not that type of dog. If you are willing to work hard and be committed Ke-ola will teach you about who you really are. He will give you the opportunity to challenge yourselves and to grow."

We will be meeting next week with all the humans in our family and Ke-ola. It will be interesting to see how all our different personalities and energies work together with Ke-ola's. 

Thank you for visiting. Wishing you and your pack Peace today and everyday.  

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