Art was so happy to see us! He remembered me because
he did what he always used to do, he'd put his front paws each one on my
shoulders and give me kisses all over my face. They told us that he was
known has handsome Art, and smart Art. He was one of their best
behaved dogs (I could have told them that!) My hope is that Art will be
happy there. He seemed to be attached to his new partner. We were
told that when it came time for the human partners to be matched up with
a canine partner, Art actually chose his! I thought that was so cute.
They tell me Art went right to him - I know if his partner loves him, Art
will love him back. He is a very special little puppy, and Art will
always hold a place in my heart.
Art graduated in December as an ATF Explosives Detection
Dog. He will be living in Indonesia, and be training daily to keep up his
skills. His job is to go to places where dignitaries will be, and check the
area for any type of explosive material before their arrival. His job is on
call as needed, but he will train everyday. The ATF trains the dogs with food
reward, and the dogs only eat if they find explosives, so Art must train daily
in order to keep his skills sharp, and to eat. They make sure that they find
enough explosives each day so that they get all the food they need.
Art was started by Kathie Alaimo in Henrietta, and finished
by The Schultz Family of Penfield. We got Art when he was about 4 months old,
and he immediately bonded with Steve. It was evident early on that Art was
meant for a career other than that of Guide Dog, so we decided to have him
looked at by ATF. At just over 1 year of age, Art was accepted into the
Explosive Detection Training Program, where he has become a deeply loved, and
highly valued member of their staff.
At the graduation ceremony there were dignitaries from
Indonesia, handlers, and plenty of translators to bridge the language
barriers. The Indonesian Government has recently built a state of the art
kennel where Art, and the other dogs will live. Due to housing conditions in
the country, the dogs do not go home with their handlers at the end of the
day. His ceremony was a split graduation with the CIA Canine Unit that they
trained with. There were many very important people at the graduation from the
ATF, CIA, and the Indonesian Government, and they all had the same thing to
say. "Thank you to the puppy raisers for giving the dogs such a great
start in life." They especially like the GEB dogs, because they are
socialized so well, and have such great manners when they get them, that they
can get started right away with the training. They already know all the rest!
It was such a great experience to be part of, that we would highly encourage
anyone who has the chance, to go to see one of ATF's graduation ceremonies. It
was an event that we will not soon forget!
