Analysis
Charles is my chunky monkey—insane food drive in the best working-dog way, first to dive into a crate when food is the promise, then asleep while his siblings scream the roof off around him. He handles life in stride. A true pro.
He may not finish as the tallest dog in the bunch, but he is meaty, and I expect him to carry real substance once he is done growing—enough frame that weight-bearing tasks remain on the table after maturity if his structure keeps tracking the way it looks now.
He had a tiny bit of trouble briefly—nothing that rewrites who he is—and he bounced back fast. By far, right now, he is a rocking candidate for service work. He will make an excellent service dog for the right person: steady stomach for chaos, heart for the work, and a sense of humor about being underestimated.
Latest update: This boy loves his work. He is even starting to check on me when I am not coughing but still not feeling well. I am still trying to figure out whether he is alerting just before I cough or whether I have become Pavlov's dog and I cough because he is alerting. He has already done two lifesaving alerts for me, and I am really growing fond of this boy. His public-access training is still limited to places where I have management permission, and he even did his first restaurant outing at a place I visit regularly. His first tuck took him a while, but once he settled and relaxed, he did amazing. Charles is in training.
Photo Timeline
Every Charles photo we have from birth through current updates.
