November 11, 2011 Sharif
 

http://cellar.org/2011/11dogs_650.jpg

This soldier lost his leg in Baghdad. In Washington, he found a new leg and a new companion, Sharif.

Sharif, a yellow lab, knows 40 commands.

Quote:

In addition to retrieving dropped objects and helping with balance, the dog barks only in an emergency, and the neighbors know that.

Photo by Alan Poizner for The New York Times

I want to snuggle that doggy's face off!

Well that dog know about 38 more commands than my dog..

I know right. That nose needs kissing.

That dog knows 40 more commands than my kid does.



I'll trade.

As does the nose of everyone who has served in any capacity in the U.S. Military - virtual kiss, that is.

(Sorry non-U.S.ers.)

In my ignorance I must ask, does any other country celebrate Armistice Day?

Yes, it is celebrated here in France.

Sharif don't like it.
He thinks it's not kosher
Fundamentally he can't take it.
You know he really hates it.

Armistice day is marked here, often with with one minute silence at 11.11 am.

Every veteran deserves a dog to stare at him(/her) like that.

Yeah, talk about "the big, sad, soulful eyes" routine...

Armistice Day is called Remembrance Day in Canada; celebrated with ceremonies and a minute of silence at 11:11 am. We used to stand by our desks at school and observe the minute of silence (long ago).

We usually call it Remembrance Day or Poppy Day, but its also called Armistice Day.

We call it Poppy Day because the British Legion always sell poppies at that time to raise money for the support they give to injured servicemen and their families. Originally the poppies were only sold on the day itself, nowadays they're sold for a couple of weeks ahead of time. People wear them in their lapels as a mark of respect.

Can't recall for sure, but I think the paper poppies were made by ex-servicemen, thereby also providing work for some injured soldiers. Not sure if that's still the case.

We actually have two days really. The actual day itself (11/11) when there is a minute's silence at 11am. And the following Sunday, which is when all the services are held - Remembrance Sunday.

Spot on DanaC. I had a feeling that it was in Twickenham but it turns out that it is just a couple of miles away in Richmond. The Poppy Factory

Therapy dogs are awesome. There's a small business here in town that trains and places them with a variety of patients, including the mentally disabled, elderly, and veterans. All their dogs are rescued from shelters, and they say they can spot a dog with the "right temperament" almost immediately, but it only amounts to about 5% of dogs overall. Cost is $1200 for one of their dogs, which is amazingly cheap when you think about it.

I remember those! The vets used to be around selling those everywhere. I wonder why they don't do it anymore.