Orleans: The Adventures of a Guide Dog Puppy

What the Wednesday

2012-01-25T13:05:00.007-07:00

Sorry it's been a while,

the last few weeks have been CRAZY!

Anyway, mid-December Orleans and I went on an outing with two of her sisters

they all were wonderful,

and the outing was A LOT longer than anticipated,

you wouldn't believe how much attention three golden mix puppies get,

it was so much fun!

On the outing the girls got to play with some fog,

you can't see it very well,

but Orlie is trying to lick the fog

The three girls being so good under the table while the raisers eat dinner,

Orleans, Onessa and Osaka.

Then on the 13th I drove to Oregon,

on the way I stopped by Multnomah Falls

I LOVE WATERFALLS!

Orleans seemed to like it too.

Orlie in front of the falls,

she got so muddy because it was snowing,

but it was fun anyway,

it was really cool to see all the ice!

We stayed at my aunts house,

here is Orleans in her crate,

she liked that there is an opening at the top,

so she could look at everything.

Why did we got to Oregon?

Because on January 14th, Snickers GRADUATED!

I got the call a week before that he had been placed in class,

I loved that phone call.

Here Snick and his new partner are walking down the hall.

Snickers and I seeing each other again.

He was so excited to see me again!

Snickers new partner is fantastic,

and he spoils Snickers like crazy,

which is all a raiser can ask for.

Snickers looks amazing in harness!

And he loves his job!

Snickers had two half siblings graduate the same day,

This is Snickers, Antigua (also raised in my club) and Anise.

They are all Forte puppies!

Snickers partner, Snick and me on stage.

Snickers partner gave me a disc of pictures of he and Snickers training together during class.

I loved seeing pictures of Snickers at work.

He really loves his job and it is amazing to see him in action.

Here he is leading his partner to the dorms.

Snickers stopping for an overhead obstacle.

His partner says he is flawless at his overhead obstacles,

I loved hearing that!

Isn't he the most handsome chocolate lab guide dog EVER?

Yep, I think so too.

THE END

See you next week!

What the Wednesday

2011-12-07T23:07:00.003-07:00

Today at puppy class Orleans got to meet Santa Claus

She loved him, or maybe just his beard. . .

On his lap is Onessa and Orleans and on the ground is

Athens, Rio, Silvana, Mozart and Stan.

Getting 7 dogs to hold still and simultaneously look at the camera is hard

Paris really doesn't like Orlie much

unless she wants to play tug,

both girls love tug.

I just realized that my cat is watching them in this picture,

he is so goofy. :)

Orleans sure gets a lot of attention when we are out in public,

most comments are about her soft fluffy ears,

I agree, they are amazing!

She has been great on outings too, and is always well behaved.

She still likes to taste people a little too much though,

Snickers is still in phase 3

But, the new report comes out tomorrow,

so fingers crossed he has moved up. :)

I miss my handsome boy,

but he will sure make someone happy one day!

Keep it up Snick!

What the . . . Thursday?

2011-12-01T19:00:00.003-07:00

Okay so my first week doing What the Wednesday and I totally fail, in my defense I was super busy doing homework all day and night. UGH! But, the semester is almost over. YAY! Anyway, so here is What the Wednesday, one day late.

Orleans is obsessed with my cat.

She is either watching him in complete awe,

or trying to eat him.

I swear I have to take him out of her mouth a dozen times a day.

I wish he would fight back just a little,

but he is the most passive cat I have ever met!

One of these days she'll get it. . . right?

Orleans really likes the sound of her voice!

She is totally quiet in the kennel but she HATES tie-down.

She is getting better though,

but I think I have seen enough of her tonsils for the time being.

Man is she cute though!

She has the cutest wiggle when she is excited too,

it makes me laugh.

Right now the main thing we are working on is people greetings,

she likes to. . .taste people when they pet her,

or jump on them.

I hate when they tell me it's okay and that they don't mind,

cuz I do. :)

And Snicker-doodle is in PHASE 3!!!!

I am so proud of him,

but I miss those big yellow-green eyes too!

Go Snickers, go!!!

The End!

Presenting. . .What the Wednesday

2011-11-23T20:40:00.005-07:00

So, lets face it, I am a horrible blogger! I want to do better I really really do, so in an effort to let you into my crazy head I present you with What the Wednesday! This idea is hardly original as I stole it from my sister, but I loved the idea so much I am going to try it. It's basically a list of the miscellaneous thoughts in my head over the week, and as this is my dog blog it will mainly be about the furry critters in my life.

Lets get started, shall we?

I love the snow!

but, I hate driving in the snow. . . A LOT!

Orleans loves the snow too. . .

though her hair seems to soak up the bulk of it.

She gets dirty really, really, really easily!

Orlie's favorite place to be is under the cat tree,

under a pile of dog beds,

or under my dresser,

she is strange.

Orleans got her shots last week,

she is LEGAL!

And she has done great on all her outing so far.

Like today, I took her out intending to go to the fabric store and then back home. . .

we went to the fabric store,

then RC Willy,

then another fabric store,

then Best Buy,

then Rhumbi Island Grill,

then ANOTHER fabric store,

and Home Depot,

and then home.

Orlie was AMAZING through the whole thing.

And she has been sleeping ever since.

I am really, really, really proud of her!

I ordered a super expensive head collar online,

I LOVE IT!

but, I am trying to make my own,

I wanted to get the supplies today (hence all the outings)

but I failed!

I am going to try to order the stuff online now.

Did I mention I love this head collar?

Paris is really smart,

she has learned to open the baby gate that keeps the dogs behind the counter at work,

she will open it and let the other dogs out so they get in trouble,

she stays behind the counter though,

because she doesn't want to get in trouble too.

Smart!

My little sister likes to play hide and seek with Paris,

this usually results in Paris running full speed into something (she is partially blind)

yesterday it was a mirror,

ouch!

I miss Snickers a lot!

He is in phase 1 of training,

he was in phase 0 for a month,

so I am happy.

I hope he does well, he is a fabulous dog.

GOOD LUCK SNICK!

I love being home for Thanksgiving,

I haven't seen my family in ages,

I am thankful for my family,

and my friends

and all of my pups (Prudy, Tahoma, Glennie, Adeline, Sherman, Spanky, Fullerton, Paris, Picassa, Snickers, Tartan and Orleans)

and naps,

and for all of you!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! (tommorrow)

O is for . . .

2011-10-15T16:24:00.005-06:00

ORLEANS!!

On Thursday I picked up puppy number 12. She is an absolutely adorable Golden/Lab mix and her name is Orleans! I really thing I won the lotto with her name because I am not a huge fan of her sisters names. :)

Here is Orleans coming off the truck.

Giving me kisses!

Isn't she just the cutest little thing ever?

Me with Orleans and Snickers in front of the truck

Orleans playing with her sister Osaka.

We had four of these little fuzz balls come to Utah. From left to right is: Osaka, Omsi, Orleans and Onessa. There were two other siblings on the truck who are now in Colorado a male named Oscar and a female named Olema.

Orleans on the way home.

Just a cute picture of her in my driveway

Her first bath. Since they pups travel on newspapers they are pretty dirty when they get here, so all my pups get a bath first thing home.

Orleans meeting her big sister Paris.

Orleans meeting Snickers

So far she is a super puppy. She likes the sound of her voice and screams all night and anytime she is in the kennel but she is already improving on that. She loves to be held and just melts like butter in any one's arms. I love how sweet she is and still super confident. I am so excited to spend the next year with this sweet little girl. Oh, and interesting tidbit, I just realized she is my first baby girl since my 2nd puppy. All my girls since her have been transferred to me, so I am even more excited to have this sweetheart! :)

Bye Tartan and Snicks last puppy class

2011-10-13T10:26:00.003-06:00

Well, a couple weeks ago I handed Tartan off to his new raiser. She is so excited to have him and he is perfect for a first time raiser so I really hope they do well together. :)

Here he is after being handed off to his new raiser.
He seems pretty content with her.
The whole high school group with their new puppies.

I made these yummy treats for Snickers' last puppy class. I think everyone enjoyed them because there were none left to take home.

During the meeting we had all the dogs stay and they did super. I was proud of my boy as he was placed in his stay first and stayed for a good five or six minutes while all the other dogs were placed in stays. :) He is so ready for training.

And Snickers with Mozart his half brother. They are both Forte boys.

That pretty much sums that up. The new puppy news is that I am leaving in an hour and a half to go pick up little Ms. O. I can't wait!!

New Puppy!

2011-10-07T08:54:00.002-06:00

Snickers is leaving for formal harness training next week. I will miss him so much, he is a fabulous puppy. I know the first question everyone asks is will you be getting a new puppy, and the answer is of course! I will be picking up a new bundle of puppy fuzz next week, I am getting a female yellow lab/golden cross and her name starts with the letter O. I am so excited for this little girl to arrive but a little nervous about the letter O, since it is unusual and there are nine puppies in this litter. So let the guessing begin!

(P.S. I will be back shortly with pictures of Tartan's farewell and Snickers last puppy class)

Last Day with Tartan

2011-09-29T22:15:00.004-06:00

Today was my last day with Tartan, he is getting transferred to his new raiser tomorrow, so I decided to do something fun with him and have a whole day with just me and him.

I decided to take him hiking up to Bridal Veil Falls because it it one of my favorite places. He looks so grown up now and I know he will be such a good boy for his new raiser.

Here is the last picture of my two boys together. I cannot believe that Tartan is taller than Snickers now.
And, after four and a half months I finally got a picture of my labrador rainbow, black , chocolate and yellow.
Here is the last time Tartan played in the yard with his brother and sister.
Then I gave him a bath, nail trim, ear cleaning, and brushed his teeth. He is all pretty for his new raiser.
I sure and going to miss the boy, Tartan is such a good puppy! 10 hours. . .

Fun Day Trip 2011

2011-08-06T12:04:00.012-06:00

Here are some pictures of my Fun Day adventures. Me, my roommate and my boys took off on Wednesday the 20th to spend the next four days touristing around California. It was crazy, busy but so much fun. We did Muir Woods, San Fransisco, the golden gate bridge, the Winchester mystery house and of course Fun Day. Anyway, here are the pictures.

Snickers on the way to California.

This the Grinch's Christmas Tree in the Salt Flats. I always love seeing it.

Are we there yet?

Are we there YET?!?!?

After a good nights sleep our first stop was the Winchester Mystery House. It was so cool, we weren't allowed to take pictures in the house so I only have pics of the grounds and museum. Here are the boys in front of some Winchester riffles.

Some old coin machines in the gift shop.

The outside of the house.

Tartan in the barn.

This door is on the third floor and leads to nothing.

The boys in front of the house.

Me and the boys waiting for our tour.

My roommate, me and the boys in front of the house.

The front door was so cool! The owner of the house only used it once.

Next stop, THE BEACH!! Tartan and Snickers loved the sand but HATED the water.

Snick in the sand.

The boys loved running around in the sand.

Snickers finally got into the water.

Me and my boys.

Tartan played with this piece of kelp for like 30 minutes

I am not really sure what Snick is doing but it's cute.

Then we did San Fransisco.

The boys with Alcatraz behind them.

Me, Snickers, my Roommate and Tartan by the sea lion statue.

Then we got Trish's Mini Donuts (A must every single time I am in San Fransisco, those things are addictive!) and ate them while we watched the sea lions. Tartan and Snickers found them fascinating.

The boys in front of the sea lions. There weren't many, I was disappointing. They are way back on the last plank.

Then we got a sundae at Ghirardellis. Also a must! The boys were so tired.

More Alcatraz pictures. I really wanted to do a tour but three weeks in advance just wasn't enough, they were already sold out through August. :(

Me and my boys under the Ghirardelli sign.

The boys getting a water break.

Then we went to Muir Woods. It was amazing and I love walking through those huge trees.

Tartan and Snickers in front of a fallen tree.

I loved the fog on the way back to the place we were staying.

Finally the day I wait for all year, it was Fun Day!

Tartan got to reunite with his brother Tuscan. He was so cute and much more active than Tartan but otherwise they were very similar.

The vet clinic had a car cutout set up that they had raisers taking pictures with. Me and Snick

and me with Tartan

Snickers getting lots of attention from his daddies breeder keeper, he loved all the attention he got all day.

Snickers sister Sweetie. the other chocolate celebrity. She was very cute. She is much shorter and stalkier than Snickers.

Sweetie and Snickers

Snickers and Tartan waiting in the lunch line

Snickers and Tartan got the new jacket patch while at Fun Day.

Snickers looks thrilled.

The boys were way tired after our crazy few days.

The boys at the closing ceremony

On our way back to the place we stayed we stopped by the golden gate bridge.

Then back home to Utah. The boys took a couple days to return to normal. But, I think they both had a great time and were so good on all the outings we went on.

THE END!

What has been happening since May 13th

2011-07-28T20:29:00.013-06:00

I am admittedly an awful blogger! It's been over two months since my last post about the day I got Tartan. I can say not much has happened since then but here's a little post to get you all caught up.

I tried and failed to get a decent picture of the yellow, chocolate and black pups together. I decided to try again when Tart was older and still need to do it.

But it's okay cuz he's so stinking cute!

Paris has gone on several adventures and still manages to bring me the biggest stick she possibly can.

She also still loves water, mud, dirt, you name it. She is always totally filthy after her adventures.

I fostered 6 kittens that Snickers was absolutely terrified of! But, they still loved to cuddle with him.

Tartan is really good at being cute.

And sleeping in silly positions in his kennel.

Five of my kittens, one more joined several weeks after this pic.

Paris has eaten a truck load of pork twists and still holds them in her mouth like a cigar for several minutes before chewing on them.

I went to the zoo and got to see that baby elephant and many other cool animals.

Paris got a new collar.

I adopted one of my kittens and named him Igor. (He's a little special)

Tartan got his 12 week shots.

Paris got another new collar and loved to cuddle with all my kittens.

Snickers turned 1 year old!!!!! I still can't believe it!

Tart got his 16 week shots and was finally LEGAL!

To celebrate he got to run in the yard but, instead of running in the yard he ended up being flattened in the yard. We're working on Paris being a little gentler with the babies.

And Tartan is cute (Have I mentioned that?)

Added one more kitten to the pack. They are all gone now and three have found new homes so far and two plus the mommy cat are still waiting.

Igor and Paris became best friends

Paris is weird (and got a third new collar, this may or may not be an obsession)

Tartan enjoys the bush outside my house and spends most of his yard time in the bush.

The boys went to a Bee's baseball game and got free jerseys.

And got to meet Bumble the Bee's mascot. L-R Roscoe, Snickers, Tartan, Rio, Julimae and Silvana.

The boys have gone on countless outings and doing so well!

And I have the cutest boys in the world!

Tartan still finds weird positions to sleep in.

My cousin got married and my niece and nephew were the best on the dance floor.

Really! He twirls her and everything, it was so cute!

Paris went on more adventures. . .

Where it rained lots and lots, so we had to take refuge inside.

Tartan graduating to riding on tie down in the car and not in a crate and is now totally loose in my car.

My club had a pool party and Snickers HATED the water. He just clung to me for dear life.

Paris enjoyed the swim but got tired and latched onto the steps after a while.

Tartan loved it though, he was such a good little swimmer!

The other dogs in the club weren't too thrilled either though, Julimae (Yellow), Jacinda (on her back), Keiko (black in corner) and Rio.

And Snickers is as sweet as ever and I love him!

That's what we've been up to. :) I'll have a post about Fun Day and our California trip last week...hopefully in the next couple days.

Little "T" has arrived!

2011-05-13T14:57:00.007-06:00

I picked up my new puppy yesterday. My mystery "T" puppy is a Male Black lab named Tartan! I already love and and besides his need to kill all foliage is doing pretty well. Here are pictures:

The truck pulling in.

Our club received four new pups yesterday. The first off the truck was male black lab Roscoe!

Roscoe has the cutest face!

My puppy came off next

Tartan giving his new mom a kiss.

The third pup for our club was male yellow lab Athens

And the last one is male yellow lab Mozart.

Mozart and his new family.

Love his eyes!

This is Athens, he is really white and has tons of wrinkles.

The four new pups and their raisers. Mozart, Roscoe, Tartan and Athens.

Me and Tartan

This is Clyde a pup from our club who was transferred to raisers in Colorado. We wish him luck and will sure miss his presence at puppy classes. He is a stellar dog!

Tartan tries to play with a black lab named Russia but ends up on his back.

I just love Tartans dopey face!

Tartans first meal. He's definitely a lab and really loves his kibble.

Trying to get Tartan to relieve. It took until almost 12 hours later for him to go.

Tartans first bath. The pups are on beds of newspaper on the truck so they are usually pretty grimy.

Shake, shake, shake

That's it for now. I'll have more up later-ish. :)

Wheeler Farm

2011-05-11T20:40:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago I took the pups to Wheeler Farm. It's a farm that people are allowed to tour with their dogs. It was really fun and my dogs got to meet a lot of farm animals. Paris loved it! She is completely fearless and was practically crawling into the pens to meet all the animals. Snickers was less than impressed, he did not like all the strange creatures at all.

Okay blogger is being dumb and won't let me label the pictures, but they are self explanitory so enjoy. (The chihuahua's are my roommates dogs Conall (black) and Romeo (yellow) The snow is from a few days after and the last one is Paris asleep on my shoe. It made me laugh!

And,

Little "T" comes tomorrow!! I can't wait!

Got my letter!

2011-05-03T18:10:00.004-06:00

So, today I got my puppy assignment! I am getting a puppy who's name starts with the letter "T" That is all I am going to know about my puppy until I meet him/her. So, if you want to partake in a guessing game you can guess color, sex and names that start with "T" Enjoy!

Only 9 days until he/she arrives and I can't wait!!

My puppy is one of these adorable little guys. This is the Marino/Della litter and there are 2 boys and 3 girls. We had Moseley who is Marino's brother in our club last year and he was a club favorite so I am really excited about this little pup. I can't wait to hear everybody's guesses. :)

Puppy #11

2011-04-29T15:18:00.002-06:00

I am very excited to say that 2 weeks from today I'll be picking up guide dog puppy #11! It will be a starter puppy for a High School program in Salt Lake. I've wanted to raise a pup for this program for several years and am very happy it finally worked out this year. The high school program gives high school kids credits for raising a puppy as part of their companion animals class. I'll have the puppy until September when it will be transfered to its new raiser. I asked my leader not to tell me anything about the puppy except the litter letter so it will be a surprise until I get it, and should make for a fun guessing game. I should get the letter in the next couple days and then I'll let y'all now and start a guessing game. I can't wait!!!

The Picassa-less part of graduation

2011-04-18T16:49:00.008-06:00

So I've wanted to share these photos from my graduation trip but I've been super busy so here ya go.

Me and Amanda with Snickers and Breeze left for graduation on Friday morning and drove home on Sunday. In a three day span we spent about 32 hours in the car. It was a fantastic trip though and totally worth it. The pups behaved themselves beautifully. And, Oregon is gorgeous so we got a little bit of touristing into our busy schedule. Anyway, here are photos from Breeze and Snickers part of the graduation trip.

Snickers using Breeze as a pillow in the car. The pups did some rough housing in the car but most of the time they slept or chewed on bones.

Breeze using my suitcase as a pillow.

After we arrived in Oregon we took the dogs for a walk and it was so gorgeous and green. There were some really cool plants and moss growing from absolutely everything. I loved it. Unfortunately there are no pictures because I left my camera in the car. :( But, it was a lazy night after that. I did homework and Amanda graded papers and then we headed to bed, and yes we are super cool people. :) The next morning was graduation, so it consisted of getting ready. We got to campus and had to drop the pups off in the kennels. Snickers was super popular on campus, everyone asked if he was. . . the chocolate. LOL, he got lots of pets and attention and he just soaked it up and was on his best behavior. He got to meet his big sister Picassa again and was so very excited to see her. After all that craziness me and Amanda were starving so we went to Olive Garden for some Lunch/Dinner and the dogs were perfect!

Breeze sitting in the waiting area of the restaurant.

Snickers in the waiting area.

Snickers snoozing away on the floor while we ate.

Breeze sleeping in the restaurant.

Since we still had a lot of the afternoon left we asked our waitress if there was anything close by that was a good tourist attraction. She told us about some winery's so we decided to do that. Well, on the way we got lost but we found some cool views so stopped for pictures. :)

Me and Snickers above a very large river. It was pretty gloomy but I like the picture anyway. :)

Snickers with the river and evergreens behind him.

Breeze with the river and trees behind her. The sky kept getting scarier and scarier.

Right after that picture it started hailing and raining really hard so we ran to the car. While in there a rainbow developed and we could see the whole thing. It was awesome!
We decided to chase the rainbow for a photo opportunity so jumped in the car and sped away. (You know your a puppy raiser when. . .) Anyway, we found the end as it was disappearing so quickly took photo's of both dogs. I love this picture!!! (It's the one I sent in for the GDB 2012 Calendar)

Breeze in front of the rainbow.

The valley below where we had parked. I LOVE OREGON!

We managed to find our way home and let the dogs blow off some steam by playing a short game of chase.

Then it was dinner time! Snickers waiting so patiently for his dinner to be poured.

Snickers inhaling his food. It kinda looks like he is vomiting but he's eating I promise.

Then more homework and grading papers and then bed. We left early Sunday morning to head home but on the way we couldn't resist hiking up Multnomah Falls. It's gorgeous!

Snickers and I in front of the Multnomah Falls sign.

Amanda and Breeze in front of the sign.

Snickers posing in front of the lower falls.

Breeze in front of the lower falls. This picture turned out so good of her. She's a cutie!

Me and Snickers walking up the trail.

BEAUTIFUL!!!

Snickers and Breeze half way up the upper falls.

That's the last picture of the trip. The dogs were perfect traveling companions and the trip was amazing! I loved every second of it.

Picassa Graduates

2011-04-03T21:34:00.008-06:00

If I had to use one word to describe Picassa's graduation it would be: Perfect! I would not change one single thing. :)

Here are my favorite things about graduation:

-How much Picassa already loves her partner after being together for two weeks, and how Picassa would constantly check in with her partner.

-Picassa's partner said she had to practice corrections with Juno (GDB fake dog) because Picassa never gave her the opportunity to practice.

-How excited Picassa was to see me.

-That Picassa's partner has a little kid because Picassa LOVES kids.

-How absolutely perfect Picassa and her partner are together and how well me and Picassa's partner got along. We are very similar personality wise. :) (I don't know how GDB does it)

-That Picassa has phenomenal work ethic!

-The Picassa is still the kangaroo I know and love!

-That Picassa still makes her moaning chewbacca noises in her sleep.

-That Picassa's trainer said she was always very willing to learn and such an easy dog to train.

-How surprised Picassa's partner was about the length of Snickers' tail, when really Picassa's tail is abnormally stubby. (I was the same way while raising her, everyones tail seemed super long)

-How serious Picassa is about her new job. Her partner was telling me that during a route every few blocks they release the dog with the "okay" command so they can de-stress and take a break and Picassa always refused to act silly in her harness.

-How happy Picassa seems to be when she is in her harness.

-(And now that she is home)That Picassa seems to be adjusting to life in Minnesota so well and her work continues to be flawless. :)

And my favorite thing. . .

-That Picassa is now a full fledged, best of the best, working guide dog now!

And, without further delay, here are pictures from graduation!

The training board

The dogs in class board and there is Picassa! Something interesting about class was that all the dogs were female all the students were female and all the trainers were female except one, I found that really funny. Also, Picassa was the only yellow lab in the class, the other five were black.

Me pointing at Picassa's name on the training board.

I loved that they put me in the same room as when I met Fullerton and his grad. :) This is me getting my first glimpse of Picassa and her partner coming out of their dorm room. She wasn't hard to spot being the only yellow dog.

Picassa, her partner and trainer coming down the hall. Picassa was really excited.

The girl was so excited to see me.

Jumping all over me in typical kangaroo fashion

Picassa in harness leading her partner to get pictures taken.

Picassa and her partner getting formal pics taken.

Picassa's partner, me and Picassa in a formal picture.

I missed Picassa kisses, they are so sweet.

Picassa looking up at her partner

Picassa's partner loved seeing her old outfit and Picassa seemed to miss it too. She tried to put her head through it. :) We had to get a picture of Picassa with her old jacket (which is now Snickers')

Me and Picassa waiting for instructions before going to the glass box room

Walking across the stage

She just looks absolutely amazing in harness! I think this is my favorite picture of the day, it's amazing!

Me with Picassa (pup #9) and Snickers (pup #10)

My last glimpse of Picassa and her partner as they walk back to the dorm.

Graduation was absolutely amazing and it was great seeing Picassa again and seeing how happy she was with her job and her new partner. Her partner is completely thrilled with her and I could not imagine a better match for Picassa. I wish them many years of safe travel together and look forward to hearing all about it. Goodbye Picassa be a good girl and know that you will always have a piece of my heart. :)

3 Days til Graduation!!

2011-03-23T12:43:00.003-06:00

I am so excited that everything worked out so I get to go see Picassa graduate this weekend! I can't wait to see her in just three short days. These past two weeks have gone by so quickly, and I am okay with that. :) I also just realized that this is the first time one of my dogs has been in a whole class with their partner. Tahoma and her partner left early so I was able to go a week early and meet with them, but I never got to go to a grad for her, Fullerton was only in class for 2 days before he graduated so I really didn't have much time to plan. This time with Picassa was much less stressful. :) Anyway, I am so excited to see the girl again! I made this leash for her (whether a guide or a cc) new person about three weeks ago and I have been using it since then to break it in a little, today it was officially christened as Picassa's leash because I added her name to it. I can't wait to meet her partner and give her the leash, I hope she likes it. I got the letter from GDB last week that said that Picassa will be working in Minnesota! I am a little sad that none of my puppies manage to stay close. Tahoma is in Ohio, Fullerton is in Canada and now Picassa is off to Minnesota. Well, I am rambling a bit so I should probably be done. P.S. Picassa partner is a puppy raisers dream! She is just amazing! I get to call her either tonight, tomorrow or Friday, I am really nervous to talk to her but so excited too. Well toodles!

The End. . .

2011-03-14T23:58:00.003-06:00

Today at 2:56pm my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and it was my puppy group leader, I slowly raised the phone to my ear and hesitantly said hello. My leader said, "Megan, I have some bad news." My heart sank and the only thing I could make escape my lips was, "oh, no" then my leader said, "You only have two weeks to get ready for graduation because Picassa is IN CLASS!" She quickly apologized for scaring me and told me that she would be graduating March 26th from the Oregon Campus. I am so excited for my girl and could not be prouder that she has made it all the way. I am still trying to work out details and get work off but I am really hoping I can make it to her graduation, I would hate to miss it. If all goes smooth I'll get to see this brilliant girl in harness in two short weeks. I can't wait! Go Picassa!!!

Paris turns two!

2011-02-20T20:31:00.006-07:00

Today the Paris turned two. I think she had a fabulous birthday, she got to hang out with me at work, got a new yummy bone, and ate birthday cake. Happy Birthday Paris, your the best!!!

Picassa Update!

2011-02-18T09:31:00.005-07:00

Just wanted to pop on here and say PICASSA IS IN PHASE 6!!!! She only has two phases to go and I could not be happier with her progress. I am very proud of my girl!! Keep it up Picassa, I would just LOVE to see you in harness with parter. :)

400th post!!! (Picture Post/Catch up)

2011-01-15T10:51:00.010-07:00

Okay I am a MAJOR slacker! This is my 400th post, so I am going to do a picture post of the last month.

A few bullet points for the month before I start with pictures:

Snickers turned 7 months old. (I really need to switch his to his "big boy" collar but I am in denial)
Picassa is in phase 2!!!!!
The dogs enjoyed Christmas (And I fostered the CUTEST 2 year old chihuahua named Fabio over the holidays from my work and fell in love with him. He finally got adopted last week and hopefully things are going well. There are a few pictures of him so that is why I mention him.)
Snickers is getting the snip-snip in two weeks. Sad day! :(
I miss Picassa
Snickers is a whopping 53 pounds and as tall as Paris
Puppy-traded Snickers for Jacinda for a whole week
Paris is pretty much the awesomest pet dog EVER!
It snowed so much while I was at work one day that I was stranded there for four days, and got some major cabin fever. (I have never appreciated a hot shower and non-pre-packaged food before in my life. Fortunately I always have 7 days worth of food stocked in my car, just in case. . .my paranoid personality finally pays off! :)
Oh, and had a weird dream that GDB called me and told me they had misdiagnosed Paris and I had a month to get her ready for harness training. *ominous music plays*
Started school again which Snickers loves attending with me.
Ummm. . . I think that pretty much sums up the month.

This is because Paris go kicked downstairs for Christmas dinner and was not very happy about it. Every time I would look away she would be a step closer to the top until I looked over and she was sitting on the top stair. She is too smart for her own good. She did get a piece of Christmas ham and turkey though. :)

2010 in review

2010-12-30T22:11:00.002-07:00

Here is a quick recap of what happened in 2010. (And an update on the holidays will come soon)

January- Started my journey with leash making, Paris was 10 months old, and Fullerton appeared in phase 8 of formal training.

February-Paris turned a whole year old and Fullerton was in phase 10!!

March-Things really started to click with Paris and I loved raising my stubborn girl. Not much else going on in March.

April-Hosted my first Green Leash Give-away (which reminds me I should do one soon), went from having 2 months left with Paris to 2 weeks, and Fullerton graduated as the best guide dog in the world!

May-Had to say goodbye to the Paris, picked up puppy #9 Picassa, found out Paris was cc'd for eye issues, moved to SLC, and decided Paris would be my forever dog.

June-Picked up Keiko from the puppy truck for another raiser in my club and got to spend a couple days with him, Got my Paris back and was thrilled to have her as my forever dog, and fell in love with Picassa and her quirky personality.

July-Picassa turned 1! I turned *cough, cough* 25. . . and started preparing for Fun Day!!

August-Went to Fun Day and made a couple new friends, Picassa went into heat :(, Found out I was receiving a Male Chocolate Lab to raise as my tenth puppy and was super stoked!! 8 days later I picked up Snickers and I love the boy to pieces! I also started a new job at an animal rescue and rehabilitation center and love it.

September-Picassa came out of heat, I started classes at UofU my new university, and Snickers became legal.

October-Snickers went on his first hike and I enjoyed my time with three of the most amazing dogs in the history of the world!

November-Had to part with my sweet girl, Picassa and send her off for breeder evals, found out Picassa was dropped from breeding and would be put into harness training.

December-Celebrated 6 months of having Paris as a pet and spent Christmas with good friends, family and puppies.

It was a great 2010, here's to an even better 2011!!! Happy New Year Ya'll!!

Snickers Meets Santa

2010-12-17T08:34:00.003-07:00

For puppy class this week we all went to the mall to have our pups meet Santa Claus. This is the first time I have gotten my pups picture with Santa and I love it! Definitely something I would love to continue. All the dogs did great standing in line, unfortunately every time they got settled we had to get them up to move 6 inches and wait a few minutes before repeating the process. They all handled it like champs, even Lacole our clubs baby, she is only 16 weeks old. Anyway, here are the pictures.

The first is Snickers and Santa. Santa looked a little grumpy in most of the pictures but in Snickers he is kinda grinning a little so I am convinced that Snickers was his favorite. :)

The second is our whole group. Kyle, Sugar, Clyde, Julimae, Snickers (giving Lacole a smooch), Lacole, and Keiko laying in front.

Our club looked totally ridiculous while we were getting pictures done. During each picture we had every member of our group whooping and jumping up and down to get each dogs attention. People behind us in line were definitely laughing at us! But, who cares we had fun. :) I love my club!

A Visit from Julimae

2010-12-10T10:09:00.003-07:00

Okay, I majorly failed doing the 30 for 30 thing...but I was super busy at work and school with finals and everything. I think it's a good enough excuse, right? Well, last week Snickers went on his first puppy trade. He got a stellar report and the puppy sitters loved him. I traded for Julimae and had her for about 5 days. She is a sweet puppy and I loved having her. Here are some pictures from her play time with Paris, Marley and Rafferty. Hopefully I'll be a little better at updating the blog from now on. It'll be really nice to have a break from school. I am really looking forward to it.

30 for 30-Day 26 (Bummer)

2010-11-26T19:05:00.003-07:00

I got the very sad news today that Picassa was dropped from breeding. I am very disappointed that there won't be any Kangaroo babies, but she'll still have the opportunity to be a guide dog. She is a stellar puppy after all. After her eye exam next week she'll be put into a training string. Good luck Picassa!!

30 for 30-Day 25 (Happy Thanksgiving/Picture Post)

2010-11-25T22:07:00.003-07:00

Me and my crew wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. . .even though it's almost over. :) Here are some pictures from our morning romp in the snow.

Snickers crawled in my lap trying to get out of the cold.

It was -4 degrees outside so I look rediculous but at least I was warm.

Little Paulson gave up after a bit. Then we decided it was time to go inside. :)
Hope everyone had a great day. I know we did!

30 for 30-Day 24 (Blog Discovery)

2010-11-24T18:54:00.002-07:00

I discovered another blog today that really made me laugh out loud. Especially

This Post,

and

This Post!

I think you all would really get a kick out of it, so when you have a spare minute you should go check it out. :)

30 for 30-Day 23 (Frontrunner Outing)

2010-11-23T23:42:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we did a multi-club outing and weall rode the Front runner train together. It was a great outing and Snickers did superb. I was quite proud at how quickly he slettled himslef down for the long train ride. Here are some picture from the train.
Snickers' baby sister Kasha beating him up. He let her win as he is such a gentleman. Or we'll just let everyone think that. :)
It was a great trip for the dogs to learn to ride public transit and work on dog distractions as well. It's almost midnight so I better get this post up so ta ta for now and I'll post again tomorrow. :)

30 for 30-Day 22 (Back to the Grind/Fun in the Snow)

2010-11-22T12:03:00.004-07:00

This morning I let Paris and Snickers run around with some other doggie friends in my friends backyard. This was Snickers' first snow and he had a blast! No issue at all in the snow. Here are some pictures from their romp.

Snickers after rolling in the snow.

My friends dog Bear. He's a lab/chow mix and love running around with my pups.

Bear in the rear, then Snickers and Paris in the lead.

Bear and Paris. They hit it off right away!

Paris, Bear and then Snickers.

Snickers with snow on his nose.

30 for 30-Day 21 (Major Failure)

2010-11-21T19:02:00.004-07:00

Okay, this posting every day thing is tough! And I am failing majorly. . .I will try really hard not to miss again but this weekend has been crazy. For now I'll leave you this picture. Park City is covered in snow today. My car got plowed into it's parking spot at work and I had to dig it out. Not fun! Hope everyone else is having/had a great weekend. :)

30 for 30-Day 19 (Failure)

2010-11-20T00:47:00.001-07:00

Darn, I totally missed a day. :( I am unhappy about that but I think I can get a free pass becasue I've been uber busy with work and my upcoming finals. I will answer your questions and suggestions in the next couple days and hopefully I don't miss again. Unfortunately this is it for now. . . Have a good day!

30 for 30-Day 17 (The Rest of the Pack)

2010-11-17T19:30:00.004-07:00

Well, last night I left off with puppy #6 Spanky so tonight I'll continue with number 7.

Pup #7 was Fullerton the little red dog. This puppy had me wrapped around his little paw. I absolutely adored him and even more so when he was eight months and finally let me sleep through the entire night. He was a horrendous crate barker and I thought I was going to loose my mind until one day he just stopped. I thought I had gone deaf. :) Thankfully he never barked again after that. Fuller also had a lot of tummy issues while I raised him, I think I can count on one hand the number of times he had a solid poop. (Luckily this didn't keep him from being a guide dog as he was a star reliever) Okay, that's probably more info than you wanted but that was a huge part of raising this amazing little guy. Fuller was practically perfect from the moment I picked him up and besides the barking issues was the easiest pup I ever raised. He was also drop dead gorgeous! He left for breeder evals when he was 14 months old and after a month of evals was dropped from breeding and added to a training string. To say I was disappointed that there would be no Fuller babies would be an understatement. But, I was thrilled that he would have a chance to be a guide dog as well. Fuller did amazingly well in training and was in phase 10 out of 10 in two months. He had to wait another 2 1/2 months before he found his perfect partner. He was a last minute dog switch in class and by the time graduation rolled around he had been with his new partner for two full days. The bond they had was amazing and Fullerton is now Super Guide! His partner loves him and can't say enough good things about him. I am absolutely thrilled that he is a working boy because he loves his job!
Fuller 8 weeks old.
Fuller at his graduation.

#8 was Paris. Paris was a transfer puppy that I got when she was 7 months old. She is a ridiculously stubborn and ridiculously smart puppy. A potentially lethal combination if you ask me but seeing as she is my pet now you can be assured that I love this girl more than anything! Me and Paris had a bit of a rocky start, Paris is the kind of dog who will not listen to anybody until she trusts and respects them. She completely ignored me for the first three weeks and had my entire puppy club convinced that she was deaf. After that three weeks she did start to listen to me and everything was practically perfect from then on. Okay, that's not a very glowing report about Paris but she is absolutely without a doubt my heart dog and I am thrilled to have her as my pet. Paris is about the best dog I have raised. Her commands are flawless, she has fantastic house and public manners, she was amazing around little kids, she picked up on new things incredibly fast and she was bomb-proof (Literally), she is by far the most confident puppy I have ever raised! Paris left for formal training at 14 months and I knew without a doubt she would be a guide dog. Things didn't really work out though as she was quickly career changed for eye issues that caused blind spots in her central vision. I was devastated as I didn't think I could bring her back and no other organization would accept her with her vision impairment. After a rough couple days I decided I would make it work and she would be my forever dog. That was the best decision I have ever made and she pet life and her get along famously. She has been a pet for 5 months and I have never regretted my decision. I am incredibly blessed to have this dog in my life.
Paris at 7 months.
Paris right before training at 14 months.

Picassa was my 9th puppy. Another transfer dog I got at 9 months old. She was a challenging puppy to raise because we had to work through a lot of fear issues. Luckily she seems to have overcome them and is a confident little girl who loves to go out and about. I was so proud of the progress she made in the 6 months we were together. She always tried so hard to please and always wanted to do the right thing. I really enjoyed our time together and I learned so much from her. She was always such a happy dog and I really miss her yodeling. She is currently going through breeder evals at the California campus and I am sitting on pins and needles every day waiting for news. I know she is through with all her initial health exams and now she is doing her formal breeder evals which can take up to four months but there are a lot of people here rooting for her. :)
Picassa at 10 months old.
Picassa and I the day she left.

Puppy number 10 is of course the famous chocolate puppy Snickers. Snickers is an amazing puppy! He has slept through the night from day one and never been a barker. (I was really worried as he is Fullerton nephew) He is a very confident puppy and not a single thing has phased him so far. He does amazing in public and is always on his best behavior. His house manners still need some work though. :) I am already desperately in love with him and think he has the potential to be an amazing guide dog! I am really looking forward to the next year with him to see how he grows and progresses.
Snickers 8 weeks.
Snickers at 5 1/2 months.

So there are my puppies in a nutshell. Of course I could write novels on each one but I didn't want to bore you so that's the cliff notes version. :)

30 for 30-Day 16 (The History of my Pups)

2010-11-16T18:21:00.006-07:00

I thought for today's post I would tell y'all about all my puppies. Sorry if this is horribly boring but too bad. :)

Prudy was my first puppy. She was born May 1, 2002 and I received her the end of June that year. I enjoyed raising Prudy and we went through a lot together. I raised Prudy during my senior year of high school and my first couple semesters of college together. We were also in a car accident together that I almost died in and Prudy wouldn't leave my side while we were in the hospital. She went through a split season my first summer with her so she was around a year old. Back then we boarded females in season at the vet so I dropped her off for her month long stay while being in heat. After the longest month EVER I got to go pick up my girl when she was finished with her heat. A week later while at a puppy meeting I noticed blood again. Not good. . . she went and spent another month at the vet for her second month of heat and after that she was spayed. So after 2 1/2 months of being at the vet I got back a fat, lazy puppy who forgot all her training. I kept her until she was almost 21 months old to get her back into shape before she left for training. When she was in training she made it to phase 8 out of 10 before being career changed for separation anxiety and relieving in harness. I got the call that she was cc'd and the next day was on my way to pick her up and make her my pet. She was an amazing pet and I loved every second with her. Unfortunately she passed away when she was six and I miss her every day.
Prudy and her brother Patriot the day they arrived at 8 weeks old.
5 year old Prudy in the snow.

My 2nd puppy was Tahoma. She was born May 5, 2004. She was always a sassy and stubborn little girl and I really loved her. She was a tough puppy and challenged me a lot, especially after mellow, easy Prudy. Tahoma was incredibly smart and I knew she had great potential. She left for formal training 4 days after her first birthday. After about four months Tahoma was pulled for breeding. She had a litter of seven puppies the end of November and after they were weaned she went back into training to be a guide. She cruised through training and then graduated as a working guide dog. She is now working in Ohio with a blind Rabbi and spends 2 months a year in Israel and also travels around the east coast so her partner can officiate at weddings. He teaches at a college so she goes there as well and all his students just love her.
Tahoma at 9 months.
Tahoma in harness.

Glennie was number 3. She was born September 27, 2005. She was my first transfer puppy so I got her when she was 5 months old. She was also the first puppy I raised while living in California. She had some issues to work through and I was up for the challenge. She was food and toy aggressive and didn't like going out in public. She made wonderful improvements during our short time together but being a guide was just never in the cards for this girl. She was career changed at 6 1/2 months and is now living as a pet in California.
Beautiful white Glennie 5 months old.
Glennie sleeping in the sun.

#4 was Adeline. She was born October 25, 2005 and I got her as a transfer puppy too, she was a little over 5 months when I got her. She was a great dog and we hit it off immediately. She was a sweet dog and loved to go out and about and meet new people. She was also about the happiest dog I've ever had, her enthusiasm was contagious and she always put a smile on my face. She left for formal training at 17 months old and was quickly career changed for a fear of men which shocked me. She is now living with her first raiser and is a therapy dog and runs agility as well. She loves her life and is in the perfect place for her.
Adeline at my work at 8 months old.
Adeline showing off her jumping skills in the Agility arena.

My 5th puppy was Sherman. He was my first male and I was really nervous about that. My fears were ill founded though as Sherman was just about the best puppy in the world! I absolutely fell in love with this cuddle bug. He was a mellow, go-with-the-flow dog and took everything in stride. When he left for formal training I had no doubt he wouldn't be a guide dog, but I was wrong as he was career changed for soft trachea. Bummer! I would have kept him in a heartbeat but he is the type of dog who needed a job so I asked if there was another school that would take him. A few days later he was taken into the Dogs4Diabetics program and after almost a year of training he graduated as a medical alert dog. WooHoo!! He is a happy working dog and his partner is just perfect for him.
Sherman at 8 weeks.
Sherman enjoying his new job.

Spanky was my 6th puppy. He was a transfer that I got at 11 months. I raised him while I worked at a summer camp for blind and VI kids. He was a great camp dog and all the kids loved him. We did have an ongoing battle with my socks. He ate 12 pairs of my socks while I had him and I still to this day can't figure out how he got them. He was career changed before he made it to formal training for some fear issues and is now a very loved pet in Oregon.
Spanky 4 months.
Spanky at 14 months.

Well, that's all I have patience for now, so the rest will be tomorrow. :) Enjoy!

30 for 30-Day 15 (Half Way)

2010-11-15T22:05:00.002-07:00

Well, today is the half way mark for the 30 post in 30 days and I am really running out of things to post about. So, I was wondering if my readers had any ideas for what they'd like me to post or any questions you'd like to ask me. I'd be happy to answer them. :)

And because he's so gosh darn cute here's Snickers being his curious little self.

30 for 30-Day 14 (Love my Boy)

2010-11-14T18:32:00.003-07:00

No matter what kind of day I am having this sweet boy can always put a smile on my face. Thanks Snickers I needed that today. :)

30 for 30-Day 13 (Babysitting Help)

2010-11-13T08:05:00.002-07:00

A few days ago I babysat my niece and nephew while my brother-in-law was in the hospital. Paris and Snickers were just thrilled to help me out too.

Cannon my nephew really wanted Paris to sit in the chair with him so he pulled up up and rocked for a while.
Then he wanted to brush her so he grabbed a comb.
Hazel my niece also played with Paris and crawled all over her and pulled her ears and tail. Paris was thrilled.
Of course Snickers was there as well. He was such a good boy and did really well with the kids running around.
Watching our fifteenth episode of Blues Clues. . .
It was fun to watch them for a while as I haven't seen my niece and nephew in a long time. They've both gotten so big, I love these kids to death. They are great!

30 for 30-Day 12 (Forgot to mention)

2010-11-12T10:11:00.003-07:00

Since I don't really have anything to say for today's post I am going to add to yesterdays. :)

I forgot to add a part of the e-mail that I wanted to share with everyone. Fullerton is now bi-lingual. While in Europe she taught him all his commands in Danish and he responds perfectly to them. I thought that was so cool! She also promised to send pictures of Fuller in Europe as soon as her husband can get them off the camera cord. I can't wait to see them!

30 for 30-Day 11 (A Note From Fuller)

2010-11-11T11:52:00.002-07:00

I just got an e-mail from Fuller and his partner. I love hearing from him so here is a short part of her e-mail. I am ecstatic that things are going so well! Enjoy!

Just a note to let you know how Fullerton is doing. We were in Europe for four weeks and have been home for a couple of weeks now. We spent three weeks with family in Denmark and drove down through Germany to Wiesbaden to visit friends and then into Switzerland to stay with students that lived with us while they studied English. We had a fabulous time with great weather, we only saw rain twice in the four weeks, and even then for a short period of the day. It was absolutely beautiful in Switzerland with temperatures up in the 70's F. Fullerton was nothing short of amazing to travel with . We had a 6 hour delay on our flight over to Frankfurt and despite this major inconvenience he did great. He slept virtually most of the 9 hour flight. He had no issues adapting to the change in water or environment. it was so nice to be able to go out for walks in the neighbourhood by myself and not have to be worrying about everything. He is a very confident little worker with great work ethic. Despite all of the new experiences he had he just took it all on extremely well.

30 for 30-Day 10 (Wordless Wednesday)

2010-11-10T07:20:00.001-07:00

30 for 30-Day 9 (Raw Food)

2010-11-09T15:03:00.004-07:00

I've been feeding Paris a raw food diet for the last 3 weeks so today's post is about that. First off, its really nasty and makes me want to vomit every time I feed her but it's so good for her and she has already made amazing improvement in her energy levels, shiny coat, and health that it's worth it. I feed a modified raw diet which means she gets her normal kibble one meal a day and then her raw food one meal a day. I feed Oma's pride which is a pre-packaged raw food. I don't have time to run around to grocery stores looking for deals so I choose to do it this way. It looks like hamburger and is ground together with bone and organ meat since raw is supposed to be 80% muscle meat, 10% Organ and 10% bone. I don't have to think about the mix either its already done for me. So far Paris has tried Buffalo, Chicken, Turkey, Lamb and Beef and she loves it all! She also gets a chicken neck for a mid-day snack and raw meaty bones when I have to leave her home for a long time. Anyway, here are pictures of Paris devouring her first raw meal.

There you see it. . .

ummm. . . there you don't

Ya, she swallowed it whole. So nasty!! Now I spread it around so she has to take smaller bites. :)

P.S. I know that dog food is always a touchy subject so please keep your criticism to yourself. Thank you!

30 for 30-Day 8 (5 Things at 5 Months)

2010-11-08T19:56:00.004-07:00

Today Snickers turned 5 months old. So, here is his 5 things at 5 months.

1. I love Snickers happy dance whenever he sees me. Whether in the crate, on tie-down or running around loose. Whenever I walk into the room he does a little dance and it cracks me up every time.

2. Snickers has a funny sit. He pushes himself back and shifts from foot to foot. Someday I'll get a video of it because it's pretty entertaining.

3. He is such a confident little puppy. I don't worry about taking him on any outings because I know he'll do great.

4. Snickers never just gets onto his bed, he has to make a flying leap onto his bed.

5. He does fantastic in class and settles down really fast.

Snickers is a great puppy and I am loving every day with him!

30 for 30-Day 7 (Work)

2010-11-07T18:43:00.011-07:00

I've never posted anything about work before so since I have nothing else interesting to say today's post is about my job. I've been at my new job for 2 1/2 months now and I love it. I work at a dog and cat rescue and rehabilitation center. Most days I would out at the ranch were the dogs spend the night and we do training and stuff there. On the weekends I work at the adoption center. Here are some pictures from my day yesterday at the ranch.

This is Bean he is a black lab mix and such a cool dog. He is in our small outdoor run.
Here's the whole run. The small side and then the big side. It's huge and great for the dogs to have a place to run around.
Playing fetch with a 6 year old black lab named Drake. He is such a happy dog.
Playing fetch with Bean.
Drake and Jack (A black lab/Dane mix)
The outside of the dog kennels. Each dog has a door to the outside that we can open to let them out. It's a pretty sweet set-up.
The wall next to the bathroom. The artwork just cracks me up.
The bathroom doors.

The inside small dog mosh pit.

This is Belle. She is uber awesome.
This is Sandy, she is a really sweet pit mix.

Obviously I like Sandy. :)

These kitties are Paris, Prudy and Picasa. Yep, I named them. LOL
This is Simon, he is a Siamese mix and looks like a cougar to me. He is HUGE!
This is Sterling. I love his eyes.
This is Morgana.
Well, those are pictures of work. Pretty exciting. And if you see anything you like all these animals are ready to find their forever homes. (Shameless plug)

30 for 30-Day 6 (How Did This Happen?)

2010-11-06T08:42:00.003-06:00

How did this 10 lb puppy. . .

Photo taken: August 12, 2010 2 months old

turn into this 35 lb monster?!?!

Photo Taken November 3, 2010 5 month old

Okay he's not really a monster, he's about the best puppy ever! But I do not recall ever telling him it was okay to grow up so fast.

30 for 30-Day 5 (Farewell Picassa)

2010-11-05T17:59:00.003-06:00

Here are my pictures from my goodbye to Picassa.

Me and Picassa in front of the truck.

Christina and Picassa getting ready to board. Christina was also raised in my club and is Picassas half sister.

Picassa pretty much ran onto the truck and into a kennel. I said a quick goodbye told her that I was proud of her and to do good things and that was that. She is in California now getting acquainted with the GDB campus and starting her health exams.

And now I am down to two dogs which is nice, but very different and quiet. It always feels like something is missing.

30 for 30-Day 4 (How Could I Forget?!?!?)

2010-11-04T09:37:00.004-06:00

I forgot this on my list of things I'll miss about Picassa. It's just about my favorite thing about her!

10. I'll miss how she re-arranged my furniture after a bath.

30 for 30-Day 3 (Recall Day)

2010-11-03T19:27:00.002-06:00

So, I am headed out the door to go to a group project meeting for one of my classes and for fear that I won't get back until after today is over I wanted to make a quick post. (Pictures and stuff will be added later but I want to make sure I get my post of the day up)

I dropped off Picassa this afternoon and she practically raced onto the truck. Guess she was ready to get out of here and get on with her training. I don't think raisers get many updates when their dogs do breeder evals so I think the next bit of news I'll get on her is whether she is a breeder or gets put into training but that could be months away. It's hard knowing that I will most likely not hear about her for a long while.

I am slowly adjusting to having only two dogs around and so far it's been really weird. I keep looking in the back of my car and panicking because one of the yellow ones is missing. She is a sweet girl and I will miss her happy little face dearly. Good luck Cos!!

30 for 30-Day 2 (Photo Shoot)

2010-11-02T15:37:00.009-06:00

Today was Picassas last full day as a guide dog puppy in training. I felt like it was a tad anti climactic. Usually I've taken my puppies hiking or something for their last day but Picassa didn't get that since I worked all morning and then had class all afternoon and then got home about eight minutes ago. . .too bad. I did get to do one last photo shoot with her today. It was such a nice day with a blue sky so I took some time between work and school to do that. Pictures are below but you'll have to endure a few words from me first.

I am so proud of how far Picassa has come in the last six months. She has made leaps and bounds and has turned into a wonderful little dog who I am proud to have raised. There are so many things that I am going to miss about this girl but I'll just list a few for all of you.

1. I will miss her super short and puffy tail that I have nicknamed stubbs.

2. I am going to miss how excited she gets around meal time. She spins in circles and races to her bed (She has to "go to bed" before she gets fed, so it is automatic now)

3. I'll miss how gentle she is when she is giving kisses.

4. I'll miss how she seems to think she is a kangaroo. (It drove me crazy for the longest time but I finally came to terms that it's just a Picassanism. :) So this is what I see at work most of the day.)

5. I'll miss her phenomenal house manners. I've never had a puppy who was so good in the house.

6. I'll miss her bright pink eraser nose.

7. I'll miss how incredibly sweet she is and how she is always happiest when she is touching someone.

8. I'll miss her ability to make the most out of any situation.

9. I'll miss her yodeling. When she gets excited she makes the strangest noises and I love it. It usually sounds like a mix between a wookie and a seal. It's weird.

Picassa is a fun little pup and I am excited to see what career choice she chooses. :) She will be headed to the California campus for breeder evals and if she isn't chosen to be a breeder (I know that four of her five siblings are currently doing breeder evals right now so we shall see) then she will go into harness training. She is an international consideration pup too so that is also a possibility. Good luck Cos!!!

Okay, without further ado here are the pics from my photo shoot with Picassa.

AND

OUTTAKES!

What's a photo shoot without outtakes? LOL

Well, I'm off to do Picassa final bath, nail trim, ear cleaning and tooth brushing. :(

Picture Post of the Last Month

2010-11-01T10:03:00.011-06:00

It's been almost a month since my last post, and since I don't want to bore you all here are some pictures from the last month. I guess the most important thing to say is that Picassa's recall got bumped up from the 8th to the 3rd so she is leaving in just 2 short days, and all the pups are doing great.

Pictures from my last hike with Picassa.

Rafferty, Joaquin, and Picassa.

A play date with Snickers's half sister Kasha.

Paris, Snickers, Clifford, and Kahsa.

Snickers in a Halloween Shop.

Snickers the executioner. . .so scary!

Snickers first elevator ride. He did fantastic, just watched the ground wondering why it was getting so far away.

Snickers LOVES to shop. . . or maybe not!

Snickers first restaurant. He was phenomenal!

Halloween, Picassa as Thing 1.

My puppy group all decked out for our Halloween parade through the mall. Julimae the pirate, Sugar with wings and clover on her head, Antigua the Bee, Christina in a cute black and green dress, Jacinda in a blue dress, Kyle the pony, Snickers and Picassa as Thing 1 & 2, Clyde the Bee, and Breeze and the white rabbit in Alice and Wonderland.

Snickers passed out in the mall.

Snickers on a kiddy ride in the mall.

Kasha and Snickers both Forte puppies laying on a bench.

Picassa and Clifford also 1/2 siblings with Kentucky in common sitting on the bench.
Picassa saying bye to Mitch after puppy meeting. This was her last puppy class. :( I know she is being naughty but it's still cute.
Snickers discovered a fountain and jumped up on the rim, also being naughty but so cute!
Picassa in class. She looks so cute in this picture.
Picassa at work.
Snickers being his crazy, cute little self.

Okay, I am going to try really hard to be better about blogging. So stay tuned more to come soon!

P.S. I am going to attempt the 30 post in 30 days for the month of November. So this is the first in the series. :)

Happy Howl-oween

2010-10-31T19:02:00.004-06:00

Picassa and Snickers want to wish everyone a Happy Halloween to everybody. Have a safe night!
P.S. A longer update is coming soon. I know we've been absent for about a month now. :(

4 Things at 4 months

2010-10-08T15:28:00.003-06:00

Today Snickers is 4 months old! And since Blogger doesn't want to load my pictures so here are my 4 things without pictures. :)

1. Snickers is excellent at entertaining himself with toys. (Although most the time he is running around like a psycho flinging his toys around.

2. Snickers is fantastic in my classes and all the students in my classes love him!

3. He is the most confident little bugger ever! Not a single thing phases him. He reminds me a lot of Paris in that way.

4. He loves to cuddle. I've taken many naps with this little guy and while he hardly ever holds still if I hold him he settles right down to snuggle and sleep.

Also, today is the 1 months till Picassa leaves day. :( I can't believe it's gone by so fast.

Snickers First Hike

2010-10-04T08:16:00.004-06:00

I took Snickers on his first hike last week. He was such a good boy and walked very well except when bikes passes, he wanted to chase them. :) Silly boy. But here are some ridiculously cute pictures of Choco-boy.

Snickers standing on a rock with a tree limb behind him.
Snickers standing amongst four tree trunks.
Snickers sitting on a bridge over a river.
Snickers walking down the path.
Snickers head with the waterfall behind him.
My favorite picture from the day, Snickers sitting nicely with the waterfall behind him.
Snickers meets a tractor. The thing was turned on and everything but it didn't phase him one bit.
Snickers after jumping in the water. He is a definitely a water dog! :D
Snickers romping in the backyard.
Picassa and Paris in the lead with Snickers trying really hard to catch up.
Again the girls way out in front while Snickers brings up the rear.
Snickers is doing great and I am loving how confident he is. He will be joining me at college tomorrow and I am sure he will do fabulous!

He's Legal!!

2010-09-29T17:26:00.002-06:00

Well, Snickers got his final set of shots yesterday and now his outings can begin. He has done stellar on the few outings he has been on. He is one awesome pup!

Snickers in the waiting room at the vet before his shots. He is an adorable little guy.
Snickers on the exam table. He was a little over dramatic when he got his shots and screamed his head off and wiggled like crazy. But, they are over and he has a lot more freedom now.
After the vet we went on our first outing. I took him to Checker Auto Parts and he was perfect! Everyone loved his and he was great while getting pets. I'm really proud of the boy and so excited to start taking him more places.

Yes, We're Still Alive

2010-09-23T12:09:00.013-06:00

It has been a month since my last post! I don't think I've ever gone that long without posting. It's been a crazy busy month though with school starting and getting a new job. So, in the last month we went on a bunch of outings, Picassa came back from being in heat and will be leaving for breeder evals on November 8th, and Snickers grew way too much and gets his last set of shots on Monday. And here are pictures:

[Snickers on his back in the crate with his foot pushed up against the door.]

[Picassa and Snickers playing]

[Snickers sneak attacks Picassa from behind]

[I really didn't post them, I thought it was super cute the way Cos has her arm around Snickers.]

[Paris resting her head on Picassa's back. Paris really missed her little sister.]

[Snickers and I went to a friends birthday party and he found a foot to rest his head on.]

[Snickers sleeping with his tongue sticking out.]

[My three puppies playing together]

[Paris at my new job enjoying a rawhide. I love that all three pups can go to work with me.]

[Snickers getting his first set of shots]

[Paris and Snickers sleeping on a dog bed together.]

[Picassa in my car half way into the front seat. Silly dog, she really likes to be close to me.]
Me and Picassa went out with Sarah and Rafferty to see the Miners Day Parade and play tourist in Park City. We had a lot of fun.

Picassa going down some grated stairs. She was a little hesitant at first but these stairs are all over the place and she was pro by the end of the day.
Picassa watching the running of the balls. It's a little fundraiser event where people buy numbered golf balls and then they roll all the balls down a track on the street and the first ball to the end gets a prize. It was really fun to watch and work on Picassa ball distraction.
Picassa at the parade with a big firetruck behind her.
We also went to the Park City Museum. It was really interesting and had some fun displays. Here is Picassa and Rafferty sitting in a mine elevator. It was really scary, I would never be able to be a miner.
Picassa in one of the mining cars.
This was really cool, when you pull the trigger it makes a sounds like an explosion and lights flash and the rocks rumble. I was very proud of Picassa, she didn't hardly react at all.
Picassa in the first jail in Park City.
Picassa in a little cart they used to move rocks from inside the mine to the outside.
Picassa walking over the road with the Park City mountains behind her.
Picassa looks down onto the road.
Picassa in front of a HUGE horse from the parade.
Paris chillin' in the car.
Snickers, just cuz he's cute.
Paris and Picassa sharing a dog bed. I have three in my room but they always share. They are sweet girls.
Snickers chewing on a toy.
Picassa looking up at me while we were hiking.
Paris running through the foliage.
Picassa with the mountains and trees behind her. I loved the view!
Picassa trying to lick Paris tongue. Picassa is a strange little girl.
Paris with the trees and mountains behind her.
I love this picture of Marley looking out at the mountain.
Rafferty, Picassa, and Paris sitting on a big log during the hike.
Well that about does it for the last month.

First Puppy Class

2010-08-23T17:51:00.004-06:00

This week was Snickers first puppy class. He did really well and was such a good boy. Here are some other pictures from the week first though.

I just couldn't be happier with how nice Paris is to Snickers. Here he is putting his foot on her face and she is laying there like a good girl not reacting at all, she is a pro co-raiser!
Snickers ready to take Paris whole nose in his mouth. Again she just takes it and lets him do whatever he wants, sometimes I wish she would put him in his place though. :)
Snickers new favorite tug toy is Paris tail. She will roll onto her back and let him tug and tug. This is where I really wish she would fight back just a little.

Evil Snickers. He is laying on his back and his teeth are all showing.

Snickers smashed face into the kennel door.

Puppy class started with breakfast at my leaders house (something my club does toward the end of each summer) We were all eating and chatting when another raiser mentioned that a vet tech school was doing free exams, nail trims, baths, and ear cleanings for dogs that morning. After we all ate we moved our class to that event. It was so much fun and a great opportunity for the dogs to be handles by a lot of strangers and still behave themselves. During Paris' exam the vet tech was checking her eyes (the reason she was cc'd) and was getting really concerned. She told me she didn't think that her eyes were responding to the light and movement and she had her teacher come over and test her eyes as well. He did this test where he moved his hand toward her from different angles to see if she would flinch. She didn't most of the time and the tech said that she thought something was wrong with her eyes. That's when I told her that Paris is visually impaired. She was SO relieved that I knew already and she didn't have to give me that news. But I congratulated her on noticing something since Paris had been to several vets before (including for 2 eye surgeries) who never caught that she didn't see very well. It made me laugh. Paris was of course perfect and now she is squeaky clean. Here she is during her bath. The big dogs got hosed down and the little dogs got into a little wash tub.

Paris getting soaked with the hose.

And lathered up with Shampoo. She looks rather pathetic and confused.

Snickers was a good sport. He has so many people cooing at him and petting him and he was such a good boy. He even got to meet a goat and completely ignored it. His exam went well and he is nice and healthy. Whew! :) Here he is in the little tub during his bath. He was such a good boy and all the techs thought he was such a nice puppy.

Getting rinsed off.

After all that each dog got a little bandanna. Snickers got a yellow one and it looked pretty good on him. He was pretty exhausted on the way home and slept on the floor of the car the whole way home. It was quite an intense little outing for the little man.

Just because it's so cute here is Snickers sitting outside on the pavement doing his head tilt. His eyes are so droopy in this picture.

Well, that was our weekend. The boy is doing so well, he is a little trooper. He is starting to understand Sit, Wait, and Okay. He is a smart little guy! He is going on his first puppy trade tomorrow until Thursday since Wednesday is my first day of school and I won't be home much Wed or Thurs while I am getting everything figured out. Then he has his first evaluation with my CFR on Thursday. I hope he is good for the puppy sitter. :) I sure am going to miss having my squirrely little guy around.