I Don't Think This is Right...

Phase Report Day today.  Pilgrim was phase 3 for the second time last week, but this week was listed as Phase 6!  No matter how I try to justify that as accurate, I cannot come up with an explanation.  5 maybe, but not 6.  So, for this week, I am just thankful Pilgrim has not been Career Changed, and I look forward to next week figuring out where he is really at with training.

Any thoughts on this?

Esme, 1 week later...

Baby Esme knows how to relax!

It is really hard to believe that Esme has been here a week now; that she is 10-weeks-old now.  Esme is a really nice puppy, but...  we have some issues that are not a welcome sight to the household, even though they are quite normal.

First, after 2 fantastic days sleeping all night, and very few relieving issues, the diarrhea began.  I am hoping it is just the transition to a new home (new water, new bacteria, etc).  No matter what I do, she is the queen of poop at night.  Weirdest thing, it begins at 5pm and then continues into the wee hours of the morning.  She cannot help it.  I have witnessed her dead asleep and then she awakens, whimpers just a second and then the squirty poo is on the floor or in the crate.  This seems to continue hourly (and yes, most of the time I get her outside before the deed).  We are back to a bland diet, but this time will reintroduce food much more slowly.

The second issue was a foreseen one, and is already resolving, but involves L'il M and Esme.  As is very common, little puppies see toddlers/little kids as other puppies.  Poor L'il M has her share of puppy bites on her arms and legs!  Esme does not do this to the "older" people in the house!  To her credit, L'il M never holds it against Esme (even though she SCREAMS when she gets bitten), but always comes right back with a toy so that Esme has something appropriate to bite.  I guess she has seen that replacement of inappropriate biting/chewing with dog toys.  This issue was actually a concern of mine in having a Lab versus a Golden puppy this time.  The Goldens really do have a much softer mouth and less of a need to chew.  But, Esme is getting better about taking advantage of L'il M already.  Now all it takes is a verbal reminder for her to take her play down a notch.

The name Esme has proven harder for me to recall than I thought!  About 40% of the time I call her Emse <M.C.>.  Good grief!

Esme is so cute.  She seems to be a quick learner, and resilient.  We love her puppy breath that does not wash away with the baths this week.  :)  I know the "issues" will resolve in the next few weeks.  I look forward to the guide dog puppy that she will become!

Agility trial with Rudy tomorrow!

Phase 3, again

I could not be happier with the decision that Guide Dogs for the Blind made to put the weekly phase reports online.  I love getting up on Thursday mornings and finding out what Pilgrim is doing this week.   Admittedly, it was a bit disappointing this morning to find him in phase 3 still.  All sorts of crazy ideas run through my mind!  I have to remind myself that this is a bit of an evaluatory phase, and it also is not necessarily Pilgrim needing some extra time (could be any dog(s) in his string)...  we'll just hope that next week he moves on to 4.

Our new arrival...

We got a sweet delivery via air cargo yesterday.  Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy #9!  Her name is Esme, which is apparently a character from Twilight.  At first, I thought the name was just weird, but now, even despite her disappointing namesake,  the name Esme is growing on me. Esme is 9-weeks today, and is out of Shawn and Darice.  She has the super long labby ears that I love, and oh, the puppy breath!!!  Our family is totally in love with her already.  Esme slept 8-hours last night in the crate without a peep.  She probably would have slept longer, but since I got up to see if she was awake, I thought I should take her out anyway. 

Esme modeling a small GDB vest.  She is not thrilled by our frigid temps in this pic!

A face you can't resist!

 

Esme also has "a story" already...  It was a switched a birth moment; only it was yesterday, not at birth.  A lesson in not taking life lessons learned by your kids for granted, the importance of effective communication, and plain old double-checking the important facts!  Alls well that ends well, and we have never laughed more over the arrival of a guide dog puppy!

Phase Report Thursday!

What a great start to the morning to discover that Pilgrim had moved on to Phase 3!  This phase includes preliminary obedience and blindfold testing.  I am so relieved to see Pilgrim progressing now, though I know that he has a long way to go, and it ain't over til it's over.  Still, we are proud of our Pilgrim boy!

New Year, New Goals

One of our below zero mornings this week!

Happy 2013!  Things have been crazy busy around our house with the holidays.  Christmas with an almost 2-yr-old is so fun!  The week that the kids had off school was exhausting between the chaos of a houseful and the constant taxiing (is that a word?) of kids to friends and the ski resort.  I am so glad that my kids are able to experience skiing as kids...  it is something I never did until college, and while my husband and I spent the first 6-months of marriage as relatively unemployed ski bums, I never fell in love with downhill skiing.  As a result, our family has never been a ski family.  But when you live in the mountains of Utah, you gotta learn!  Part of the culture here that we can embrace.  :)

I decided this year that I would only resolve to a few new habits at a time, since my previous attempts at new resolutions failed miserably by mid-January.  My goals for January are:

• remember to write 2013 on the checks when I pay them this month- well, there is always 2014!
• use my elliptical machine or run on all school days- this entails getting up at 5:30 AM
• clean off my kitchen table daily
• register for the local 15K (9.3 miles) race on Memorial Day weekend (still looking for the half-marathon that I'll do this year)- this is my accoutability and motivation for the exercise :)
• finish Rudy's agility career (do GSD ever do agility past age 8?)

That's it!  So far, I love getting up at 5:30.  I feel so energized and I LOVE having some time to myself and to get ahead of the day before the constant supervision of Toddler M starts.  I did have to move my bedtime up a 1/2 hour to get enough sleep, which my teenage daughter finds to be ridiculously early.  I like my kitchen so much better with the table clean!  This may inspire next month's new routine...  (more on that later).

It looks like we will be getting our next Guide Dog puppy in the next week or two.  Still a female Black Lab;  no other info yet.  I have to admit that I have really enjoyed having only 3 dogs.  The house does not feel like it has gone to the dogs (although we did have to remove one of the dog beds from the main room to accomodate a play kitchen that L'il M got for Christmas).  The dogs seem to enjoy having the extra attention and getting non-GDB approved play in the house (and treats from Grandpa who was here earlier this week).  But, just when I question whether I should take a bit of a break from raising, I read or hear something that confirms the need and value of puppy raisers, like this post from Becky.  So, we will contiue to open our hearts and homes to the little bundles of energy (and much joy!). 

Finally, moving in the Phases

Good news this morning!  After waiting 3 really long weeks to see Pilgrim do something on the weekly phase report from Guide Dogs for the Blind, I was thrilled to see that Pilgrim is now in phase 2!!  He is working on up-curbs, planned distraction work, taking the lead.  The fact that Pilgrim "skipped" phase 1 just confirms the notion that the dogs do work ahead of the noted phases sometimes.  Pilgrim's strengths are certainly at the forefront in these early stages anyway; Pilgrim has no body sensitivity or surface issues- I'm sure he was amused by the treadmill! 

Go-o-o.... Pilgrim!

Phase Report Day

Remembering: puppy Pilgrim, 7-months-old, watching lacrosse



Today is Phase Report day.  I can hardly wait for Thursday mornings to arrive anymore.  To my disappointment, Pilgrim is still in Phase 0, for the third week.  I know it has been the holidays, but I don't think phase 0 lasts 3 weeks during the "normal" months of the year.  I wish my boy could have been home for the holidays.  I have confidence that this is the last week in Phase 0, and next week he will be on his way to being an energetic guide dog.