Way to go, Pilgrim!

 

The sweet Golden boy has done it!  Pilgrim is listed as Phase 8 on the phase report this week.  Phase 8 is the final phase of formal training that includes all the final testing to ensure that he is ready for his career.  Pilgrim's love for being in public, his joy in learning new things, and his confidence have been shaped into what I think must be the cutest guide dog ever! ;)  I wonder if the tail is still carried high and wagging while he works?

Do well on your "tests", Pilgrim.  I hope to see you soon!

40 bags in 40 days

The winter months at home have brought me to detest "stuff" in my house.  It just makes one extra, time-consuming step to clean the house.  I do not mind "cleaning", but I do not care for decluttering and putting away of "stuff".  While the 40 bags in 40 days challenge is found in a general form on many home organization/decluttering websites, it is not always tied to Lent.  The funny part is that it makes sense! 

40 bags in 40 days entails throwing away or donating 40 bags of things (any size, from grocery to black garbage) over Lent.  Since Lent is a tradition of giving up something of value prior to the Easter holiday, it works to tie in beautifully.  I am not catholic, and I don't usually observe lent.  I AM a sentimental person raised by a Depression era mom.  So, I tend to keep and save.  But, in trusting God for the provision of the things truly needed, I should be able to say goodbye to my worn-out high school clothes (is that ridiculous or what?) and the things that I have never used or maybe liked.  

Would you like to join me?

Growing like a weed!

Esme is growing like a weed.  21.6 pounds on her 12-week birthday.  Hard to believe she has been here 3 weeks already.  Esme is the sweetest, cuddliest little puppy.  She is full of that girly sass, but if you cuddle her close, she just melts.  Esme has had very few relieving accidents (in fact, I think it has been more than a week!).  She is able to go several hours without needing to go out. 

Esme's behavior with L'il M is improving.  She seems to know that she should not be biting... but sometimes her excitement gets the best of her.  The incidents are very few now.  Most of the time, they are just the best of buds!  Both Esme and L'il M had their doctor appointments on Friday.  They weigh within 4 pounds of each other!  L'il M watched with great interest to see how Esme would respond to the vaccination (she, herself, had been very brave).  Afterwards, she kept wanting to hold Esme (which is becoming quite a challenge for her).  Ah, the precious moments of toddler and puppy...

So, what has Esme learned this month?

1. The "big" dogs should be approached respectfully.
2. You are not supposed to chase cats  Lesson not yet learned.;/
3. Do your business outside.
4. Snow is really fun!
5. Rice is edible (she really struggled with a bland diet at first!)
6. The sound "Es-me" means the little black puppy is going to get loves, kibble, or attention.

Now, if only we could get the recurrent loose stools to take a hike...

Agility Sunday trial update

Last Sunday, Rudy returned to the agility scene.  It went better than I had predicted!  No qualifying scores, but that was not expected. ;)   First class was Excellent Standard- our first time at that level.  It went surprisingly well, with the only fault being that Rudy missed a contact.  I'm not sure which one, but I have a feeling it was the A-frame.  I was sure that we did not make course time, but it turns out he was 7 seconds under SCT (standard course time).  In retrospect, I should have handled him better so that he did not miss that contact (it IS his job to hit them, but considering he hasn't even seen a contact obstacle in 11 months, I should have been a bit more cautious in my handling).  I am very excited that he made SCT, even with being ridiculously out of shape.  I know there is a lot more speed in Rudy when he is better conditioned!

Second class was Excellent Jumpers with Weaves, where once again, handler error proved fatal to our run.  After a series of strategically placed jumps, we encountered a curved tunnel with both entries facing Rudy.  I sent him to the correct entrance, but "left" him before he had committed to that entrance which caused him to follow me resulting in him entering the wrong end of the tunnel (and a NQ).  The rest of the run was beautiful!

I feel confident that Rudy can get his Excellent titles now.  He will get more speed as he gets in shape, and our handling will become less rusty as we focus on agility more in the next few months.  I am so thankful that my trainer has always given me combinations in the past that challenged us to the excellent level.  It does not feel intimidating to me at all!

Next trial, 3 weeks!  Maybe I'll remember to get some video.  :)

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.

Pilgrim's phase report

Pilgrim is Phase 0, ... still.  Kind of disappointing to not see any "real" progress in the 3 weeks that he's been gone.  It's Christmas time.  Complete physicals take some time.   These are the hardest weeks, when you feel like the dogs are not doing anything, yet they are not able to be home.  Reality, of course, is that they are having fun getting massages, walks, group play time, a kennelmate, in addition to some very necessary medical exams.

We miss you, Pilgrim.  You'll do well soon enough!!!

Christmastime Grace

This is not a dog-related post today.

My joy was stolen for a few days this week.  Let me explain.  My hubby's business did well this year and we were excited to be able to be a bit more extravagant with our gifts to our kids this year.  After much thought and shopping (which I normally hate!), I was soooo excited imagining how thrilled and SURPRISED they would be when they opened their gifts on Christmas morn.  But then... I was gone for half a day and left the homeschooled preteen home, in addition to a sick teen.  I should have known.  I should have taken more precaution.  But, I was late for a meeting that morning.  And it happened.  They peeked.  My teen boy's BIG Christmas gift was discovered.  No longer would it be an unexpected surprise.  No, now it was a known.  My emotions ranged from anger to deep sadness and disappointment.  I even told them I was taking back all their gifts (which I knew I wouldn't do, but I hoped at least that would leave them wondering, and hoping for what Christmas morning would bring).  Truth is, they had stolen my joy as the giver of a gift.  I had planned it out with perfection, and they didn't let my plan come to fruition in it's timely manner.   As I reflected on this, and dealt with my emotions, and knew in my heart that they deserved grace, the undeserved gift, it hit me with a thud in my heart.  A moment in which I gulped with understanding.

How many times do we take control of the perfect gift that God has planned for us, to be given in His perfect timing?  In faith, we pray and ask God to help us in a situation (or maybe to achieve possession of something), but when the answer does not seem to be forthcoming or the answer is not the desired one, we peek!  No patient waiting for that moment of revelation to arrive.  I can only wonder how many gifts have been lost or ruined by a lack of trust that my Father has my best interest at heart, and that it is to His pleasure to watch me receive those gifts.  And yet, in spite of the gaps in faith that this sort of thing shows, he gives me grace.  Even when we fail to deserve it, he loves us and shares the best gift of all- an eternal life with Him.

Thank you, God, for your love and patience with me.  Thank you for your Spirit that guides and teaches.  I got my joy back.

Pilgrim's First Phase Report!

Ok, it's not really a phase, but I am so thankful to see him on the report this week.  Phase 0 includes: Walks on campus and playtime in an enclosed grass paddock, doubling kennelmates that play well together, daily grooming, medication administration, as needed, human and dog interactive play or cuddle sessions, introduction to community run playtime, kennel enrichment activities.  Sounds rough, doesn't it?

It has been weird not having a guide dog pup right now.  It is insanely quiet; well, as quiet as life gets with 2 teenagers, a preteen boy and a toddler at Christmastime.  The pet dogs seem to enjoy the extra attention they are getting, and it has been nice to be able to use food rewards on our group walks to reward any good behavior I see fit, and not just recalls...  Rudy, in particular, likes to be back to being my buddy.  He has not climbed in my lap so frequently since we were actively doing agility.  Guess he really does like to be "my" dog, or maybe it's that I am more "his" person.  I can't wait to see what happens in the agility ring next month!

Pilgrim

The last week with Pilgrim flew by!  I did not get to do any fun outings with him, but we did enjoy a few long and blustery walks.  On Saturday afternoon, my puppy raising group met for some photos with Santa.  I forgot to get one of the group, but here is the one of Pilgrim.

Pilgrim was the first of the group to go.  Santa was so pleased to have him come visit, and after greeting him, I asked if he'd like Pilgrim to sit on his stool by his feet, or next to him.  He said that he wanted to hold him!  After an extremely awkward upside-down hold, we turned Pilgrim over for the picture.  Pilgrim was right at home there!  Santa even asked for a copy to be made for him.  It was a fun outing with a great photo memory.

Right after the outing, we met the raiser that was driving Pilgrim, Placer, and George back to campus for formal training.  I cried before he left, and after I got home, but managed to keep things upbeat as I loaded him into the van on top of plush dog beds.  Pilgrim seemed satisfied by the accomodations, and was so pre-occupied by the bed smells that he did not even give me a good bye kiss. 

Due to some issues with the puppies at Guide Dogs for the Blind, we are not able to get a puppy until January...  it is very disappointing, but probably better in the long run as our big Lab sittee is coming for 3 week over Christmas/ New Years.

Good luck in your next venture, Pilgrim.  You are missed, but we are so excited for your future.

The Good and the Sad of Puppy Raising

I finally got an update regarding Pilgrim's recall last night.  While the update actually made me feel better about his return to campus, it also brought the harsh reality that this sweet, maturing boy is really leaving our lives.  It is so hard to say good-bye to the potty-trained, obedient, take anywhere, great house-mannered, knows the routines dog that is sheer joy, and start over with a little bundle of fur that pees and poops to no end, cries in the crate, abuses the toddler, and annoys the older dogs.  But that little bundle of fur is also what makes it possible to send away your previous trainee.  Thank heaven for that puppy breath which I love!

The original plan was for Pilgrim, Placer, and George to return via air cargo.  Now, thanks to some dedicated raisers who have flexible schedules, the 3 dogs will be driven to the Guide Dogs campus on Sunday.  I have had my recalled dogs taken by puppy truck, air cargo, flown with them, and sent them with another raiser.  Air cargo just stinks!!!!!  It feels like you are abandoning your dog with complete strangers.  The airline regulations require the dog to be there, in crate, two hours prior to their flight.  I hope I never have to send another dog back that way again!  Pilgrim loves being in the car, and loves other GDB dogs so I know he will thoroughly enjoy going back by car.

Of course, the recall process is not complete without the arrival of a new puppy to raise.  Our little Black Lab girly will arrive a week from today.  Her name begins with 'N', but I have no idea her age or parents.  Haven't really even thought of possible names- though Nancy was the first that came to mind, and I REALLY hope she is not named.  What do you think it will be?

Pilgrim's Number is Up

I got the call yesterday that I did not want to come for another month.  "Pilgrim's number has been called for the next recall (to formal guide dog training)," she said.  It was the news that I knew was forthcoming, but very much hoped would not come to fruition until January.  I had imagined getting two Christmases with my sweet, golden boy.  I had hoped to not have to potty train a puppy in the two months most wet, and most frigid in Utah.

Just a month ago, I was dead-set against getting a baby puppy should Pilgrim have gone back during November.  L'il M was just too clingy, and it was impossible to step outside without her.  But now, she seems so much older, and has become very adventurous (thus requiring constant supervision).  My family has pleaded for a puppy rather than a transfer.  My brief consideration for a break in my guide dog raising was shelved after finding out that there are 300 fewer puppy raisers currently, than there were just a few years ago.  I find it saddening to tell someone that I cannot put out just a little extra time to help them become freer in life.  Guide dog puppy raising is a gift to those who have a harder time in life.  It is truly not a big enough imposition or trouble to forsake those who can greatly benefit from the companionship and service that guide dogs provide.  So, it looks like a black labby puppy is in our future.

Today, we celebrated the big boy with some Senior Pictures <smile>.  I have stolen that term from Mickelle, who is raising Placer, Pilgrim's brother.  Placer's senior pictures can be seen here- Placer.  He looks much like Pilgrim, only darker and a bit less "fluffy".  My tradition for the past 4-5 puppies that I have raised has been to go on a hike that overlooks the mountain valley that I live in and take photos.

 

 

I wish I had better planned for the lighting.  The gorgeous snow-capped mountains were shadowed by the afternoon, and my attempts to capture them left Pilgrim with these funny sun-spots.  I got a few of the whole hiking crew for today, too.



Dillon, Rudy, Levi, and Pilgrim

 

My hiking group- love them all!





 

It is always the most bittersweet moment in a puppy-raisers life.  Celebrating the wonderful young adult dog that so much time and energy has shaped (in Pilgrim's case, a ridiculous amount of paper towels and cleaning supplies in that first 6 months, as well).  I look forward to Pilgrim's future with hopefulness for him to make it as a guide dog, but certainty that he will make someone's life better with his charm, loyalty, and sweetness.  Our entire family will miss Pilgrim.  I think L'il M may be a bit lost without him.  He has been like a young sibling to her.  They adore each other and are always hanging out playing (occasionally getting into trouble) together.  A whole 'nother post on that.



Catch them being good

I've always been a glass half full kind of person.  I always feel that there is hope in any situation, and that we always can learn from situations that we are less than thrilled with.  That said, I have been thinking a lot lately about making the full move to purely positive methods in "training up" both my dogs and kids.  I have seen the evidence with clicker training, both from the trials that Guide Dogs for the Blind made in training guide dogs, as well as the resounding praise for the clicker methods by the guide dog handlers.  I have seen the much stronger learning that takes place for myself in Rudy's agility training.  Granted, it was very slow learning, and it was really, really hard to not "help" him, but when he got it, he got it!  If I were to always have used clicker training, I am confident that learning would not always be so slow.

We took a parenting class last year, as we have found ourselves a bit overwhelmed by the kids at times.  It was impossible to parent by one method because my kids are all sooo different.  The class was such a far cry from the typical if they do this/do this type of parenting that I typically hear.  Focus was on the relationship, and using problem situations to learn.  Parenting IS very much like dog training. ;)  I have for years known that relationships were the reason behind dog behavior issues in many cases.  Performance dogs will not give their best without that relationship being in prime condition.  If working the guide dog puppies, and they decide to snag that piece of popcorn off the ground, what do we do?  We go back and work it 'til they no longer try to get it (I understand that this exercise began with the negative reinforcement of a collar correction, but at this time in puppy raising, that's all we get).  In a positive training example, I would be prepared to catch my dog not reacting to the dog next door trying to fence fight or waiting outside the kitchen while I prepare dinner, mark it, and treat, thereby increasing that behavior.

My issue lies in the fact that I am not always patient for results, and I have learned other ways that solve behavior problems faster.  In part, it is because the old ways come naturally, whereas I still struggle to think of appropriate dialogue for the 1-yr-old who is on the counter for the 3rd time, getting cookies while I attempt to vacuum for 15 minutes.  I can tell you that there must have been a half dozen times that I responded with irritation to my toddlers incessent disaster-making skills this AM, while trying to homeschool my younger son.  Each time, I told myself, "that wasn't positive", but it achieved the desired response (albeit it was short-lived).  And while my dog is attempting to pull me down the street, I would rather give a good pop to his buckle collar, and be done with it, than to practice catching him being good for 30 minutes while trying to push a stroller and running (OK, maybe I multi-task too much).  But the next time we head out, he pulls until reminded not to pull.  I get tired of repeating myself.  I can tell my child to clear his plate every single day for a month, but he will not clear it on his own.  If I catch him just once doing it, and reward him in some way, I bet he'd "remember" a lot more often. Catch them being good.  Easier said than done when you have 4 kids, 4 dogs, 3 cats all going in/out for hours needing food, arguing, asking for things, telling me about their day, all while I try to get dinner cooked before they have all snacked beyond full and won't eat dinner.  Chaos seems to breed inappropriate behavior in me.  As I have already been reitterating in my mind many times since reading the first two chapters of Unglued, "just because the situation is out of control does not mean that you have to act out-of-control".  Don't get me wrong, I don't frequently get out-of-control, but there are times that the chaos longevity when combined with a fragile state of fatigue turns me into a yeller.  I hate it, always regret it. 

These recurrent situations just prove the point.  When I respond in ways that don't teach the mind, but just avoidance behavior, in most situations the situation will arise again.  So, have I really taught anything?  I guess my take-home is that focusing on positive methods is the humane way to interact with those learning the ropes.  Practice makes perfect, and just as I learned so many other training methods, this one too shall be mastered.

Back to Agility

I fell short of my 4-5 days of running this week.  While I had the logistics figured out, the reality became that I was too tired to drag myself out a couple of times, especially these last two days when the weather became dreary.  The return to standard time has L'il M's sleep schedule all messed up.  She is up at 5AM!  If I could get to bed at 9, that might be OK.  Having teenagers with a baby is way more fatiguing than having several little ones.  I so wish I was someone who could function on 6 hours of sleep instead of 9 being the optimal amount.

As I have continued my doggie goal setting, I am excited to let Rudy finish his agility career, and then perhaps we will do some Rally obedience- clicker style. :)  There are 2-3 local AKC agility trials in January and February.  My plan is to enter as much as I can those weekends, and see what the Ruditude can do.  Winter is his best time for trialing as he LOVES the cold!  I have to focus on his conditioning these next few months, which should nicely coincide with my need to get in shape.  Of course, we need to get to somewhere to practice on a course, as well.  There are a couple options for that, so I will have to see what I can work out.  The challenges for Rudy in Excellent will be that his dog walk is not as fast as it could be (he trots), and he will not get to redo his weave entrance over and again 'til he "gets it".   7 1/2 is getting to be an older competitive agility dog, especially for a German Shepherd. 

Once Rudy completes his agility career, I look forward to doing Rally with Rudy using only clicker methods for training.  I expect that there will be so much more precision in performance than I would get from "traditional" methods.