One-way ticket home

Well... Kingaroo decided that coming home would be much more fun that being a Guide Dog. The official reason was Relieving (surprised at that one) and Body Sensitivity (not really a surprise). We always said the body sensitivity would be what got him, if anything.
GDB checked into a few other jobs for him, but most required a jacket and we all know how that would go... so next week he's coming home.
We are sad he decided not to be a guide dog- but are so excited to add him to our family. We are hoping to do something fun with him like nosework, rally, or agility. He's a fun dog and Judith will be happy to have a brother she can boss around.
Where does that leave puppy raising?
Well, in January we will start co-raising Lana the golden. She's a super sweet girl- and just opposite of the Male Black Lab I was hoping for. Ha... oh well. Between King and Judi's hair- it won't really matter.

Phase 6!

You're almost there King!

This phase is work in more urban areas... and pre-matching starts now. Here's hoping his perfect match is ready for the best Guide Dog ever soon!

Keep going, Kingaroo!

Puppysitting-palooza

Remember how we took 3 weeks off of puppysitting? Well apparently its 3 weeks off = 3 puppysits. :) for the last week we've had Volt (10 month old Black Lab) and Lana (4 month old Golden) then for the next week or so we will have Yanni...

It actually wasn't super terrible- both Lana and Volt are super nice dogs and we just did the crate/tie-down trade off. We will see how Miss Judi fairs after all this... Yanni is a 15 month old pup so I'm not TOO worried.  He's also a Phoenix pup so it will be fun to have him.

Phase 5!

And this is why King's trainer is totally my favorite person right now!

They updated paperwork even with the holiday. Phase 5 is when he's really starting to make decisions and even gets to do a few blindfold walks.

Keep going buddy and we will see you soon!!

Holiday training

I think everytime I have a dog in training over the holidays, I remember why I don't like having a dog in training over the holidays.

Today King was hanging out in phase 3 again, which is fine, but I realized he will probably be stuck there for the next few weeks until after Thanksgiving.  Then comes the Christmas holidays and it seems like they gets stuck in a black hole again.

I guess as long as he's there, no news is good news...

Keep going King!

Phase 3

This morning Kingaroo showed up in phase 3! That's exciting... I'm still crossing my fingers for him.

He gets to take his preliminary test this week with an instructor under blindfold. Reading about that in the phase descriptions reminded me of the workshop we just went to in Colorado a few days ago. We watched a few videos of dogs in training and how they train them... I thought of King while we were watching them. They used quite a few yellow labs about his color in the videos- adding to me missing him.

Just keep up this rate of training and I'll see you soon, Kingaroo. :)

Phase 2

Guess who's in Phase 2 as ofthis morning? This guy:

Go King Go!

Fake King part 2

Ving ended up hanging around an extra week. We found him a raiser in Utah and I'm sure he will do so well with her but she couldn't take him until today...

So today is farewell to the Lion Ving.

It will be nice to be down to one dog... and relax a little when I can't see a yellow dog. (If I can't see him- he's up to something.) We will be puppysitting over the winter- but I promised Rick we can at least have the next 3 weeks off. We will have black lab, Volt over Thansgiving. Stay tuned...

Phase 0

Yay! He made it on the report this week... even if it is 0, its good to see that GDB knows he's there. :)

King Leaves

I know this was a week ago... but that's just how it happens.I've heard he is officially in Oregon now (he spent a week in SR waiting for a ride up to OR) and gets to hit the ground running. Now starts the Thursday morning panic-fests. :)
 Really, he's a good boy and the only reason I could see him getting CC'ed is is disdain for the gentle leader- and even that is much better. Maybe he will get an extra nice trainer and won't make him wear it. If he's not a Guide Dog- he's coming home. We kind of like this one...

Me and King-a-roo

McKale- my co-raiser, and I

Off to Oregon! (I mean California... and then Oregon.)

Everyone asks if it gets easier... Although this picture looks like the answer is no... answer is yes and no. The days leading up to my dog leaving is easier. I don't cry hardly at all thinking of him leaving. I get excited that he gets to move on to the next step. Putting him on the truck is a different story. It's rough.

 Good Luck King!

Fake King

This is Ving. AKA Ving-a-ring-a-ding-dong. He's our long-ish term puppysitee.
We've had him about a week while he waits for a ride back to a finisher raiser in Colorado at the end of next week. We kind of like him.

He's a naughty puppy, but so sweet and is getting better now that he knows we have rules. I've thought about keeping him because I really do love having him... but I think my spring semester is going to be nuts and I would feel really bad if he had extra crate time. He's kind of an energetic guy and he would not do well. Sad... but I'm pretty happy with his new raiser. She will do fantastic with him and I'm sure he will do so well with her!

Here's to one more week with the Ving a ring!

King's Senior Pictures

Here's a taste of our party in the rain yesterday. Luckily, we got there with just enough time to take a few good ones before it started raining again...

I love this one of him- totally his personality!

This one is with my co-raiser. It was hilarious that this happened...

One week...

I don't think I'm okay with King leaving in a week.

I told him months ago to stop growing up so he could just stay here... but he didn't listen. I guess he just thought going to Guide Dog school sounded more fun than staying a puppy for forever. Psh... Whatever.

My husband says he's coming home. I tell King he'd better not make me make that decision...

I guess only time will tell.

I guess it's time...

Today I got a call from our CFR, Lauren (who by the way is super awesome!) and she said King will most likely be on the October 13/14th recall...

Sad Day.

He's ready.

But I have a really ridiculous reason to not want him to go.

I had a really awesome Halloween Costume for the State Halloween party (which will be super awesome- we have some AWESOME prizes that have been donated!) and now poor Judith probably gets to wear it.

I'll post a picture when he gets back from the puppy sitter of him wearing it.

On to the question that everyone asks: When does the new puppy come?

Well... in answer to that: Not yet.

For sure I would like at LEAST a few weeks break and I would have about a month if I get one on the November truck. But the real plan is to wait until Spring.

I just got hired to teach a few classes Monday and Wednesday nights along with my regular 30 hours and I need to see what my schedule will look like before I get a baby. I can take an older pup to work, but a younger pup might be a little tough... so for now my plan is Spring, unless something strange happens or I start dying for lack of puppy breath :)

I just really like this dog...

I know I say that about all my dogs- but I do. All of my puppies are my favorite (its a sickness.).

The other day King was chilling at the gym, watching out the window, and I realized what an awesome dog he's become.

Yes, he's quirky.

Yes, he's weird.

And yes, sometimes his clingy nature drives me up a wall. But...

I just really like him.

As I got on the floor to stretch, little Kingaroo tried to snuggle up next to me. Poor guy got rejected and made to sit off of the mat. He still sat there and watched my every move. Made sure I was okay and when it was time for me to go- he was ready.  He's so great. I'm sure he's ready for the big adventures that are coming up! (November 11th)

Dear Kings future partner:

You sure are lucky. Hes the best dog and for sure will take good care of you. Make sure you take good care of him- he deserves it. 

Give him a big hug from us!

Mickelle, Rick, and Judith

Closet water dog

She really does like the water:

Front yard guard

Judith is a front yard lover.

It's funny how she can have the back door open all day and not go out, but the second the front door opens she begs to be in the yard.

Recently, its been a little cooler so after our evening walks or before I leave for work in the morninh I've just sat on the front lawn with her so she can enjoy being the neighboorhood watch. Every so often she will sneak down the street to the neighbors yard and roll in their dying grass, but for the most part she's pretty happy being a front yard guard.

King staring contest

 King definitely tries to use his looks to get what he wants... He thinks he has special powers or something. In some ways all Labradors do.

Try to guess what he's thinking in all of these pictures (not that I know, but i can guess):

End of Summer

I was reading blogs the other day and noticed that maybe it's been a little bit since I've posted. It's a little sad to see summer break coming to a close- We still have a few more summer adventures coming up (Today we are headed down for the Shakespearean Festival for a few days while my brother stays here with Judi and we have one more camping trip planned) and it's looking like the next recall won't be until November so we will have this guy around for another few months. I'm fine with it. I kind of like him :)

Once school starts, I'm pretty sure King won't be super happy that he will have to stay home again while I'm at work so it's a good thing he loves his kennel . It will be good practice for him-- and maybe he will get to go to school with my co-raiser. :)

One of the things I really wanted to do this summer was teach King how to be a water dog.

I think GDB Labradors are broken because I've only really had one of my Labs that has really enjoyed swimming (not just wading) and it was so much fun to take her to the pond on a long leash and just let her play. She loved it!

One day, I will have another water dog... King is not that dog.

A few weeks ago we had a swimming party for our club meeting. King did great standing by the water, and even standing on the ledge in the water... but he didn't like the swimming part. He was fine if I held him, but he's not so much a swimmer.

I guess I should expect that from a Phoenix pup. (Yanni, another Phoenix boy, wasn't so much a fan either- he's the black lab in the far right that is just outside of the picture.)

Oh well...I guess we will try again with the next pup.

Kings great adventurous birthday weekend!

This last weekend the "K" litter turned a year! I can't believe Mr. King is already a year old. He's a great puppy, a little silly, and still slightly immature, but we love him! Happy Birthday to the other "K" pups and Happy Anniversary to Phoenix becoming a dad!

For his birthday weekend, he got to go on a few adventures:

Saturday, our puppy club ended up at the Living Planet Aquarium. All of his buddies from the puppy club came. He had fun and snored all the way home. When we got home, he got dinner with a dog treat on it's side for a candle.

King, Eagle, Redding, and Dune at the Aquarium

On Sunday, after church, we went up East Canyon to check out the place where Rick will be camping with the Boy Scouts next week. It wasn't too bad of a drive... quite a few not-fun-switchbacks, but the dogs sure loved being there.

Our friends brought their 18 month old Chocolate Lab, Colt and the three dogs had a blast hiking down to the water and running and playing on the "beach" (aka mud pit).

King and Judith on their quest to find the water

King checks out the dirt and Judith runs along the beach. (Colt is in the background)

Judith LOVED running up and down the "beach"

And here's another of her running up the "beach"

King and Colt

It was a long day!

It's been a while...

I just noticed that it's been a while since I've updated on everything... Here ya go:

Placer seems to be doing really well with Sharon. She said he's learning some new routes and working his way into the family. She has a retired Female Yellow Lab named Gabby that is a little jealous of her successor- but I'm sure she will learn to enjoy retired life. She said she stayed in touch with Gabby's raisers once or twice a year, which I am fine with. She said she would keep me updated on how he is if we email her. I'm content that he is right where he belongs.

Judith is enjoying retired life still. She's starting to really feel that summer heat and I feel bad taking her out during the day. We have to do early morning walks or late evening walks. We took her to Lowes on Saturday (for those who don't know well-behaved pet dogs are allowed in most Lowes and Home Depot) and she wasn't a fan of being out in the heat. Later that evening, once it had cooled down, we took her to the Chalk Festival downtown and she enjoyed that much more.


King and Judith waiting to see the sights at the Salt Lake City Chalk Festival

King-a-roo is still a super sweet puppy. I can't believe he's 11-months-old- soon to be a year! He's a really nice dog and I can totally see him being an awesome guide dog for someone. He's not quite as big as his daddy, but is getting there. He's about 65 lbs and still growing. We love him! He loves to go to work every day with me, and as soon as we walk in the door he turns right into behind the front desk to get some love from the front desk staff. He's really great with little kids and I think if he isn't a guide dog, he would be a FANTASTIC K9 Buddy. (really. and I'm not being biased. okay a little.)

Just a short update on Phoenix because I know a few people who follow this because of the Phee- and it's Fathers day. King wouldn't be here without his Daddy-O! He's doing great. We heard from his breeder keepers a few weeks ago and he's enjoying the life of a breeder. He's had 5 litters so far- with a few on the way. (Momma's Mamie-"K" litter, Aqua- "Y" litter, Dolly- "N" litter, Estee- "B" litter, and Sheba- "W" litter... The recent girls I don't know yet.) 33 puppies with 10 girls and 22 boys (way to go Phee... keep those boys coming.) We are hoping that this last breeding could be good timing for us to get another Phoenix pup... crossing fingers. I would love another golden pup-- mostly because who can resist a fluffy golden? BUT it would be super nice to have the same color hair floating around here. Do you think GDB could take a special request and make it a black cross  Phoenix puppy for me? (Pretty sure that's impossible since Phoenix is yellow.) Plus the family that said they would be willing to start a puppy for me said they really would like an "E" puppy or a "V" puppy. (They are trying to raise every letter of the alphabet and have raised A,B,C,D, W,Y, and Z.) Poor GDB would NOT like us very much. "Hey, do you think you could give us a Black-cross-Phoenix-offspring-"E"-or-"V" puppy? Yeah, thanks!" I would get laughed at... Maybe I'll have to rethink my request ;)

Dog bones = worse than legos

The thing about having a perpetuate puppy in the house is that there are ALWAYS toys on the floor.

I pick them up, puppy pulls them out. (Not like I would rather him chew on something else... Please chew on the toys.)

Last night was not the first time I've stepped on a bone, but it was the first time I started bleeding from stepping on a bone. You'd be surprised how much a little knick bled.

Graduation

I know... I know... It's taken me forever! Mostly because I don't like uploading a million pictures all at once. (I'm sure you couldn't tell by how many pictures I sometimes bombard you all with.) So... here's the story:

Saturday morning we woke up, grabbed some breakfast at Black Bear (best OJ EVER!), and went to Saturday Market. Saturday Market is basically one of my favorite places in the world and screams "Portland" to me... I knew we only had a short time so we got there right as it opened and walked around for a minute. We had to leave by 11 to get to Boring by 11:30- unfortunately I didn't factor in that I had to take King to the Kennel Kitchen to be boarded. By the time we got there, raisers were already in the dorms so we dropped Erica off and ran to drop off King. By the time we got back to the dorms, Sharon and Placer had already made their way to the common room and had found Erica. He was excited to see everyone... I'm pretty sure he was the most excited to see my husband (which is funny because he was definitely my dog.) This is probably one of my most favorite part of puppy raising:

Placer seems excited to see us again

He can't decide who to say hi to next.

Placer's happy to be graduating...

Erica (my fantastic co-raiser) and Place

 He seems a little bigger, fluffier, and a little darker now- it could be because King is small, white, and has short hair. The rest of the day went really fast. We gave him his "Man Toy" from when he was a puppy. (If you're familiar with the Boo Boo Bear Protocol, Placer used a Boo Boo Bear for about a month- only we felt like that didn't sound manly enough, so he had a "Man Toy"- a Fleece rope with tractors on it.) Once we gave him that, he was much more interested in reuniting with it than us. We also gave Sharon a "Golden Survival Kit" as he is her first golden. She mentioned on the phone how different he is that her previous lab- so we have her a pocket lint roller, some HandiWipes (in case he gets something in his fur), and some hand sanitizer (for the golden drool).

After graduation was over we were able to take Sharon out for dinner at the traditional Oliver Garden. It was so great to see what a fantastic Guide Dog team they are and hear more about what he will be doing.
Again, it reminded me of what a great job GDB does at matching these dogs...

It was such a great trip and fun to see Placer again... even if it was completely exhausting for everyone. King was definitely ready to come home by the end...

Erica and King sleep on the backseat on the way home...

King learns to swim

Okay... So its not really swimming, but if you knew this guy's dad, it basically is. That dog wouldn't tough water with his paws for anything... This is really good. King even kind of likes it a little. He was super thoughtful the whole time. Trying to figure out why I was allowing him to step in the giant water bowl- and why I kept throwing his toys into the water when he had to snorkle them out. It was pretty funny.

Hey Jude

It was Judith's birthday yesterday. I can't believe she's 12 years old now! She still acts like she's 5 most days. We feel so lucky that she got to come live with us for the last almost-year.

In the last year, we have gotten "reacquainted" with the sweet black lab that stole our hearts 12 years ago. She's gotten quite a few new nicknames, and a few old ones have resurfaced ("Hey Jude" being a recent nickname, just try not to break out in song.) She's learned that while she is only allowed on the couch when she is invited, really she can't let an empty couch stay empty while we aren't home. She's also figured out all my hiding spots when playing "Hide and Go Seek" (Her VERY favorite game).

We love her happy wagging tail that greets us every time we walk in the door.

We love how excited she gets when she gets to go on a car ride, and how she fools people at puppy class into thinking she's a little old lady that doesn't ever wake up.

We love how when you get close enough to pet her she rolls right over for a belly rub... and if you stop she will "gently" remind you with her paw.

We love how if you aren't giving her enough attention, she will remind you and nudge her nose onto your lap.

 I got an email from Judith's person, Ruth yesterday. It was so sweet and possibly made me get a little teary eyed- okay, A LOT teary eyed. I feel so blessed to have gotten to know Ruth over the last 10 years. This is one of the reasons I raise... not only does GDB give a blind person independence, but they change so many other lives- Mine included. Thank you GDB for doing such a great job, and this is an example of how you are changing lives:

Dear Judith    

Today is a special day for you as it is your 12th birthday.  You have been a special dog all your life.  First you learned your obedience and socialization from Mickelle and she sure did a good job.  Then you went back to GDB to learn to be a guide.  You did so well they chose you to be a breeder which is the best of the best and they sent you down to San Rafael.  But you must have decided you didn't want to be a breeder so never did come in heat again.  When you were about 2 years old they sent you back to the Oregon campus to be a guide.  A month later I was ready to graduate and they chose you for me.  It was love at first site.  We worked as a team for 9 fabulous years and then it was time for you to retire. 

I had to go back to the Oregon Campas to train for a new puppy.  I brought home another little black lab named Kalissa, but I called her Lissa.  I tried so very hard to keep both of you but it was more that I could do.  So I had to make the hard decision to let you go.  I was so happy when Mickelle wrote to me and said she wanted you back.  It would be full circle, you began and would have your retirement years with your puppy raiser.  What a blessing for you and for me too to know you would be with someone who loved you as much as I did. 

Now you have been with Mickelle for one year and you are 12 years old now.  Mickelle tells me you are doing wonderful and that you are assisting her as an assistant puppy raiser.  What a full and complete life you have lived as a GDB puppy, as a guide and now a retired lady still doing your job well. 

You were my heart dog, Judith, and you will always be in my heart forever. 

I love you precious Judith,

Ruth and my little Lissa

We sure love this special, sweet little black lab.

A friend said that this is Judith's "come hither" look.

Driving home

Graduation was great.

Seeing friends and family in Portland and Seattle was great.

And now the trip home.

King looks just about how we feel right now (sorry for the quality)... Only a few hours until we are home in our own bed.

Visitor

Here's Kai.

Another one of our visiting club dogs.

He's a 13ish-month-old cross and very sweet. He is slightly immature, but you can only expect that with half of him being golden retriever. ;) One more day with this guy and yea back home, and Judith will enjoy a little break until we get back from graduation and King comes home.

Planning

Yesterday we got the offical email.

The Goldog gets to be known as "Team Sharon and Placer" from Shawmut, MT. It's only 9ish hours from here... Not too bad, right?

Planning this trip is kind of crazy. It sounds like we will be caravanning (is that a word??) up there with another raiser who will give my co-raiser a ride back to Utah while Rick and I do the tourist thing in Portland and Seattle.

It will be fun... Although I'm sure King will be EXHAUSTED by the end.

We can't wait though!

The Call...

We got it.

The Call. 

Today was dog day in Oregon and some lucky person got told they were getting a Male Golden Retriever named "Placer".

I hope they already know how special Placer is- and he's shown them his stuff!

April 27th!

Congratulations and Good Luck to the new teams! We are crossing our fingers they all do well!

Vinnie

It's taken almost a year to be able to write this post. Everytime I think about writing it... I can't.

Last October my mom called me and said she didn't think Vinnie was going to be around much longer. He'd had diabetes for about and year and been doing great but the last few weeks had been having seizures about once a week. For a while everytime she thought he was done, the next day he would wake up as happy, normal Vinnie. During that time, I went over to visit him as much as possible and treated it like the last time I might see him... Just in case.

This day was a little different. He had started seizing at about 1 am and they kept going throughout the day, every few hours. He wasn't getting up, and he was ready to go. I was able to go over, pay down next to him, and give him one last pep talk... Tell him to save me a place near his house. Where he is, I want to be. (Augh! 6 months later and this story still makes me cry!) 

Dr. Summers has been his vet since the beginning and is basically the best. When we brought him in, she layed on the floor with him and cried. We gave him one more hug and said one more goodbye. I never thought I would have to do this... My big yellow lab was supposed to live forever. He knew it was time though and he told us.

Resisting the puppy face

Over the last several months, King has learned how to stay home in the crate while Rick and I are at work. (When I have students to work with in the classroom, King doesn't get to go to work.) Lucky for him, this is soon coming to an end... Classes end officially next week, and then the dreaded Finals Week. After that King gets to start being the office dog again. He is probably one of the "clingiest" puppies I've had, so I'm sure he will love getting to be with me most days. Sometimes that quality drives me crazy, but Marnie loves it because she always knows exactly where he is: right at her feet. He loves to follow me around the house and if I stop somewhere for longer than 30 seconds, he's as close as he can possibly get to me, without getting right in my skin...
...And sometimes when he does this, it's so hard to resist not letting him up on the couch. Don't worry, we always reluctantly resist. (I pushed him off after I took the picture.) Are you sure you're not part golden, King?

Thursday updates

Pilgrim was pulled out of class :( He still has hopes to graduate as a guide. Maybe he just felt bad leaving his siblings behind. He rejoined Placer and Primrose in phase 8, while Pryor was placed in class in San Rafael!

Keep going P dogs! You can do it!
Class starts next Monday. Crossing fingers and paws their new partners come along soon!

In other news, King is doing very well on getting over his body sensitivity issue. He doesn't fight so much and gets out of the car willingly now! Yay!

Here's hoping for another week of positive things happening with the pups!

Thursday again

Another Thursday and another report...

Placer is still hanging out in phase 8 along with Primrose.
And Pryor is in phase 7 still.
And..
Pilgrim is in class!! (Way to show your siblings how its done!) Congrats to him, his new handler, and his raisers :)

It's kind of funny, sometimes I feel so superstitious when I have a dog in training. I worry that looking at graduation dates too early or looking at the report too much will cause a CC or something. According to my superstition... I think I might have jinxed myself this week.

I have a friend that is moving to Portland and couldn't fit all her stuff in her car so I told her I was planning on going for a guide dog graduation up there soon and could probably take a few boxes. I told her I didn't know when, but she could pack 2 or 3 small boxes that she wouldn't need immediately and I would get it up to her in the next few months. Way to go, Mickelle... We will just cross our fingers, throw some salt over our shoulder, and say a little prayer for Placer ;)

Old school

Don't worry guys, I'm not rebelling. There is a reason we have an old puppy coat on little King.

At 8-months-old, King has decided that his life is scary. He would rather not wear his puppy coat or get out of the car when we go places. So, to remedy one of these issues, our CFR has recommended he an old style puppy coat around the house for body sensitivity. (If we go out he still has to wear his regular uniform.) He seems to really not mind it at all... In fact, I think he minds it less than his smaller, regular puppy coat. He will now put his head through both coats if I have food on the other side of the neck hole. Yay!

He also seems to be doing a little better at getting out of the car. We've been using some good suggestions from our CFR and it's definitely bend helping. It used to take about 15 min to get him out (without forcing) and when we went to puppy class the other day it only took about 7 or 8. Little victories... Little victories. Needless to say, we do socializations just for him instead of doing something we need to do and he just happens to come along.

Hopefully, this is just a temporary thing. King is a very sweet boy and I think will make a great guide dog for someone. We sure love him!

Today's the day...

Today's the day we tackle the backyard.

You know how all winter it's basically impossible to clean up the yard because of the ridiculous amounts of snow?

Yeah, worst day ever is when it comes time to clean all that up after the snow melts.

Wish us luck...

Go "P" Dogs

Now starts the weeks of waiting for class. I'm fine waiting for class... although every time I hear about a dog getting CC'ed from phase 8, I have a mini-freak out. I feel like there should be like phase 8.5 or a "Class Ready" next to a dogs name that shows the dog has passed all tests and is clear on health- just waiting for a match... and maybe I'm asking too much.

This week Palm has disappeared from the reports. Does anyone know what happened to her?

So... we have all in phase 8: Pilgrim, Placer, and Primrose
and in phase 7: Pryor.

If all 4 graduate, that's pretty good for a golden litter of 10. Cross your fingers for them!

Here's to at least another few weeks of waiting... next class starts the 18th.

Puppy swap

This is Lotus. He's a very large 11-month-old male yellow lab. Sweet little King went to Lotus' house for the weekend, while Lotus gets to play here.

Judith is not fond of this arrangement. Lotus is a *very* intact male and doesn't quite understand that Judi isn't that kind of girl...
We have made some progress with Lotus, but I think Judith will appreciative King much more now.