This is how everyone should spend their summer...

9-month Glamor Shots

About a month ago, Lindsey invited us to get pictures taken with Hallie and Savoy... Here are some of those pictures:

I love his cute tongue...

I just think this picture is goofy.

Isn't he handsome?

I love...

I love that we heard from Phoenix's breeder keepers.

I love that they had his grandpa Kentucky.

I love that they live so close to GDB.

I love that we will get to see him in July at Fun Day.

I love that they sent us pictures!

I love that he has a FAMILY!

Congrats to Phoenix for getting the best family for him and for getting to be a daddy! (They said they just dropped him off for a second round of "dates".)

I hope Placer gets just as lucky with his future person as all of my working dogs have so far. (I'm sure my CC dogs are taken care of, I just haven't had contact with any of them except Vinnie.)

All of them have been the best for that dog.

I love that GDB cares enough to take care of all their dogs!

It's not a muzzle, it's a headcollar

This is a muzzle:

or this:

Today, while I was putting Placers headcollar on him- getting ready to take him on his daily walk during lunch we stopped for a minute under a tree to wait for my co-worker. As we were waiting in the shade a woman yelled to me "Why does that dog have to wear a Muzzle? Is he mean?" 

Yup... yup- this 65 lb ball of fluff resting in the shade with a "Guide Dogs for the Blind Puppy in Training" coat on, that I take every where with me- is mean.

Poor guy wasn't happy the flash went off in the middle of his nap.

 Hardly.

Speaking of the ball of fluff, he's doing great... now.

Ever since right before Judith came home (about 2 weeks ago), he's been showing signs of extra stress, which isn't like him at all. He's always been a chill-out, whatever kind of dog. We think he might have picked up on the change and had a mini freak-out. He didn't want to go anywhere, was having accidents, and puddles of drool just appeared.

Woah, woah woah!

Is this our Placer puppy? The one that loves to go with us? The one who would do anything for anyone that pets him?

Luckily, after house arresting him for a week and teaching him how live nicely with Judi... he's back to his normal self and much more relaxed again.

Like my co-leader explained it- It was just the "perfect storm"... He's 10-ish months old, a major change, plus he's a golden... all of that equals a very stressed out Placer.

We're so glad he's back to being his normal, happy self.

You know you're a puppyraiser when...

... You have loose kibble in your purse from a bait bag...

                                 AND... can tell which dog it's for by the size, shape, and smell of it.


Ah... my life...

Pointy-eared dogs

I decided recently that I just don't do pointy eared dogs..

Not saying that they're bad dogs... or people that like them are bad. I commend those who can- and do- successfully have a pointy-eared dog. They are very cute and I love that you can tell exactly what they are thinking just by their ears- but...I just can't do it myself.

I don't think I could have raised a Shepherd...

And my sister has a Chihuahua that doesn't like me or my puppies... 

But, since before we were married, my husband has been begging to get a husky... I had heard about their personalities and I KNOW these are not the dog for us. Too much energy, whining, barking, and just way too smart. (I prefer the ones that don't learn "Down" until they are 7 months old *ahem*JoaquinPhoenixPlacer*ahem*.) They are bred to work- and work HARD. We just don't have the lifestyle or patience to do it.

Because of this desire that my husband had, we agreed to puppy sit a 4-month old Husky puppy overnight, for a friend of our co-raiser (the day after Judith comes home- Poor Placer thinks he's being mobbed out of the house!). I know it was just overnight- but I was hoping she would be "husky" enough to deter him away from the breed.

Well... it worked.

He's officially stated he wants a LAB for the rest of his life. (He does love Place, and he definitely appreciates him more now- but his heart is still with Phoenix and Judith is quickly confirming his love. I knew she was sweet, but I had forgotten how perfect this girl is!) I've been trying to convince him that a Mastiff is what he really wants- but no go. I'm fine with that. I love my labs- and now I'm glad we don't have to "try" the husky thing once (for 10-12 years) before he believes me...

We just aren't pointy-eared-dog type of people.

(*sigh* She is finally not crying or barking or freaking out in any way... so what if maybe she's on the couch. It's not our good couch- it's the one we're storing for my brother from the thrift store... but she's asleep. *breath, breath*)

Good to be back...

It's been a long day at our house... long- but so good :)

I have a pouty golden in the corner of our living room- a little upset with the revelation that he ISN'T the center of the universe.  It's fine though. He'll get over it. He's been showing off his Go To Bed command quite a bit today. (We've been using it to give Judith a "break" from him.)

I also have a sweet little black puppy in the other corner of our living room, making herself at home. She doesn't quite understand why Placer wants to play with her or why she's in a strange new house- but she'll be fine. She's actually more happy than I thought she would be. Wagging her tail and jumping up when she hears her name.

Here are some pictures from our exciting day today!

Joe getting her ready

My brother with Placer and Judith (He's totally going to be a future puppy raiser!)

Our family...

Hoka (FYL) came with Judith and Lomax (MBL) came when she left

He's gonna be a daddy!!
5-7 puppies due July 7th!
He's got an official home now! :)

I sure love these two...

12 year old Vinnie- GDB pup #1... now blind- he still loves life and is still the cutest puppy ever...

8 month old Placer- GDB pup #...10 (?) Best Guide Dog Puppy ever... we like him lots!

13 days!

It's getting closer!

I've talked to Judith's grad, Ruth several times in the last few weeks- just to make sure we're prepared with knowing her habits and routine. Ruth is sending the blanket that Judi slept on at her house so hopefully that will help with the first few days. After being a guide with the same person for 9 years- I'm sure she will be a little depressed for a bit. Has anyone else seen this in retired guides that have come home?
 I keep wanting to go to the pet store and get things for her, the I remember that it's the only place she can go with me now so I'm going to wait for her go with me to pick out her new toys/bed/tags... and maybe I've been looking at collars on Etsy.

This is worse than getting a new puppy!

Placer is 8 1/2 months old now and we're kind of in love with him. He's such a sweetheart and we love taking him out. He's getting to go to work more now that it's summer and I don't have students. He has started going to High School lots with Marnie's step-daughter and seems to like it. Basically he spends his days sleeping, playing outside, and going to work or school. The life of a Guide Dog puppy...

Still can't believe she's coming home!

So exciting!

We keep telling Placer he's going to have a new sister...

Not sure he really cares...

28 days!

New "puppy"!

Looks like we'll be picking up a Female Black Lab at the Puppy Truck  on June 6th

Her parents are Rashad and Eclipse.

She was born May 7, 2001 (yup, that's right 2001)


Starts with the letter "J"...

Puppyraising descisions

We got two pieces of news today... One- Phoenix had a date yesterday! Yay! Does anyone out there know FYL Mamie? I looked her up on the GDB Flickr site and she looks super cute- in about 4 weeks we'll get an ultrasound and see if it takes. If it does puppies will be due mid-July  and will go out mid-September. Cross your fingers for him.

Next- we found out Judith's person won't be able to keep her as a retired Guide. She recently got a new dog (FBL Kalissa) and it's hard on a single, older woman to have 2 dogs. So... this means we get the option of getting sweet Judith back. That's a tough decision. It seems like it would be easy... but watching Vinnie get older is tough enough... I don't know if I could do it with another one of my dogs (she's 11 as of yesterday). From what I've heard from her person, she likes to go on a walk a day, but will mostly lounge around the house. I do want her back... but...

Lots of decisions... I'm waiting to hear back to see if my parents want her- then we get to decide if they can't take her. Deep Breath...

Placer Brags

Just a warning: This post contains several brags on the Goldog. 

Placer has spent the last 4 days in a training conference (Including International Guide Dog day. What a way to celebrate. Learning about College Student Development Theories. *YES*)... Want to guess what he was doing the whole time?

"Listening Intently"... or sleeping. I can't tell.

 He was such a show off. I was pretty impressed as well. I thought he'd be ready to leave at our usual time- but apparently he wasn't. These were 9 hour long days, with a few breaks. (All of which included lots of love from the other staff that are not in my department and don't get to see a dog at work on a regular basis... and a few tug games.)  I think my very favorite is when people can't believe that he's only 7 months old.

He's really growing up and becoming such a great puppy to have around. It's funny how after working and working and working on something- it all of the sudden just "clicks" for him and he's 100%. We're still working on "Down" for him... but, Hey- at least he's great without it. It took a LONG time for both Phoenix and Joaquin to get "down"... maybe it's the raiser and not the puppy. ;) He went to the puppy sitter the other day for a few days and they fell in love with him- so I guess he's not too bad right?

Okay, one more. The other day I woke up about 5:30 am and noticed that Placer wasn't sleeping on his bed and our bedroom door was wide open. We haven't tried him sleeping loose in the house yet, so I was worried what I would find when I found him. I'm surprised we didn't hear him leave, he usually prances pretty loudly across the hardwood floor in the hall and main living areas. I walked down the hall, and checked all the bedrooms/bathrooms making sure he didn't walk in and the door closed behind him. (it happens all the time). No Placer anywhere.I checked the sitting room and the living room. I checked his crate in the laundry room. Apparently I passed him because, I walked into the kitchen and turned on the light- there was Place just sleeping on the kitchen rug. Guess the dog bed was too hot for him and he decided the tile was cooler.

 One last thing:

Here are some pictures our club recently took at a meeting for those who are interested. We have 6 dogs that had their picture taken (Kelty, Russia, Twig, Michigan, Kendrick, and Placer)  and we're missing one (Slate) in these pictures. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79323356@N08/sets/72157629491718692/

Confession:

One of the hardest things about having a puppy with you all the time is-  sometimes, puppies stink. That's always been one of the things I'm most self conscious of. Growing up, I never liked going to certain houses, because I knew I would smell like a dog or a cat when I left. Because of this my puppies all get bathed at least once a month and brushed and sprayed with grooming spray several times a week. The puppy coat goes in the wash once or twice a month and I also keep grooming spray in my car and Febreeze in my office- just in case.(although, my car is a lost cause I decided...)

It's kind of ridiculous- but I just don't want to bother people with the smell of dog. The problem is- it's never really worked 100%. Especially in my small little office. In my department, most of the staff aren't really dog people (*gasp* how does that even happen?! I really really don't get it- that's another post though) so I'm even more self conscious. I know it might be overboard, but does anyone have any suggestions for what to do in a small area, to keep the dog smell at bay?



 ******************************************************************************


As a Side Note: Phoenix still hasn't been bred. Special Thanks to Carol in the breeding department for letting me bug her every few weeks. She said most of the females that have come into season in the last few weeks have been too closely related to him to breed. Apparently his dad, Denzel, has a brother and sister both in breeding and several nieces, nephews, and children around the breeding colony. Also his grandpa is Kentucky- also a very popular stud. If he was bred tomorrow, his pups wouldn't even be ready until the end of August.

Placer loves work days

Life is good for Placer-puppy...

We did learn one lesson while at work today- don't walk too close to the duck pond.

Oops. We had a partially wet puppy for the last hour of work.

Updates!

Guide Dogs must have heard my plea... We called this afternoon and they said they've decided to do a test breeding! Yay!

So... He'll be bred to a female and after the first ultrasound at four weeks, if there are puppies, he'll be made an official breeder- if not he'll be put back in training.

Cross your fingers for him-- Place needs a new little brother!

In other news... Poor Placer has lost his ability to be a breeder. He got his neuter note and was in the vet last Tuesday. He's feeling great and is back to normal. We sure love the fluffy guy!

Dear Guide Dogs,
Please hurry up and decide what job Phoenix will have because we want to get our own puppy, and if he's going to have little Phoenix Jr.'s, we need to plan our life. The end.

Mickelle.

Happy 6 Months!

Place is just turning 6 months... he's pretty happy with his gift:

A new YARD!

We finally have had mostly good weather and he got to run outside. He's kind of in love with the fact that he can go outside with his Jolly Ball and run with it- instead of just playing tug in a small apartment.

Also, he's finally starting to look more Golden-y again. He went through that awkward, hairless stage. He didn't have so much hair and he had the long legs with a skinny body... he's turning into a handsome guy. Looking a little like those pretty "J" goldens.

I think we'll keep him... at least for the next several months. :)

Crates

We're moved! Yay! Now we have room for Placers XL wire crate, which means his plastic crates are going in storage for when we have two dogs... Place wasn't too happy about this and wouldn't let me put them away.

Phoenix "Downdate" and Moving

Yup... nothing. We called yesterday and GDB said they still didn't know, a few more weeks. They have a few dogs they're deciding on, and have to have some meetings before they can decide. Yes, We're one of "those" puppy raisers that call every few weeks, just so they don't forget to call us the second they decide. We do try not to be creepers, but they might or might not know us by name. (Okay they really don't but I'm sure they get tired of the calls every 2-3 weeks) The dogs that went back with him, are now in phase 8. They did say he's going to another foster home that will most likely become his "keeper" home if they do breed him. Guess we'll see...

We're also in the process of moving this week. Placer isn't quite sure about the move... he wasn't too happy when we packed up most of his bones and food and left it at our new house.

His hurt feelings were much better when we came home and we let him play with his new Jolly Ball. We bought it the other day at Lindsey's and Cobb helped him to break it in. He was pretty proud of it and I'm sure it will be much more fun to play in our big, new yard with it. We're excited to have some "outside" toys that he can play with, right now all we have is a big black Kong and his new Jolly Ball. Wish us luck over the next few days... Moving is no fun, but it's definitely worth it.

Cookies and Trains

How awesome are these cookies?

Very. We made them for our clubs appreciation dinner a few weeks ago. Thank you Michaels for having a dog cookie cutter last minute.

In other news....

Last week, Placer had his first public transportation experience. He got to ride The Frontrunner train all the way to Salt Lake City, then board TRAX and do it all over again on the way home.

Over the next year, he will become very familiar public tranportation- busses, trains, and taxi's. It's how he will get to work when he starts going to work with my co-raiser and her husband...

Good thing he was a pro! We walked in and he layed right down. He was even perfect while we went to dinner and a short planetarium show. I love this boy!

Phoenix update: We called last week and they said he's doing VERY well in his foster home. They will be doing his final test on Tuesday and we can call Wednesday or Thursday for the results and they will go from there. I don't think I've ever heard of a dog being in the breeder black hole this long... They did say that they think Phoenix will do well in whatever they decide to ask him to do- and He really will. He's just one of those dogs...

Phoenix updates...

I just realized. I haven't updated about Phoenix! We called 2 weeks ago and they said he's passed all of his testing except one more sperm analysis (TMI, I know) but they had to wait a few weeks to do it again. Soo... This means he's in foster care for a few weeks then they said they will probably breed him and see if it works out. If it does, he's good to go, if not, its back to training for him.

Hopefully we'll hear soon... They said ABOUT 3 weeks so... We should hear sometime in the next month or so... Sometime... 

"Getting Bigger" Pictures

Placer-puppy is growing. At his weigh in a few weeks ago he was at almost 30 lbs and I'm sure he's over 30 lbs by now. He's definitely a silly, goofy golden, but is the sweetest puppy in the world and is doing so well. He loves "Go to Bed" and is perfect at it. He loves to go out-- as long as he doesn't have to wear his headcollar. Poor guy, but what puppy DOES like their headcollar. He'll get over it :)

Because of this growing up business, here are some attempts at capturing it on camera... it proved to be difficult.

"Just because I'm sitting on the floor, doesn't mean you need to come give me love."


"Almost a stay... almost"


If taken quickly, the picture is proof... that he's growing (and that I really need Photoshop.)



He definitely knows how adorable he is.

Phoenix news? Not a whole lot. We did talk to GDB and they said they were probably going to be making a decision on Monday when the breeding manager gets back into the office. If they do pull him though, we've decided that Placer needs a cute little (hopefully Black) baby brother from his first litter. We'll see what happens though... cross your fingers for him!

Why I love freshly bathed goldens...

The 80's permed ears.

P.S. Thanks to Laura for the picture of Phoenix on her blog!

Vinnie update

Thank you for all your thought and prayers. Vinnie is now home and doing better. They found that Vinnie does not have cancer, but enlarged lyphnodes because of Diabetes. (Sad but still a Big sigh of relief that it's not cancer!) Although, he's still not feeling 100% himself, he is definitely on his way there. He will be on a strict diet, insulin shots twice daily, and lots of walks- short ones because of his stiff joints, but walks nonetheless.

The things we do for these dogs... we love them a lot.

We are so glad he is doing alright and he sends everyone lots of tail wags. We will be over to visit him this weekend and will give him lots and lots of hugs!

In other news, Placer is now legal and got to go to work today for the first time. Lucky guy.

He was perfect and will be visiting the office as frequently throughout the next year. :)

This past weekend Vinnie, my 11 1/2 year old career change dog (and first GDB puppy) that lives with my parents, hasn't been feeling well. He's getting slower in his age and has a few fatty tumors that have been removed and grown back, but other than that he's been the same since he was 2.


We called the vet on Monday, and luckily someone was there and told us it sounded like a UTI and he would be fine until Tuesday. My mom took him in this morning and after a few tests, they found his blood sugar level over 500 (normal for a dog is about what's normal for a human between 75 and 120). The vet decided to keep him overnight to give him the glucose shots and for observation. The vet thinks he has developed Diabetes... They are also testing him for Lymphoma. I pray he is alright and gets to go home tomorrow. He's a huge part of all of our lives and it's sad having him away even for a night-- and I don't even live there.

Since we're in the process of getting a house, I've been thinking about how I really want a pet dog soon that is just *ours*, but going through this today makes me think... why would I want to do that to myself?

It's tough watching your dog get old.

It's sad seeing them get slower.

I don't know that I can do it again after watching my Vinnie go through it...

Please keep Vinnie in your thoughts and prayers.

Sometimes...

Sometimes I really miss Phoenix...

Then I get to cuddle with this guy and it makes it better.

Oh Placer... I'm really glad you're so darn cute and extra sweet?

My dog is a pig

One of the funny, quirky things about Placer is the sounds that he makes.

Mostly in the morning when he gets out of his crate, he will lean up against me and start making this deep low noise...

at first we though it was a growl-y "Good morning"...

Then we though it was a little purr... (he does live with 2 cats at his other house)

This week we realized it sounds just like an OINK.

My dog thinks he is a pig.

From this discovery he has earned several new nicknames- "Piggy" and "Wilbur" among them.

I tried to get it on video, but it doesn't quite work out... I'll work on it though.

It's hard to capture the true Placer in a video- or even in a picture. Such a sweet guy, with a lot of fun personality. He's just starting to get out more and does really well. He went to church for the first time last week and did GREAT- especially considering we teach the 9-year-olds. He went right in and fell asleep. What a good puppy...

Road Trip

I heard last night that Phoenix made it safely to San Rafael yesterday with 2 other Breeder Eval dogs. It's not much, but every bit of information is ridiculously exciting for me.

Leaving you with a little bit of a ghetto picture of cute Placer.

Retired

I got another email today about one of my other puppies...

Sweet Judith.

Judith was my 2nd puppy I raised and she was the one in restored my faith in the fact that I could DO IT. Vinnie was one tough puppy- he was my first puppy and he was an intact male and no he's a marshmallow I know. But Judith saved me from having to convince my family to do it again. She was the one that made me fall in love with Female Black Labs... after her I raised 4 more FBL's (until I fell in love with the Males... I would LOVE a Male Black Lab- best of both worlds)

We all fell in love with Judith and were so happy when she graduated with the most amazing woman from Oregon.

Over the last 8 1/2 years we've kept in contact every few months. She will tell me how little Judi is doing and I tell her now my newest Guide Dog puppy is.

Today I got an email that said Judith is ready to retire. She will be working until a new dog is ready to take over the duties, then she'll enjoy the life of luxury in her retirement.

We've always said we would take Judith back in a heartbeat if we could, but over the years we've gotten the chance to see her a few times and I know she's in the right place and there's no where else she would rather be, than with the person that has taken such good care of her for the past 8 1/2 years and I know she will take great care of her in her retirement. I just think- am I really this old that I have a dog retiring? Have I really done it this long? Apparently so.

Happy Retirement, Judith!

One Quiet Weekend

It's kind of weird not having puppy for the weekend. But it's good. We get to sleep past 6 a.m. ;)

A lot of people ask how co-raising works for me and the answer is:

FANTASTIC!

We love it. My co-raiser is Marnie... and family. Her house includes a husband- Willie- who is equally involved and takes the puppies to work when they are old enough, 4 girls, 2 cats, and a working Guide Dog.

In the beginning I usually will take the puppy more because it's harder for Marnie and Willie to tell if puppy has an accident unless their girls are home. So they get puppy on the weekend (Friday-Monday) and I get him during the week. As puppy gets older, we start to trade every other week- switching on Sundays. We live pretty close to each other so it's not hard to trade.

We both have our strengths and fit together really well.

Marnie is really good at working on "Come" because that is really important for her to have a dog with a good recall that touches her so she knows he is there.

I'm in charge of teaching "Go to Bed" since Marnie can't see to treat him at the right time.

It's fun to show each other what puppy has learned in the days that we have him- and it's fun to see how much puppy has grown since we last saw him.

Also we both have such different home lives that puppy gets used to lots of different things.

Marnie lives in a house- we live in an apartment (not for long though! We're getting ready to close on a house soon! Yay!),
Marnie has lots of kids and dogs- We don't,
Marnie works in Voc Rehab and Willie owns a Cafe- I work at the University,
Marnie and Willie take the bus or a cab everywhere- We drive a small Toyota and a Suzuki with a hatchback.

Pretty much co-raising is great and if you ever get the chance to co-raise with someone great- I recommend it.

Greetings from Guide Dogs...

"We are writing to thank you for your puppy raising contribution and to inform you that Phoenix has been selected for evaluation as a breeder.

Breeding stock selection is based on the results of training evaluations, health screenings and the needs of the breeding colony in terms of pedigree and temperamental type. While the breeding department evaluates Phoenix potential as a breeder, Phoenix will undergo additional health examinations. These include orthopedic x-rays, cardiac ultrasound, and a pre-breeding physical. As we wait the approximate four to six weeks for the results of these examinations, Phoenix will remain at Guide Dogs’San Rafael or Oregon campus or in an approved foster care home.

Once these additional health examination results are finalized, a breeding department staff member will notify you of the results by telephone. If Phoenix meets Guide Dogs’ breeding criteria, Phoenix will then be placed in a qualified breeder keeper home within a 50 mile radius of Guide Dogs’ San Rafael campus...

By raising a dog that becomes a breeder, you have contributed to continuing Guide Dogs’ services and making it possible for future generations of working guides to assist the visually impaired. All puppy raisers of breeders are invited to present the dog at an upcoming graduation and we will work through scheduling details as the time comes.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication as a puppy raiser..."

YAY for Phoenix! Good Luck...

We always said that if we could clone Phoenix we totally would. Watch for more updates in the next few months...

Placetraz

Here's Placer and his (future) BFF Alcatraz. One day they'll learn to.be friends... For now they just ignore each other

He loves his bowl...

Not because it has food in it... But because of the water.

I have my water lover.

One Week Update

Pretty sure we have a pretty great puppy...
He's just a nice boy and we can't wait to raise him.

This week he's learned:

...How to walk up and down the stairs outside our apartment (5 open,grated steps)

...To crate himself when he's sleepy

...His raisers don't know what his name REALLY is- Place-er/Plass-er... we decided to go with
"Place-er" unofficially because too many people called him "Plaster"-- but we will make sure
he knows "Plass-er" too :)

...The basket of toys is the best thing in life

...Leaves are not good things to pick up

...Life as a guide dog puppy is going to be great!

I saw his brother, Pilgrim yesterday and he's just as nice as our boy. Hopefully they stay this good :)

Phoenix update? Nothing really- I do know they made a few cuts from Breeder eval and Phoenix wasn't one of them... So cross your fingers for him.

You know you all want cute, nice Phoenix babies. I know we do! (But he would be the best Guide Dog ever!)

Another pronounciation problem

It's fine...

We'll learn to say it right...

Meet Placer! (plass-er)





p.s. maybe I'm a little excited that he's Joaquin's nephew...aww..

Puppy Truck

Just thought I'd let you all know...

The truck is leaving San Rafael today with our new baby on it.

It's a good thing.

Just don't let me think about what happens next...

Picture Overload

I know this doesn't happen often but- here are more of the pictures I promised. I think one of his senior projects will be one that we send in for the calendar. He's such a handsome guy and we are so proud of him. Good Luck, Phee...

Next post-- Puppy Truck day and the new Mr. "P"!

Phoenix Senior Pictures...

More to come...