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!