Fun in the Snow

A morning pack walk with some of the Innsbruck dogs. We are having a pretty good storm move through the area, so some of the pictures are a little fuzzy due to all the snow!

Second Guessing...

I have a long history of second guessing some of the decisions I make. One of the ones on my mind lately has been not to keep Sterling. I didn't because I could not have another dog and still raise, but at the same time I so wish there had been a way to keep him in my life. At the time the placement seemed just about perfect, but after many months I wonder if it would not have been better to have GDB place him so that I would not feel so responsible for his continued care. Now that is not to say he is not cared for and loved: of course he is. But my level of ownership seems to differ from others. I want my dog to have a job, some structure, eat great food, and be an integral part of my life. I want a partner, a friend, a confident companion. I understand many people just do not view dogs in that respect, but it is something I am having a hard time accepting. Maybe it is just the holidays....the last two holidays I spent with Sterling: first as a baby puppy, last as a wonderful adult. I know that not every situation is perfect. I am so happy that he is loved and thankful that I get to see him still.

A Family Affair

Two years and two days

Since I brought Sterling home. Love you little man.

Just one day to go!

Tomorrow I get my new puppy! We have had snow the past two days and I am looking forward to a stop in the snow for housetraining. My new puppy is older, so that should help in that department. "R" boy, or Roomba as I have taken to calling him, will actually turn 11 weeks on Friday. He will be the second oldest puppy I have gotten, with Millie being the oldest since she was 6 months when she was transfered to me. But he will be the oldest puppy I have gotten off the puppy truck. Sterling was 9 1/2 weeks, and Paris was just barley 8 weeks when I got her. Hopefully my arms will hold out for pictures tomorrow!

"Roomba" is a Samuel/Sarita puppy, and since Sarita was a litter mate to Sterling, that makes him Sterling's nephew! I can't wait for this special little (or big!) boy to make his way into my life tomorrow.

Also, I am trying to make my blog more friendly to those with screen readers. Does anyone have any suggestions? Like how do you add descriptions to your pictures? Thanks for any advice!

Belated Birthday Wishes: Sterling!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STERLING!

Sterling, my wonderful boy, turned 2 years old last week, on September 10th.  I  know he is greatly enjoying pet life, and is a wonderful boy for his mom as she finishes her last year of pre-med.  
 

The last 14 months and 25 days comes to an end....

It is official, Sterling has been career changed.  This little guy just did not want to be a guide dog.  While he loves being at home, going on walks, and visiting with people, he just did not like outings and wearing his vest.

He was in consideration for a Canine Buddy, but it was decided that the change would be too stressful on him.  Since he is still with me, I have decided to place him myself.  I have a friend who currently has no dogs who has fallen in love with him.  He will be going on a trial run with her in the next couple of weeks.  Since she lives here locally, I would still be able to see him, and watch him if she goes out of town.

I have been asked to take a transfer pup, and I will get her on Monday, when I get back from my ski hut trip this weekend.

She is a 5 month old black lab, a M puppy.  More details on Monday for this little (and she is tiny!) girl.

I think Sterling is going to love his new life as a companion, house dog, hiking buddy, skiing companion, and best friend.

Sterling enjoying a bone on the bed!  The perks of Pet life.

Rescue dog training, Sterling, sick dogs, and more.

Lots has been going on in the past couple of weeks. The last week of January had me up the Cottonwood Canyons participating in a rescue dog training school for Wasatch Backcountry Rescue. Hiding in snow caves, being buried in trenches, going for a helicopter ride into the backcountry, and of course playing with awesome dogs made it a week I will not forget!

Some pictures, a video, and a short news story about the school can be found at the links!

I have some pictures of my own that I will hopefully post once blogger starts liking me again.

Sterling is on the list to go back on the April truck....unless something changes. Which it may very well. I do not want to say anything until I know for sure.

For the last two days Marley and Sterling have been the diarrhea twins. Having two large dogs be sick all night is NOT fun. But I guess I am just getting prepared for no sleep during housebreaking time with my new pup.

School is moving along, Sterling and I are re-starting at square one for going out in public, as he has once again decided to not like his vest. Again, good practice for a pup: really short, positive trips in places. All without a vest which leaves me with alot of talking/explaining to do.

But wow, I love this dog!

Dog Distracted Guide Dog

I ran into a tricky situation today. I was walking with Sterling, and as we came to an intersection, there was already a guide team waiting there. As soon as the guide saw Sterling, he started jumping up and down and became VERY distracted. The handler gave him corrections, but the dog continued to focus on Sterling. I called out that I had a dog and backed up several feet (I was already 10 ft away!) to give them space to work it out. When it came time for them to cross, the handler told the dog forward, and the dog almost ran him into a car that was blocking the cross walk (stopped car).

The dog also ran his head into a pedestrian that was passing by the team. I followed behind them...unfortunalty this is the way I had to go...and the dog kept spinning around to look at Sterling. When we got to the crub, the team stopped, and I called out my position as I passed behind them.

I am wondering if I should call the school so that the handler can get some help reworking with his dog? I would say maybe they were having a bad day...but one other time we ran into this team, the guide ran the handler into a railing looking back a Sterling.

What would you do....any suggestions? Also, was what I did in the situation correct, anything that would have been more helpful? I did make sure Sterling did not stare at the other dog, nor did bark or anything like that....

Winter is here!

More snow today...about 6 inches total in the yard!  Both the bog dogs were loving it, they will take a big snort of snow and then go running around like crazy.  Marley, being the mountain dog he is, loves to lay in the snow.  

On campus, Sterling kept sniffing the snow and then trying to do labby laps!  I felt so mean correcting him, but working time is working time.  After class I got out the long line and let him have his fun.  I cannot wait to start going on winter hikes with the dogs, hopefully I can get some good pictures of Sterling in the snow.

In other news.... Maggie, Madden and Sage will all graduate on Sat.  Fairmont's partner was unable to finish training, and so Fairmont is back in class.  Hopefully they have sunny skies in California.

Meet Me in the MUSS!

Saturday was the first home game for my school's football team.  We played UNLV and won 42 to 21!  Sterling went to the game with me; we got there at half-time and stayed for about an hour 1/2.  

When we got there, I gave my tickets to the gatekeeper, had my bag checked, and started to walk in.  A ticket taker from another gate ran over to me and asked this brilliant question.  "Is that, a dog?"  The women who took my ticket quickly informed him of the bright white lettering on Sterling's vest proclaiming him a Guide Dog in-training.  Yay for literacy!

Sterling did great at the game, the climb to our seats in the nosebleed section no doubt tiring him out.  Even with cheering, feet stomping, and general excitment Sterling was more focused on watching me stand up, sit, stand, sit, stand....wait, modified puppy pushups?  

Anyway, he wore his vest for the event, and did a great job!  Slowly he is getting over his irritation with his vest!  

It's a bird, a Plane, it's Sterling!

In two weeks Sterling, my mom, and I will be flying down to California to visit my relatives.  Sterling will be flying down with me!  I have never flown with Sterling, though I have flown with Dante before (as a carry-on!).

Any advice for flying with a pup in-training? It is a 90 min flight, so pretty short.  Thoughts/stories?  Thanks!

School, snow, and Recall.

The tenative news for the puppy truck....Sterling will not be on it this winter! Yay! They bumped back some of the dogs from the Oct 1 truck, and now it looks like Sterling will be here for snow (which may happen this weekend). Now if only I can walk (graduation this spring from college) with him, but that would make him an OLD guy when he goes back. I really don't care at this point, I just am happy for all the time I get to spend with him.

This week was the first week of school for me, and with a drawing class, a photography class, and only one major class and an internship, it will give me alot of time to focus on perfecting Sterling's training. He did wear his vest for the first day of each class, but now we have switched off it again, and as usual the difference is night and day. It does require a little more explaining, but I put his "guide dog puppy" vest strap around his leash and that seems to catch most people's eyes. That or the fact that I usually have a hat on that says Guide Dogs for the Blind. I wish there was some way to get him used to a harness so that I can see if that is going to be a problem, because without the vest on he is almost perfect!!!

That gives me alot of time to consider what my next pup will be, or if I will just say, "suprise me!"

Bark City Updates

No, I haven't moved to the Unitas, been kidnapped by a pack of hungry dogs, or decided to join a commune.   I am alive and well (mostly, but who doesn't have a few problems) and just enjoying summer.

We have gone from freezing temperatures (literally 3in of snow on the ground 10 days ago), to really, really, lets go swim in the creek, hot!  Park Silly Market has started, the flip-flops have come out of the closet, and I finally pulled my ski rack off my car.  I think I am going to get Marley a kiddie swimming poll for the summer, since he has taken to laying flat out on the driveway in the shade very chance he gets.  Dante has finally gotten hot enough to pant (that saying something for a breed the originated in Mexico) and went for his first dip in the creek.

Hugo going for a final run in the snow.

I went up to Oregon for the Guide Dogs for the May graduation.  I went up with my club leader, who went to see her twentieth puppy graduate.  He is part of a very successful litter; out of 5 pups, three have been pulled as breeders, one (Bernstein, my leaders puppy) has graduated, and one is finishing up his formal training.  Their sire, Royal Guide Ralph, was expected to do good things for  Guide Dogs, and it looks like this litter may be the key! 

Bernstein relaxing in harness.

We only went up for a day, leaving Friday night, and coming back Saturday night.  It was a very moving day, with may inspiring moments.  When Bernstein saw his raiser, who he hadn't seen since November, he was so happy it made me cry.  However, after he settled down, it was evident how much he cared for his new person, who is a very kind man from Texas.  He assured my leader that they would have many adventures together, alot of the in Walmart, and she only ever had to call if she wanted to see how Bernstein was doing.  We also got to go on a tour of the campus, but not in the kennels, which I was a little disappointed at.  All in all it was an awesome trip.

One of the new guides going back to the kennels; his new partner had to leave a few days early for an emergency, and they were going to be reunited later that week.

150 dogs eat alot of food.

And of course need alot of bowels to eat that food from.  (I know, I know, everyone takes a picture of the bowels, but, look at it!)

And the best part of these last 5 weeks?  Sterling has stopped hating his puppy coat!!!!  He even wags his tail some of the time, and will go on outings.  He has really started to look to me when he is unsure, and is overcoming many of his previous avoidance issues.  I think he would make a sweet, and cuddly guide for a very lucky person if he keeps this up.  

We had a very fun puppy meeting at the local college, and went walking around the grounds and indoor pool.  It was the last meeting for one of the first time raisers in our group before their dog, Moses, went to San Rafael for formal training. 

There is a picture of this raiser, right before she put her puppy on the truck, that makes me want to cry all over again.  It is also a small preview of what I will be going through when Sterling goes back.  They got other puppy the same day, and said it really helped.  I know I want to raise again, but I don't know if I could be happy with another puppy when Sterling goes back.  I wonder how much harder it is to get back into the routine of a baby....

Here is a link to the story about the dogs going back for formal training.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700232928,00.html

That all my updates for now.

A+ for Sterling

Last night Sterling went to a puppy sitters. I was a little nervous, since we have been working on a couple things lately. But….

She said he was great!!! The sitter said he is one of the calmest 5 month old puppies she has watched (she has raised four pups of her own). He did not have any accidents, didn’t chew on anything, and didn’t chase the cats! I am so proud of him!