An Introduction: Meet Frankie

Hi everyone! My name is Frankie.

Frankie sitting in front of a flower bed.

Auntie Erin was thinking real hard for the past couple of days on how to introduce me properly to the blog, but I convinced her that I was old enough to say hi myself. I also convinced her to let me tell you all about the past three days. But first she says I need to introduce myself proper like.

As you already know, my name is Frankie. Sometimes Auntie Erin calls me Franks though...or Small Fry or Short Pants. I am really small for my age, but great things comes in small packages right? I am one quarter golden retriever and three quarters lab. And Erin says that I was exactly what they had in mind when they started breeder labs and goldens together...besides having lab fur. I am confident and what she calls "bomb proof", but I'm also really goofy and "needy". I know it's not cool for guys to like cuddles but sometimes you just wants to curl up in your person lap. I am also what they call a "sponsored puppy." That means that someone out there paid Guide Dogs a LOT of money to get to name me and in return they get pictures of me and get updates on me and, if they help set it up, get to meet me. I have not met my sponsors yet but we are hoping to meet them someday before I leave for harness training. Anyway, I'm almost 7 months old but I've known my Auntie Erin since I was a little baby. The reason I am only just now posting on the blog is because now about once a month I'll be over at Auntie Erin's. Sometimes she says it'll only be for a day, but it could be for a weekend or a whole week. It just depends on how busy she is at school. I think that's all you need to know about me for now.

Oh, wait! Fetch is also my most favouritest games.

Day 1: I gots to Auntie Erin's new house on Tuesday night and boy was I happy to see her! Almost as happy as I was to see her after she got back from being back home for a whole month. We did not do a whole bunch of stuff that evening cos she had some stuff she needed to take care of. I guess that's what it is like when you move into a new place. But we did go for a walk after it stopped raining so that she could show me where my potty was. My potty is a little away from the house as we only use the front garden for the first and last potty break of the day. Otherwise I use the field just about 10 seconds away from the house. The first time we went there I peed before we got there, but Auntie Erin said that was ok and we went all the way to the toilet anyway to see if I had to go some more. Now all she has to do is ask me to "Find the Toilet" and I pull her over to the little spot next to the tree where I also pee. After I got to use the toilet we went for a short walk onto the University campus. She says that I might get to go there to class one day so I should know where it is and how to maneuver through it before it is filled with students. Did you hear that? I'm gonna be a College Dog! Then it was bedtime since I had my dinner before getting to Auntie Erin's house.

Day 2: For all the puppies out there, your people will not like it if you drink ALL the water in the big water dish before bed and then start poking them with your nose at 4 in the morning because you gots to pee. Auntie Erin said that she was glad I did not pee in her room and woke me up, but also that I was not suppose to drink all of the water at once. So, I only get a little water at a time now to stop me from waking her up at what she calls "ridiculous o' clock in the morning." After I had peed we did get to sleep for another two hours before my tummy woke me up...so I woke Erin up. We both had breakfast and then she had a shower. Then we went for a walk in the park right next to her house. She let me off lead for only a little part of it since she was not sure if I would come back to her when she called. I guess she did not know that I like to walk right next to my human even if I am off lead. Then it was home for lunch time for the both of us. Then she took me to the grocery store after I got to use the toilet again. She made me wear the puppy jacket and I do not really like it. It is itchy and bothersome but she said I had to wear it in the store so that there would be no question that I was allowed in. She said I did mostly good on our trip but that I did not need to pee right before entering the store or right after we left. She is glad I did not go inside the store, but that since I had peed before I left that I should hold it until we got back home. After we got home we both had some dinner and then took our evening walk. Today is when I learned "Find the Bin." That's my command to take Auntie Erin to the Doggie Pot where all of the doggie poo is put. We did another route around campus, but this time we went a different way to and from. She said it depends on where she needs to be which way she goes, but that I would know the difference. On yesterday's route she told me to "Find Campus" and on this route she told me to "Find the Library". I know the library is on campus, but going to the library side puts us on a different part of campus. I am still really learning the route to and from campus, but she said the more often I go the easier it will be for me.

Day 3: Yesterday was kind of a lazy day. I did not wake Auntie Erin up at four. Instead I waited until my tummy woke me up at 6. Then we did the park again only this time I was off lead for the entire time and she brought my rubber stick. I gots to play fetch for a long time and gots really dirty cos, even though it was a sunny day, there was still mud everywhere. After playing fetch for a long time she says we need to take our walk through the park. So, we goes on the walk, but I decide that it would be more fun to keep a hold of the stick for the whole time. She did have to leash me back up when there was another dog near us, but she says I did very good because we I started running towards it she told me to "leave it" and then "come" and I stopped and then went straight back to her. We walked back through the park but somewhere on the way back she decides to get a picture of me. So, of course I barks at her because it is time to play not take pictures. After I let her take her dumb pictures we start walking again. On our way out we met this really old lab. He was a lot of fun and like to try and pounce on me, but he was a lot bigger than me. It turns out that he was a retired Guide Dog. No wonder the old guy did not mind playing with a puppy. Before he left he wished me lucks in my training and told me that being a Guide Dog was really, really fun. Then we went home and had a lazy day only to be interrupted by our third walk to campus. This time we took a route that was like half the first and half the second. She said she wanted to show me as much of the campus while no one was there so that I would not be overwhelmed if I came with here and there were students everywhere. Really though, how many students can there be? This time once we got off campus she told me to "Go Find Home" and I takes her all the way back home.

Day 4: Today I go back home with my raisers. Auntie Erin says that we'll take one more free run in the park before I have to leave though. She says that I have done really good because I have learned to find her house and find the doggie pot while I have been with her. And that I have gotten better on my right turns. They are harder than left turns. I'm not too sad about leaving cos I'll see Auntie Erin again in about two weeks for puppy class. She says I'm so funny at class because when we do a puppy swap I stare at her. Well!? I guy's gotta make sure that his person is still there and still loves him doesn't he!?

Until next time guys!