Yes, I Talk to my Dog

I get looks a the time out on the street and in buildings, classrooms, the office, etc. Why? Because I talk to my puppy. Not just "Good boy/girl!" when they've done something good. I actually hold conversations with my puppy. Obviously, their end of the conversation is all imaginary but I do say my part of the conversation out loud. Especially when I'm walking with them. It gets pretty boring, so having a conversation, even with a puppy, takes away some of the boredom.

So, this was the conversation that Marco and I had yesterday. Keep in mind, Aberdeen gets very blustery in the winter months.

Me: Marco, leave!
Marco: Yes Erin, those are leaves! Aren't the so cool when the blow in the wind like that?
Me: No Marco. I mean that you need to leave them alone and let them go about their business ok?
Marco: Oh, ok...But Erin?
Me: Yes Marco?
Marco: I REALLY don't want to.

I'm hoping that other raisers out there understand because otherwise I'd feel crazy.

Feeling Puppy-less

I've only been back in Aberdeen for three and a half weeks and I'm already going through puppy withdrawals. I'm so ready to have a puppy of my own again. It feels like it's been so long! Freya is still the only puppy who I have raised from start to finish and I kind of really want another one. Haha! It's an addiction.

Luckily, Marco Polo is coming for a short visit tomorrow evening. I think he's still a tad too young to handle a full week during term time, so we're easing him into the University Student life slowly. He'll be going to work with me Thursday and Friday and then hopefully he'll be ready for University by March.

Happy Birthdays!

Happy Birthday to my two January boys!

Rocco turned four years old on January 20th. As far as I know he's still working as a Guide Dog, but I haven't heard from his partner since just after graduation. While I miss him, I know he's well loved and right where he needs to be.

Rocco (yellow lab) in his harness when he graduated in August 2011.

Frankie turned two on January 28th. He's just graduated as Guide in September and still doing well. No surprise there of course. We haven't heard anything from his partner, but that's OK since he is also well loved and right where he needs to be. We were told that it would be a bad idea to visit again even if invited since he's such a baby boy and very attached.

Frankie (yellow lab / golden cross) in his training harness

I miss both of these boys very much and I hope they got the spoiling they so rightfully deserve on their special day!

A PWAP Update

It's been quite a while since I last updated about my puppy group back home. And since I've just returned from a month long visit I feel like it's a good time to give a quick update.

Our Current Club Puppies are;

WAFFLE - female black lab - 13 weeks
RAQUEL - female yellow lab - 5 1/2 months
JIMINY - male golden retriever - 8 months
CINNAMON - female black lab - 8 1/2 months
ALDEN - male golden retriever - 8 1/2 months
PIONEER - male black lab - 9 months
DULCIE (my girl!) - female golden retriever - 10 months
HARLEM - female black lab - 11 months
GIA - female yellow lab/golden retriever cross - 12 months
GALLOWAY - male yellow lab/golden retriever cross - 12 months
SWIFT - female black lab - 14 1/2 months
NEDRA - female black lab/golden retriever cross - 16 months

TINA (transferred) - female yellow lab - 16 months

CAMINO - male black lab - Phase 2 of formal training
CHEVELLE - male black lab - Phase 1 of formal training

Since I last updated TITUS, ELI, MARLEY, and TORI all became guides. HANK, NEVADA, NAPA, DARRELL, FIENNA, and SAM were all Career Changed. Hank and Fienna were both adopted by their raisers which Hilly absolutely loves. And KENO become our very first breeder in 10 years as a puppy group! We're all very excited about Keno. He's such a sweet boy and will produce some very lovely puppies.

We've got some really nice puppies at the moment. My guess is that all but Jiminy, Raquel, and Waffle will have finished their puppy in training stage by the time I get back since they will all be over 16 months old by then. Jiminy might also have finished his puppy in training days by then but since he's a golden retriever and right on the edge he may be given some more time to mature before formal training.

It's amazing to me to see how much my little group has grown in the years since I started almost 6 years ago and definitely how much it's grown since I've been in University. I seriously laugh when I think about how we used to have Harvard and Freya as club puppies and we were worrying about being disbanded as a group because we didn't have enough puppies. Now we have 12 puppies in raiser homes, 1 transferred, and 2 in formal training!

My Weekend with Marco

Because I'm a University student who also has a part time job, taking on a baby puppy would be difficult. That's why I'm so thankful for my "co-raisers" who bring me a pup whenever I feel the need for one. Last weekend I got to have Marco for the first time while they took Quinn to Edinburgh for one last big trip before he goes IFT. 

Let me just say, Marco is a pretty awesome puppy. Between him and Dulcie, I've had PPPs (that's practically perfect puppies for those of you who don't know) twice in a row now. Marco was nine and a half weeks old last weekend and he slept completely through the night and then went back to sleep for another hour after his breakfast. Seriously, from ten in the evening to seven in the morning. I was so lucky!

And, while he had a few accidents he didn't have as many as I was expecting. He got that if he showed me he had to pee and waited a minute for me to get the leash then he'd get to go outside to our courtyard and get a ton of praise and love. 

My favorite bit about him is that he's one cuddle bug. He's play and play and play and then he'd look at me. He'd properly stare at me for a while then come sit by me and look up as if to say, "I'm tired, can I sleep in your lap?" And because I'm a sucker...I let him. Shhh. Don't tell anyone. 

I don't really know what else to say about Marco except that I'm excited to get to know him more over the next couple of months. So far, he's a great puppy. 

Enjoy his cuteness! ENJOY...

Marco (yellow lab/golden cross) chews on a stuffed bunny

Marco cuddling up with me on the floor while I work on the PWAP facebook and web pages

One morning, he decided he would rather sleep in my lap...I let him.

Marco sitting like a good boy in the living room

Marco chewing on his teething keys.

Marco and the stuffed bunny.

Oh, one hilarious story I've got to tell you about is when we went to the grocery store. I carried him to the grocery store and then carried him through the grocery store. All in all, we were in the store for about 5 minutes as I grabbed a box of cereal or carton of non-dairy based milk...I don't quite remember. And we walked down the pet aisle and the little thief stole a stuffed toy from one of the shelves. Well, at the point I was committed to buying it for him right?

Fake Service Dogs and the Campaign Against Them

Any one of my readers who is also involved in the service dog community whether it be as a puppy raiser, a handler, or a training will have come into contact with this subject before. I've seen dogs in stores who were clearly not services animals. They were pestering other patrons, lunging, barking and a few have even been aggressive towards my puppy in training all the while their owner just stood there and did nothing about it while the manager looked on unsure of what to do. I've also gotten people asking me where I can get those cool vests for their pet because they'd like to bring their pet with them too and it has taken most of my self restraint not to slap them across the face and calmly explain to them that passing off their pet as a service animal was a federal offense.

The real problem stems from ignorance. Ignorance of the general public to what bringing their ill behaved pet into a store can do for public access issues for those who have actual service animals and use them to lead independent lives. Ignorance of shop keepers and store managers in regards to ADA regulations and what they are legally allowed to do and what they are not legally allowed to do. Ignorance of some of the online shops who probably genuinely believe that they are helping people register their service animal and that no one would EVER abuse the cheap "service animal" vests to bring their pets into public areas (poor, misguided souls).

Quite recently CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) have started a campaign to educate the public while making it harder for people to abuse ADA regulations concerning service animals to pass of their pets as service animals because they just want to take them everywhere. Guide Dogs for the Blind firmly backs and supports this campaign.

Below you will find a link to the CCI page where you can find links to an educational video and to the campaign page where you can add your signature. Please head on over and add your name!

http://www.cci.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cdKGIRNqEmG&b=4127877&ct=13406355

M is for... (for real this time)

MARCO!!!!

Marco's "birth certificate" 

Marco's profile. Handsome boy.

Me and Marco.

Marco wouldn't stop moving, so the best I could do is a blurry picture.

Marco arrived in Aberdeen yesterday, but I just got a chance to meet him today. Let me tell you, the pictures don't do this little guy justice at all! He's super cute. In fact, I think it's safe to say that he's super duper cute. Haha! Love at very first lick.

I don't know when I'll get a chance to have him. We wanna give him a week or two to settle into Aberdeen at his "primary" home and then Quinn is going away early December, so I'll probably want to take Quinn before I take Marco just so I can see him again. 

Marco is a yellow lab / golden retriever cross. He looks like he's going to be a little fluffier than Frankie or Quinn, but still isn't coated. And, this is the first time I know ALL of his siblings here in the UK.