Operation Puppy Raiser

Too long

2011-08-15T17:49:00.003-05:00

Alright, It didn't need to be said but it has been awhile since I have gotten on. It hasn't been years or anything but these last 5 months or so has changed my life so needless to say, I didn't have time for blogging.

I thought about getting everyone caught up, but the posts upon posts needed to do that overwhelmed me and then I didn't feel like getting on (note to self: do NOT get behind on posting)

Most of you are my friends on Facebook so you kind of know whats going on (If your not, add me! link on the right :) but those of you that don't, we had career changes, dog changes, living changes, and much more!

I am going to try to get stuff summed up, but don't expect individual post on each thing. I am only one person and my hair will fall out if I take that on.

Brief run down: Adam started new job in Flagstaff, Az. I have been living in Iowa for the past 5 months waiting for a house (to rent) and also making sure he wanted to stay at the job, liked it, they liked him, etc... I took 4 of the dogs up here with me, and he kept 1. I had Tara, Annie, JD and Vance and he had Sammy.

Most of you know, Sammy is no longer with us. He broke his leg last month and when we took him in, we thought it would be a simple surgery and we would be good to go. False. He had bone cancer and it was so far along, that he was given a month to live. I was in shock. I didn't know how to take it. Do I blame myself for not knowing? Do I blame the dog for not showing signs sooner (acting like his cheery ol self and never gave any indication) It was hard for me since I couldn't be there and hard for Adam because he had to be the one to take him in.

Months before, I adopted another Greyhound (actually got him mostly for Sammy to have a playmate) Even though him and Sammy will never meet, I am lucky to have him. Reminds me so much of Sammy in so many ways (found out they have the same Grandpa :) We named him Hermes and He can't wait to head out to Arizona either.

Annie, my Aussie, decided after months of speculation she wants to stay on the farm. My parents needed a dog and Annie loved them to pieces. She is so happy out here :)

Vance is still with me, but with this whole process, he hasn't been out as much as I liked. Some months were better as I worked part time up here and he got to come to work with me. His turn in date is sometime in the fall but when we finally head out to Arizona, he will be staying with
puppy raiser Lisa and she will turn him in for us. It's a hard decision, but with the new move and me trying to find a job, I most likely will not be able to come back for awhile. I still have him for 3 weeks though, going to cherish though, one lick and wiggle at a time.

So I will have 3 dogs. It has been years since I have been down to this number but that way I can focus on my marriage, my house, my soon to be job, and everything in between.

So...I will try and update on here as much as possible, with some pics too. But for more up to date info. add me as a friend on Facebook :)

Sarah

Iowa Trip Part 2

2011-03-30T22:14:00.003-05:00

During our week long stay, both of us were out and about every day. From visiting friends, to old co-workers, to family and then various events, Vance got much needed socialization.

One place that he has never been and is always a great place to go is Cabela's. I met my sister and her family and my parents and I went.

They have a two level store, with the top level having a cafe and unique accessories (such as bathroom and room decor, candles, home furnishings, things like that)
He were up and down quite a bit so Vance got a good work out on going up and down the stairs, nice and slow. The above pic looks like he's way ahead of me, but really, I put the camera over his head to show you the amount of stairs. That isn't all of them either, we had already gone up a few, but didn't have the camera out yet.

My dad had gotten a big gift certificate to Cabela's as part of his Christmas bonus, so he took his time spending it. Shoes were a must, so we spent some time there and Vance just layed there, watching my nieces and their antics.

My nieces were also a big help with helping me train Vance. We would set up situations where Vance might be tempted or whatnot and of course, he passed.
They also liked to pose with him. Here they are in an ice house they had set up. I have all kinds of pics, but this one was really cute :)

I have never had a dog who was scared of statues and such, but I wanted to be sure Vance wasn't going to because they can be spooked by some of the oddest thing. He didn't even care there were beasts on the fake mountain in the store. He just posed and was hoping someone passing by would sneak a pet to him (people are his weakness)

Also, the heights of being on the second level didn't bother him either. He could walk right along side the railing and could care less, that's a plus! I thought he might be affected, but he continued to surprise me :)

Iowa Trip Part 1

2011-03-30T21:46:00.002-05:00

During the last part of January, I went to Iowa for a week. It was really nice to get back and visit family and friends. Just Vance and I went as Adam couldn't take a whole week off of work and funds were tight for two tickets.

We got there around 10 p.m. on a Wednesday night and my brother picked me up to make the two hour trek to my parents house. Now call me a cruel person but I had told everyone in my family I was coming except my Mom. She had no idea, so when we pulled in late, I went upstairs to wake her and the look on her face was priceless! I could tell that she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if it was truly reality. She just couldn't believe I was there.

I hit the hay and the next morning, I just had to get Vance out in the snow. I could tell he was curious about it. The last time he saw snow he was 8 weeks old and then a few weeks later, we left for Arizona. He just didn't know what to do at first. He sniffed it, then started running around. It was a sight to see! Major zoomies as he blazed through walls of drifts. He was in heaven.

I could barely get him to stop and pose for me! I saw some props I wanted him to sit/stand beside for some portrait shots, but I didn't get very many. I made him sit still a few times, then just let him run. My parents have an 8 acre acreage, but I would never lose him. With the all white landscape, he stood out quite well.

After a good romp in the snow, we came inside to warm up by the fire. Again, more firsts as he has never been around an open flame fire. Let me tell ya, it didn't even phase him. All the crackles and pops and the heat didn't bother him in the least bit.

Even when I asked him for a down/stay right next to it he was fine. There is a protective screen in front of it to make sure sparks and whatnot doesn't come flying out onto the carpet.

I love this pic of him. So grown up yet still a pup. He has beautiful, big brown eyes and he sure uses them to his advantage :)

Going Back and Forth

2011-03-25T10:04:00.004-05:00

I know I haven't posted too much like I said I would, I just am waiting to upload all my stuff from my laptop to my main computer. That is a good reason why its hard for me to update, because I have to go back and forth and it gets confusing and/or tiring.

So...after I do that It will be on a more regular basis.

On the upscale, This weekend, there is an air show going on in a nearby town. Can you guess where we are going? :) Air Force and Navy and some Army will be there to put on a good show as well as educate the public on various tactics and such. I am taking Vance and he is going to be all decked out in Air Force gear (Since he is named after an Air Force base )

It should be extremely fun, I have never been to an air show before and neither has Vance. I hope the noises don't scare him too much. I'll just have to be sure to bring extra treats :)

K-State KSDS and CCI Presentation

2011-03-09T21:52:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, KSDS and CCI, had the opportunity to give a seminar on assistance dogs at Kansas State University.

Now Doniphan (for all of you that don't know, is in formal training [guide] at KSDS) is still in training and I was hoping they would use him as an example of their Guide program. I was thumbing through media and such and didn't find anything, but I kep looking and I found better. A video of the entire presentation and Doniphan is at the end, but he is a black lab in the guide harness.
I encourage all of you to watch the entire video, KSDS and CCI really did a good job and both were represented really well.

I am just so happy that I got to see a glimpse of Doni and see that he's doing good, makes me feel good :)

KSDS and CCI Presentation (Doniphan towards the end)

I'm Still Here!

2011-03-08T20:56:00.002-06:00

Whew! Alright, I could go on and on and on about how busy I've been and such, but to be honest, only the basic things have been going on.

I have been actively looking for a job (that is work in itself, I guess) We have been running on just Adam's income, but there is no extra for fun things, or dog related things (training fees, traveling, health, etc..)

Since I don't work there is no reason for me to make alot of trips into town, therefore Vance and I don't go to town too much. He accompanies me while I do basic things and errands, but there are few opportunities to really socialize him around new things. I try my best, but just with our situation, it's limited right now.

The other 4 dogs require daily exercise and sometimes vigorous ones at that. I do have very active dogs and with that comes activities for them to do or exercises that stimulate their brains.
The worse thing to have is a bored dog.

I do have some activities that Vance and I have done that we need to post about. I will get on that for this week. It has been long overdue, and I am sorry.

Thank you for hanging in there with me!!

Long Story Short....

2011-01-11T00:14:00.002-06:00

.....Vance and I are headed to Iowa on Wednesday!

I didn't post about it because I didn't really think I could go (price, time, to see if Adam could get time off, etc) but after watching airline ticket prices closely, We are able to go for a whole week!

Regrettably it will only be Vance and I. Adam cannot take that much time off work and we need to watch our pennies, so two tickets are out of the question.

Last time we trekked back to the Midwest, I forgot my camera so I will be sure to have it with me, even if I have to tie it around my neck! Besides, Vance only experienced snow when he was real little and then we moved out here to the desert, so I am curious to see his reaction to snow as an adult. I am only able to take the little Kodak camera and not the nice big one because with just me going, I don't want to be bogged down with stuff while trying to maneuver an airport with Vance. I'll admit, it sure is nice having a husband haul all the luggage for you, I knew there was a reason I married him! lol

I might be able to post while up there, but I'll be mainly updating on Facebook so check on my page or add me if you aren't my friend already :)

Have a good day and now I'm off to unpack all my winter clothes. I have a feeling I'm going to need them

14! (Months)

2011-01-10T14:17:00.003-06:00

No, Vance is not 14 years old, but he is 14 months old today and we puppy raisers have to count the months because we only have a limited number with them :)

Happy 14 month birthday, Vance!

Vance helping me make the bed :)

Growing up...

2010-12-27T18:49:00.003-06:00

Now is that time, when you're halfway through raising a pup, that you evaluate behavior, training and just overall personality.
Vance is unique as is any of the dogs we raise. He is more skittish and doesn't have as much confidence as my other pups have had. He is super sensitive to corrections, if I over-correct him he shuts down, so that has been interesting and at times difficult to remedy.
Vance doesn't like retrieving....he refuses to do it. He is almost 14 months and just now he got the fact that when I throw a toy, he brings it back to me nicely. With all of these traits, he may not make it, but at the same time, he is still maturing and with work, we can overcome!

I'm not saying Vance is a bad puppy or won't learn, he is just sensitive and has taken a different approach to commands that most other dogs I've raised or trained. His maturing may take longer than some and that's alright. He may not know some of the commands he's supposed to know, but he is a bright pup with lots of energy and pizazz and one day he will fulfill his job whether it be working or pet.

On the upside, he is really good in public. The only thing that is a slight problem is he is so people distracted. Anyone have that problem? He acts like a total puppy if someone just looks at him. Tail starts going, butt starts wiggling, and overall hyperness. To remedy this problem, I have had him wear a Halti and it definitely helps. I like my dogs to be able to function and listen with just a regular collar and use the Halti occasionally, but with him, I need to use the Halti to help him settle down with people. It's so funny though, usually dogs are dog distracted, but with him, its people! I just get a kick out of that.

He is so good with my two cats, and that I cherish. Some of the Labs can be rough with the cats, but Vance plays nicely with them.

Some raisers know right away if they are going to keep them or not if they get released. As good as he is, I will not be keeping him if it comes to that. I have 4 other dogs I want to focus on training and get their Herding and Agility titles up, plus being a new wife, I have another person to consider.
Yet if it comes to that, I think he may go to my parents. They haven't had a dog for awhile and they seem to like Vance, plus he does really good with their chickens, which is a must.

My Vance-a-loo is a good boy and I can't wait to see what the next year has in store!

Oh Wow!

2010-12-27T18:07:00.002-06:00

This Christmas was bitter sweet for me. I was really planning on going back to Iowa for Christmas but we were trying to save up money for plane tickets for Adam and I. Well, we waited too long because they were well over a thousand dollars and we just couldn't pull that off this year.
It was nice to receive things in the mail from my family and friends, but one package was especially meaningful to me.
It was a rather large box addressed to me from non other than Cobra's partner! For those of you that are new to my blog, Cobra was the first dog that I raised and is now a working service dog back in my home state of Iowa.
I was eager to open it, but Beth (Cobra's partner) told me that I had to wait for Christmas....poop!
So I waited, waited, and did some more waited and on Christmas I opened up the different packages.
It was a combo gift of Christmas and wedding gifts, but boy were they amazing!

She made a full on scrapbook for me to put wedding photos in. It is done so beautifully! The details and artwork is so fabulous, the pictures don't do it anywhere near the justice it deserves.

Next, I got a set of these hilariously cute wine glasses. One side features the bride in her dress and the other side features the bride on her wedding night in a sexy corset and all!
(Sorry the picture quality is so bad and that I forgot to turn the picture)

The next and last one is a wonderful picture frame that says "Always a Princess" and on the bottom it says "From Baby to Bride"
Having it say Princess on it is also special because Sarah means Princess

Having opened all of these brought tears to my eyes knowing that Cobra is with a wonderful lady and that he is in such good hands, doing what he was born to do :)

The Holiday Season

2010-12-22T16:15:00.002-06:00

"Shoppers rush home with their treasures..." That about sums up yesterday!
Now my shopping is all done, but my mother-in-law and I went to Palm Springs, California yesterday, to help her step dad find a gift for her mother.
Vance and I haven't been out much in the past month, so I took him, but expected him to be a bit rusty on commands and general public manners. He did wonderful! I couldn't be more pleased. I thought for sure certain things (food on the floor at Walmart, major crowds at Kohls, and noisy children bouncing balls all around him) would be distractions for him and I would need to correct him a few times, but no! He left the kids alone, was calm when petted (He is really people distracted, odd I know, but he gets so excited if a person even looks at him) and was calm around my Mother-in law's elderly mom and step dad. All in all, he impressed me tremendously and he may be maturing yet!
This weekend is Christmas and since I am unable to go home for Christmas, we are spending it with Adam's cousins. I thought about bringing Vance but I found out that the cousins kids are really allergic to animals and have lots of allergies, so Vance-a-loo has to stay home this weekend :(

I hope everyone is ready for Christmas and I hope all of you are able to spend it with family and friends and those you love.

Merry Christmas!
from the Williams

Adam, Sarah, Tara, Annie, Sammy, JD, Vance, Kansas and Parker

Where For Art Thou in Nevada?

2010-12-01T03:39:00.002-06:00

With months of planning and thinking, Adam and I are most likely going to move to the north part of Nevada in the coming months. Mining is a big thing up there and he has connections on how to get a job making what he does now, which a strong potential to make double if not more.

I was just thinking, how many of you are close to Elko, Nevada?
Vance sure has gotten lax on his public outing and especially working around other dogs. Maybe that could change with a meeting up of a few of you. Anyway, drop me a line, on here or facebook, or e-mail!
fantasticagility at myclearwave dot net

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-11-30T22:06:00.002-06:00

Our Thanksgiving weekend was a bit quiet for Adam and I. His parents decided to go camping out by the Death Valley area with two other brothers and their girlfriends. We really needed to pinch our pennies so we opted not to go.
Adam had Friday off so our weekend started right after his parents left at 5 p.m.

What did we do? Absolutely nothing! I had been thinking about cooking a dinner but with stores being busy the day before Thanksgiving and then some being closed on the big day, I decided we would just go out and eat.

We went to Golden Corral to eat. I haven't eaten at that place in years and wanted to reminisce.
I had every intention of taking Vance, but that day he was being a bit testy and to be honest, I just didn't want to take him. Do any of you have those days? I'm sure you do, but I always feel bad going to a place that would be a good experience for him, but dont take him cause I'm not up for it. If I'm not up for it, how can I make sure he has the best experience possible?

Beside the dinner, what did we do all weekend? Absolutely nothing and I loved it! Adam works more than 40 hours a week and some Saturdays, so our time together is a bit more limited than I would like. The weekend we spent together watching movies, going on walks and just spending good, quality, newlywed time together :)

Desert Camping

2010-11-22T18:40:00.003-06:00

This weekend, Adam and I went camping with his parents. It was my first camping trip since moving out here and my first ever trip, camping out in the desert. It sure was interesting, Adam and I hiked for miles it seemed like, although I think it was just a mile or two. The dogs LOVED it! I took Tara, Annie, JD, and Vance, but left Sammy in the camper. He's not one for "hard labor" so to speak :)
They never ventured far, always staying by my side or Adams. If I ever stopped, they would walk a few feet then wait for me to catch up. They never got tired, well except for Vance. If there was a sandy spot or a minute where we stopped, he would lay down as if to say, "Really? Can we be done guys? Seriously..."
I also got to learn to ride my first manual Quad. I know how to ride 4x4's but not manual ones, like dirtbikes, I just never learned. So that was fun, I only stalled it a few times, lol!

The only bad part about camping in the desert is that I'm allergic to all the desert plants I guess. I itch all over, even now that we're back and I have hives too. The environment just doesn't agree with me quite yet.

Vance was eager to get going!

My 4 pups (minus Sammy) L-R: Annie, JD, Tara, and Vance

It doesn't rain very much in the desert, but while we were hiking, it rained a bit, what are the odds?! So I had to capture the rainbow in the desert :)

After cutting across the desert, we finally just went on road that actually led somewhere

My very tired boy, Vance

Training Article

2010-11-15T17:42:00.002-06:00

The area that we live in is in desperate need of dog trainers. The closest Petsmart is 2 hours away. The closest "trainer" (I don't count Petsmart or Petco....personally, I do not like them) is roughly the same distance away. The closest dog park is 2 hours away. What I'm saying is the chance for training, socialization and understanding is 2 hours away!
I have seen so many pit bulls and chihuahuas that need training it almost makes me sick.

With that said, I have been writing a small article in the local newspaper about tips, techniques and such. So far I have gotten positive response with just one article and the few people that responded seemed to be f=game for a future obedience course or something.

It gives me hope for this area. I would LOVE to teach agility, but obedience is more important for this area anyway and you have to have obedience before you start with Agility.

Would You Mind?

2010-11-12T20:53:00.003-06:00

Can I get you all to head on over to NASCAR's website and please vote for a KSDS, Inc. car that may be featured in an upcoming race if we win?
You can vote everyday! Please help us, save the link and come back everyday to help us reach the number one spot, won't you?

NASCAR KSDS, Inc Car

Veterans Day and a One Year Old

2010-11-12T17:27:00.003-06:00

The special thing about Vance is he was born so close to Veterans Day, that they decided to name his litter after Military Bases. Vance is for Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma.

So Vance turned one on Nov. 10th. Now true, the next day was Veterans Day, but we did a few special things. Oh and another good thing about the 10th is that it is Adam and I's one month anniversary :)

Vance has been with me for a year now and oh the changes both him and I have been through.
I picked him up in January, the same day I turned Doni in, and I can't believe I was given the chance to raise again, that I was blessed with another pup to change and improve my life for the better. With each dog I raise, I always learn more about the program, about the people, about me and just life in general.
With that said, it is because of our Veterans that I am allowed the freedom to raise and be out in public via the ADA.
Thank you Veterans for so much you have done and continue to do.
Vance and I thank you, from the bottom of our hearts

He looks like such a puppy here, but I love the wording "Freedom" and the Air Force jet.

Car Show

2010-11-12T17:07:00.003-06:00

A few weekends ago, I decide to enter our car into a local car show. For those of you that don't know, or have been fortunate not to hear me go on about the car, my now husband, purchased a 1977 Chevrolet Corvette back in Iowa. He bought it dirt cheap and is in pristine condition considering the year. It still needs mechanical work (a new engine wouldn't hurt) and some cosmetic things, but its very good considering.

The day before I was washing, waxing, cleaning, and conditioning. It sparkled after I was done with it. The pictures just don't do it justice, you had to have been there.

Setting up, with Vance in a nice "down and under" under the chair

Where is the Corvette? Hard to see, but it's to the left

It was a small car show, but there were alot of good entries. You know what the best part is? we won an award for "Best car 'Under Construction' for year category" I was ecstatic!
I worked really hard on it and it paid off I guess. that and people liked the car :)

Our trophy :)

Walk of Fame

2010-11-11T18:19:00.003-06:00

We also went to Hollywood and visited the Walk of Fame area. Wow, is all I can say! So many stars and so many people! I didn't get too many pictures, but I got a video of Vance going up the escalator. KSDS,Inc wants to make sure the dogs don't get too terrified of things, so some thing, they want the puppy raisers to wait on training on. However, if they are fine doing something and don't hesitate, then we have permission. They just want to make sure the pups don't get introduced to things that can really scare them and really affect them as working dogs.

Escalators are one of them. Remember my previous post of vance going on an airplane for the first time and there was an escalator in the airport and I thought we would try it ans see how he does. That time he did EXCELLENT! no hesitation not even a flinch.
So I wanted to try it here, at the Walk of Fame and see if it was a fluke. They had escalators everywhere. Sure enough, we tried it again, and he didn't even flinch, like it was all natural. so lucky for me, I got to take many escalators that day instead of the long stairs :)

2010-11-11T17:17:00.005-06:00

The day after our wedding, we did some sightseeing and we went on the Warner Brothers Studio Lot tour! That was really fun and interesting. I got to hear about some of my favorite movies and shows and we even got a privileged invitation to go into the "The Big Bang Theory" studio audience area. There were no audience there, but if we were apart of, that is where we would sit. They were building a new set so they had a few hours to let tours in the area, otherwise, it's closed off.

I got a few pictures, but a good chunk of the tour was off limits to cameras. they even took your cameras and locked them in this box in the tour wagon we rode on.

It was a neat wagon, and it sat 12. It was basically a glorified gold cart. Vance didn't freak out or anything on it, he was slightly cautious at first, but nothing major and he got accustomed to it as we went on. ***See video below***

Vance: "Daffy who?"

Here we are loading up on the tour wagon and Vance is all ready to go!

"Mmm, smells good!"

I was curious if he would react to the Scooby, but he did nothing, so I'm proud of him

I am a HUGE fan of The Dukes of Hazzard. I saw the General Lee (the Orange car) and freaked! One day I will own my '69 dodge Charger!

The original Batmobile

The new Batmobile. They were going to crate it up and send it out within the month to be used in the next Batman movie. The cool thing is, this thing actually runs and drives and it goes up to 120 mph! I just wanted to drive it out of there and test it out. Only problem is, each wheel is separately steered, so I would have to teach Vance how to help me, ha ha!

Last but not least, the famous WB water tower. I almost missed it and the tour guide actually had to back up cause he was babbling on about something else, ha ha

The video of Vance riding the tour wagon.

Our Wedding

2010-11-10T20:46:00.003-06:00

The day came and boy was it a BUSY day! I had hair and makeup appointments in the morning, then my Mom, my sister-in-law, and me rushed back to our motel to get ready.
It all ran somewhat smooth, but of course, something had to go wrong. Long story short, we were late to our own wedding! lol! Traffic was bad, we couldn't find a place to park next to the beach and we ended up having to valet park it (which turned out to be quite nice actually)

We made it though with our immediate family there to see us arrive. His parents and all of his brothers were there along with his grandparents (both sides) and and aunt and uncle.
Because of the distance, only my parents and one brother and sister-in-law were able to make it, but I am thankful they could come.

I am still waiting on some more pictures, but is some of what I have, enjoy!

At The Pier #2

2010-11-10T20:13:00.003-06:00

I could be real smooth and say that I have more of these great pictures to share with you from our wedding weekend, At the pier, but to be honest...I just plain forgot about these ones! lol
So enjoy!

I was ecstatic when I saw this! Oh Forrest...

Posing in front of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant. I really wanted to eat there, but the line was out the door, so we decided against it.

Vance has never been to the beach so here we are on the water. He did very good! He would have loved for me to take the cape off so he could play, but we still had places to go to and visit and he couldn't be all wet.

Here we are posing in front of our location that our wedding was to be held at the next day.
I thought it was perfect :)

1 Is The Luckiest Number

2010-11-10T14:28:00.002-06:00

Vance, my sweet, lovable, horrible, very naughty, and super smart Vance, is turning 1 TODAY!!!

We are heading out on the town to celebrate.
There aren't too many stores to go to, but I have to return some shoes and do a few others things

I can't believe one year ago, he was being born and 8 weeks later, I received a call to turn Doniphan in and pick up Vance.

At The Pier

2010-11-03T14:24:00.006-05:00

Our wedding weekend started on October 8th as we pulled into LA. We drove and it took us almost 4 hours, not too bad.
We checked into our motel at Super 8 and got situated.

Vance got a nice little tie-down area on the corner of the bed.

We met my parents and brother and sister-in-law also at the motel. They flew in and landed the same time as we got into LA, so by the time they got their rental car, we met at the motel around the same time.

Saturday came and we wanted to check out the area we were getting married at a day before. It was on the beach and with all the people, we wanted to find the best area, location for pictures, etc..

"Ooh! What's going on over there?"

We then headed over to the Santa Monica Pier, which was practically right there. There were so many people, but most of theme were....just plain interesting! Vance got to see skateboarders and bikers and people with weird clothes on and lots of dogs were around. They were either small and yappy and had their own wardrobe or they were big and running alongside a bike, running with their owners, or pulling their owners on rollerblades. Needless to say, ALOT of exposure for the guy :)

So many things going on :)

The roller coaster behind him didn't even phase him :)

I had to get a picture of this. He was so tired, it looked as if he was smiling!

Wow, So Much Has Happened...

2010-11-02T14:02:00.002-05:00

... Yet to find the time to write it all down and include pictures, is a different story.

I promise within the coming weeks, I will find time to slowly get updated. Vance has been to new and exciting places as well as realizing that fire hydrants are scary, ha ha!

I may have to do a blog or so with pics and then write a blog after.
Between Visiting LA and Santa Monica and the Car show and his upcoming 1 year birthday, So many things will be happening.

Hang in there!

Wedding!

2010-09-14T23:49:00.002-05:00

There are many things that have changed in my life recently and being engaged is one of them.
I never imagined myself getting married until I was 30 or so, but after meeting the love of my life, Adam....Things were different. Were were engaged this spring, and we moved to Arizona for a job opportunity for him. Our plan was to wait until next year to get married, in Iowa, with a whole traditional wedding ceremony.
Our plan is still the same, but varied slightly. We will be wed on October 10, 2010 at Venice Beach in LA and it is a very small wedding with nothing but immediate family and a pastor or Officiate us. Our goal then, is to wait a bit longer and have a traditional ceremony and reception in Iowa, and try and save up for it as much as possible. we want our families to be there but having them come to both is not feasible, so that's why we decided a quick one here in California and a traditional one later, In Iowa.

I am so happy and never knew Love could feel like this. I am so excited to know that I am spending the rest of my life with my Best Friend and Love :)

LA County Fair

2010-09-14T23:08:00.002-05:00

I could just shoot myself for forgetting my camera AGAIN during a major activity Vance and I attended.

This past Saturday, Adam and I along with Vance and Adam's parents, attended the LA county fair.
Now I grew up in Iowa, I'm used to the agricultural side of things and at this fair, there was minimal of that. Get this! They had the "agricultural" stuff set up as a learning center! lol, they had signs explaining what cows, pigs, chickens, goats, etc...were to the kids. That was a new one for me and I won't be able to forget that, not for awhile.
Vance loved the animals though and the best part about visiting the different farm animals were that most of them liked to follow Vance alongside the fence. It was cute! Here was a herd of goats at one end and once they saw Vance they came a running! Everyone around got a kick out of it. We even had people come up later say "hey! you're the dog that the goats followed!" Vance, as usual, could care less about the animals. The small time we were up in Iowa (before moving to Arizona when he was a couple months old) he got to experience chickens, at least, at my parents farm and left them alone. To be honest, They may have scared them, that's why he didn't get close :)

Another thing, that I didn't think about was at most Midwest fairs, its on grass. Well here it was all cement and a hot day. I was really worried that Vance's feet would not be able to handle too much of the fair until I realized that a good chunk of the exhibits, vendors, etc... were inside, in air-conditioned buildings. So the only thing to worry about was walking to and from a building out on the hot asphalt.

There were alot of people there and I wasn't sure how he would act having so many people around in such a close area, so he wore his Halti all day. We also are still working on when people pet him (he gets super excited, Halti helps him) and since I wouldn't know when that would happen through out the day, on went the Halti.
I have noticed that his obedience is more lax in the Halti than out, so we will need to work on that :)

We went into this exhibit with animatronic dinosaurs complete with sounds, environment, and even smells! (I think) Vance didn't even realize they were moving! I was all excited and using a happy voice, just in case he got scared, but he could care less. These even had moving eyes, I know some dogs freak out about that, but I guess that wasn't one of Vance's areas.

When we went through the vendor buildings, we tried to walk somewhat fast and in the middle, so they didn't "catch us" into buying something. A few people had wanted to know about Vance so I told them, right after I finished my speech, they went right ahead with theirs. So They used Vance to lure me into their products, clever I might say, but at the same time, I had to say minimal stuff so I wouldn't get drawn in. There were 2 or 3 people who truly were interested and after giving them info, they said they would look into it. Not a complete loss I guess! lol

Vance had to skip on the rides though, somehow I could picture him falling out of the Ferris Wheel and...yeah shutter to think, so we won't.

After the fair, we went out to eat with a few more family members to join us and as usual, Vance did perfect. Although he was so tired after the fair, he dropped and didn't move a muscle till we got up and left. We got the typical stare's and sayings of "I didn't know there was a dogs in here!"

We got back home late and I had put all of the other dogs in crates while we were gone and two of them had Diarrhea bad, so we gave them medicine and cleaned them up. The next day the two others had it so it was a bug they were all giving each other.
Today they are over it and the they need baths, but the only thing is I'm sick...and I don't feel like it so it might be tomorrow or the next day :)
Vance hasn't caught it yet, but I bet he will, sick dogs are no fun :(

Assistance Dog Awareness

2010-09-01T17:00:00.002-05:00

I have a Service dog user friend, who is fighting for Assistance Dog awareness and education around her home town. She created a survey to see what the general public knows about Assistance Dogs and how she can better present information to various councils and political leaders.
She needs our help! Would you be willing to tell your friends and family to take this quick 5 minute survey?
Everyone is needed so we can better spread information and knowledge to the general public.
Thank You!
Sarah and Vance

Assistance Dog Survey

Flight To and From Iowa

2010-08-18T15:21:00.004-05:00

Thought we would play a little game before we got started:

1.) Guess who got a flat tire the morning of the flight?....Us!
2.) Guess Whose camera bag the flat tire was covering?...Mine!
3.) Guess who didn't realize it till we were on the plane?...Me!!!
4.) Guess who has no pictures to show for the wonderful weekend we had?...Me!!

So by this little game, I suppose you have come to the conclusion that I have absolutely NO pictures to show you about our trip:(

We left last Thursday morning, around 2:30, to make a 7:00 flight. It was roughly 2 1/2 hours to get there so with Vance along, I wanted to make sure we had plenty of time. About 20 minutes into our trip, we had a flat tire on the car....yeah, so much for being early. We changed the tire (yes, this is the tire that was thrown onto the forgotten camera bag) and headed back home because no way was the car going to make it on the spare. We exchanged vehicles and were off again.
We got there, and thankfully there were some rocks near the parking lot, so Vance went potty there.
We got inside and since we checked in online, went right to security. Vance did great! I had him stay and wait while I went through the scanner first and then he came along. Of course, his cape and collar set it off and he got patted down. I don't really think being patted down was a bad thing for him, his tail was going a hundred miles an hour!
After security, we headed towards our gate and sure enough, they were boarding. We weren't late I guess, but we barely had time to think, just go!

Adam and I got two seats on the one side as they have 3 and 2. The flight attendants were SUPER nice! Even offered us a bigger better seat, but Vance had fallen asleep and I didn't want to disturb him.

He had a blast in Iowa! He experienced grass for the first time (when I got him, it was still winter, then we moved to Arizona with nothing but rock and sand), saw my family's chickens and saw itty bitty baby farm kitties. He also had a blast running around with all of my nieces.
I took him to visit where I used to work and only one person was there, whom I had worked with, the others were new so we got to chat for a few.

Sunday morning, we headed out to the airport and this time, security was a bit more tight than the other airport. They asked me to take everything off of Vance and I said that I would prefer not to. So in turn they frisked both me and Vance. I didn't mind, Vance loved it, but I'm sure they were wondering why I would refuse to take his cape, collar, Gentle Leader, etc...off
They told me that if I didn't take it off I would be subject to all that and I responded by saying that is totally fine, but He is a future working dog and he needs to be in his working mode.
They didn't seem too bitter and I was fine with it. Should I have taken everything off? Who knows, but both Vance and I handled it very well , I thought :)

After we boarded the plane, Vance and I took an aisle seat while Adam took the next one to me. There was another lady by the window seat who didn't even realize the dog was there, until she had to get up to go use the bathroom. I was hoping and praying Vance would be good as we were in the direct line of sight for several people, including a screaming child.
HE DID AWESOME!! Fell asleep for the whole flight and everyone stating how good he was and that they didn't even know he was there. Those comments make ya feel good :)

I took a few pics of Vance's "wings" and certificate he got on the flight. It was $3 for a certificate that all the crew members sign and his flight wings.

So Proud!

Annie seems less than impressed.

Yep! Well worth the $3 :)

Flying

2010-08-02T13:17:00.002-05:00

I now have a chance to fly with a PIT and lucky Mr. Vance is the one!

Since moving to Arizona, I have not gotten to see the family and friends for awhile now (yes 5 months is a LONG time for me) so we are flying back to the Midwest in 2 weeks.

I'll be honest, I have endured many activities and training issues with dogs and we have barreled through them, usually with flying colors. Airports on the other hand, are totally new for both him and I. I have only flown once and that was years ago and we all know that with 9/11 rules, procedures, etc..have changed drastically.

We are flying not with a major airline, but a smaller one that only goes to certain airports and certain times to make your trip cheap. Allegiant Air is the company and I was all for saving money, but was skeptical about a PIT with me. I called them and they say as long as his cape is on and we have some sort of identification then we are good to go. Now I know that them saying one thing and doing another is totally different so we shall see.

Adam and I are both flying so that will give Vance a bit more room to sprawl out in front of us.
I will have some treats in my pocket to help with liftoff and landing.

To be honest, the only thing I'm worried about is his bladder. He seems to have a small one :) and in a strange place where I have no idea where the exits are could be a problem. I will be doing alot of sits along the way out so he knows that right after we get off the plane, he can't go right then. I so hope the doors are close and we don't have to walk far. Hey! He isn't too heavy to carry! lol!

If any of you have flown with a PIT or a working dog, any tips would be appreciated. I'm sure that once I do the trip to Iowa, the return flight will be smoother and I will know the procedure.

Training

2010-07-09T02:22:00.003-05:00

So what I just realized about living in Arizona is that it might as well be winter here. During the winter you can get outside and do stuff but only for a little bit and certain times. Same thing with the desert. It get's soo hot that it's a nightmare trying to get walks, playtimes in. I now make sure the dogs are inside from late morning to late afternoon. I have to do walks in the morning, but even then, it's 90-95 degrees by 8 o' clock! It also doesn't cool off to that temperature until 11 or so...

*Sidenote: I am looking at getting a cheap treadmill so that the dogs can have exercises inside and relieve some energy*

So with that said, Vance has gotten out only do do bare minimum stuff: Grocery shopping, small er rends, post office, and the Casino (I know! ha ha first time for everything, right? lol)

He has entered "this stage" in his life where I think he has learned selective hearing and in turn didn't do certain commands well and sometimes refused. Um...I DON'T THINK SO!!

One of his things was, when I told him to stay and walked behind him, he would get up and turn around to face me. We worked hard on that one and I think we got it! Here's a vid to prove it. Also good opportunity for better come's :)

Happy 4th!!!

2010-07-04T19:38:00.002-05:00

I have alot of updating to do, but for now, I want to wish all of the puppy raisers, dog users, pups and your families a safe and happy 4th of July!!

Let's also not forget the troops, past and present, that give us the freedom to celebrate today.

Happy 4th of July!!

Annie

2010-06-28T18:28:00.002-05:00

Annie

Annie is such a goofy, silly dog! After having Tara for 4 years, I thought it was time to get another pup and this time, a purebred that I can train and use in the AKC ring. Sometimes though, your feelings get the best of ya. Even though I had a breeder all picked out and was on the waiting list, I fell in love with a litter of pups I had heard about through the grapevine. I went to go see them and sure enough, all of you know what happens when you see puppies...yep! I took one home. She has turned out not to be quite the breed standard, but sometimes you gotta make mistakes. She has turned into a good little dog. I couldn't use her in the ring cause I had to spay her and I had to spay her because of some health issues she has. Tried training her for Agility but wow!! She is soo focused on me, she plows through the jumps without blinking, I mean won't even jump them, just plows through them!! lol, see what I mean by goofy, silly, and interesting dog?
I took her to get her herding instinct test and sure enough, everything else may have been a bit off, but she was a natural for herding, of course. Once we find a place to train, we will once again continue to do that.
For now, she loves hanging out, rough housing with the other dogs, and chewing on bones ( she LOVES bones!) She is 6 years old, but of course, doesn't act like it at all :)

Tara

2010-06-25T18:09:00.004-05:00

TARA

Tara is my oldest dog and I got her when I was 12 years old. Our farm dog had her last litter of two puppies and I begged and begged my parents to let me keep her. I wanted to have and train my own dog for so long I was determined to keep her. Thankfully they agreed and my brother decided he wanted her littermate. Jasmine still lives with them.
I had heard about Agility and knew I wanted to train her for that. Well...let's just say the rest is history :) We haven't competed for a year and its been few and far between but we are close to competing in the Elite level.

Tara is, excuse my french, Queen Bitch and she knows it! She is alpha, under me of course, and she lets all the dogs know it. She is smart, and is my best trained dog. I made alot of mistakes with her, but thankfully, she was willing to let me correct them years later.

She is 9 years old and she acts like she's 2!! I don't think she will ever settle down, she is hyper and loves attention. She is very helpful when it comes to puppy raising. Tara lets the pup know who's boss and that you don't mess with her and that if the pup gets too rough with the other dogs, she lets them know that too.

I love this girl and she better live to be 100!! Can that be a command? lol

Oh The Cats

2010-06-24T16:35:00.004-05:00

Thought I would take a few posts and talk about the other family members besides Vance.

I'll start with the cats:

KANSAS

Kansas is my first kitty that I got on my own. I grew up on a farm and have always had farm cats, but this one I got to live in my house with me :)

I was employed at KSDS, Inc at the time and I had let a few people know that I was looking for a cat. I was all settled into my house after a few months and thought it was time for a new addition.

After a few weeks I got a call from the local vet office. They knew, through the grape vine, I was looking for a cat and they just had one come in that needed a home.

I got there after work, and heard his story. Apparently a good Samaritan lady had witnessed someone throwing this cat from a truck, and she stopped to pick it up. the cat had a major wound on its head and this lady offered to pay for the medicine and everything as long as the vet clinic found him a home.

Ta-daa!! That was me! He didn't have any hair on his head (cause of shaving and the wound itself) and people were joking that I should name him Scarface. I liked the name Kansas cause of two reasons: I moved to the state and after all, He was from Kansas :) and because of the band. Like the classic rock.

He is three years old and thriving! He has made the move from Kansas, to Iowa, and then to California with ease :)

I love my Kansas!

PARKER

Parker is such an interesting cat and surprises me everyday! He doesn't have an interesting adoption story like Kansas but he is special nontheless :)

My sister-in-law's cat had kittens and gave them to my parents on the farm. His littermates didn't really make it due to cold, sickness, cars, etc...I decided to take him and what a difference he has made to this crazy household! He is a lover! If your laying on the bad or on the floor he comes up to you and starts purring and rubbing up against you.

He is really attached to Adam. His favorite place is to lay on Adam's stomach or back. The funniest thing, although I now have to compete for a cat's love.

Sorry...

2010-06-22T09:20:00.002-05:00

So everyone, here it is. I am soooooooooooo sorry that the winners of the Paw It Forward have yet to receive their packages. For the past, oh, I don't know, FOREVER, my car has been in the shop. It's actually Adam's classic car, but whatever :). Adam works at a dealership and to get your own personal car worked on is cheap and all, but usually has to be put last on the list to get fixed because of current customers. I have had no car to do errands in and have to do them after he gets off of work
Now why didn't Adam take them with him to work, you say? Well his hours start before the post office opens and gets off after it closes. His lunches are well...non-existent almost and usually prohibit him from doing errands.

The car is STILL in the shop and will be for who knows how long, but today, Adam put in some extra hours earlier and will be able to take off work early.

THE PACKAGES WILL BE SHIPPED TODAY!!

Again, I am sorry! It's never fun when someone doesn't play the game right, but I hope you guys will forgive me.
Just to make up for it, sometime in the near future (when I can actually mail it on time :) I will be doing a giveaway, so stay tuned!!

p.s. the post office here isn't open on Saturdays, so that also sucked :(

Mouse In Training

2010-06-17T17:00:00.002-05:00

It's official....I am now raising Mickey Mouse:

Guess What Today Is?

2010-06-10T18:33:00.002-05:00

Vance's 7th month Birthday!! Usually I have a bit of difficulty remembering pups birthdays, but this one hold special meaning. It's Adam's and I's anniversary also :) Easy to remember :) Now...I wonder if Adam will remember after he gets home from work, with all that has happened, that last two months we have forgotten, oops!

We haven't been together that long (8 months) But it feels like years! We are so perfect for each other :)
Yeah....this post was supposed to be about Vance's birthday, ha ha, just can't help it

MySpace

2010-05-29T16:52:00.002-05:00

So I joined Myspace a few months ago cause my fiance was all about MySpace and not Facebook. He has now mostly switch over to facebook and I dont get on MySpace that often but thought I would give it a chance.
Are any of you bloggers on Myspace? Trying to find some people on there cause I use mostly Facebook as do my friends. If I don't get many friends on there I may just delete it, not sure yet.

so.....Hit me up if your on there!!!

http://www.myspace.com/507267511

New Litter!!

2010-05-29T13:45:00.003-05:00

Hey Everyone!

KSDS has a new litter of pups out and the theme is: Fast Cars Litter!!
They are so cute! They are Golden Retrievers and I think there is 9 of them.
You can follow their litter blog if you would like, they just went out with their puppy raisers yesterday afternoon, wish the raisers luck! We all know those first few months are interesting! :)

http://ksdsfastcarslitter.blogspot.com/

What's Your Name Mean?

2010-05-27T15:23:00.003-05:00

I thought it was cute finding out what Betsy's name means so I wanted to check on Vance.

His is of English Heritage and it means: Dweller of a Bog/Swamp

lol! I laughed when I saw that one! But he doesn't even like water yet, so how does that work?

So all Together:

KSDS Vance

KSDS #877

Theme: Military Bases

Named After: Vance Air Force Base

November 10, 2009

Parents: Hilton x Bulldozer (Dozer)

The Name Vance

Dweller of a Bog/Swamp

Origin: English

My Vance

Vancey

Vance-a-loo

Stinky Butt

Hey You!

250th Post!

2010-05-25T17:21:00.002-05:00

Wow! I can't believe that I have written about my adventures as a puppy raiser 250 times! That's just proof that time flys and you aren't even aware of it.

3 pups:

Cobra

Doni (Doniphan)

Vance

I haven't raised many compared to other raisers, but the things I have learned, and continue to learn, from these 3 amazes me. Hope there is many more to come :)

Sunday was a BIG day for Vance. We went to Chili's for lunch and he did excellent, as always. The waiter even asked if I could move his tail (it was sticking out in the aisle) because she would feel bad if she stepped on it. We had a good experience at Chili's :)

We then went to PetsMart, Vance's first time, and he did okay. He needs a little work with other dog distractions, but what 6 month old pup doesn't? We walked up and down aisles with dogs and when we took a break from that, we visited the birds, reptiles, and small animal cages. The reptiles he could care less, but loved the birds! If it wasn't for glass, he might have had one in his mouth! We worked on leave it, sitting and just watching, and walking by. Settled after awhile :)

We then went to Walmart and of course, perfect! A lady even stopped me and said how much she hated people, but loved dogs. lol, she kind of creeped me out but it was good experience for Vance nontheless.

On our way home, we thought we would try our luck at the Casino. Let's just say, I thought it would help having Vance as my lucky charm, but I still lost money :( only 10 dollars though so we're good. He wasn't phased at all by the blinking lights, or slot machine sounds. I think by this point he was soo tired, he just wanted to drop.

We had a good day and I would have taken pics, but of course, I forgot my camera. I always keep it in my purse, but took it out to charge the batteries and forgot to put it back in.

Next time though!

Well....

2010-05-21T10:30:00.002-05:00

I was bored, so I totally changed my blog look, hope ya'll like it!!

In other news: Adam and I have discussed some wedding details and we have picked a date for our wedding, July 23, 2011! It's a bit far away, but there is no way we can do it sooner, later would even be better. We still have to move into a place of our own in the coming months and I have yet to find a job (slim pickings out here and I refuse to work at McDonalds!)
We don't know too many details about it yet other than where we want it (back in good ol' Iowa) some color ideas, and who the ring bearer is. Yes that's right, that last one is a bit odd isn't it?

I have no nephews (12 nieces...yeah) he has none, but we want a ring bearer, so who do we get? Non other than our very own Mr. Vance!! Adam and I LOVE the idea of having him in our wedding and he will be carrying the rings.
That means we need to work on retrieving (he's a bit slow on that concept at the moment) and make sure he doesn't get it in his head that he can swallow small circular objects :)

Water!!

2010-05-18T17:25:00.005-05:00

Vance got to experience water for the first time the other day. I don't think he is too keen on it yet. He had no idea how to swim, he kept his back legs tucked in and didn't use them, it was too funny!! I'll let the pics talk for themselves:

"One word: HELP!!"

"Hmm....Is this what a large bathtub looks like?"

"Ah! Get me out of here!"

"Mmm, the dirtier, the better"

"How do I get up there?"

What a silly face :)

This face is even better :)

Paw It forward and Collars

2010-05-17T15:58:00.002-05:00

Okey dokey, If I have this wrong, please Please, PLEASE correct me, but would the 3 following bloggers get in touch with me so I can get address to send you your Paw It Forward gifts :)
Coreena Eva and Charlie, Becka and Beale, Jake and Joanna. Send address to fantasticagility at myclearwave dot net

Alright, I needed to get Vance another collar (cause really, you never have too many) and was at Petsmart the other day looking at my options. Wanted just another chain martingale like I have, so went to that section and what did I find?

Can you see the difference? the one to the right is one of my old ones. The new one, on the left, has nylon rope running through it to keep it quieter when we're in stores (let's face it, sometimes we don't want to announce to the whole world that we are there when we go jingling with the tags and collar inside) They had a good amount of colors too! They had purple, pink, red, and black. Thought I would just stick with black for now.

The picture isn't the best, but you get the idea. Definitely helps with the sound and it looks cool too!

Paw It Forward

2010-05-13T14:41:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I did a post and it's been even longer since anyone did a Paw It Forward, but never fear! Sarah is here to keep it going! lol!

I got my Paw It Forward from Megan and Paris (now Picassa is in on it too :) with non other than JD and Vance's favorite toy...a Wubba!! They also loved the Clean and Chew and the treats were a favorite. I say "were" cause well....we all know how long treats last ha ha!

So if you wanna play this game, and you don't know how it works, let me explain:

1. You receive my Paw It Forward

2. You send some stuff to three other people

3 You thought there would be more to it didn't ya?

4 Well that pretty much does it.

So....if ya wanna partake, the first 3 people to comment on this post, get it, simple simple.

Just so we keep the outside world from knowing our devious plan, use the code word "Parley" just cause I watched the Pirates of the Caribbean recently :)

GDD Puppy Raisers

2010-05-10T19:02:00.002-05:00

Hey Fellow Bloggers!!

I am trying to find other Puppy Raisers who raise for GDD (Guide Dogs of the Desert) I recently found out I live close to that campus and wanted to get to know Puppy raisers from that area.

If you know of any bloggers from GDD or are one yourself, give me a shout-out :)

Sarah and Vance

Happy Birthday

2010-05-05T11:27:00.003-05:00

Since I was without Internet for awhile, I couldn't post that Cobra, my first puppy in training, turned 4 on April 30th!

Some of you remember him, others may not, but you never forget your first pup. They have a special place in your heart always.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Cobra is living in Iowa (he got to stay in the state where he was raised :) serving as a great service dog to a lady with CP

New Leash!

2010-05-05T11:13:00.002-05:00

When I worked at KSDS, we used the Guide dog leashes for all the intermediate dogs and then when I started working with Guide dogs, obviously, same leash. I got really used to those leashes and missed them :(

Asked if I could buy one and sure enough, I get a package in the mail and you know what it was?

The Leash!!

They changed the color a bit (was silver instead of gold) but that's okay, I just love the style! Vance and I will be heading to Wal-Mart today sporting our new leash :)

Vance's First Race

2010-05-04T15:36:00.002-05:00

Yes, Vance attended his first stock car race! I had attended this particular one once before and wasn't sure I wanted to take him the first time. I thought it was going to be a dirt track with us in the stands.
Because Adam works at a dealership that sponsored the race, we got free VIP tickets to an area that has chairs and tables and free drinks, food, and beer! It wasn't dirt, it was asphalt so the noise was not bad at all. With dirt track racing, you can hear the cars fifteen miles away easily, so you can imagine what it's like sitting in the stands.
So the second time we went, I brought Vance, because again, free VIP passes :) but no beer for Vance lol!
We got questioned at the gate (kept stating "no pets allowed") but they let us through after some explaining, The VIP steward was really nice to us, commenting how well behaved Vance was, what he was going to be, etc...

Since these could possibly become future Guide dogs, this was a perfect time to practice our "Down and Under" command. He did wonderfully! This dog continues to amaze me with his personality, character and how he learns things soo fast!

Doing a little light reading before the races. Looking at the race program (has sponsorship info., driver info, etc...)

Sun was really bright! Regardless, an okay picture :)

Towards the end of the races and when it was dark, I would set the camera on the ground and take his picture. Got a ton that way! It was soo cute!

It's Here!

2010-04-23T00:34:00.003-05:00

Today was the day....WHAT!? You don't know?! Well let me tell you

AVATAR CAME OUT ON DVD TODAY!! I went to see that movie twice, once in regular and the other in 3-D and it is an amazing movie!! In fact, Doni went to see it those two times so I guess you could say he is a fan too :)
Off we headed, Vance and I, to the store to get that and you all know that any outing with a PIT involves a camera. I start taking pics of Vance and an employee walks over, nicest lady ever, and offers to take some pics of us together. You all know that when you want the dogs to look at the camera, they don't, so this was my best shot, cause I really didn't want to tell the lady to keep taking pictures until it's perfect (non-puppy raisers just don't know :)

Also got some single ones of him standing by the DVD cutout stand. He did so well in Wal-Mart!

The only thing, which I thought was hilarious, was he was nervous around the milk coolers. Something about them he didn't like, so up and down the aisle we went until he was much more relaxed. Still was a tad cautious, but after smelling the doors and licking them (hopefully the employees didn't see that, tried to let him experience all aspects of it, but quickly) he became calmer and worked by them. Could have been the reflection, or the cooler motor, just not sure. We now know what we have to work on :) Who knew milk coolers were scary. It's interesting what each thing the dogs pick to be scared of.

Did anyone else have an odd thing the dogs were scared of?

Just thinking

2010-04-21T09:28:00.002-05:00

It's 7:30 here in bright, sunny, southern California and I'm up...yeah I know, crazy. Adam was getting ready for work and since the Corvette now is breaking on only one wheel, he took his bike to work, needless to say, I think he did a few too many Vrooms. He really missed riding it though lol!
Instead of coffee this morning, I chose a cup of chocolate milk to drink and got to thinking....

How would my life be now if I had never puppy raised? Would I have missed opportunities that came along with PIT raising? I am prone to think so. Would there be more freedom for me? Maybe, but it may not be the freedom I want. The friends I have met along the way wouldn't exist, the dogs I've seen mature and blossom, would never have even been a line in my book.
God hints and sometimes pushes us in a direction that seems unreal, or time consuming, sometimes downright scary! Yet once your on that path, headed in that direction, all seems right and carefree.

Looking at my dogs this morning, looking back at me, was a bit overwhelming as I traced how each one came into my life. Each one with their personality I sometimes can't stand yet not live without. Vance especially; He being my third PIT, having seen what my dogs can do and continue to do amazes even me.

From the whole picture, I am certain I made the right choice in puppy raising, continuing to do so, and bringing them into my pack.

Alright, enough philosophy for today, lol!!

Cruising In Style

2010-04-20T15:09:00.002-05:00

Since Mr. Vance-A-Loo had to go to the vet to "remove his manhood" and Adam's vehicles were all in the shop, guess what we drove?

That's right, 1977 Corvette :) Vance wasn't too impressed cause I had it started when I took this pic and the noise of the engine was a bit much, he wasn't too scared after he sat by it for a minute, and ran around it.

He fit on the floor nicely cause of his size. Doni also got to ride in it (one of the first times Adam met Doni) and he was a large dog who could squeeze into places very well. After some plunging and moving limbs around, lol, he fit!!

While waiting for Vance to be done at the Vet, I got to cruise around town with it :) AWESOME!! Had to decline a race with someone, cause the breaks aren't up to par lol!! For those of you that know me, very much a tomboy who like to compete, especially with boys. Just my character :)

The car needed some needed repairs to it but we got home safe and sound. Of course the next day, Adam took it to work (works at a dealership) and had wires, and spark plugs and a bunch of other things done to it so now it goes super charged fast. Of course he replaced them AFTER my trip, I think he knew I would get in trouble with that much power, who knows.

But we had a fun day. well I did. Vance was a bit too drowsy to remember, but now is recovering nicely. Tomorrow we are going to Phoenix, AZ and I think I will take him. He is so eager to get out and about and his incision looks good. We shall see :)

The Military Litter

2010-04-17T01:09:00.003-05:00

Since I know we all don't have nearly enough blogs to follow (sarcasm, lol) thought I would mention one to you guys.

Follow Vance's littermates, the Military litter, on their own blog!!

http://ksdsmilitarylitter.blogspot.com/

You will see some of Vance's posts on there, but mainly his 9 other littermates also are on there with updates, check it out!! If your bored and don't have enough to follw that is :)

Day At The Fair

2010-04-15T13:25:00.003-05:00

So Saturday we went to the fair, as promised, and got the opportunity to meet and see alot of cool things. It was also really hot that day so lots of water was in store for both of us :)

Vance is doing a nice heel, although by this time he was starting to slow down cause the heat and I had to entice him to walk up beside me. good thing I brought treats!! Normally he doesn't get them, but I've been using them to work on a few things with him and then once he knows them, we will wean off the treats.

The funniest part about this trip was the livestock barn. The goats were enthralled with Vance! It was so funny to see all heads just staring and trying to get a closer look at him! Vance just looked at them like he was big stuff, kind of funny actually :)

All trying to get a closer look, these three especially, wish I would have gotten a better one with all the goats, but these three were funny.

As you can tell by the picture, by this time he was pooped. He didn't even know the chickens were above him and when I pointed them out, he just plopped back on the floor. We stayed there a bit to let him cool down, it definitely was cool in there!

Yeah lots and LOTS of water stops. Refilled a water bottle twice! poor guy was so thirsty :(

They also had a Safari exhibit, it was small, but they had a Kangaroo, a turtle, parrots, snakes, scorpions, porcupine and a few other little things. Vance wasn't really interested in those, but the turtle! Oh my he loved watching the turtle!

Just looked at the porcupine, didn't mind him though.

Loved the sounds the parrot made, but could never figure out where it was coming from! He was so confused! lol poor Vance. all in all it was a good day with lots of things for Vance and I to see and do. I had fun and I know he did! Especially when all those kids came over to pet him, I know he loved it :)

THE Surgery!

2010-04-14T17:23:00.003-05:00

I have lots of pics to show everyone, but my camera is currently in a car that isn't here right now, so I have to wait a bit :(

Vance had his appointment yesterday, THE appointment, they took the chance away from him to become a man lol! Poor guy, yet he is doing well. He was of course, groggy last night but this morning he is back to his normal, wiggly, jumpy self. That also means that until he is healed, he will need to be in his crate, he just gets so excited so easily that I'm afraid he'll rip the incision open.

I was researching vets around my area and think I found a really good one! Both him and the vet assistant were really nice, explained things well, and were really thorough on everything! Nice to know. Told them about my 4 other dogs I had and said I would be back!

Will definitely have to show pics of the car I had to drive. Adam and I are only sharing one car right now cause his other two are in the shop.....it was his 1977 Corvette! That car isn't quite up to par to driving long distances, but we made it! Tried overheating on me once, the brakes were slowly going out and the tires are bad, so was worried I would have a flat.
BUT, we arrived home all in one piece :) Did some shopping and touring of both California and Arizona.

5 Months...TODAY!

2010-04-10T13:11:00.002-05:00

So, like I said, I thought yesterday was his 5 month mark. Of course all my records of that info is packed in storage right now (apparently I thought it useless to know right now.....huh) so I was off a day :(

Happy 5 Months Vance!! Today we will celebrate at the fair!! But no snow cones, or cotton candy, or popcorn, or rides, or stuffed animals.....ya know, I could tell how the fair could be a bit of a bummer for PIT's ha ha! Yet he can have all the attention and pets he wants today, seem fair? I think he thinks so too :)

5 Months

2010-04-09T18:26:00.002-05:00

Guess who turns 5 months today!?.................vance-a-loo! little bugger, ha ha well really he was either born on the 9th or 10th. Can't quit remember because for naming the litter's sake, they combined a litter with 8 and one with 2 that were a day apart, so correct me if I'm wrong, I always get it confused. Yet either way, today or tomorrow is his B-day.

Tomorrow to celebrate, we are going to the fair! lucky boy :)

Some Outings

2010-04-09T15:03:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Vance and I headed out to do some little errands. Since Adam took his corvette to the shop to get fixed I got the Jeep for the day. We went to the post office, and Kmart, then we went to Starbucks, yeah he's a big hit there :) everyone loved him and since Adam is a Starbucks fanatic, they will be seeing quite abit of us :)

Hey! Do I get starbucks?

What?! No Starbucks for me?!

We then headed to the park to see what it was like. I love driving/walking around new towns. Especially ones I will be living in. They have a nice park there, Vance of course made a beeline straight to the drinking fountain only to realize it's a fake. It was at one time, but not now.

Where's the water? geez, can't a guy get a break? No Starbucks, no water.....

After hearing his plea for water, I got him a bottle of water and he was okay after that :)

Took a bunch of pics around the park, found that in a park setting, he doesn't do to well with his stays. Ha ha wonder why? :)

I LOVE this pic!! Goofiest face ever!! One eye is squinting while the other is open and he is sticking his tongue out.....no words :)

There were some pigeons over in the distance, so we were working on our bird distractions. To be honest, he just looked at them for a few minutes and then no big deal.

We then decided it was a bit too warm so we went to check out the local library. Vance loved it because of the cold floors. I'll be honest, I almost froze to death in there! He did wonderfully, might have something to do with the fact that he was so tired, he just layed down whenever we stopped. I'll be honest, tired puppies are always fun to take places :)

We then met a guy who was very interested in the whole PR program so I gave him some info and we left. We went back to the camper, picked up Adam and walked into Kmart. He did so good! Again, he was tired, but he did really good :)

all in all, it was a good day. Saturday there is a local fair and then later that night we are going to some dirt track races, Wonder what Vance will think of everything.

Take care!

The Only Guide

2010-04-06T17:08:00.002-05:00

So was doing some editing on this here blog, and not sure if I told everyone or not, but Doniphan is the only Guide dog in training for the entire litter of 10! 3 were released and the rest are service! Could either mean he was the best (not prejudice at all) or could also mean he was just too naughty for Service, who knows :)

Either way I am so proud of him and got word from the instructor that is is doing well and has lots of energy and love to give!

Living Life...In A Camper

2010-04-06T11:40:00.002-05:00

So like I said, until Adam's parents get their house situated, we are living in their camper with them. Yeah, I know what your thinking, a bit crowded? it is, but ya know what? surprisingly everything is in order. Their parents have a toy box camper. Basically the back end is a garage that you can haul your ATV's, bikes, motorcycles, etc... All the dogs are in crates in the back and above the crates their are pull down beds that we sleep on, so really it works out great! plus we have our own door for late night I-have-to-go-so-bad-I-can't-wait-until-morning issues....for both me and the dogs lol!

there's the door and little Vance looking at me :)

Tara and Annie are sharing a crate because there isn't enough room for 5 crates. They are small enough and its an x-large crate so more than enough room for both.

I turned this pic, but it didn't want to save it that way:( but you can see the beds up top and the crates down below.

So, that is what our life looks like right now...not too hectic, but will be happy when I'm in a house again. Vance has only gone to a few stores here, but since I don't have a vehicle (Adam needs to get a few of his fixed and we are trying to hold off for awhile) day trips around town just aren't an option. Walking to places isn't either....alot of interesting characters here and a young woman with a puppy just doesn't help the fact. When I do go walking aways I make sure I have Annie, JD, or Tara with me, they look like more of a threat than a puppy lol

The Moving Trip

2010-04-05T14:46:00.003-05:00

Alright everyone! I now have Internet on a regular basis! everyone say yeah! now wahoo!......great dead silence...not good...lol:)

Anyway, The move from North Iowa to southern California was very interesting indeed. We passed through so many interesting places. I do wish we would have had time to get out and do some exploring, but we drove straight through, only stopping to let dogs out and switch drivers.

I also regret not taking pics of the dogs more, but like I said, we just drove straight through and when you have two dogs in the back of a U-Haul you tend to wait until nighttime for potty breaks so no one turns us in. I was so worried about that the entire time, but there was nothing I could do. Tara, Annie, and Vance were in the U-Haul truck with us and JD and Sammy were in the back in kennels along with the cats. Very full in the cab....VERY full! Annie and Vance were on the floor and Tara got the privilege of sitting in the seat. Has nothing to do with the fact that she is queen of all lol :) So yeah, limited on pics, but got to see some great places along the way

Here we are getting ready to leave. Adam's car on the U-Haul and us in the truck.....with all those dogs :) fun fun! night of Thursday the 25th of March we left.....and now for the rest of the story:

No one even wanted to cooperate with picture taking anyway. Never did get a good pic of Vance and Annie. Annie hating car rides and stressed the entire time to Vance sleeping the entire time.

DENVER!!! farthest west I've been, never seen a mountain in my life. ton of them from here on out.

Started to snow really bad. Turns out they closed one major road and we didn't want to get stuck there till who knows when so we took another road...bad idea! ice, snow, steep roads, very close to edge with no guardrails....all while driving a 26' truck and trailer. Sounds like fun....now that I look back. Had to wait on top of some mountain for 3 hours so they could clear the roads. I also had to go potty really really bad! Dogs just got let out an hour ago, but do you think i thought to go? no! so torture there and when they finally did clear the roads, we had a steep mountain to go down.

It was very pretty up there. love to go back...with a car :)

Vance thought this was comfortable for some reason, he was probably to delirious to know better

Got a cute pic of Tara resting on Adam. I couldn't pass this up. My turn to drive so was driving and taking pictures, it's okay, we didn't crash :)

We now reside in California in his parent's camper because we are going to live with them for a few months till we have some money saved up. We will be in a house in 2 weeks hopefully. There was an issue with a title search for this house and that's all his parents are waiting for. So in the meantime, I'm hanging out in the camper while Adam and his dad go to work.

Once they find the title, the house is actually in Arizona (that's how close we are to the border)

So just FYI to all the puppyraisers, I am in need of puppy outings! :) hopefully some of you are within driving distance, it would be so neat to do some outings with other PITs from different organizations.

Last Day

2010-03-22T00:55:00.007-05:00

Friday was Vance and I's last day of work. Even though he didn't get to go too much cause he didn't have his cape yet, he still got to work on important skills and start learning the aspects of being a puppy in training out in public.
Here is where he would often hang out, by the cash register by me. Like with Doni and Cobra, they got to follow me around the store more but because they were further along in their training. little Vance just was too little yet to follow me all throughout the store so when I was working the registers, those were the days I brought him.

Since spring is just around the corner in northern Iowa, we recently got our mower display up and Vance wanted to pose by one sooo bad (okay, that request was made by me, but ya never know! He could have wanted to)

"What does this thing do again?"

As KSDS puppy raisers, we get food donated to us by Hills Science Diet so naturally I had to take his picture by his favorite bag of dog food :)

Since I am moving the California and not coming back to Tractor Supply, I thought it only fitting to get a picture with Vance and I in the store. Tractor Supply has been very gracious to me over the years. My manager allowing the dogs (which I think on certain days, he talked to the dogs more than me lol) to all the co-workers acting wonderfully around me and the dogs. Made some lifelong friends there and am gracious for the opportunity to work there my second time around (for all of you that don't know, this was my second time working at TSC.)

Well the packing is coming along nice. Adam and I plus Tara plus Sammy plus Annie plus JD plus Kansas plus Parker plus...oh wait that's everyone lol, will be heading out on Friday to make the long, 1800 mile trek. I would love to update along the way, but it may not happen as we will be trying to drive straight through with minimal stops. I will definitely write many a long posts once I'm down there and will work on getting caught up with everyone else's blog.

Some Real BIG News

2010-03-16T20:16:00.005-05:00

I have summarized a little bit about Vance and Doni and now for me...

Since I have moved back from Kansas and working at KSDS, I have been seeing this fantastic guy who recently moved to my area from California. Boy was moving to Iowa extremely different for him! Not only was it a culture shock but the winter was a big change, lol! Snow and him aren't the best of friends :)

We have been going out for awhile and we have everything in common from the big, important stuff like religion, politics, values, etc...to favorite foods and activities. We are alike in so many ways it is just so unreal. Wanna know how I found him? Online!!! lol, I thought ya know? I am on here alot anyways and don't really go out unless to a dog related function so I thought I would give it a shot. I thought all I would get was a bunch of old, perverted men (which I did actually get, lol) but there was a few guys that caught my interest, Adam being one. after the others turned out to be losers Adam and I kept talking and learning more about each other. We went on our first date and as they say, the rest is history....

On March 7, 2010 Adam and I went to a sweet and cute park that I grew up playing in and we went to this swinging bridge and then climbed up these steps overlooking the bridge.
It was there that Adam got down on one knee and proposed to me :) I was so stunned I forgot to answer him right away and he said, "Well?...It is getting cold down here" lol! I of course said yes!

Part two of the engagement is that recently Adam got a very good job position offered to him back in California. He of course wasn't leaving without me, so he asked if I would go.
Hell yeah!!! not only will it be an experience for me but a new opportunity for Adam and a chance for us to start our future together. I thought I didn't need anyone else other than my dogs and me, I thought I was set and good to go. I was wrong...Love is a powerful and wonderful thing and am so happy that I was able to find it. Adam is the man of my dreams and our future together will be filled with many adventures!

Vance-a-loo!!

2010-03-16T19:52:00.002-05:00

Yes, I call him Vance-a-loo, ha ha I think it fits :)
He hasn't been out and about as often as I would like because of other events but we are all ready to explore the world
Before his rabies shot (KSDS puppy raisers only get their cape after they show that the pup has had its rabies shot) he did alot of visiting at work and at Adam's parents house. They have a shitz-zu female named Panzer (named after the Panzer German tank. Also very fitting since Vance is named after a military base!) and Panzer is such a tease to poor Vance. At times she wants nothing to do with him and then other times, she wants him to chase her, its the funniest thing!!

Here is one of the rare pics of Vance holding still, that dog is like a black blur of movement! All you see is legs and a blurry body and that's it. He can definitely keep up with the other big dogs.

His obedience is coming along, sometimes I wonder if he'll ever get it but we all think that at first don't we? Heeling is still a mystery to him.
Me:"heel"
Vance: "but why? don't you know there are things to smell and look at over here and there and on the other side of you and behind you and in front of you and...."
The list goes on, lol!

He sits and waits for his food wonderfully but eating it is another story. I swear that dogs sucks up att eh oxygen from my house to 3 miles down the road!! He gulps his food up so fast and inhales that he can't barely walk for a few minutes! I have resorted to hand feeding for awhile until he can somewhat get the idea that gulping up his food like that is not good. Think he'll learn? I doubt it, he's a Lab :)

He doesn't like to kennel. he stops, looks at it, and runs in opposite direction! It's lots of "Here Vance! Look at this treat I have here!! He's getting a bit better, but all in time, all in time...

Now that he has his cape and is all official, we will be making more trips to discover this "New world" We made the trip to Target today, but do you think I remembered his cape?....I'm a little out of practice I guess, just plain ol' forgot it. Next time we will be ready!! Vance, heel!! .....Vance: "la la la la oh look flower over there! bug! did you see that bug behind you?! AAHH!!! DOGS!! Let's play!!"

Yeah....I have my work cut out for me

So Much, So Much....

2010-03-16T19:33:00.002-05:00

As the title suggests, there is soo much going on with Doni, Vance and Me that updating all of you on our current path was darn near impossible till I got it all figured out. Life has been crazy, fast, and every day seems to be done and gone with before I knew what was going on.

With that said, I will start my long process of getting you guys up to speed on what's happening in my life.

I want to start with Doni. Doni has been doing very very well in college. A few weeks ago, I so wanted to give KSDS a call and see how he was doing but since I worked there and know "the automated response" lol I thought I would just wait until I received news.

I was at the ol' boyfriend's house and was looking up some things online and saw that some people in doni's litter had gotten letters letting them know if their dog passed or failed. I darn near fell out of my chair! The time had come for me to see if Doni had been a good boy and was passing and picking a program or if he decided working just wasn't for him.

I was an hour and a half away from home and Adam and I had to do some last minute shopping for our ski trip the next day so we hurried (more like he took his time and I was pulling him around the store) got our purchases, and then headed back to my house. I was so excited! I just wanted to know, either good or bad, I just wanted the wait to be over. We pull up to the mailbox and sure enough, one little lonely letter addressed to me from KSDS. I just kept saying I didn't want to know, so Adam took that seriously and was driving around with the letter hanging out the window!!! AAHH!! I could have killed him at that point!! We pull in the driveway, I grab the letter, and I open it........

Summarizing: We are pleased to let you know that Doniphan has passed all of his necessary health tests and will be continuing his learning as a Guide dog in training.

GASP!!!! He made it! Oh I am so happy, Mr. Doni a future Guide dog....I can so imagine him in that harness, acting so proud and pleased with himself for taking care of his new master :) It just warms ya up inside :) I'm sure most of you know what I mean.

Seems like yesterday, I was telling him to leave-it and no sniff at the bugs on the sidewalk...ah the joys of puppyraising, its the little things we do that make such a difference

Parker and Vance

2010-02-14T15:58:00.002-06:00

Here is a video of Vance playing with some toys and attempting to play with Parker.

He is such a sweet boy! His temperment is just awesome! He will be a great assistance dog some day :)

First Pics

2010-02-14T12:54:00.006-06:00

The moment you've all been waiting for.....

The first pics of Mr. Vance, on the day I picked him up!

He wasn't all that bad in the car, I was impressed! He was a little fidgety but nothing major. I had the seats in the SUV all down and Sammy was laying in the back, Vance just wandered back there sniffing around. Sammy didn't mind him and Vance was just enjoying himself.....until he started clawing and chewing on the bag of puppy food. Yeah....it's been awhile since I had a puppy, I guess I forgot :)

He then went on the floor for a 100 miles or so. He was whiny at first but layed down pretty quickly.

We took a pit stop and I guess he decided enough was enough and he wanted to give driving a shot. Don't worry, he doesn't have a license yet so I only let him pretend. I think he would be terrifying on the road, personally :)

My boyfriend, Adam, came with me for the whole experience and I couldn't resist this pic of Vance and him falling asleep while I'm driving. Priceless :)

Oops!!

2010-02-07T21:53:00.003-06:00

I lied to you all, I know :( I said I would update this blog more regularly, but as much as I want to, It's just really hard. I don't have Internet at my house (trying to save a few bucks here and there) and I would have to go to my parents house which is 20 minutes away, again, that takes up more gas defeating the purpose of saving.
I will tell you some basic details about the pup and then will try and get some pics up here soon (using my boyfriends computer at the moment, no puppy pics)

The pups name is........drumroll.......VANCE!! He is a male black Lab (third times a charm, right? Cobra, then Doni now Vance, all MBL)
My Boyfriend and I picked him up on January 10th and he is coming along great with everything! He now knows to sit and wait for his food, crate trained and coming along nicely on housetraining. I'm so proud of him :) He gets along good with all the other dogs too.Well, everyone except Tara. She does not, I repeat, does NOT like puppies! So I watch them closely when they are out. He won't be able to be left alone with her until he's bigger.

His theme is, check it out, Military Bases! So Vance is a military base in Oklahoma! Anyone know of it? Maybe some time in the next two years we can go visit and do a presentation.

well I thought I would update quick, just got back from a Superbowl party and am beat!
Again sorry everyone I will try and update this as much as I can with pics and such it just may be more spaced apart than normal.

Take Care!

Goodbye Doni :(

2010-01-22T12:34:00.002-06:00

I headed out of work around noon on that Thursday and was tying to get ready......yet the weather disagreed. We had a major storm pop up that afternoon and it got soo bad that they closed several main roads to get out of town because of all the drifting, so I was stuck until morning. My boyfriend was planning on coming to, but the road from his house to mine was impassable, they shut it down completely, so we both were ready around 6 in the morning and he tried to get through, but they wouldn't let him through until 10 :(

So we were on the road and making the 8 hour trek down to Manhattan, Kansas to attend Miriam's wedding :) It was a wonderful ceremony, sorry I don't have pics up, but there were too many people around us, couldn't get a good shot. Doni sighed, somewhat heavily a few times, I think he wanted the ceremony to stop or something, lol, thankfully no one took him seriously.

After the wedding, Adam needed a few things so we shopped around a bit and then headed up to Washington, Kansas the home of KSDS, Inc.
We stayed at a former co-workers house overnight and the next morning......was the BIG day

We arrived at the school around 11 in the morning. We walked in the doors and I gotta admit, Doni was acting out a bit, but maybe that means that he was really comfortable in that environment. I also like to think he remembers it from when I worked there and he got to go to work with me, could be wishful thinking though :)

After all the paperwork was exchanged, the Puppy Raiser Coordinator took Doni's leash and they walked next door and went inside......She came back with an empty collar and a limp dangling leash attached to it. His time has come and even though I didn't have him long, he still was in my care and I finished raising him the best I could.

Goodbye Doni, be good, and please don't show your other litter mates how to throw those wild parties I know went on when I wasn't home. Love you buddy :)

Last Day on the Job

2010-01-08T22:14:00.003-06:00

Okay I know I left ya guys hanging so I will get you quickly caught up in the next few days, I promise :)

Doniphan's last day of work was on the 7th of January and he did great! He was a bit pouty because I told him that he had to wear a Halti for a few days. He wasn't impressed, lol! You can see that in the video, oh well, he does good without one, but I wanted him to get accustomed to it, just in case he needs one later on.

We only worked for 4 hours that day so I could pack and get ready for the trip, but I kind of let Doni Goof around a little more :) Shh!!! You didn't hear anything ;)

He said his goodbyes to everyone and they all wished him well :)

The Good and the Bad

2010-01-05T17:55:00.002-06:00

All right, I was planning to have these done by now, but I slept in really late :) So here I go:

I will start off with the bad news. I got THE LETTER! You know, that one that comes in a standard paper size envelope that has the name of the school on it, this case KSDS, and then your name? Although funny thing, mine didn't actually come that way. Doni's letter came i think 2 weeks before Christmas and the way it came, I thought nothing of it. I check my mailbox, see some Christmas card sized letters and started opening them, one was from a sibling, the other from a co-worker and the last was from KSDS! I thought that it was very thoughtful of them to send all their volunteers a Christmas card.

I open it up and as i do a letter falls out, i don't even think twice about it, just think that it's a Christmas donation letter asking to give, ya know. So I unfold it and start reading.....words jump out at me like Doniphan, Return, Advance in Training, the typical words. I think as i was reading it i was grabbing for my lighter at the same time, maybe if I burn the evidence then they have nothing on me saying I ran away with the dog! sound good?

So needless to say, Doni gets returned non other than this weekend :( It will be sad, but his time has come as all the other dogs before him.

Now for the good news. The same day I drop off Doni, I get my hands immediately refilled with new love...the love of a new PIT!! I have never handed a dog in and the same day get a puppy so we shall see how I handle it. It will be a Lab. I told them I didn't care about color or sex so we shall see! That will help a little bit, at least that's what I'm hoping.

I do not know the theme either. I will get told the thing and the name that goes along with that the day i pick the pup up. But here's the kicker, I was heading down there to go to Miriam's wedding (our very own Miriam with Mosier) and wanted to kill two birds with one stone so i asked if I could drop Doni off a week early than I am supposed to and pick up the puppy too. They agreed, so I will actually have to be quiet on the name until all the other puppy raiser's get their pups. It will be hard, but it's only another week, lol, which can turn into years it seems like!

I am both saddened and happy, I haven't had a puppy in so long it will be interesting and you can bet your buttons that I will be updating more :)

WE ARE BACK!!!!!!

2010-01-04T19:41:00.002-06:00

Yes! You read correctly! We are back to blogging hopefully in full swing. It will be a tad bit hard cause i still have no Internet at my house and not sure when I will but I will make it work :)

So much has happened it's almost ridiculous!! I want to give you guys a quick preview but I will save the lengthy updates for tomorrow. I will be computer bound all day so I am using that time to go into more detail about all that's happened and will be happening.

Some key things to share with all of you:
1) All moved into my house, but it comes with its fair share of problems
2) Cats are adjusting yet I've acquired one and lost one.
3) The day came.....Doni got his call back letter a few weeks ago.
4) Few days later, I got another letter saying that I will have a new puppy!!!

Yeah! You see what I mean when I say I have an uber amount to share with all of you, lol!
Take care and I will be updating tomorrow!!

We're Still Here!

2009-10-27T22:31:00.003-05:00

Doni and I are still here with many stories to tell all of you, but this month I've been super busy with moving plans, along with taking on extra hours at work and helping out my parents with their business. I hope next month will be better! Hang tight! We will be with you shortly!

Doni's Ears Have Multi-Uses

2009-10-08T11:16:00.003-05:00

So I was sifting through some files and came across this video I had forgotten about. Basically, my nieces, Hannah, is having some imaginative fun with doni and his ears.

The Mississippi

2009-09-27T17:21:00.007-05:00

Doniphan and I went to Wisconsin for a little camping trip with some of my family and I didn't take too many pictures, but I got a few, of us in front of the bridge over the Mississippi near La Crosse, MN.

We also got to work on traffic distractions with a two lane just feet from the walk way across the bridge. He did fine, nothing phased him.

He didn't mind the height of it either. I walked him on the regular left side, on the outer edge and he didn't care that we were going higher and higher, with the ground getting smaller and smaller (alright, maybe I was a bit worried :)

Here is most of the bridge. It's bigger than it looks but you can only get so much on the camera.

He was so interested in that boat down on the water. It was the funniest thing! Couldn't figure out what was moving or how.

we had a great time! We took our time driving back home and we saw alot of Amish. Even drove by some homesteads. A main road was closed, so i had to take a little country gravel road and two Amish kids were playing and they popped out of this ditch/grove area and I didn't see them right away! I thought They weren't going to stop, but they did. They probably don't see too many cars on that road so they were just as shocked as I was! They went on there merry way down the road, safe and unharmed. I wanted to take a picture with Doni next to a horse and buggy, but thought that would be too much, considering they don't like their pics taken :) oops, but we had a great trip!

Train Ride Adventure

2009-09-21T09:16:00.007-05:00

Firsts are always fun and Doni had a first.....his first train ride! Sure it was a local scenic railway line, but it was fun and it got him to experience the movements, smells, and noises. There weren't alot of people on the train, but enough to keep some conversations going about Doni and KSDS. The interesting thing about the whole ride was that another puppy raiser from KSDS volunteers for these historic rails and she brought her dog all the time, so that was nice that my way was already paved for acceptance and all, that was a plus.

The whole ride was about 1.5 hours and we got to see some valleys and of course corn fields, hey it was in Iowa :)

A down and under waiting for the train to start

Doni and I, some of my nieces and my brother and sister-in-law were in the enclosed car while my parents were in the scenic valley car, seen through the doors in the pic above. all you had were two benches and a 4 foot fence to keep you in the car, otherwise it was all open. That car was sooo rickety though that I would probably get ill never mind Doni.

They allowed people to walk through the different cars, so we did walk onto that one for a few minutes and Doni did great! We also went through 3 other cars and one car was really full towards the front. We got alot of "ooh! its a service dog!"

He did excellent with the movements, I was falling over a few times, but he just stood there and looked at me like "hello! get your act together, it isn't that hard " I was pleased that he accepted everything in stride :)

Posing in our car, with minimal people :)

forgot to take the flash off of the camera so his jacket is REALLY bright.

Here is the open car. Keep in mind we were moving while I was taking the picture and he's just as serene as possible.

There he is posing with the train. We were in the last green car there and there is a flat car between the yellow and the green that's the open car we were on.

Pictures from Pupsdaze

2009-09-13T19:21:00.012-05:00

*STORY IN POST BELOW*

Nice Portrait :)

Notice the shirt I'm wearing ;) Thanks to Cabana's Raisers

Doniphan and a new puppy from the "Shades of Blue" litter

These are shots taken up on the hill in Banner Park. I climbed the hill to take a picture, but most of the dogs followed me up there, so there are a ton more behind me :) The park is named after the first Golden stud that helped develop the KSDS Golden Retriever breeding program.

Doniphan playing with either his brother Jackson or Saline.

Jackson, Doniphan's brother. He is just so big!

Here is Saline, also Doni's brother and also a big dog!

Doniphan waiting to be released. That was one of the distraction training games. Certain groups (divided by litters) had to wait, while others were released to play and run around. A few of them could barely stand it :)

A great example of a down and under :) It has taken alot of work for us to learn that. He just plain refused to go under anything when I first got him.

PupsDaze

2009-09-13T18:57:00.005-05:00

I sure do have a lot of posting to do to get caught up so I'm going to just throw myself right into it :)

On the weekend of August was the annual PupsDaze that KSDS puts on as a weekend filled with training, advice, and fellowship. It's a chance for us to get one-on-one time with trainers, see all the pups in a certain litter and compare (we all know that's the fun part:) and have an all around great time while getting direction.
Doniphan did great! The first day took a but more work because we don't have the opportunity to get out and about with other dogs, so he was a bit distracted on that aspect, but once he realized they were there for the same reasons, well, he just calmed right down.

We got to see 6 (including Doni) out of the 10 Kansas County litter and we got a big group picture with them. Two of them were sooo big compared to Doni and he is no small dog mind you!

I got to see many friends!! Lisa and Ellie were there along with Miriam and Mosier!! It was great to see everyone and their pups.

We got to practice our commands with some fun distraction training games. We had to weave through popcorn, hot dogs, and large moving objects. Doniphan did great! Loose leash most of the time too. The only thing is it takes him about 100 years to sit :) Not sure why he has to be so slow, but its his personality I guess. Needless to say, when we played a game where we had to compete against others for the fastest sit, we didn't get very far :)

On a side note, it was really interesting to be back there again as a puppy raiser again and not a trainer. It was great seeing everyone and being back yet it felt so weird! Sometimes I wanted to walk into buildings that required a key, start doing the yard work, things like that :) It was good to be back though and am glad I had that opportunity. I even drove past my old house. Was wondering what the new renter would think if I would have crashed there for the night.... It all felt so real, like I was on vacation and was now back.

Overall it was a wonderful weekend. We had thousands of dollars in raffle prizes and raised alot of money for KSDS. I am so thankful to be apart of this organization :)

It Clicked!

2009-08-26T21:47:00.002-05:00

There are those days when you think they can never make it, yet there are a few days when things begin to click. You see gears spinning and light bulbs going off that you just want to sing!
Well at work today, was one of those days. Back story, He's not all tat great on retrieving and by that I mean he hasn't been taught :) He'll retrieve his toys, but not interested in anything else. Well today, I dropped a metal hanger that was used for a reset I was doing in one of the aisles and I asked him to get it. He refused, like I thought he would. I then skipped the "get it" step and put it in his mouth and worked on "hold it" I held his mouth closed and we walked a few steps and then released. I continued saying "hold it" and wouldn't ya know?! He continued to hold it! I was so amazed! I remained calm (I really wanted to jump up and down) and told him once more as we walked a few more steps. I had him sit and "give" the hanger. I've never been more excited! He got so much praise that we also had to work on the command "settle" :)

So for kicks, I thought I would repeat the process again. I asked him to get it as I dropped it which he did!!!!! and hold it, which he did!!!! I didn't need to put my hand on his mouth at all!! We then walked to the back room and through the warehouse (which is quite a few steps) all while holding it. I then took a risk (I was just so proud, wanted to see how far he would go) and had him do a few sits and downs.......he did!!!!!! Oh I was just so estactic!!

After that, I was in the warehouse doing things next to the dock. A semi was backing down it and he got to watch that happen all within a few feet from him. Heard air brakes release, the back end slamming into the dock ( I think he backed up too much, oh well ) things like that.The man then got out, was interested in Doni so we talked a minute, then he got the forklift out and preceded to unload things. Doni didn't mind at all. Didn't even phase him.

Yeah, it was one of those days where it was like wow!! You may make it! Want to know the funny thing? That morning he was being a total stinker and not listening to me at all. Oh how those puppies minds work, especially the ones with a purpose :)

New Niece!!

2009-08-26T12:55:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, after work, Doniphan and I headed up to Minnesota to see my niece. Jordyn Rae was born early on August 25th and weighed 7lbs 6oz. Some of you may be thinking, how many nieces and nephews do you have? well to be honest, Jordyn is the 11th........niece. Yeah you heard right, no nephews, just nieces. :) We are surrounded by girls.

Anyway, I met my mom at the hospital, who was watching all three girls and we headed up to see Jordyn. At first I wasn't sure what the situation with Doniphan would be, so my mom held onto him in the waiting room while I went into the room for abit. I got this picture when I came back. I'm Doniphan was a bit confused :)

After seeing how nice the nurses and doctors were with Doniphan, I decided to take him into the room. My sister didn't mind, but I kept him bu the door. Didn't want him over by Jordyn just in case he had some weird disease that adults are immune to but babies aren't (I know, but wanted Jordyn to stay healthy) Doniphan was excellent! He stayed in a down/stay by the door and didn't get up at all. He was so interested in the voice that was coming from the rolling cart.

After a little bit in the room, My mom, the nieces and I went shopping while we let my sister rest a bit. I took this photo by the hospital windows. Not too good of a picture, but the windows were kind of cool! all tinted!
We are all loaded up, in the van, to head to my favorite store.....Kohl's!!!!! I really love that store! Almost everything I own comes from that store.....I love it.

After we came back to the hospital I took a video of Doniphan and how he reacted to Jordyn crying. He tilted his head so cute like, it was a hoot! Sorry the quality isn't good, but the room was dark :(

Long Day, But Productive

2009-08-23T21:28:00.006-05:00

Sorry, no pictures on this post, but I finally cleaned out my camera and put it on the computer! It is now ready for more memorable moments to be captured!

Today was the loooooooooooooooooongest day of work! I thought the day was never going to end! No matter what I did, or how I tried to keep busy, the minutes still drug on.......I hate those days.

One of my things that I tried to keep myself busy doing was work on Doniphan's commands. I know that's what we do ALL the time, but I meant setting up situations that would require the commands to be tested :) For example, I was stocking some items (dog bones to be exact :) and dropped a few in front of him, and kind of kicked them around. he did good! A few corrections, but did great! Also worked on sequences of sit,down, stand, let's go! and repeat.......repeat about a hundred times! Well at least it felt like it, but how the day was going, I think we did about 30 :)

We worked on sitting while people are petting him. He likes to inch and then finally stand up....silly boy. Now that one was a hard one that may require more work :)

So that kind of sums up our day. we worked almost 11 hours so, needless to say, we didn't have much time for anything else . I think I'll head off to bed because I am just pooped!! Doni is too, asleep in his crate, didn't even eat the rawhide I put in there for him.

Good Day

2009-08-19T12:35:00.002-05:00

I haven't been taking Doniphan out as much because of the whole "child incident" I felt guilty, distracted, and kept trying to justify it. So after I publicly apologized to all of you, I felt alot better. That is one reason why I started this blog, I knew there were going to be some things that went perfect and other things that would make you say "She did what?!" but I wanted to be able to write down my feelings, our lessons, and of course, our adventures.
So Yesterday he came to work with me again and it was a really slow day, so I used that time to work on his obedience, out-of-sight recall, toy, people, and food distractions. Don't worry, I only did all of this when people weren't in the store. :) The out of sight recalls were just funny because He couldn't get his foot on the slippery store floor :) He was so excited though, needs a bit of work, but did alright. We have several noisy dog toys that are used as part of a display up front, and I played with toys, dropped it in front of him, threw it over him, etc...He did great with all of that! I was impressed.
With food distraction, one of the dog food bags were damaged on a pallet when it got shipped to us, so I grabbed a handful and layed it on the floor in various locations. He needs more work with that, but that's our job, to make sure they are prepared for formal training.

I want to thank you guys again for being understanding. I love puppyraising and couldn't imagine myself doing anything else! Puppyraising is as much learning for me as it is for the dog. You learn how to talk to people, relate, and educate and I failed at that a few days ago, I was not a good ambassador for KSDS, and I will try to take this failure, learn from it, and turn it into something much better!
Thanks to all of you!

Apologizing

2009-08-18T12:09:00.002-05:00

I just want to say this because as I think about it, it's brewing a little bit more in my mind.
The previous incident I had in the last post just really caught me at a bad time. That day was just an all around bad day for me and I immediately posted on here without letting my steam cool off.
As many of you puppy raisers know, it is our job to educate the public and set a good example to them that what we do is very rewarding and we would never compromise that.
I think that day I made some wrong decisions that really should have been thought through. Like I said, I was having a really bad day and it shouldn't have been handled that way.
I just don't want you guys to think I do that on a regular basis. To be honest I was a bit surprised at myself, but shrugged it off quickly that day.
It's just one of those things that you often think back to and you try and justify it, but really it can't be. Even though some kids need that, that's not how we should handle the situation.

Thank You guys for understanding, never had a bad day like that and hope I never will :)
I love puppyraising, I love training these dogs, and I love all the people involved with my organization and of course, all of you :) I never want to become negative, closed-minded, or just plain bitter.

Thank You guys for understanding again. It's just been brewing in my mind too long to keep it boiled up.

Some Days

2009-08-06T10:10:00.003-05:00

Don't you all have a day (or two) where you just say to yourself, "What just happened?"

Well I had one of those days yesterday and it wasn't too extreme, but it caught me off guard big time.

Most people are so in awe and usually want to know more about puppy raising and Assistance dogs and kids are just so great! They want to pet them and talk to them and ask reasonable questions. Once they find out that it is a "helper dog" they seem to realize that this one is more special than their pet at home.

Well, that was soo not the case when this 11 year old girl came into work with her mom.

It took her awhile to notice that there was a dog, but once she did, the bratty, snotty remarks came. She didn't ask, she practically demanded to know why there was a dog there, that dogs were to be outside and not in the store, and that I was being mean by not letting people pet him. Are you keeping in mind that she's 11? I calmly (because in all reality, I was coming close to flipping that child over and giving her several hard beatings!) told her why he was there, blah, blah blah and she continued (It took all my nerve! I'm telling ya) on saying that the dog needs water and food and then off subject asking how they train the dogs to see for the person. It would have been a good, logical question but not coming from this brat! her hands were on her hips (I found it very hard to look at her, so not sure what she was doing. Like I said, it took alot of self-control) and had that annoying high school voice, I'm sure you know which one I'm referring to :)
So this all went on for a few minutes as I'm trying to tell her how and why I do things when out of the blue she almost runs over to try and pet Doniphan! Oh that did it for me!! I told her very outright, no, told Doni to mind his business (which he did very well) and said that if this was a fully trained dog, you would be going to jail right now. Now her mother had left the area and was outside so I could do what I wanted since she didn't obviously care. I told her that if she touches him again, I will call the police, have them take you to jail where you will stay until I decide to have them let you out. she thought I was joking, go figure, so she tried to pet him again. I slapped that hand so hard I thought I might have snapped it off and then went to the phone, dialed (held down the button and did it so she wouldn't know I was faking) and started to talk with an "officer". Boy she ran out of there with a look on her face that was truly priceless.
Now hopefully I won't be hearing from any child services or police anytime soon, but children like that need to be taught! I'm starting to get worked up about it again just typing it!! She made me truly mad, now I shouldn't have let a small girl get on my nerves, but like I said, If there parents aren't going to teach them, then I'll help them :)

So that was an overall interesting experience for the books and hope I never run into that again, because I may get a call :)

Oh Those Pigs.....

2009-07-29T21:21:00.002-05:00

So we went to go see those pigs twice a day for three days straight. He has gotten alot better, still a bit stressed, but nothing like the first or second time. We are now able to walk straight down the aisle with only occasional glances at the pigs, yet if one were to move suddenly, he got a bit skittish :)
Well we did our best to turn a supposedly negative experience (although those pigs were sleeping the entire time!) into a somewhat positive one, and if that isn't a successful goal for puppy raising, I don't know what is!

Sorry I don't have pics, but holding the camera and making sure we are positive along with holding the leash is well......you all know ;)

County Fair

2009-07-24T21:58:00.009-05:00

Tuesday night was the start of our local county fair. Me and my niece decided to go and take Doni on Wednesday. We encountered all of the usual fair stuff. Saw some really interesting exhibits and projects, that part always fascinates me :)

After the basic stuff was out of the way, We headed to the animal barns. We encountered sheep........

And cows (this was one of the bucket bottle calves)..........

More cows.........

We also went in the horse barn and he got a chance to pose with some very cooperative horses (all the others were either eating, looking down , or completely turned to us! the nerve!)

* I had one other pic, but I just deleted it! Ah, technology! It was the same, posing in front of a stall*

So we saw Chickens and Bunnies and all the other animals and the pigs were last. Let me tell you, there was no way he was getting in there! He practically locked his legs, pulled back, and whined alot. After quite a bit of coaxing, we at least got in the barn. I had him sit by 3 sows, which he wasn't too pleased at) were were completely still and sleeping. We walked along the outer edge and then proceeded in the "lions den" so to speak. He was very skittish, ears back, tail tucked, the whole works. We stopped and sat, stopped and sat and after going up and down it about 50 times, he got a bit more comfortable. They then started to get them out for vet exams and into the show ring, so we headed out of there. Didn't want to reverse what little progress we made!

After all that :) We headed to a little "kids farm" were they have little building representing different things on the farm. Such as the farmhouse, the horse barn, the grain bins, dairy barn, etc... They had a chicken house and to my surprise when we walked in there, about 25 chicks not even a week old!! Doni was interested, but not super distracted as I thought he would be (too stressed from the pigs I imagine)

My niece got one out and he sniffed it and started cleaning it! Licking its face and feathers. It reminded me of a time when he did that to Only, an abandoned goose a fellow PR picked up :)

All in all, it was a good day. We just have to work on leaning things alone and those pigs!! :)

2009-07-22T19:11:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday, Doni and I made the trip up to Minnesota. Some of my nieces were celebrating their birthdays on Sunday, and since I had to work, I went up there Saturday to spend the day with them. I took Doni and he got to play with Jasmine (Tara's sister), Maggie and Molly (my nieces dogs) and Libby (the Golden next door) Molly and Maggie would prefer it if Doni left them alone, but being the dog he is and not paying attention to body language, he went right up to them asking "Hey! You guys want to play?" He got nipped at a few times, so he would wait a little bit than attempt it again....Oh well, He'll learn in time.

Libby is a beautiful, red, Golden retriever color. She is such a good happy go lucky dog and she loved Doni! They played for awhile ;)

Another thing that Doni loved to do is run along side of me in their ATV. He would run, run, and run some more, and then run even more. He has a habit of not learning when to quit and I was a bit worried He would literally run himself sick, so I had to take some breaks.

I got a video of him doing a run and I got it up to 30 mph one time and he was right next to me! But that was when we first started :) He got tired pretty quick.

I had my niece with me if you were wondering who that extra pair of feet and voice were ;)

Another thing, halfway through the video he does a funny thing with his feet and trips but quickly recovers to where you can barely notice it. He is so lanky I don't think he knows where his feet are yet.

First Day of Work

2009-07-18T21:55:00.009-05:00

On Friday was Doniphan's first day of work at Tractor Supply, and unlike Cobra, I actually got photos of it!
I started work at 12 and was only going to have him stay for 4 hours. I wanted to ease him into it and to see if he would have any major problems. He impressed me! He did wonderful! He was quiet, stayed by my side, and left things alone when I told him to. I did have him wear the gentle leader because I wasn't sure how he would do. I'm sure having that on helped, because he is a very nosy dog, likes to sniff everything.
We do need to work on a faster down. He almost pouts when he has to lay down and if I push on his neck or pull down on the GL, the front end goes down, but not the back. So it looks as if he's bowing. I'm sure after daily repetition of doing it 18 million times (and he was getting better at the end) he will improve. Since It was going so well, I decided to keep him the full 8 hours.
He layed in the spot Cobra used to, by the registers, and let me do my work. He didn't seem affected by the doors opening and closing not 10 feet from him and the people walking through them.
He also did great out on the floor when I was helping customers. There is one thing I've noticed and that's with going to two restaurants, two movies, and one business meeting is that he whines and fidgets when people are stationary. If everyone is moving, doing their own thing, he could care less. Yet if we are sitting, or people are quite and he has to be at my feet, he get antsy and whines like he needs to go potty. After attending a business meeting after work, It hit me that that's what it is. He didn't do it horribly bad there, but my conclusion is that he was so pooped that he couldn't help but go to sleep.
As I work with him more, and get to know him, there are traits and reactions that pop through and as with any puppy raiser team, we just learn to get past those days and make the next one a more productive and a better learning experience.
Overall I am very pleased with him and am glad I was given the chance to raise him :)

His designated spot. That's where cobra would lay, more curled up in a ball, but what cha going to do?

Fast asleep

There's no real significance to this pic, it's just that I always have to organize these toy racks and thought I would get a pic of them halfway organized :)

Here we are unloading freight. the cart on the left is one of many that I have to do on freight nights.

Posing in front of my side of the checkout lanes. By now he was sooo tired!!

I was pricing our log splitters the the left and Doni was happy enough to pose for me :)

Here he is in front of the store. Something caught his interest cause I got him air sniffing! No sniff!

Doniphan Turns 1!!

2009-07-12T21:50:00.002-05:00

Saturday was Doniphan's birthday! He turned one and we did a few things to celebrate, but will post on that after I upload the pics :)

I sometimes think that he's older and should know alot more and then forget that he still is really young. Finishing out an older dog has it's pro's and con's. One con being that he came with a particular mindset, differing from Cobra's, and that he'll have to adapt to my teaching and training methods :) I'm optimistic! After all, I've only had him 2 months, he's bound to learn something from me, right?

4th Of July Festivities

2009-07-09T19:21:00.004-05:00

Our 4th Of July celebration consisted of a parade, carnival, cookout then fireworks.
Actually, the celebration started on Thursday when most of my family (9 adults and 8 kids) floated down a local river for almost 6 hours. It was fun, I hadn't done it in several years and now that I'm older, I enjoyed it even more. I had several cows cross the river in front of me and almost hit one! Had to paddle out and away, but I survived :)

Friday was just kind of a hang out day and then that night, we set off some of the fireworks I bought in Missouri (Fireworks are illegal in Iowa) There were pretty awesome, except that one tipped over and shot into our woods! We panicked for a minute, but after checking it out and seeing that there was no fire started, we lit some more :)

Friday Morning I got up early and me and my niece headed to the parade route to save seats. It was packed! More packed than in recent years. Not very many people were there, but almost all the spots were taken up and down main street. we surprisingly found a good spot on a corner and it turned out very nice. It was a lucky break. The parade started at 10 and lasted till almost 12. Doniphan did excellent! No problems with the sirens and guns being shot off, the only things is he is very sniffy. He would rather sniff the ground that care about being startled with noises.

After the parade, we went straight to the carnival. Boy, I really wished I would have brought his Gentle Leader. Every minute it seemed like I was telling him to leave it, no sniff, or mind his business! Since I haven't had him for that long, I'm finding out all of his little habits, and in this case, BIG habits. I now know what I need to work on with him in addition to his retrieving commands (he lacks in that department too)
He did great with all the rides and noises and such. Like I said, he could care less about all that stuff, it was the crumbs and smells he wanted :)

Here he's posing in front of a ride that basically goes around in circles. My Brother and two nieces were in there when I took it, but as you can see, it was too fast :(

My Sister-in-law thought it would be neat to put the hat on that she bought for one of her girls, on Doni. He didn't know what to think of it, but surprisingly, he stayed. I was impressed!

On Friday night we shot of more of those illegal fireworks. We usually go to see them, but since we had so many of our own, we decided to stay home and enjoy them. Again, no problems, he could care less. I brought him out and he was really interested in my parent's chickens, not the noises. Oh well, animal distractions are a big one for him that we will need to work on.

We had a good 4th and I'm glad I had a leash in my hand to participate in the activities again with :)

Moved

2009-07-07T18:46:00.002-05:00

Let's go back to the weekend of June 27th. My parents, all three brothers and their families came down to Kansas to help me move back to Iowa. I had most of the packing done, in boxes, and marked, so I didn't need help packing. Thank goodness, because I'm sure if they helped me, things would be misplaced and I'd have no idea where to look!
They came down on Friday and we left Saturday morning. I had my SUV filled with all 5 dogs, two cats, one t.v., speakers 5 boxes, a suitcase and one crate. Yeah, it was pretty full, I should have taken a pic of it, but my camera was broken :( We had two trailers a 34' one and a 16' all filled to the top with my stuff. I didn't realize I had all this stuff!!

We stopped in Missouri to pick up some fireworks for 4th of July weekend and got in North Iowa in the afternoon sometime. Most of my things are in a rented storage unit partly because they are more protected in one of those. My parents have alot of room out on the farm, but mice, cats, etc...would get into stuff and I didn't want to deal with that. So, my clothes and other needed things are here at my parents house.

I'll be looking for a house and hope to be moved out of my parents house within the month. Once you've tasted freedom, its hard to go back :)

I start my new, old job at Tractor Supply tomorrow. I can take Doni with no problems so that's one reason I took it on. I also know what I'm doing there and didn't have to deal with the added stress of learning a new job, that's a plus. I will need to eventually go somewhere else because the money isn't that great for house payments, if ya know what I mean.

Well once I get my camera software uploaded, I'll be able to post some pics. Sorry, this post is just words, I know so boring :)

It Was an Accident, Really It Was!

2009-07-03T22:46:00.003-05:00

Alright guys, alot has gone on and there's alot of it that I just don't have pics for because mine finally bit the dust. More like I made it bite the dust because I slammed it in the car door :( Oh well it was time for it to go, so I bought a cheap one until I can afford a really nice one.
It was an accident, It's not like I strategically placed it in the seal of the door where the door and floor comes together :)

So this upcoming weekends activities i will have pics for! *crowds claps and cheers* But the other events, such as moving, going out etc...no...*crowd aw's*

Have no fear, when I have more time I will update more! Time is a little short because of moving back into my parents house, starting my job next week, trying to talk to Realtors about houses, trying to find a house, changing things into my new address....list goes on and on, but you don't want to hear all that. Just trust me when I say that I have only a little bit of precious time that is used on the dogs and cats and then I'm back in the money world.

Well, got to get up early tomorrow, but if i get my camera set up, maybe i can post about a few things! Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Take care!
Sarah and the gang

Happy Father's Day!!

2009-06-21T23:29:00.003-05:00

So in honor of father's day, I thought I would post a pic of Doni's dad on here. His name is Buck and he is a big boy!

In the picture of Doni I have on here :) you really can't tell they're related, but they do an awful lot alike :)

Happy father's Day to everyone's Dad and of course to all of those dog's and their Dad's

Doni Boy!

2009-06-19T21:03:00.002-05:00

Well as I stated in a few earlier posts, I was watching Doniphan for a fellow puppy raiser while she was on vacation. It turns out, that while she was on vacation, she was doing some serious thinking and decided that it wasn't quite what she wanted to do, so I have decided.....

To finish raising him!! I know I know, 5 dogs is really a bit much, but I can take it on, besides It's nice to finish one out that's already basic-command trained :) Also, He is sibling to Lisa's Ellie, so He is from the Kansas county litter.

Let the adventures begin! Oh, I suppose you guys will want regular updates.....I am a bit rusty, so I will try my hardest. I'm sure once I get moved back and start a new job, posts will be more regular. As for now, they will still be limited because of moving chaos :) Ya know how that goes.

Sorry to Say......

2009-06-19T20:22:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone, I have some news...to start off, I will no longer be an Apprentice Guide Dog Trainer at KSDS, Inc. I have decided to leave, not because of anything related to KSDS, but for my own personal reasons. I love it here soo much, but because I moved here from 7 hours away, I feel that I need to be closer to home so I can be with my family, watch my nieces grow up, be with friends, etc...
KSDS in whole (staff, graduates, puppy raisers, etc..) is so wonderful! I love this organization and want to continue to be apart of it. That is why I have asked if I can continue being a puppy raiser. It is my first love, you could say, and having that opportunity to take that crazy, wild, disobedient thing and turn it into someones life partner is a feeling beyond words (most of you know what I'm talking about :)
I have made so many friends through this whole thing and I cherish it. You guys are awesome, and I am soo looking forward to being a puppy raiser again.

Sarah and the gang!!!

Memorial Weekend Fun

2009-06-07T00:35:00.011-05:00

I know this is late, but I can't help it! There is no excuse it's just that I'm busy, forget, not enough time, etc... I suppose if I had a puppy of my own it would updated alot more :)

So for the Memorial day weekend, I spent it with KSDS puppyraisers! Nothing better right? :)
We first headed up to Northern Iowa (where I'm from!) and stayed with a fellow puppy raiser so that Lisa and Ellie could go visit her first dog, Runza who is now a guide dog. She had a great time spending the day with them. I stayed at the puppyraisers house we were visiting and I wasn't alone. Want to know why? cause I was puppysitting.........none other than Ellie's brother, Doniphan!!! His puppy raiser was on vacation so I volunteered to take him. He is awesome! Love him to death, he is really good with other dogs and people, overall great.

After Lisa and Ellie got back, we headed to a cabin on a local river to eat and make s'mores, of course ;) That was neat for the dogs, they had various animal pelts and stuffed wildlife throughout the cabin so that was neat. The dogs took to running up and down the stairs :)

Doniphan and I on the stairs of the cabin,

The next morning, Sunday, we left for eastern Iowa to attend a big puppyraiser gathering. I was so excited, not only to see everyone, but guess who came? Cobra and his partner, Beth!!! Cobra looked great and just had a blast with all the other dogs. He and Doniphan even played together.

Ellie (L) Doniphan and Cobra

Baby Fleetwood lying by Doni. Fleetwood is from the Cadillac Litter

Here I am playing tug with Ellie

3 of the Kansas County Litter were present: Republic (L) Ellsworth (Ellie) and Doniphan

This group shot was taken after 5 or so dogs had already gone. We didn't think of doing it until later ;) L to R: Tango,Houlihan,Weber (brother to Miriam's Mosier) Chesney, Cobra, Doniphan, Mimosa and Ellie.

Beth, Cobra and I. For those of you unsure, I raised Cobra who is now a Service dog in Iowa

After the big get together, we decided to take a few of the PIT's to the local park for distraction and socialization work. They did great! A few barked at some of those scary statues, ya know, the ones that don't move ;) other than that, it was perfect, they did great.

Doniphan by the Clam Man statue.

Doni and I testing out the water. Not really, wanted to test his reaction the the water. A little scared, but snapped out of it quickly. I really wanted to get on the boat behind us. Very nice!

It was a great weekend! On Monday, we went to Beth and Cobra's to let the dogs take a break from all the driving, in their backyard. It was on the way, and they had a blast!

Again, it was a great weekend, wouldn't have missed it for the world!! Glad I had a puppy to take otherwise I would have that naked feeling ;) You guys know what I mean, right?

Doniphan in front of the county he was named after :)

Corrections

2009-05-18T22:32:00.002-05:00

Now Since I've been puppy less, I haven't been the best at getting over to everyone's blog to read updates, let alone make sure that my links to a PR blog are correct. I know I need to correct some of them, but would someone mind letting me know if you see one that needs to be changed from a different dog and whatnot? I would so appreciate it! It just sucks to get behind and not up to date on the different blogs. Been trying real hard, but maybe not enough.

Thank You guys so much! It would mean alot.

Sarah and the clan

Swimming

2009-05-17T17:57:00.008-05:00

Today I thought was a good day to spend outside with the dogs. I loaded them up in the car and thought I'd take them to our local county state park that has a little lake. They enjoyed it soo much! I was extremely muddy, but I don't think that stopped them :)

I wasn't sure how JD would like the water since this is the first time, since I bought him, that he's been in the water. HE loved it! He leaps and bounds when he hits the water's edge and it's the funniest thing, he will actually entertain himself by swimming back and forth out aways! I got such a kick out of his antics!

Annie, as I said before, is scared to go deeper that her legs so having JD there, helped her to be braver and there were a few times where she started to go get the stick, trying to beat JD to it.

Tara loves to swim and get things but being the Alpha, she let everyone know that she wasn't going to get the stick unless everyone sat on the edge and watched......yeah, that didn't happen, so she played along the edge.

Sammy probably has never been in a lake so he didn't know what to think. He much preferred to stay up on the bank and watch or go snooping around the grass

After everyone was done, I let them dry off outside while I tanned on a nearby picnic table. I don't think it did too much good, can't really tell :)

I love this one! Leave it to her to pee.......actually, I think it's the other......right when I'm taking a picture! :)

Love this pic! Both of them are bounding toward that stick. Yep, having JD there has helped Annie alot!

Late Aspen Pics

2009-05-13T21:23:00.005-05:00

Now I am backtracking a little bit, but these pics are so cute, I had to post them.

Now back when I was puppy sitting Aspen, I took her over to a friends house and there she had a 4 month old Border Collie/Lab cross and he was the same size as 7 month old Aspen!! His name is grizzly and just the cutest thing! I couldn't post them as soon as I wanted because I didn't have my camera and I just now got these.

"Do you have treats in those pockets?"

Grizzly liked to give Aspen kisses

Careful of the car!! A pristine '67 Dodge Dart is under that cover!