In Training

Do a good thing...

2012-02-19T14:43:00.003-06:00

Check out my sister's blog about their adoption journey.... (watch their video - yours truly has a cameo!!!)

and consider helping them achieve a life-long dream over at Give1Save1 by donating today.

And, to make this dog related - the sooner they get a son, the sooner my puppies get that added training to their lives! *grin*

Oceana's Party

2012-02-18T22:08:00.002-06:00

Oceana is Vance's sister.

Since KSDS calls all pups in the litter back at the same time... Oceana has also been recalled to KSDS. She will be being turned in Feb 25 (Vance is going back Feb 24). But, tonight, Oceana's puppy raisers had a going away party for everyone to come and get the chance to say goodbye to Oceana. Of course, Vance had to go and support his sister!!

Farewell Oceana!!! One of Oceana's PR's coworkers made this beautiful cake! It was tasty too!

And, Oceana and Vance posing in front of a KSDS slideshow. The poem behind them was written by someone on the KSDS SD waiting list. I love how it says "Oh the places we'll go when KSDS rings my phone". Kind of makes the heart ache of saying goodbye lessened.

Vance and I say "Goodbye and Good Luck Oceana"!!!! (Okay, well, maybe Vance won't be saying goodbye, because he'll see his big sis in college!)

Puppy Gathering

2012-02-18T21:50:00.002-06:00

Today was Vance's last puppy gathering. (sad face). So, he got to show off by working with a new handler (to him). He worked with Violet's PR (Violet is Hosta's sister and they now have Buttercup. But, she was willing to work Vance for me, so I jumped at the chance! Heck, gave me the opportunity to take photos! YAY!

And, he did super with her!
And here's a look at Clara's future - this is Mandi with her current PIT Shelby showing off Shelby's ROCKSTAR skills.

And, Churry, showing off her recall through TONS of distractions, including two very playful puppies!

And, what's cuter than a puppy at the end of a post? This is Clara's BIG brother Spence. They are very similar in personality and it was so great to get to meet him!

Happy Ears

2012-02-17T17:22:00.001-06:00

One week from today, Vance willing heading off to college. And, although, that makes my heart ache, I have decided that I should try to just remember this:

and his happy ears never cease to make me smile.

Good luck Vance. I'll miss you. Tell Hosta hello for me!

Just too cute

2012-02-16T18:16:00.001-06:00

Precious little puppy paws all soft and velvety.

And a happy puppy ready to tackle the day. Who couldn't love a face like this?

Kennel

2012-02-14T21:43:00.002-06:00

Clara gets to come to work with me. My office is awesome in letting me have that ability. Clara gets to learn about meeting and greeting everyone and learning to relax in an office setting all at the same time. In downtime, she gets to enjoy time in the kennel and she's already a big fan of "her space". Her favorite companion at the moment... that little blue/purple turtle toy her co-raiser Mandi got her. I think it reminds Clara of her!

First Snow

2012-02-13T21:24:00.004-06:00

Today was a major milestone for Clara!

Okay, so maybe it really wasn't that major since it was pretty much just a dusting of snow, or enough to just mostly cover the ground. But, when you're little - it's pretty exciting I suppose.

In true Clara fashion, she's out to do things in her own style - and seeing snow was the same way. She took to it like she had seen it every day of her life. And, in typical golden retriever fashion, LOVED the cold weather that came with it!

I took some photos of her in the early morning and then later on took a video of her in the evening when the snow had melted some.

A Little Mix Up

2012-02-13T20:40:00.002-06:00

So, apparently, Vance thinks Clara's kennel is now his...

And, Clara thinks Vance's bed is now hers...

Crown Center

2012-02-11T20:13:00.007-06:00

Saturday was a big day for Vance. He got a ton of pictures taken of himself - and we all know how much he LOVES that. *cough cough*

We headed out to Crown Center picking up Brenda and her puppy in training Aria along the way. It's no secret that Vance really loves people and can often (okay, it's gotten a lot better, now it's just sometimes) be very solicitous of attention when in public. So, as one of his last outings, we decided to take him to a VERY crowded mall type environment.

But, the entire mall area is so kid friendly, and dog friendly, that it makes a perfect environment to take older, confident dogs and really run them through their paces. Vance was doing so well, he even got to pretend to be super hero. I think he looks good in a cape - what do you think?

And, another special part of today, was that we got to have FEMA USAR K9 Phoenix and her trainer join us! It was a great experience, and Vance got to learn all about ignoring food since Phoenix gets to train with food rewards. He she is getting rewarded for not getting scared about a loud, crazy kid toy that E was playing with.

So many great training opportunities - here, Vance does a "Go Up" on a bench.

And, look at that nice loose lead when inspecting this odd toy with a tail! He was interested but maintained his professionalism! Way to go Vance - this was a huge improvement over the last time we went almost 5 months ago!

And then, Aria and Vance played tic-tac-toe in the Crayola store. Aria was obviously "o's".

And, a lesson in patience and manipulation - I had Vance do a "Go Up" and then drew an outline around his huge paws.

Sharing a secret...

And then he had to wait while I did my huge paw!

Then it was time for some distractions. E and I put our dogs on sit/stays and rolled a can by then. Both pups held it!

After all that work - it was time to go to the kiddie zone. This is a unique, but fun, and VERY crowded area of Crown Center. They have exhibits that change about every 3 months. This time it was all about animals. It's basically, a kid play area and it is swarming with kids 2 - 11 years of age screaming and running around all over the place. While there, we discovered that Vance is knee-high to an ostrich.

And that he was able to successfully navigate a pond filled with scary alligators.

And they were able to make friends with some flamingos.

And he found that boys really do like tree-houses.

And, found a new mode of transportation on a caterpiller.

And didn't get caught up in any spider webs.

And met up with some other friends dressed in black.

And slid down an icy slide. (Okay, so maybe this is really Aria and Brenda - but do you know how hard it is to go down a slide, hold a dog and a camera at the same time - and take a good picture... yeah, not happening! *grin*)

Oh, and on the way out - we got to hitch a ride on a camel! I think Vance can successfully say, he's done it all now!

After that, we were still game for a little more - so we headed over to the Hallmark Visitor Center where it's a museum all about Hallmark and their cards and movies and all things that make you have warm fuzzies inside.
All the puppies got to make their own little bow, and Aria even retrieved her bow out of the holder. (Vance does NOT like to retrieve - so this was a hopeless cause for him).

And, there were lots of places to practice "Go Up's" and "Down and Unders". It was a fabulous outing with some amazing peeps and pups.

Dr Visit

2012-02-11T08:26:00.002-06:00

All this week I have had that winter crud going around - and let me tell you - it's not fun. But, I am so grateful for co-raisers. Mandi took this first week with Clara (aka Muppet) and I was so glad she did.

After 4 days in bed, I decided to go see the doctor and if there was anything she could give me. Vance did great - there was even an emergency when we were first getting there and walking in. Everyone was in a tizzy about it and there was blood all over this gal's leg as they were walking her in with us (or right behind us). And, Vance didn't mind one bit. Apparently Sarah's love of horror movies has desensitized him to that! (he he). So, we had to wait in the waiting room quite a bit longer than usual, and 2 men walked up and started doing everything they could do distract poor Vance. These men weren't together mind you - they were at separate times, two separate incidences. GAG... Vance did well, aside from beating the legs of my chair with his tail. Then, when we got called back, and were in the room, he did superbly. Just wondered what all the ruckus was on the other side of that door! Luckily, I'm not back in the land of the living and we have quite the adventure planned for this afternoon.

First Vet Visit

2012-02-10T21:25:00.002-06:00

To say that Clara was comfortable at her first vet visit is an understatement. Actually, Mandi, her primary co-raiser is a vet tech, so she gets to be in that environment quite a bit.

And, with a kennel mate like Shelby here, the vet isn't anything to be scared of at all. Goofy golden girls.

Except for some internal parasites which she is now on meds for she was a healthy little muppet! She did really well getting handled for her appt too - of course, she loves attention.

Wordless Wednesday: Such a Lady

2012-02-08T07:58:00.000-06:00

She's in good company

2012-02-07T10:54:00.002-06:00

Clara - 8 weeks... discovering the downspout

Hosta - 1 year, reveling in the joy of rain water.

Puppy #5

2012-02-05T17:59:00.003-06:00

Please welcome....

CLARA.

DOB: 12/4/11

Breed: Golden Retriever

Status: PIT - Breeder Candidate.

Puppy Pickup Date: 2/5/12

There were a total of 10 in her litter, but only 4 were donated to KSDS, Clara and her 3 brothers. I don't remember their names or even the theme of this litter. I'll have to ask the PR Coordinator again. It was just too exciting at the moment of reveal to remember that info!

Clara is a precious 14 pound puppy (biggest of any pup I've picked up).

And, I get the utter pleasure of co-raising her with one of my best friends, Mandi! We're also slated to co-raise a lab puppy that will be hopefully coming to us at the end of April - the pups aren't born yet, so hopefully that's not putting the cart before the horse.

Visit with Helki

2012-02-05T09:49:00.002-06:00

Saturday, we got to go have a visit with Paige and Helki! Page made one of my favorite meals ever! (anything involving tacos in case you're wondering!)

GDB Helki was very good luck for Hosta, so we figured a visit with her for Vance would give him some luck! Better keep the streak going Helki! *grin*

Helki was very nice sharing her bones with Vance... one of his favorite things.

And then, Paige's kitty came out. Of course, he also had to show off his "Blue Steel" impression too. He's pretty good don't ya think?

And, more chewing on the bones while the humans chatted. One of these was Helki's bday present from Erin. I just don't remember which one. Paige also showed me Helki's puppy book and I LOVED it! I always love seeing puppy books - and the puppy teeth were so tiny!!!

And, Vance trying to hog all the bones!

Thanks for the visit Paige and Helki!!!

Yep, More Basketball

2012-02-04T09:44:00.002-06:00

With Vance's turn-in date quickly approaching, I figured we needed at least one (if not more) attempts at attending a game without getting all silly and losing control. This was the second game I've attempted not taking kibbles to in an effort to keep his focus.

And, although he wasn't perfect, he has shown such enormous improvement, I was really proud of him. He settled down nicely and remained calm. He was attentive to the game and the goings on, but he wasn't hyper attentive like he has been in the past. He even tried to catch a few zzzz's during a few minutes. He was a Mr. Whiney Pants. And that's been an issue we've been working on. He was a lot better even at being a whiney pants - only doing it a little bit and mostly under his breath. Next week, maybe we can go to a game and just attend with Vance, not Mr. Whiney Pants!

I was however, thrilled that we got to the game early and it was crowded in the halls of the high school so we just stood there and watched the crowd. Being such a people distracted dog, this required all the self-control Vance could muster. But, he has so greatly improved in that as well! He even held his sit when someone walked up to ask me about him! He has learned that just because he is required to hold his sit - his tail can still wag - and wag it does!!!

Vance is such a silly dog, I'll definitely miss him greatly when he goes back. And probably those compelling eyes the most. He has such soulful eyes.

Cabernet for a Cause

2012-02-02T17:30:00.002-06:00

I'm a bit late posting about it - but it's been a crazy week! One would have thought things would have slowed down after such a huge event. Yeah right!

All day long the day of M and I had been texting and taking care of last minute things prior to the event! So many nerves and such much excitement. Soon, the time came for us to get there to set up. We had over 70 silent auction prizes and some very lovely flowers donated by the KSDS Board of Directors to help us set the mood.

We also set up a KSDS table. And guess what?

KSDS brought M, B and I's brick to show off in regards to their new sixplexes due to be finished for the Spring graduation!

We had some lovely, live music thanks to our wonderful connection with Carlin!

And, probably the best news ever - when M and I started with this idea we set 100 as an ideal attendance goal. Man, were we ever surprised, shocked, ecstatic when we actually had 218 people show up! Now that is amazing.

And, M and I couldn't have done it without our wonderful team. M (& Shelby), Me (& Vance), B and K! They are still calculating our totals (thanks to the flu taking out the gal who does the monies at KSDS). But, at least we can rest assured that we came out ahead! Thanks to everyone for their support and good thoughts. Now, we can't wait till next year. And, hoping we made enough to name a litter!

It's almost here...

2012-01-31T20:47:00.002-06:00

Some of you might remember me posting about Hosta being in a Dogumentary awhile back. Well, lots of work has been done with it and here is the trailer for said KSDS, Inc. Documentary! I am so excited for the real thing to come out. It's so nice to see my man Hosta in it too! Miss him so much.

"Four Paws, Two Hearts, One Miracle" Official Trailer from David Skaggs on Vimeo.

I'm Ready...

2012-01-28T20:04:00.000-06:00

to move on to the next phase and doing what I was born to do! It's officially official, I'm going on to college, where I get to learn to be someone's best friend, companion, and right hand (okay, maybe left hand) helper! I'll keep you posted of my progress. Wish me luck!

(Sorry, when I first posted this I posted it before I was done - hit publish and not save as draft and didn't notice it for awhile - and freaked some people out. My bad. Vance will go IFT the last week of February - the last Friday of February to be exact.)

And, Hosta passed all his health screenings. He's apparently doing well... I heard he is the quietest one in the CHU (Canine Housing Unit) and when all the other dogs are barking - he blinks. That news made me smile - cause that's the same Hosta I know and love!

WW1 Museum

2012-01-27T20:53:00.004-06:00

My parents were in town this weekend. They came in on Thursday to attend the Innovator of the Year which my BIL was participating in (and won - a big congrats to him, but also to my sister cause he couldn't have done it without support from her). Then, my parents were staying to go to an event I was hugely involved in later in the week.

I have always talked highly to them of the World War 1 Museum in downtown KC. And this was our chance to get to go. And it was a great opportunity for Vance to experience new things too.

Here, Vance and I are learning all about trench warfare. This is on the German side... and they have a trench going throughout the museum where you can hear mannequins talking/reading letters the men on the lines had sent home to their families.

And, I don't know why I have this goofy expression on my face in every photo. I look so confused. UGH. Oh well, they have these floors that are glass and exhibit items are underneath you. Well, Vance did awesome on the glass bridge over the poppies, so I was surprised that the stepped on this and acted like it was ice! Imagine that scene in Bambi on the ice. He quickly learned though to walk on the full pads of his feet, not his tippy toes. And did well.

He is a very alert dog, and there is all these noises in the museum of other patrons as well as sound simulations of gunfire/bombs/grenades. He kept looking around wondering where everything was coming from.

This picture doesn't show the video on the floor very well, but these videos played on the floor throughout the museum. Oddly, enough, for all his alertness, Vance didn't seem to notice one bit there was stuff going on below his feet. I thought this was appropriate though since behind us is a count of the flying aces and their kills and Vance is an Air Force puppy.

And, I wanted to get a photo of him by this bomb replica, because I have a photo of Hosta by this same bomb replica. Although Hosta was very interested in the lights on the floor - but Vance just wanted to know what those people on the other side of the wall were doing.

Seriously, what is it with my facial expressions? This poster would have been better if it had said Air Force! Obviously, we have entered the side of the museum where the US has entered the war.

And, some of the military might that the US brought to the battle. The also had many uniforms and such and we got to see the uniform my great grandfather wore. Well, not that specific one... but one similar, we still have the patches from his uniform!

And, this photo was of the Air Force uniforms that were used in WW1. Did you know that WW1 was the first time the Air Force was used? Did you also know that the Air Force uniforms are different than any of the other branches because they didn't have necks to their uniforms? Yep, interestingly enough, pilots need to be able to turn their heads to see out of airplanes! *grin* And so, the Air Force uniforms had floppy necks or collars.

Here is a replica of a bombed building.

And Vance showing off how confident he was on the glass bridge over all the poppies. Each poppy represents an allied force member who died in the fighting. So many poppies, so sad. All the staff were so nice and were so impressed with Vance not even blinking on this bridge.

And then, on top of the memorial looking out over the city.

It was a great day and I am so glad my parents could get to see this museum (and if you are ever in the KC area - it's a MUST SEE!)

My Excuse

2012-01-18T17:26:00.002-06:00

So, I haven't been posting much on here because well, Vance and myself, have been busy with putting on all the final touches of our Cabernet for a Cause event. Me and 3 other puppy raisers are organizing this wine tasting fundraiser for KSDS and this is its first year. We have learned a lot along the way and are just hoping for a successful event. So, should you feel the need, please come or donate to help us make it a success. You can donate by contacting KSDS mroop@ksds.org (or me - I moderate comments so no personal info will be posted). Thanks, shameless plug over!

Basketball Game Take 3

2012-01-08T10:58:00.004-06:00

Friday night, I attempted to take Vance to another basketball game. I will admit, I had taken some kibbles in case we needed it, but I am very proud to report, we really didn't. Just in the first few minutes. Then he was alert, watching the game, watching me, watching the game, watching me... but QUIET!

Vance and I at the game.
Watching me.
Aria - as good an wonderful as ever.
The game we actually attended was a JV game, and they had a Varsity game start just as the JV one ended so we decided to go to the other auditorium and check out all the amped up experiences of the Varsity game. Vance was very alert (See photo below since they uploaded in a weird order), but able to control himself and he even, eventually relaxed and curled up to sleep (above). A FIRST with so much activity and stuff going on.

I even got a video of him at the JV game. See how "On" he is - but still paying attention and able to focus on me now instead of all the activity. He has improved so much. So proud of this little dude. I think he'll be able to handle a collegiate game next weekend!

Working hard...

2012-01-02T10:54:00.009-06:00

For New Years Day, I went to Lawrence to visit my sister and help her with her baby room.

The pups tried to help with some design ideas and making sure none of the decals moved when we weren't looking.

Of course, Vance also kept a close eye on the sun and worked hard at maintaining his suntan.

Here I am getting the decals ready.
Ellie made sure she kept the tools close by in case we needed them at a moments notice.

And making sure that we did everything to a labby's specifications.

The labs made sure that there were plenty of breaks and chances for catching a snooze.

Attention to details were of the utmost of details to each canine.

Job well done!

Even the one who followed the sun agrees.

Goofy dogs
No matter what we did - the dogs were there to supervise and help.

I think they agree - it all turned out great! Now, we just have to wait till the little guy gets here.

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T10:48:00.002-06:00

The New Year took us on a little road trip - to Lawrence!

The puppies were excited to go - well, Ellie was thrilled to get to go along. We were going to have a work day. And Ellie likes to show off how helpful she can be. Vance was being a dork - usually he sits facing backwards and Ellie sits facing forwards in the car. I tried to get a photo - and of course, he turned around. Oh well.

Faces of Boredom

2011-12-31T10:01:00.002-06:00

Every morning at work we have a production meeting to go over our current jobs and make sure everyone is up-to-date on deadlines and such.

Sometimes, some departments are putting out little fires or on the phone or something where they are a little late to our meetings.
Vance* tends to get a little bored when we have to wait for everyone to get there.

So, he likes to make faces to entertain me! This is his rabies face. He learned this from both of M's dogs.

This is his I'm just a cute, little Easter bunny face.

This is his I can lick my nose - can you face. Or maybe it's his if I lick her she'll stop doing this to me face.

*and by Vance, we mean Lisa.

Head/Wall

2011-12-31T09:24:00.002-06:00

A co-worker found this posted somewhere in the city and sent it to me with a smirky laughing face:

Oh and... I teach my dog to read (he is up to an 8th grade reading level) and drive too!!

It's IN!

2011-12-31T08:14:00.002-06:00

KSDS is in the final process of getting additional housing built for students. They are tripling their space which is awesome, obviously and it will be finished in time for the Spring class!

Before Hosta turned in, some puppy raisers and myself got together and ordered a brick. The "sorority" is a bit of an inside joke - but UBUNTU means "I am what I am because of who we all are". We thought that pretty much described our friendship through puppy raising. A staff member took this photo of our brick for me this week and I loved getting to see it before it's in the ground. Also, because of all my typography classes, I was relieved it turned out better than I imagined - say if they had used a typeface like Courier!

Christmas in Wichita with Friends

2011-12-28T17:22:00.001-06:00

One of the highlights of my/Vance's trip to Wichita was getting together with fellow KSDS puppy raisers and graduates. I picked up D and his SD Willie (Mosier's brother, if any of you remember Mojo), and we met G and C and PIT Paris, R and C currently puppyless - but they raised Ellie's sister Marion, and A and Ramada (Vance's aunt) and A and Jingle (Hosta's uncle) and their mom M!

The food took FOREVER to get out to us (1.5hrs) because their computers or something shut down and so it was a nightmare for service - but with such good company, it went by rather quickly.
This is A and Ramada (Vance's aunt) and me and Vance.
And a close up of the family resemblance. They look a lot alike and actually act a lot alike too. They look quite a bit more similar than Ellie and Vance and Ramada. See, Ramada is also Ellie's aunt.

Anyway, enough of the boring family relationship stuff. It was a blast to get together with my friends in Wichita. D had me almost in tears when he told me the story of how he got his dog and how the name had a special meaning to him too. It was a great reminder as to why I raise these puppies.

Peek-a-boo

2011-12-27T15:23:00.000-06:00

I see you!

Christmas

2011-12-26T20:39:00.002-06:00

Christmas was a great time spent with family and some very special canines!

Vance enjoyed chewing on some toys.

And getting some attention.
Ellie also got some much deserved attention.
And then, when it was all over, it was time for him to sleep through all the gift openings.

Dinner Time

2011-12-26T20:10:00.002-06:00

Normally, when the pups eat - or rather, when I am preparing their meals, they are to wait in their kennels with the doors open. It keeps them out of my way and is good to make sure they are good at "kennel". Since, I only took 1 kennel with me to Wichita, it's funny to see how the pups problem solve this little riddle. Well, this time, both puppies ran in the same kennel.

And sat there while I prepared their food over their heads! They both eat out of cupcake pans to help slow them down - speedy eaters.

I then called Ellie out to feed her on the other side of the room and Vance got to eat in the kennel. He gets to be quite a drooler when he's waiting for his food. I tried to get a photo of it, but must have missed the 2ft drool trail going from his mouth to the floor cause it's certainly not showing up in the photo - to which you, my dear reader, are probably most grateful!

Vance

2011-12-26T19:48:00.002-06:00

Just some random photos of Vance.

What is it with black doggies and sunning themselves. My sister's black cav does this too. None of my yellows or the blenheim cavs do it either. Must just be a black doggie thing.

They two labbies share a pink nose!
Vance always does this weird crook thing with his right front leg. It always makes it look like it is broken, but somehow he must find it comfortable because he is always doing it.

And, this is Vance imitating one of Hosta's favorite poses. So is now one of my most favorite photos of Vance! *grin*

And, this is him once again sunning himself. Silly doggie!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T07:00:00.001-06:00

Vance, Ellie and myself hope you get everything in the next year you wish for!

Silent Night

2011-12-24T16:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all our human and canine friends.

A new friend.

2011-12-22T18:12:00.001-06:00

So, today, a coworker brought their pup in (it just happened to be her 2nd bday so technically she's not a puppy I suppose). Her and Vance look very similar. Same size, build, color, happy ears, etc. I decided to let Vance out of cape so he could enjoy a wee little play time with his new girlfriend Kenda. I rarely let my pups play at work, but I also find that when I do - it really helps my coworkers see, that they do get to be dogs when out of cape - and that they aren't always working. And, we don't often get the special occasion of it being a holiday and a puppy who likes to play come in.

Kenda was really fascinated by Vance!

And Vance tried to show off with all his best moves!

And, he got to be around kids and work on his eye/mouth skills.

Wordless Wednesday: Friends

2011-12-21T10:06:00.000-06:00

Pioneer Crossing Park

2011-12-20T18:34:00.002-06:00

Sunday was a gorgeous day here in the city! So, we took advantage of the weather and decided to be outside. C joined us with Elf for a walk, but first we stopped off at Pioneer Crossing Park. It was a great chance for a photo op and is a good chance to expose the pups to some big statues. Vance didn't seem to care about the large animals coming out of the stonework.
Ellie and Vance by a portion of the honor wall.

And a view of the portion behind them.

Kodiak was a bit more nervous. He was definitely more alert and not too keen on the two free-standing oxen just to my right. Also, it's near a high traffic road and it was almost too much for this country dog.

Nap Time

2011-12-18T19:17:00.002-06:00

One of the best things about weekends is the ability to take a nap.

And someone likes to watch me sleep.

Okay, maybe 2 someones.

Christmas with Friends

2011-12-18T16:47:00.003-06:00

Saturday was a good day. In the evening, I got to take Ellie, Vance, and Kodiak to pick up Callie and Elf and then head over to B's who has Aria and was watching Encore. M and Shelby joined us there. We were getting together for our annual Christmas dinner! And is so much fun to get together with friends!

Encore loves getting his picture taken! And meant that Vance wasn't the only black puppy!
It wasn't all party time though - we did get to have some kitty socialization!

Ellie was most interested in the kitty. The other pups really didn't mind one bit.

See, Ellie - still checking out that the kitty while the other dogs socialize.

And, all the good little puppies. L-R: Kodiak, Ellie, Encore, Vance (super happy), Elf (front), Shelby (back), and Aria.

After all that, Vance was a VERY tired puppy.

Kodiak

2011-12-18T11:46:00.002-06:00

Kodiak is here for a puppy sit till Thursday. Technically, he arrived on Friday and has spent the weekend with us. He's been one of the more challenging puppy sits I've had, but look at that face and those big ears!

Basketball Game Take 2

2011-12-16T19:32:00.002-06:00

Today, there was another basketball game opportunity. And, since how the last one wasn't the best experience, we were going to give it another go and see if by using a different method of refocusing Vance, that it might be more successful.

This is Vance, pre-game, in hyper-alert mode.

After discussing Vance's anxiety at our last outings, it was decided that he would be a good candidate to try using his food to help him focus. So, I took his dinner and we just worked on him focusing on me when the game was going on.

He did so much better. The first quarter was a challenge, but after that, he really didn't need hardly any of the food rewards. And he was able to hold a down and not be panting and his ears and body was MUCH more relaxed.
He was even able to watch parts of the game without going bonkers! He still got excited - but was able to hold himself with great self-control. I was quite impressed with his progress. A few more times and we'll be able to consider it a success I'm sure. The whole last quarter he didn't even need one food reward at all - and we were able to walk out of there without him losing his brain! Maybe next time I'll actually remember my camera too - and not be reliant on my phone.

YAY Vance - so proud of the little guy!!!

It's only taken...

2011-12-15T17:03:00.002-06:00

a few months for me to get supremely attached to this face...

Vance is such a sweet pup. I love his affectionate nature and how he enjoys having a good time. He is a great little comrade and I'm glad to have spent so much time with him. I will certainly miss him dearly when he goes off to college. But, he'll make someone a very amazing companion and helper. Vance is such a good little puppy. So good, everyone at work wants him to fail so they can claim him as their next pet. They love how just stares at them till they pet him or how he will lay his head on their legs as we go around visiting. It certainly didn't take him long to win over all my coworkers - and he didn't even have the cute puppy stage to have that happen. See, he really is just a good natured dog!

Basketball Game

2011-12-14T20:46:00.002-06:00

So, the other day, I took Vance to a local high school basketball game. It was just the sophomore team, so there wasn't a huge crowd. I thought it would be a good opportunity for Vance to experience something new. B and Aria were there too.

I think Aria was sneezing or something - even though it does look like she was boooing the other team.

The minute they started playing, Vance basically had the same reaction as he had at the bowling game. I ended up getting up and going in the corner and working him through all of his commands while the game was going on. It stopped the whining and he was at least able to focus on me while all the chaos was going on. So, I think we might be able to get him over this ball distraction. We are hoping to go to another game at the end of this week and next week and hopefully one or two more before he goes back to college and I'm looking forward to seeing improvements in his behavior!

I'm sorry

2011-12-12T18:59:00.001-06:00

Not really. Vance has actually been super at work and he's gotten to be such a pleasure to have around now that he has adjusted to the routine. He just looked to cute like this I couldn't help myself from snapping a photo!

A Field Trip

2011-12-11T15:51:00.003-06:00

Saturday, Vance, Ellie and myself woke up very early. I headed over to Elf's to drop Ellie off for a play date and then Vance and I headed over to Madison and Spark's. While on the drive over there, I got to enjoy part of the lunar eclipse that was happening. The sunrise though quickly hid the eclipse and soon after we made it to Madison and Spark's. But, we weren't stopping there, we picked them up and continued our journey all the way out to Council Grove where we got to meet up with TBG and SWMBO and little Carver with big (rather adorable) ears!

After all the appropriate amount of ooooohing and aaaaaaahing over such an adorable CCI pup, we headed out on the town. Spark was old hat at this by now, but Vance had never been, so we got to hit all the hot spots we had when Hosta and Spark went to visit CCI Ansel.

Vance, got to get his photo taken just like Hosta near the historic Hays House. See, he can do some things that so called "Hot Stuff" can do too!

Then, we got to go visit a bed and breakfast. It was really cool and we had a group photo - but I was a doofus and forgot my camera, so you'll have to trudge on over to Carver's blog to see the group photo of us. All these photos here are thanks to Spark's PR who wasn't as floopsy as me. At least Vance is being good and sitting all the way down in this photo. I tends to laugh at him because he doesn't like to have his precious rear hit the floor; he just kind of squats for a sit and I usually just wait him out till he gets it right! But, he had to show off for Carver ya know!

Sparkler and Vance practicing a "down & under". Although they were cheating a bit by not being all the way under. At least it worked out better to see them in pictures.

And, Vance "sitting" on the awkward mound of the Native American statue. This photo makes me feel smart - because I'm so bright! ha ha!

We also got to stop by a big red caboose in the local park. And, we stopped by the jail too - but it was too dark for photos. Which reminds me, I forgot to ask TBG why it was built with the wood flat and not like other places. Maybe SWMBOd will help explain that one to him!

And then, what is a visit to Council Grove without a stop at the laundromat!? Yep - you guessed it! But, it was more for the experience of all the birds and not because we soiled our clothes! Vance didn't care at all about the birds (although they told him off).

And, yes, we're in Kansas - so, we took our dogs and skipped on down the yellow brick road to see the tin man! Lucky for us, there were no witches or flying monkeys!

Carver and Co were such amazing hosts. It's always a highlight to get to spend time with them! And, we are quite glad that the weather cooperated this weekend. I don't have any photos of the play date afterwards - go check out Carver's blog for those photos! It was a great learning experience for the pups (and Vance was so tired on the way home he didn't whine once! YAY!)

Can I help?

2011-12-08T20:33:00.003-06:00

This morning, I had a flat tire. Yeah, lucky me - right? Well, I suppose it was okay, and maybe saying it was totally flat was a bit of an exaggeration, because it was like super low tire pressure. I got out my compressor to fix it and Vance jumped in the driver seat floor boards ready to help! Goofy boy!

I got the tire inflated enough to get me to the dealership down the block so I could get it fixed. And, we got there just as they were opening. I guess that is the good thing about being an early riser!

After getting checked in, Vance and I walked into the waiting room. Vance went in a "down & under" and I started reading one of the magazines. Then, I heard what sounded like a dog collar rattling. A little yorkie came in and was barking, lunging, and whining towards Vance. Her owner, seemed to be in a daze and not in the least bit paying attention. Vance, being a good PIT, just held his stay and stared at that dog like "Dude - that's so not cool, you're in public!" I was so proud of him. He held his stay for the next 20 minutes while that dog was incessantly barking, whining, lunging towards him. Luckily, the dog's owner had the presence of mind to sit on the other side of the room than Vance and myself. I think I would have blown a gasket if he tried to sit near us. All the other people in the room kept commenting to me how good Vance was. I was so proud of the little guy! And, I was also really glad when they called my name to let me know my vehicle was done so I could get away from the yipper yapper!!!

MORE HOSTA

2011-12-07T18:30:00.003-06:00

Yep, he made another cameo appearance on the KSDS FB page. I'm always happy to see my big red boy. Although, this time his red brother Hawthorn was also in the mix. But, they can't fool me! I would know my boy anywhere!

He's in the middle (ignore the naughty Blue puppy who is the humper on the right!) Mr. Cadillac is the black puppy walking towards the camera.

Somehow - this time, there were lots and lots of butt shots of Hosta! Yep - that's Hosta's booty on the far left in the foreground. I'm guessing that's his buddy Azure in the foreground on the right. All those Blue puppies look the same to me.
And, this one, I'm betting they thought they could fool me with. That red pup in the middle - that's Hawthorn, Hosta's brother. Hosta is actually in the back (near the gate) right in front of his buddy Cadillac. Yep, I could spot that butt anywhere! ha ha! As a special note, Doniphan is the black puppy in the foreground. He seems to really be enjoying college life!

Movie Goer

2011-12-03T19:04:00.002-06:00

Today, Vance and myself and Callie and Elf all went to spend a very rainy, dreary day by taking in a movie. We saw PUSS in BOOTS. It was quite entertaining, and Vance enjoyed watching pretty much the entire movie. He's a very alert puppy and is always very interested in his surroundings. He did great about holding his position the entire movie though.

Journey to Bethlehem

2011-12-02T20:05:00.002-06:00

Tonight I got the opportunity to take Vance to meet up with a dear friend A. (A is special because she secretly told KSDS that Ellsworth would be a good match for me to raise! Little did she know Ellsworth is my doggy soulmate!) I met her at her house and we let her dog Katie and Vance play around in the yard for a bit to get the doggie goofies out.

After a little bit of that, A, her friend C, Vance and myself headed over to a church near her house for their Journey to Bethlehem service. It is always a good experience for the puppies and I've missed it the last few years because I've been out of town. So, I was excited to get to go again this year! Vance got to experience sitting next to fidgity (sp?) children and then walking calmly in a group. He also got to ignore startling surprises like robbers or Roman guards. This, in addition to ignoring the animals among the sets and the other people in our group (VERY HARD). A was very kind in how she made sure and walked behind him so no one would step on him or his tail - very easy to do in dark halls and rooms along the journey especially with a black dog.

Vance did really well and we got to hand out some literature to our fellow travelers about assistance dogs! That's always fun being able to educate others - especially across the centuries!

Bowling

2011-12-01T22:52:00.002-06:00

Tonight I took Vance with me to a bowling alley. It was a smaller bowling alley in the Power & Light District. Oddly enough, it was on the second level. (Who puts bowling alleys on the second level?) Vance started out okay, I gave him two opportunities to "hurry up" before going in, and I knew he had been to bowling alley's with Sarah so I figured this would just be old hat for him.

We started off in the lounge area where I got to meet up with my friend. Having never been to this particular alley before, and it being set up more like a club than an alley, it took us a little while to get our bearings. And, surprisingly, we were the only ones there. So, we found the alley portion (only 10 lanes) and I walked Vance around just seeing how he would do and trying to acclimate him to it before we got our shoes. He didn't seem phased in the slightest!

So, off to get our shoes and our bowling ball we went. All seemed perfectly content... until... I rolled the ball down the lane. I had asked my friend to hold Vance's leash even though he was in a down/stay just because I wanted to make sure all ended up successfully. Well, he broke into a sit and started whimpering and whining and when my friend was bowling started quivering (like he was trying hard to maintain self control when all he wanted to do was chase those balls). We took a tiny break to get him to settle down and thought we'd try it slower this time. Same reaction. So, I moved him back farther and farther from the action. All he wanted to do was chase the balls down that lane in an effort, I presume, to help our score. My number of gutter balls was rather embarrassing!!! He did get better as the game went on, and it was a long game! Definitely got our money's worth! But, I can guarantee you we'll be going back to bowling alleys in the near future to work on some distractions!!

Vance steals some attention

2011-11-28T19:11:00.002-06:00

This is a little late, but last week my computer at work crashed and burned. Luckily, I had everything backed up - but it was still a nuisance. So, our IT guy came to see if he could save it. He couldn't - it was dead, and he ended up having to set me up a temp computer real fast. Vance apparently, decided to help in one of his most favorite ways. Of course, the IT guy thought this was the best thing that had happened to him all week. He LOVES Vance!

Save the date!

2011-11-28T18:18:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-26T08:11:00.002-06:00

I was lucky enough to have Vance for Thanksgiving. Something I never dreamed would be a possibility! Getting to have him for the holiday made me thankful. And, although we didn't really do all that much, it was still fun.

We got to spend some quality time together.
And Vance helped monitoring my sister's Christmas light hanging. Apparently, he thought she was keeping it very tasteful!
And then he helped watch me hang the ornaments. We also got to go visit one of my longest and dearest friends and meet her new daughter who is is 4 months old. Vance did great around the baby. He usually gets relatively boisterous and excited around kids, but he kept calm and dignified. We also got to do some shopping together Friday afternoon once the majority of the crowds were home asleep. Although it was still rather crowded, he did good keeping his focus, only trying to solicit attention a few times. I was quite proud of him, since that used to be all he would do! He also got to watch my father and I put up the Christmas lights on the house and let my mother groom him! And, one of the biggest achievements of the weekend: He didn't whine on the car ride down to my parents!!!

HAPPY DANCE!!!

2011-11-21T18:10:00.003-06:00

Today I was checking out the KSDS Facebook page and I noticed that they uploaded "Freshmen/Senior" photos. Hosta's obviously in the Freshman class. And so I wasn't expecting anything of him in there since they tend to show more Senior pups (The Blue Litter). But, I literally shrieked with excitement to see my big red goof!

With his goofy ears running to one of the trainers. He used to have those goofy ears when he ran to me. So this photo was especially heartwarming! Means he is having a good time and bonding with the trainers.

And then, he decided to take a water break with this sister either Lotus or Aloe. Can't tell from the backend! ha ha

Enough water for Hosta man - time to go play again.

And Hosta, doing his leap of joy with his other sister (either Aloe or Lotus). Of course I was pretty much doing one too after I saw that familiar face!!!

They aren't great photos... but it does help fill that huge Hosta sized hole in my heart from his being gone. I am also hoping that this is a good sign that he passed his tests and I will be hearing some official word soon!

Doctor Visit

2011-11-21T15:34:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year where one needs to occasionally go to the doctor from some antibiotics to fight that seasonal crud. Anyway, I figure this is generally a good training opportunity for my pups so Vance joined me. Vance did really well. He was a bit distracted by the noise going on outside the door, but he held his "down/stay" in a "down/under" position. He did try to crawl out to greet the Doctor when she came in, but he held his down and corrected easily enough. I guess it shows how black dogs blend into the floor better because the Doctor didn't know I had a dog at first and thought my purse was moving so jumped when she first saw him crawl out from under the chair. It ended up being really funny and we both laughed when she realized it was a dog and not a live purse! He did great though at ignoring the other patients in the waiting room as we weaved our way out. And, when I got back to work, he snuggled up on my feet under my desk helping me feel a bit better and less cold. Now that's a good boy!

NFM

2011-11-19T20:50:00.002-06:00

After we went to Cabela's, we headed over to Nebraska Furniture Mart. There we got to work among crowds and glass elevators and glass edges on the second level as well as ignoring sounds from the electronics section.

And, he got this cute little photo by some holiday decorations.

After that though, we went to lunch then I met up with my sister for some free trade shopping and then dinner with her and my brother in law. After that long day, Vance was ready to head back home, eat some dinner and crash on his dog bed.

Dual Training: Cabela's

2011-11-19T19:32:00.003-06:00

Today, B, Aria, Vance and myself headed out to Cabela's to enjoy a dual training opportunity with E and her FEMA USAR K9 Phoenix.

Vance had to get his photo by the Elk statue outside the front doors. It was a bit cloudy though - and clouds and black doggies make for blobs.
Anyways, after a short wait for Phoenix to show up, we headed into the store and Vance and Aria got their photos taken by the huge moose in the center of this pond.

And we got to work on distractions - like this moving Canadian Goose form.

And then, we headed over to the mule deer exhibit. It has lots of random noises of things like birds, cougars, and other wildlife. Vance wasn't one bit concerned with either the deer or the noises.
And, it was fairly empty in there so we worked on down/stays with distractions like someone stepping over him. You can see USAR K9 Phoenix in the background.

And, Vance shows how brave he was while having a bear over his shoulder.

All the puppies doing a "jump on". Phoenix, Aria, and Vance. They worked so well together, doing stairs, elevators, distractions, and all those other fun things that pups in training all get to work on while out and about in public.

Then, we got to go see the fish. And here Vance is doing a "Go up". I will divulge that Vance did get a big confused with his "Go up" vs "Jump On" and at first tried to "Jump on". Dorky dog - he got it right on the 3rd try though! Guess it means we need to work on those more advanced commands a bit more so it's not so confusing for him next time.

Look, he likes me!

And, we found this spot where he could work on getting out of the way in a "down/under". Ah, yay for Cabela's and all the wonderful training opportunities!

And, then, we got in the car and headed over to Nebraska Furniture Mart for more training!

A Birthday Present

2011-11-19T19:10:00.003-06:00

My boss' wife is an artist. And, right after Hosta went to college, she saw this photo on my work computer as my background. And mentioned she'd like to paint it. I happen to LOVE having personal art pieces and so JUMPED at the chance.

She brought me the finished piece this week - just in time for my birthday!

Here it is with my camera phone with Vance in front of it so you can see the size.

And here it is on my wall. It matches my house colors so perfectly and I love how it's very modern in appearance. It is actually acrylic on cardboard. So it has a unique texture and everything. I can't wait to get it framed and get to have my mom help me with picking out a matboard and everything. She's so good at that!

Ellie: Play date

2011-11-18T17:22:00.001-06:00

Ellie was feeling that this blog has been all about the PITs and the working dogs and there just wasn't quite enough pet dogs on here. So, in an effort to help balance the scales and keep a very important labby from not feeling left out, this post is totally dedicated to her and some of her most favorite adventures.

See, Callie (with SD Elf) has graciously volunteered to watch Ellie for me one day a week. It is like a doggie day care that is personalized. There is no need for me to tell you how much Ellie LOVES this. But, she gets super excited every day she gets to go to Callie's. I attribute her day at Callie's as Ellie's version of DisneyWorld.

Every day is a bit different, but it usually begins with a 3 mile walk where Ellie gets Callie all to herself. Today however, the weather wasn't cooperative to a walk, so Ellie and Elf got to play and do labby loops around the back yard. It didn't take them too long to decide it was time to play indoors to get out of the cold.

And then it was time for a bit of play indoors. I think Ellie really loves playing with Elf because Elf and Hosta have very similar play styles. Vance is a bit more erratic in his play and Ellie can get irritated easily with him. But Ellie and Hosta always played well together. And Ellie and Elf play well together too. So, I think Elf enjoys Ellie coming over as much as Ellie enjoys visiting.

And, more play.

Ellie also likes taking naps with Callie and Elf and just trying to monopolize Callie's attentions. Goofy girl.
And, here they are waiting for their dinner. Ellie always comes home tired after her day and I'm grateful that Callie and Elf let her come for a visit. I know it really makes Ellie feel important.

Birthday!

2011-11-17T09:13:00.002-06:00

Yep, today is a birthday day - but, it's mine this time! We celebrated early, by going to dinner after the puppy gathering.

E and his family got to join us.
As well as all my closest friends! Gotta love these peeps!

And vance got to be by my side - something I was very happy about. After all, it's better to spend your bday with a puppy than without - don't you agree?

Puppy Gathering

2011-11-15T16:09:00.000-06:00

This puppy gathering we celebrated the Military litter's birthday. And, we had a very difficult obstacle course for the puppies to traverse. And since the Military litter is now 24 months old, they had to do it all off-lead. Making it of course even more challenging!

First off, they had to go through a hula hoop (with L holding the hoop and distracting them with a feather boa and dancing and making funny noises - I think meows and giggles were her sounds of choice). Sorry - don't have a picture.

Then, they had to greet Callie, nicely by doing a "here up" - basically, putting their front paws in her lap and then getting "off" on command.

Then, we had to walk next to E's vibrantly bright green chair past a ton of tennis balls, toys, food, another dog, and another grad who would drop their crutches as the pup passed. Vance rocked this part!

Next, we rounded a corner - a right turn, making it even harder since a left turn is obviously easier for the pups. Vance did mess up a bit and I had to call him back into his heel. We walked them along a wall and simulated being blocked in so they would have to then "back" out next to the wheelchair as well.

Vance had his moments where he got a big confused, but did well considering I think this is the first time he's done this next to a chair. In the photo above you can see his happy ears! Which I love. You can also see that he did a GREAT job of walking with me instead of with the chair since I was the one giving the commands.

He did such a great job, after the exercise was over, E got to praise Vance. Thanks to E, L and A for all their assistance with the distractions. And, if Vance can work through that exercise, he's probably more ready for college than I thought.

After that, we had a few more exercises working on down/stays and recalls which Vance also did really well at. But, he better - after all, he's been practicing every day and is the oldest in our puppy group. I don't know what I'll do when I actually have the youngest pup in the group instead of the oldest pup!

Two-Day

2011-11-14T06:35:00.002-06:00

Two Years ago Today: I picked up a 6# ball of wonderfulness.

Two Days ago marked Two Months since I had to say goodbye to an incredible puppy (who was now 72#).

He did everything with me in those 2 years and was such a positive influence in my life. I miss him so much, but know that it's not about me... but about that life I hope to touch through Hosta. I pray for that person who is meant to be Hosta's partner. I hope they can appreciate his quirks (and not blame me for them - ha ha), laugh with him, and allow him to love them.

I haven't heard an update on Hosta yet (I'm rather jealous of you puppy raisers who hear regular reports on how your pup is doing in college) - but hope to hear any day now that he has successfully passed his health/temperament evals. I hope I'm even lucky enough to know which career he has chosen and even get a potential grad date - but it might be a bit early for that.

Prissy Paws

2011-11-12T08:42:00.000-06:00

First off, let me just say it's been 2 full months since I turned Hosta in. And, I still miss him dreadfully, but know he's doing good work - learning everything he needs to change someone's life. I just can't wait to find out how and who's life he's going to be changing. I'm hoping to hear if he passed his physicals any day now. That news - although exciting, also comes with a tad bit of dread as it means Vance will be returning to KSDS soon.

So, enough of the emotional stuff:

On to more happy things - like the little white spot on Vance's left paw!

Or his pouty face when I take too many photos! Vance reminds me of a female golden trapped in a male lab's body. Which only makes him more funny. And my coworkers really enjoy his loving, cuddly, sweet nature. His favorite thing to do is go around to all my coworkers and lay his head in their lap! And when he does this - he just wags the tip of his tail. He would love being a social dog!

Birthday Boy!

2011-11-10T16:33:00.004-06:00

Today is Mr. Vance's 2nd birthday. To celebrate he got to play with Ellie one of his favorite new games and one of Ellie's most favorite games. Hey, 2 happy puppies for 1 game. I'm a smart puppy raiser! HA HA.

They "go to bed" and then I hide or hide a toy and then they get to go seek it out. Granted, Ellie has the advantage by knowing all my hiding places... it's a constant challenge to find new ones. She also has the advantage by knowing the name of all of the toys. But, Vance enjoys the hunt too.
Nice "Go to Bed"! Doesn't Vance look happy and Ellie look all serious? She takes her job of finding the toy VERY seriously and can't quite understand why I make her wait to take a picture instead of letting the hunt begin. Funny puppies! It also makes for very tired puppies for the evening!

A Little Bit of Work

2011-11-09T18:57:00.002-06:00

I had the full intention of taking lots of photos and sharing all about Vance's exciting day at the office today, but things have a way of changing, and so I just have a half of an exciting day.

Every morning, Vance begins his morning by going with me to put my sandwich in the fridge of our lunch room. He used to be a huge floor sniffer, but he he's getting better. At least he has always corrected very easily, so that's helped.
Then, off we go - usually with his full attention on me to my office. Vance has very good attentiveness. It does make me giggle though how he always looks surprised. It makes me thing he's had work done to his eyes or something. And helps with his "Blue Steel" impression. Funny boy.
It took him awhile to learn, and he is still sometimes slow and just squats instead of sits automatically at the door to "Fabulous Graphics". But, he is getting much much better. Repetition is a great teacher, and we have a LOT of doors.

The rest of the day - while I am working - he lays under my desk until it's time to go deliver tickets or jobs or just move around a bit and take a walk around the office. His newest skill is to retrieve his leash from the floor and hand it to me.

Friends

2011-11-04T20:29:00.001-05:00

It's nice to know that they are friends. I think this might mean Ellie doesn't miss Hosta any more? Wish it were that easy for me.

Vance's New Headgear!

2011-11-04T20:05:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, work consists of totally random things. One of the owners and his son decided to cut the sleeves and neck out of some of their shirts. If you knew these guys, this wouldn't seem random or odd. ha ha!

Anyway, Vance was in the mood for some new headgear - so, I cut him some ear holes... and he got a fancy new doo. he he. This was after my boss already sported one. Vance loves to follow the crowd and so he fit right in with my boss on this one!
Yep, any pup that gets to spend time with me will be well versed in random experiences. How this might help him become an excellent assistance dog, I'm not sure - but it sure was funny!

disABILITY Expo

2011-11-01T16:47:00.001-05:00

After the Vets 4 Pets event, Callie and I headed to The Great Mall where we met up with some more KSDS grads for a disABILITY Expo. It was a great event! There were lots of disability advocacy programs there and many I didn't even know about! I enjoyed visiting each of the booths and talking with all the people.

Vance got some attention - which he LOVED!

And we had a great showing of KSDS Service Dog teams! All wonderful people! Vance is in that pic too... can you spot the black shadow?

The majority of people and groups there were for deaf individuals and so many, many people stopped by our booth asking about hearing dogs. I think I ended up referring almost everyone I talked to to CCI for their hearing dog program. It's nice to know other puppy raisers/schools so in instances like this I can recommend a school for someone. Ask Paige, I did it for her too!

Vance and Elf were enjoying each other's company!

One of the fun side events they had the pink fire trucks in the parking lot! I guess these pink trucks travel the country (including visiting our Northern friends in Canada). I had never heard of this tour before, but it was fun to see all the pink fire trucks and firemen in pink!

Vance showing his support of finding a cure with this really cool ribbon!

And, since he missed out on our annual visit to the fire station, this was his chance to get in with a fireman. Actually, one of the firemen who participates in our annual training was here at this event dressed up (he's not pictured). But, when we walked up, he got so excited and started bragging to all his fire person friends. It was cute to hear him get so excited and share about all he does to expose the pups to firemen. I was impressed he took the yearly adventures so seriously! And, I need to brag myself... every year to thank the firemen, I bake cookies - and he mentioned how our group always leaves them the best cookies!!! *blush*

Enough about me, on to the additional adventures. There was also this pink fire hydrant which was a robot and sang and rolled around. Vance pretty much ignored it. Everyone around me obviously made comments about how I better watch that he not lift his leg on it - of course, the public never seems to believe me that you can teach a dog not to do that!!! (well, teach might be the wrong word...)

And, it was SOOOO windy outside that Vance's ears did little dances of their own. He was not cooperating with looking at the camera, so this was the best one I got. I like to think that he was trying to live up to his air force namesake and grow his own wings!

The fun thing about these pink fire trucks was that the public was allowed to crawl/climb all over them. So, I had Vance "jump on" so I could see if I could get a cool pic of him through the window. But, the windows were tinted, and him being black - well, it didn't work out like I wanted... so there is this.
And a view from this side.

And, Vance getting some love by the firemen in pink!

And, to wrap it all up - giving me some love. When all I really wanted was a pic that looked more like:
Notice his "Blue Steel" impression?

Vets 4 Pets

2011-10-30T16:39:00.002-05:00

Saturday was a very busy day. We had two KSDS events to attend. The first one was Vets 4 Pets. A local VFW has made KSDS their charity of choice. They hosted a pet parade and costume contest at their post and the entry fee was either a monetary donation to KSDS or a bag of pet food for their pet food pantry.

Callie joined me at this event.

And so did Vance. The members of the VFW were especially excited to have pups from the military litter there. Vance and his sister Ocean showed up to participate in the festivities.
Vance brought out his blue boa to show off his style.
This pup was an attendee and I thought it was a cute costume.
Callie also helped me give a presentation about KSDS. She showed off Elf's advanced commands. The post is currently raising money to sponsor a service dog placement for a veteran so having Callie there to show off what a service dog could do was nice. Especially since Vance had been doing so incredibly well at retrieving my keys, but once in front of people got shy I suppose and wouldn't do it.

Murphy

2011-10-29T09:44:00.002-05:00

Last Friday, my coworker got an Old English Sheepdog puppy. He's always had OES's and always will. This Friday he brought him into work to meet everyone. This was my first time seeing a puppy OES. And boy was he cute!
Vance did really well with meeting Murphy. He was a bit like - what are you? You don't look like a lab... and kinda confused as to why Murphy kept wanting to chase his tail! But, did really well overall.

Vance did get jealous of Murphy sitting in my lap. Vance wanted to be there and thought I should be paying more attention to him!

Murphy is a confident, rather stubborn, cuddly puppy. He is 9 weeks old and over 20#s already - can you believe it? Hosta was only 8#s at that age. I enjoyed meeting Murphy and look forward to future visits from him at work. Maybe he'll get to meet my future pups like his predecessor has met all my previous pups!

So honored

2011-10-28T20:58:00.002-05:00

This week, I got several cards from KSDS letting me know that several donations had been given in honor of Hosta "Hot Stuff" Pasta! I know they were in honor of Hosta, but I couldn't help but be honored.

Thanks to J, J's mom, and E for the thoughtful gifts!

Feeling Crafty

2011-10-26T19:24:00.002-05:00

I usually do a puppy print in clay for each of my puppies (well, not Runza, I didn't think of it when I had him). I usually do it on their first day home and their last week with me. It's fun to look back and see the size difference in their paws from when you first get them, to the big paws when they leave.

So, I decided to do Vance's paws tonight. I put the date as his birthday cause well, that's more meaningful then some random date like today. I'll give it to Sarah to give to his future person when he graduates. Hope they enjoy it!

Photo Shoot.

2011-10-25T15:05:00.005-05:00

Every year about this time, my sister, brother-in-law and myself get together for a photo shoot. It's generally a way to get an image for our Christmas cards. This year I took Vance along for a few. Heck, even though he's on an extended puppy sit, I gotta weasel my way into his puppy book somehow right? ha ha!

I think this one is my favorite - and will be my holiday card this year. It's definitely a strong contender - that's for sure!

And, an outtake. It was a fun day.

Ethiopian Adventure

2011-10-24T18:38:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year for visiting a pumpkin patch

2011-10-23T14:02:00.002-05:00

Saturday was a beautiful day here in the Kansas City area. A wonderful day to take in a pumpkin patch! We met up with S and Miami (not pictured) and B and Aria for some good times making memories. The place we visited was very welcoming of the working dogs and made every effort to make sure our visit was pleasant. It is always great when you find a place that is like that. So it was well worth the 45 minute trip east to visit! Although, my sis later in the day told me of another one that I might want to give a go next year with my new PIT.

Vance measured just over 2'. And, as you can tell, wasn't too keen on the picture taking opportunities. He was much more interested in the kiddos passing by.

One of the first stops at the pumpkin patch was the petting zoo. Or, rather, in this case, the looking zoo. These geese were making quite a ruckus.

And, Vance wasn't nearly as cooperative about sticking his head through the hole as Hosta was. I guess being goofy like this really is a drag on his Blue Steel impression.

And, he didn't really mind any of the animals. He did however find all the feed they were selling for people to give the animals highly exciting. We spent the entire time in the petting zoo area ignoring the animals but in a constant state of "leave it" with the delicious kibbles on the ground.

See, ignoring the cow and looking for the food that the kids drop.

Again, who cares about that sheep... he is just interested in the food. I know he's hoping for that moment when I take my mind off him for a second to work the camera and he'll use that opportunity to go for it. Too bad he doesn't realize that I know that and he'll never get that chance.

And, we had to take him by the chickens so he could remember what it was like in Iowa.

The animal he seemed most interested in was this pig.

And, no better way to get out of the petting zoo than by a slide.
Not a very graceful sliding experience, but... gotta give him some credit for trying it right?

And, here is all four of our puppies together by the pumpkins.
It turned into a test as to who could hold their stay for the longest. And, Vance won. Although he doesn't look extremely thrilled.

He actually just got bored and laid down.

Then, there was this trike track. And, it had all these huts of corn stalks. They were definitely for kids, because the two of us didn't fit in it... but, it was fun to get in touch with my inner child!

And, in the effort of exposing him to all sorts of crazy, wacky things... I tried out my hand on the trike.
So many wonderful things at the pumpkin patch. There was this corn maze for children (I wasn't about to pay another $10 for the adult corn maze). This was again to make Vance feel at home - or to remind him of Iowa! Maybe it worked, cause he was a pro at finding his way around... although I have a hunch since we met a zillion kids going the other direction, that we started at the end and ended at the front!
Next up - was a trip out to the pumpkin patch in a hay ride/tractor pull... not sure what exactly you call it. But, all the dogs did well.
Look, Vance and I match today!

And, in an effort to try to match Hosta's amazing skills of sitting on anything anywhere ... Vance had to show off by sitting on this very colorful tractor tire!

And, then it was off to pretend to be pirates (who don't do anything).

And, once again - Vance shows off his Iowa roots by driving a tractor!

This was fun - it was a sound garden. I tried to beat the pans, hold Vance (who was nervous at first), and take a picture and this kid kept telling me I was doing it all wrong. So, I just let him beat the pans so Vance could get used to it.

And, this made me feel like Cinderella (now where's that Prince Charming?) riding in my pumpkin carriage.

And, last but not least on our adventure was the pig races. I was just positive Vance would totally ignore those little piggies running around the track.

But boy was I wrong.... he jumped up, whirled around and wanted to jump the fence to go after them. Good thing they ran 2 more races so we could work on "leave it".

Just one of THOSE weeks

2011-10-21T20:50:00.002-05:00

It's been a LONG, difficult, stressful, crazy work week. So, Vance hasn't gotten a lot of after work activities. But, there is one thing he has gotten to do - and that is enjoy the backyard with his friends Ellie and Mko.

I'm rather scared to think what he's telling Ellie about here. It obviously wasn't very bad, because Ellie is my strongest advocate and she would have told him off if he was saying naughty things! ha ha!

And, there isn't much that is more relaxing or stress relieving than spending the evening with a doggie (or two or three) that just enjoys a good cuddle.

Mko

2011-10-19T08:39:00.002-05:00

Mko is back for a visit. He's a guide dog, but recently had some surgery where it's inadvisable for him to pull in his harness till the stitches heal fully. So, while his partner was away on vacation, he gets to have a little vacation with me and the gang. He's a fun dog to have around - super cuddly and a voracious eater (like any lab!). Him and Vance have been playing and playing with a few times of me separating them for getting a bit too excited. It's been virtually impossible keeping any toys in the basket with him helping Vance to keep them all over the floor. Ellie just stares at them like they are crazy and prefers to cuddle with me.

Surprise: Birthday

2011-10-16T17:48:00.002-05:00

The KC Marathon gave me a perfect excuse for having my parents in town to celebrate my sister's birthday! Yep - it was a surprise - so what if we celebrated it 2 weeks before hand to help throw her off the trail! ha ha.

But, she deserved it and Vance got to help!

He was a super helper by helping hold down the balloons!

Now, that takes talent! I didn't think he would just leave it alone and not move his paw, but he did. He took his job VERY seriously. (Actually, he takes any job he is given very seriously. He gets this very serious face and is always so deliberate when he is given a task - it makes me laugh) And, I just let him hold it however long he wanted to - and he held the balloons this way for 45 minutes! Way longer than I thought he would! It made all my sister's friends and coworkers who showed up laugh. Vance definitely has a good sense of humor!

And, after all that holding down the balloons meant that Vance got a photo with the birthday girl. And, let me tell you - while this photo was being taken, his tail was going 90 to nothing against the wall behind us. HE LOVES being touched. I could just hear him saying "I am such a lucky dog, I'm so good, I'm such a lucky dog, such a lucky dog!"

KC Marathon

2011-10-16T16:25:00.003-05:00

Saturday morning took us to downtown KC for the KC Marathon. My sister, brother-in-law and dad were running in the half marathon. And my mom was in the 5K. Wish I had known about the 5K... I would have participated with her. But, I didn't know they had that, so we just went down and watched them finish.

And, after my mom finished the 5k - she held Vance for me so I could take photos of my BIL/Sis/dad as they finished. I wasn't too sure how this would work out, because usually dogs try to take advantage of my mom.

Luckily, Vance isn't too distracted by other other dogs - as you can see in the above photo where another dog is going bonkers at Vance.

My mom did get to experience one of the "Interesting" people that we sometimes meet in public though. Apparently a grown man came up and kneeled in front of Vance and started playing and talking baby talk and stuff to him and getting him all riled up. But, she survived that one! ha ha - maybe now she can be considered initiated! ha ha.

It's nice to see Vance is already attached to me!

And, here is a photo of my dad after finishing his first half marathon! I'm so enormously proud of him for trying something not only very new - but very hard! And, not only trying... but succeeding - in a big way!

And, one of the main reasons why I took Vance, was so he could work through it. He got to work on ignoring tons and tons of people!

My sister and brother in law of course ran and if I remember right - both had personal bests! Two thumbs up!

And, Vance and myself above the finish line.

Wordless Wednesday: Working like a Dog

2011-10-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday KSDS Gathering

2011-10-10T20:44:00.003-05:00

Sunday afternoon was Vance's first visit to our KC area KSDS gatherings. We had a smaller group than normal, but we still had a great time.

We let the dogs play for the first 45 minutes and let them get some of their wiggles out.

This photo just makes me laugh!

Then, we did some distraction exercises. Well, after we did some puppyless exercises learning about how dogs learn. I had fun, hope everyone else did too. But, during the distractions, we had two people rolling/bouncing balls on one side of the room and then the dog needed to start in a sit in the blue hula hoops and we had to heel our dog with a loose lead past the bouncing rolling noisemaker balls rolling around the room and then sit in the pink hula hoop while the puppy raiser goes back to the starting point (the blue hula hoop) and recalls the dog past all those distractions.

Vance, being one of two of his litter (the oldest puppies in training) there - I expected him to be able to do this really well and made him hold his stay for a full 2 minutes. He is also very toy motivated, and even though he really really really wanted to go after the balls, held his stay and remained focused! GOOD BOY VANCE!

Then, came the big challenge. Recall! Would he come to me - or go after the moving balls?

He came to me! Way to go Vance - I was so proud of him. Although, I shouldn't have doubted him. Sarah made sure he came to me with an amazing recall.

And, just because she is cute - here is Vance's sister Oceana. I love her black mascara around her eyes. She's a bit bigger than Vance, but has the same sweet personality.

Ren Fest

2011-10-08T21:00:00.006-05:00

Today, Vance and I spent the majority of the day with B and Aria at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. It was the first time I had been ages, so had quite an experience waiting for us.

We started out watching a man juggle and throw knives at his wife (although, that must be quite a woman, who is willing to have her husband throw knives at her for a living!).

And, he also balanced his dog on his chin. I asked Vance if he wanted to try - but he didn't really seem interested in that one! One of the funny moments happened when the man who was doing all these goofy tricks came and grabbed the program out of B's hand (she was trying to schedule our day and not paying attention to him) and he was joking with her about how it was hurting his feelings. And then he tossed it back to her from the stage, but it didn't go very far, and he mentioned to the crowd that we were training service dogs and wanted to know if the dogs would retrieve it. I popped up to get Vance to retrieve it - but a gentleman ran in front of me and grabbed it to give it to me. So, I just played along with the fun and told the man "Good boy!" The entire audience, and namely the juggling, dog balancing man, and the man who picked up the program started laughing really hard! It was fun.

Next, we headed over to where Robin Hood was scheduled to challenge Little John on the bridge. We got great front row seats. And, while we were waiting, this lady in waiting wanted to get some puppy love!

This is B and I with our pups while we wait for the show. The goofy nut with the weird facial expression behind us was B's son's friend and was being a dork since B's son was taking the photo.

Vance was very interested in the goings on on the bridge and kept peeking around the post to catch the best glimpse. The more they got into the fighting the more agitated he got though. I think he knew they weren't being nice to one another and wanted to diffuse the situation. Of course, when they fell into the water, it took all of his self-control to not jump in with them.

After that, we decided to just look around for a bit and see some more shows later. We headed up to were the llamas, camels and elephants were. Aria was very aware of the animals, but Vance didn't notice them at all. He was however, very aware of all the people around. (Have I ever mentioned how he just LOVES people?)

See, even with the elephants, Aria was all about the elephants and Vance was looking off to the left where this kid was hanging on the ropes. Dorky dog!

Part of the fun of the day was all the costumes. Neither dog seemed phased by all the silly hats, the men in tight tights, the puffy costumes, the odd shoes, the clangy, hangy accessories, or anything else people had as part of their wardrobe!

We met some wonderful ladies in beautiful dresses!

And watched a washer woman show which was quite entertaining. Although, Vance used this opportunity to take a wee bit of a nap.

And, I must have shrunk this week - because we found a very tall knight.

And an oddly shaped, but really tall tree walker.

And, Vance had met one of these gypsy dancers earlier in the day and just absolutely adored him. So, he just had to watch him shake his hips! All in all - it was a fun day and Vance came home exhausted. Didn't even try to beg me to play with his goughnut!

I finally get it...

2011-10-04T20:09:00.002-05:00

A few months back, I posted about how my coworkers thought I looked shorter when I had Hosta with me. Now I finally get it...

Actually, a client needed a dog dressed up like a super hero and I happened to have this photo of Hosta, and it just worked out! I am however excited to hear how well it was received at the event. Vance didn't know what to think at first! He just stared at it and would do that puppy cock of his head! I'd say he has some big paws to fill wouldn't you?

Today

2011-10-02T18:19:00.002-05:00

It's a terrible picture (but it's from a cell phone). This is of Vance at his first time attending my church. He was quite restless, and rather vocal. But, he'll get used to it. It was communion today too - so he got to go up for that. I think the man holding the tray thought I wanted Vance to have some because he held the tray sooooo low I had to correct Vance for sniffing at it. After I corrected Vance, the man lifted it back up. That had never happened before - so was odd... but, it all worked out. Another thing I thought was a bit odd, on the way in, a man said "He's back!" I turned around behind me to see if he was talking about someone else and he elaborated and said "The dog". I had to laugh - although in my head I was thinking - how could he be back... he's never been here before. But, I suppose Hosta and Vance must look more alike than I thought! *giggle* (And, a total side note: I have been raising for 7 years, and my boss hasn't been able to remember one of my pups names. But, for some reason, he could remember Vance's after the first week. It might be even more funny if you knew that on my name plaque on my cube the name of the dog is included... and hasn't yet been changed from Hosta to Vance. He told me he could remember Vance's name because it was a client's name. I guess I need to submit a "Client" theme litter so my boss can remember my dog's name!)

In other news, this afternoon, we were on a walk. We were crossing the street and it has huge pedestrians have right away signs with flashing lights and everything. I was about 3/4 of the way across the street and although all the other cars had stopped for me, this one didn't. Or, almost didn't. It came to a SCREACHING halt, with the smell of burning rubber, smoke from the tires on asphalt and everything. I was just SURE that it would be the end of Ellie and myself and probably Vance too. I had no where to go, but it stopped just short of us Thank God! Neither dog reacted. The speed limit on that street is only 25 mph, so definitely slow enough that it shouldn't have warranted that kind of reaction. So, I'd say they were massively speeding. After turning the corner, we went up the hill along the street and the tire marks on the pavement were really long! Scary stuff.

Antsy Pants Vance

2011-10-01T09:14:00.003-05:00

This video was taken when we were at the park of Vance. He does this dance every time he wants me to throw his toy. It's this dance that got him the nickname Antsy Pants Vance. He is still working on learning to sit and wait so I can throw it and then release him to go get it. But, it's okay, he'll get it.

Going Out to Eat

2011-09-27T20:00:00.002-05:00

After work tonight, we called up C and asked if she wanted to go out to dinner. She said sure, so we piled in her car and headed out.

Vance waits patiently for the ramp to come down so he can exit the vehicle.

And then waits till I give him the release command to come to me.

Then, he has to sit patiently while C and Elf exit the vehicle.

Then we wait patiently while the waiter comes to take our order.

And then Vance spots a fly - and takes keen interest! ha ha.

Not our most exciting outing, but it's the day to day kind of stuff that is also very important to experience for a puppy in training. Vance did well though, no food scavenging and no playing with Elf under the table.

Playing with the Goughnut

2011-09-26T19:07:00.002-05:00

So, after a good day at the office, Vance got to do what he loves - PLAY with the GOUGHNUT!

Him and Ellie take turns retrieving it - playing chase - playing tug, etc.

Or, after it gets dark... Ellie curls up on the couch with it and Vance knows all he can do is sit there and stare at her with it it. He does make me laugh!

Vance at Work

2011-09-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

Vance continues to go with me to work. Although, it's gotten a bit easier at work. I'm back in my department - which means I'm in a department that I'm more comfortable. But, we are still VERY busy (which is good... means I keep a job.)

So, that means, although I'm back in my department, I still need to help out with other departments when necessary. And, being the only employee who is cross-trained in 3 different departments... I get to do lots of extra things. One thing we did today was cutting down proofs. The above photo is Vance, sitting politely and patiently near the light table where I was cutting down the proofs (which the remainder are sitting on the laser in the foreground.) At this time I was unjamming the [evil] laser printer. Yep, this puppy raiser is a multi-tasker too! he he!

Then, after we were done with that - it was back to my desk. Down and under for Vance. Or in this case... just an under. Isn't he cute? Who could resist that face?

And, after a full day at the office, it was time to go. Vance was very ready to go home! Good boy Vance - you deserve some time with the goughnut!

Gone Swimming

2011-09-25T18:20:00.002-05:00

It was nice out today, so we took the dogs out for some off-leash playtime. Joining Spark and Vance were Elf, Encore and Aria. So, it was a small KSDS puppy party!

The pups especially loved playing in the water for probably the last time of the year.

Vance is in the foreground and Aria and Spark are in the background.

Elf, Encore and Vance.
Spark LOVED swimming.

Plaza Art Fair

2011-09-24T22:09:00.002-05:00

The adventure continues...

With a trip to the highly acclaimed Plaza Art Fair. Several hundred artists from across the nation converge on the Plaza and show off/sell their talents to throngs of people. So, although I love art and enjoy seeing all the amazing skills of these people - we were really going down there for the dogs.

Mr Vance tends to enjoy soliciting attention from everyone. (Which is great should he choose to be a social dog - but not so great should he choose to be a guide dog or service dog). So, today was going to be an experiment for him, to see if he could keep his focus in massive crowds.

Now, as people distracted as Vance is - he really doesn't care about other dogs. Which was good because there was a great hoard of people who had their dogs with them. Vance ignored each and every dog! Whoo hooo... well, each and every dog, except this one - who didn't really move like a dog exactly, or smell like a dog exactly. Yep, it was a marionette. And the man working him did a really good job, but Vance is smart enough to know that's not normal and wanted to check it out.

Then, we headed down and watched kids learning how to make pottery.

And, the random bubble machine was quite fascinating for Vance.

And, we had to get a photo with some clients of mine at work - this is at the Culture House tent. They are an arts school.

And, while I was talking on the phone to B who was meeting us there, Vance worked on his "here ups" with Callie. Now to learn how not to go straight to kisses after the here up!

And, we finally caught up with B - she had Aria (FYL) and Encore (MBL). Just to show you the size of tiny little Vance, Encore is 8 months younger and is the huge guy on the left. Makes Mr. Vance look very petite.

And, I was trying to get a photo of the crowds, but each time, Vance would stick his nose in the camera. So, this is the best I could do - although it really wasn't very crowded on this block.

And, when we got back in the van to take them home, both puppies crashed.

Crown Center

2011-09-24T20:21:00.013-05:00

Saturday, we headed out to Crown Center to begin the first part of our adventures.

To start, we visited the Crayola store. They have lots of fun, interactive things to do and Vance was very obliging to me to be as goofy with him as possible. Here, he is showing off how even without opposable thumbs, he can not only help someone - but also spell his name. Who knows, if he goes to a young, school aged person - this could come in VERY handy. Jake, the Bushs baked bean dog has some competition!

Oh, well, I guess we all get by with a little help from our friends right?

And, since last time Hosta went to the Crayola store with me, I did outlines of Hosta's paw and my handprint - well, we had to do the same thing with Vance right? Although, Vance thought I needed some kisses for encouragement because apparently I did a good job!

You can barely see the outlines of our "paw" prints - but they are there!

C and Elf enjoyed their time shopping too!

And, as we were leaving, we saw a graphic of an airplane. We just had to get a photo of him by it since he was named after Vance Air Force Base. Although, Vance does have this talent of looking totally spooked in all photos. I really think it's less of a spook look and more of his impression of Zoolander's Blue Steel.

Vance giving his previously mentioned "Blue Steel" look next to Clifford. I was missing my big red dog, so when we saw this one... I just had to get a photo.

After we finished at the Crayola store, we headed out to experience The Link. C and Elf had to take the lift and it was a fun to get this photo of them coming up the lift.

Near where the lift and The Link starts is this waterfall. It wasn't crowded so we got a photo.
While we were getting a photo, Elf found something interesting on the ceiling. We couldn't figure out what he was seeing, but it was apparently something quite amusing.

On The Link, there is this lookout over downtown KC. You can see the newest pride of KC - the Kauffman Performing Arts Center. It was one photo where Vance was looking normal - and not giving me his Derrick Zoolander impression.

Once at the other end of The Link and inside Union Station - we found this statue and thought it would be fun to get a photo of Mr. Uncooperative.

And, they had this cute, little exhibit about model trains and rails. It being Union Station and the rail station - it was rather appropriate.

Vance liked that the windows were low enough that he could watch all the trains go by. He really enjoyed following all the trains moving all over the - um, do they call it a scene.

Here is a look at part of the set up.

Then, we were ready to head back to our car so we could continue on our next portion of our adventure. So, we got crammed into an elevator.

It's Today - and you should check it out.

2011-09-24T07:29:00.000-05:00

Natural Disasters... What about the Animals?

FREE AND WEBCAST

Sept 24, 2011
8:30am - 4:00 pm

This conference will take place in Manhattan KS and via a live webcast. Go to this page to viewthe livestream: http://ome.ksu.edu/webcast/human-animal-bond/

* Who Should Participate? *
Animal Owners
University Students/Faculty/Staff
Cooperative Extension Professionals
Public Safety Personnel (Police, Fire Fighters, Health Care Providers, etc.)
Staff of Pet-related Organizations

Sponsored by Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, K-State Research and Extension, and the Family Caregiving and Companion Animals Communities of Practice, members of the eXtension National Initiative.

Please contact me if you would like more information or if I can answer any questions for you. Please share broadly!

A teensy, tiny update

2011-09-22T16:51:00.002-05:00

I got a tiny update from the puppy raiser coordinator today on Hosta. And, it's good news! I must admit, when I saw I got an email from her I held my breath for a bit in nervous anticipation. But, when I saw the first lines were "Hosta is doing well." I breathed a bit easier. He has passed his eye test and they are just waiting on the results of the OFA. (He also has to formally pass his temperament test - but that's done over a several week period and he is doing well so far.) He is adjusting well to the kennel environment and he plays well with others. His favorite part of the day is when they take the dogs out to play in Banner Park (The dog play yards named for the first golden breeder at KSDS).

It's not much, but it means he's passed at least 1 hurdle on the way to becoming a great, although goofy, assistance dog! Keep up the good work Hosta - we don't call you Hot Stuff for nothing!!

Vance: Work

2011-09-20T15:49:00.001-05:00

Vance's first week at work he pretty much got thrown into the fire. It was super chaotic because a coworker was gone for surgery and so I had to take over his department and it was incredibly busy.

So, he got lots of practice in a "down/stay".

And lots of practice holding his "down/stay" as things randomly fell on him, like this excess vinyl material from a banner.

Happy Birthday

2011-09-19T09:19:00.000-05:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Hosta! I miss you SO much, but know you have a special purpose. Hope you have a great birthday and that you get to spend part of it playing with your siblings!

Meeting a fellow blogger!

2011-09-18T13:24:00.001-05:00

Oh yesterday was SOOO exciting and the wait up to it was filled with so much anticipation! I love all my friends out there in the blogger world. Yes, I do consider you friends, and I am so pleased to have many of you as friends on Facebook as well. And, my goal is to eventually get to meet as many of you wonderful people as I can cause it always makes me happy to see a familiar face and you all are obviously good people - heck, you surround yourselves with dogs - who wouldn't want to know you!?

When I heard fellow blogger Kimberly was going to be in the KC area I messaged her to see if she could spare an hour or two to meet up. Luckily for me, she was happy (I hope! he he) to oblige!

So, Saturday, we met up at Zio's in Independence. She has good timing because I saw them getting out as I was getting Vance out of the car. Vance thought Abby was really hot - heck, it's the first female black lab he's met here in KC! She was also the first female lab he's met that isn't bigger than him, so that stroked his manhood a bit! Thanks Abby!

We got seated quickly and Abby fell right to sleep, like a good guide dog.

And Vance, got the people watching seat since we sat by the aisle. He got to see lots of teen girls in formal dresses doing their teen girl formal chatter. He did really good about just watching though and not getting up trying to solicit attention.

I loved getting to meet Kim, her husband and her grandfather. The conversation was so easy it had felt like we have known each other for years. (Which, technically, I guess we have... but you get the idea). I was so sorry to have to cut out for another commitment I had made since the time had flown so quickly. But, I am hoping to get to see them again sometime!

Vance meets his sister

2011-09-18T12:00:00.001-05:00

This weekend, Vance got to meet his sister Oceana! It was the first time they had seen each other since they were 7 weeks old. I think they definitely remembered one another because we had to constantly remind them not to play with each other. But, it was fun to see them together again!

Friday Night Lights!

2011-09-17T10:25:00.003-05:00

Vance has been a very busy boy this week. Something going every night. Friday night, we attended a local high school football game. Another puppy raiser's son is in the marching band, so we went to see him play. B took Shelby and I of course took Vance (I keep calling him Hosta, so by the time he goes back he might be a bit confused.)

Vance and Shelby were ready to start off the football festivities! Wow, from this pic it looks like Vance is smaller than Shelby.

We were getting to the game just as they were starting the pregame events. So, we had to stop and watch the Navy ROTC raise the flag to the Star Spangled Banner. Good thing Vance was sporting his Air Force bandana. He did puff out his chest a bit too. I think he likes getting his photo taken in front of the American flag. He knows he is a military pup!

Then, off to the stands, where he kept my feet warm on a cold, misty night.

And, some photo fun. This guy is such a blast to have around. I'm really enjoying him and enjoying being able to continue to have a leash in my hand.

He was very interested in the game. He enjoyed watching every minute.

He especially liked watching the band.

See - I got a photo to prove it.

We had a great time - even though it was freezing cold.

Shelby didn't want to wake up for the photo, so here is an overhead photo of the two pups (and our knees).
And, since Vance is relatively people distracted, we let the children of B's friends pet Shelby, but Vance had to try to maintain self control and not solicit attention. He likes people so much. So, in the big crowds he did want to try to meet everyone, but corrected easily enough, and even ignored all the food and things on the ground and crazy, goofy, and sometimes rude high schoolers.

He came home and slept SO hard.

Vance

2011-09-17T09:06:00.002-05:00

I have mentioned my coworker whose father has cancer. Well, this week, the doctor's gave him six months to live. She was understandably distressed.

Loving people is one of Vance's best traits. I just had a hunch this coworker needed some Vance time. He was so nice, giving polite high fives, and little kisses and laying his head so gently on her lap. She laughed for the first time in a long while with how he could hold his sit, but his tail was thumping so hard against the cabinet in her room because he was so happy to just love her. I hope (or rather just know) it was very therapeutic for her to hug him and put her head on his shoulder and shed a few tears on a dog's fur who understood exactly what she needed was some unconditional love and who allowed her to be vulnerable.

Dog's are just amazing how they can heal a hurting heart. I know, him and Ellie have worked some overtime helping heal mine!

Drag Queen Bingo

2011-09-16T22:22:00.003-05:00

This post is a bit late. Wednesday, B and Shelby and her son and myself and Vance headed out to a fundraiser at a local eatery for the Kidney Foundation. It was a bingo game hosted by a drag queen.

So, Vance thought he should dress up for the occasion to try to better fit in. Doesn't he look fancy!?

And, this is me multi-tasking with Vance in his spiffy new digs. I figured he wouldn't even walk with all that stuff around his neck. But, aside from a few shakes, he did really well and didn't bother it. I had to wrap it around a few extra times so it made him look like he had a really, really long neck so he didn't step on it, but he was very tolerant.

Here, is after we found our seat. I again thought once we were seated he'd start playing with all the feathers, but he left it. Funny guy, he wore it for 3 hours like he had been wearing one his whole life. Although, I think he is embarrassed that I did take plenty of photos and plan on showing them to his partner when he graduates! HE HE!

Shelby thought the whole thing was rather boring and fell right to sleep.

And, here is our drag queen host checking her teeth in a bald man's head.

I was hoping to get a photo of him in his boa with her, but it didn't work out where I could. So this is the best I could do. It was fun and loud and the people that witnessed Vance's boa hooted and hollered at him cheering him on!