tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43853921737048836862024-02-19T01:25:49.611-05:00McLean Puppy ChroniclesMcLean Puppy Chronicles: What happens when you do the unthinkable and open yourself up to raise a puppy to give away to someone else: You create joy and freedom for a visually impaired person. We're puppy raisers for Southeastern Guide Dogs. Read about our journey.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger690125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-3928276236451951432017-01-22T15:50:00.000-05:002017-01-22T15:50:35.026-05:00Kahj - Out and About Kahj started off this week with his little handkerchief and a slow life in library. We did have some classes in the library, so he had a lesson or two in how to sleep during class.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoo5F2sqy_n88pms3eyFbmdi-svN2tAIbCizSX4gd3WQhOuwlxTHC5tNv9_4k3AO3__6b7vI2r1fynGTl1xhfKTm1VusZd14DxVW4fUUsFt7HZgH7eYMWgV0DCHiC1ZUK0T48zykU28tM/s1600/kahjbooks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoo5F2sqy_n88pms3eyFbmdi-svN2tAIbCizSX4gd3WQhOuwlxTHC5tNv9_4k3AO3__6b7vI2r1fynGTl1xhfKTm1VusZd14DxVW4fUUsFt7HZgH7eYMWgV0DCHiC1ZUK0T48zykU28tM/s320/kahjbooks.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahj lying down on the library floor in front of the books.</td></tr>
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However, at the end of the week, when we got word that he was getting his coat that evening, he did go to a class that day. It was one of my small classes and they were very good. Kahj is what our Area Coordinator Lois calls a slug: meaning if he doesn't move for at least 30 seconds, he falls asleep. Now, we also have a new manual and with that new manual comes some new commands. One of them is the PLACE command. This PLACE command is going to come in great with classes because I will be able to set his Kong mat down, tell Kahj PLACE and then have him go to sleep, which is what happened on Friday. Easy, peasey.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RUSH E period with Landon holding Kahj. Landon won the "nose goes" contest to hold Kahj for the photo.</td></tr>
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After class was over, we had a quick nose goes contest, which Landon won, in order to see who would hold Kahj for the class photo. As you can see in the photo, Kahj is pretty limp, as he just woke up from his long nap.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahj sleeping in his "place" in my office. </td></tr>
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Kahj also has a crate he can retreat to in my office. He loves his crate and is very comfortable hanging out taking naps in there.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VS66erS8XZz4g3DnCrPInNWpIOFmNjbSKuup_KA97c6YVq3mSoHwLrHeSexGpf5-5gVhyphenhyphenBO85foYGLrQbthcc3JKMGWh3vuxT_eackWs34CQvL142lOeiglovBLfN-C-ZUN5iQh6pE-1/s1600/kahjatcassisincoat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VS66erS8XZz4g3DnCrPInNWpIOFmNjbSKuup_KA97c6YVq3mSoHwLrHeSexGpf5-5gVhyphenhyphenBO85foYGLrQbthcc3JKMGWh3vuxT_eackWs34CQvL142lOeiglovBLfN-C-ZUN5iQh6pE-1/s320/kahjatcassisincoat.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahj showing off his coat at Cassis.</td></tr>
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We also took Kahj out to breakfast this Sunday with Jam and he did great. Everyone thought he was the bomb. Such a little cutie in his coat. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-85161722228629890832017-01-08T17:43:00.000-05:002017-01-08T17:43:20.254-05:00Kahj's First Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We now have our 8th guide dog puppy to raise from <a href="http://www.guidedogs.org/" target="_blank">Southeastern Guide Dogs</a> in Palmetto, FL. His name is Kahj and his sponsor is Theresa Wells.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwoM8OCY03hOwubdbA-UXWTY5et6NpjtNJsaUPWF9WkzQ6QmPudo9VtyAdZOprLU5PnxzdcESmfEuWdadpHzSemjXWot_54oDTAGFQzsEl6lYVa8XK8ktrSdoSCgveKFp960YNix7fp8E/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwoM8OCY03hOwubdbA-UXWTY5et6NpjtNJsaUPWF9WkzQ6QmPudo9VtyAdZOprLU5PnxzdcESmfEuWdadpHzSemjXWot_54oDTAGFQzsEl6lYVa8XK8ktrSdoSCgveKFp960YNix7fp8E/s320/IMG_1447.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left: Cheryl, Fred holding Kahj (a yellow lab) and Theresa, greeting him for the first time in the Southeastern Kennels on Dec. 30th, 2016.</td></tr>
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Theresa raised the money to sponsor and name Kahj and we agreed to raise him. Here's how Theresa tells the story of how his name came about:<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">"Yes, there is a story behind that name. Kahj is a future superhero AND charming prince. Kartie, my successor guide dog (we were matched back in January 2015 - he is one of elite extraordinaire) and I flew to Cleveland, OH to visit my daughter and her family to meet my second grandchild. My 5 years old grandson, Tahj had a HUGE fear of giant dogs and doesn't want any part of it especially with pictures. I was silent and very confident that it would change. When Tahj and Kartie met for the first time, I gave Tahj a few pieces of frozen green beans. They were 5 feet from each other -- Kartie sat there and decided to sit next to him waiting for the treat. Tahj gave him one piece at a time. Kartie was very, very gentle to him. After a few minutes, it's the love at first sight for both of them. Three days later, Tahj became so obsessed with Kartie and decided to have professional photo shoot with him! I was in awe how they got connected in just a few days. That's how I came up with the name after both of them, Kartie and Tahj. I decided to name Kahj to honor their unique connection!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA20xYpZnZt3n4H7_6bFYWD3GIg-td-h8bmZVu4imoPMKrZ4eIx_lwmHPpNIwexTV84Fr7d_KrxcqphxGRluBYNBxwSf_vwB06QHXR5u4mypLXDfy-B9i1a2AFZxwphYSRMJiMUwCIl8GO/s1600/IMG_1456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA20xYpZnZt3n4H7_6bFYWD3GIg-td-h8bmZVu4imoPMKrZ4eIx_lwmHPpNIwexTV84Fr7d_KrxcqphxGRluBYNBxwSf_vwB06QHXR5u4mypLXDfy-B9i1a2AFZxwphYSRMJiMUwCIl8GO/s320/IMG_1456.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of Theresa holding Kahj in her arms.</td></tr>
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His birthday was on Sept. 12th, 2016. So, when we got him, he was about 15 weeks old. We didn't have school on Monday the 2nd, but he did go to school with me on Wed. However, he spent the day in the library as we are doing a slow introduction of him into the school. <br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAO1SiDLXTDdTyPj7uXMcEQfBvD4tg4TUp5iqZwduq81vv_wldFc47FsvGjjl21PdqBqZFcDCEQJgbcrORlRPP6iwmaKn8jeHDwgNBfBr79DcSp0az1-ivBudYT8wSoy9AwU1rZWePwLYc/s1600/kahjcrate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAO1SiDLXTDdTyPj7uXMcEQfBvD4tg4TUp5iqZwduq81vv_wldFc47FsvGjjl21PdqBqZFcDCEQJgbcrORlRPP6iwmaKn8jeHDwgNBfBr79DcSp0az1-ivBudYT8wSoy9AwU1rZWePwLYc/s320/kahjcrate.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahj napping on his tie-down in my office.</td></tr>
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Since we didn't want to overwhelm him, we were very careful to only let a few people say hello to Kahj during his first day. Once his limit had been reached, no more visitors. One person at a time, and Kahj had to sit in order to say hello.<br />
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It helped that Kahj is calm and knows the sit command like the back of his paw.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaviU64LuNAealatd6ce4pGted_5HhtQnRfpNZXJC-EcOCKpAowbVI6IHfvymU8cYYNwL5WQ8hTOWSZi7QSqo6vilF-zFG8qNDkLXetpdyNrAabrHQwA1Pz2zGqDMfnZU1fkmrlCJxKfps/s1600/kahjelvis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaviU64LuNAealatd6ce4pGted_5HhtQnRfpNZXJC-EcOCKpAowbVI6IHfvymU8cYYNwL5WQ8hTOWSZi7QSqo6vilF-zFG8qNDkLXetpdyNrAabrHQwA1Pz2zGqDMfnZU1fkmrlCJxKfps/s320/kahjelvis.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahj showing off his sit. He has a little bit of an Elvis lip going on.</td></tr>
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Of course at home, he was a goof ball and would be silly and flip out and roll on his belly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMVr75Z8yf9ONaLc6MAKV0r5ud5S_4vvZrIBudUv3ObrtEdBNBaniOB3MRvoxuoWs8GgN4ip9o_kguCQsoVZIS4WtShHYdVAINka_YAZC1DN5ptEN84x0nyuQ9svyjQ3V_z3X8YFK1Zuf/s1600/kahjstomach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMVr75Z8yf9ONaLc6MAKV0r5ud5S_4vvZrIBudUv3ObrtEdBNBaniOB3MRvoxuoWs8GgN4ip9o_kguCQsoVZIS4WtShHYdVAINka_YAZC1DN5ptEN84x0nyuQ9svyjQ3V_z3X8YFK1Zuf/s320/kahjstomach.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahj sleeping on his back.</td></tr>
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Kahj's fist visitor was our good friend Michele Timothy. She is usually our first visitor to meet all of our puppies. They got along great.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUVBvEBg3YEPG3egcm1O32oIg7rIhzII4qJmVB89l0hDv7v-z0qqtSGtQaTKh48b1yMqkJWjOampxeUUh7h-EviUv6ieGH3Mt5UwL6lkGoWPGpsxpShjSlN18nZMf_r4yMrqcm-4zN7-Z/s1600/kahjtimothy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUVBvEBg3YEPG3egcm1O32oIg7rIhzII4qJmVB89l0hDv7v-z0qqtSGtQaTKh48b1yMqkJWjOampxeUUh7h-EviUv6ieGH3Mt5UwL6lkGoWPGpsxpShjSlN18nZMf_r4yMrqcm-4zN7-Z/s320/kahjtimothy.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michele with Kahj on her lap.</td></tr>
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Kahj also has the distinction of living with Jam, the dog who loves too much and Willow, the Duchess of Everything. Willow has already declared him lovely and made him her plaything. She rarely is immediately accepting of a puppy, preferring to have a period of grumpiness where she can bark her displeasure of having a young dog bother her. Much to our surprise, Kahj is sweet, calm and not at all bothersome. Willow loves him.</div>
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Jam has declared him a brother, although he could do without the occasional humping. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3M-VkCJNNlD3WfB_oI7bQRV6RQzMUenPD5tqYeZbVm6ARYO6OKiBpTj5FuVVV_cWDON-JcFnNdZu2h14Zd7eX356cH-du0_DGzgP57psAlEKBRkmiW-N-lxQ4eecARNMzIc00N7iZAwy/s1600/kahjandjam-1+Digit+Serial+Number_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3M-VkCJNNlD3WfB_oI7bQRV6RQzMUenPD5tqYeZbVm6ARYO6OKiBpTj5FuVVV_cWDON-JcFnNdZu2h14Zd7eX356cH-du0_DGzgP57psAlEKBRkmiW-N-lxQ4eecARNMzIc00N7iZAwy/s320/kahjandjam-1+Digit+Serial+Number_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jam and Kahj share some toys together.</td></tr>
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All in all, it has been an amazing first week with a delightful new puppy. We know that every puppy is different and this one is no exception. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJbw2l0icvlwa8x2oHgNR6Fq_bkMiW85WdIqnN_9PMNyANshQvGcD9qZ3MW2zoxFWYNUkrQ3hibyBqsY6cr4zZ32B_0mcPrfUrvdwA0y2djkbpzgl6PY7hB1TVraC7wG1891RGVgW2GqP/s1600/kahjandjam-1+Digit+Serial+Number_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJbw2l0icvlwa8x2oHgNR6Fq_bkMiW85WdIqnN_9PMNyANshQvGcD9qZ3MW2zoxFWYNUkrQ3hibyBqsY6cr4zZ32B_0mcPrfUrvdwA0y2djkbpzgl6PY7hB1TVraC7wG1891RGVgW2GqP/s320/kahjandjam-1+Digit+Serial+Number_3.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahj wearing a green bow tie that was supposed to be Jam's Christmas present, but was a bit too small for him. It looks mighty cute on Kahj.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQ7dmGgbUhvRvGLLAqIP2KCaX5LKXKHpFwGMeELZ_Ewe9SDIWPaxL39qgIeHAfP4I54-NqVCZLu8Pv_iHUJZzXP6esGyXYtcq0pgF7cG4Mty92cRiJnfvDmSHBdfyX1RHMsrXoVWrUACk/s1600/kahjandjam-1+Digit+Serial+Number_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQ7dmGgbUhvRvGLLAqIP2KCaX5LKXKHpFwGMeELZ_Ewe9SDIWPaxL39qgIeHAfP4I54-NqVCZLu8Pv_iHUJZzXP6esGyXYtcq0pgF7cG4Mty92cRiJnfvDmSHBdfyX1RHMsrXoVWrUACk/s320/kahjandjam-1+Digit+Serial+Number_5.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahj on the bridge with his bow tie.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-84051519415978749872016-08-20T17:47:00.000-04:002016-08-20T17:47:08.335-04:00Talking While PoopingI work at a pre-k to grade 12 school and I take Bassett in to school with me on M-W-F. If you have been following this blog at all, you know that I have had a very close relationship with poo in all its myriad forms. I have not run across this particular problem before.<br />
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Usually, I try to make sure that students are spared the sight of Bassett doing his business. I know when the pooing hours are and I have poo places to take him that are set away from delicate sensibilities.<br />
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But sometimes, a dog doesn't want to poo during the regular pooing hour. Sometimes, a dog holds it all in for a while. On Friday before an Admissions appearance and photo shoot, I noticed a certain look which belies a fateful turn of events.<br />
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I take Bassett outside pretty quickly and we rushed over to some pine straw where the poo would be easy to pick up. Bassett immediately turned three times in a circle and started to poop. Almost at the same time (this being lower division book sale day), I heard a small girl child call out:<br />
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"Is this a good time for me to pet Bassett?"<br />
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Mind you, Bassett is STILL pooping, big horse poops. The girl's mom, instead of saying "Of course not, walk on sweet girl and avert your eyes!" She says, "Just wait a second...Ooops, I think he has some poop stuck to his butt."<br />
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OMG! Could it get more embarrassing?!<br />
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Yes, yes it could, because to get the dangling poo-horse turd to release, Bassett comes out of the pine straw and onto the sidewalk, right next to ME! I have a bag on my hand and am frozen. <br />
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Should I grab the poo and yank it out of his butt in front of the little girl? Would that be traumatic? His butt is pointed away from her. Or should I wait and see if it will naturally fall out. Give gravity a chance. <br />
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Please work, gravity!<br />
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PLOP.<br />
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I have never been so happy to see a piece of poo hit the floor before. I scooped it up in the bag and added the other poo and then threw it into the trash. I wiped my hands with the sani-cloth and turned to the mom and child.<br />
<br />
"Bassett would be happy to say hello." And so she got to pet Bassett, who was very attentive and friendly. Funny how that happens after a good poo.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-65296512146468623942016-07-23T17:41:00.003-04:002016-07-23T17:41:34.052-04:00Bassett Learns a Lunch Lesson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Bassett is a very good boy.</div>
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Usually, when we go out to eat, we take Bassett and Jam. Jam being the elder and a picture perfect restaurant dog, he counsels young puppies on proper restaurant behavior: lay down and go to sleep.</div>
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It's been a routine that works. Puppy after puppy. And our baby Bassett has been doing really well. So, today, I took Bassett with two friends to the Olde Bay Cafe in Dunedin for lunch. It is very dog friendly and we have been there many times before with the boys (Jam and Bassett).</div>
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As we walked up to the outside patio, I heard barking as two mutts seated at a corner table got wind of Bassett. A big brownish fuzzy dog and a black and white small dog continued their obnoxious behavior as we proceeded past. Now, I could use the word lunge, but it is so charged with meaning. Let's just move on to the lady who owned the dogs, who said, "Don't worry. They're friendly."</div>
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Really? You can't tell by their behavior.</div>
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On the amazing side, all I did was the switch command to put Bassett on my right side, walk him past the miscreants (Bassett walked past them without pulling on the leash or trying to get to them - awesome loose leash walking!) and sat as far away as possible.</div>
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Yea Bassett!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaNay7QxTy_v1YN6vp5tRCp5s9noRhzulWJNH-cm0No92xvhXDervxivBE1tsk0D_MDlu4OivRU5kciDOTgwhgDDfFjdjgI93b1p-Y-AJJumcbZLU27_dgUz-G-ARYGYsb7C1oD-8ZBI4/s1600/IMG_0918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaNay7QxTy_v1YN6vp5tRCp5s9noRhzulWJNH-cm0No92xvhXDervxivBE1tsk0D_MDlu4OivRU5kciDOTgwhgDDfFjdjgI93b1p-Y-AJJumcbZLU27_dgUz-G-ARYGYsb7C1oD-8ZBI4/s320/IMG_0918.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bassett close up. He's looking down, kinda sad.</td></tr>
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But I did notice that he was inching a bit under my chair, which was in the direction of the "bad boys." I had to pull him back. He also got a bit restless and would stand and look mournfully over at a table not far away that had a nice black lab at it. <br />
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Bassett was really being put to the test as he had the "bad boys" and the black lab and couldn't play with anyone. His only fussing was the mournful look, full of longing for a romp that wouldn't happen. One of the ladies at a neighboring table smiled at Bassett, I got the sense that she thought Bassett was dealing with the situation in a grand fashion (no barking or fussing).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sf-Ub4Gb06qHvuRuIs1o7jxcX64iaf-bUEF4Yo07EcVi3OxhH7jtPNybaiQHzudl0-cENmO757ZFm-LIr7aeP3VZYeVGnnAmKGdd5IY1xgzGV0FtJYhC_4WZMmJJSnSGrZBsUlDY6kV1/s1600/IMG_0922-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sf-Ub4Gb06qHvuRuIs1o7jxcX64iaf-bUEF4Yo07EcVi3OxhH7jtPNybaiQHzudl0-cENmO757ZFm-LIr7aeP3VZYeVGnnAmKGdd5IY1xgzGV0FtJYhC_4WZMmJJSnSGrZBsUlDY6kV1/s320/IMG_0922-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of Bassett looking hopeful.</td></tr>
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Then, a new group moves onto the high top table next to us and they bring with them a highly excitable boxer who begins a staring match with Bassett. Bassett looks up at me. "Should I look at him?" I turn him away from the boxer. So rude.<div>
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Not five minutes later, another couple arrives with two Pomeranians. They put their fluff balls on the patio floor with a treat stick, food and water. Really? Why not set up a play pen for them too? Just take up the whole entire walkway, because honestly, your dogs are the most important ones in the entire world and as patrons of this restaurant, I enjoy having to walk my dog not only around your dogs, which isn't a problem, but now, I have to have him avoid your bones and treat rawhides that you have thrown out onto the porch. Thankfully, as we leave, Bassett does not try to eat their food or take their treats. </div>
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Bassett is a very good boy. <br /><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-17149729478860484342016-07-09T18:16:00.001-04:002016-07-09T18:29:26.173-04:00Corky's Day: Corky Is A Guide Dog!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13620290_10154542350327668_674544350816582714_n.jpg?oh=6a8c7a70f60cb11e09f91b990f41f5b0&oe=57FA2806" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13620290_10154542350327668_674544350816582714_n.jpg?oh=6a8c7a70f60cb11e09f91b990f41f5b0&oe=57FA2806" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheryl, Chris with Corky and Fred at puppy raiser day.</td></tr>
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Puppy Raiser Day:</h2>
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We have now been to three puppy raiser days: one for Dewey, one for Coach and one for Corky. But by far, Corky's puppy raiser day was the most nerve wracking. Why?</div>
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We really wanted it to go well. </div>
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After 6 dogs, lots of different things have befallen you and you just want smooth sailing. </div>
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So, it was a very distracted driver who drove down to Southeastern this morning. I am very thankful that we got there intact. The whole way there I am thinking, </div>
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"Will he like us?"</div>
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"Will Corky remember us?"</div>
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"How am I getting all the cookies into everyone's bags?" </div>
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"Will Corky love him?" (Which I dearly want him to do!)</div>
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"Did I just miss my exit?"</div>
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Fred, who was fairly calm about my almost missing the exit, was a bit nervous too. But we waited for our trip into the cafeteria for the bios to be read. I was able to quickly shove cookies into everyone's bag of goodies.</div>
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Chris. His name is Chris. He is a grandfather. He lives in Georgia.</div>
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Time to watch the partner walk. Chris and Corky are mid pack. They come out. Corky finds the curb. They cross the street. Then they are making their way down a sidewalk. All of the puppy raisers are about 20 feet off to the left hand side in a pavilion able to take photos without the dogs noticing us. But as I stand next to the column looking out, Corky sniffs and turns and looks right at me. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13524473_10154542300842668_8794049212276700449_n.jpg?oh=63cdd698529ea07c371205662eac983c&oe=57EB8846" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13524473_10154542300842668_8794049212276700449_n.jpg?oh=63cdd698529ea07c371205662eac983c&oe=57EB8846" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris and Corking walking. Corky is looking at the camera.</td></tr>
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He goes right back to work.</div>
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I take more photos of my working guide dog Corky and his new partner Chris. They are great match.</div>
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Chris said they are a match made in heaven. That they had Corky wait so that he could be matched with him. I agree. Corky has an odd gait: fast and slow, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, which is just exactly what Chris wants. </div>
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They say there is a guide dog match for every person who needs one. I believe it. Corky was waiting for Chris. Now they can lead each other on new adventures. </div>
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We can't wait to hear about them. Because in the end, for me, the day is all about them: seeing them, meeting them and honoring their bond. It was a really lovely morning with a wonderful new team.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-43953505852548300532016-06-30T10:40:00.000-04:002016-06-30T10:54:47.000-04:00Amazing News about Corky!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwX0zbTUXLzOTqgD1bc6e5eFVH1WF4MRkQ7HVpdYvzEY7dlr_2K6y3ioNUrNFkLIcQ81FhCc1FnZRLf1vpeGEPi_nPCujbFIbrcWAQKj9ItRqvf2JsTJh-g5NiKWetjspi9ZsIqUE_2pfT/s1600/IMG_4371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwX0zbTUXLzOTqgD1bc6e5eFVH1WF4MRkQ7HVpdYvzEY7dlr_2K6y3ioNUrNFkLIcQ81FhCc1FnZRLf1vpeGEPi_nPCujbFIbrcWAQKj9ItRqvf2JsTJh-g5NiKWetjspi9ZsIqUE_2pfT/s320/IMG_4371.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Face on portrait of puppy Corky.</td></tr>
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<h2>
Big News about Corky</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61pqfrUJTkSSBH7p18JlxDwmzJodxESkbnQ3SUcZHNCnPL1QgNsQOKH_p_rb6AhpApZ1IkzSIQ9zos_ResqkGOSV6RbJTSfD6O6hARMqRtTLgCeTJiPkV1eADd9veCVOxj1TkftRgFwFM/s1600/IMG_4577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61pqfrUJTkSSBH7p18JlxDwmzJodxESkbnQ3SUcZHNCnPL1QgNsQOKH_p_rb6AhpApZ1IkzSIQ9zos_ResqkGOSV6RbJTSfD6O6hARMqRtTLgCeTJiPkV1eADd9veCVOxj1TkftRgFwFM/s320/IMG_4577.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pensive Corky looking down in a stand of bamboo</td></tr>
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We just received some very good news about Corky. Surprising, actually, because on June 10th, this was the report card that we got:<br />
<h4>
Comments from Last Report Card:</h4>
"Corky is such a sweet boy. I have only had this guy for a few weeks but he is doing pretty well. He is still a little immature which we are working on but this has improved. We have also been working on his jumping. He does love to work in harness and has been doing well. Thank you for raising this sweet boy."<br />
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Our Thoughts:</h4>
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We were a bit worried. His other report card from the previous month was super positive. We thought perhaps he is regressing. But one can never know what is going on inside the kennel and it is really hard to interpret one trainer's comments from another's. It's like when you have that one introspective friend who hardly says anything and is really low key. For her, when she says, "Yeah, it's cool." It's like a bomb went off and there were huge dance parties and people were shouting, "OMG!! It's the best thing ever!!" But you don't know that, because you don't know that's the kind of trainer who is now writing your report card.</div>
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It's similar to the comments on your child's report card. Everything that isn't MY CHILD IS AMAZING is equated to THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY CHILD. So we worried about the jumping and his immaturity and we worried he might not make it. And we should have looked at the SWEET BOY (of which there were TWO, among other compliments). And we should have trusted the process.</div>
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Big News:</h3>
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Then, when we were in Paris, I got a Facebook message from our Area Coordinator, Lois, asking if I wanted to hear some good news. Well, heck yeah!!!!</div>
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"Corky has been matched!!! (Then she added icons for celebrations, wine and balloons) Puppy Raiser Day is July 9th. (More celebration icons!)"</div>
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There was much celebrating in Paris!! Here's to you Corky!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYS09WG2tBexoX_hyphenhyphenCSFYNYK6spCqRrF7OThxyTgE69woX1sznbnfr9r8iVwuIgL0VZYFPJHRca863MFs2fCgTsJjso7rh3oy6s1Ct-9aqGNxTUWMaF5zI83PZzb7RG3KsZjgOsiAEyvn/s1600/IMG_5411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYS09WG2tBexoX_hyphenhyphenCSFYNYK6spCqRrF7OThxyTgE69woX1sznbnfr9r8iVwuIgL0VZYFPJHRca863MFs2fCgTsJjso7rh3oy6s1Ct-9aqGNxTUWMaF5zI83PZzb7RG3KsZjgOsiAEyvn/s320/IMG_5411.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corky, Jam and Willow at Christmas 2014.</td></tr>
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You are an amazing boy. Do good, be good and we will always love you!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7DhUsDGNRMrN-MdY26y6FoEXT5n1SuKTVj8qc2pEP184XjcWRSkeBtZXQSOqCkGcCxUgJ36mZHzzUM-fghbLyilOrnzlB3ZY96BQAHOCAxq5I3jtG6knA_BHjrdLYEqXG5QVtXXB0rUT/s1600/IMG_6307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7DhUsDGNRMrN-MdY26y6FoEXT5n1SuKTVj8qc2pEP184XjcWRSkeBtZXQSOqCkGcCxUgJ36mZHzzUM-fghbLyilOrnzlB3ZY96BQAHOCAxq5I3jtG6knA_BHjrdLYEqXG5QVtXXB0rUT/s320/IMG_6307.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our handsome Corky.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-54226340090082915752016-04-28T10:17:00.000-04:002016-04-28T10:17:07.547-04:00Day Dreams<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Day Dreams</h2>
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Bassett is usually a very calm dog. As you can tell by the photo below, he can be almost angelic in his sleeping position. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL6olYAW0XufVYyuJpSGJj9FWsEddFxCKxWr71dm79ghgJju-jl9_5iWGGnPqFQwckQeokcZ349Ek82A6L4xrQZ_S3mJlAbT4UKux8dPdx-5YltZvcvEWRVA9IqRMuWniQK3lHIUAs6Ss/s1600/IMG_0522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL6olYAW0XufVYyuJpSGJj9FWsEddFxCKxWr71dm79ghgJju-jl9_5iWGGnPqFQwckQeokcZ349Ek82A6L4xrQZ_S3mJlAbT4UKux8dPdx-5YltZvcvEWRVA9IqRMuWniQK3lHIUAs6Ss/s320/IMG_0522.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bassett in his crate with an angelic look on his sleeping face.</td></tr>
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More often than not though, he is sleeping with his head at a crazy angle, hanging over the edge or sleeping while having the hiccups or snoring VERY loudly. <br />
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But sleeping is the big constant.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFfancMkauTvlB8c0GqIK2HlmoIyRjK9EfecluQBNOeuFNIELcLL9Oyrg8MuhdXlTAgqUNim3d4CyC9Y9nYAIwK-RFgL-yr4q1oWu8eq1zx1suD1jf7NvFCQ6VlMrFNBPCr8imUMeeFPk/s1600/bassett+sleep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFfancMkauTvlB8c0GqIK2HlmoIyRjK9EfecluQBNOeuFNIELcLL9Oyrg8MuhdXlTAgqUNim3d4CyC9Y9nYAIwK-RFgL-yr4q1oWu8eq1zx1suD1jf7NvFCQ6VlMrFNBPCr8imUMeeFPk/s320/bassett+sleep.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bassett, in his crate, just befor closing his eyes for a nap.</td></tr>
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I guess he is a bit angelic.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-41859848805148236392016-02-27T13:30:00.000-05:002016-02-27T13:30:31.671-05:00Mine, Mine, Mine!<h2>
Daffy Duck</h2>
Jam, the dog who loves too much, tends to look at the world as his oyster. It's all his. Every last bit of it. Consequently, he pees on a great deal of it.<br />
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He reminds me in many ways of Daffy Duck, a character who also was concerned with owning everything. This scene is from one of my favorite cartoons with Bugs and Daffy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RKMNPQ35OUc" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<h3>
Jam and Establishing Ownership</h3>
<div>
So, back to the peeing. Jam generally pees on lots of items. Sometimes this means walking into a new home and taking possession of the best pillow, the one previously owned by the small male dog in the house. Method: Pee on the pillow.</div>
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Meet a new friend? Why not pee on their head? Guaranteed to let the neighborhood know whose friend they are. Jam's friend!</div>
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<h3>
Where Shopping Is a Pleasure</h3>
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My favorite place to shop is Publix, so of course I went to the Publix Paws booth to sign up for <a href="http://www.publix.com/pages/publix-paws?campaignid=FEF933CA-FF2B-4429-8653-21F6ADDF9207&oneplusone=5&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=PCN3802&utm_term=publix%20paws" target="_blank">Publix Paws</a> at Walkathon!! And I took Jammy with me while I signed up. Jam was quietly sniffing the banner and sizing up the tote bag and the two water dishes that they were giving me (two dishes because Publix rocks!) and then Jam had a brilliant idea. Why not own Publix? Why not become a part of Publix Paws? Really get into it? Make it his program?</div>
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Wait for it...</div>
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So, he peed on their sign. In front of them. Standing next to me. While I was obliviously filling out my form. That is until I looked up to see the wide open, staring eyes of Publix employees locked onto Jam.</div>
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I turned to catch him shake it off, so to speak, and lower his leg. Quite pleased with his aim as it hit the paw print right on the money and kinda blended in with the cornflower yellow of the banner.</div>
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I could only think that "Wow. I'm glad that banner is water proof, um, pee proof, and all the pee is beading up and running off it." </div>
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"Bye! Love Publix!" I grabbed my tote and yanked Jam away from the booth. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxWWYwGbGFdRw8EsXDSnABKDs7MRsTrnrC8JBNTtOZenjMxcQ5p-jAz4IE1ep0imn3ehtAk6bmcNveLXEF9KGwkXQNmPRiSF4WMPbDjsOzipVloNykEsucRavYLkfP8O3Seg_twwzfC11/s1600/IMG_5798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxWWYwGbGFdRw8EsXDSnABKDs7MRsTrnrC8JBNTtOZenjMxcQ5p-jAz4IE1ep0imn3ehtAk6bmcNveLXEF9KGwkXQNmPRiSF4WMPbDjsOzipVloNykEsucRavYLkfP8O3Seg_twwzfC11/s320/IMG_5798.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jam, sitting by the Publix Paws banner, he loves Publix and so do we.</td></tr>
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<div>
Despite the peeing, Jam is very grateful to Publix for all the treats and toys he will be getting in the near future from the Publix Paws program coupons. He's hoping to pee on the toys.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-70326568911530336202016-01-17T17:02:00.000-05:002016-01-17T17:02:16.849-05:00Our Seventh Puppy: Bassett!<h2>
Once More, Into the Breach!</h2>
<div>
On Jan. 5th, Fred and I went to pick up baby Bassett. Bassett is our 7th Southeastern Guide Dog puppy to raise. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQE8lk-R-t6AmREtGzMquK5pFfDtzVg1Y2K9c7-9ySryXHIh7wc9_MBJrZGfBgV3r2hhg5MqoEN5m4xqxTIMXaOFUA7DiB7cSJD6wuBmLR6JLCTlxy0Ibv5bUlDSmKX39umAzCo28sgjcM/s1600/bassett_and_fred_and_cd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQE8lk-R-t6AmREtGzMquK5pFfDtzVg1Y2K9c7-9ySryXHIh7wc9_MBJrZGfBgV3r2hhg5MqoEN5m4xqxTIMXaOFUA7DiB7cSJD6wuBmLR6JLCTlxy0Ibv5bUlDSmKX39umAzCo28sgjcM/s320/bassett_and_fred_and_cd.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred and I and Bassett at the Freedom Walk. Photo by Christy Clark.</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_897041449"></span><span id="goog_897041450"></span><br />
<br />
Bassett is the last name to the beautiful girl he is named after: Christie Bassett (in fact, you can also join our facebook page at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChristieAndBassett/?fref=ts" target="_blank">The Adventures of Christie and Bassett</a>). Christie is pictured below.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
FirstThe first week was just a blur as we were getting back from the holidays and getting the puppy and starting back at school was quite a one-two punch! Fortunately, Bassett is super good. He is calm and confident and mostly sleeps through the night. </div>
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<h2>
First Puppy Meeting</h2>
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He went to his first meeting that Saturday. I was very impressed with his behavior. He is an older puppy. We had been hoping to get a very young puppy to experience the whole puppy experience again and had asked for a baby baby. But Bassett was born on 9/29/15 and was about 15 weeks old when we picked him up.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriH4BF64Nol9HS5tQsNkh0C9LtS4emJxd8NvDhXBpxhLoArCEREbL7s5fRCSw2IgBXnNSAkCZPcrgh3o6eODCyKmtC4HvkwQJ4F4NrhyphenhyphenZzLG1WKVvcyGELlAoAPc987AJnNeLq-bQcvIo/s1600/basset+puppy+meeting+jan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriH4BF64Nol9HS5tQsNkh0C9LtS4emJxd8NvDhXBpxhLoArCEREbL7s5fRCSw2IgBXnNSAkCZPcrgh3o6eODCyKmtC4HvkwQJ4F4NrhyphenhyphenZzLG1WKVvcyGELlAoAPc987AJnNeLq-bQcvIo/s320/basset+puppy+meeting+jan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of Bassett at the puppy meeting looking up at me for direction. Photo by Paul Carroll.</td></tr>
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But it's one of those crazy things, you love every puppy, no matter what. At least we do. They are all amazing. And Bassett is no different. He is unlike all of our other puppies. He is calm, but very independent. One of the puppies who is about two weeks older arrived and started to bark excitedly and pull to come see Bassett. Bassett was sitting by me and he looked over at the puppy and then looked up at me. I could see the wheels turning and then he got up and walked away from the puppy and sat down on the other side of me. Not hiding, but clearly not interested in playing with someone so rambunctious. He's very precise. Very curious and observant. Rather like Sherlock.<div>
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<div>
<h2>
First Week of School</h2>
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<div>
His first week of school was a big success. He is spending the first month only in the library. I walk the back way in, out of direct traffic and encounter few students, so it is very calm. The library itself is quiet and calm most of the day as well. </div>
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<br /></div>
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We have a firm petting exposure rule: one person only and no more than two people per hour ( one per half hour). It's been interesting telling students that "I've just put the baby down to sleep, so you can't pet him now." They have been quite ok with just looking at him.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX4XOnF-1KNBM0SrtyzMpxlBSB00nWke3JoySggjf6G0BQQIiKqtg1PUsS09VZpuiggSZ9p57ao9xgyP71B2pxlG7b7uzABRT-OycWVllgwLgvIDoq-nFRMW0gzlgPRRkq2M05LimtHXZ/s1600/bassett+and+mkb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX4XOnF-1KNBM0SrtyzMpxlBSB00nWke3JoySggjf6G0BQQIiKqtg1PUsS09VZpuiggSZ9p57ao9xgyP71B2pxlG7b7uzABRT-OycWVllgwLgvIDoq-nFRMW0gzlgPRRkq2M05LimtHXZ/s320/bassett+and+mkb.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bassett with one of our Student Library Proctors.</td></tr>
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In fact, they are all so well trained that no one tries to reach out a hand as we go by on our way out to the restroom. Although I do hear the faint cries of, "Awwwww!" as we pass.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGVGvLW3YFmzGqEr6r8kE3A_oo55-UoWrxoqnz5Y0gLbqb0k6ZMcBQVZNIVynl4ghZNyw-_KTDPWdkIstYCiTIRNNDNF0EosfvU1Z2r8sic22n-UTY6Fm3zv8bBWrRyij6t7BELzU3lFw/s1600/bassett+red+flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGVGvLW3YFmzGqEr6r8kE3A_oo55-UoWrxoqnz5Y0gLbqb0k6ZMcBQVZNIVynl4ghZNyw-_KTDPWdkIstYCiTIRNNDNF0EosfvU1Z2r8sic22n-UTY6Fm3zv8bBWrRyij6t7BELzU3lFw/s320/bassett+red+flower.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bassett, with his head tilted.</td></tr>
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And really, who wouldn't say, Awww, to that face?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-8411000447786639082015-11-20T06:21:00.002-05:002015-11-20T06:21:45.415-05:00I Am Thankful<h2>
Post Puppy Depression</h2>
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For six years, I have driven to school with a puppy curled in the wheel well of my passenger side of the car every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.</div>
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For just about every day, I have had a puppy there and on the way to work I glance down and there is my companion and I have my conversation and we talk about the day and what we are going to do. Sometimes I tell him what we aren't going to do. 8-)</div>
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Sometimes, I tell him to stop trying to drink my coffee.</div>
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That happened a lot.</div>
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With Corky.</div>
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I digress.</div>
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Now, out of the corner of my eye I think I see something and I quickly look.</div>
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But there is no puppy. I'm alone.</div>
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Sometimes, when NPR is especially interesting I'll comment, but none quirks their head.</div>
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I sigh.</div>
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And my office is replete with puppy paraphernalia and I sit alone with the puppy toys. Periodically, I use my toe to move a nylabone out of the way of my rolling chair, but there is no puppy to gnaw on the bone. </div>
<h2>
Visitors at the Door</h2>
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Yesterday, as I was feeling particularly down, I heard a commotion at my office door. I looked up and there stood Mrs. Hillmer, the lower division art teacher, with two lower division boys. She motioned to one small, blonde boy to walk over to me.</div>
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"Hi," I said and smiled at everyone. The boy held out a card to me. I looked up at Mrs. Hillmer. She just smiled back at me. I took the card. I read it. I started to tear up. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9L2vYp7k59H7o_JHz1Kp_FO_ovBxKlM3dDBiraTNBAqBHws5Rnr0oVF7lOyH1Gg2iPNs1vbWFOITOPHGFAkFWC207Ru5xySZ4C9M2ldyH24S8VIUzeimM5ml0R4NA7UGIUFi7drFeliu/s1600/IMG_9445.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9L2vYp7k59H7o_JHz1Kp_FO_ovBxKlM3dDBiraTNBAqBHws5Rnr0oVF7lOyH1Gg2iPNs1vbWFOITOPHGFAkFWC207Ru5xySZ4C9M2ldyH24S8VIUzeimM5ml0R4NA7UGIUFi7drFeliu/s320/IMG_9445.CR2" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgtZlZQW7_RRtx_TYWfQRbaIt61ax-GtAkjV0W6V28KQT2je5MyfILvhyphenhyphenLwWB646bmoHPFXryQRpr4ONuA9I8BK0VPOaOFNOqfqkkOU8x17tyX0ArCn5jCo4Skfd7psot8bb3rhqFRgbl/s1600/IMG_9446.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgtZlZQW7_RRtx_TYWfQRbaIt61ax-GtAkjV0W6V28KQT2je5MyfILvhyphenhyphenLwWB646bmoHPFXryQRpr4ONuA9I8BK0VPOaOFNOqfqkkOU8x17tyX0ArCn5jCo4Skfd7psot8bb3rhqFRgbl/s320/IMG_9446.CR2" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7y1sgP_ZF5gkcKrU2SVrQVlMWZx_I-uPoS5ctCep0c-gCJH8vvC2LX0LHF4dimzhnlR5K7QIlHnT8G-drbuKtBwULUCLZp9o_g77iJP8PUuqjui6ICgJQxHdvy8sC2ho4RWgPkUtQylb/s1600/IMG_9447.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7y1sgP_ZF5gkcKrU2SVrQVlMWZx_I-uPoS5ctCep0c-gCJH8vvC2LX0LHF4dimzhnlR5K7QIlHnT8G-drbuKtBwULUCLZp9o_g77iJP8PUuqjui6ICgJQxHdvy8sC2ho4RWgPkUtQylb/s320/IMG_9447.CR2" width="320" /></a></div>
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There's a reason I am thankful for working where I do. Situations like this happen all the time and your empty bucket gets filled up by children who never know you needed it. Matthew made the next few weeks bearable. I'm thankful for Matthew and Mrs. Hillmer and all the people I work with who continually fill up my bucket and never even know they are doing it.</div>
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And in January, I will have a little puppy in the house. And all will be right with the world.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-3956212307540972792015-07-14T16:44:00.002-04:002015-07-14T16:44:24.624-04:00Burger 21: Friendly to Service Dogs<br />On Monday I met a friend in the Burger 21 on Linebaugh to discuss a class we would both be teaching. I was a bit nervous about it. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.burger21.com/wp-content/themes/burger21/images/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://www.burger21.com/wp-content/themes/burger21/images/logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have brought dogs before to Burger 21 and not had a problem, but this time they were really exceptionally pleasant. We sat in the corner at the back away from everyone. Eventually, the place filled up and people sat next to us (a mom and her two daughters), but at the beginning, we had the place mostly to ourselves.</div>
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The one guy at the counter brought over a bowl of ice water for Corky and I didn't have the heart to tell him that he can't drink in coat. We just moved it out of the way. Corky tried to tip it over almost immediately. </div>
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Which led to us using tons of napkins to sop up the water on the floor. Which Corky then tried to eat. </div>
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Sigh.</div>
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All of the wait staff who helped us were friendly and helpful and very cognizant and sweet to Corky. Even the customers were amazing. I have never been to a restaurant where all of the moms knew to ask if Corky could be petted first. </div>
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I was at the counter with Corky waiting with one mom who said, "I can't believe my daughter hasn't run over here yet. She loves dogs." She glanced at their booth and sure enough a small little girl was sliding down and running toward us. The mom almost yelled at her as she came up to Corky,</div>
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"Honey, you have to ask if you can pet him!"</div>
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She looked at me.</div>
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I shook my head. "I'm sorry. He's working. He can't be petted right now." </div>
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The mom took her daughter's hand. "See honey, he's working. He's doing a job."</div>
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Dang, these Burger 21 people were on it!</div>
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I got back to the booth and my friend and I worked some more. Then the small family of three moved into the booth next to us. The two girls sat along the wall and the mom was in the far chair. They made sure to slide in from the far side so as not to bother Corky.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXFyCguITBAA0AOVTm6J8b7na7nUm7U8jL_6kd-Go7xWhcAnmZrgevLr6cdzDAlPC-9ZiXOvAP9FYP8EXCjm_JRwie4XJjr7xIpU7lC5BkeBm8ZXZEtDDG6rVSpBsLUjyujmjO_mFlO08/s1600/corky+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXFyCguITBAA0AOVTm6J8b7na7nUm7U8jL_6kd-Go7xWhcAnmZrgevLr6cdzDAlPC-9ZiXOvAP9FYP8EXCjm_JRwie4XJjr7xIpU7lC5BkeBm8ZXZEtDDG6rVSpBsLUjyujmjO_mFlO08/s320/corky+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corky, lying against the booth, is in good position to whack his tail <br />against the small girl's feet as she is sitting in the booth next to us.</td></tr>
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<br />Corky looked up and saw the girls. He wagged his tail. It thumped against the older girls feet and ankles. She smiled and bit into her hamburger. She knew a good thing when she had it hitting her in the shin.</div>
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When we had finished lunch, I thanked the girls next to us for being so nice and letting Corky smack them with his tail. I told them that he really needed to get his wagger under control.</div>
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I highly recommend a stop in Burger 21. Not only for the food, but for the service and the people. They are uniformly nice and pleasant. It was a great lunch.<br /><br /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-29429404073882025132015-04-10T23:21:00.002-04:002015-04-10T23:21:36.645-04:00I Want to Be Corky's Favorite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today was a busy day for us in the library. We had so much to do getting ready for the librarians conference for next week. Even so, life at school went on as usual and some of the 8th graders brought some rising 6th graders by the library for a tour today.</div>
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Two of them brought a group of ten by my office and asked if Corky was in. I said he was and they asked if the 5th graders could see him. Corky happened to have his coat off, so when I took him out of my office and into the main library there was a general sucking in of breaths and a breathing out of "He doesn't have his coat on!!"</div>
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"Can we pet him?"</div>
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"Yes, you may, but give him some room."</div>
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They spread out into a semi-circle and started to pet Corky, who stood calmly wagging his tail. One of the girls dropped down to the ground and Corky, sensing a licking opportunity, turned her way and started to lick her face.</div>
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"Ah, I see you are Corky's favorite," I said without actually taking in the meaning of my words. Immediately, all the 5th graders fell to ground as if they had dropsy. The boy to my right said in a loud voice, "I want to be Corky's favorite!"</div>
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"Oh, my." I thought. "I hope this turns out ok."</div>
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Corky happily obliged, going down the line and licking everyone in the face. They all laughed. I told them all that Corky loved them best. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0AL9D_t-nL9NfjhDcf1a-QLVs8dvpPsQlODaUX_v39NF_yx-P0hDV9gS8FBld9df0BcHGJncLu0cu75kdbEBex_6dhEwr5AcauGjSpU4Pml4N8pxLNUfwMyB2wip4GuC9AQjjyp3TeYb/s1600/IMG_0047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0AL9D_t-nL9NfjhDcf1a-QLVs8dvpPsQlODaUX_v39NF_yx-P0hDV9gS8FBld9df0BcHGJncLu0cu75kdbEBex_6dhEwr5AcauGjSpU4Pml4N8pxLNUfwMyB2wip4GuC9AQjjyp3TeYb/s1600/IMG_0047.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corky, doing what he does best, giving a kiss to someone, in this case, our librarian Christina.</td></tr>
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Corky was the big winner.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-7089613100222665882015-04-08T21:21:00.002-04:002015-04-08T21:21:51.148-04:00Advisory Chooses Southeastern Guide Dogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I do have the best advisory there is. I always do. And for the past three years, I have had a wonderful group of very talented and funny girls and boys. They are all juniors now and will be heading into their senior year next year, which makes me a little sad.</div>
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We had a spirit day today and all the advisories were supposed to pick a theme and dress up in costume. Our kids decided to dress like Southeastern Guide Dogs. Julia told them all "to wear black pants so they would look like Corky."</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLETorNCUcdoWeF_FE69Rw03iczDHaG8DZVZzgIDfhWudYRuAcc_p8jKBRbWX2pC2jWyvbyE2Xy0DcM_5ldXS4hneXly6N3SgNxBwGVVoq3SCj0oCMM-OYdjdWAvwTZNQXzSkfInCwVol0/s1600/Girls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLETorNCUcdoWeF_FE69Rw03iczDHaG8DZVZzgIDfhWudYRuAcc_p8jKBRbWX2pC2jWyvbyE2Xy0DcM_5ldXS4hneXly6N3SgNxBwGVVoq3SCj0oCMM-OYdjdWAvwTZNQXzSkfInCwVol0/s1600/Girls.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Southeastern Guide Dogs (Girls only) with Corky and two Puppy Raisers (Me and Mrs. Fletcher).</td></tr>
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Now you might notice in the photo above that there are just girls. The girls got to wear the glitter letters and Caroline made headbands with felt dog ears on them for them, assuming the the boys wouldn't wear them. This was confirmed this morning when Wade said, "Yeah, I'm not wearing that" and it was echoed by three other of the boys.<br />
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Good call Caroline! Julia brought nose paint, but not everyone was into that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZH-rR7xf4v2bMs681maYLHCfsGOYCSb7rWjfVMjLPxb-0wXJJQ_2XV-9ysF1MzJwUKUNOcCJR7jjS5ofHED-k6hv9bkNsH1T7sF4TaHAynyFXID0uUYtNOHFZa2Ey5lLOqq6zi6D-OdSk/s1600/Noses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZH-rR7xf4v2bMs681maYLHCfsGOYCSb7rWjfVMjLPxb-0wXJJQ_2XV-9ysF1MzJwUKUNOcCJR7jjS5ofHED-k6hv9bkNsH1T7sF4TaHAynyFXID0uUYtNOHFZa2Ey5lLOqq6zi6D-OdSk/s1600/Noses.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just the girls who did nose paint, Caroline, Julia and Kimberly. They rock! <br />Caroline made the ears and Julia made the shirts. Kimberly got it all to school on time.</td></tr>
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So, we took a photo of just the three who went whole dog, so to speak! 8-)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbKaZKDQ1Ld_ezIWypZsoW1ctvVP3zDKgHRyf-yJvhQ-lQtfP-vOMt8EJ44ldkCmhRWBAvNMr4SBXkwWYS2FafF0OxGroytNnXbPa0NwXK7PTbAryZzGF8YRK9RBSDUAeQ8bUa7b1tvJu/s1600/WholeGroup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbKaZKDQ1Ld_ezIWypZsoW1ctvVP3zDKgHRyf-yJvhQ-lQtfP-vOMt8EJ44ldkCmhRWBAvNMr4SBXkwWYS2FafF0OxGroytNnXbPa0NwXK7PTbAryZzGF8YRK9RBSDUAeQ8bUa7b1tvJu/s1600/WholeGroup.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole advisory group. Everyone participated! Such a nice group.</td></tr>
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Here's the whole group. I think they all rock. They all participated and were great. They are a very sweet group and Mrs. Fletcher and I have a lot of fun with them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-85444952123675361032015-03-09T20:45:00.001-04:002015-03-09T20:45:55.819-04:00A Bag of Poo and a Bad Decision<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A Time to Poo</h2>
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I had to get some dinner. My idea was to go to Whole Foods and pick up something from the buffet. My only hesitation was Corky.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhXNq_uqd5sH1Nl1aXBJP_9ZgYJu2dxIkPcp1wYfxzSFSlVfQ_x-mYMhFUt3nFeytEuijHzZKLX2l3zYhST9KbI4sD0zYW6xIunGdjU6ahG_dp_uXnu24bjtU3sJpDS2pCO7XYvvbWA7H/s1600/IMG_4543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhXNq_uqd5sH1Nl1aXBJP_9ZgYJu2dxIkPcp1wYfxzSFSlVfQ_x-mYMhFUt3nFeytEuijHzZKLX2l3zYhST9KbI4sD0zYW6xIunGdjU6ahG_dp_uXnu24bjtU3sJpDS2pCO7XYvvbWA7H/s1600/IMG_4543.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corky is relaxing in the wheelwell on the drive home.</td></tr>
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Corky generally doesn't poo at school. He saves it for 5 pm at home. It was nearing 5 pm and we were not at home. We were pulling up to Whole Foods. <br />
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It was the Pooing Hour. <br />
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Corky and I got out of the car and I walked him over to a grassy median where I tried to get him to busy. He wandered around sniffing. He finally peed halfheartedly and sniffed a bit more. I knew there was more in there. I stood my ground.<br />
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Corky turned in a half circle and then back again. Aha! Got him. He did a half squat and then shift and started to poo. Success! I was so stoked. I got out my poo bags. They were electric yellow and could be seen from the moon.<br />
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"Good boy, Corky!" Corky wagged his tail. He looked at the yellow bag and looked away. It may have hurt his eyes. They were bright. I tied the bag into a knot to prevent any stink from escaping and began to walk toward Whole Foods to throw it away in one of their trash cans. <br />
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Now, here is where it gets a bit tricky. As you approach Whole Foods, there is an eating area off to the right. I certainly didn't want to walk up to that area and wave my big bag of poo around with diners: "Hey! Got some poo here! Look! Does this make you want to eat your food?!"<br />
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Fortunately, I had parked to the left and my approach was away from the diners. I was hiding the bright yellow bag (haha, as if you could hide that bag) by my side. I started to look for trash cans. <br />
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Nothing. Not one trash can.<br />
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Really, Whole Foods? No trash cans? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4pftKx-AcRjneonnr7Z8Xjz0ggy5NgTpLAAVCzdr20soD6NOueZMdBSW-LSjUGT6OP1CSrdEMaucoHmbLYXhaUuZnavLDppgqu1fQCGIsD2Sa9fxr_lr292Dp9hc14l6WxgjS0AZnrN4/s1600/IMG_4544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4pftKx-AcRjneonnr7Z8Xjz0ggy5NgTpLAAVCzdr20soD6NOueZMdBSW-LSjUGT6OP1CSrdEMaucoHmbLYXhaUuZnavLDppgqu1fQCGIsD2Sa9fxr_lr292Dp9hc14l6WxgjS0AZnrN4/s1600/IMG_4544.JPG" height="320" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shot of a Whole Foods shopping bag.</td></tr>
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I'm standing by a planter with a big bright yellow bag of poo. What now? Take it into the store? Certainly not! I can't even take it close to the door. IT'S POO! LOTS OF POO.<br />
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What store doesn't have trash cans?<br />
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OK. I set my bag of dog poo down on the ground and say to anyone listening, "I will be back for this bag of poo," and I walk away. <br />
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I leave the yellow bag of poo and Corky and I walk into the store. I did turn to look and it glowed back at me accusingly. POO, POO.<br />
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There was nothing to be done.<br />
<h2>
A Bad Decision</h2>
<div>
And that wasn't my bad decision. My bad decision was settling for a basket and not a cart. I thought the basket would be easier to maneuver.</div>
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I walked Corky into the buffet area and got a wet wipe out of his coat and wiped my hands off. I didn't want to touch anything without cleaning my hands. That done, I went over to the plates.</div>
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I grabbed two plates and pulled them apart. I dropped them into the basket. I didn't notice that the plates didn't sit flat. I grabbed two tops and spent three minutes trying to get them apart while Corky tried to sniff at them and at the basket.</div>
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Then we walked over to the buffet area. Corky was very good. He didn't lunge or jerk around. He was very calm and sweet. I quickly realized that when I filled a plate that it wouldn't sit flat in the basket.</div>
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Really, Whole Foods? What good are your baskets?</div>
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So now I am staring at Corky, my useless basket, my filled plate and my unfilled plate. How will I fill the unfilled plate and how will I get both plates to the checkout counter?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy0WVgNMh4A73by_wqCmW0gBvBUlItdV1mcn1arB2EYKu6kH5ZHDwHtdccilW8El18irMixoNjTiSb-ozci-rRfvKuO7m6bd0suLTxyBwbWo0xLxs4cbrDx_9U4rz1-Q_fsG2u9wfHWk7/s1600/IMG_4546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy0WVgNMh4A73by_wqCmW0gBvBUlItdV1mcn1arB2EYKu6kH5ZHDwHtdccilW8El18irMixoNjTiSb-ozci-rRfvKuO7m6bd0suLTxyBwbWo0xLxs4cbrDx_9U4rz1-Q_fsG2u9wfHWk7/s1600/IMG_4546.jpg" height="320" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of Corky looking sweet.</td></tr>
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Finally, I got Corky to stay and put the basket in an out of the way spot and put the filled plate in an out of the way spot and filled up my second plate. Then I stacked the two plates on top of each other and Corky and I ran very fast to the checkout area.<br />
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Not an elegant solution, but it worked.<br />
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Everything was put in a paper bag and now I had a handle. I left and picked up my yellow bag of poo (which was still there!!) on the way out, which I carried home to throw away in my trash can. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbeqBE-CzX8xWBnXXSuRCweVjdwOCIysLonSBzR-4ZeV2mz4z8r3kTb-FwJfxX6JhQdToBpvRYrOE7fsqTvtXAQFXrvP17bxIjLJlHyo83xbmCmJS8W0RgHlTtzyIexfLYPHhyphenhyphenkhyRyES/s1600/IMG_4547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbeqBE-CzX8xWBnXXSuRCweVjdwOCIysLonSBzR-4ZeV2mz4z8r3kTb-FwJfxX6JhQdToBpvRYrOE7fsqTvtXAQFXrvP17bxIjLJlHyo83xbmCmJS8W0RgHlTtzyIexfLYPHhyphenhyphenkhyRyES/s1600/IMG_4547.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
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Corky 1</div>
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Poo 1</div>
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Cheryl 1</div>
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Whole Foods -3</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-2340090671213847402015-03-08T21:38:00.003-04:002015-03-08T21:38:54.244-04:00Bathrooms and Waitresses<h2>
Cheesecake Factory</h2>
Some days are just good days. You have a lunch date with a friend you haven't seen in a long time, at a restaurant you really like.<div>
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<div>
Cheesecake Factory usually puts us in a booth when I bring a service dog, but this time they put us at a four-top table in the center. They explained that they didn't want us at a two top because there wouldn't be enough room for the dog. I thought that was nice. When we got to the table, our hostess offered to take a chair away, but I told her we were fine. </div>
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Corky doesn't have the best settle, but he does ok. True to form, he stood like a horse in a stall under the table. Sigh. He's also not a puppy that takes kindly to you pressuring him to sit down. He's either going to do it in his own time, or not. There's just no way around it. </div>
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He decided Michele's feet looked comfy and sat on them.</div>
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Our adorable waitress came up and nearly stepped on Corky and then nearly fell all over herself apologizing. Turns our she has a golden and is a huge dog lover. She was delightful. She showed us photos of her puppy. Very sweet.</div>
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Corky was very good under the table. There were a few moments when he got up and wanted to stand and test out the standing, but he finally settled and fell asleep.</div>
<h2>
Bathrooms</h2>
<div>
After our nice lunch, we stopped by the bathrooms, which were all full. The first one to open was a regular stall, so Corky and I made our way in. The stall was stall number one against the wall, so we only had one neighbor on our right side.</div>
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I had to scrunch us in and then turn Corky around so that he was facing the right hand side and I could close the stall door. I hooked his leash up on the door with my purse. </div>
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Corky poked a nose under the stall to the right.</div>
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"Oh!" Came the response from the woman in the stall to the right. I could see her lovely shoes.</div>
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Pause.</div>
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I see a nicely manicured hand scratch Corky's chin. </div>
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Corky sticks his whole head under the stall.</div>
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"No peeking! No Peeking!" The lady said in a laughing voice. I pulled Corky back. Thankfully, we were ready to go. </div>
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<div>
If I timed it right, I could wash my hands and be out of there without meeting the person my guide dog puppy had seen in a delicate position!</div>
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<div>
I timed it right. Thank God for automatic faucets!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-52532559275372739152015-03-04T22:16:00.000-05:002015-03-04T22:16:26.059-05:00Corky Helps a Friend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A friend of mine at school will be going to meet a career changed Southeastern guide dog on Thursday afternoon. They have been waiting a long time to get their forever dog and are extremely excited about it. (All the photos here were taken by Christina Arcuri, many, many thanks!)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKArSVlY0pZ734kQo72jwkJFrlK2aeNIC3K9MIMEpBb9ogWOVbKD6xvrig4fkWb2bV2kLFXPORcGGIo0jnM-v5OPfe0EW6vxW8D-MUY8HWI0hQnZL0KuO7FQifu1d5PmMT7bxECvT7KTg/s1600/IMG_3625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKArSVlY0pZ734kQo72jwkJFrlK2aeNIC3K9MIMEpBb9ogWOVbKD6xvrig4fkWb2bV2kLFXPORcGGIo0jnM-v5OPfe0EW6vxW8D-MUY8HWI0hQnZL0KuO7FQifu1d5PmMT7bxECvT7KTg/s1600/IMG_3625.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone arrives to greet Corky</td></tr>
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Since their last dog was a Jack Russell, I offered to have their boys come over and meet Corky so that they could really get to know a big lab before meeting their dog on Thursday. That way, they could practice petting a big dog, how to interact in a calm way, and ask questions.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42tCTWWwJtS4d5ba4NGA3JY7TAPA5IFMFj0mk7OAYATVCgPM0VX7yfVgjXtMGYKqP31NnkNFKjFMNK-KNjRNsqUIHqwdJVlMJCpe1dKGvnZFMtkU8hYzzLXUObxImj1oU6QqiCec2L4pG/s1600/IMG_3627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42tCTWWwJtS4d5ba4NGA3JY7TAPA5IFMFj0mk7OAYATVCgPM0VX7yfVgjXtMGYKqP31NnkNFKjFMNK-KNjRNsqUIHqwdJVlMJCpe1dKGvnZFMtkU8hYzzLXUObxImj1oU6QqiCec2L4pG/s1600/IMG_3627.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two boys are a bit tentative about petting Corky.</td></tr>
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Corky is a really good test big dog because he is so friendly and has such a waggy tail. Everyone likes him right away and he likes everyone back.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom watches as I talk about Corky and how old he is.</td></tr>
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I had Corky do a down stay because he is a big lab (74 pounds, their dog they will meet tomorrow is only 55 pounds) and they are still pretty small.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys are sitting by Corky and asking questions. Corky is lying down.</td></tr>
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I also had them pet Corky on the body. I had told their mom to try and avoid having them pet their dog on the head as that can lead to jumping and mouthing. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys are both petting Corky.</td></tr>
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We also talked about having very calm voices and moving slowly, not running around and getting the puppy excited. I loved their questions. The first one was about stuffed animals. Was she going to like stuffed animals. "Yes, she was," I said. "So it is important that you keep your toys in a safe place out of her way. If she does get one of your stuffed animals, just go and get one of her toys and trade her so that she knows which toy is her toy." </div>
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I told him it was probably going to be a good idea to keep his socks off the floor and his bedroom door shut too!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and son are listening as I explain about stuffed animals.</td></tr>
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We decided his younger brother had the stinkiest socks and had the most to worry about.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission accomplished: a happy boy with Corky.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission accomplished: Another comfortable boy with a big dog.</td></tr>
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All in all, I think they ended up being very comfortable with Corky and will have a very successful visit with their (hopefully!!) new forever dog tomorrow!!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-90953980009618190102015-03-01T20:37:00.000-05:002015-03-01T20:40:05.372-05:00Dewey News! Cautiously Optimistic<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Dewey Gets Matched</h2>
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We got the call last week. Dewey had been matched with someone in this month's class of graduates currently down at Southeastern Guide Dogs. We knew it was a possibility, but we thought it was another class or two away.</div>
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He had been chosen to do blind fold walks at the last open house. He had also been chosen to do the AC conference and lead one of the ACs around for her blindfold morning. So. we knew he was getting close.</div>
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But we were really surprised to hear that he had actually been matched. I think after having Coach be matched and then unmatched we are cautiously optimistic. Every dog is different. </div>
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Dewey is very calm. He has a nice settle. And as indicated by this photo from Friday, he can sleep through a noisy food court with no problem. He was the ultimate napper.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dewey napping in a food court while out during class.</td></tr>
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We will be attending Puppy Raiser Day on March 7th. We are excited, but trying to be calm. Like Dewey. Hopefully, we will have some fun photos to show you all. <br />
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Keep your fingers crossed.</div>
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And perhaps your toes too.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-33935407191439406012015-02-23T19:34:00.001-05:002015-02-23T19:34:54.458-05:00Bring to Me Your Sorrows<div>
Today was a revelatory day.</div>
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It started very ordinary. I brought in a peanut butter pie for a co-worker. I talked with students and worked on administrivia. When all at once I thought that Corky and I should go for a walk about. </div>
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I loaded up with treats, because my boy doesn't work if there isn't a treat involved. We started out with some stair work and went up two flights and down some hallways. He was very good. When the treats are around, there is no one better.</div>
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We started down the stairs and out into the open air. Corky was ignoring the acorns and focusing on me. He was so awesome. We were headed towards the vending the machines and I saw there were some middle division girls there getting some food. One girl in particular had spotted us and her whole expression brightened and she began to step toward us.</div>
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But then, she realized that Corky had his coat on and she dropped her head and turned back to the vending machines.</div>
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I started to walk on by.</div>
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But there was something that made me stop. </div>
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I looked at her. I crooked my finger. She ran over to me.</div>
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"I was wondering if you could help me with something," I asked. </div>
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She was looking at Corky. I continued, "Corky is having a problem jumping up, so I was wondering if I get him to lay down, if you would pet him for me. Can you do that?"</div>
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She nearly jumped straight up. "Oh, Yes!"</div>
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"Great!" I unhooked Corky's coat and with the treat I got him to down. Then she begin to gently pet his neck and head. Corky was in heaven. </div>
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"I miss my dog," she said.</div>
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"Where is your dog?" She didn't answer. She continued to pet Corky and her eyes filled with tears.</div>
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"Oh. Did he pass away?" She nodded. "I'm so sorry." </div>
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She continued to pet Corky and I gave her a treat to give him. </div>
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"Corky is a really sweet boy, isn't he?" She nodded.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVvzLyrN14uwSiGQAhdPu-o0aoswDWE0-cdy_0kJ3pnUu0m1mlF6p2BLLcUJ9SIgrv-dgWYPM1WLy2TPO4_ly42GRSve4c0bzo8S3DeSoQmJpXBFloYo6aZQ7T29LIqQPXcFGlijitqyb/s1600/IMG_6570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVvzLyrN14uwSiGQAhdPu-o0aoswDWE0-cdy_0kJ3pnUu0m1mlF6p2BLLcUJ9SIgrv-dgWYPM1WLy2TPO4_ly42GRSve4c0bzo8S3DeSoQmJpXBFloYo6aZQ7T29LIqQPXcFGlijitqyb/s1600/IMG_6570.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of Corky's sweet face.</td></tr>
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We left soon after, but I think we took a bit of her sorrow with us and left a bit of Corky's sweetness in its place.<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-40452877242555762072015-02-21T10:51:00.000-05:002015-02-21T10:51:34.699-05:00Corky at School: Library Duties and All School Convos<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Library Dog</h2>
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Corky has been having a great time at Berkeley. He is learning all about the library and what he needs to do to be a good library dog. We recently had a big promotion for Valentine's day called Blind Date with a Book where all of our outstanding books were covered in paper and you had to check them out without knowing what book you were getting. It only indicated the genre (it was wildly successful!). Corky was very instrumental in this promotion by not eating the paper hearts off the circulation counter and not knocking the books off the display counter.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8uTeIa5_-k1731wLwBLqHFoMJ7YRPx-RWQsK8IzuRU9w194Ru2xaVWp6MWhs0T39-r53XW42uLjeEijLair9ZWMOSSGLVqg4G656dC2kGXbA-edoQ-7PJF66CdPNNxLKw2idlfrjNscW/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8uTeIa5_-k1731wLwBLqHFoMJ7YRPx-RWQsK8IzuRU9w194Ru2xaVWp6MWhs0T39-r53XW42uLjeEijLair9ZWMOSSGLVqg4G656dC2kGXbA-edoQ-7PJF66CdPNNxLKw2idlfrjNscW/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. Fletcher, Mrs. McLean and Corky standing in front of the very colorful Blind Date with a Book display area in the Jean Ann Cone Library at Berkeley.</td></tr>
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All School Convo Dog</h2>
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We also had an all school convo to welcome us back to school in January. Corky attended and did very well. We tried a seat near the top so the sound wouldn't be too loud for him.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. McLean and Corky sitting in the stands near the top of the bleachers.</td></tr>
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The all school convo is a bit of an extravaganza. And we are all crammed in together in the bleachers. My thought was, sit up high so that the noise wouldn't be so loud.<br />
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Good idea, right?<br />
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No.<br />
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Corky doesn't have a good settle. He likes to wander and walk and ponder the world. He is a curious dog and where Dewey would be bored in 30 seconds and fall asleep, Corky is fascinated by life. <br />
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"What was that sound? Did someone move their arm? Is that a bagpipe I hear?"<br />
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So there was no settling for Corky. There was lots of moving back and forth. There was periodic settling and some poking of Dr. Leonardo in the back, which he kindly said wasn't a problem. (Thankfully, Corky also gave him lots of loving. So, I suppose that made up for it. Corky really seems to love Dr. Leonardo.)<br />
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In the end, he did finally finally settle down. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwuYAJbjgWdQ8mpji6IAQlpILgCHA5EP4wSYw-9oPeLWWuKrCpB3e7sRQF5QN2TRELA13lpWZhNW2h7qicJmWWnIOtArgDZvHHBkM85oMsggBZhu81cuoiPcCIfw2DvINdDWDRWma8hgo/s1600/IMG_6307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwuYAJbjgWdQ8mpji6IAQlpILgCHA5EP4wSYw-9oPeLWWuKrCpB3e7sRQF5QN2TRELA13lpWZhNW2h7qicJmWWnIOtArgDZvHHBkM85oMsggBZhu81cuoiPcCIfw2DvINdDWDRWma8hgo/s1600/IMG_6307.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of Corky's face.</td></tr>
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<br />But seconds after he did, we were dismissed. Sigh. Isn't that the way it goes? A small victory is still a victory.<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-59444047250003762152015-01-31T15:39:00.001-05:002015-01-31T15:39:20.378-05:00Southeastern's Open House and How Corky Schmoozes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For our meeting this month we went to the open house for Southeastern Guide Dogs and talked with visitors to let them know more about the puppy raiser program. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of Southeastern's employees at the welcome area.</td></tr>
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The open house is always a fun event to go to because all of the areas are open to see: the kennels, the dorms, the vet center. So the places that are really interesting and usually off limits are open to the public for tours and an explanation.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cheerful young lady mans the volunteer opportunities table.</td></tr>
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Nancy with her yellow goldadore Cloe and Fred and I with Corky set up shop near where some of the visitors were and we managed to have several really nice conversations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fN1Shi4b8JSFkDnaJLuZHEvMG12A8QH0oDfKCMfOtN3J8ZKd83FJVe7BdmfNABSiPTSPacbZ6IExwBkOT9E2kxUuqDxnqXFLGb-y0by_j5JwzSs0Fm8PsTGj_ecWOBuZKQhAuV7b3lBL/s1600/IMG_6107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fN1Shi4b8JSFkDnaJLuZHEvMG12A8QH0oDfKCMfOtN3J8ZKd83FJVe7BdmfNABSiPTSPacbZ6IExwBkOT9E2kxUuqDxnqXFLGb-y0by_j5JwzSs0Fm8PsTGj_ecWOBuZKQhAuV7b3lBL/s1600/IMG_6107.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred talking with this really nice couple. The man and woman had two dogs and lots of <br />experience with labs. They really liked Corky.</td></tr>
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Funny thing about these types of gatherings. You wouldn't think that talking would tire you out, but it can be very demanding.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKd6vWujrWTJ8uzCZOMcTgo2mHCfTOrhAE-Bh6FmNJqbb75znwL8-vFYe7CuNWVnqvRoR6G8Y4_iTAYEPt-J_GTl-JCvQaqyEWW1D6exG9ic3uDO_cUR4nhD8-IP2j48EoZ6ni00Wyw9WV/s1600/IMG_6113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKd6vWujrWTJ8uzCZOMcTgo2mHCfTOrhAE-Bh6FmNJqbb75znwL8-vFYe7CuNWVnqvRoR6G8Y4_iTAYEPt-J_GTl-JCvQaqyEWW1D6exG9ic3uDO_cUR4nhD8-IP2j48EoZ6ni00Wyw9WV/s1600/IMG_6113.JPG" height="288" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppy raiser Woody with his black lab sitting on a bench taking a break from the schmoozing.</td></tr>
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It is a challenge to be up and informative and cheerful all at the same time. But it's an important cause and the dogs do incredible work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0FRSY8LvhHxkixSXj6qtIhK8myFpCWkW3mZ7ro-Ylpv1Ni5owkxH22JXGW4c_xSXnsDP0Smy4AEJfgxy0b_pzRfsZVZNgfiHULVPt1rgZL4INc9WFnTHBlPVbpve5kVSZwTdNTCPIMdm/s1600/IMG_6118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0FRSY8LvhHxkixSXj6qtIhK8myFpCWkW3mZ7ro-Ylpv1Ni5owkxH22JXGW4c_xSXnsDP0Smy4AEJfgxy0b_pzRfsZVZNgfiHULVPt1rgZL4INc9WFnTHBlPVbpve5kVSZwTdNTCPIMdm/s1600/IMG_6118.JPG" height="320" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boy's grandma wanted his photo with Corky and Cleo. I also took some shots. Here he is with Corky.</td></tr>
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While we were walking around we were asked to be in photos. Well, not really. Corky and Cleo were asked to be in photos. No one really cared about us. Corky did really well with his meet and greet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rcQxCg5PVtORXdYX8q9eeza2kg4y7z6etK6HbEan_xVnuJ-A7RaryU0mXUS6755nFTdjnm35MwEGW-Za1yZC96mwcorpCAkAZPRjWlh0UBmaFdyHvoJbWnaHmUbVMAZdaZD-ocqwvfwx/s1600/IMG_6121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rcQxCg5PVtORXdYX8q9eeza2kg4y7z6etK6HbEan_xVnuJ-A7RaryU0mXUS6755nFTdjnm35MwEGW-Za1yZC96mwcorpCAkAZPRjWlh0UBmaFdyHvoJbWnaHmUbVMAZdaZD-ocqwvfwx/s1600/IMG_6121.JPG" height="278" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here he is with Corky on the right and Cleo on the left. </td></tr>
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The dogs were a big hit with volunteers working the open house as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7Y9N4fl0RUn8HYWGPf3jqinTG8aI6T847D7B5g0NZASwt09v9wdZ78Of5tIjDLyzx2f500qoIcBfJISB_aUlYsGbjLIJ9KNMfC18-XuSZWJtMc70iSei0nEAVAki1HWOAEAoWYEcYypY/s1600/IMG_6122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7Y9N4fl0RUn8HYWGPf3jqinTG8aI6T847D7B5g0NZASwt09v9wdZ78Of5tIjDLyzx2f500qoIcBfJISB_aUlYsGbjLIJ9KNMfC18-XuSZWJtMc70iSei0nEAVAki1HWOAEAoWYEcYypY/s1600/IMG_6122.JPG" height="290" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleo is giving a kiss to the ladies working the crosswalk.</td></tr>
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Southeastern has been growing and has some new buildings and gardens. It is an amazing place. To our surprise there was someone there we didn't know was going to be there: Dewey! Our friend Katie took a blindfold walk with him and sent us this photo! Go Dewey!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuB4VrLyoMdnJJ_YTIEPqELJh8-8m0fs681OOv13hbE52a8gPnGD6Q6KTBaRb_Qk2_oIzQ1PHkqSjIu24aKMQnkIc0qi7wXAmQEjEiYKTIh3IiP-13fOUP3v_uJMNe-H2I09wr6RtlGFz9/s1600/IMG_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuB4VrLyoMdnJJ_YTIEPqELJh8-8m0fs681OOv13hbE52a8gPnGD6Q6KTBaRb_Qk2_oIzQ1PHkqSjIu24aKMQnkIc0qi7wXAmQEjEiYKTIh3IiP-13fOUP3v_uJMNe-H2I09wr6RtlGFz9/s1600/IMG_0009.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-23140491576803798502015-01-24T10:45:00.001-05:002015-01-24T10:49:48.120-05:00What It Means to Sponsor a Puppy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Southeastern Guide Dogs' primary mission is to provide dog who blaze a trail of freedom for their visually impaired partners. A secondary and lesser know mission is the one the dogs have embedded in their brains: their name. For each dog is named for someone special and he or she carries the hopes and dreams of that person's legacy with them. </div>
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Sponsorships</h2>
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The naming process is a very special process. A person or a family or group will come together and make a decision to honor someone. At Berkeley, we decided to honor our retiring headmaster, Joseph A. Merluzzi: JAM.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIm7kOWhAuoJPwJrvRXR_ENf-JWTSA5LG5Z6KstN3sXYGGuLz0DXIFTgpsFf-NFX-ZcwTf4upPKGusE9pKAfS1rblQgNlpHf6hyphenhyphenVSx7eMEtZGl5WhTMCqt5Y2HjdpPS7TZor9XdA4jgPXt/s1600/jam+meet+jam+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIm7kOWhAuoJPwJrvRXR_ENf-JWTSA5LG5Z6KstN3sXYGGuLz0DXIFTgpsFf-NFX-ZcwTf4upPKGusE9pKAfS1rblQgNlpHf6hyphenhyphenVSx7eMEtZGl5WhTMCqt5Y2HjdpPS7TZor9XdA4jgPXt/s1600/jam+meet+jam+013.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joseph A. Merluzzi holding puppy Jam upside down in his arms.</td></tr>
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One year, we had one particular student, Austin Iglehart, who raised all the money himself and wanted to recognize and honor his football coach for being such a role model and mentor. That was Coach. Our sponsor was shy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLRObUqYHNoIbG1w-8zkDJ9Anjv0IyaHSi-0fmxXeSNwOE04pRpo_MoEeMLQdeIVhbh4AAdDJ9fUKnLKKlMNRJZG_uQ2f6mRRz83NMxWuZG6UxB7gvxhDgMaJymtr96Fw0oW3mXRSdOuE/s1600/senior+kinder+day+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLRObUqYHNoIbG1w-8zkDJ9Anjv0IyaHSi-0fmxXeSNwOE04pRpo_MoEeMLQdeIVhbh4AAdDJ9fUKnLKKlMNRJZG_uQ2f6mRRz83NMxWuZG6UxB7gvxhDgMaJymtr96Fw0oW3mXRSdOuE/s1600/senior+kinder+day+027.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Austin Iglehart with Coach on the football field.</td></tr>
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And sometimes the honoree touches everyone's heart. </div>
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Christie Bassett</h2>
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This January, 16 year old Christie Bassett lost her life in a <a href="http://www.gainesville.com/article/20150105/ARTICLES/150109862?tc=ar" target="_blank">tragic automobile accident</a>. In addition to being a <a href="http://www.floridaswimnetwork.com/2015/01/04/swimming-community-mourns-for-high-tide-swimmer/" target="_blank">competitive swimmer,</a> she was a vivacious young lady with a zest for life and a love for dogs.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christie with her Uncle Chris's career changed guide dog Johnny.<br />
Christie is a little girl in this photo.</td></tr>
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And I know that while you all may be thinking that this is very sad, but I don't know why this matters to the McLeans and why it should matter you.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10933849_10205755804395493_3209977379473646078_n.jpg?oh=50235817822ba6325ac68c53ced9dff6&oe=5525E492&__gda__=1432624260_36c4ffafc2b380eb6ba52e54eadcb6d2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10933849_10205755804395493_3209977379473646078_n.jpg?oh=50235817822ba6325ac68c53ced9dff6&oe=5525E492&__gda__=1432624260_36c4ffafc2b380eb6ba52e54eadcb6d2" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christie with Wally, Chip and Chris's current guide dog in training. <br />
Wally is asleep on her lap. Christie is smiling.</td></tr>
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When Jam went in for training, he had a problem: he had bad separation anxiety. Perhaps you have seen the Jam Cam or remember the posts about all the problems we have been working with him on about separation anxiety. Well, at some point, Southeastern felt that for Jam's mental health that he needed a break and he needed to go to someone who would help him not only with his anxiety but would help him complete his training and allow him to come back, eventually.</div>
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They sent him to Chip and Chris.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPj0f1X_A_M8HiArAryHqyysE9C2jDTXTpkK_58T2GKxFPReusr89Q6dN2epz_6Mof8WP0jykVaup-9iWAetL7QCZA6Roqc_YHm3mPdKaEjfBKT6G1x2uE70FN3Fj-SU6dxhfy6YRcsMR1/s1600/IMG_4829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPj0f1X_A_M8HiArAryHqyysE9C2jDTXTpkK_58T2GKxFPReusr89Q6dN2epz_6Mof8WP0jykVaup-9iWAetL7QCZA6Roqc_YHm3mPdKaEjfBKT6G1x2uE70FN3Fj-SU6dxhfy6YRcsMR1/s1600/IMG_4829.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris with Jam.</td></tr>
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Chip and Chris got him through. Chris is Christie's Uncle. Chris has also been volunteering with Southeastern since 1997. Both he and Chip have been our friends since we got Jam back. </div>
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Sponsorships are a way to let that loved one live on in memory. We were thrilled that we had an opportunity to be a part of helping to name a puppy after such a sweet girl. Our hope is that you feel that same way. Will you be a part of helping her name to live on in the spirit of a lab, golden or goldadore puppy? Just click on <a href="https://guidedogswalkathon.org/corkymclean" target="_blank">Walkathon</a> and go to our walkathon page to make a donation.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38pPQmh6bBLOhqR0nhQgdUZr78PNeGmyBvhfLB_9rIRVzB13my0xXalnXGejIHcX9dKdMTz88UTzPWIb6T-drloWyVtSsawj243hJILxEJy5UOlbGh9R1z7wyRt8uHBBSfRhPp84NUuKu/s1600/IMG_6086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38pPQmh6bBLOhqR0nhQgdUZr78PNeGmyBvhfLB_9rIRVzB13my0xXalnXGejIHcX9dKdMTz88UTzPWIb6T-drloWyVtSsawj243hJILxEJy5UOlbGh9R1z7wyRt8uHBBSfRhPp84NUuKu/s1600/IMG_6086.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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Any donation is acceptable! However, if your donation is $50 or over, I will personally handknit you a scarf like the one Jam is wearing. Just tell me your favorite color.</div>
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Here's a video of Christie.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-80703623096777214612015-01-04T14:48:00.003-05:002015-01-04T14:48:35.463-05:00All Dogs Are Black at NightLast night was a late night for me. Fred had worked out in the yard and was very tired. He went up to bed early. So, left to my own devices, I meandered along on the internet and became trapped in that sinkhole of time known to many as Pinterest. <br />
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I took a detour into the cul de sac of doom: Etsy. When, with bleary eyes, I looked up, it was midnight and Fred had thoughtfully left me with all the dogs. <br />
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We trudged with heavy feet up the stairs. There was one light on in the bathroom. The dogs fled into the darkness of the bedroom. I began to put on my pyjamas, brush my teeth, take my pills.<br />
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Turn out the lights. Sweet darkness. One more holiday day and then work beckons.<br />
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I round the corner to my side of the bed and my feet make contact with a dog. A soft fluffy one. <br />
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"Ah, Corky. You are so sweet for waiting outside your kennel." I said to him. I patted his head and did a small tug on his collar. He walked right into the crate. I pulled it down behind him. <br />
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I got into bed. Closed my eyes.<br />
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Snoring. Such snoring. Fred was sawing away! And then, just underneath the snoring, I heard a little peep.<br />
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Wheep, wheep.<br />
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SNORE. SNORE. wheep.<br />
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What was that whistling? I elbowed Fred, but he didn't move.<br />
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SNORE!!!! SNORE! WHEEP!<br />
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It got a little louder.<br />
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WHEEP. WHEEP.<br />
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Was it Corky? Did he need to go out? Fred rolled over and the snoring stopped.<br />
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WHEEP. WHEEP.<br />
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It WAS Corky. I turned on my light.</div>
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Jam stared back at me. Jam was in Corky's crate. In the darkness, all dogs are black and I had grabbed Jam and pushed him into Corky's crate and shut it behind him. He was staring out at me. </div>
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"Why? Why?" His expression asked.</div>
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I jumped up and let him out. Corky came out from around the corner. He was so happy to be free. I grabbed him and put him in the crate.</div>
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Order was restored.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-RfGzo3nYgRjdMrMwYFJaEjXj9lQFbZuEYbWguy4mwZ_1oOAElmnDFw6RXUr2XC3nsyBfeonX-eqxScoQkKV1nflDfvfE8sUmq2gZFoxC0Q382lVLGBAoc8Vke-5nmjN81fHgMJsgvXN/s1600/IMG_5579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-RfGzo3nYgRjdMrMwYFJaEjXj9lQFbZuEYbWguy4mwZ_1oOAElmnDFw6RXUr2XC3nsyBfeonX-eqxScoQkKV1nflDfvfE8sUmq2gZFoxC0Q382lVLGBAoc8Vke-5nmjN81fHgMJsgvXN/s1600/IMG_5579.JPG" height="233" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up photo of Jam, our yellow lab, looking handsome.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-73792988313663703072014-12-28T09:20:00.002-05:002014-12-28T09:20:50.314-05:00Puppy Portraits: Christmas Presents<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Santa brought some very nice presents to our house and there were some improved lenses to help take better photos for the blog. So, today, I have some examples taken with one of my new lenses. (In case you are interested, I use a Canon Rebel T3 and this lens is a 24-105mm). Our December meeting was a webinar by Jen Gerrity on dog body language, so I will use what I learned to evaluate the photos to see if our puppies are relaxed or not!!</div>
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A relaxed dog is indicated by a face that is squishy and soft. The muzzle is soft, not drawn tight, not tense. There are not whites of the eyes showing; the eyes are not wide open. The ears are soft and crinkly.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-nuyqpk34iz2khF3kQ0T3Yf5VwBG8S_Un60eaQJVOpSXiLnXgZCan8BBSzHGeC3-LANmJ1jrDwmba6w2e1nf7JabwtP3EZXokv61_yMbvIOOCUa4iERvMxWn3tYHSe9TJVTOBqaIGW8n/s1600/IMG_5576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-nuyqpk34iz2khF3kQ0T3Yf5VwBG8S_Un60eaQJVOpSXiLnXgZCan8BBSzHGeC3-LANmJ1jrDwmba6w2e1nf7JabwtP3EZXokv61_yMbvIOOCUa4iERvMxWn3tYHSe9TJVTOBqaIGW8n/s1600/IMG_5576.JPG" height="274" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of Jam, our career changed yellow lab.</td></tr>
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Jammy, is always up for a photo. You can see that his muzzle is soft, his ears are soft and his eyes are at ease. He's a photo fan.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDURsoRpJTFzw4EmyVQdVrsjT4QdLwbV24X3EUiC9WTLAo7T3xDUIzc02jzbUYqbwl_hfO0DZRAXjouytC4srEYFrY1c_N16Xp6xTTIB8B_tYD1hhk8-EX6Otp7VP8XHGD8zhMNrmdF5YI/s1600/IMG_5592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDURsoRpJTFzw4EmyVQdVrsjT4QdLwbV24X3EUiC9WTLAo7T3xDUIzc02jzbUYqbwl_hfO0DZRAXjouytC4srEYFrY1c_N16Xp6xTTIB8B_tYD1hhk8-EX6Otp7VP8XHGD8zhMNrmdF5YI/s1600/IMG_5592.JPG" height="276" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Corky, a black lab guide dog in training, looking off to the side. </td></tr>
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Here is a photo of Corky, our current southeastern guide dog in training. While he is looking off to the side, his face is fairly relaxed. You can see his underlip jowl, so his mouth is still soft. His eyes relaxed.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhGOsKQe7D9xCDYWxK5tj0LgzHfXRaT01CEtOE_Jja1Pglhlvhbv2k0nHQuBIkRsnVNkYaaMYV-Tf9x62f5iLDv9iypnhhZxuegUJImsEQabDj7NHO5Ca07rOtt1OY8ROkv_6GJidYOqG/s1600/IMG_5610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhGOsKQe7D9xCDYWxK5tj0LgzHfXRaT01CEtOE_Jja1Pglhlvhbv2k0nHQuBIkRsnVNkYaaMYV-Tf9x62f5iLDv9iypnhhZxuegUJImsEQabDj7NHO5Ca07rOtt1OY8ROkv_6GJidYOqG/s1600/IMG_5610.JPG" height="320" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow , a chocolate lab, sunning in the garden.</td></tr>
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Willow doesn't like the camera and it is hard to get a happy photo of her. You have to get her when she is not watching or very relaxed. I happened to get her relaxing in a dirt hole she dug in the garden. Her face is relaxed, her ears are relaxed and her eyes are soft.<br />
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Photographing dogs in some ways is like photographing people. Some like the camera and some don't and shut down. If you know what to look for: tight ears, mouth, whale eyes (where the whites of the eyes are showing), you know the dog is tense and the photo will not be good or look natural and you can work to make your subject more relaxed. Good luck!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-49203217569483810332014-12-20T02:23:00.000-05:002014-12-20T02:23:54.567-05:00Corky's School Introductions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I introduced Corky to lower, middle and upper division on three separate days in early December. It was shortly after Katie Bandel's visit, so it was in actuality auspiciously timed as the students in upper had a more impactful idea of what Corky would be doing for someone later on in life. </div>
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We are hoping to bring Katie back to Berkeley in Jan/Feb to speak with lower and middle and to do the exercise with the dixie cups with them as well.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe185gMCEqgmaUzQUnNqsagUmayhRKfQD1GCw9RIUUwlZbKKlMcc_ycZR9ugmburAv4pMtqRV_aTWeOEAkAd0AcYFnZ0AOMjkjFGNf1kV282OiQTaxSpjNIATeWeQjZgDoqgedz_zz90em/s1600/IMG_0527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe185gMCEqgmaUzQUnNqsagUmayhRKfQD1GCw9RIUUwlZbKKlMcc_ycZR9ugmburAv4pMtqRV_aTWeOEAkAd0AcYFnZ0AOMjkjFGNf1kV282OiQTaxSpjNIATeWeQjZgDoqgedz_zz90em/s1600/IMG_0527.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corky on stage in upper. He did a nice sit.</td></tr>
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Corky was pretty good on stage. He did sit when given the command. Of course, he then immediately stood up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2LA2R92twM5Szc7wrdsF4k-7kr7yV6Xh9VWVwWO5E8JFIXx-YlkmGR21-6ZGAHeJwHDlPRdit20lwU7YrG1DspHSadXwUMs8MiifEBazPcLifg2Xn8soSLabc5WNdnvYWYSJ8IRc_RzB/s1600/IMG_0528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2LA2R92twM5Szc7wrdsF4k-7kr7yV6Xh9VWVwWO5E8JFIXx-YlkmGR21-6ZGAHeJwHDlPRdit20lwU7YrG1DspHSadXwUMs8MiifEBazPcLifg2Xn8soSLabc5WNdnvYWYSJ8IRc_RzB/s1600/IMG_0528.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corky standing at my side as I talk about him.</td></tr>
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I figured you have to pick your battles. I just talked rather than fight to keep him sitting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTScKnhjCpeoGnJu7eOPBnXjwtuufVvNqsRb4AMXPhVCdkYSBA1HLSwgrNxYkdX9vXHtwh0NAsdSOzdwjXQEvyBX_nwSM4Rs5DAlYvwhrYxXIZuChqw3DxFkQAuXRVSOdYa8RVTjlUusv/s1600/IMG_0575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTScKnhjCpeoGnJu7eOPBnXjwtuufVvNqsRb4AMXPhVCdkYSBA1HLSwgrNxYkdX9vXHtwh0NAsdSOzdwjXQEvyBX_nwSM4Rs5DAlYvwhrYxXIZuChqw3DxFkQAuXRVSOdYa8RVTjlUusv/s1600/IMG_0575.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I love about this photo of me presenting Corky to lower is the smiles of the children.</td></tr>
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On a separate day we presented Corky to lower division. He was a little stressed as you can see in the photo, his tail is a little down. He normally carries it a little higher. I think it was all the waiting and the fact that I was nervous as well. But he did great. Right up until the very end when he tried to nibble a little on the Christmas tree. But no damage was done as we caught him right away! He had a quiet rest of the day in the office.<br />
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All three divisions now have reheard the rules:<br />
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<ol>
<li>If Corky is wearing the coat, he is invisible: don't call his name, don't pet him, pretend he isn't there.</li>
<li>If he isn't wearing the coat, you can ask permission to pet him. The question to ask is: "Is this a good time (We might be on a bathroom break!)?</li>
<li>If we are in my office, Corky will usually have his coat off and chances are good you can pet him.</li>
</ol>
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Depending on what Corky is going through at the moment, I may have students help me with a certain problem. For instance, if he has a problem jumping or lunging (like Jam did) I would have a student walk by while I had Corky sit beside me. Fortunately, he doesn't do that. But if we find anything, the lower, middle and upper division students stand ready and willing to help out in whatever way possible!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385392173704883686.post-56781613218369246972014-11-28T08:56:00.000-05:002014-11-28T09:23:41.425-05:00Secret Jam CamBy Fred<br />
On Wednesday we installed some surveillance cameras so that we can watch the dogs while we are out. Specifically, we hoped this would give us a chance to have a normal and relaxed Thanksgiving dinner at our friends house while Jam was home alone. Here's what happened.<br />
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2:15pm<br />
The dogs have been walked and pooped and fed early. The house has been picked up so that Jam doesn't have any obvious temptations. I walk Cheryl to the car but then come back inside so that Jam might think it's a normal work day. Cheryl pulls out of the driveway. I watch TV for a second, then I go out the back door to trick Jam into thinking that I'm just doing some yard work and will be back soon. I walk around the house and then get into the car with Cheryl. <br />
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2:20pm <br />
We turn on the iPhone app that controls the cameras in the house. I expect to see Jam at or near the back door, waiting for me to come back. But there's no Jam. I switch to the living room camera. We can take pictures of the video feed, so I got this one of him on the couch looking out the window to the driveway. I love this.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidL1XAgOSan_0Eu5T6647g_hPCddtbd7QRIIo4gXV9lpBnSVz5yzADWHarNArYpXDYBOwhFsvv1ASRu9yp3GudC0nSjQt-oGnjGN5QlCmikYcm9NNxQbSIpBMRY0eOPIGa3Xofou8uJvW/s1600/IMG_3479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidL1XAgOSan_0Eu5T6647g_hPCddtbd7QRIIo4gXV9lpBnSVz5yzADWHarNArYpXDYBOwhFsvv1ASRu9yp3GudC0nSjQt-oGnjGN5QlCmikYcm9NNxQbSIpBMRY0eOPIGa3Xofou8uJvW/s1600/IMG_3479.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>He knew I was lying about working in the back yard, but he's not sure where I am. We drive away.<br />
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2:25pm <br />
I switch to the kitchen cam, and there is Jam snooping around, checking out the counter tops. Bad boy. But there is nothing frantic about him--he's calmly walking around. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtfaxm3Q6APNgSLPXzQRnu3jY95ThmL2LgpKMXH6D1T3mql6-_Bqo1LMUKNDyuXusp0joIR0vXJ5cr2fcrI4qAi5RQpCIBEvSruo50fut0gt6xlsUKAisGf5XjEL3GNw92reLarfsVdhw/s1600/JamCounter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtfaxm3Q6APNgSLPXzQRnu3jY95ThmL2LgpKMXH6D1T3mql6-_Bqo1LMUKNDyuXusp0joIR0vXJ5cr2fcrI4qAi5RQpCIBEvSruo50fut0gt6xlsUKAisGf5XjEL3GNw92reLarfsVdhw/s1600/JamCounter.png" height="278" width="320" /></a></div><br />
2:26pm<br />
Then seconds later we can see that he's opened a cabinet door (despite the baby locks) and he's taken out one piece of Tupperware (see the arrow) and put it on the floor.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOaRrrBlaTBWL6vqEjbyCPs6-JNxHAqUgYal78cDrHo_Tg497rcm1CFOxBiIajHCE7hMEarlOkfAViSYws9h0CWBo0l2iLFNLH8FOrdn_n-zEHjcFSlQSLJSime7DkhQlKUZLsWNYLiOzD/s1600/JamCabinet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOaRrrBlaTBWL6vqEjbyCPs6-JNxHAqUgYal78cDrHo_Tg497rcm1CFOxBiIajHCE7hMEarlOkfAViSYws9h0CWBo0l2iLFNLH8FOrdn_n-zEHjcFSlQSLJSime7DkhQlKUZLsWNYLiOzD/s1600/JamCabinet.png" height="238" width="320" /></a></div><br />
No big deal, but we circle back to the house. Cheryl parks on the street and watches Jam on video while I run around to the back door and come inside, as though I had been working in the yard the whole time. I put the Tupperware away and give him a mild scolding. Jam is truly surprised to see me. <br />
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2:30pm <br />
We're back on the road. We can see Jam at the backdoor. Then minutes later he is taking a nap. We are relieved to see this.<br />
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2:30 - 6:00pm <br />
We continue to check throughout the afternoon, and Jam slept the whole day. What a relief to see that he is not stressed out. We had a very pleasant day as a result.<br />
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6:00pm <br />
It's dark outside so the cameras have gone into nighttime mode. Here are Willow and Jam, sleeping on the couch in the living room. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfm6WX5EFDx3gw4yqsdSJqjNOX2fkk2lpKBUMjRTAqBYJA8TjFWWPrcu5loDqn0kvtqGbByZM3cXqdfgg0PnPP-VQs_y_x5sMnKIh47qwvW6iSAq4USKdYwPrg8BX_vYJwyc0UgCxygHvM/s1600/IMG_3487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfm6WX5EFDx3gw4yqsdSJqjNOX2fkk2lpKBUMjRTAqBYJA8TjFWWPrcu5loDqn0kvtqGbByZM3cXqdfgg0PnPP-VQs_y_x5sMnKIh47qwvW6iSAq4USKdYwPrg8BX_vYJwyc0UgCxygHvM/s1600/IMG_3487.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>We had a very nice Thanksgiving.<br />
FredCanDoIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02925428923145009597noreply@blogger.com0