Dewey News! Cautiously Optimistic

Dewey Gets Matched

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.

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.

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.  

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.

Dewey napping in a food court while out during class.

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.

Keep your fingers crossed.

And perhaps your toes too.

Southeastern's Open House and How Corky Schmoozes

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.  

Two of Southeastern's employees at the welcome area.

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.

A cheerful young lady mans the volunteer opportunities table.

 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.

Fred talking with this really nice couple.  The man and woman had two dogs and lots of
experience with labs. They really liked Corky.

 Funny thing about these types of gatherings.  You wouldn't think that talking would tire you out, but it can be very demanding.

Puppy raiser Woody with his black lab sitting on a bench taking a break from the schmoozing.

 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.

The boy's grandma wanted his photo with Corky and Cleo.  I also took some shots.  Here he is with Corky.

 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.

Here he is with Corky on the right and Cleo on the left.  

 The dogs were a big hit with volunteers working the open house as well.

Cleo is giving a kiss to the ladies working the crosswalk.

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!!!

Dewey Report Card

Good News on Dewey!

Dewey in the gym at school.

He is in Phase 3: Blindfold Walks. Woot!

We are so proud of Dewey.  He is a calm and very sweet boy and we are so proud of him.  Here are the comments from the trainer:

COMMENTS: Dewey continues to do well in training! We are going to lots of different venues and he is generally a very mature and well behaved gentleman. He still needs some additional support from his handler, especially in more challenging work environments. He has a great settle and it's clear that you put a lot of time and love into teaching him to be such a nice boy. 

Now, you might wonder what a nice settle is.  We are pretty sure that is Dewey being lazy and plopping into a down stay after about 30 seconds of standing up.  So, yes, we will take credit for that.  Dewey was a lot like Bob, another puppy we puppy sat years ago.  When I tried to introduce Bob to people, if I talked for more than 15 seconds, Bob would fall into a deep trance and lay on the floor.  We called Bob: surfer dude.  Nothing bothered him.  

Now, Dewey is super chill as well.  He also likes to lay down and nap.  We always said he is the perfect dog for someone with an office job because all he wants to do is lay under the desk and sleep.  In meetings he just curls up by your feet and sleeps.   

We love you Dewey.  Stay strong.  Work on those challenging work environments.  You can do it.  You were a champ at school.  You've got this!  Go Dewey!

Dewey by the French doors.

Dewey Goes In For Training

Dewey went in for training on Saturday.  Strangely, the house is even more quiet with him gone.  Why strangely? Because Dewey was one of the quietest dogs ever.  He never barked. He didn't whine.

Although, he did occasionally make a small bird peeping noise at the door when he wanted to go out.  We miss that.

A lot.

Fred standing in front of the Guide Dog U sign with Dewey.

Dewey was ready for Guide Dog U.  He is smart, able and very capable of being a guide dog.

Dewey's poster.

We had time to fill out his paperwork and time to think about our year with him during the 6 weeks before we brought him in to Guide Dog U.  We thought about whether he really know that find the elevator command and if his sit and stay commands were strong enough.

Fred and Cheryl with Dewey at his poster.

Dewey is so calm.  He's a very low energy kind of dog.  We like to call him, surfer chill.  We thought, he would be really good for a CEO who needs a dog who likes sleeping through meetings, or a teacher who wants a dog to sleep through class.

Dewey finally met his brothers Hairy-cane and Bowser.
Hairy is next to him on the right and Bowser is on the far right.

Even in finding and greeting his long lost brothers, Dewey's response was still pretty low key. (Of course, we use Jam as our comparison.  So, perhaps we have the most extreme dogs ever.  Jam on the far left and Dewey on the far right!)

We filled up his treat bone and took it in to his kennel.

 Dewey has always been a very good sharer and play partner.  He does play dates with Duke and is one of his favorite friends.

Dewey's roommate is our neighbor Barpal.

Dewey and Barpal had a playdate when they were little puppies.  Of course, Dewey and Jam play all the time and they play HARD!  Every now and then, Willow will try and join in, but the boys run past her and ignore her.  No girls in our play.

Dewey in his new home.

 After Dewey went back in to the kennel, we were taken over to do some puppy hugging. It was very much needed.

Fred got some puppy kisses.

They had some very cute puppies.

This little yellow lab has all the toys around him.

After puppy hugging though, we were so worn out.  Dewey was our fifth puppy to give back.  The new assessment kennel was so nice and the ceremony was incredibly well done.  I think it was amazing how far the puppy raising services has come in making such an incredibly heartbreaking event not so traumatic.  They really did a super job.  

We want to take this moment to thank all the people who took the time to give up their Saturday (the puppy raising staff, trainers, volunteers, kennel staff, employees, and anyone I missed).  You made that Saturday into a momentous day for us.  You gave it weight, significance and meaning.  All of your hard work and effort is deeply appreciated.

Dewey's Last Puppy Meeting - Last Lunch - Last Dinner: The Night Before IFT

It is our last day with Dewey.  So there are a lot of tears today.  Secret tears and not so secret tears. There will be tears tomorrow.  And probably more later.  He is so sweet.  We will miss him tremendously, but he has a big job to do and we need to let him go on to the next stage to do that.

Today we went to Bon Appetit and ate on the patio.

Dewey was lovely and calm. We had a water view.

Dewey mostly sleeps at restaurants.

So does Jam.

We took one last photo by the water of the boys and Cheryl.

There are a lot of forms that we have to fill out when we take our dogs back in for training.  One of them is a Puppy Raiser Bio Form.  It asks for additional comments on why we chose to become puppy raisers and our wishes for whomever is matched with Dewey. This is what I wrote:

"We wanted to find a way to give back that we could incorporate into our lives. We love dogs and we thought that puppy raising would be a perfect match.  What we didn't realize is that every dog of every raiser is important to you.  You care about the dog you puppy camped, the dogs you puppy sat, and especially the one you raised.  You love them not just because you raised them, but because they are the embodiment of Southeastern's mission.  They are what we do and why we do it.  We do it for you, the graduate.

I thought it was about the dogs.  But it isn't.  It's about the freedom, the independence, the self confidence.  It's about making sure we raise up a happy, self confident puppy for you.  So you will have a guide you can depend on.

We hope we got it right.  We wish you all the best.  Dewey is tenderhearted, sweet and loving.  He will be an amazing companion."

Photo of Dewey, 2014, out for dinner, looking handsome.

Do good. Be good.

Dewey's Last Week: A Concert at the American Legion

We were invited to hear the band Two Dog Night perform at the American Legion today.

Sign for 2 Dog Night.

 It was great because the bass player is also a puppy raiser for the Pinellas East Group: Alan Horner.  So, of course we went!

 

Here's a shot of Alan singing and playing.

It was nice to be at "the band's" table. The music was wonderful: the Eagles, 3 Dog Night, Jimmy Buffett, Beach Boys.  Their playing was great and their voices blended well too.  

Dewey looking very relaxed.  

Dewey took his cue from the laid back music and chilled under the table.  He mostly slept.  Although he perked up when Clara, the little black lab female made an appearance later in the after noon.

Dewey stares at Clara under the table. Clara is getting a belly rub.

Clara pretty much had eyes only for the humans.  They could give her belly rubs and kisses.  Even at this young puppy stage she is a master manipulator.

Dewey stares at Clara with lovesick eyes.

Dewey didn't care, he just stared and stared at her with his lovesick eyes.  Romance was in the air.

Dewey's Final Goodbye's from Jan and Christina

It's a tradition that on the last day that our Southeastern Guide dog puppy is in the Cone Library that Jan and Christina take their goodbye photos with them.  Now, while the goodbyes have all had an element of sadness, it is not secret to say that people had their puppy preferences.  Some puppy's acted out and some were always sweet.  Some were a bit excitable, shall we say... But none were as gentle and loving as Dewey.

Sweet Dewey Dewdrop, who climbs up in your lap and snuggles.

Christina with Dewey in her lap in a snuggle.

Dewey has been a special favorite of everyone this year.  He is uncommonly sweet and gentle. He has been a student favorite, that's for sure.

Dewey and Christina.

Dewey even made Mrs. Connors a softie. Every morning, Dewey and I would come in the front door of the library and after sitting and being released, he would run to see Mrs. Connors.

Why?

She always gave him a tiny taste of peanut butter as his welcome to the library morning treat.

Dewey and Mrs. Connors with the peanut butter jar.

It was their thing.  It was just that once.  In the morning.  And after she put it away, he would lie down and be quiet. Next to her.

Jan smiling as Dewey licks the top of the peanut butter jar.

 But, Dewey was her favorite. She said so.  They had a rapport.  So while they can't be there on IFT day, Dewey, they send you all their best wishes as do all the students and I'm sure everyone at school.

Be good.  Do good.  We just can't see how you could do anything else.

Dewey's Last Day in Rudolph Library

Sometimes, your best moments come in the quiet spaces between times.  Between those times when you are supposed to be doing something.  Something supposedly IMPORTANT.  

I had just finished a meeting with the lower division librarian.  I thought the library was empty, but there were four lower division students left in it.  They had been very, very quietly waiting for us to finish what we were talking about.

"Is now a good time for Dewey to take off his coat?" While it was the red haired girl who asked, they all had pleading in their eyes. I did have somewhere to be, but it was so quiet and Dewey was so still. 

He looked at them.  He looked back at me. "Sure."

We are all gathered around Dewey who is on his back getting belly rubs.

The kids were ecstatic.  We started to talk about dogs as we petted Dewey.

They were all very impressed with his soft coat.

And then he did what he always does when he gets lots of love and attention: He smiled.

Dewey, on his back smiling.

Which made all of us laugh.  Or maybe someone said something funny.  It was just a lovely moment in the library with Dewey and the students.

Laughing in the library with Dewey and the students.

Dewey And the Ducks

At our school we have a pair of mallards who live on the campus.  Periodically we will get an update that they have laid eggs somewhere and that we need to be very quiet or careful so as not to disturb the nesting mother duck.

Often when we are walking in, we will pass the mom and dad mallard.  Sometimes Dewey notices them and sometimes he doesn't.  It depends on which way the wind is blowing and whether the ducks are in his direct line of sight.  They can be tricksy and hide in the bushes.

On Friday, a dark and rainy day, we were out walking.  We walked by the rain gutter that was making a loud waterfall onto some bricks.  It was a bit of a startling noise for Dewey so we stopped so he could get used to the sound.

Dewey staring at the waterfall.

It didn't take Dewey long to get used to the gushing of the water sound onto the bricks.  He lifted his head and looked up at the grass.

Dewey catching sight of the duck couple and pricking up his ears.

 He pricked up his ears.  I noticed this and looked down to where his gaze was fixed.  There were the mallards.

The mallards cavorting in the puddles.

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard.  They were happily cavorting in the puddles, which were quite deep.

Dewey staring at the mallards.

Dewey was lost in thought.  Easter had passed. The rain was coming down.  It was a peaceful, zen moment.

I wonder what was going through his mind?

Dewey Loves to Crochet

We all want to think that at a certain point we can let our guard down.  We can become a bit complacent when our puppies get a little older.  They behave so much better.  We trust them so much.

But we have to remember that they are still puppies and we are still puppy raisers.  However, I was still surprised to walk into the yarn room to find that Dewey had gotten one of the yarn balls and pulled it into a snarly mess.

It wasn't his fault.  It was my fault.  I had left the yarn out in the open.  The cabinet door wasn't shut.  The full bag of yarn was hanging ajar.  What dog worth his snout in curiosity wouldn't have investigated this gold mine of interesting smells?

Here is the yarn room.  My tall cabinet filled with yarn. One cabinet door open.
An open yarn bag gaping wide at dog head height and hanging off a knob on the buffet.

Trainer Jen has told us that if our pups have a fondness for something (socks, shoes, etc.) then you need to start setting those things out and then rewarding the pups for not going after them.  Set them up for success.

Dewey sits calmly by the silky orange ribbon as I try to rewind it.

Who's fault was it that he had failed? It was mine.

Now, I have to plan on being the one to make him succeed on avoiding yarn in future.

I recently became the sponsor of the Knitting and Crochet Club.  We knit and crochet baby hats for premies and babies at hospitals.  I just stored a big box of supplies without a lid under my desk and Dewey found it.

Dewey and the baby yarn for premie hats.

Now I will be buying a big storage tub with a locking lid on Sunday for my office.

It seems obvious to me that yarn is a red light item for Dewey.  So starting next week, we will be playing some yarn avoidance games, perhaps even some video, to get Dewey to the point where he isn't so interested in yarn.

We'll keep you posted!

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Spring Break seemed to put us out of sorts.  We were not able to post as much as we would have liked and so we need to catch up on some Dewey stories.

Right before we headed off for Spring Break, we had the great pleasure of being invited down to Lower Division to read to the Kindergarten.  We had a special book picked out: Officer Buckle and Gloria. It's about a safety officer who gets a service dog to help him with his school visits.  Little does he know just how much Gloria the dog is doing to rev up his speeches!

Dewey contemplating the book Officer Buckle and Gloria.

Dewey was very excited about going down to Lower.  Well, Dewey doesn't get charged up about anything, but he did seem very happy about the opportunity.  He loves the little kids.

Some of the students pointing at Dewey. 

The students were VERY excited when they saw that Dewey was part of story time.

Dewey and I at the front of the class with Mrs. Edwards to the left.

I had to explain that Dewey was going to listen to the story. We were HOPING that Dewey was going to be a good boy and listen quietly.

Dewey sitting in front of me as I explained to the students about the story time rules.

Dewey sits down very politely in the front row.  All of the kids in the first row are SUPER excited as they are the closest to Dewey. We start the book.

Dewey is sitting in front of me and staring up.

I start to read with lots of animation, after all, I am a frustrated actress living inside of a librarian.  So, my many dramatic voices come pouring out in the different characters of the book.

Dewey gets very interested and gets up to take a look

Dewey sits up to take a closer look at the book.

I tone it down a bit.

I go back to reading, Dewey sits by my side.

Dewey sits down at my side, but soon, I have reached a crisis in the book and Dewey becomes worried for the characters.

Dewey is standing and looking at me wondering why I am so worried.

Officer Buckle has reached a crisis in the book!  I tell Dewey that he is just going to have to sit down and wait to hear the end like everyone else.  The students laugh.

Dewey making sure I am ok.

Dewey slowly goes into a sit. Then into a down.   He is waiting for the story to calm down.  What will Officer Buckle do? What will Gloria do?

Everybody is looking at the book to see what Gloria is going to do, including Dewey.

In the end, Officer Buckle makes the right decision and he and Gloria become partners again and save the school from safety disasters.

View from the back of the story time of everyone watching me flip the pages.

And Dewey? Well, Dewey got to dream about being the best guide dog ever because he had fallen asleep. Finally.