Our Yearly Pinecones, as Decoration Exposure

For the past four years I have been using the list of exposures as a sort of guideline of what we needed to include as suitable places/events, etc. to take the puppies to get them ready for guide dog school. And every year my gaze would land upon PINECONES, AS DECORATIONS, and I would think, "What?"

It was great when we had Bingo and HRH Berkeley, because we went to my mom's house and she was a nut about Pinecone trees.  Poof and done, as my friend Michele would say.  But for the last several years we haven't traveled.  Wah, Waaa.  

That means, that I have had to build up my pinecones, as decorations, collection so that I have an adequate exposure in which our guide dog puppy can choose to go rogue or not.  Jam, our crazy man, did not.  Coach, ever the gentleman, did not. And now, Dewey, our gentle, never barking, loves a hug, sweet natured boy, has gotten his turn at the horror of horrors: 

The Pinecone, as Decoration Display.

A compilation of photos of various parts of the pinecone, as decoration display.  Large and small pinecone balls and a pinecone tree.

I put the pinecone trees on the floor (they are normally up high!) and let Dewey take his time sniffing and becoming friends with them.  Pinecones aren't really the friendly sort, being a bit prickery.  He quickly became uninterested.  

We took a quick photo.

Dewey is staring intently at the camera as he sits between two pinecone trees.

I think his intent stare is a bit of annoyance at me for not having any cookies for the posing part of the game.  Usually for photos cookies are involved.

Fred went to get cookies and his sweet face came out.

Dewey, Jam and Willow in front of the fireplace and the pinecones, as decoration.

May all your puppies be as nonchalant about pinecones as Dewey, Jam and Willow!

Happy Holidays! And remember, when not actively supervising puppies, place pinecones, poinsettias, tinsel, and other holiday decorations that might be dangerous, poisonous or just plain "IDK - maybe a bad idea?" up high and out of the way.  When in doubt, play it safe.  Who wants to be in the emergency room when you could be at home sleeping and waiting for Santa?

Coach Meets Santa, Twice

By Fred

Petsmart has hired a Santa for silly people with silly dogs like us. That's good because Santa was, at the very least, a good exposure for Coach, who must have wondered what the heck was going on.

A picture of puppies and raisers in our back yard

Then there was the party this weekend at our house, with puppies and good people and presents and Christmas-stuff everywhere. Of course, this was the first Christmas for these dogs, so they might have missed some of the finer details.

And then today Coach and I took a lunch-time walk in Dunedin, and who did we see? Santa, in the flesh, full-size, standing there like a statue in someone's yard.

Santa, standing in the bushes near the front porch.
What is he doing there in the bushes?

If Santa had been jumping up and down on one leg and waving his arms, Coach wouldn't have given him a second look, but Santa was just standing there with that cheery grin and extended hand.

...just standing there and not moving a muscle.

Coach sees Santa

I mean, what could be more welcoming and reassuring than that image--Santa standing in someone's yard, wishing everyone a good day?

Santa. Just looking at us and smiling.

Coach with a puzzled look. frozen in place.
Is that Santa?

A picture of Coach, suddenly unsure
about Christmas

I Like Big Beds and I Cannot Lie

Well, evidently, Orvis can! We ordered beds for Bingo and Willow for their Santa gifts. Orvis has the best beds and we just happened to have the special Dog issue of the Orvis catalog left on my desk a month or so ago (Thanks Lorraine!). There are two types of dog sleepers: curlers and stretchers. Bingo and Willow are both curlers, so I got them both beds with a bolster on the back to curl up against. The photo above shows Bingo lying in his red bed with sheepskin center. He is looking off to the right.

As I mentioned I ordered a bed for each dog, with their name monogrammed on them. I got the size that Orvis said was appropriate for their breed and weight (lab, 65-85 pounds). Willow is 88 pounds and Bingo is just now 60.2 pounds and 6 months old. I thought that perhaps I should get a size up, but I stuck with the large size they recommended. As you can see from the above photo, Willow and Bingo are both sleeping on the one bed and they have plenty of room between them.

In this photo Willow, our chocolate lab, is staring at the camera with a smile while relaxing on her bed. Her bed is quite large.

I think that if you have a lab, you could go with the medium size and still have room for them to stretch out. But this way we have a bed for both of them to sleep on in the TV room and in the bedroom. So, I guess it works. Santa is such a smartie!