Play, Nap and Repeat

By Fred
Corky and Jam napped together and got into such a complicated pile that, because of my inadequate photography skills and Corky's dark coat, I needed to caption. I'm sure this couldn't have been comfortable for either of them, but they continued to nap this way for quite a while.

A picture of Jam sleeping, using Corky's
head as a pillow.

Last night Corky had a fun puppy kindergarten class at Cathy Saunders' place and with our friend John Bauer running the class and doing an excellent job. At the end we gathered all the puppies together on a screened porch and let them loose to play with each other.

I had been feeling pitiful all day, suffering with allergies and the general insult of old age, and for a few seconds there, with the puppies running and playing, I was back in grade school, running on the playground and having real fun. Wish that feeling would last a little longer...

Bringing Dewey Home

Friday we went to pick up Dewey:

Closeup of Dewey.

I was a little sad because we had planned for a big party to pick him up from school.  We had thought we would get a small 9 week old puppy, but there was a surplus of older puppies that needed to be moved to homes.  We had planned a vacation, for next week, which would have precluded our getting a puppy, but because I would be in a crochet class for most of the day, Fred had wisely backed out of joining me when it came time to buy tickets.  So he would be at home next week.

Dewey is 15 weeks old now.  He would have been 17 weeks old when we picked him up if we had stuck to the original schedule.  So, when we needed to make the decision of do we take Dewey early, we were able to say yes even though it meant no party, because we didn't want to leave him in the kennels when he could be at home with us.

Fred is kissing Dewey on the top of his head.

Of course it was love it first sight.

Cheryl is holding Dewey in her arms.

 Dewey is a quiet, gentle dog.  He seems to have more in common with Willow than Jam.  However, that may just be the honeymoon phase and the true Dewey will peek his head out in a two weeks.

Tara, Cheryl and Fred smile for the camera. Cheryl is holding Dewey.

Tara matched us up with a good one (of course, they are all good ones! 8-).

The kennel staff surround Melisa as she holds Dewey.

 The kennel staff gave us our last bit of instructions about Dewey.  They were super nice.

Even though Dewey yawns before his big car ride, he didn't sleep on the way home!

 Then it was time for his first car ride. We got him to busy first, which he did right away. Then we got some kibble and tempted him to the car.  It is a little harder with the older pups (at least in our experience with Coach), they don't know about cars and are nervous about them.  Dewey was nervous as well.

Dewey is hanging back from the car.

Fred tempts him with some kibble.

Dewey is tempted and walks up to the car.

Dewey puts his front paws in the car.

Dewey gets most of his upper body into the car.

 At the point where most of his upper body was into the car, we popped the back end into the car and shut the door!  Mission accomplished.

Fred, Cheryl and Dewey at the Southeastern Guide Dogs sign.

Then we took our photo by the Southeastern sign and were on our way home!!

Coach Goes Wild: IFT in a LIMO, with Girls and a Mud Puddle!

Yesterday we took a limo ride.  Generally, you think of limos for happy events, like weddings and, well, parties, so, taking a limo ride to go to the IFT day at Southeastern Guide Dogs seems like torture.  What are you celebrating?  Your tears?

Actually, it is rather nice.  You get to go in a group, which is comforting and helps prevent major sobbing (in my case!) and it also promotes the telling of funny stories on the way down to Southeastern.  So you relive those happy moments that you had with your pup.

Did I also mention that you don't have to drive?  Strong emotions and driving are two things the generally should be avoided. The pups were great.  They acted liked they rode in limos all the time.  In fact, I think limos should be added to the list of exposures.  They actually had a tie down in them, but perhaps that is used for other things...I digress.

Ed is coming out of the limo with Bo on a leash.

Too soon, too soon, we were at Southeastern and piling out of the limo.  It was almost as bad as a clown car with all the people and dogs that kept coming out.

All six of us in front of the limo with our dogs seated in front of us.

We did take a nice shot in front of the limo of the group and the black labs looked very elegant.  I think Coach was pumped because he arrived in a limo full of lady dogs! Woot!

Coach's sign with his baby photo.

Then it was time to find his sign with his baby photo.

Photo of Coach only a few days ago.

Photo of Bopeeper's sign.

Photo of Bo with her coat and harness on from a meeting.

Maggie's sign.

Photo of Maggie from IFT.

Bo, Coach and Maggie had all grown from cute little pups to grown adult dogs in the space of 15-16 months.  They were ready for college, for training, for some more structure in their lives. Were we ready to give them up?

Photo of Fred and Cheryl with trainer Jen J. and Coach.

One of the reasons why we are able to give up our dogs, notwithstanding the mission of the school and the main purpose of raising, is the training staff.  Over the years as we have raised puppies we have gotten to know the trainers and they have gotten to know us.  In trainer Jen's case we took her obedience class 3 consecutive times for 1 puppy! (Bingo!).  You get to know that they care deeply for our puppies, just as much as we do.  And that they will take excellent care of our babies.

Then it was time to wait until your dog's name was called, do the long walk up to the trainer, and do the leash exchange.

Melisa kissing Bo goodbye.

Cheryl telling trainer Judy thank you for taking Coach.

Katie and Jeff getting Maggie  ready to go with trainer Judy.

And after all the tears and all the goodbyes, it is only the salve of puppy breath and kisses that can make things better.

Puppies playing.  The one in the back is especially happy and bouncy.

And so they let us go to puppy hugging and let out the hounds for us to love on.

For this raiser, just a moment to rest her head against a puppy's brings peace.

Some were looking for peace.  Some were looking for joy.

Another raiser finding her joy.

Perhaps this will be our puppy.
It's the right age and Fred looks happy with him.

Ed and Melisa smile as a puppy licks Melisa's face.

And as we were finding our smiles and our joy again, Coach, Bo and Maggie were being taken back to the kennels.  We were told that Maggie is in a kennel with 4 other girls and is having a great time.  Bo and Coach are roommates and he and Bo also have two other female roommates as well.  We were told that they are all getting along really well.  In fact, there is a mud puddle and they have taken the opportunity to "get acquainted" with it.

I'm thinking college might be more fun than our house was!

We will miss you big guy!  Be good, do good.

Corn Maze and Acorns

Today we took a drive out to Bradenton to Hunsader Farms because we thought that their Pumpkin Festival and Corn Maze would make the perfect exposure for our Southeastern guide dog puppies Bo and Coach. It is located at 5500 County Road 675 in Bradenton, FL.  You will need to pay $5. for parking, but there is plenty of space for parking.  

We arrived about 10 am and it the festival started at 9.  Of course, Coach was ready for his 10 am poo, which arrived right on time and just a few yards from some port-a-potties, so we were all set to enjoy the corn maze, poo free!

Melisa and Cheryl stand with Bo and Coach in front of the pumpkin patch.

 We were all prepared to pay the $8 entry fee, but we got a very nice surprize at the gate:

"Guide dogs get in free."

"Really? Thank you!"  We were all amazed.  We are used to getting hassled or questioned.  This was the first time we actually got a perk from having a puppy.  Go Guide Dogs!!

Fred and Melisa walk the puppies up to the corn maze entrance.

The corn maze is an extra $2 (puppies were not free 8-), and it takes about 20 minutes to go through.  The corn is about thigh high at this point.  Some areas had corn shoulder high.

Melissa and Fred are following Bo Peep's lead.  After all she found her sheep.

At first I lead, but I hit a dead end, so everyone called for me to quit leading.  Boo!  Then we let Bo lead for a while.

We came upon the tower to help guide walkers who are lost.  We asked to have the dogs come up and take a photo.

 As we rounded the North side of the maze we came up on the tower where two boys were sitting in hopes that someone would get lost and they could shout instructions to them.  I called up and asked if our puppies could come up for a photo.

Melisa is getting Bo settled for a photo on the wooden tower.

I think they were bored.

"Sure. Do you want us to get down?"  He called back.  I was thinking that would be a dereliction of duties so I assured him that he could stay there.  I just wanted a photo.  I didn't want anyone to "DIE" in the maze!

Bo and Coach peer out through the slats of the tower as the boy maze guards (?) watch.

 We hurried off the tower as a group with kids was coming up behind and their kids started up the tower as if it was a part of the maze.  Sigh.  People following people without thought.  Doh de doh.  I didn't want our nice maze guards to get in trouble for letting us up for a photo.  So we hurried on.

Moving on down the maze.  The children are finally coming off the tower behind us.

As we made it to the far North end, we stopped for a photo.

Fred and I and Bo and Coach at the far North End.

Then we moved on to the South end and trying to find out way out.  We let the dogs decide a few turns, but Coach took us in a big circle.

Melisa leads us again with Bo in charge.

 Then we saw the great pumpkin in the distance.  It actually held a wild bird show, so we didn't get to go inside, but it looked really cool!  There was also a pumpkin cannon that went off every hour.

As we walked to the South you could see the Great Pumpkin Tent in the distance.

 We passed a few people who grumbled about us having guide dogs and how they thought that was cheating or could they just follow us.  But Bo did lead us out.  Good girl.  

We've spotted the exit.  I raise my arm in joy.  

 It was hot work, so we got a drink after it all.

Everyone needed a drink after.  Here are Bo and Coach getting a drink from  Melisa.

There was a stilt walker outside the maze, but there was a long line, so we didn't wait.

There was a stilt walker.  Bo didn't care.

We saw some strange things happening in the distance and we headed over there.

We came upon the bubble kids area.  This is where small children were placed in inflated bubbles.

 What we saw was parents and grandparents stuffing their children into plastic bubbles.  They were inflated, sure, but then they would roll them around like Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka.  You know the blueberry girl?

We tried to get Bo and Coach to look at the bubble kids.

 Surely, the dogs would like this.  But no.  They couldn't care less.

Bo is staring away from them and Coach is staring at Bo.

 No matter how I tried, Coach would not look at the bubble kids.

Here I am instructing Coach on why he should care about the bubble kids.

 Even direct pointing and cajoling didn't work.

Bo is still staring in a different direction and Coach is ignoring me.

He was obstinate.  They just weren't interesting.  Bo agreed.  Acorns on the ground were much more tasty and interesting.

Finally, when a kid appeared upside down, he was partially interested and Bo looked over as well.

Finally, a kid came by and made it a little fun.  But he quickly grew weary and looked for an acorn.  Sigh.

Coach didn't care about the spinning water people either.

 He had the same opinion for the people in the spinning water bubbles.  So what?

Can you see the acorns on the ground?  Well, that's what Bo and Coach were interested in .

 Acorns, though!  OMG.  The acorns at the farm were AMAZING!  And they were everywhere.  I had to pick them out of his mouth all the time.

Bo is interested in Dinosaur land.

At least Bo liked Dino land.

Melisa and Bo at the tie dye stand.

 They had over 100 vendors at the booth area.  I got some cute Christmas presents.

There was a petting zoo.  Bo and Coach got close to a deer.

 Then Bo and Coach got to see a deer.

Stiltwalker with Melisa and Bo and Fred and Coach. 

And take a photo with a stilt walker.

Coach and Bo look at some llamas as a little girl tries to pet Coach. 

 They did find the llamas and the ponies interesting.

Coach sniffs at the ponies.

 Especially the ponies.

Bo and Coach are fascinated by the ponies and the llamas.

 Bo like the ponies as well.

Here we are with the Hunsader sign!  Come to the corn maze!

So, they did get interested in something at the end.  Corn maze at the beginning and ponies at the end.  It was a good day.