Thursday, April 30, 2009

Another One Bites The Dust!

Lani, Melody, Tacoma - April 2008

The three amigos! and you guessed it I'm in Phase 3!

It's phase day and another one down. Hard to believe that if we are lucky there are 25 or so more weeks to go. The waiting this time around is actually a little easier, or could it be I'm actually getting used to the phase game? Today is the day that UC Berkley sent out their admission emails, three days after UCLA so my students have all been waiting by their computers and cell phones. There were a few cheers as well as tears today. Imagine that every Thursday and you can understand what the waiting game is like.

I used go crazy waiting for the report to come out and it was agony, I would compare her progress to others in her co-hort. If someone moved up and she didn't -days of worry. I guess with the 1st two I was pretty sure they weren't going to make it. I was pleased Tacoma didn't embarrass me by flunking out in phase 1, and Waffle well I knew she never had the heart for guiding, I figured it was only a matter of time with her freaky fears. But what sucked was that she just kept moving up! Don't get me wrong I was glad but it gave me hope - well maybe they worked out her fears, maybe she decided she likes to work, maybe she matured while she was up there. So when she crashed and burned in phase 9, for fear reaction- all of us slapped our heads and said 'duh' we could have told you that. But it was really hard because she had been there so long we actually thought she was going to make it. The Waiting Game

We do have some news about Lani-Bonnie but I'm waiting - just to be sure.

Let me count the ways....2

Gelly just for you

Reasons to be a career change...... part two


















You get to meet so many new friends........




And rip them to shreds.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Let Me Count The Ways

Ohhh being a guide dog flunkee how do I love that title..... Let me count the ways.......

number one my food cube


love Waffle

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Phase day

another week down...... and I'm still in phase two--what ya' gonna do?

Monday, April 20, 2009

YOU KNOW YOUR A PUPPY RAISER.....

When you are willing to buy the more expensive car so the pups will have more room.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Terms of Enderment

Pumpkin, Sweet Pea, Poopy Head all terms of enderment for our little fuzz balls. Here are what a few blogger buddies call their bug-a-boos
Brittany's two career change pups:
Hobbs - Hobbers, Hobberdoodle, Goose, Silly Goose, Hobber Goose...I think thats it.
Patriot - Bubba, Patriot Buddy....funny enough he usually just gets called Patriot!
Poppy gets called Poopy lots. Partly because she is...um...spunky and partly because I try so hard not to call her Puppy, it often comes out Poopy.

Mine seem to get nicknames and elongated names. Like Rebel! Accord became both Cordo and Accordian. Poppy also gets called Pops-a-lot. Bueller was both B and Bueller...Bueller...Bueller...(said in my best Ferris Bueller's school teacher's voice). Bingo was Bing-a-ling and B-I-N-G-O. The list goes on and on...

My nickname for Cabana doesn't make much sense...it's a silly little story. But one of our friends mistakenly called her Cubana--and it kind of stuck. So now, we like to say in a rather goofy singsong manner, "Cubana Cubana Cubana, HEY!!" I know, it doesn't make sense, and we're just weird.

My first dogs name was Shocker and her nick names were: Shocks, Shockeroo, Shocker-rooroo, Shocker roo boo, and piglet(she at so fast). My new dog Watkins has: Watty, Turkey, Wats, bub, bubby

Catalina is Cat and Kitty (Jacob 2yrs name for her)
Oceana is Osh and Oshi
Kamra was always smile for the Kamra

Tahoe Taco Bell

Alas my last two pups made the choice to be pets rather than guides, so it has been a shocker to see their names re-enter the guide dog name list. I believe there is even another Tacoma in the pipeline. My litte Taco Bell never made it past ph.4 so no breeder, no graduation, but lots of hugs and kisses from my little problem child.

We all hope they will one day have the title of Guide Dog after their name, that dream is bitter sweet because it will forever take them down a new road away from us and on to fullfill their destiny. I haven't experienced that day, but there is hope (Lani - study hard) I'll be thrilled to hand my Lani-Lu over to someone else who will come up with their own terms of enderment for my little girl.
(but hey - she will always be my pumpkin head)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Phase day


How many paws do you see? TWO that's right!
WHY is that important?........
I'm in phase two!
(And still on Breeder Watch - but we've been there too)

Monday, April 13, 2009

Waffle Out?

So I've been putting off posting this post. Lani has been gone now for a few weeks and I kind of thought that Waffle would miss her more than she is. Which actually wouldn't be hard, since she doesn't seem to miss her AT ALL. In fact she has seemed to perk up, we see happy ears and a waggy tail all day now. My bouncy pouncy puppy is back. Sad to say, I guess she was not very happy with the little squirt

Here is a video of Waffle's happy dance when I take her out for a walk. In fact the other night I gave her a choice between dinner and a walk and she chose a walk. Silly Labbie

This is her showing her displeasure at wearing her halti.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

50% less ?

So if I have 50% less dog in my house, why does it seem like I still have 100% of the fur?





Some mysteries of life may never be solved

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Happy Birthday Taco!

Wow time really does fly. My problem child Tacoma is 4 years old ! She looks great, I'm glad that she is with the family that she has. They love her to bits, she is one lucky pup. Beyond all the cool things she gets (and boy does she get a lot) is that she is matched up perfectly with the little girl of her dreams. My Taco Bell loves little kids and her little girl loves her. They make quite the pair.

Her life is pretty cush, just a few cats who like to torment her. One will come up and sniff and lick her ears and the other will sit in her kennel and drink out of her water bowl. I guess, she and the cats still have a lot to work out in their relationship.

Kind of shocking to think I've now been with GDB for close to 5 years, It seems just yesterday that I got my little fuzz ball.

Happy Birthday my Taco girl!

Phase Day


Nothing new, still in phase 1 and on breeder watch
  • Pre-training physical exam
  • Neutering/spaying (with the exception of potential breeding stock dogs who are under evaluation at this time)
  • X-rays
  • Eye checks
  • Relaxing walks on campus and play sessions
  • Introduction to the kennel environment and schedule
  • General daily care and grooming
We've decided to take a short break from puppy raising - how short is still in discussion - but sadly no puppy at camp this summer. The past three summers I have had a guide dog at camp and the staff and kids have really loved it. So it will be sad not to have anyone up there.

BUT.... If anyone want to send their pup to summer camp for a weekend drop me a line. We have a two lakes a pool, horses, arts and crafts and a bizillion kids. Good work on commands, distractions and large group socialization. Will receive lots of cuddles and I promise that we will write home. :)

AND.... we are thinking of changing schools, GDA is uber close and have a great support system, two issues I have had with GDB hard to say like most folks I love the school I started with, but variety is the spice of life.

Monday, April 6, 2009

blog help

Hey does anyone remember how to change the name when you leave comments. Not to be cruel, but Lani's gone and it is my blog so I want it to say

Waffle said.....

cuz right now it says Lani is leaving messages, and everyone knows the kid better be studying hard at college not blogging.

wags and kisses
Waffle

Jenga! and Middle names

The world of puppy raising is so small. I ran into the 99 cent store on Friday and ran into GDA puppy Jenga, she is a beautiful black lab who was out with her owner (I'm soooo bad, I forgot the humans name but remembered the dogs!) But we had a nice chat and I got puppy kisses so it was a good day.

I got to thinking about names, and I know for all raisers it is a pretty important issue, I've been at puppy presentations and pulled the 'eeehheww, what was that name?' face or for GDB people a common saying "what was Mick thinking?" (Mick used to be the GDB puppy stork, in charge of assigning names and arranging delivery and recall of dogs.)

Names get shortened, reworked, but we still love them no matter what. Since I don't have the luxury of naming my pups, I have taken the liberty of giving them middle names. Don't worry all my dogs have known, responded to, and been trained using their given names, but we all have pet names for them.

Tacoma became: Taco Bell, Tacoma Bell or just Taco
Waffle became: The Waffler, Waffle Lee, WaffleLani and Fuzzy Butt (you should see her after a bath)
Lani: Lani-lu, Lani-Bonnie, Laniwaffle and when she won't listen poopy head (but say it with love)

What middle names and or nick names do your PIT's have, leave them in comments and I will post them at a later date.

I leave you dear friends without a PIT to post pictures of, but don't fear Eggo, Waffle's sister sent this picture to me. what do you think? perhaps a bit too mellow for guide work?


Friday, April 3, 2009

phase day

well no surprise Lani-lu is in phase 1

go Lani go!

Mom was worried she wouldn't pass medical

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Spring Time

Well I am sorry to see all the snow and cold weather in the rest of the country- we in S. Cali have been having a run of really nice weather. Over the weekend we went for a hike, the Waffler loved it, she met two other black labs - all bigger than her- and got to play inthe small stream. Sad to say we are in a drought so that maybe all the water we see out of it. dumb me forgot the camera. :(

Well not to rub it in too much but here is a picture of the Waffler infront of some crazy bush my gardner planted a few years ago. It blooms like crazy and smells really sweet. I missed the peak of the blooms this is kind of the tail end of things.

And it seems this weekend was GDB PIT bathday, the Waffler is squeaky clean and thus gets to enjoy the cc'd dog bennies of sleeping the sofa AND the bed.

So to all our blogger friends still wearing winter clothes, we are sending warm wags and kisses your way - from our sunny back yard. :-D