DONE!

FINI
Sore de kimmatta
hecho
l'école est finie
finito


30 days 30 posts is done!


I think I'll take a short break from blogging

This little light 'o mine part 2

my continuing saga with flashlights and ray guns

So when we last left our heroine they had just pulled up outside of the emergency vet clinic......

But it's not Waffle who gets hauled out and dragged into the clinic, it's me. The intake nurse was asking questions and when it comes to my breed, BFF answers 'Lab' and he says 'of course'. Hey buddy, I'm not sure I like your tone.

So I get to meet this nice Dr. who does the whole look in my mouth and squeez my tummy thing, not too cool with how he gathers some of his data (my temp is my busness mister), BFF said I was the culprit but she had another suspect in the car if I was innocent. The Doc agrees that I'm a mst likely suspect -- what up with that?!, your off my Christmas card list. What ever happened innocent until proven guilty -- ok I was guilty but still.....

Because I had just had dinner the Dr. figured that most of what I ate was still in my tummy, but before he did anything he wanted to take some pictures. PICTURES hey I'm cute sure I let you take my picture. But this is where things started going sideways. It wasn't a camera but this huge RAY GUN I was totally afraid was going to squish me. It had a bright light with and X to mark the spot where they were going to shoot me. Well as my young life was flashing before my eyes, I decided there and then never to listen to my tail again, I promised to never chew things I'm not supposed to, always obey BFF and Mom, and stop stealing  Waffle's toys. I squeezed my eye shut (the other one I kept on the tech guy) and waited for the smell of singed fur and pain to streak through my poor little yellow self.....but nothing. Hey whats the deal?! Gee Dr. Dude you know you get what you pay for, I think your ray gun is broken.

So Dr. Dude says plastic doesn't show up on x-rays, but nothing else showed up on my rays either. So that means no metal in my tummy. They gave me a poke, and next thing I know my insides wanna be on the outside and all my yummy dinner........well that is better left unsaid.

The Dr. said said what a good chewer I am. I guess all the flashlight parts got chewed up nice and small, and because I had dinner first, they were all still in my tummy --- and dinner and the flashlight where now sitting on an exam table. BFF says I dodged a bullet wheeeww I like to think I dodged the ray gun.

And all those promises I made, Waffle said promises made under duress don't count....wheeeewww I really did dodge a bullet.

This little light o' mine....Part 1

By Truffie

So like most of my other blogger pals I'm in the throws of teenage hormones, some times I just lose my little puppy mind. Don't know how it happens, but it all goes blurry and before I know it I'm sitting in jail. I blame it on my tail, you know. It has a mind of it's own, I try and tell it to play cool, yet it's always leading me into trouble.

Case in point, earlier this month I had a little trouble that ended up with me on the wrong end of a ray gun. 

So this is what a working flash light is supposed to look like, notice all the parts. 

So the peeps were trying out teaching me how to stay at home by myself. I already have been sleeping free for several months now. Guide Dogs recommend by starting with leaving me in a puppy-proof room for 10 mins and upping the time as I get used to it. Well by early Oct. I was a pro, I could stay at home for about two hours all by myself - thank you. So what happened next I tried to blame Waffles but the evidence speaks for its self. 

The evidence - notice there are a few parts missing

Mom was going out with her girl friends and BFF had to work late, so Mom fed me dinner and left me and my toy box (Carrie: full of bones might I mention) to play until BFF came home. Usually I take an after dinner nap or chew industriously on my bones until I fall asleep. Except that night my tail said 'hey lets jump on the sofa and look at all the pretty things up there'. I know, I know  '4 on the floor' and all that but what can I say I'm a slave to my tail. After that my tail decided that we should take a look at what was on the fireplace shelf/hearth thingy - I only had to put two paws on that to see what was there - so technically I was only half breaking the rules

That's when my tail really got me in trouble. You see when ever I'm happy it waggs, and well I like to be happy so when my tail said chewing on that flashlight would make it happy and chewing up the parts would make my tail would wag really fast, well what's a girl to do? I tried and tried to resist, but my tail sat there limp and sad - which made me sad and I don't do sad, but I knew this would be trouble, but one little nibble couldn't hurt.



The parts that went into my tummy

It started with one little chomp, but ended with a me facing down this ray gun. You see one little chomp lead to another, then another and pretty soon.....well you see the pieces up there? You get the picture. Actually don't know why there was such a fuss, everything went down without a hitch, actually I only got 1/4 of the silver thing down, I was working on the rest when BFF got home, (note to self: never bring evidence to the authorities, next time hide in Waffle's bed) she took one look at the silver thing and freaked! FREAKed is the only way to describe the wild chase around the room as she threw pillows and blankets hither and yon looking for the rest of the flashlight.

FREAK! BFF starts opening my mouth, feeling around with her fingers, don't know what she was looking for I'm not a chipmunk, then she starts patting me down like she's TSA and I flunked the metal detector. She moves on to The Waffler, after several calls to my leader, I get tossed into the car and off we all go into the night. Driving like the Freak she is BFF has Eggo on speaker phone from Minnesota giving her directions to the emergency pet clinic. PET CLINIC WHAT'S WRONG WITH WAFFLE!

to be continued.....

because

Mom made me. She thinks my furs are not warm enough, I try to tell her I'm a labbie but does she listen? noooo. It has gotten cold at night so now when we go out for our 'go-go' she makes both BFF and Me wear jackets. Sesssh there was a teacup chihuahua and he was laughing at me. The shame :(

A good Truffie Story

So I've been meaning to tell this story for a few weeks. No pictures 'cuz I don't live with my camera, people.

So I had to drop mom off at the airport for her trip to Minnesota, and mom doesn't always travel light. So I was hauling mom's luggage while she held the baby's leash. We like taking the pups to the airport it is noisy and crowded, there is the occasional police dog and the luggage scales work well for weighing the pups.

Mom was flying Southwest, and it is easier to use the self check in, and when the staff person came to do the luggage tag thing, she was taking a while, then she starts asking about Truffie. Not the usual questions, like how long do you have them, how can you let them go..., how do you train.... ect. I don't remember the exact questions (I was chatting with mom) but it became clear that they were processing the paperwork for Truffie to get on the plane. I think said something like 'wait, wait no no she gets to say good bye at the gate' - I meant the security gate, so she starts asking me for my ID, when I asked why she said 'well whose going to take the dog home?' This was BC time in the morning (before coffee), I'm not effectively communicating with the gate agent, there is a line, she just hands me a gate pass and goes off. Mom who has arthritis in her hip, back and knee is thrilled to have someone to haul her junk to the gate, and truly I'd prefer to see mom to the gate anyway.

We had to go through security and I opted to put Truffie on a down stay while I went through and then called her to me. I knew she was going to set off sensors, I even told the TSA agent that her leash and collar were metal. Instead of patting her down, they asked to removed her jacket and collar but kept on her head collar and sent her through  again -- and she didn't set off the alarms. Assured that she met safety standards, off we went to the gate. Truffie handled the whole thing like a pro, in fact I think she was a bit bored with the whole experience. I mean if you look at it from her perspective, the airpot is a lot like a huge mall, with people, feet, shops and a McDonald's.

Because mom walks with a cane, we went to the gate to get her a pre-boarding pass, and that gate agent started to process paperwork to put Truffie on the plane! By this time, I was wise to them and I explained that thank you but no, the pup was still in training and would be going home with me. The gate agent was so sweet she kept asking, "are you sure?"  I assured her that Mom did not need Truffie or any service dog, she just needed a head start down the gangway. So we sat with Mom until they called her flight and took off for work. While I thought it was a pretty special morning, Truffie just took it all in stride.

I thought it was a great experience for Truffle. She did so well, we were stuck in line at security she just chilled, lots of kids around and people all who wanted to pet her. I really limited the meet and greet because I wanted to drive home to her that she was working, I knew that how she behaved would reflect back on the real working pairs that would come after us and I didn't want to mess things up for them. I really did try to make it clear to the gate agent that she wasn't a service dog, but at one point it was easier not to argue. In the end I was glad for the experience.

Happy Turkey Day

I Truffie am thankful for.......

My big sister Waffle

I Waffle am thankful for my.....

Baby Sister Truffle

The girls may fight and squabble, but deep down they are good friends and I know on this day of remembrance they both are happy to have each other. While I'm sure there are other things to be thankful for a love of family and good friends is certainly nothing to sneeze at. 

I hope that everyone is warm, and safe and with people who love them tonight.

Life is.......

Better with Haltis..... (or so says Waffle)

Truffie has a different perspective. But I know that Waffle felt that it was about time the squirt got her own Gentle leader. Cleaning out the files and came across this picture from the first time she put on a halti. Not too pleased as you can see, on the other hand this made Zeb's day, that halti she has on came from him (such a nice guy gave her the halti of his own nose). This was at the San Diego mini-funday, she was acting up and I was exhausted, just got back from a trip to DC and drove two hours to SD for the event. I was glad the halti fit because I didn't have the energy to keep her in check. She was crazy, because she had been cooped up at home while I was away for work, so she was just all over the place, the halti helped keep her in check.

New GDB rule requires all pups be comfortable with a head collar, so a Gentle Leader was in her future weather she liked it or not. My cute little pouty pup.

a family picture

Continuing cleaning out my funday file, a family picture

A Funday Reunion. Love how both Truffie and Lani sit the same

At Funday we went to the siblings meet and greet, but of course it has been so long ago I forget whose, who. Lani of course is 2nd from right and Truffie is the one with out the jacket. I think it's funny that all her kids are in haltis, Lani never needed one, even at funday with all the dogs roaming around Lani never pulled.

Taco, Topaz (?), Truffie, Lani, and Tahiti (?)

After we took a picture another sib showed up. Lani had 3 YF and 2 YM and one lone black male. The one black male is Timothy (that's Lani's human Brother), I think he lives in Arizona, one of the Yellow boys who was Travis was given as a pup to the Canadian Guide Dogs, so that left 3 yellow girls and 1 yellow boy, lucky that all of them were there. I don't know who is who, I love the look the pup on the end (red bandanna) is shooting - she is trouble

Ever get 5 pups to look in the same direction?

Told you she was trouble, I gave up after a while. If you've ever been to funday you know the mass crazyness, it was just easier believe me. For those who haven't been, imagine 300 PIT's and their raisers all looking for friends, siblings, and breeders. This summer I don't think I made it to any of the workshops, between shopping, picture taking and meeting with her sibs, I don't know where the day went. It was nice to see her sibs, didn't really get to chat with any of them so I have no idea what their personalities are like. Out of all the pups, Truffie takes the most after her mom, Taco is a bigger than the girls and bit more blocky - the rest kind of vary is size and color. 

who's who?

Zeb at 5 months

Truffie at 10 months

Zebie at 5 months

Truffie at 5 months

Truffie at 10 months

Zebie at 5 months

Zebbie and Truffie are both Kentucky pups and share quite a bit of the same looks, and the same playful character. I came across these pictures and was shocked to see how much they look a like. It was even funnier how much they seemed to end up in the same crazy positions. 

wrong way girl

I think Truffie needs to practice on her sense of direction.

My trip to the Zoo!

Ha Ha gotcha

yeah I know Guide Pups are not allowed in the zoo.  First, there are a gazillion animal diseases there that I have no defense against. Second, I'm told I'd be a tasty morsel to quite a few of the residents of the zoo. So even if Guide Dogs said ok, I'd rather not be on the menu thanks. This is the closest I'll be getting to any zoo.  And that is just fine with me.

practice, practice, practice

We are slackers on the go to bed command, we've been stepping up our work on this command. I think sometimes she has got it, but then something shiny catches her eye and it is all over. *sigh*

Smarty Pants

Smarty Pants, Smarty Pants

I got my GL off today, and they didn't even notice.....he he he he

Birthday Party!

I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND!

well not right now, when BFF gets back from her vacation she and mom are going to take me to the happiest place on earth!

When I know the date I'll let my friends know and maybe we can all meet up and have some pupcakes and pictures.

Nothing new....

Nothing new to report, just some odds and ends.

The humans in the house went to Las Vegas and the K-9's went to the dog sitters.

Mom's high school class turned 72 this year so the class got together in Las Vegas. She graduated from McKinley High School in Honolulu, since Hawaii people love Las Vegas it really doesn't take much to get a group of them to fly out or drive from LA.

Truffie got to play at Cassie's house and went to our club outing with her dog sitters. I guess she did well, I always worry about her feeling comfortable, but when she got there she and Cassie got on like chocolate and peanut butter. Truffie found the stash of hidden softies and both pups promptly forgot about us humans. Waffle got to spend time with her favorite friends Tammy and Shippo, again I was worried about leaving the Waffler, but once Tammy showed up we ceased to exist.

Mom and I left our money not our hearts in Las Vegas, 15 mins after stepping into a casino mom won $150 on a game she didn't know how to play and we spent it on a nice dinner. I won a little playing craps, but spent it shopping. Had a wonderful dinner at American Fish and a long drive home through traffic.

Work is crazy, I'm trying to get stuff cleared up before I leave vacation. I'll be in China for two weeks visiting a friend who is teaching english there. So I really should be packing instead of blogging, but I some how can't get myself motivated.

Can't leave you without a picture so here is a picture of Truffie during a recent bath, you can really tell that her skin has this black under tone on her ears.

Training Question

So here is a question for my blogger friends about training.

Truffie seems to bee a little scared of walking through narrow spaces such as doors that are a quarter open, (BUT she will push open the bathroom door to come visit, and she will open the bedroom door to go wake up mom.) Doors that I hold open for her have to be open pretty wide or she won't go through it. One case in point, Waffle knocked down a baby gate and it partially blocked the bathroom door, and Truffie was very reluctant to walk past it into the bathroom, she was ok walking past it down the hallway, just not the small space into the bathroom (to which she has felt free to push her way into for a looksee since she was just a pup)

Truffie perspective

Just give you an idea of how wide the space was



She wasn't afarid to walk down the hall past the gate just into the bathroom

This morning when the gate fell she was startled but was ok walking past it down the hall, but reluctant to come into the bathroom. I called her and encouranged her and she did eventually come in and we did the happy dance and after that she was ok with coming in and out past the gate. But should I be doing that? I mean she wouldn't take her blind person through a space that big. Am I quashing her intellegent disobedience by having her walk through that space? I have noticed though with my office door she will charge through it or if it is not open wide enough for her taste and or she will heistate until I go through first.

I am just worried about her refusing commands, if we work on going in and out she is ok, but I notice a new door, small space and she still is reluctant. I also have been trying to keep better tabs on times when she is reluctant to go some place - like walking through a dark puddle at night or if I don't open the car door wide enough just so I can categorize what fear she has. It really is only noticeable to me, because I'm with her so much, it is just a slight hesitation or a quick booty scoot through the door. When I take her to meetings of course she won't do it, and my leader thinks I'm crazy ( I once had my leader come out to my car to show her how one of the pups was reluctant to get out of the car, and the bugger jumped out right as the door opened DOH!)

So blogger training friends what should I do?

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS.....

Find a willing lab to warm your toes

Miss Mika

******UPDATE******

JUST GOT THE WORD MISS MIKA AND ZEBBIE ARE GOING BACK THIS MONTH. GOOD LUCK!

Speaking of Miss Tamika, here are a few pictures of when she was here a few months ago. Yes those are her food bowls she has in her mouth, those where her toys of choice while with us. Her momma says she is going on 20 months, and just cruzing along.

The little tin pan head so reminds me of my 1st pup Tacoma, who was way too smart for her own good, always getting into something that one was. Let's hope Mika Mika will use her uber brain powers for good and not to join the Evil League of Evil

oooommmm

Birthday Hike

Doh! the sun is in their eyes

'whose got the frosty paws?'

ok do you see the problem with a yellow and black, you never know where to set the white balance

Much better

After crossing back and forth over this small stream several times we made it!

smile

I love this shot of Waffle, she looks so regal

So for my birthday I decided to take the girls out for a short hike to a local waterfall. Now understand that I live in the city so the girls idea of the wilderness is the park. They loved the actual real forest outdoors stuff. Truffie who has developed this fear of puddles actually got her feet wet and Waffle was crossing streams and rock scrambling like a natural. There were tons of people out walking and several dogs. The girls were great, I forgot Truffie's Gentle Leader, and she did pull quite a bit, but on the whole it wasn't too bad, we only got jumped by one dog --- go figure it was a 15lb rat terrier. It's people lifted it up by the harness and it was still going after Waffle. 

The river crossing was difficult with both dogs, at first they would walk in the water but pretty soon they were rock hopping, the problem is that all three of us could not rock hop together. It was a recipe for a dunking. For dogs who don't like water I was shocked that Waffle actually walked into the stream on her own..... Truffle even got in the act, but she preferred to rock hop, the problem came when she tried to hop one direction and I hopped another. I ended up totally soaked, with a sore butt. 

It was a short hike only 3 miles, but with the two dogs and lunch it was more like a half day experience. After the hike, wet and dirty I got my revenge on the girls and both of them got baths. Nothing better than sweet smelling, exhausted sleeping puppies.

Letter to St. Peter

Let them in, Peter
For they are very tired
Give them couches where the angels sleep
And light those fires
Let them wake whole again
To brand new dawns
Fired by the sun
Not war-times bloody guns
May their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie
God knows how young they were
To have to die
You know God knows how young they were
To have to die
Give them things they like
Let them make some noise
Give dance hall bands not golden harps
To these our boys
Let them love Peter
For they've had no time
They should have bird songs and trees
And hills to climb
The taste of summer
In a ripened pear
And girls as sweet as meadow wind
And flowing hair
And tell them how they are missed
But say not to fear
It's gonna be all right
With us down here
Let them in, Peter
For they are very tired
Give them couches where the angels sleep
And light those fires
Let them wake whole again
To brand new dawns
Fired by the sun
Not war-times bloody guns
May their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie
God knows how young they were
To have to die
You know God knows how young they were
To have to die
And tell them how they are missed
But say not to fear
It's gonna be all right
With us down here

It's gonna be all right
With us down here

Dear Bo

 

Dear Bo, 

My name is Truffle and I need your help.You are probably the most influential pup that I know of and I think you might just the one to make things right. Next time your see your Dad Barack, can you ask him 'what's up with the time change deal' you see me and my tummy are very confused. Every night now for the past week, my peeps have been late on the dinner service. No matter how nicely I sit, or how pitiful I look dinner has been late.You've probably experienced this too, I mean there is no more accurate clock that a pup's tummy alarm. 

My big sis Waffle explained that it was something called day light savings - which when she told me I thought was a fib (you have to know her, but trust me). Why would people do that to themselves. Why would they do that to us? Who needs a clock anyway - when it is light get up and play - when it is dark curl up and go to sleep. AND when your tummy says it is time to eat. EAT. Now I know you being a reasonable guy, you understand what I'm talking about. Your peeps seem pretty cool, they seem to have fallen for your adorable cuteness so use your best puppy eyes trick to get Dad to can Day Light Savings. I like having more day light in the evening - most people are off of work and will play with us in the evening. Last night my BFF was going to take us out for a walk but after din-din it was too dark and cold to go out. Plus I think it is just mean to mess with us like that. It is not just dinner that is messed up too, mornings are for playing but all I keep hear is "Truffie GO BACK TO SLEEP", so now I have to turn my somersaults very quietly and where's the fun in that I ask you. 

Yup, your my man, I know you can do it. If puppy eyes don't work try the sit on bed and whine tactic, my big sister Tacoma will flap her big ears and paw at her people - get creative I have faith. I can not tell you what a big service this would be to dogs across the nation.

yours truely, 

Truffie, FYL, PIT - GDB

Birthday count down!

this is me at 3 months old. My 1st vet visit

On Sunday I turn 1 yrs old - and in party preparations leading up to my big day here is a picture of me when I was just a little squirt. 

I'm excited to be fully grow'd up - but I'm a little worried Waffle said something about a hat.....

more training

They were tearing up some concrete and I walked Truffie over to take a peek. It is weird. Some loud noises spook her and others she is just 'meh' about. Go figure.

Knott's Berry Farm

Before Truffie went into season, and the crazyness that is Halloween started, I took Truffie out to eat at Knott's Berry Farm. It is a local amusement park that follows this whole wild west theme. Every year at Halloween they turn the park into a huge Haunted House with mazes and extra staff dressed up to scare you. Rather cool, but as half of S. Cali goes to this event we steer clear of it during Oct. But some how I digress from the topic at hand which as you might guess is Chicken. Yes Chicken, the park was started by some couple who invented Boysenberries (a cross between two different berries which escapes me now), the wife made jam from the berries the husband grew. She started serving fried chicken to hungry people, they added a theme show to entertain, a hotel, ect.... the rest is chicken history. Growing up a friend of mine refused to eat the chicken for the longest time. Turns out they had pet chickens, who as chickens will do had other chickens and pretty soon things got out of control. Instead of giving away said chickens, their father told them he took them down to Knott's Berry farm and let them lose in a lake......right by the chicken restaurant.  

Anyway personal pets notwithstanding, the chicken here is good, the biscuits are even better, so once in a while we will head on down. It is great for the pups to see the commotion of the park without actually going in. This huge roller coaster swoops down right along the side of the parking lot. I usually start the pups watching the coaster from across the lot and gradually get closer, I know we are ready to move on when the pups give me that 'I'm sooo bored' look.' Some times it is hard to tell the bored look from the 'please not another picture look.' as you might be able to tell from the above picture.

One day - I will have a lab that likes water AND taking pictures. That's not too much to ask for is it?

Welcome and Goodbye....I think

Welcome new Pups In Training

Josette and Jody

I believe they are Goldens, definitely sisters and from the looks of them 10 weeks or older. Yeah I'm a terrible club member, I missed the last meeting because of work. But Truffie has been displaced as the youngest pup in our group, I would say that she is the old lady of the group, but we still have Tamika. Yes as much as we love Mika, Mika she is still without a recall. She might be up for the November truck but we don't know, I guess there is a meeting on the 16th to decide who is going on the truck that will be coming down on the 19th! YIKES that is hard, 3 days notice, right now we know she is up for consideration but the confirmation will not come out until after that meeting. It is possible that she will be here until Jan, who knows. I think she is going on 18 months, quite the change from when the recalled Lani at 14 months.

But in any case Welcome to the newest furballs on the street - don't believe everything Truffie tells you.

for eggo

Last night we cleaned out the garage of junk stuff, for my friend's yard sale. Afterwards hungry and dirty what to do? It was another hot one in LA, no cooking for us, pizza, Chinese, Mexican? NO WAY we joined the millions and gave into the hype and ventured into the land of the......  McRib

Sooooo goood

But soooo baaaad

What was the result? Huuummmm how would I describe it? It was like the special affects in the original Star Wars movie or the Shark in Jaws, 1st time you saw them it was all ooooo and aaaaawwwww 'lets do it again, again and again' but 20 years later uuuhhhmmmmm not so much. It's not quite as cool as you remember them to be, but it's just been long enough for you to forget the bad computer graphics and cheesy plastic sharks and indulge in a two hour trip down memory lane. So every two years when the McRib makes another appearance we are suckered in by the hype and take a bite........ and well the fries are still great, the sandwich is pretty much a cheesy plastic shark.

some times you feel like a nut

So many of you have surmised from the last post that Truffie is in season. Being cooped up in the house combined with her hormones has her nutty side out in full force. I sometimes worry about her future partner, I hope they like to party as much as my little girl. This is a vid of her favorite way to play with her chewies. It's not a good time 'till she is upside down.

I love how she tries to entice Waffle into playing with her. She thinks if she keeps shoving the bone at Waffle it will make the Waffler want to play with her. Plus I love her cutie patootie face.

r u done?

Really?!! Aren't you done yet?

98 degrees

The only way to sleep when it's 98 degrees!

I voted

I did, well BFF did all the heavy lifting on that one. I got the sticker though. BFF lost the camera -some place in the house, so sorry no pic.
love you
Waffles

Woof Woof