Merry Christmas

Late Merry Christmas everyone!

I wanted to do a post on Christmas day like a lot of other blogs were doing, but I didn't get to the computer before it was turned off:(

I got a stocking that was full of lots of "things" from my trainer, and a gift that was full with "homemade" rope toys, and a whole bunch of tasty looking dog treats!

My trainer's sister gave me 2 stuffed toys, I was soo happy with my gifts! In the stocking I got a bone that was FULL of P.B! I chewed on that for the rest of the day!
A few days later my trainer and her family went to go see Bolt, it was really good, I even watched the screen for a little while!

The new year is right around the corner, my trainer told me that I might be able to update my blog more once we are in 2009!

Early Happy New year!!

Frankie

Me "receiving" my P.B filled bone.

My trainer gave a a box of "to-go"

dog treats!

She also gave me a waterproof toy!! (it is

more of a stuffed toy than a ball)

Me with all of my stocking "things".

My trainer's sister opening my gift, (I would

have, but I am not allowed to chew/open gifts!).

My trainer's brother giving me my gift- homemade rope toys!

Merry Christmas!!

Me wearing the "such cool"
Santa hat!

Merry Christmas (early!).

My trainer tried to get pictures with me wearing antlers in front of the tree, but that didn't work out.

I didn't mind the Santa hat, and Santa cowboy hat, but I DO NOT like antlers!

Do they think I look like a reindeer!?!?!

I have made my wish list for Christmas, of course it won't help my trainer much since she already has my gifts!!

1. Stuffed bones

2. Toys

3. Dog treats (!!)

4. And anything else that tastes or sounds good!!!

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy Holidays!!

Frankie

I wasn't really looking

at the camera in this

picture, but I still look

really cute with the cowboy

hat!!

I like this picture a lot, I was

looking at the camera, and I didn't

have anything on my head!!!

Okay, so I did struggle with the hats a wee bit

Happy Birthday!

(2 days ago!),
It was Frankie's birthday on the 18th, we were really busy in Dec so I told her we would give her birthday gifts on Christmas day. I was going to do a post the day of her birthday.... but I forgot!
(sorry Frankie!!). I have dog cakes in the freezer (makes it easier to give them one), but I forgot about that too. I am still going to give her a dog cake (mini) it just will be a couple days late! I don't think Frankie will know the difference though... one day is like any other day in a dog's mind...right??


Frankie's Trainer




Unbelievable! MY TRAINER forgot her own dog's birthday???? Yes, I count as "her" dog for the next 1-2 month(s).

I can't not believe it, she even told me she would give me a mini dog cake and a new dog toy!?!? (Do you know any good pranks a dog can play on her trainer??)

Well, now that it is 2 days past my birthday I can't really say "Happy birthday" anymore:(
But on the bright side I am a WHOLE YEAR OLD now!!!



Frankie


This picture was taken on my birthday.
I was "trying" to help my trainer fill out her
4-H project record books...

Guide Dog Christmas Party!!

Dog-treat-tree!

My puppy group's Christmas party was last Saturday. I had a whole lot of fun! My trainer's friend Hope won a Christmas tree that had lots of little dog treats tied onto it. She gave the tree to my trainer and I get to eat the treats off it!!

My trainer made a cake to take to the party. You might recognize it from a post I did on her birthday party. (click here) She made the exact same cake this time. (It takes over 2 days, and LOTS of patience!) Well her mom didn't think it would make the trip, but it did. And the whole group LOVED it! They had someone there dressed as Santa Claus and every dog got their picture taken, (so did I, but we went to PetsMart last week and got my picture taken with the Real Santa!!) **side comment by trainer "yeah and I paid $10 for it!" **

Sorry about that my trainer likes to "comment" on my posts sometimes!

There was a lot of different door prizes there, besides the dog treat tree. I won a dog stocking, and all the puppy raisers were handed a gift bag. I know there was at least one thing in there for me, but my trainer is waiting for Christmas before giving it to me!!

A person was at the party taking pictures, but I won't be able to get ahold of them for a while. For now I will have to go with the couple pictures my trainer and her sister took.
Enjoy!!

Frankie

ME and my trainer! (with a small

"Christmas" tree in the back!)


J.J (rememeber him, he stayed

at my house for puppy swap).

Our "group" photo!

The cake my trainer made:

My new toy!

Great news!!!!!

Hey guys,

Sorry for not updating in a while, but for now I have some great news! I have already gone on 2 outings, and soon will be going on my third!

I don't have to wear the diaper anymore either! I have some pictures and a movie down at the bottom so don't forget to look!!


Frankie

I love this picture!!

Me at pizza hut (my first outing since getting my diaper off!!)

You have heard of people riding cows, and

goats, what about dogs!?!?

Ye-haw!

You have heard of statues that aren't real,

what about statues that are real!!

Baths:(

Hey guys!
It has been a while since I updated my blog (1 week!!) so I will be doing a couple posts on updates.
But for know this post is about "baths" everybody knows you have to take a bath sometime, but why can't our trainers give me a bath I like? I mean mud baths, dirt baths, pool baths, creek baths, snow baths, and I could go on forever. But baths aren't meant to be in tub! Of course my trainer doesn't think like I do so she goes with the tub baths. I have always hated baths and always refuse to get in the tub, so my trainer started bringing treats and gave me one every time I get in. But since I get treats often it isn't that much of a "treat" to me! So when she tries to bring me into the bathroom to get a bath I dig my claws into the carpet so she can't take me, it always ends in the bathtub though so whatever I do it never works. My trainer has been working with me on it and as the saying goes....

Practice...

Makes...

...Perfect

Frankie

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Though I am not the first dog blog to be saying "Happy Thanksgiving" I am still doing it on Thanksgiving day!!
Yes, I am still wearing a diaper, but I hear I will be getting it off soon!!!! Back to thanksgiving... of course I have a list of stuff I am thankful for (I am SOO not saying anything about that diaper though...), here goes:
I am thankful for...
1). My trainer
2). All of my doggy friends at school/training class
3). Dog bones
4). A nice warm home
5). LOTS of toys
6). Being able to use the computer
7). Getting lots of comments on my blog!!
8). All the cool animals on my trainers farm
9). But best of all...ME!!
(and whatever other stuff I didn't list!!)
Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving, and a good Thursday!!

I will be doing a post in a couple days of pictures and an update.

Frankie

Fundraising For Walk-a-thon!

Hey guys,

As I said in my last post about my trainer going to Walk-a-thon next year with me (unless I went IFT before then). She is now trying to raise money for it.
Her goal is $3,500 which is enough to name and sponsor 1 guide dog puppy.

She has finally gotten her fundraising page done and would love for you guys to take a look at it, pass it on to others(lots of others), and of course she wouldn't mind you helping with her fundraising...
Check it out at:http://www.firstgiving.com/allieandfrankie. Hope you like it:)


Frankie

In heat...

Me and my diaper.

Hey guys,


I just came into heat (nope not been spayed yet!). So now I get to wear this diaper that's for little dogs, I look really bad in it and I can't even go to town! I am told that I am going to be a pet for 2-4 weeks!

I also have some news about IFT(In For Training). I am told that I will be returning to the guide dog school in January or February. They haven't decided yet since they have to see when all the TX dogs go back. My trainer is really hoping for February so she can return me at the same time she goes to Walk-a-thon.

I am doing really well on my training and can't wait to get this diaper off.



Frankie

Crinkle Critters

My duck,hippo, and frog are finished!



You guys know how much you pay on stuffed dog toys that squeak or crinkle and most of the time they are stuffed to full (which is just a quicker way to tear them up...), and it is way too much money when you just can make your own! I know you might have seen the post on Rusty's blog(http://mydogrusty.blogspot.com/), when his owner made him some toys. But this is different. No squeakers, no flannel, and very little sewing. My trainer goes to yard sales on Saturday to find cheap toys for me, and almost every time we go she sees the hand puppet washcloths. prices from 10-25 cents! Well today she decided to buy three of them and turn them into dog toys. First she took the crinkle bags she has been saving, (the lettuce bags she used to get were really loud crinkley and are perfect for dog toys!) and she stuffed them in the puppets, (not to full as to make it easy for me to tear!...), then she took them to the table and let her sister sew them up at the bottom. Last but very not least she gave them to ME!!

Enjoy the photos and movie, hope you guys try this!



Frankie


Before stuffing or sewing, (you can't see
the hands holding them up!).



My trainer stuffing the duck with Crinkle.














My trainer's sister sewing up the hippo.

And boy are they fun!!

Puppy class

Sorry I haven't been posting in a while! My trainer has been very busy.

I had puppy class last Thursday and on Saturday my trainer took me to the blindfold luncheon,(That will be another post!).

Every week for six weeks I will be doing puppy class. It's kind of like a six week obedience training class, then the last week they give out papers and sometimes prizes... I still have a couple more weeks to go.

But at the last puppy class I found out something. I haven't decided if it's good news or not. My trainer is trading puppies for a week. It was going to be this week but the other family couldn't work it out, so next week I am doing a puppy swap!

My trainer will be getting the Aussie named Otto.

I also found out some really good news- I am NOT getting put out of the progam because of my hips! The school has decided to leave me in the progam and not spay me either, so I still might be a breeder...
Look for pictures at the bottom!

Frankie

Doing obedince training, (my trainer is in

the green shirt, and she is handling Otto)

My trainer is to the right, and I am to the left

(if you didn't realize it they did "puppy switch"

for a little while!).

And here is ME!

After they did some basic training the trainers

got their own dogs back and sat down to listen

to someone talk about the guide dog school's

changes.

I'm back!!!

Hey guys!
I finally came back! Though I really had fun at the other persons house I still missed my trainer. I wish J.J. could have stayed a day longer, then I could have had a dog to play with for a little while...

My trainer has already gotten some pictures of me, and also a movie of me walking on the treadmill! I heard from her that J.J. didn't like that, how could he not?? I LOVE it. I mean if my trainer lets me walk on it for hours I might, (well maybe not that long...) but anyways I love treadmills. J.J must not be a real dog on the outside, (or just is faking it so he get to sleep longer!).

The only thing I don't like about it is if you go on a walk down the road normally you would pass a couple dogs, right? Well if you are on a treadmill the only dog you would pass is you (if there is a mirror right beside you!). But it is still fun.

I heard a rumor of me going to a place where my trainer shows her goats. I know Brax went to one last year.



Frankie





Don't you just love tread mills!?!?









I am back to my old self!
Sleeping






And chewing on my feet(it tastes good, my trainer always said I can't bring my toy with me into public unless I carry them...)!

Photos of me saying good bye...

Make a Smilebox photobook

Bye Bye :(

I am sorry to say that this will be my last post(besides the post with a slide show that I will be posting shortly). I will be leaving in just 1 day, and will miss this place a lot! I love it here. The animals are soo nice (besides the goose, and a goat named Kiddy); I have made lots of new friends. Maybe my puppy raiser (not Frankie's trainer) could go out of town in a couple months so I could come and stay with Frankie's trainer for a week !?!? I think it is a good idea, and Frankie would love another dog around the house!

I am only attaching 1 photo, since my trainer and her siblings took a whole bunch of pictures of me my trainer has decided to do a slide show! she will post that for me after this post.

Enjoy, and I hope to be posting again on this blog someday...

J.J

This is how I think you should use

a tread mill!

J.J. movies!

My trainer (for now) has been trying to get some movies of me doing commands. She has gotten three: one of me doing "down, stay, come" , one of "down, under" , and one of " stand, stay, heel".
Though I need work on my "stand" command I am doing really good! I don't look very happy in these movies since my trainer woke me from my nap to take them, but I got lots of praise afterwards so I am now happy!

J.J

"down, stay, come"


"down, under"

"stand, stay, heel"

"find the door, switch, find the stairs"

My trainer's birthday party!!

My trainer's birthday was a week or 2 ago and so was her party! She hadn't decided on her theme until 2 days before the party! But lucky for me she chose a guide dog theme party! The pictures will show what games and things they did for it, and I will put a caption on each one. Enjoy!!

J.J

First we ate dinner, but we wanted to do it

to go with the "guide dog" theme, so they did

a blind fold dinner.

After that we played "pin the harness on the dog", of course you remember the other game

"pin the tail on the donkey" well we

changed it some!

And this is what it should look like!

Next we played "kennel in", some may

know but that command is used for the crate.

When our trainer wants us to go into the crate,

they say "kennel in", well they went up to the

top of the stairs put there blind folds on and

tried to "kennel in" the toy dogs my trainer

had by dropping them down the stairs ( with

animal crate at the bottom), most people

missed but a couple got it!

Once we finished that, we did another game

that we called "alive maze" they put there blind folds on and tried to walk from the bath

After they did all of that they came back to

the table to do a word search, not just any

word search though. My trainer's mother

made this one all about guide dogs!

And of course there was presents to open!

One of my trainer's friends gave her a dog toy,

but it wasn't just any toy, her friend sewed it

for her!

And yes after presents came cake!
And of course this cake is a GUIDE DOG

cake!! Made by my trainer and her mother.
And she even put a guide dog coat on it.

Well they said it was really good, but how would

I know!?!?

For breakfast the next morning they had

omelets (made by her brother), and they

used a bone and a dog cookie cutter to shape them!

J.J update!!

Me doing "down under"

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, my trainer (even though it's just for a few weeks I like to call her that) has been VERY busy (getting ready for petting zoos, going to and having birthday party's), so I have not been allowed on the computer.

Right know she has some time though and gave me just a couple minutes on here.

I am doing fine, since my trainer is very busy with stuff she keeps me busy. I mean if she has a petting zoo I am very busy letting people pet me!!! I have been doing good with my training, so my trainer says. She is teaching me the "down under " command. I am good at it! I do the command "heel" very well, but still am learning "easy"! I think my trainer doesn't get the point that I like to pull, but I guess when it gets down to it I will end up learning the command. Next week I will be returning to my original puppy raiser. I can't wait to see her, though I miss her a lot I will end up missing my family here (yes, even including the pig). I will try to get my trainer to get some movies of me doing commands and such for you. And hopefully I will be able to post them soon!

J.J

Me wearing sunglasses (notice I am winking!)

I love my trainer's family!

Sometimes their house dog just isn't funny!

Me at the Chiropractor

My trainer said I could send a kiss to my puppy raiser..