Meet Tucker

I had my first ever "work date" this past Saturday with a local guide dog in training, and it was the most fun work I've ever done!
But let me rewind a little, so you guys can get caught up on how us doggies first met...
WAY back in December 2011 (okay, last month...) a story ran in 2 newspapers about my raiser & I (to help raise support fur my in-home care...), a local guide dog raiser who is currently raising her first guide dog puppy for "Leader Dogs for the Blind" (different guide dog school) happened to read the article and decided to contact my raiser (this past week) to see if we could meet. Since my raiser LOVES to give me lots of exposures, they soon set a date for us doggies to meet (so both of us dogs could work on "doggy distractions" WHILE working in a public environment).

Okay, so now you know how we found each other :) Back to me explaining how much fun I had...
The work date went really well; we meet at the mall to work; since it would be a great public place, and was big enough that us doggies would have the ability to ignore each other.
"Tucker" is a male yellow lab, who is 8 months old - since his raiser is something that their school likes to call "a independent puppy raiser" (doesn't have a puppy group/meeting to attend each month) he really lacks the training of working with other dogs in public.
So it was a win-win situation, I got to help Tucker learn to work around another doggy in public, while he got to be a furry great distraction fur me... so I would learn to ignore him! (Tucker handles doggy distraction by whining/barking - so that was a GREAT exposure fur me to learn to ignore!).
After we worked in the mall for a few hours, our raisers decided they were hungry, so we headed over to Chick-fil-a so THEY could grab a bit to eat.
They were soo proud of us doggies for maintaining a down-under (laying under the chairs) and ignoring each other, for the entire lunch! (which took another few hours!).
Once they FINALLY finished eating, we headed outside to go our separate ways, but before they left... they took our jackets off and let us meet each other! (and my raiser was very surprised to see how calm we were while meeting each other!).

So all in all it was a great day, and we hope to be able to meet again soon (and if it's not raining... I'll bring Tucker back to my place, so he can see lots of furry cool farm animals!).
My raiser did happen to get a few pictures on her camera (okay, the first one is all thanks to the Chick-fil-a lady, though!), so you can "somewhat" see what Tucker looks like!

-Brandon


Us doggies maintaining a furry wonderful down-under! (oh yeah, and our raisers...)

Picture of Brandon & I with Tucker & his raiser at Chick-fil-a (both dogs are in a down-under)

Me doing what I'm best at... SLEEPING! (I mean... working)

Picture of Brandon sleeping at Chick-fil-a

 Me doing a furry wonderful job at totally ignoring Tucker (who is off in the background behind me)

Picture of Brandon in a down-stay inside the mall, you can see Tucker in the background (also doing a down-stay)

Behaving during a Meeting = FUN Afterwards!

I attended a Naval Academy Event with my furry cool raiser/family; where they would be packing boxes to send up to all of our "groups" mids. (I just slept...)
Doing what my raiser asked of me; I did a down-stay during the meeting, somehow managing to fall asleep, with all those people talking (see movies below).
But the one thing I didn't know my raiser was planning... was IF I behaved well during the meeting, then before we left - she'd let me have a short "playdate" with Biscuit (a yellow lab who lived at the house we were doing the meeting at).
Funny thing was - since Biscuit was outside in their fenced in yard; I didn't even realize a dog was there! (I did smell a furry cool creature... but I didn't know fur sure if it was a doggy).
since I behaved SO WELL during the meeting, my raiser & the owner of Biscuit had both of us doggies on the leash - and let us (slowly) meet.
My raiser was told that Biscuit doesn't always like strange dogs - but fur some GOOD reason, she fell in love with me... and we played for over an hour!
(Biscuit is a 6yr old, SPAYED female)
My raiser took many pictures and videos (see below), I hope you enjoy them :)
Furry Monday kisses!

Rudy
The dog with a blog


Behaving during the meeting...


(Movie of Rudy in a down-stay; you can hear the people in the background talking... quite loudly. Near the end of the movie; the chair beside him, gets pushed into his head... all he does is move his head to a different place! Good distraction training)


(Movie of Rudy in a down stay - in coat/harness, people are talking in the background; and many people are walking by/stepping over Rudy. He isn't fazed at all by the distractions/shoes/people.)


Equals; FUN afterwards...

(Movie of Rudy & Biscuit playing on the deck)

My Distraction Training...

My raiser said "distraction training" helps me with my path to becoming a guide dog.

But I don't see how in the furry little world "ignoring" a yellow jacket (that smells like 7 cats...) is going to help with my training.

(Movie of Rudy in a down-stay with a yellow jacket sleeve hanging 1 inch above his nose... and the owner of the jacket does own 7 cats. Rudy did ignore the jacket - and doesn't even acknowledge it's there)

I think if she let me smell it... lay on it... lick it... chew it... and play with the jacket... I'd be much better off.

Whatever, at least she said "you passed that test".

Rudy - The dog with a blog