Rudy's Sixth Report Card!

*(Written by Brandon's Raiser)*
I've just received Rudy's sixth report card and also included in the email, was a short message from my Area Coordinator:
"Rudy's just waiting for the right partner now!!"
I know Rudy was in the "last phase" when I received his previous report card, but that little message made me start thinking, Rudy could really graduate ANYTIME now! He's just waiting for the perfect match, so for all I know... he could graduate next month!
Keeping my fingers crossed that his training continues to go well, and that he'll be able to find the perfect match, sooner than later!

Comment from Rudy's trainer:
"Rudy is a sweet boy.  I have only had him for a short period but he is a fun dog.  I look forward to working Rudy and getting to know his personality. J  We are working on some of his distractions and tendency to rush."
Just a few things that Rudy needs to "touch up", but it sounds like he's doing wonderful! I really miss my sweet boy :)

Brandon's Raiser


Copy of Rudy's Sixth Report card

 

Puppy's Name... Is a Guessing Game *(Contest)*

The cute little bundle of joy I'll be getting THIS Sunday, finally has a name... A name that I won't be telling you guys until AFTER I receive the puppy.
But it leaves you with lots of time to guess his name.
This guessing game is a contest... and the winner (IF there is one) will receive a small prize.
**Leave comments on THIS post**

Hints:
* More than FIVE letters long
* Person's Name
* The first letter of my FIRST guide dog puppy's name is the first letter of THIS puppy's name

Rules:
* No more than TWO comments per person
* No more than FIVE names per comment (Total of TEN names if you post TWO comments)
* Contest starts NOW (October 25th 2011)
* Contest ends Sunday evening (October 30th 2011)
* Duplicate names are fine (more than one blogger using the same name)

Since I've not had a dog to be posting things about, we've lost a good amount of readers over the months - so please pass this contest along on your own blog and help us build back up our readers!

Prize:
* Homemade Goat Milk Soap - Doggy style (for humans - but can be used on dogs)
* Hand forged Leash Hook
(More information/pictures of the prizes in a later post this week)

Rules for the prize:
*Prize will only be given away IF someone guesses the right puppy name
* If more than one blogger guesses right, those certain bloggers' names will be put in a bowl (or something of the sort) and one will be picked at random

Information on the puppy:
* Yellow Male Lab
* Will be 8 weeks old on Sunday

Sounds easy?
Well... START YOUR GUESSING and remember to pass this post along!
Any questions? Feel free to leave them in a comment.

Rudy's Raiser

July Report Card

I was surprised to receive a email this evening with Rudy's second report card, (since I just received first one last week).
But I then realized that the last one was sent "quite" late... and was June's report card. (No wonder she said in the email "sorry it's a little late"!).
So what a wonderful surprise for me to receive yet another report card from my boy!
Sounds like he's doing wonderful, and I just love the comment that the trainer left...

"Rudy is a happy boy with a big donut for a tail. He loves to work and does so at high speed. Just when I think he’s going to blast right past a curb, he slams on the brakes and nails it".

That's so true, and I love how they even noticed his very "curly" tail :)

Rudy's Raiser

Da Good News About ME

(Really, really, really good news!!)
As most of you know, I'm in training to be a guide dog for the blind, which means... I will be leaving my raiser one day, to head back to the school for future training.
I came into this cool home in May 2010, and (at first) my raiser thought she'd have me for (around) 1 1/2 years... but she found out, back in January 2011, that the school has started taking pups back early (no idea why) - which would make my IFT date be this coming April.
My raiser has been expecting a IFT email soon, and every time a new email from our AC comes in... her heart skips a beat, wondering if this is the email - then she'd start having to plan on returning me to the guide dog school.
But she was SOOO excited (and surprised) to find this email from her AC in her inbox:

Subject: We are NOT on the April IFT list

Email: Have no word on May yet – but it looks like this litter will be with us until at least late May/June timeframe.
My raiser was very glad to hear that I'm NOT going IFT in April, and I agree with her :)
So you guys are stuck with me for another couple months, enjoy it!!

BTW - for anyone who's thinking about asking this question:
"Will your raiser get another guide dog puppy, and if so -when?".
At this point, due to some "financial" issues, my raiser may not be able to raise again (seems as though, guide dog puppies cost a lot to raise/care for...). But since I'm staying with her, a couple months longer - she hopes that things will work out, and if so - she may plan on getting a puppy after I return (around) June 2011. It all depends on how much "green papers" she has :)
She will keep us update to date on that situation though... and if all else, Liberty (my Raiser's English Mastiff) can run the blog for a while!
Enough about that though... I'm not leaving for QUITE a while, so you shouldn't have to worry about it.

I'm still far behind on posting... I've got LOTS more interesting posts coming up, with even more good news about ME.
But fur now... enjoy the pictures below, of ME! (My raiser decided to take me out into a empty goat fence... and let PLAY and RUN in it! And she took many pictures, just for you).

Rudy - The dog with a blog

If your tongue hangs out while you run... it's double the fun!

Picture Of... TOBY! (not so Wordless Wednesday!)

One of the puppy raisers in our group was heading down to FL last week for Puppy Raiser Day (Graduation) -as the last dog she raised had just graduated.

I asked if at all possible, could she peek into the training kennel, and snap a picture of Toby for me.

What I woke up to this morning - was a very special email, enclosed with A PICTURE of Toby!

Though it's just "a picture", those are worth a thousand words. And this one sure was.

You can read his face in the picture, it's so sad and sweet at the same time.

She said Toby looked great, and all their siblings were doing fine.

I'm glad to hear that, and wish Toby the best of luck!

Rudy's (and Toby's!) Raiser

The human that has a dog with a blog

NEWS, NEWS, NEWS, NEWS - PASSED, PASSED, PASSED!!

YES - TOBY HAS PASSED HIS HIP X RAYS - AND IS OFF TO START GUIDE DOG TRAINING!!
Email just received:

"Good Morning

Good news this morning – Toby has passed his hip x rays and will continue into the training program – he has not been selected as a breeder – but will go full swing into his guide dog training now. Thanks again for all you did in raising him.

All the best
Suz"

I am SO SO SO SO SO SO HAPPY!
Of course if the same thing that happened to Frankie happens to him... I won't be :(
(I was told she passed her hip x rays and started training - but the following day I got a phone call saying she was put out because of allergies- they had to get my all excited to just break me the following day).

I don't know when I will be getting another "update", but I'll let you know as soon as I find out!
Keep your fingers (AND PAWS!) crossed for Toby!!!!

Didn't read my last post? Make sure to check it out :)

Toby's Raiser & Tracker's Sitter
The human sometimes with a dog that has a blog - and who's very happy!

There is 2 kinds of news in the world...

The good- & the bad

First off- the good news

My trainer took me to the vet yesterday to get a eye check up & a heart worm test (required by the school). The vet says my eyes look wonderfully and my trainer can slowly take me off of the eye cream!! We also found out the heart worm test was negative!! (not like my trainer was worried or anything).

And now for the bad news

Guess what my trainer is writing up on her computer??? The abbreviation for it might be "P.S.I" Those are the 3 words that describe bad news- (1) "Puppy", (2) "sitter", (3) "information"- puppy sitter information!?!

She then told me that I will be going "away" this weekend- this will be my 3rd time this year getting "puppy sat". Can she not just take me with her??

But of course I already tried that... the only reason why she can't take me with her is because she is doing "goat showing" this weekend at the state fair, though both her last dogs "Frankie" & "Brax" were able to go. It is not fair! I am told that it was way to much with Frankie & Brax- and now that she has twice as many goats to show I would have been tied up the whole time.

I will be leaving to my "new home" on Thursday night (after puppy class) and coming back sometime on Monday- the following week.

Wish me luck!!

(my trainer took some pictures of me @ the vet- I was trying to drag myself out of the room in some of them-vets are not my favorite place!)

Toby

"the dog with a blog"

New puppy comes in 1 day... and I know his NAME! You want to guess?

(go to the bottom of the post to try and figure out the puppy's name!)

1 day
or
24 hours
or
1,440 minutes
or
86,400 seconds 'til the new puppy comes!!

...And I just got a phone call from my area coordinator and she let me know that my puppy has been picked up, and has a name!!

I would post it on my blog but my siblings would find out...

So instead I will give you hints and you leave your name idea, or letter ideas in a comment!!

1. It is a 4 letter word

2. The first letter rhymes with "b"

3. The third letter rhymes with "he"

4. The second letter would be used with "** my"

5. The last letter could have a question mark at the end if it was spelled out into a word. "***?"



Please leave a comment with your idea (names, or what you think the letters are)!!
(none of the comments will be published 'til tomorrow, just so everyone will have a chance to guess the name!!)



I will be doing a post on "****" as soon as I can tomorrow!!



****'s trainer

Frankie & new puppy update!!

Hey, this is Frankie's trainer.

Though I haven't heard any on how Frankie is doing, I did receive Frankie's picture in Harness (!!!), and the post card that informs me that Frankie has passed her hip exams.

The picture of Frankie in harness was not scanned in (I don't know much about scanners!), so I just took a picture of it with my camera.

*New puppy update*

Though I won't find out the puppy's name until a couple weeks before I receive him, I did find out his parents' names. His mom's name is Bella (this is her first litter!), and his dad's name is Gilbert.

Enjoy the pictures, and Liberty will be doing a update soon!

Frankie's trainer

Frankie in Harness:

Frankie's postcard:

NEW GUIDE DOG PUPPY!!

Hey guys,

I have some awesome news.

A male yellow Lab will be coming to me on May 29th(well, that is the day he is released; he will probably show up 2 days after that).

I don't yet know his parents names but in the next week I should.

I won't find out his name 'til 2 weeks before I get him(I am guessing, you never know when they will tell you).

I was really hoping for a Vizsla, but that will be too long of a wait.

Great news is going around for sure, because Frankie just passed her hip exams, a dog in our group(Angel) was just matched, and now I am getting a puppy!

I can't wait!

Frankie's trainer

FRANKIE PASSED!!!

Hey guys,

Great news, I just got a email saying Frankie passed her hip exams!!
I was so certain she was going to get put out of the school because of her hips!!

Here is the email from the guide dog school:

Good Afternoon Puppy Land! Here are the Hip x-ray results for the March IFT.
The following dogs have passed their hip evaluations:

Frankie
J.J
Katie

J.J & Katie are both from our group, Katie is Frankie's sister, and J.J is the dog I puppy sat in October.

Now that Frankie is out of the medical kennel she will start her training, then hopefully she will be seen in some of the IFT(in for training) pictures on the school's blog(which I will then post on my blog). And I should also get "school reports"from the trainer on how she is doing .

I CAN'T WAIT!

Frankie's trainer

First day(March 2 2008)

Last day(February 28 2009)