J.J

Me and my bone

Hey,

My name is J.J, some of you guys might know me from pictures Frankie has posted of me. But for the others who don't I will introduce myself.

I am a yellow Male Labrador, around 9 months old. I love bones and treats. I live in the City but since we did the puppy swap I am living on a farm!! I have gotten to meet: Horses, goats, pigs, chickens, bunnies, cats, dogs, Llamas, Alpacas, and a Goose.

Today I went to a petting zoo, but we weren't going there to see it, we were going there to do it! Frankie's trainer has a petting zoo business and today she had a event that she took her petting zoo to. I was bored for almost half the time until they decided to put me in the fence with the animals!! I had a blast, the little goats were fun to play with. After a little while Frankie's trainer put my coat on and took me to see the big red Fire truck and a Police car. She even let me get a picture taken with them!!

We finally are back home so I can be on my bed chewing on a bone. Enjoy looking at the pictures! I will be doing some more posts later, and hopfully Brax will send some pictures so you can see what he looks like!!
And you may notice that I look a lot like Brax, some pictures more then others, even though I am not the same breed as him!! But I have had a lot of people say I look like him.

J.J

Me and the pig

At the YMCA working out, (more

like knocked out!!)

Me with the fire fighters.

Me with Frankie's trainer

Me alone on the fire truck!

Me with a police man

Pictures of me at the petting zoo:

No I am really not eating goat

feed, (well yes I would...) Frankie's

trainer was trying to get me to

put my head up, I look soo cute!


I think it was quite fun being with the animals

on the same side of the fence!

Notice the Alpaca right beside me!

**UPDATE BRAX**

Hello Everyone!!

Brax here, coming to you from St. Louis, Missouri. Here's some information about what's going on in my life.

My human is really nice. I have taken her lots of places. We walk to the grocery store, usually accompanied by her son, who helps her shop. It's a country road, so its really a pain to work because there are really no landmarks for my human to identify. I have to be on the ball and get her there safely. Her son pushes the cart home, and we follow behind. I take her to special meetings where there are other dogs and blind people. Some of these meetings have food, so I have to behave myself and just sniff from afar. In two weeks, my human is going to a state convention and staying in a hotel for four days with about 200 other blind folks, and quite a few dogs. That's going to be interesting. We may go down to Florida this November and December to work for the Salvation Army. My human rings the bells every year. That should be fun too. So, as you can see, I'm busy and happy. I try to play with the retired guide dog, but he's an old man, and just tolerates me. My human's son is neat too.

Well, gotta go to work. Today we take the bus and go to the doctor so my human can have some blood work done. I'll talk to everyone soon!

Brax

Guide dog meeting, AIRPORT!!

Our puppy group in front of the plane!

Hey guys,

This is my first meeting that we went to a airpor. Of course, I have been to the airport once before (to pick up my trainer) but I still wanted to do the guide dog meeting. It was last week that we went there! I had a lot of fun, we got to board a plane and visit the cock pit (as I call "the drivers place"), we even went in the airplane to sit down for a while (of course the dogs ON THE FLOOR, while the humans got the nice cushy seats). Then what made it worse was my trainer wanted to work with an Aussie, so I was left with her leader. Her leader gave me to this guy, and then he gave me back to the leader who gave me to another girl! I was switched around soo much I don't even remember the people. Other then that, I had a lot of fun. I love guide dog events because you get to see (and sometimes play with) them!!
But for all the pictures I am with somebody who isn't my trainer and my trainer is with the Aussie.

Enjoy all of the photos!



Frankie

Oh, I have puppy class tonight. Afterwards we have puppy swap! Which means I won't be posting on here for over 3 weeks! But I will let the new dog (J.J.) post on here! And for a side comment on some good news and for people who know Brax, my trainer called and talked to his owner yesterday!! He is doing really good and obeying fine, she hopes to send my trainer some pictures soon so we can then post them on the computer.

Yes this is a no-no but they let
the dogs do it real quick for
photos, (of course on command
so we know we aren't allowed to
do it without command)!




Me with a girl named Chelsea

Me with a guy I don't know.

This is a new dog in our group who I think looks a lot like me!!

My trainer and the Aussie going up
the steps .

My trainer and the leader at the steps.

Me boarding the plane!

Inside the plane.

In trouble??

My trainer didn't act like she was
happy at me when this happened:



But I don't think grabbing a plant container(which happened to have dirt in it) is something she should care about. She told me "no" and "leave it". Then she cleaned up the mess, making me sit there in a "sit stay" watching her, but her not letting me eat/play with it. Once she was done cleaning up the "plant" she kept it and put it back where it was (even though you couldn't "re-plant" this plant) to make sure I wasn't going to do it again. Since she told me "no" I didn't go back there again. I have learned my lesson! My trainer said once was enough and I need to start behaving like a guide dog. So just for that I am going to get some movies of me doing some of my basic commands to show that I am "behaving" now!
Oh and don't worry, I told my trainer "sorry!!"

Frankie



Really it wasn't my fault!!

Award!

Hey,

I was given a award a couple days ago from one of my puppy/blogger friends Midnight.





So I have to pick 7 blogs that I like the most, here goes!


Alana- Puppy in Training with Guide dogs for the Blind
Larkin- Service dog from Paws with a Cause
Rusty- Pet
Douglas- Puppy in Training with Guide dogs for the Blind
Cobra- Dog in for Training at school(KSDS)
SEGD- MY SCHOOLS BLOG!!

Shadow-Pet

If you were picked for the award follow these rules!

1. Put the logo on your blog

2. link to the person who chose you

3. choose 7 (only 7) other blogs that you love

4. And post the rules at the end!

You don't have to do this but its quite fun!

Frankie

BEACH!!

At the beach house/trailer

I went to the beach a couple weeks ago but I just haven't had time to do the post.

I also got to get into a pool each day, since my trainer's family kept going over to see their Granny who lives near the beach, and she has a pool. Of course they made me get in, and it was COLD!! Just like the ocean. I liked the ocean a lot more than the pool though, since the water at the beach didn't make me have to swim. Of course it was annoying when the waves kept splashing me; I even asked nicely for them to stop. AND IT DIDN'T WORK!! My trainer didn't take any pictures of me at the beach since she was always in the water with me, but she took pictures of me in the pool. My trainer was very happy to find out her mom took lots of pictures at the beach!!

So, there are 2 movies and a whole bunch of pictures!!

Frankie

Playing on the beach



In the pool







Are you okay?





Hurry, hurry the water will get you!!






















I am soo not going back in there!!

Never mind!


















I am WET!!





Swimming, which is COLD!!

This is the way to swim!

Unless she lets go...

Pig & Me

Here is a movie of the pig giving me a "piggy" rub. It's very cute/funny!!
At the bottom there are 2 pictures of the pig and me in the crate sleeping. It was taken at night time; my trainer has decided its a good idea to let the pig sleep in my crate with me! We have only done it for 2 nights, but until he gets to big I don't mind!!
Enjoy,

Frankie

Piggy rub


The pig is in the blue bed w/
the green blanket over him.

Then he decided to sleep beside me!

Lady bug

This is a movie of me watching a lady bug. It's not that funny, but its pretty cute!!

Frankie

Puppy class 5 (I think!)

Puppy class was about 2 weeks ago but I never got the post written about it!


Since the building we usually do puppy class at was under construction we met at Belks. We did the meeting inside Belks on the top floor (the office floor) so we wouldn't be in the way of people shopping. Since it was quite tight up there we didn't have a lot of choices of what to do. So for the first half we lined up like we were at a wedding rehearsal meeting people, and the dogs had to obey and not trip the humans! I tried to lick some of the dogs, but soon stopped and obeyed.

Right before we left to go to puppy class my trainer took me on a 2 mile walk. Which made me REALLY tired! Once we got to puppy class I was knocked out, (after the wedding rehearsal!). When we finished the wedding-type line up we went on to a different kind of game/work. This time it was a game in which all the humans teamed up with 1 other person (2 man teams) and each of them had a dog. They then picked a card from a pile and we had to do the command it says on it. It could be a "down-stay", " stand-stay", "heel", "foward and stop", " a sit-stay" and you walk away, or any other commands our school uses! My trainer's team got a down-stay, and they had to walk away then come back to us on the right side. I didn't jump up when my trainer came back, and did just what she said to do, so I made my trainer really happy!

Then once all the teams finished playing the game (well they were going to call it that but forgot to bring prizes, so really it was work!) the leader started handing out letters...not to all the people there, just to some of the older dogs. I was wondering what it was (so was my trainer), then we soon found out. We just happened to be handed one to so my trainer opened it right away to see what it was, she found out it was a puppy swap paper! She had talked to the leader not too long ago and found out I was too young for that. But all that changed too quickly! It will last for three weeks, I will go spend that time at another puppy raiser's house and my trainer will be getting a dog named J.J. He, I think, is the same breed I am, and is just 1 week older. He is yellow and obeys pretty well (so I think, but we will soon find out!!). My trainer sounds like she is happy for the swap, but I think I would rather stay here with her, I mean she already left me for whole month! The trainers will be trading dogs at the next meeting, which will be in about 2 weeks!!



Frankie





Doing the "team game"
The dog furthest to the right is J.J, my
trainer will have him for the puppy swap.

The leader is walking up to dogs and trying to get them to jump on her, and the dogs should not be jumping. I didn't jump, but some dogs did!

II was pretty tired!!

News, and lots of it!!

Sorry for no posts lately. My trainer has been really busy, which then keeps me busy (well... if she isn't in the room with the computer then I can't use it). I don't remember what all I have been doing, so I will just fill you in with a couple days worth. Starting with...


Wednesday, wait now that I think about it, I didn't do anything since my trainer's parents were busy all day.


Thursday: We went to Walmart today, before entering the store I was taken to use the restroom, of course only going "little" busy (pee). My trainer knew that I needed to go big (poop) since every time she goes to Walmart, I always need to go. (she has always made it out of the store though). She was looking at fabric to make a bag, and I was just laying there. But once she started moving I whined, she knew I needed to go, and didn't know if she could make it out.

I made it out with no accident's, of course right when I touched the grass I went! I think I like to go big (poop) in the store since they make us go shopping, and never let us do what we dogs want! We also went to Tractor Supply, a fast food stop, a grocery store, and a shop that mixes up feed for our dairy goats. We were gone for a while so I was REALLY tired!

Then to find out I had puppy class in a couple hours! I tried to get a lot of sleep so I would be really wild for puppy class, but it didn't work. My trainer took me on an hour walk! She did it just so I wouldn't be wild and crazy (not like I am...) for puppy class. I will be doing a seperate post for puppy class, so I won't talk about it on this post. But I enjoyed it a lot! Then to find out right before we left that they are doing a PUPPY SWAP/CAMP (for anybody who doesn't know what puppy camp is: We have 2-3 puppy camps in the 1-2 years us dogs are with our puppy raisers. Each time we are at a different house; your dog goes to some one in the puppy group, and you get a different dog from the group. They used to do 2-way swapping so your dog would go to the same person that the dog you are baby sitting comes from, but they have an odd number of people so they do 3-way switches. Most of the time its for 1-2 weeks, this time its 3! (This is going to be my first camp, it will start the end of next month, and my trainer will be getting a dog named J.J). Which means I will be away from my trainer for almost a month!


Friday: Well today was quite a surprise!! While my trainer was taking me on a walk (which was going to be a mile walk, but ended up being less then half a mile) we ran into a dog, it wasn't a stray dog since it had a collar with a tag on it, but my trainer did not recognize it. She just kept going on her walk though, since she thought maybe our neighbors got a new dog. She told me to ingore the dog and keep walking, but the dog kept following us, passing right by the house that she thought the dog lived at. My trainer tried to keep going on the walk but I wanted to play with the dog. (or, I thought she was injured and needed my trainer's help!) My trainer soon gave up and took me home. The dog was right behind us and followed us right to our house, so my trainer stopped, put me in a "sit stay", and caught the dog to look and see what it's tag said. She found out it didn't even live on this road. She went to take me inside and to tell her mother about the dog. Her mother then came outside to look at the dog and asked us (my trainer) to catch her so we could find the dog's real home. Even though we just caught it a couple minutes ago it didn't want to be caught, but when my trainer brought out some food the dog was caught. She brought the dog in the house, we called her owners and waited, my trainer gave her a bath since she was quite dirty, and then tried to get ahold of her owners. (the dogs name was Daisy) The owner answered and said he would come over and get her. She was only at our house for a couple hours, but it was still fun to meet her!


After that my trainer's mom and brother were gone more than half the day shopping at car stores, but when they finally finished and came home my trainer left, she went to Belk's to go shopping, and left me at home! Not that I didn't mind, but she should have given me a choice. And then when she got home, she told me "I know you are so sad that I didn't take you shopping with us, so I am going to take you to Belk's tomorrow when I go with my younger sister", CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT! I mean I was mad that I didn't get to choose, but then she comes home and tells me I am going. A dog's life is just not fair.

My trainer's mom then went to go buy pizza (of course not for ME) so my trainer's family stayed up watching a movie and eating pizza. No, I was not with them, I was IN THE CRATE! See what I mean- A DOG'S LIFE IS NOT FAIR!




Saturday(today): Yes today I went to BELK'S, of course on the way I found out we were stopping at the vet, not to pick anything up. To get me checked! I think I am going to have to get my baby tooth pulled, and I am having a problem with my hip. I am told that I will have to come back in to get an x-ray, even though it is a slight problem it might be a bigger problem in the future. But after the vet stuff, we went to go shopping (Belks). Like always, I needed to go big (poop), of course I wanted to do it inside, and they wanted me to do it outside. My trainer just so happende to get me to do it outside, so once I was empty I decided to pick clothes for myself! I mean what's a shopping trip if you can't shop? It sounded like a good phrase to me, but that didn't work with my trainer. I soon ended up with my trainer's sister in the dressing room, since she wasn't walking around the store at the moment. It meant I couldn't get into any trouble. We finally left Belk's and before coming home we made a quick stop at a yard sale and picked up a cute stuffed bunny. I found out that it will be mine!! We are going to the beach next week and she is going to bring it so I can have a new toy. While we are at the beach we are going to go to our granny's pool so I can play in it. (well, that is what my trainer says, but from what I have heard from other dogs I think I will stick to the side of the pool, of course my trainer is going to find a way to get me in though).


I am puting some pictures on at the bottom, and will be posting more when I get home from the beach! I also won't get the puppy class post done until we get back from the beach, but I hope this post will be long enough for you until then!!





Frankie


My trainer with Daisy
(the lost dog)



The evil looking face is because I just stole
the pigs toy (the blue teddy bear isn't mine,
but it should be!!)

8 months

I can't believe I am already 8 months old!
From what my trainer says she still thinks I am a little puppy that doesn't like to obey (don't believe her). Really I am a nice obedient puppy that only disobeys a couple times.

*NOTE BY TRAINER* Remember this is a puppy talking (and yes 8 months still is a PUPPY) so don't believe ANYTHING she says.

Can you believe that!?!? My trainer messes up one of my best posts with red words.
Well I will leave you with some 8 month pictures.

Frankie

When my trainer took this picture I was

looking out the window at a lawn mower.

I like this picture, I look good in

my uniform!

I really like my trainer! Can you

tell!??!

See I do like her.

Pictures

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Update (pig)

The pig is now about 1 month old.
Even though he is older I STILL can't play with him. I mean, they let me be with him, but not really "play" with him. His name is Milo, (the name idea was from me and my trainer's mom!!). He is really small and soft, I can not believe how long he sleeps! He is soo pampered, he gets fed every 2 hours and my trainer is always holding him and playing with him. I think since she came back from her trip she has fallen in love with the pig and just ignoring me. And maybe she only wanted to come home because of the pig...

Anyways I am attaching some pictures of me and Milo (just laying together, even though I think a picture of us to playing would be way better!!).

Frankie

I was pretty good in this picture, once she

was done taking it I just went to sleep.

Right after my trainer took this picture she

had to move my head, because I laid on him!

Updates (TRAINER!!)

MY TRAINER IS BACK!!

She got home Thursday night, and my trainer's parents were kind enough to take me with them to the airport! So I got to see her before her siblings did. We got there before her airplane arrived, so I had time to use the "restroom" on the way to the luggage claim were we were going to be meeting her. (And when I mean "on the way" I mean IN the building). She called right after she got off the plane to let us know she was in the airport (the plane was over an hour late) so I got really excited! She was coming down the escalator (I saw her before she saw me!) and then she called my name. I got so excited that I ran and jumped on her right away. (it's been a month), we all headed to pickup her luggage so we could go home (noting my trainer traded with her dad pretty quickly, she had 2 big bags that were carry ons, and he had me...). She spotted her suitcases pretty quickly so once we got them we went home. I wasn't obeying since I was really happy to see her, but she soon got me to lay down so we could go home. Once we finally got home, her siblings ran out to greet HER; I mean I was gone for over a hour and they don't even say "Hi Frankie!" they just skipped me and ran to her (they probably know she has gifts for them!). Right when she got her suitcases up to her room, he father then came and said to pack a bag since we are getting ready to go out of town. (for all who don't know, my trainer's brother went to the US Naval Academy 6 weeks ago, and we all were going to visit him the day she got home), so she dumped out things from her carry on and started to pack. Her mother then called and said that they had to go drop off the pig with its baby-sitter (because the farm sitters didn't know how to bottle feed the pig. For all who don't know about the pig I did a post called "Oink") She got back home from doing that and was then told that instead of leaving around 2 in the morning we are going to leave at 10pm! Of course that was in a couple minutes so she ran upstairs to finish packing. It was 10 before she was done packing, so she wasn't ready to leave. We were already on the way when she remembered what she forgot (Money, a gift for her brother, a charger for her camera, phone, swimsuit, dog toys for ME, and more!) but to fix the problems (she happened to have travelers checks and could cash those, she is going to send the gift for her brother, the camera almost ran out of battery, she had to stay with an adult all the time since she didn't have a phone, her sister's friend happened to bring a swimsuit she'd borrowed from my trainer and her own, and I got to play with water bottles to make up for not having dog toys!) They did remember my uniform which was a good thing! I had a blast, and got to stay in a hotel for 2 nights! We got back home at 3 in the morning, and I went right to sleep!! My trainer is on American time (that is, she is not always sleepy since she is on her country's time) and she has to feed the pig every 2 hours (with some help from her mom at night...). I will leave you with some pictures!

Frankie

Me sleeping while a really boring something
was going on!


And then I decided to wink!














This was a wild bunny my trainer noticed,
and it was friendly enough to come close enough
to not have to zoom in for this picture!!




This is a boat my trainer's family (not including
her) rode. She was going to take me on it but thought that wasn't a good time for me to get
seasick (since I have never been on a boat before).
...but it was fun watching them!

Work

I hear that word everyday it seems like. I know they use it when they take me to town, and when I go to puppy class, but both of those are fun. I know what "fun" is! And puppy class is like a big ol' party. Sure, the trainers make us perform and do this command and that, but work?

Well this week I got to go see "work" for myself. My trainer's dad took me to his office with him 3 days in a row. He had a new crate there in his office and he took my dog bed(at home I have to share it with the big house dog, but she never does give me a turn). Dad put me in his office, and didn't even put on my official puppy coat. I knew this wasn't home, I'd been here before with my trainer. Dad closed the door to his office and just let me wander around for a bit. It was really interesting, like the living room at home but with rolls of paper everywhere. I was on my best behavior; if he didn't notice me he might not remember to put my coat on. I just walked around quietly and checked out all the stuff...lots of stuff. Then I went into the crate, I mean that's what it's there for right? I layed down in the crate on my comfy bed and waited. But he didn't come close the door. After awhile I ever so slowly came back out, walked around the room, layed down and played with a toy Dad had brought with him. I was very good all day and Dad never remembered to put on my coat. But when he would leave the room for a conference he'd put me in the crate. I couldn't complain, he'd been so nice already to let me stay out so long.
It wasn't just a small nap that I took in the crate and then Dad was back. The next day we did the same thing. And when Dad had a conference he'd take me out to do "busy" then I'd go in my crate. I dont' know if Dad had forgotten my name or what, but people kept coming by Dad's office and asking why he called me different unflattering names. They said that I was a perfect angel. Dad acted surprised both of the first two days at how good I behaved.
The third day Dad was going to show me what a conference was. He seemed really nervous about it. We had to drive 2 hours away for a meeting in a big room that would last all afternoon. I wanted Dad to be proud of me so I tried really hard. I had to wear my coat and I just sat down under the big table. I sat there and waited...and waited...and waited.
Then a moth flew by. That must be my signal to go check on Dad. He must've forgotten that he left me here. I tried to follow the moth, you know like Alice followed the rabbit in that play my trainer took me to. Well, Dad hadn't forgotten me and he let me know that real quick when I jumped up and ran after the moth. I sat back down and got comfortable. I think all the other dad type people in the room forgave me. They all complimented him on how well behaved I was. Him!? What about me? I'm the one that had to work so hard to behave for sooo long and they praise him?!
Anyway, now I know what "work" is. I like "fun" better!

Frankie

Oink!

You won't believe this, my trainer left weeks ago and I've been missing her somethin' terrible. Her family knew I was sad and lonely, so I figured they'd bring back my trainer. The left the house today and came home with...this! This is not my trainer. This is a poor substitute for my trainer.



They tell me to be nice and gentle because this little guy is only 2 weeks old. He's so tiny, I can't even get him to play. He just keeps trying to nurse me. And you know what, I think THIS needs a name. My trainer isn't here so he has no name yet. Any ideas?



Frankie










I know, Milo. Doesn't he look like a Milo?


But my trainer might like your ideas better than mine.