Liberty & Frankie- please help us decide!

As you guys know I will be leaving to the school this month for Walk-A-thon(28th), and won't be coming back:(
(it's called In For Training-IFT)

I am still in the breeder program so there is a possibility I won't be a guide, but I am told being a breeder dog is even better!

The only problem is... my trainer won't get a new dog until 2-4 more months, and I go back this month. I really don't want to leave my blog "blank" for months on end, but my trainer isn't getting a new dog for awhile.

There were only 4 choices my trainer and I came up with for the next few months:

1. Leave the blog blank- only update with Frankie

2. Get Brax to send updates & pictures(it won't be often, his owner is VERY busy)

3. Liberty takes over in the interim

4. Liberty takes over and Brax can help when he has time (and of course all of those include updates from me when my trainer gets them each month!)

What do you think?? Let me know which I should do, Liberty is begging me to let her take over the blog for a few months, so hurry and help me decide!!

Just put your favorite idea in a comment and let me know, or come up with your own!!

Make sure you go to the bottom of this post and check out the new videos and pictures!!

Frankie

My trainer entered Liberty in a

"true love" contest, this is the photo

she entered!

Libety "pushing" herself out from under the couch!

Liberty is always soo cute in her bed!

Liberty chewing on Cocoa's ear

My trainer & Liberty with the horse

Liberty "riding" the horse

Liberty REALLY wanted to meet the horse,

my trainer was worried about the horse

stepping on her,but I don't think Liberty cared...

Me trying to get Liberty-who is under the couch!

Liberty is here!!

My trainer & her family went to go pick up Liberty Friday afternoon.

She sleeps a lot, but I have gotten her up to play with sometimes.
My trainer took me and Liberty with her and her family to a Karate tournament yesterday, it was right after my puppy training class (different post coming soon:), we were there all day but my trainer took me and Liberty outside to the playground for a little while. I went down a slide more than 4 times, I think it was my first time ever doing that!!

She is very cute, but very small so my trainer is always telling me to be careful around her.

I will be doing a post about the Karate tournament soon too (with pictures:), but for now enjoy all the movies and photos of Liberty, (and me!).


Frankie

Liberty says
"I'll grow into it."

Sleeping

Me & Liberty

Yes she really has her head on my leg!

The first time Liberty chewed on her bone!!

It's play time!

And again...

Liberty playing around- the end is the best:)

Liberty playing with MY toy

Liberty-update!!!

We just need a puppy to put the
collar on...!!

Hey guys,

Liberty will be coming here tomorrow!!

Her owner took some pictures of her for us, she is getting quite big!!

It is going to be soo much fun with her!!!

Frankie

Isn't she getting big!!



Face shot, sticking her tongue out:)

Liberty-new puppy!!!

Liberty will be coming in a couple weeks!! She will be 8 weeks on Valentines day so my trainer & family will be getting her around then!!

Oh BTW I know what you are thinking by reading the title- "Liberty-new puppy!!!".

You think that is the name of the new puppy my trainer is getting!! But you are wrong, it isn't the name of the new puppy me trainer is getting, and it isn't even the new puppy my trainer is getting!! ...which we have no further news about:(

Liberty will be the new house/farm/guard dog.

Liberty is an English Mastiff , which can be a VERY large dog. Though since she is a female she won't get as big as some of the giants you see on the web. My trainer went to visit Liberty a week ago and she is very cute and nice (so I'm told), but there is no way she is cuter than me!

I think it is cool that she will be coming to my house before I return to the guide dog school, I will be able to meet her!! Puppy exposure!

Enjoy the photos of her, (she is the one wearing the purple collar), and please be ready to welcome "Liberty" to the family in 1-2 weeks!!!

Frankie

Liberty being held by MY
trainer


Isn't she soo cute-I can't wait
to meet her!!

She has 14 siblings-it took my trainer's

family a while to pick her out, but she was

the only one, that wasn't already claimed, that didn't try to "bite" their pants

and shoe laces!!

Bedtime...(and crate time:)

In my crate I have a really nice, and comfy bed, but no blanket:(
So I have figured out that if I go "under" my bed, it makes a great blanket!!

But when my trainer sees me under my bed she makes me get out of the crate and fix' my bed!!

Frankie

News-guide dogs!!

Hey guys,
It was such a short notice for my trainer, so I didn't even get it on my blog. But tonight at 6pm they showed a clip about guide dogs on the news, and I was in it!! It was taped back in November at one of our guide dog meetings, but just now aired, late January.
Sorry you guys missed it on TV, but check out this link and look for me & my trainer!!
http://www.wcnc.com/traveler/stories/wcnc-012609-mw-guide_dogs.6f79dc6.html or
http://www.wcnc.com/video/index.html?nvid=325541
I don't know how long they are going to show this, but my trainer is going to try and take a video from our TV on her camera, if it works she will then post that and you guys should be able to watch that anytime!!
Enjoy!!

Frankie

PUPPY CLASS - HARNESS!!

Hey guys!!
I went to puppy class last night, and have known for the past couple weeks that I will get to work in harness.
I did great it in, and didn't mind a bit!
We worked on the commands "Heel", "sit-stay", "down-stay", and then they tried to tempt us (or freak us out!) by bouncing balls, opening umbrellas, tapping canes (right beside/or in front of you),


Frankie

SNOW!!

It really snowed!!

Of course it only lasted for a little while, (by the time my trainer brought me outside to play the snow was mostly gone).

I still had fun "eating" the snow, even though it wasn't much.


I hope it snows again soon, maybe again before I go back to school!!
My trainer has been working hard on filling out my last eval for IFT (in for training), and only has the pages left of telling stories about me, (just in case I do get placed with a blind person).

Enjoy the pictures and movie of me with "almost no snow", and leave comments on how you like the pictures...:)


Frankie


Wow look it is snow!!


...and it tastes good!




























"stand stay" front view



"stand stay" side view




































"sit stay" side view




Me and snow... (it's just me runing:)

Bowling-puppy meeting

Hey guys,



I went to a field trip with the guide dog group last week... bowling.

It was quite boring, but I did like seeing the balls go rolling down the "lane"!

We bowled for about a hour, then they turned the lights out on us (yes we knew that was going to happen-or at least the trainers did!), and the lanes and walls "lit" up!!

I will be going to our puppy training meeting next week, I will try to get someone to take pictures.

Though this is the bowling post I am going to go ahead and tell you that I went to the vet yesterday and I have allergies!! We don't know what from but my trainer has already switched
my food just in case.

Wish me luck of getting better, because if I don't that could cause me not to be able to be a guide dog!!


Frankie

Yes I am sound asleep!!
(as you can tell, this picture was
taken when it was dark)



Me looking at the bowling balls







































I am TOO bored!




It is showing Katie right now, but the one above Katie with the score 9 is my trainer:) (they just started).

Lucky and his trainer

Me and my trainer, (you can't tell, but I was

trying to "jump" at the lane to get the ball:)

After an hour of "regular" bowling, they

turned the lights out on us, and everything

"lit" up!!

Welcome...

Hi guys!!

My trainer just bought a new horse last week and she wanted me to introduce the horse to everybody.
Her name is Bella. She is 15 hands high and is 15 years old. Her breed is an Appaloosa cross, and her color is a blue roan.
Does she love the horse more then me?? I can go to town, but the horse can't, what's the big deal?
Well enjoy the pictures anyways, And I am going to be doing a post soon on my latest guide dog meeting!! (bowling),

Frankie


Pictures of Bella:

Bella laying down



Bella jumping
















(face shot) my trainer and Bella.


My trainer and Bella, (she is saddled up with
a new hot pink saddle pad!!!)

PICTURES!

Yeah I know I said I would do a post with lots of pictures, but I just never got around to it:)
I am finally sitting down at the computer and typing!!
My trainer has taken "random" pictures of me, and this post will have it all!!
Enjoy, (the pictures are in no particular order:)

Frankie

Being bored at a 4-H meeting



Just thought I would share how
I sit down on stairs!

Me "talking" on a phone:)

But no one talked back:(

Anytime I am running with my trainer in the

house and she stops, I "bow" to her!!

Me with Santa, (I wouldn't show

the frame but I don't know how

to work the scanner:)

My trainer keeps saying someday I won't be able to get my head back out...!!

Me and my trainer in my crate...

DON'T ASK WHY!!

I like this picture, my ears are halfway up!

Me at a Christmas party, (very bored:)


Me wearing my new dog sweater!!

(my trainer hand knitted it just for me!)

Me wearing glassess that were

used to watch Bolt in 3-D!

...and me trying to get them off!
(I thought this picture was cute, it

looks like I am trying to put them on!)

THE EMAIL

"Congratulations! Frankie is ready to continue on with her training at the “college” level. She will be returned to the school for training (IFT) during WAT. IFT dates are 2 March to 5 March. You will be getting your letter from the school in about a week. We can discuss logistics at an upcoming meeting. We need to step up her training in certain areas and we can discuss that on Saturday, too. You should be very proud as you have done a great job with her! Let me know how I can assist."

Hey guys, my trainer had this in her email box yesterday, I will be returned to the school when I go to Walk-A-Thon. I was quite happy when I was told there was a 99% chance that I would get to stay till May, but I guess it's that 1% that got me. :(

I will be getting another post with pictures done soon, but for now this should do. My trainer doesn't know anymore about getting a puppy, but when she finds out she will be posting it on the blog for me because I might be gone by then. :(

Frankie

Really needed updates...

Hey guys, I know I have been "posting" on this blog a lot, and I haven't updated you guys very much either!
But I am going to try to make a point to update this blog more!!

This post is just UPDATES, (the next one will have pictures. :)

First off, most of you know that I was in heat in Nov, and had to wear a diaper:(
But after 4 weeks the diaper came off, and I was able to go back to town again. After having to wear that diaper, and not being able to go to town, I thought a LOT of stuff over, and came up with an idea.

I don't have to be a pain to do stuff with (liking going to town, and such). I should be more calm-nice-behaving, but still have a "little" fun.

I have been working on that for quite a while, and I am doing REALLY good, my commands have improved very, very much, I am not near as "wild" (though I still can be a "little" rough when I play...).

I am also working very hard to not be a "run-away dog" (when the door's left open...), and my trainer has been working with me(as in the door is wide open, she gets her sister to run out and act all "excited" and it makes me want to go to). I tried following once, but realizing that I was not allowed to, I then started going to the door and sitting there(with it wide open), but if she put the lead on me and opened the door, I knew I was allowed out. :)

I am doing a lot better when taken into town, and I am much more calm when people pet me, as long as it is not my very best friends from church. :)



Next.

Some of you guys may have noticed on my earlier posts that I have talked about returning to the school (IFT) in January or February.
My trainer Just found out from one of the ladies in charge that it will be April or May 'til I go back to school!!!
They aren't completely sure, but we will be finding out soon, and I haven't been on the list of recall puppies yet:).

My trainer has sent in a repeat puppy application, hoping to get a Aussie, but won't know if there will be any of those available to her. If not she will wait until there is a Goldadore available (Golden cross Lab), but once she finds out anything about this new puppy she will be letting me know so I can put it on the blog.

Walk-A-Thon(WAT),
Remember the post I did about Walk-A-Thon (Click here)? My trainer is going to take me to this event in February. Her goal was to raise $3,500 (it's enough to sponsor and name a puppy). She isn't far at all money wise. She is only up to $55.00; she was really hoping to get more, but at this rate she isn't getting far!!

Go to: http://www.firstgiving.com/allieandfrankie to help her!!

She would love to go up to your door and ask you in person...but most people she knows don't live anywhere near her!! If you don't give any that is fine, but check it out and send this web page to all of your friends!!

Last year (well 2007), she made it over $2000 and some other guide dog people helped and all together made enough to name a puppy!
She would love to do that this year, but with only $55.00 she has a lot more to raise!

New blog.
My trainer is helping the Goose that lives on this farm run a blog. It was just started in December, but only has a couple veiws... The web addres is http://animallifeonafarm.blogspot.com/. Please check out this new blog , and start following it now!!

Thanks, and I will hopefully be doing a post with some pictures on it soon!

Frankie

Happy New Year!!

Happy New year everybody!!

Frankie


(Pictures and updates coming in a later post:)