Thankful

Thanksgiving week -- and there's so much to be thankful for!  I'm not so sure that Alfie understands the concept of thankfulness, as we know it.  But there are many things that make him happy, most of them very simple:

Games of fetch

Games of find

All games

Learning new skills

Showing off old skills

Friends and family

New people

Walks

Dinner

Breakfast

Anything that smells funny

Anything that smells

Squirrels

Rabbits

All other animals

Morning

Night

...so, you get the picture, he's happy pretty much all the time!  There is very little, in fact, that makes him unhappy.  The three main things:

Being ignored

Being left behind

Having to skip a meal

Enjoy all the little -- and big -- things that come your way this week, giving thanks for them all!   As G.K. Chesterton said, "When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Big News!

Read that sign carefully and you'll see two of the most beautiful words in the English language where Tim and I are pointing:  Under Contract !

It's been a long time coming!

As some of you readers may remember, way back in the mists of time (last November), our family moved to Missouri from Texas to be near family while Tim pursued his Master's.  In February, Alfie joined us, and everything just felt "right," having him around again! We've been enjoying staying with my Mom while working through the whole process of selling the Texas house and hunting for a new place here.  

We love Mom's place -- it's a wonderful home in a fantastic, friendly neighborhood.  Besides that, it's near miles and miles of walking trails, and is less than five minutes' drive from my brother and his family.  And as if that weren't enough, we've got an aunt and uncle and other friends nearby, too!

So when a deal on a house in another part of town fell through and an opportunity opened up to buy a home a couple doors down from Mom...we couldn't pass it up!  Maybe it was just meant to be. 

The girls are excited because they'll each have their own bedrooms now -- unlike our last home, where they had to share a room.  Alfie will love playing in the nice fenced yard.  It needs fixing up, but we're even excited about that!  With closing scheduled in just a couple of weeks, we're all thrilled. 

I can still come visit Grandma, right?

Mine.

Today I will begin at the end, because it's a happy ending and we all love happy endings.


Alfie's coming home with us -- yes, this time, to stay!


Getting to the end can be the hard part, though, and I've had few harder days than when Larry called to give me The News:  Alfie would have to be released from the guide dog program.  The reason was unexpected, to say the least.  It turns out that in a freak incident, Alfie committed what I call the "unpardonable sin" of service dogs:  he bit his handler.  Unbelievable.  Since I wasn't there and am only hearing about this third-hand, I don't want to second-guess or discuss the circumstances; in any event, it happened.  Thankfully she wasn't seriously hurt -- the skin wasn't broken  -- but a dog who has bitten at all, under any circumstances, can't be a service dog.  It's pretty cut-and-dried.

To say I was shocked and upset -- well, that doesn't begin to describe how I felt!  I grabbed my coat and scarf and tore out into the cold with no clear idea other than an urge to somehow escape what I'd just heard.  Sick to my stomach, I found myself walking down a lonely country road, angry and sad and in pain all at once.  The frost-silvered hills, so hauntingly beautiful at any other time, seemed harsh and forbidding. One lone cow bawled mournfully under a bare oak, who knows why?  It seemed fitting, somehow.  I walked furiously, crying, until the road came to an end.  Sadly, I had to stop and turn toward home.


Home.


Where would Alfie's home be?  At the end of our call, Larry had asked me if I'd like to consider adopting him.  That goes without saying, I thought, yet I wasn't sure how we could manage it.  We've had what some would consider a string of bad luck lately:  first, the sale of our Austin house fell through; and although I've been working a few hours part time, Tim had so far succeeded only in finding temporary work.  I don't remember exactly what I said to Larry, but I tried my best to explain our situation honestly.  Then I just sort of ran out of words and had to hang up.  The timing of it all tortured me; had this happened just a few weeks later, I kept thinking, we'd be in more of a position to take Alfie.  As it was...well, I just didn't know.  I couldn't even think straight.  Seemed like all I could do was cry.


It wasn't until much later that I checked my email and saw a message from Larry. I read it slowly, and as I read, all of a sudden I realized:  this is what it means to have friends.  The staff at GDTx must've understood how I felt about Alfie:  they actually pulled together and donated all I'd need to get started.  Food...supplies...Larry was even offering to drive Alfie up to us, an amazingly generous gesture!  I could scarcely believe it.  There really aren't enough words to express my gratitude!  I knew deep inside that I'd always regret it if I didn't adopt my buddy Alf. 


We originally planned to get Alfie last Thursday, but due to the severe winter weather, we've postponed til mid-February.  We can hardly wait.  We'll drive to Tulsa to meet Larry, and Alfie will start his new life with us!

 To answer the questions I've been getting:  Am I disappointed?  Yes, very.  Alfie is among the brightest and most eager dogs I've ever met, and I was looking forward to following his service career.  But to balance that out...now I get to keep him, and who can tell what adventures we'll have together? 


Am I worried he'll bite again?  I did consider that; after all, I'm a mom and have my family to think of!  Was Alfie changed from the dog we'd known and loved?  The training staff assured me that he wouldn't be released to me as a pet if they felt there were any concern and, having discussed the incident fully with Larry, I'm inclined to agree. 

The truth is, these things happen.  It's part of the reality of the service dog world that many dogs will be career changed for various issues.  As a puppy raiser, of course, you never want to think of it happening with your puppy.  Yet it can, and does, and somehow you deal with it and go on. 

So...mixed feelings, definitely.  But one thing's for sure:  the happiness will outlast the disappointment. 


I think Alfie will be pretty happy too, don't you?

Happy Birthday!

A year old already?  Seems like just yesterday we were bringing home this little guy...

...and now he's getting so grown up!

My birthday wish for Alf?  That he'll have a long and happy life working...and playing...with someone he loves!

Mixed Feelings

After a fantastic week out of state with family, it was good to get home...even nicer to see my buddy again!

Nice to be home...how about a walk?

Of course we were all excited to get Alfie back.  My supervisor Larry was nice enough to bring him over in the morning and Alfie nearly wagged himself in two when he got in!  Sounded like he did pretty well on his vacation too.  Apparently he started off the first few days restless and testing the limits (why does that not surprise me?!)...but then he settled in, and since the Reimers said he was welcome to come back I assume all ended on a good note!  Larry told me that when he met the Reimers for a training walk one day, he was very happy with Alfie's work.  Yay!!  It turned out when they arrived at the mall for their walk, some of the guide dogs in advanced training were already there working.  Larry said that Alfie was distracted at first, but then settled right in and worked well despite the other dogs' presence.  That was good to hear!  He also did well working past a security guy on one of those segway vehicles...sounded like a pretty good outing for him!  It really meant a lot to me to hear that he did so well working for a different handler.

After Larry left I settled down to a game of fetch with Mr. Alf and a couple favorite toys...and I suddenly realized how very much I'd missed him.  Yet it was ever so slightly bittersweet, because of course I know he'll be leaving for good before too long.  I was thinking about that, and then comforting myself with the thought of what a great help he'll be to some lucky person as a guide dog...then I thought, oh well, I think I'll do something nice for Alfie to make myself feel better.  I thought:  I'll fix him a kong, and have him go to his "place" (doggie bed), and sit and wait for it...then I looked at Alfie...and he was halfway to his bed already.  He just sat there waiting calmly, like, I know what you're going to do!  I seriously don't know how he does stuff like this.  I mean, I know he reads my body language and facial expressions all the time, but this one really puzzled me (as he often does!)  It's not a routine I have to randomly fix him a treat after a game of fetch; I didn't get up or even look that direction.  Alfie just seems to have this knack for guessing my next move.  As usual, it had what was probably, for Alfie, the desired result:  it made me laugh!

Love you, Alfie, you rascal!

Adding Up

No big news today, no access-related drama.  Just a good day working with a good puppy...nice for a change.

As we walked today I was thinking of how so many extraordinary things are achieved through small, daily effort.  My wonderful Grandma crocheted each of her granddaughters an heirloom-quality tablecloth or bedspread as a wedding present.  The tablecloth  Grandma made me is among my most treasured possessions.  But I cherish almost equally the little piece of paper in her handwriting that she gave me along with it:  a log of how many stitches...and how many hours...went into her labor of love.  I was thinking today that these ordinary little walks with Alfie are like that...each one a little "stitch" helping to build the valuable gift I hope he'll become.  It all adds up! 

Have a great weekend!

All Clear

Tests?  Not sure what the big deal is...

Yes!  We just got Alfie back, and his eyes, elbows and hips are ALL CLEAR.   Excellent news!! 

From what I hear, he enjoyed his time staying with the Pawsitive Approach unit and they gave him very positive reviews...not even any jacket issues...more good news.  He also enjoyed spending a little time with Michelle's dogs at her home.  (No burs this time!)

So much promise in this dog!

Fun Fun Fun!

Splash Day! Guide dog puppies sure work hard, but they know how to play too. Every year GDTx hosts a fun day for the raisers, their puppies, and any well behaved pet dogs that care to join the romp. The location is a training/boarding facility in Bulverde called K9 Country Club, and there's tons of fenced in room to roam...sandy play areas...and a giant pond for swimming and splashing! The humans enjoyed hamburgers and hot dogs, while the dogs just enjoyed goofing off.

We walked into the enclosure, I let Alfie off leash, and who was the first to greet me? DAKOTA!! Besides being our last puppy to raise for GDTx, he is now a diabetic alert dog and possibly one of the sweetest personalities in the world. After loving on me for a while he ran off to play, but came back to say hello again every few minutes. What a guy! He was soaked to the skin and covered with sand but I didn't care one little bit! I enjoyed catching up with Ben and the family...they all seem to be doing well. They had a JDRF gala to attend that night, so they didn't stay too long, because obviously Dakota would have to be groomed beforehand.

Here's a little video of Ben introducing Alfie to the water...you'll catch a glimpse of Dakota and some other dogs running around in the foreground. Please ignore my goofy laugh, I'm just excited to see "my" puppy again!

While several dogs swam nonstop, Alfie seemed to think it best to stay in the shallows. He enjoyed running in to grab toys, but then would run right out again.

C'mon, Twist, let's get our feet wet!

Catch me if you can!

Hi there tall guy! Alfie gets to know Russel.

So, is it worth swimming out to get that ball or not? (Verdict: Not!)

Fun in the sand...

Oooh, Bob found a stick!

...But Alfie won't let him keep it without a challenge...

Now for a game of tug!

Uh-oh, better get it back, Bob!

Trying to get the tennis ball without slipping in.

Alfie's not really known for playing fair...sorry, Piper!!

I think Celia's getting the short end of the stick.

Adorable Bob...he's all worn out and ready to go home!

Look at his tail! Cute...

When it was time to leave, Alfie was STILL very frisky and energetic. He's the energizer puppy! Anyway, as we headed to the car we had to cross this enclosure where a bunch of agility equipment was set up, so I thought I'd see how he liked it. He loved this thing where you run up a narrow ramp and cross a bridge that was about my shoulder height...any of you with agility experience know what that's called? The reason the he looks a bit put out is because I'm stopping his fun to take a picture!

I'm on top of the world!!

In other news, no puppy swap...yet! We were supposed to get one of the puppies from the Dominguez unit (Pawsitive Approach jail program), but sadly due to some sort of incident the jail had to go on lockdown. Let me clarify that this didn't have anything to do with our dogs or their handlers in the program! But security protocol must be observed for everyone's safety, so we're postponing the swap until things are back to normal.

And, speaking of the Pawsitive Approach program, Alfie and I had a bit of a surprise yesterday when we were called by the local news (KVUE) and asked to do an interview! They were doing a nice little piece on the Pawsitive Approach program here at the Travis County Jail, and also wanted to talk to a "traditional" puppy raiser. So Alfie and I got to be on the news for 5 seconds or so...he was ignoring the camera as usual so you couldn't see his face too well, alas! But he enjoyed meeting the reporter and cameraman, so we can add that to his list of training experiences I guess.

I'm a working dog, not a movie star!

Surprises

Some surprises can be a bit unsettling, like when you get ready to sit down at the table and are inexplicably confronted with this face:

Boo!

Um...yikes.  Just what was he doing under there, I'd like to know?

...But then again, sometimes there are nice surprises!  I came in from a frenzy of spring veggie planting yesterday afternoon to find that Alfie has received two awards for his blog!

The Happy 101 award is from our blog friends Pompei and Toby.  Thanks!!  You are Sweet Friends indeed! 

Thank you, Toby, for also giving us the Sunshine Award...just looking at it makes me want to smile! 

...Of course these awards have an interactive side to them.  As a recipient of the Happy 101 I'm supposed to: 

• 
  
  copy and paste the images to my blog
• 
  
   list 10 things that make me happy, and do one of them today
• 
  
  list 10 bloggers who brighten my day

It looks to me like the rules for the Sunshine Award are the same, except you list 12 friends instead of 10.  Taking a cue from Toby, I'm going to streamline this by listing 12 people and that's going to count for both awards!  After all... all of you blog friends are sweet and add a lot of sunshine to my day.  So let's get on with it!

10 things that make me happy?  Oh wow -- obviously, my amazing friends and family...

 ...hugs and laughter...the first bluebonnets of spring...

...reading a good book...checking things off my to-do list...as a Texan I'll also have to add Tex-Mex food and Blue Bell ice cream (oh yeah!!  non-Texans don't know what you're missing!)...and of COURSE walkies and snuggles with my buddy Alf!

I guess that may be more than ten...I feel like I was just getting started! 

How about a dozen bloggers who lend a bit of sunshine and sweetness to my day?  In no particular order, I nominate the following for these two awards:

Dog's Eye View, What About Bob?, Life With Lucy, In Training, Mango and Dexter's Great Adventures, Cruisin' With Cricket, The Puppy-Raising Journey, Sierra Rose...Puppy, Puppy, PUPPY!, Southernmost Moose Lodge, Two Eyes Four Paws, Golden Samantha, and art4milkbones.

...now I think I'll get out and enjoy this spring weather!

...time for our walk already!!

Big Day

Saturday was the big annual GDTx Volunteer Day/Client Graduation.

So WHY do I have no pictures of it to share with you?!...well, my daughter and  blographer (is that a word?--anyway, she does the photography for this blog!), Charissa, was asked to be the official GDTx photographer for the event.  She even got to use our supervisor Michelle's cool camera!  So...my poor little camera just sat in her pocket all day getting lonely.  Yeah, I know what you're thinking, I could've taken pictures, so I've only myself to blame!  But I was a touch busy hanging onto Mr. Alf, plus it was outrageously cold and my fingers were numb.  Those are my excuses and I'm sticking to them! 


Anyway, I DO have a couple of things to share!  Look at this fun "press pass" Michelle made up for Charissa to wear...how cool is that?

Ernie Landy, Volunteer Coordinator, shared that GDTx is truly a volunteer-based organization, with volunteers contributing (if I remember correctly) about 82% of the hours of work.  Pretty amazing!  Also, they figured that for every guide dog team graduated, approximately 26,000 volunteer hours have gone into the process.  They recognized all sorts of volunteers, from puppyraisers, to those who help with the boarding of dogs in advanced training, to those who provide client meals, or help with fundraisers...plus the folks at the Travis County  and Dominguez jails who raise pups through our PAWSitive Approach program...and on and on!  I always think it's great to see so many people come together behind such a worthy and needed cause.

Of course it's always fun to get a trophy too!  GDTx gives out a nice personalized trophy to puppyraisers...if your puppy was a lab you get one with a lab on top like this...

...if your puppy was a shepherd there's a shepherd on top...but what to do for the doodles?!  The doodle trophy, apparently, has yet to be invented.  So we get one with a nice little photo of our puppy on top!  Awesome! 

...the inscription reads: The Lord Family/"Alfie"/2009-2010

OK, sorry you can't make out Alfie's face in the photo above...it's his dark chocolate color, doesn't always show up well in pictures...trust me, it's really there!  But to give you an idea of what it's like, here's the one we got for Dakota (yep, another doodle) last year.

The weather, although not rainy, didn't quite cooperate.  A front came through the night before and it turned suddenly COLD and gusty.  Since we were outside under a canopy, we were really feeling it!  Still, it was fun to see everyone.  Natalie and Bob were there, with Darrell and Egypt of course.  It was my first chance to meet Egypt in person, and I just loved her.  She worked really well amid all the hubbub...there were lots of working dogs (i.e. well-behaved) and quite a few pups-in-training (i.e. trying-real-hard-but-not-necessarily-behaving!) 

I was most excited of course, to see Dakota and Ben, along with their family!  We raised Dakota for GDTx last year, and when it was decided that he'd be career changed from guide dog to diabetic alert dog, we even got to participate in his diabetic alert training.  It was an incredible experience and of course we think he's an amazing dog! 

Well, I was doing pretty well at resisting my urge to turn around and break up the whole program by saying hello to Dakota, who had arrived with his family and was seated behind us...when out of the blue I heard my name being called to come forward!  Michelle was up there with head trainer Sandy, who was reading an awfully nice speech which was apparently all about us and our training of Dakota!  I was so shocked it was hard to take it in...and then they called Ben and Dakota forward too and we got to have a little mini-reunion right there!  I'm not one given to public displays of emotion, but let me tell you, that was a kleenex moment!!  I'm so proud of those two.  What great memories we have of "Duckie" and how happy we are that he's helping take care of Ben now.

...and here's the fun part:  we were awarded the first ever GDTx "Cotton Ball Trophy," haha!  The backstory here is that when we scent trained Dakota, we used cotton balls...Ben would test, then chew on a cotton ball to get his saliva/scent on it...then put it in a ziploc bag and label the bag with his blood sugar reading.  These little treasures would get brought to us and we'd refrigerate them carefully (in separate, sealed containers for "highs," "lows," and "normals").  I'd open a baggie and hide the scent sample in a pocket when Dakota wasn't looking and he would have to alert me to the highs and lows, ignoring the normals.  So it was quite a production!  Now you know why this unusual-looking award means so much to me!

...the inscription reads:  The Lord Family/You're "Scent" From Heaven/2009

All in all, everyone had a great time.  Alfie did reasonably well for his age, I thought.  He got quite a few curious looks, and several compliments too.  He was especially popular with the kids who were there...the feeling was definitely mutual, as he finds children almost irresistible.  Two different people said he had a "Hershey's Kiss nose"...a pretty apt description I think!

...then why is it no one gave me so much as a single Hershey's Kiss?!

I Think We're Almost Done

...with puppy teeth, that is!

Look, I've got big-kid teeth now!

Here's a sample of some of the "presents" Alfie's been leaving around the house for us to discover lately.  It hurts when you step on one of those big back teeth barefoot, let me tell you!

How many dog biscuits should the tooth fairy give for these, do you suppose?

As far as I can tell, there's just one baby tooth hanging on...a canine that's trying to "double up" with the new one coming in right beside it.  Hopefully it'll drop out soon also.

With the advent of some glorious spring weather, I've been trying to get outside and do some chores...pruning, weeding, and all that good stuff.  Alfie has become a sort of self-appointed yard inspector. 

Hey, what happened to the bush that used to be right here?

If you don't want anyone sleeping here, then why is it called a flower BED?

Have a great week everyone...here's wishing you some spring sunshine!

Snow Day

What's that white stuff?!  The rest of the country may be getting a lot of it, but in Austin, snow is still relatively unheard-of.  I remember we had a teeny bit of sleet last year (our puppy Dakota nearly made himself sick trying to eat it all!), but the last time we had enough snow to make a snowball was somewhere around six years ago.

Alfie loves it!  It's invigorating, edible, and best of all the snow got us all outdoors to play with him.  Hooray!

...faster than a speeding snowball...

Let's play fetch with this...um...chunk of snow and ice!

That snowflake's gonna land right in my eye!

IWYPRS Day

Well, you probably won't find cards celebrating IWYPRS day at your local Hallmark shop...and I doubt you got it off work!

But Alfie and I, undeterred by such minor technicalities, wish you a happy International Wear Your Puppy Raising Shirt Day!  We're always happy to participate in events that raise awareness for service dogs and of course it's fun when we puppy raisers get a nod too!

I like my GDTx shirt...I've had it since our first puppy so it's pretty well worn by now!  What do you think of the back?

Caption on back:  It's more than just walking the dog!

Yeah, walking the dog (although complex in its own right) sometimes seems like the easy part of puppy raising!  There's also the potty training...the "oh no what has he chewed now" moments...and hopefully not too many panicky trips to the vet when your puppy develops mysterious symptoms!  It's cooking him special food when he's sick...sometimes for months!...long conversations with your supervisor (THANKS Michelle!!)...middle-of-the night outings...teaching him that he must respect children as well as adults...and the inevitable goodbyes.

We wouldn't trade it for anything!

No, really, I'm no trouble at all!