ruled by paws

Four years Ago

2012-03-01T11:37:00.006-05:00

Four years ago today, Huib and I welcomed a ten week old male caramel coloured, wrinkle puppy into our home.

We named him Aiden, and raised him for Autism Dog Services.

Aiden grew up to become an autism assistance dog.

And still continues to influence our lives.

Even though things did not end up going the way we would have wanted, in terms of being told we were no longer needed as a foster family after raising Reece, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

We met so many new friends:
Kelly
and her former ADS foster puppy Ace;

Taz and Caleb;

Karen P., her pet dog Summer and her many ADS foster puppies and Lab Rescue
Fosters;

K-9 Crazy and her National Service Dogs
foster puppies;

Monique, Christina and their family; and

Many others who follow me through Facebook and/or read this blog.

And we learned so much about ourselves:

I can teach my dogs to do anything;

Huib is more of a dog person than he thinks;

It’s okay to be disliked by others;

We have the skills to raise and train Cessna’s successor;

Etc.

I never would have guessed, that a goofy fox red Labrador retriever could affect our lives so drastically.

Check It Out

2012-02-27T09:55:00.003-05:00

L^2 and Jack's Guide Dog Puppy Sponsorship Auction has begun!

Please check it out when you get a chance. there are some awesome products for dog lovers, cat lovers and others.

Book #2 Of 2012

2012-02-23T22:05:00.004-05:00

Today I finished my second book of 2012. As mentioned in my previous post, I decided to read "4th Of July" by James Patterson.

I really wasn't a fan of this book until about halfway through. I didn't like the writing style or the way the author decided to break it into small chapters that really made no sense as to why it ended or started where it did. Once I was used to these annoyances though, I began to really like the book and had trouble putting it down.

The book starts with the main character, Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer, entering a seedy hotel room where a teenage boy had been murdered. A week or month later Lindsay is out with her friends, Claire and Cindy, and she gets a call from her former police partner, Jacobi, to inform her of the suspect's vehicle being seen near the hotel where the teenage boy was murdered. Jacobi picks Lindsay up at the restaurant and this leads her into a situation that could result in her losing her job and having her reputation destroyed. While Lindsay's trial is in progress, Patterson introduces another murder case into the mix which catches Lindsay's attention while she's on leave.

I liked the fact that I had no clue as to who the murderer was going to be and how the book was going to end. I liked that there were not only one, but two different cases happening and both were quite suspenseful in their progress. I can totally see myself reading another of James Patterson's Women's Club Mysteries.

The next book of 2012 which I have decided to tackle is "On the Street Where You Live" by Mary Higgins Clark.

A Snowy Walk

2012-02-22T20:06:00.001-05:00

Today I had a migraine so Huib decided to take the dogs for a four kilometre walk in the snow.

Emmett

2012-02-19T16:04:00.002-05:00

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED”

“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat
of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.” –Unknown

Two weeks ago I received some very sad news. My friend Kelly’s Special Skills dog, Emmett, had passed away. Emmett was a four year old cream colour, standard poodle. He was raised by friends of mine and then ended up being placed with another friend of mine, Kelly.

Emmett was an amazing boy. He was smart. He was deviant. And he was an absolute sweetheart. He had had some issues with having to have his knees both replaced one year after the other, but he seemed to be healthy in all other ways.

Two weeks ago everything changed. He had gotten a cold which turned into pneumonia. For most dogs, this sort of thing wouldn’t be fatal, but unbeknownst to Kelly, Emmett had Addison’s Disease.

Since Emmett’s death, Kelly has begun to learn all she can about the disease and has joined an online support group. She hopes to educate others on Addison’s Disease and help save at least one dog’s life.

Emmett, you were one special dog. You were loved by many. And will be missed by all. I hope Phoenix and Cooper met you along your journey across the rainbow bridge and that together, you will all care for one another as we cared for you.

Plan B

2012-02-18T16:23:00.005-05:00

Rogue wonders if being a race car driver might be a good option, if her guide dog career doesn't pan out.

Book #1 Of 2012

2012-02-15T12:32:00.002-05:00

I’ve observed a lot of people posting summaries and thoughts on books they’re reading, so I thought I’d do the same.

Almost a week ago now, I finished reading my first book of 2012!

I read all of my books in Braille and I am not a fast reader so, I probably won’t get even close to the numbers of books read this year that others do, but I still think it’s a neat idea to keep track and share the good and the bad points of books I’m reading.

In 2011, I read about seven books. This year I’m hoping to try doubling that, but we’ll see how things go.

The first book I read this year was “Birthright” by Nora Roberts.

This is my second book by Nora Roberts, and I really liked “Birthright” as much as I enjoyed her book “Blue Smoke”.

The book starts out with a young mother (Suzanne Cullen) and her two children (3 month old Jessica and 3 year old Douglas) lined up to see Santa. Doug really has to go to the washroom, but also really wants to see Santa so decides to wait until he’s done. As they approach Santa, Doug begins to feel nervous about the jolly man in red, but goes up and allows himself to be picked up and placed on Santa’s lap. Then, Santa lets out a loud, jolly “Ho, Ho, Ho” and Doug tries to get away, falling on the floor and wetting himself. Suzanne runs to comfort her son, leaving Jessica fast asleep in her stroller. Second later, Suzanne begins screaming because Jessica is gone.

The book then moves to a construction site where ancient bones are discovered.

Callie Dunbrooke, a successful, young archeologist is called in to head the excavation with her ex-husband Jacob Graystone, an accomplished anthropologist.

At first it seems as though the book will be similar to one by Kathy Reichs, but then there’s a twist. Callie is approached by Suzanne Cullen, who has seen her on television and believes she is her long-lost daughter, Jessica.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of science, mystery and romance, this book offered. I’m not usually one to appreciate romance novels, but felt Nora Roberts did an excellent job at blending the personal lives of each character into the twists and turns of the journey Callie embarks upon to solve the mystery of her past.

I couldn’t help wondering what I’d do if I were in Callie’s position.

Would I have the same burning desire to know the truth, even though it would almost certainly change every relationship I had ever known…?

Would I want to have a relationship with my biological family?

Would I be able to trust again?

The next book I’ve decided to tackle for 2012 is 4th Of July by James Patterson. I’ll post a summary and my thoughts when it’s complete.

No Thanks Cupid

2012-02-14T19:18:00.002-05:00

Today is Valentine’s Day.

Historically, February 14th was a holiday meant to honour the Christian martyrs who were all named St. Valentine. According to a Google search, the holiday was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD, but was removed from the Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.

Around the 15th century, the holiday developed into one where lovers began to express their love for one another.

In the early 19th century hand written notes gave way to mass produced greeting cards. And in the mid-twentieth century additional gifts such as roses and chocolates were added. Finally in the 1980s, the diamond industry began marketing Valentine’s as a time to also give jewelry.

Valentine’s Day has become an overly commercialized holiday where we are bombarded for weeks with advertisements and messages telling us to make sure we get the perfect gift or we’ll be in the proverbial “doghouse”.

It’s no longer an opportunity to celebrate the special bond between significant others, but has become a day of stress and disappointment. Men rush from store to store, trying to find the perfect gift for their girlfriend/wife, while women imagine the ideal present, only to be disappointed when their husband/boyfriend arrives with flowers, chocolate or a cute little teddy.

Huib and I do not celebrate Valentine’s Day. We don’t see the need for a special day to say “I love you” or for giving one another a gift. We believe in saying “I love you” daily, and giving one another gifts when the opportunity presents itself.

Even though I love chocolate and could always use another teddy to add to my stuffed animal collection, I’d much rather have huib surprise me with one out of the blue, instead of being given one because it was expected.

So, instead of Happy Valentine’s Day, I say no thanks Cupid!

Mango Minster 2012

2012-02-13T16:24:00.003-05:00

Voting for Mango Minster 2012 has begun!

Please click on over, and vote for your favourites!

So far the voting has begun for the "Too Darn Cute" and "Adventure Animals" categories. Voting will open for the other categories soon so please keep checking Mango's blog for updates.

Ten Months Old

2012-02-13T00:33:00.014-05:00

Today I’m 10 months old!

I really do love coffee!!

To commemorate my 10 month birthday, Mommy has helped me to post ten pictures which illustrate why I’m the Rogue Puppy.

Mommy and Daddy should have known naming me rogue was going to be a bad idea...

What else did you expect me to do? I was tiny and scared...

Phoenix was such a patient friend…

There’s no way Mommy and Daddy are going to leave me behind!

Did you know that these things are useful for more than just reading?

We all need a little fun in our lives…

Nothing Mommy and Daddy ask me to do is too hard or scary for the Rogue Puppy!

See? I told you there isn’t anything Mommy and daddy ask me to do that scares me!

Oh…it’s tough being a Rogue Puppy.

Is this some kind of joke?

Mommy says she is sorry she doesn’t have too many newer pictures, but that she hopes to be better about keeping up with my antics from now on.

I’m not sure if many of my siblings read our blog, but I know Ruby does, so…

Happy 10 Month Birthday Ruby, and to the rest of my sisters and brothers!

Gone six Months

2012-02-11T18:08:00.002-05:00

I can’t believe that, six months ago, Phoenix passed away.

It’s still hard. I’m still grieving.

I'd give anything to hear him snoring beside me or shuffling around the house at night.

But, I know he’s happier. I know he’s healthier. And I know he made the decision to go.

Phoenix was just two months and eleven days shy of his fifteenth birthday, so I feel guilty wishing he didn’t have to leave.

I know I was blessed to have the opportunity to enjoy Phoenix’s company for so long, but I still wish we had a little bit longer.

There are so many things I would have said to him. There are so many things I would have done with him.

I feel guilty for saying this. I feel selfish for wishing this. But, Phoenix and I were a team. We were partners. We were friends.

I won’t stop missing him. I won’t stop thinking of him. I won’t stop remembering him.

Even though time passes, the memories of my loyal friend stay near

The times I laughed. The times I cried. The times we spent together.

Rest In Peace my faithful friend. You will forever remain in my heart.

For Your Information

2012-02-10T15:27:00.003-05:00

Jess and Glacier’s Blogville Pawty began over a week ago. As mentioned here, they are helping to raise funds for a woman who fosters dogs to put up a new privacy fence.

Canyon and Rogue have been entered into the kissing booth, so please give them a KISS!

Canyon and Cessna have been entered into the contest for Valentine’s Day king and queen, so please click and VOTE!

**Just a note, each VOTE and KISS costs $1**

In addition to these two events, they have also set up an online raffle and a chance to buy some tasty treats for your sweetheart, so check them out as well.

On another note, Mango Minster 2012 begins on the 12th.

Cessna is entered into the Cracker Critter category;

Glacier is entered into the Working Stiffs category;

And Ushi is entered into the Bad Sport category.

Please take a look when you get a chance. I’ll let everyone know when the voting begins.

I think that’s all the updates for now. If I’ve missed anyone’s event or you’d like me to announce something, please leave a comment.

Fifty Three

2012-02-06T13:11:00.001-05:00

Today would have been my mother’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately though, as mentioned in this post from September, she left us at 39.

I often wonder what life would have been like for my mom if she had not gotten diabetes at the age of 11.

Would she still have become a nurse?
Would she have had me and Brandi?
Would our step-dad still be in our lives?

I often wonder what mom would be like if she hadn’t passed away at the age of 39.

Would she still have her long, thick, dark brown hair? Or would it be predominantly grey.
Would her and our step-dad still be together? Or would their paths have taken a different route.
Would she still live in a small apartment in Aurora? Or would she have bought a house in the country.

I often wonder what life would have been like if she had not left us so soon.

Would I have taken the same academic paths?
Would Brandi have had such a rough time growing up?
Would I be with Huib?

It’s days like this, when I stop and wonder, how different life could or would have been if we were celebrating mom’s birthday with her, instead of just remembering.

Even though you’re not here physically, I know you’re here in spirit.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Married Six Years

2012-02-04T14:32:00.006-05:00

Today Huib and I celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary.

I feel as though I've written everything possible about our wedding and can't really think of anything new to add, so I thought I'd share six pieces of advice that have made our relationship work.

I'll tell you now, our relationship is not perfect by any means, but these are some of the most important pieces of advice we were ever given.

1. Never go to bed angry.
2. Don't sweat the small stuff.
3. Never let a problem become to big to handle.
4. It's not always necessary to be right. It's okay to compromise.
5. Make sure to take time to just enjoy one another's company.
6. Dinner doesn't have to be on the table when you get home from work. We live in a time of shared responsibilities.

LOL, I made up the last one because some of the other pieces of advice we were offered aren't really PG.

but in all seriousness, the other five I listed were given to us by some pretty amazing couples, so hopefully by following them we can be just as wonderful.

The past six years have been wonderful beyond my wildest dreams, so I can't wait to see what the future has in store.

Huib, I know you don't read this blog often, but thank you for asking me to be your wife and thank you for continuing to provide me with never ending love and support.

Accepting Differences

2012-01-31T08:03:00.003-05:00

Like my dogs, I am different. I do not follow the crowd. And I march to my own beat.

From a very young age, I have understood difference. I didn’t look like other children. My mom was not like other moms. And my childhood was not like that of other children.

But, that’s okay.

As I grew older, I began to understand difference in other ways. People not only looked and grew up differently, but also thought and behaved differently.

But, that’s okay.

I have friends from all walks of life. We look different. We grew up different. We think differently. And we behave differently. Most of my friends would never become friends with one another.

But, that’s okay.

After completing my Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Public Policy, I decided to work towards a Bachelor of Social work. I learned about even more differences between people. I learned of attitudinal differences. And of differences I cannot appropriately name.

But, that’s okay.

Because I’m different, I work extremely hard to accept the differences of others.

I try not to judge. I question, in an attempt to learn.

This is why, it really bothers me to see others judge and make assumptions about myself and others.

We’re all different. We all come from a different beginning. We’ll all end up in a different spot.

Why is this not okay?

Why must we stop talking about the differences? Why must we only acknowledge the similarities? Why can we not ask questions, learn from one another, and accept each others views?

It’s because we’re afraid to leave our own experiences and beliefs at the door.

And, that’s not okay.

The Hand-Me-Down Coat

2012-01-30T11:16:00.004-05:00

Rogue is now long enough to fit Phoenix's winter coat. She is still swimming in it girth and chest wise, but she fits it a little nicer than Cessna does, who is about an inch not as long as Rogue.

It makes me sad to see the coat on someone else, but I know Phoenix wouldn't mind.

A Sleepy Puppy

2012-01-25T13:01:00.002-05:00

...Is A Good Puppy.

Coffee Lover

2012-01-21T21:19:00.003-05:00

Announcements

2012-01-20T19:28:00.003-05:00

Our friends, L^2 and Jack, are preparing to do another online fundraiser auction and would appreciate our help.

As mentioned in a previous post, L^2 and Jack are raising money to sponsor a guide dog puppy
through Guide Dogs of America.

If you think you can help, or if you would like to participate when the time comes, go here to learn more.

I’m hoping this time around we’ll be able to help L^2 and Jack meet their goal!

I also wanted to remind you all to come join Jess and Glacier as they prepare to host their first Blogville Pawty.

Friends At Last?

2012-01-19T15:18:00.006-05:00

Or just a convenient pillow?

I'm A Cracker Critter!

2012-01-17T11:08:00.017-05:00

Even though I'm a “Working Stiff”, Mommy says I fit much better into the “Cracker Critter” category.

What's she insinuating?

So, for those who do not know me, my name is Cessna and I am Mommy’s guide dog, which explains how I also fit into the “Working Stiff” category.

But, I am not like every other guide dog.

Most guide dogs take their job really seriously, and know how to ignore distractions around them, such as squirrels, birds and other dogs, but not me.

Where’s the fun in that?

I keep Mommy safe, but I also like to have fun and think chasing squirrels should be in my job description!

Don’t you?

Here are a couple examples to illustrate why Mommy thinks I am a Cracker Critter...I’ll let you be the judge.

One day Mommy and I were walking to one of her classes and I was being a good girl. For most of the walk we were walking pretty quick, but then I slowed down a bit. Mommy thought there might be some ice, so was really proud of me.

He he he…

She was sadly mistaken…

In fact, we had come along side a field, and I slowed down (I had to make sure my bell didn’t jingle) to get real close to some unsuspecting Canada Geese.

He he he…

As soon as I was right beside them…I let out a “WOOF!” and the entire flock of geese took flight!

I was so proud of myself!

Mommy says I was jumping around like a fool!

I personally think she just doesn’t realize what she’s missing out on – don’t you?

Onto my next story…

About a year ago, Mommy’s friend invited us on a trip to Marineland. For those who don’t know, Marineland is a sort of aquatic theme park where they not only have rides and games, but also different sea creatures! Well…of course Mommy and Daddy said we’d love to join the group.

The first exhibit we saw, was the sea lions. We had to sit through a show *yawn* where some woman got the sea lions to do different tricks. I had so much trouble sitting still and even though Mommy told me to stay quiet, I kept letting out little “Woofs!” and whining at the top of my lungs! I wanted to go play with the sea lions, but Mommy wouldn’t let me!

Mean Mommy!

When the show was all over, Mommy and I went underground and I got to watch the sea lions swim around the big pool. I really wanted to go play with them though so kept putting my paws up on the glass. Mommy just stood there laughing!

But, then…one of the sea lions came over and scared me!

And what did Mommy do? She laughed even harder!!

Next we walked over to the whale area and I got to watch the killer whales swim and splash the crowd.

This was so, so, so cool!

I of course couldn’t control myself!

Mommy held my leash really tight so I couldn’t jump into the water with the whales – what’s her deal?

And at one point Daddy picked me up so that I could see better – he’s such a wonderful man 

It was SO COOL!

At the end of our trip though, we walked through the deer enclosure and I was so scared!

what was Mommy thinking?

There were like a million deer and they all seemed to want to eat me!

Could you imagine?

Luckily, deer aren’t into eating spunky little black labs…

As you can see, I’m not like every other guide dog.

I’m a Cracker Critter!

*****

This is Cessna’s submission for the Mango Minster 2012 Cracker Critter category.

Blogville Pawty Announcement

2012-01-15T16:23:00.005-05:00

Hi Faifoh Weaders!

I, Woagie, would wike to wake a mowent, to wake a wittle announcement!

Ow fwends, Jess and Gwaser, are hoassing a Pawy to help waise money foe a wady who fosters wescue dogs.

If you’d wike to participate (Cessie tol me ta wite dis, so hope it wite), peas check out dare…

Cessie, you take over, dis too ard…

I don’t understand why Mommy let that pesky brat write this for her….obviously, I’m much smarter!

So…what the brat was trying to say, was, that our Auntie Jess and my buddy Jetta’s successor, Glacier, are hosting a Pawty over at At a Glacial Pace, and would appreciate your support in any way.

You can join or kiss, the ruled by paws stud (he’s watching me, so I’ll let him think this is what I think) and the brat in the Kissing Booth…

Orr Join and vote for me and the stud (I sure wish he’d go away, so I can stop pretending) in the contest for Prom Queen and King.

If you can’t participate, but would still like to help out, please help me spread the word about this wonderful fundraising event!

International Day Of Mourning And Memory

2012-01-15T14:34:00.002-05:00

Dave Hingsburger of Rolling Around In My Head, would like to start an annual event and has asked his readers to spread the word.

Here is a little quote from his announcement -

“I propose the 'International Day for Mourning And Memory of the Lives of People With Disabilities'. The day would be one of remembrance of those whose lives were not celebrated or remembered, the lives of those who were slaughtered by care providers or brutalized to death by bullies. It would also be a day to remember the entire disability community - the elders who came before and who made the world different and better. It would be a day where a moment was taken to pause and reflect and remember.”

So, without further a due, I would like the readers of ruled by paws to help me help Dave in his quest to make January 23rd, 2012, the first annual 'INTERNATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING AND MEMORY OF THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES!

Relaxing Rogue

2012-01-14T22:59:00.006-05:00

Another Month Older

2012-01-13T15:42:00.004-05:00

Rogue is now 9 months old!

It’s hard to believe that in just three more months, we’ll be celebrating her first birthday.

As of today, Rogue is 21 and a half inches tall, 19 inches long, and weighs 56lbs. She is now the same height as Cessna, but an inch longer and weighs just seven pounds less.

I’m not sure she will grow any taller or longer, but Huib is guessing she’ll end up a bit heavier than Cessna because she seems to have more of a compact build. Cessna is dainty, whereas Rogue is small, but not so small-boned.

I’m glad she has ended up at least as tall as Cessna because if she had been any shorter, I’m not sure she’d work out for guiding since I’m quite tall for a woman. Right now, I use a 19 inch long harness handle with Cessna and do not think I’d get enough information from a longer one.

For Rogue’s nine month birthday, I thought I’d share nine Rogue-isms.

1. When Rogue is nervous, she finds comfort in climbing onto the back of the couch to hide behind me. She will lay her head on my shoulder and watch the world around her.

2. If Huib, my sister or I say hi to Rogue in an excited voice, no matter what Rogue is doing, she’ll run full-force towards us and give us tons of kisses, while wagging her tail wildly.

3. If Rogue gets cold at night, she’ll burrow her way under the blankets and sleep there for hours.

4. When it’s mealtime, Rogue knows that she must be in either a sit or down before we will put her bowl down, so she’ll immediately get into position and quiver, trying to control herself.

5. If Rogue wants to play, even when the others are fast asleep, she will silently stalk them and then pounce! – Huib loves watching her do this.

6. When it is night time and we’re all settled down in the living room, Rogue must always be able to lay next to me, or she will pace and make moaning and groaning noises until I make room.

7. When playing with a toy, Rogue will shake it wildly and make little growling noises.

8. Rogue absolutely hates being dressed up. She has no issue with wearing her winter coat, collar, puppy in training jacket or vest, but if we try to put a Halloween costume, booties or the Newtrix on her, she’ll hide and sulk for hours afterwards.

9. Even though Canyon growls when she climbs into his crate with him, or Cessna growls when she tries to snuggle up beside her, Rogue is not deterred, she’ll just give them a look and settle in for a nap. She doesn’t understand why canyon cares whether or not she uses his bed when he’s not, or Cessna dislikes her attempts to cuddle.

As you can see, Rogue provides us with hours of entertainment.

Life just wouldn’t be the same without our little Hurricane.

A new Semester

2012-01-12T23:17:00.003-05:00

On Monday, I started another online course through the University of Guelph. There weren’t too many options for winter semester, so I chose Business & Consumer Law, through the Department of Marketing and Commerce Studies.

From reading the course outline, it looks as though this course will be a little tougher than I had hoped. In addition to my online participation, there will be an assignment, a midterm and final examination. I’m not too worried about the online participation or assignment portions of the course, but am not too excited about the midterm or final because both will be multiple choice.

I’m hoping that as long as I study hard, that maybe I can defy the odds and for once, actually do well on a multiple choice exam.

Please wish me luck!

Just Listen

2012-01-08T16:12:00.002-05:00

This week Dave, over at Rolling Around In My Head, wrote an insightful post. While reading his words, I thought about the times, where I felt pushed aside while trying to share an experience.

I haven’t really had much to write about here over the past couple of weeks, so I thought I’d take some time to express my feelings and discuss my own experiences.

There are times when all we should do is listen.

There are times when words of encouragement, or sympathy, are not welcome.

There are times when relaying your own experiences is not appropriate.

We have all been guilty of overlooking these simple rules, at sometime or another.

It’s just part of human nature to want to comfort.

To want to help others see that they are not alone.

To share our own experiences.

But, we need to learn how to just listen.

I’ll give you an example…

Before Christmas, Huib and I had a disagreement. I was upset about a broken promise. I had tried, unsuccessfully, to explain my frustrations. When he left for work, I wouldn’t give him a hug or say goodbye. Later that morning, he e-mailed me to apologize and validated my feelings.

In the afternoon, I was talking to a friend via MSN. I told him about the disagreement and how I was shocked to have received an apology. Huib has never been one to say sorry, so when I received the e-mail, I forgave him immediately. My friend asked for details surrounding the argument, I told him everything. I wanted someone to listen. I wanted someone to be happy for me. I wanted to share the fact that I had finally heard (well via print) the word ‘sorry’ from Huib.

I had chosen the wrong person.

Instead of just listening, my friend proceeded to tell me about how I shouldn’t have gotten upset with Huib. He told me that I was being unreasonable to expect that any of the promises could have come true. He didn’t understand why Huib had to say ‘sorry’.

Maybe it’s because my friend is a guy. Or maybe it’s just the way he views relationships. But, his response is not what I needed.

Here’s a more serious example…

When Phoenix began refusing to eat, I again chose to talk to my friend from the above example. I told him how I was trying to do anything possible to get Phoenix eating. I told him that I worried this was a sign of things to come.

My friend wasn’t supportive. My friend wasn’t helpful.

He told me that his guide dog trainers had said, a dog won’t starve itself. He told me they had instructed him to only give the dog one choice, and if the dog chose not to eat, then to wait until the next mealtime to try again.

He neglected to take into consideration, the fact that Phoenix was almost 15 years old. He neglected the fact that I was sharing my fears with him. He just thought about the fact that Phoenix was a dog, and that he wasn’t eating.

Never once did he think about me. Not once did he think about Phoenix.

When Phoenix passed away, and I told my friend…

He simply told me that Phoenix was old, and had lived a long life..

This was not helpful. This was not supportive.

I needed a friend.

I needed a shoulder to cry on.

I didn’t need someone to point out the obvious.

I didn’t need someone to push aside my experiences.

When someone comes to you and shares their story, stop and think. Does this person need advice? Does this person need to hear my thoughts? How can I best meet their needs?

Often, the answer to these questions, is to just listen.

It's Carnival Time!

2012-01-05T15:29:00.003-05:00

It’s time for another Assistance dog Blog Carnival!

Since I’ve participated in the past three, I guess I had better get working on my entry.

This round is being hosted by Cait of Dogstar Academy, and the theme she has chosen is “obstacles”. You can read more about it here.

I hope you will take the time to read through the various entries when it’s up or even better, join me.

Resolutions vs Goals

2012-01-04T19:59:00.003-05:00

As soon as Christmas is over and New Years Eve approaches, people start talking about the resolutions they are making. Rarely do these New Years resolutions continue much past the first few weeks of the new year, but people still find it necessary to create them.

I can't think of a time when I actually sat down to plan New Years resolutions. Maybe I realized the futility from a young age. Or maybe I just had no interest in planning out the changes I wanted to do in the new year.

This year, I still won't make New Years resolutions, but would like to set out some goals for me and the rest of the ruled by paws gang for 2012.

Our 2012 Goals:
I, the primary human of ruled by paws, would like to work towards leading a more healthy life. Last year, during Lent, I completely eliminated pop/soda from my diet. This year, I would like to work towards eliminating processed foods. This does not mean I will no longer eat junk food and things that are considered unhealthy, but it means that if I am not willing to take the time to prepare something like macaroni and cheese from scratch, then I will not grab a box of Kraft Dinner from the pantry.

Since the canine members of ruled by paws cannot really set out goals for themselves, I will plan a 2012 goal for each of them.

Aspen really hasn't been expected to learn and behave like the other three canines of the family. She is not a poorly behaved dog at all, but her and I do not really see eye to eye when it comes to her obedience and training. Therefore, my goal for Aspen this year is to start working through Sue Ailsby's Levels with her from the beginning and by the end of the year, I would like us to be approaching the point of passing either the Old Levels three or if I get an opportunity to purchase the New Levels books, then I want us to be done or ready to pass the New Level two.

Cessna will be 9 this coming October and close to retirement, so I would like to continue teaching her new tasks that she can do around the house. This past year, I taught her to close cupboard doors and have been working on teaching her to close drawers. I would like to continue expanding the use of this task, so that she will be reliably doing it for me at other people's houses as well. By the end of 2012, I would like to have taught Cessna to also open cupboards and drawers, as well as, being able to turn on and off light switches she can reach. In our current home this means we will need to create switches at more of her head level. I do not require her help in any of these areas, but Cessna really shows pride in her work and loves feeling helpful, so I think these new tasks will give her some satisfaction during retirement.

As everyone knows, Huib and Canyon entered their first conformation dog show this past week. My goal for Canyon is to enter more shows and work on achieving his Canadian Championship title. I would love to say my goal is to have him obtain his title by the end of 2012, but the show ring is political so who knows how we'll do each time we walk in front of a judge. In addition to working on Canyon's title, I would like to have him earn his Canine Good Neighbour certification. Other than these two achievements, I would like to continue working through Sue Ailsby's Levels with him and hopefully be well on our way to having him doing a proper formal retrieve by the end of 2012.

Finally, we come to Rogue. Rogue will be a year old in April, so we will have her eyes tested to make sure her sight is good enough for guide work. I would love to say my goal for her is to be ready to take over, at least part-time, for Cessna by the end of 2012, but we all know how things can change in an instant. Therefore, my goals for Rogue this year, are to first obtain her Canine Good Neighbour certification. Then, I would like to continue working through Sue Ailsby's Old Levels (unless I end up purchasing the new books) and have her at least doing some of the non-tension related guiding tasks. This means that I am not expecting her to be guiding in harness, but that she is well on her way to being able to confidently leash guide me in familiar areas that do not require intelligent disobedience, busy road crossing or complex obstacle work. I would like to be able to say whether or not Rogue will be able to fulfill my needs by the end of 2012, so that I have some time to decide on another plan of action, if she cannot take over for Cessna.

As you can see, the goals I have set for 2012 are broad, but achievable. I have tried to stay realistic so that I will hopefully look back and feel a sense of accomplishment instead of failure.

2012 is going to be our year, I can feel it!

A Wild Ride

2011-12-31T17:47:00.006-05:00

Since today is the final day of 2011, I thought I’d look back at what has happened.

2011 started out with Phoenix recovering from his acute onset of Idiopathic Vestibular Disease. Even though it technically happened at the end of 2010, he was still in recovery mode at the beginning of 2011. All of us, both two and four legged, were grateful to be able to begin a new year with our faithful friend.

Unfortunately, for me, the year did not start out as smoothly. After dealing with migraines and their auras, my vision went almost completely for the first two weeks of January. I was pretty scared by this sudden change, but thankfully it began slowly returning. My vision did not return to the same level of acuity as it had been since the age of 13, but the deficits aren’t too life-changing. The doctors still do not know why it went, or why it returned, but are almost certain it will probably happen again.

In February Huib and I took Canyon and Cessna to have their eyes tested and were given some unhappy news. Due to a virus during the first six weeks of life, Canyon has scarring on his retinas. This does not bar him from breeding, he will not pass it on to his offspring, but because goldens are not a rare breed, we have been advised to forgo using him as a stud since it would be highly unlikely that another breeder would want to use him with such a defect. To add to the sadness, we also learned that Cessna is beginning to develop cataracts on both eyes. She has two tiny ones on one eye and three tiny ones on the other. At this point surgery is not an option since the scarring from the surgery would be larger than the cataracts themselves, but maybe in the future. We will have her eyes tested again this spring and are hoping that the cataracts will not have grown.

With the news regarding Cessna’s eyes, Huib and I decided to seriously begin our search for her successor. After researching and then e-mailing numerous lab breeders in Ontario, we settled on Red Labrador Retrievers in maidstone (which is near Windsor). On June 10th, we picked up a 10.8lbs, butterscotch colour female, we named RLR’s Babe In Total Control or Rogue for short.

On August 11th, Huib, Rogue and I said goodbye to our faithful old friend. Phoenix had begun refusing to eat around the 11th of July and went progressively downhill from there. Dr. B offered to run some tests and put him on pain medication, but she felt he had already made the decision for us. It was a sad day, but we also knew Phoenix left on his own terms, just the way he had lived his life.

In September I started an online course through the University of Guelph. It was a bit of a transition getting back into the whole student mindset, but overall I did well. I would have done a lot better if I had not had to take the midterm, but was satisfied with my final mark of 76%.

lastly, after talking about showing Canyon for over a year, Huib and I finally did. Canyon made his debut at the Elora Gorge Kennel Club’s Conformation Dog Show on December 27th and came home with three wins and three second place ribbons. At the Retriever Specialty Huib and Canyon defeated the dog who had been beating them during the All-Breed Shows, and went on to receive Winners Dog and Best of Opposite!

As you can see, 2011 has been a year of mainly downs, but we’ve all made it through with just a few minor bumps and bruises.

Everyone seems to think 2012 will be the year for improvement so, let’s hope for that.

Until next year, the ruled by paws gang, would like to wish our friends and followers a safe and very Happy New Years Eve!

The Occupy Movement

2011-12-31T16:34:00.005-05:00

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After participating in last month’s Disability blog Carnival, I decided to take part again. This round is being hosted by Sharon of After Gadget, and the topic is Occupy – as in the Occupy Movement.

When the Occupy Movement first began, I thought it was kind of an interesting concept. People joining together to “take back our democracy and build a new economy”.

As time has passed though…

I have found myself more and more skeptical of its effectiveness and continue to wonder if the ‘99%’ includes people like myself.

If the Movement were successful, would I benefit? Would the world become more accepting and accommodating of people with disabilities?

Or would we be pushed aside, and left to fend for ourselves in an even more undemocratic and economically unbalanced society.

I’ve given these questions a lot of thought. Though I do not feel my life is where I’d like it to be, I’m not sure I want to support a Movement that lacks clear direction and that has not explicitly told me how my life will be any better without the corrupt politicians and money-hungry corporations.

I wonder if Canadians realize that in order for the Occupy Movement to truly succeed we would have to agree to reduce our standard of living…

Maybe I’m wrong, but I really do not see that happening.

I have friends who are huge supporters of the Occupy Movement and feel that this is the beginning of something better, but I do not fully agree.

If we didn’t have the multinational companies such as Apple and Microsoft for example, people like me would not be able to be independent, participate in social media or even work in some cases. Do you really think a “Mom and Pop” shop would choose to invest in creating accessible products for people with disabilities? The products made by the multinationals are already expensive because the target user group is small, so why would a “Mom and Pop” shop choose to take such a risk?

When Steve Jobs passed away in October of this year, many disabled bloggers wrote posts on how he had changed their lives. Without companies like Apple, who have made accessibility out of the box a priority, many of us would not be able to enjoy cell phones that connect us with the world, or even communicate with others independently outside the home.

I couldn’t imagine a world without screen readers, Braille displays and accessible cell phones – could you?

Even though I think it’s wonderful to see people from all walks of life joining together for a ‘united’ cause, I'm not sure, a single person has stopped to think about the repercussions of such a movement succeeding.

I have, and this is why, I am not willing to support The Occupy Movement.

Canyon Makes His Debut

2011-12-30T18:18:00.003-05:00

The Elora Gorge kennel Club held a Conformation Dog Show this week. Since we have friends in the area and Canyon’s co-breeder does not live too far away, Huib and I thought it was the perfect place for Canyon to make his debut.

There were not many golden retrievers entered in this show, which means Canyon did not have much of an opportunity to compete. We entered him into the Canadian Bred Dog class, since we did not know what the Open Class was all about, there was only one other dog entered along with him. Canyon’s co-breeder said it was unusual for there to be so few goldens being entered, but she felt it also gave Huib and Canyon a chance to get used to showing.

In all three of the All-Breed competitions, Canyon ended up receiving a second place ribbon. Since there was only one other dog entered with him, this means he just got last place. If there had not been another dog entered into his class, Canyon could have ended up with a first place ribbon (which seems silly to me). Each day of the competition, Huib and Canyon seemed to become more comfortable with the ring and Huib started to find ways of keeping Canyon’s attention on him and away from the other dog and its handler.

Our first day was a little rough, Canyon was the second dog to show so kept trying to run after the dog in front. He never once tried to sit though and self-stacked almost perfectly. Our judge is a breeder of English style golden retrievers, so receiving a second place was completely expected, since Canyon was slightly darker than his counterpart. I also don’t think it helped that he wanted to play with the other dog lol!

On the second day, Canyon was a little less interested in the other dog, but kept wanting to sit and was distracted by the other handler who was constantly squeaking a toy while the judge was examining Canyon. I think he had a chance of winning on the second day, but it just wasn’t in the cards.

On the final day, Canyon had two competitions since there was the regular All-Breed and then a Retriever Specialty. Similar to the first day, the All-Breed judge really seemed to like his lighter goldens over the darker ones, so we again received a second place.

Then the tables turned in our favour…

The judge for the Retriever Specialty, the husband of the second day’s judge, absolutely loved him! Huib and I had decided to allow a professional handler to do some touch-ups and I think that, as well as the fact that Huib had figured out a way to keep Canyon’s attention, did the trick.

When we saw that Canyon would be competing against the same dog as in the regular shows, we figured we’d be getting yet another second place ribbon – we were wrong!

Huib said he was shocked when the judge pointed to him first to come over.

Canyon’s co-breeder was beside herself with excitement, and the women sitting in front of us were cheering.

Huib had no idea what he was supposed to do next, this was uncharted territory!

They next competed with the winner from the Open Class (there had only been one dog entered so it automatically got first) and they won again!

Canyon’s co-breeder was so excited, and was wonderful at describing the judge’s every move and telling me about how Huib’s face was getting redder each time he received another first lol!

After getting Winner’s Dog, Huib and Canyon moved on to compete for Best of Breed.

In the Best of Breed category, there were five goldens in total – Canyon (Winner’s Dog), a young female (Winner’s Bitch) and then three Champions (goldens who already had their titles). The judge had each handler move around the ring with their dogs, watching closely. He then thoroughly examined each one, even making various noises to see what sorts of reactions he would get. I think it was at this point when Canyon decided to lean forward and give the judge a kiss lol! The judge asked the handlers with the champions to leave the ring and then re-examined Canyon and the young female. When Canyon’s co-breeder saw the champions leaving, she was amazed because it was uncommon for judges to choose younger dogs over champions, especially in a Specialty situation.

The young female received Best of Breed and Canyon got Best of Opposite Sex.

Canyon was done at this point, he had had enough of the show ring and Huib was relieved to be done because he felt Canyon’s exhaustion would have for sure caused problems. As they walked back to where I was sitting, Huib was stopped by a breeder, who asked how long Huib had been showing. He told her it was just his third day and she was shocked. She said congrats and told him that she had been showing for 10 years and had never won at a specialty. I think this made Huib’s year!

With these wins, we think Canyon has accumulated two points towards his Canadian championship title. As mentioned here, Canyon needs to earn ten points in total, so we’re already a fifth of the way there!

Presents, Presents

2011-12-25T13:03:00.011-05:00

Hey There,
It’s Cessna here. I asked Mommy if I could come on here to tell you all about the presents Santa Paws brought us. We were spoiled this year!

Since Rogue is the baby in the family, she got pretty spoiled, with lots of toys and treats. She got:
• A light pink Hugglehound corduroy rabbit
• A stuffed penguin that squeaks
• A plush Santa toy that holds plastic water bottles
• A short rope bone
• A Skinneeez raccoon
• A package of beef flavoured Snausages

Aspen doesn’t like to play as much as the rest of us, so she didn’t get as many toys, but she loves her presents! She got:
• A soft squeaky gingerbread woman wearing a pink skirt
• A long, soft, squeaky brown dog
• A big rawhide candy cane
• A package of beef flavoured Snausages

Canyon thinks all of the new toys are his, but he got some of his own presents as well. He got:
• a brown Hugglehound corduroy reindeer
• a Skinneeez fox
• a big squeaky toy that looks like a hard candy wrapped in a felt brown, orange and red wrapper (Mommy says he got this because he’s the Candyman)
• an orange canvas bone that squeaks
• a package of beef flavoured Snausages

And last but not least, here’s what Santa Paws brought me!
• A green rubber ball that has long, black nylon ribbons going through it and little green rubber balls on the ends of each ribbon (this is an awesome toy for shaking around and playing tug!)
• A soft, panda bear that has a rope going through it
• A package of beef flavoured Snausages

When Mommy and Daddy helped us take all our presents out of our stockings, we had a blast wrestling and chasing one another around the living room. Mommy says this year is the first year she can really say we looked like human children on Christmas morning!

Me and the rest of the ruled by paws gang hope you and your families were also spoiled by Santa Paws.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Lots of Kisses and Tail Wags,

Cessna

A Word From Canyon

2011-12-24T19:01:00.005-05:00

Hey There Friends & Followers!
Mommy asked me, Canyon, the most handsomest stud of all, to send you all a quick message from the ruled by paws gang.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We hope your holidays are filled with never ending laughter and wagging tails!

Christmas Is Love

2011-12-24T10:50:00.003-05:00

Here's another Christmas poem a friend sent me via e-mail that I had to share. I could totally see Rogue as one of these puppies.

It's the day before Christmas

And all through the house

The puppies are squeaking

An old rubber mouse.

The wreath which had merrily

Hung on the door

Is scattered in pieces

All over the floor.

The stockings that hung

In a neat little row

Now boast a hole

In each one of the toes.

The tree was subjected

To bright eyed whims,

And now, although still splendid,

It's missing some limbs.

I catch them and hold them.

"Be good", I insist.

They lick me, then run off

To see what they've missed!

And now as I watch them

The thought comes to me,

That theirs is the spirit

That Christmas should be.

Should children and puppies

Yet show us the way,

And teach us the joy

That should come with this day?

Could they bring the message

That's written above,

And tell us that, most of all,

Christmas is love.

Aiden's Four!

2011-12-23T16:22:00.007-05:00

Today our first foster puppy for Autism dog Services, Aiden, turns four.

This is so hard to believe!

It feels like just yesterday we handed off his leash to the Carroll family forever.

Aiden was such an amazing puppy to raise and train. He had so much life and enthusiasm. I think this is why Huib and I love rogue so much, she reminds us of our big caramel goofball.

We get almost daily updates on how our boy is doing, but I really have nothing new to report. He continues to attend school with Kamaran, still loves apples and to play fetch until he can’t walk.

We’re hoping to get together with Aiden and his family in the new year, but until then, here are some of my favourite Monkey Man pictures.

Happy 4th Birthday Aiden, Amber, Teal, rody, Libby, Taz and Marley!

If You See A Fat Man

2011-12-22T18:54:00.003-05:00

I got this from a friend via e-mail, so thought I'd share it here, to bring a little Christmas spirit.

If you see a fat man

who's jolly and cute

Wearing a beard

and a red flannel suit

And if he is chuckling

and laughing away

While flying around

In a miniature sleigh

With eight tiny reindeer

To pull him along

Then let's face it

Your eggnog's too strong!

Where's The Christmas Spirit?

2011-12-21T16:34:00.004-05:00

I don’t really ever write about issues I’m having with Huib, but this one is a bit of a constant one, so I’m hoping that by writing it out, maybe it will stop bothering me so much.

Christmas has always been an exciting holiday for me. I love shopping for that “perfect” gift and then the anticipation of waiting to present it to the particular friend or family member.

I remember Christmas shopping with Mom when I was old enough to understand that Santa Claus was not real. She would have a list of things to buy for this person and that person – often multiple pages long. Dad would drop us off at the front door of the mall and I’d push her from this store to that store, as we searched high and low for the items on her list. Even though I knew Santa wasn’t real, Mom never asked me to pick up my own gifts, she’d leave those items on a separate list for when she’d shop with her friend.

Dad was never one to enjoy shopping, but he’d always take the plunge at Christmas to surprise Mom with something special.

When we were young, Brandi and I used to wake up early Christmas morning, so that we could open our gifts from Santa. Dad would make his usual breakfast of French toast and Mom would patiently listen to us babble about how excited we were about this or that gift. We’d show her all the various features of the new toys and put on a bit of a fashion show so she could “feel” how our new clothes fit. After breakfast, we’d all put on something new and then Dad would start piling presents into the car so that we could begin our three hour drive to visit Granny and enjoy our family dinner.

Now that Mom and Granny have passed away, we no longer have the big family dinners, but Huib and I still get together with Dad and Brandi during the holidays.

Huib has never been overly fond of Christmas. He has always been a bit of a Scrooge. We seem to always get into arguments during the holidays over this. I love shopping for people, he hates the expectation of having to shop and give gifts. I have tried, over the years, to explain how I feel about Christmas and how sad his behaviour makes me, but no matter what, he always seems to ruin the holidays for me.

Being married is a balancing act. Spouses sometimes need to make sacrifices for the other. I feel as though our marriage has been a little too one sided lately in the sacrifice making. I moved away from friends and a place I felt comfortable so that Huib could gain experience working in a small hospital. I spend multiple days a week alone with just the dogs and cats for company, so Huib can get as much work experience as possible through working part-time in two units, instead of full-time in one. And, even though I agreed to move here under the expectation that we would continue to go “down south” every six weeks, I have been patient about the lack of trips we’ve had since he switched from full-time to part-time.

In return….I’ve asked for very little.

I’ve asked him to help me train Rogue and get her into public places when he is not working – something that is not happening nearly as much as I’d like.

I’ve asked him to become more involved in the training I do with the dogs, in an effort to keep things a little more consistent – something he’s said he’d start doing, but has still not done.

And I’ve asked him to stop making promises that he cannot keep – a continued struggle.

Now that it is Christmas time…

I have asked him to help me shop for the dogs, my Dad and sister. I’ve drastically cut down our usual “shopping for” list in an effort to make things a little less stressful for him, but we’re still arguing.

He actually seems even worse this year than previous ones.

I know he doesn’t like shopping for gifts. I know he doesn’t like receiving gifts. And I know he doesn’t like the whole idea of Christmas overall.

But, I wish he’d make a sacrifice for me.

Humour me for once.

I wish he’d embrace Christmas. I wish we could have fun decorating the house together. I wish I could have fun looking for that “perfect” Christmas gift to give him and others, without having him make it really frustrating to do so. I wish it wasn’t such a struggle to get him to help me fill out and send Christmas cards. And, I wish he’d surprise me with a special gift at Christmas, not just buy me stuff whenever he sees I like it. It’s the whole thought behind it that I want, not the gift itself.

I wish he’d be more like my friends’ significant others and just embrace the fact that I like to do things he does not.

Most of all, I wish he would stop being such a Scrooge and ruining Christmas for me.

Huib is honestly the most amazing man in the world, but this is one area I wish he’d attempt to improve.

Reece Is Three!

2011-12-20T13:46:00.001-05:00

Today our second foster puppy for Autism Dog Services, Reece, turns 3.

We haven’t had a chance to connect with his adoptive family in over a year, but have gotten a few updates from friends who see them once in a while. I’m hoping we can get together with Reece and his family in the next couple of months and post some up-to-date pictures on the blog.

Last year I wrote an entry which explained a bit about raising Reece and why we decided to forgo adopting him. Reece was a wonderful boy, but he just didn’t fit into the pack and Huib couldn’t overlook all of the issues we’d had with our big chocolate boy.

I miss Reece tons, but know he’s been adopted by a wonderful family and that he is just a phone call away if I want to check in.

Happy 3rd Birthday Reeces Pieces!

Part Of The Pack

2011-12-18T15:25:00.008-05:00

As of today, Canyon has been with us for two years. He fits into our family so well, it feels as though he has been with us forever.

I can’t believe how much he has matured over the past two years.

This year started out a little rough with the news that he has scarring on his retinas and therefore cannot breed, but Canyon has shown us that there is so much more to him than his looks and temperament.

Even though we will not be breeding our golden boy, Huib has entered Canyon into a three day conformation show December 27th until the 29th. I’m not sure how they’ll do since Kitchener is golden retriever central, but Kelly and Canyon’s co-breeder are coming to watch so, I know it will end up being a lot of fun no matter what. So far we have bought a hair dryer, tan slip collar (the only style we’ve been able to find) and a hunter green leash. We still need to get a new comb for his show kit and probably a really fun toy for a reward, but we’ve got time to find those. Canyon’s co-breeder has also been giving us some tips on how to groom him, so hopefully that part will go well.

It’s taken us two years to get him into the show ring, but we’ve done it! Even if he doesn’t end up with any points at the end of the three day event, we’ll be able to connect with other breeders and receive some advice on how to better our chances at receiving points in the future. According to the rules and regulations of the Canadian Kennel Club, Canyon needs to accumulate ten points in total. From what I understand, the points need to come from three different judges and he has to win at the breed or group level at least once (if I am wrong, please do not hesitate to correct me in the comments section). Dr. b wants us to neuter him by the age of five in order to avoid testicular and prostate cancer, so we’ve got two years to get his Canadian Championship title.

Candyman, it has been a wonderful two years so far, I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.

Pictures with Santa

2011-12-17T22:09:00.007-05:00

Today we took the four dogs to get their pictures done with Santa. The money was going to a local rescue group so we thought it was a great opportunity to get some cute pictures.

Canyon was probably the best poser of all four dogs. He did exactly what Huib asked him to do and even gave us a smile to go along with it. aspen was also smiling, but she took a little more effort to get into place.

The labs were not so eager or easy to pose with the Jolly old fellow. they weren't afraid of him, but they were also not interested in sitting beside him while there were tons of other dogs and wonderful smells to investigate.

Rogue The Jester

2011-12-13T14:54:00.006-05:00

According to my Google searches - "Jesters are all about fun...reawakening the fun-loving spirit in everyone".

Sure sounds like a good description for this little caramel puppy, don't you think?

8 Months Old

2011-12-13T07:21:00.004-05:00

RLR’s Babe In Total Control (aka Rogue) is 8 months old today!

It’s hard to believe that just six months and three days ago Huib and I laid eyes on our little caramel hurricane for the first time.

Here are 8 things I love about Rogue:
1. I love the noises Rogue makes when she’s stretching, unhappy about something or just wanting us to know she’s there. They aren’t noises that a typical dog makes, but more of a noise you’d expect from a human, bear or sometimes even a cow lol!
2. I love the way she shivers from nose to tail in excitement, when she’s asked to “wait” and is trying really, really hard not to move.
3. I love the way Rogue teases Canyon. She’ll grab his toy and take off running through the house so that he will chase her.
4. I love the fact that Rogue will play tug with Cessna. The two of them will get so vocal and animated trying to win. Cessna loves having another lab to play tug with since playing with the goldens, just isn’t the same.
5. I love the way Rogue shakes her stuffed toys and growls at them.
6. I love the way Rogue gets so excited when she knows it is time to get up and tries smothering us with kisses.
7. I love the fact that Rogue does nothing like a “typical” puppy. She never followed the pack, she climbed enclosures that should have kept her contained, she wrestled with the big dogs from day one and she has never been interested in pleasing anyone.
8. I love the fact that Rogue makes her opinions known. When she was spayed, the vet asked us to come pick her up over four hours early because she was crying and screaming in the back and they had to assign a staff member to sit with her. Or when we are driving in the truck and she is with the others in the back and cannot get to us, she will start making her moaning and groaning noises in protest.

It has been a very adventurous six months so far. I can’t wait to see what the next six months has in store for us all with our little caramel family member.

So for now, Happy 8 Month Birthday to Rogue and her siblings – Josie, Ruby, Snickers, Cody, “Flower” and “Coal”!

Roagie The Red Nosed Reindeer

2011-12-10T02:16:00.006-05:00

Is really hoping her friends won't laugh and call her names...

Oh, the embarrassment one must endure being a member of the ruled by paws gang :)

Tis The Season For Shopping

2011-12-08T17:08:00.009-05:00

Over the past week, we've had the opportunity to get Cessna and rogue out shopping. Cessna isn't the most excited shopper, but Rogue is always enthusiastic about seeing new places and to meet new people.

Rogue's shyness and odd reactions to people seems to have resolved itself - which is a relief! She was startled briefly by a man's suit jacket - it sort of moved weird above her head - and by a tablecloth - it swished unexpectedly - but after a few minutes of Huib showing it to her, she was no longer showing any nervousness.

Here are a couple of pictures from our day in Timmins.

We haven't really gotten too much of our Christmas shopping done yet. Every time we go somewhere, we always seem to end up buying more things for ourselves than for others. In Timmins Huib bought me two polar fleece sweaters for my birthday and I bought a really, really cute brown corduroy stuffed reindeer for Canyon and pink corduroy rabbit for Rogue. Huggle-Hound makes these really cute corduroy animals that squeak, crinkle, grunt and have dangly limbs for shaking. Aspen really likes soft stuffies so we got her a little gingerbread woman that squeaks and Cessna likes toys she can tug and shake, so we got her a rubber ball thing that has long nylon ribbons that go through it. In addition to these things, we got a few other toys that were on sale at Costco and Pet Smart to put into their stockings, but we haven't decided who will get what yet lol! I have also put together a list to order from Pet Edge because I want to get Cessna and Rogue a Premiere Easy Walk Harness like canyon has and they are like half the price through the website, compared to what we will pay in a store here. of course there are toys on the list as well, since it just wouldn't be right to order only two items lol!

Huib has some more time off coming up, so hopefully we'll get a little more shopping for others done then.

May Contain Nuts

2011-12-05T18:56:00.005-05:00

***Just a quick note to apologize for the politically incorrect wording***

Sometimes you just need to take a moment and pose with friends...

Hurricane Rogue

2011-12-01T17:56:00.003-05:00

Since I’ve been mainly posting new pictures of Rogue, with very little detail on how she is doing, I thought I’d take a moment and update you all.

Rogue is now seven and a half months old. She is 46.8lbs, 21ish inches tall and 20ish inches long. She hasn’t really changed in colour since going from butterscotch to caramel, but her eyes are no longer blue and she has no more puppy teeth. Her eyes are now a medium-dark brown and she’s got a mouth full of adult teeth that still do not fully fit her face.

Along with the increase in age, Rogue’s energy level has risen. She was always an excited puppy, but now she just doesn’t seem to be able to sit still very long. It’s almost as though ten toddlers on sugar highs have taken up residence in my puppy that, once had an on and off button. Now her off button seems to have gotten stuck in the semi-on position. She isn’t always quite at a hurricane speed, but she’s never really quite in a calm state either. Most of the time this is not an issue, but right now I am in the middle of trying to finish up last minute assignments for my course and Hurricane Rogue isn’t always making landfall for just short periods of time.

In terms of training, Rogue seems to have hit a plateau. Her sits, downs, leave its, touches and really short waits are great, but her “loose leash” walking and overall distraction level in public and around other dogs is horrid. To add to this, she has also started letting out little random “woofs” and shying away from people who come to pet her. The shyness started the day she turned 7 months, so I’m assuming it is a phase. Huib has been working a lot though lately, so we really haven’t had a chance to get her out and socializing since she recovered from her spay. He has a few days off coming up though, so I’m really hoping we’ll see some improvement.

In other news, we got Rogue a new training vest from Active Dogs. It is a light teal colour and has three black rectangular patches – one on each side that say “In Training” and one on the back which says “Please Ask To Pet”. And thanks to Cyndy of Gentle Wit, we didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for shipping and brokerage fees! I will try and get some pictures of Rogue in her new vest this weekend.

I will try and update you all a little more regularly from now on…it’s been a little too long.

Birthday

2011-11-30T19:43:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, November 29th, was my 32nd birthday.

It’s hard to believe that I’m already two years into my thirties. I don’t really feel like I’m older than 25 to be honest. I remember feeling older when I reached my 26th birthday, but since then I really haven’t felt much different.

When you are a young child, you can’t wait to be a teenager. Then when you are a teenager, you can’t wait to be an adult. Once you hit 25, you are no longer considered to be even a young adult – you’re just an adult.

Adulthood comes with so many responsibilities. So many regrets. And so many dreams for a better life.

When I was a young child, I dreamed of being a veterinarian, with a husband who wanted to stay home with the kids and dogs, in our beautiful, huge home, while I brought home the paycheck. When I was a teenager, I still wanted the husband, kids, dogs and huge home, but I now fantasized about being a successful lawyer.

Now that I am an adult and the world is real, not just a fantasy, my dreams are different. I already have the amazing husband and dogs, but instead of fantasizing about the huge home and high paying job, I think about realistic things.

I no longer dream, I hope.

I hope for a better future. I hope for a time when Huib no longer has to support me. I hope for the opportunity to do more than just take care of the dogs and go through the motions of being a happy stay-at-home wife.

I hope for realistic things.

Gone are the days when I fantasized about the wonderful world out there, that would give me everything I needed, as long as I put in the effort. The fantasies are now replaced with dashed hopes and the sad reality of a world that only rewards those people who are “normal”. A world that closes doors in the faces of people who cannot meet its expectations. A world that places undo hardship on those who choose to open the door for the “different”.

My first 32 years were filled with ups and downs. I would never trade my life for anyone else’s, but I hope the next 32 years will include a few more ups and a little fewer downs.

November 29th, 2011 was a good day though. I woke up beside my smiling soul mate and rambunctious retrievers. I opened my e-mail to find messages upon messages from friends wishing me a happy birthday. The Rogue puppy allowed me to finish off the second last assignment of my course. Then it ended with a delicious spaghetti dinner The promise of new clothes!

Thirty two may no longer be the age of dreams and childish fantasies, but if yesterday was any hint of what is to come, I don’t care…I’m ready for thirty three.

All Healed

2011-11-26T20:36:00.006-05:00

Eleven days ago, Rogue was spayed. With Canyon still being intact, it was really important for us to have her spayed as soon as possible. Huib's work schedule was a little on the busy side in October though, so we had to wait until she was 7 months.

Huib and I dropped her off at the vet around 7:45am on Tuesday the 15th and left her with a baby blue fleece blanket and small stuffed duck. We felt horrible about leaving her, but we knew she would be well taken care of and that we would be able to pick her up in the early evening. After I met briefly with my course instructor, we set off to do some errands. I received a call around 10:30am to let us know that her spay had gone well and that she was slowly waking up. I asked them to call me once she was ready to come home. Just an hour and a half later, my cell phone rang and I was surprised to hear the vet's receptionist on the other end. She called to inform me that Rogue was crying and screaming in the back, letting them know how she felt about being in pain and alone. She told me that the vet had given her a homeopathic remedy for anxiety and that she seemed to be calming down now that the co-op student had gone to sit with her. She said that it was not a rush, but that if we were ready, we could come pick her up - this was over four hours before they had originally said we'd be able to get her. Huib and I both laughed at the thought of our little caramel monster telling the vet and her staff what she thought about the whole situation.

We picked Rogue up 20 minutes after I had received the call and she was so happy to see us. Once we settled her in the truck on a soft blanket, she fell asleep almost immediately. She woke up a few times during our drive home, but it seemed as though she just wanted to know we were still with her because as soon as I touched her head, she fell back asleep.

The vet gave us some Meticam to give her for the first few days we were home, but she really didn't seem to need it so we only gave her a bit the first day. She was pretty much ready to get back to her normal routine of running and jumping the next morning, but was a really good sport about having to wear the e-collar and staying calm until the weekend. We wanted to make sure her incision had the best chance of healing well, so made her wear the e-collar for the first four days since she tends to be a bit of an obsessive licker and cleaner.

I'll end this post with a couple of pictures from her first hours home after the long trip home.

Just A Little Snow

2011-11-25T19:21:00.017-05:00

So far we have only had a tiny bit of snow. It's quite unusual for this to happen.

Huib decided to take the four dogs out and try to pose them in the snow. Here's how it went.

Canyon never has an issue with posing for the camera, as long as you don't mind him bringing a toy along.

Cessna is so used to posing for the camera, so could care less.

Aspen doesn't mind posing either, but she just can't seem to look happy about it.

Rogue isn't as good about posing for pictures...

She just can't seem to stay still.

Hopefully he'll have better luck when we get some more snow lol!

City Adventure

2011-11-23T13:45:00.017-05:00

On the Saturday (12th) of our trip "down south", we took Cessna, Rogue and my friend Kelly’s Autism Dog Services foster, Willow, into Toronto on the GO Train. Rogue and Willow were awesome on the train ride, easily settling after just a few minutes.

After a couple of hours of walking around the city, riding the subway, street cars and meeting up with Taz and Caleb for lunch, Huib and I took the girls to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, to meet up with some LFC foster puppies.

Cessna really impressed me at the Royal. She only had to wear her newtrix for the first 20 minutes and she guided like a pro. She barked at a goat and some sheep, but in her defense, they also made noise at her lol!

Rogue on the other hand, was a monster! She pulled like crazy and sniffed everything! Poor Huib was happy when we were ready to return to the city for dinner with his sister.

Escalators Are Fun!

2011-11-22T18:12:00.008-05:00

Rogue wanted me to share some pictures from her first escalator trip.

She was such a brave little monster!

Independent Woman

2011-11-20T21:46:00.010-05:00

I’ve never taken part in the Disability Blog Carnival, but after reading this round’s topic, I was inspired.

I lost my sight in the summer of 1993. I had just finished grade 8 and was excited to begin grade 9 at a new school. It was a total shock. My parents weren’t sure where to turn. I spent my summer indoors, trying to adapt to a life without 20/20 vision.

September arrived and students returned to school. My mom didn’t know what to do with me. She kept me home the first day, and called our region’s Board of Education. She talked to a woman in charge of organizing special services and was relieved to learn that there was a department of sorts designed to help visually impaired and blind students.

That afternoon, I met a woman who would forever change my life.

Stephanie Sommer arrived around noon. She sat with my mom and I, at the kitchen table and asked questions. She had come to assess whether I truly required her assistance. The phone rang at some point during our meeting and after watching me reach past the phone, she took my hand and placed it onto the receiver with a smile.

After mom was finished with the call, Stephanie told us she would start working with me the following day.

Over the next five years, Stephanie would teach me not only the usual lessons of Braille and getting around safely with a cane, but she would inspire me to be an independent woman.

Stephanie never once treated me like I had a disability.

She expected me to act appropriately and study just as hard as every other student in my high school.

She always expected me to give eye contact.

She wouldn’t help me unless I said please or thank you.

And if I got frustrated and attempted to give up, she’d walk away and wait for me to get over it.

Stephanie and I developed more than just a student-teacher bond, we became friends. She told me about her own vision problems and told me how she embarked on an educational journey that led her to working with students like me.

I remember the feeling of comfort that would come over me each time I smelled her perfume, and the smile that would sprout on my face, no matter how bad the day, when I heard her voice. Stephanie was my navigator, guiding me through a world I now found scary and full of unknowns.

She taught me how to read Braille and how to fully utilize the vision I still had.

She showed me how to travel safely throughout my community with a cane, and then when I told her I wanted to apply for a guide dog, she challenged me to first move outside of my comfort zone. I learned how to take the bus to a neighbouring town to attend movies and shop alone in their mall. Then, she gave me the biggest test of all, she asked me to learn how to take the bus to Toronto and then learn to take the subway to the largest mall of all (at the time) – the Eatons Centre.

Once I entered my final year of high school, Stephanie was there to help me reach my goal of attending university. She read through university brochures and program descriptions. Then she helped me fill out application, after application because I couldn’t decide on which one to attend. She was there when I received each of my letters of acceptance and then took it upon herself to arrange campus tours so that I could better decide upon the school for me.

After I began university, Stephanie and I talked a couple times a year, but after she attended my wedding in 2006, we sadly lost touch.

I still think about the lessons she taught me. She inspired me how to be the woman I am today, because when no one else did, she believed I could be better.

Beautiful Girl

2011-11-17T22:03:00.009-05:00

This picture was taken on Johnston Green, at the University of Guelph. I like it because it shows one of the most historic buildings on the campus - Johnston Hall.

Levels Progress

2011-11-05T15:49:00.005-04:00

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about how I had decided to start seriously working through Sue Ailsby’s Levels with Rogue.

Today, I thought I’d give everyone a progress report, and let everyone know where Canyon is, since we also started Level 1 recently.

Rogue has COMPLETELY passed Level 1!

Since implementing the training suggestions I received from the woman in Wyoming, Rogue quickly learned the “touch” command and her recall is improving daily.

Rogue now not only touches my palm, she literally nose-butts it lol!

We have now moved on to Level 2:
Come (from 40 feet, 2 cues)
Crate (enter, open/close door with 2 cues) – Passed
Distance (goes around a pole 2 feet away with 2 cues)
Down (from sit with 1 cue) – Passed
Down Stay (while I walk 20 feet away/back with extra cues)
Go To Mat (from 5 feet away with 2 cues)
Handling (tail, ears, feet) - Passed
Leash (loose for 1 minute with 1 distraction)
Sit (from stand with 1 cue) – Passed
Sit Stay (while I walk 20 feet away/back with extra cues)
Stand (from sit or down with 2 cues)
Stand Stay (without moving feet for 10 seconds)
Target/Touch (nose to marked end of stick with 1 cue)
Trick (can be a very simple one)
Watch (eye contact for 10 seconds with 2 voice cues)
Zen/Leave It (5 seconds in hand & 10 seconds on chair with 2 cues) – Passed

Rogue and I are still doing the short washroom training sessions to learn new things, in addition to short ones in other places to practice her Level 1 behaviours. Since I do not feel comfortable teaching her the “look” command, I have assigned that one to Huib, but have been working on: stand, sit-stay, down-stay and come.

I haven’t started the touch stick targeting yet because I’m trying to decide on a more accurate, blind-friendly way of teaching this one. I’m thinking I might use the bell we have hanging from the outside door for this because she really likes going outside and it would be useful to have her learn to touch the bell when she wants out.

I have also purchased a cheap lime green yoga mat for teaching her and later Canyon to go on to it when asked. Cessna knows this one pretty well, and has generalized it to mean going onto whatever I point to (bed, mat, chair, etc.).

As I mentioned, Canyon and I have also started to move through Level 1 together. He is really interested in having his “special” time with me, so I decided to re-start teaching him “touch”. We’ve only been working on it for two days so far, and he is already able to “touch” my right palm with one cue. He can still only do it when I have my palm right in front of him, but I think its only a matter of time before he can do it as well (maybe not as hard) as Rogue.

Once he is through Level 1, I’m thinking I might try teaching Aspen, but we’ll see what happens. Aspen is a lot more stubborn and sensitive, than the others, so I find it a little more frustrating to teach her new things.

I’ll write another Levels update when I have more to report.

We Can Pose Anywhere!

2011-11-03T15:34:00.007-04:00

These are the sorts of things that happen around here when Huib has too many days off work in a row lol!

The $10 Puppy

2011-11-01T10:53:00.004-04:00

Hiya,
Roagie here. Mommy wanted me to share this picture for her. Her and Daddy thought it was pretty funny to have me pose under this $10 sale sign at our local Walmart.

I didn't think it was that funny...

Do you guys think I'm only worth $10?

It's Halloween!

2011-10-31T00:57:00.012-04:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!

This year Huib and I decided to try being artistic, and make a Dr. Seuss themed pumpkin.

Canyon The Wizard

Cessna the Christmas Elf

Aspen The Ladybug

Rogue The Fairy Princess

Only Aspen seemed to enjoy this little game of dress-up.

Wonder what they would all think, if I made them all wear their costumes tonight...

Eight Years Old

2011-10-30T11:08:00.004-04:00

You wouldn’t know from seeing her, but today is Cessna’s eighth birthday.

I’m really not sure how I feel about this.

On one hand, it’s a day to spoil her rotten and to celebrate.

But, on the other hand, it’s a day which signifies the ominous approach of retirement and the future ailments of being a senior dog.

I know I should be cherishing every day I have with Cessna and try not to worry about the future, but having just recently lost Phoenix, I can’t help but feel sad.

Phoenix and I had a wonderful partnership. We enjoyed many memories and pretty much became adults together.

But, Cessna and I have something different. Yes, we have a wonderful partnership. But, there’s more to it, than just the average blind person-dog guide bond.

Cessna has made me a better person.

She came into my life as Phoenix’s successor, but she’s been more than that.

She’s been my reality check.

From the beginning, Cessna and I had to learn different ways of working together. Unlike other dogs in her class, she couldn’t trust. When most clients and their dogs were cuddling and getting to know one another. Cessna and I were sitting at a distance, trying to figure out whether it was worth putting trust in each other. It wasn’t until our second week together, that she actually offered some affection.

From that moment, I knew this little firecracker was going to be mine.

Over the past six and a half years together, we’ve had our ups and downs.

I had an image of what our partnership should look like. But, she showed me differently.

Cessna made me work for her respect. In return, she gave me not only that same respect, but also taught me lessons that will resonate within me for a lifetime.

Not every dog who comes into your life will make an everlasting impression upon you, but I’ve been blessed to have had two very special labs do just that.

Phoenix gave me independence and taught me the value of unconditional love.

Cessna has given me insight and shown me how important treating others (including non-humans) with dignity and respect.

If Cessna had not entered my life, I know for a fact, I would not have become the caring and compassionate animal guardian I am today.

So, without further a due, please join me in wishing my little ball of energy, a very…

Happy 8th Birthday!

Cessna, I look forward to spending many more wonderful years with you, laughing and learning along the way.

6.5 Month Old Rogue

2011-10-28T13:46:00.006-04:00

Huib catches Rogue in a natural position.

Huib tries to get Rogue posing.

Cessna "Push"

2011-10-27T14:22:00.006-04:00

Cessna wanted to show you all how she helps out in the bathroom.

Fun With Toilet Paper

2011-10-27T13:48:00.007-04:00

Rogue thinks Cyndi Lauper was right when she said "Girls just wanna have fun."

Closing Doors

2011-10-25T13:28:00.004-04:00

Cessna will be turning 8 on Sunday. It’s hard to believe how quick time is passing with her, but we’ll talk more about that in a few days.

The reason I wanted to write today, was to tell everyone about the new skill Cessna is learning.

Cessna is learning to close cupboard doors.

I was practicing “touch” with Rogue in the washroom on Tuesday, and Cessna wandered in. She started to try and “touch” my hand as well, so I decided to take a moment with her. I put Rogue into a down and then opened the cupboard door under the sink. I then got Cessna to sit a couple of feet from the door and then pointed to it and said “touch”. She wasn’t sure at first, so I I pointed to the cupboard door and said “touch” again. She walked over and nudged it lightly with her nose. I immediately said “YES!”, and gave her a treat. I then put her back into a sit a couple of feet away, made sure I had her attention and then pointed to the door and said “touch” once more. She walked over a little quicker and nudged it harder, it almost banged close, but not quite, so I decided to ask her to “touch” again. She nudged it a little harder and the door closed with a bang, and we partied!

After finishing her treat and getting tons of praise, Cessna looked at the door, so I put her back into a sit and opened it. I pointed, and said “touch”. Cessna walked over and nudged it almost closed, so I said “harder” and she pushed again and it banged closed. She looked at me, swished her tail, and we had another party!

Since Tuesday, she has practiced with the washroom cupboard a few more times and does it with just one cue! We have also started to practice with the big door of our pantry, our freezer’s door (we have a fridge that has the freezer on the bottom as opposed to the top), and the doors under the kitchen counter. She can close the pantry almost perfectly now, still needs a couple extra cues for the freezer, and has a bit of trouble with some of the cupboard doors in the kitchen. Cessna has no real issue with the doors that open on the left, but when I ask her to close the ones that open to the right, she’ll often start trying to grab things to bring me from inside the cupboard lol!

I think that with a couple more days of practice though, she’ll be doing all cupboards without a second thought.

Cessna never ceases to amaze me with her eagerness to learn new skills.

Training With The Rogue Puppy

2011-10-24T21:08:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned in this post, I ran into some training issues with the Boarder Collie Lady, and with the help of Sharon, from After Gadget, I have created a new training plan.

After reading my post, Sharon, Karyn and others, suggested I forget about the Border Collie Lady, and start looking for new training resources.

Well, my first step in this process was to join the Training Levels Group with Sharon’s assistance. This was probably the most important decision I have made in the four months, since picking up my little girl.

As soon as I posted my introduction to the group, a wonderful woman from Wyoming, e-mailed me to introduce herself and immediately took me under her wing. She first gave me blind-friendly suggestions on teaching “touch”, and then called me a few days later, to discuss where I was so far, and where I wanted to go from here. She listened intently, then told me a bit about the process she went through in training her 20 month old male, standard poodle, who has now passed his public access test. She commended me on our progress so far, and told me to continue doing what I am, but to also start working more closely on Sue Ailsby’s Levels. She said that for the first year, she mainly socialized, exposed and trained her dog using the levels. The following day, she sent me her training plan for me to follow when Rogue is ready to begin her task training (or guide work).

Since our phone call, we’ve traded e-mails every couple of days. It is so great to know there is someone willing to invest their time and energy in helping us succeed. She has also suggested I start working on some of the Level 2 behaviours, since Rogue is pretty close to passing Level 1, we’re just working on targeting and come.

Here is where Rogue is with Level 1:

Come (from 20 feet) – In Progress
Down (with 2 cues) – Passed
Sit (with 1 cue) – Passed
Target/Touch (nose to palm) – In Progress
Zen/Leave It (5 seconds in hand) - Passed

Here are the behaviours Rogue will/has learn in Level 2:

Come (from 40 feet, 2 cues)
Crate (enter, open/close door with 2 cues) – Passed
Distance (goes around a pole 2 feet away with 2 cues)
Down (from sit with 1 cue)
Down Stay (while I walk 20 feet away/back with extra cues)
Go To Mat (from 5 feet away with 2 cues)
Handling (tail, ears, feet) - Passed
Leash (loose for 1 minute with 1 distraction)
Sit (from stand with 1 cue) Passed
Sit Stay (while I walk 20 feet away/back with extra cues)
Stand (from sit or down with 2 cues)
Stand Stay (without moving feet for 10 seconds)
Target/Touch (nose to marked end of stick with 1 cue)
Trick (can be a very simple one)
Watch (eye contact for 10 seconds with 2 voice cues)
Zen/Leave It (5 seconds in hand & 10 seconds on chair with 2 cues) Passed

I have started to do regular little training sessions with Rogue when I’m in the washroom, and she really seems to be catching on to the “touch” behaviour. I am not naming it yet, but think she is pretty close to being able to “touch” on cue. I think the random, short sessions are working out a lot better for us both, because she isn’t expected to pay attention for more than 3 minutes at a time, and I am not having to worry about the others getting upset about being left out.

“Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.” – Robert H. Schuller

Yesterday

2011-10-23T06:36:00.020-04:00

Yesterday would have been Phoenix’s 15th birthday.

Since he’s not here to celebrate with me, I thought I would post some pictures from the 13 wonderful years we spent together. Many, you will have already seen, but I thought I’d also try and add a little story to go along with them.

This picture was given to me by Phoenix’s foster family. Alice, his foster mom, told me that Phoenix’s favourite place to sleep was behind her, in this pink chair. She said that in the mornings, Phoenix wood eat his breakfast, go out for relief, play a bit of bowl hockey and then take an hour nap. She said that as he got bigger though, he began to take up more and more of the chair, until finally, she had to find another place to sit.

Phoenix joined me in my final year of high school. He was probably the most popular student in our year. Everyone seemed to know his name, and at times I’d have random people come over to give him a treat. I think his favourite class was spare though, because we would usually meet up with a friend to go outside and play fetch or leave school to walk around the mall. Unlike Cessna, Phoenix loved to go shopping.

Phoenix and I joined Huib in Vancouver, when he attended a conference. I had a friend come along so that we could tour the universities and visit some of the sights. I think the funniest story of that trip, was when Phoenix met another guide dog. I had been talking to a woman on the web and decided to meet up with her. Phoenix was so happy to see Hula, that he got a little too “excited”. I was so embarrassed!

The only other memorable experience from that trip, was probably when I got to feed a real seal in Victoria. There is a spot where you can go out onto a dock overlooking the Pacific Ocean and feed the seals some fresh fish from a vendor. I held the piece of fish over the edge of the dock and Phoenix watched intently, as a big, fat seal appeared, and took the fish.

Phoenix was always so proud of new “clothes”. He would prance around the house, showing off his new item. It didn’t matter if it was a new bandana, collar, coat or saddle bags, he had to show them off. It also didn’t matter if just Huib and I were home either. I have some other funny pictures of him dressed up, but I’ll have to get Huib to help me find them, to post at a later date.

When Phoenix retired, I knew he wouldn’t be happy just staying at home, so I decided to have him certified as a therapy dog. Phoenix loved visiting with all of the residents at the long-term care home we were assigned to. Unfortunately, school got in the way, and we had to resign after just a year of volunteering.

Phoenix loved going on walks through the conservation area behind our Guelph condominium. He had fun sniffing and investigating, while his buddy Aspen got into any puddle she could find. Luckily, Phoenix hated mud and puddles, so we never had to worry about giving him a bath after a walk.

Phoenix was never a big fan of puppies, but he also had a great deal of patience. When Aiden was really, really young, he used to follow Phoenix around like he was a celebrity. It took Aiden months, but Phoenix finally warmed up to him.

This picture was taken while they were both in “time out” for doing things they shouldn’t have. Phoenix had decided to eat a skeletonized bird carcass, while Aiden wouldn’t stop trying to raid the cooler of another beach-goer.

Phoenix was always food obsessed. He would do absolutely anything for food. When he ate, his bowl was clean within seconds. When I offered a treat, he grabbed it out of my hand. His favourite toys, were anything that had to do with food, so we used to search high and low for new treat dispensing toys. I think by the end, Phoenix had five different balls that dispensed treats, and four different kong products, we could put cookies into. Rogue has since inherited his beloved toys.

One really bad habit Phoenix had, was rolling around in the sand after he was all wet. I used to try so hard to keep him clean, but he always ended up outsmarting me.

Phoenix always loved swimming. He would swim so long, that we’d actually worry about him drowning from exhaustion. As he got older though, he found it more fun to just stand in the shallow parts, cooling off.

We had quite the scare in December, when Phoenix had an acute onset of Idiopathic Vestibular Disease. We honestly thought we were going to lose him, but were blessed to have him with us eight more months.

Last year, we weren’t sure Phoenix would be with us to celebrate his 15th birthday, so we had quite the party. My sister and step-dad came over and we all (dogs included) had pizza (gluten-free for the dogs) and cupcakes.

I had the pleasure of spending 13, wonderful years with the most wonderful teacher, helper and friend. Even though we had our ups and downs, I would never change a thing.

Phoenix always lived his life on his own terms, so it’s fitting to think, that he left this life on his own terms.

Though I still miss him every day, I know he’s happier and healthier in his new home.

Rest in peace my mellow, yellow, fellow.

Achieving The Confidence

2011-10-16T15:12:00.008-04:00

As mentioned in this post, the topic for this round of the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival is “achievement”. I have been racking my brain for weeks, trying to figure out what to write about.

I finally came up with the perfect idea.

I’ll write about how I achieved the confidence to begin raising and training my future guide dog.

Are you ready?

Here we go…

On Friday, May 27th, 2005, I was matched with a spunky female black lab named Cessna. From the start, we struggled. She had so much spirit and an endless amount of energy. When she wanted to go, there was really no stopping her. When I wanted to just chill out, she couldn’t figure out what she was supposed to be doing. Cessna’s work was always 100%, but she pulled like a steam roller, and jumped around like a kangaroo when she saw other dogs and small critters. I tried using all of the training methods I had been taught while in class, but our progress was slow and at times seemed to move backwards. To add to our troubles, Cessna had some unknown fears and emotional trauma, which would leave me scratching my head, wondering what I could have possibly done to cause such a reaction.

Fast-forward almost three years.

On Saturday, March 1st, 2008, the Director of Autism Dog Services, brought a 10 week old caramel colour lab to our home. With all of the struggles and challenges I had overcome with Cessna, I felt we could use our knowledge to raise a puppy for a young child with autism. Aiden was a big goof. He had an amazing personality and loved to please everyone. We taught him so much within such a short amount of time. People used to stop and watch us in malls, smiling at the four month old puppy, performing his favourite tricks (roll over, give five and show your belly). By the time Aiden was approaching 7 months of age, we started to search for more direction and training ideas for new skills. This is when I began my training sessions with Dogs In The Park.
Aiden and I participated in the weekly “stay classes”, while Cessna joined me for “Levels”. Aiden had the most reliable “stays” of all his fellow ADS trainees, and I learned how to teach him complex skills and tricks, such as some of Cessna’s more basic guiding commands. By the time aiden was recalled for formal training, on Friday, February 6th, 2009, he was able to confidently leash guide me, throughout our neighbourhood and within quiet stores to find Huib. It was at this point, when the Director of Autism Dog Services, suggested that I think about raising and training Cessna’s successor.

This thought sat in the back of my mind for over a year and a half.

On Saturday, February 14th, 2009, Huib and I went to a small kennel in St. Agatha, Ontario, to pick up our second ADS foster puppy, Reece. Cessna and I had been participating in the weekly Levels classes for almost 7 months at this point. Our relationship was flourishing, and I had learned new ways of working with her, that did not include leash corrections or any other forceful methods. We began our raising adventures with Reece, trying to closely follow the new training methods I’d learned through my time with Sue Alexander. We used his lunchtime meals for training and taught him everything using the clicker and praise. Reece wasn’t as quick as Aiden in the learning department, but his trainer was delighted with his weekly progress. With aiden we found it next to impossible to teach him loose leash walking, so with Reece, we worked on leash walking from day one. By the time Reece was six months old, he was able to walk on a loose leash with anyone. Unfortunately, around this time he began to develop a limp which seemed to be coming from his left front elbow. It took the program staff five months to make the decision to wash him out.

On Friday, December 18th, 2009, Huib and I picked up a 6 month old male golden retriever from a Mennonite farm in Chesley, Ontario. Canyon (formerly Sparky) had absolutely no name recognition or manners. He mouthed, jumped up on everything, relieved indoors and would pace when he was nervous. We spent the first week teaching him his name and what the clicker meant. We then moved on to teaching him to sit through “capturing”. We knew he loved going outside, so would wait for him to sit before clicking and opening the door as his reward. Once he was sitting reliably, we named the behaviour and started to use it at other times, like before meals and when he’d go to jump up onto something or someone. Through using solely the clicker and treats/praise, we found our relationship with Canyon grew quickly, and his fears subsided easily. Over the next year and a bit, I taught Canyon all of his basic obedience commands without the use of anything other than the clicker and treats. I also continued to work on training with Cessna, teaching her to do various tasks at a distance and expanding her use of the “touch” cue.

During the winter of 2010 and 2011, I began working with a trainer to learn more skills and to try and expand my training knowledge. Through these lessons, I learned how to teach Canyon to turn right and left with a simple gesture, and how to better teach him to walk on a loose leash. Training an older dog, compared to a young puppy, can be a bit more of a challenge. The Border Collie Lady taught me how to do things differently in order to move past some of the obstacles we’d encountered.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to see what Canyon had truly learned through our lessons with the Border Collie Lady. He walked calmly and confidently at my side through the St. Jacob’s Market while Cessna guided us around people and vendor tables. It was such an awesome feeling to be able to smoothly walk through the market with two dogs at my side. He even surprised me at one point when he showed a desire to try some fire escape-like stairs that Huib was showing Rogue and my friend Karen was coaxing her 13 month old foster puppy up. I handed the leash over to Huib and Canyon walked up and down the stairs as if he’d done them a million times.

In February of this year, I learned that Cessna had begun to develop cataracts in both eyes. It was at this point, when I decided to seriously look into raising and training her successor. I researched breeds, looking at the golden retriever, flat-coated retriever and Labrador retriever. After deciding on the lab, I started researching breeders in Ontario. I e-mailed close to 10 different ones, before settling on Red Labrador Retrievers, a small kennel in Maidstone, Ontario.

We picked up our 11.8lbs, female butterscotch colour lab on Friday, June 10th, 2011.

I’m honestly not sure I would have made such a decision if I had not been matched with my little black firecracker. Through my struggles with her, and experiences with Aiden, Reece and Canyon, I’ve learned tons and developed self-confidence.

I’m hoping Cessna will never stop challenging me to become a better person, and that she will help me teach Rogue how to walk in her shoes.

Six Months Old

2011-10-13T13:55:00.005-04:00

Rogue is now 6 months old!

It’s hard to believe that she’s already been a part of our family for 125 days.

We’ve done a lot in those four months and she’s grown and matured tons.

Yesterday we took Rogue into Englehart and weighed her at the vet clinic. She now weighs 44.7lbs, which means she has gained almost 10lbs since September 13th. Her puppy coat no longer fits, so we are taking a bit of a break from public outings so that Huib has time to make her new one. He’s been quite busy with work, so hasn’t really had any time for anything other than sleep.

Since we misplaced our camera, I thought I’d share a picture of her brother Snickers. Snickers lives near Toronto, Ontario and weighs just under 50lbs.

Snickers at 6 weeks

Snickers at 6 months

Gone 2 Months

2011-10-12T21:28:00.005-04:00

It’s hard to believe I said goodbye to my faithful friend two months ago.

Things around the house are now beginning to change from how they were when Phoenix was here. I didn’t want to change things right away, but know that it’s healthy to start moving on. It’s just so hard to put his things away, and to remove some of the modifications we had made for him to get around easier, like extra carpet runners.

The dogs also seem to be getting back to their regular selves. Aspen isn’t moping around as much and Cessna is not as clingy.

I know we’ll all have our moments of wishing Phoenix was here, but it is nice to see that we can all move past our loss. I know this is what he would have wanted. He will always be in our hearts and the memories will never fade away.

I’ll leave you with a link to Avril Lavigne’s new song Wish You Were Here. Phoenix absolutely loved her music, so it’s kind of fitting that she would release this new song which says exactly what I’ve been feeling.

For those of my readers who are deaf or hard of hearing, here’s the lyrics.

I can be tough
I can be strong
But with you, it’s not like that at all

There’s a girl
Who gives a shit
Behind this wall
You’ve just walked through it

And I remember all those crazy things you said
You left them running through my head
You’re always there, you’re everywhere
But right now I wish you were here
All those crazy things we did
Didn’t think about it, just went with it
You’re always there, you’re everywhere
But right now I wish you were here

Damn, damn, damn
What I’d do to have you
here, here, here
I wish you were here.
Damn, damn, damn
What I’d do to have you
Near, near, near
I wish you were here.

I love the way you are
It’s who I am, don’t have to try hard
We always say, say like it is
And the truth is that I really miss

And I remember all those crazy things you said
You left them running through my head
You’re always there, you’re everywhere
But right now I wish you were here
All those crazy things we did
Didn’t think about it, just went with it
You’re always there, you’re everywhere
But right now I wish you were here

Damn, damn, damn
What I’d do to have you
here, here, here
I wish you were here.
Damn, damn, damn
What I’d do to have you
Near, near, near
I wish you were here.

No, I don’t wanna let go
I just wanna let you know
That I never wanna let go

(let go, let go, let go, let go)

No, I don’t wanna let go
I just wanna let you know
That I never wanna let go

(let go, let go, let go, let go)

Damn, damn, damn
What I’d do to have you
here, here, here
I wish you were here.
Damn, damn, damn
What I’d do to have you
Near, near, near
I wish you were here.

Damn, damn, damn
What I’d do to have you
here, here, here
I wish you were here.
Damn, damn, damn
What I’d do to have you
Near, near, near
I wish you were here.

Phoenix, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to have you here…

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-10-10T18:42:00.004-04:00

This weekend was Thanksgiving here in Canada. My step-dad and sister came to visit. Huib has been working a lot this week, so it was really nice to have the company of family. Today we had turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, turnip and corn. It was absolutely delicious!

With it being Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share five things I’m most thankful for.

1. I’m thankful for Huib. He has been an important part of my life since 2000, and I couldn’t imagine being without him.
2. I’m thankful for my dogs. They bring me smiles and laughter each day.
3. I’m thankful for family. Even though we’re a little dysfunctional, I know they will always have my back.
4. I’m thankful for my friends. Each one has added something special and unforgettable to my life. Even those who have moved on, have left me with lessons I would not have learned without their presence.
5. I’m thankful for the challenges I’ve been given in life. I think that if I had not had to deal with some of the “special” circumstances in life, I would not be the person I am today.

If you feel like it, please share five things you are thankful for in the comments section.

Is It Me?

2011-10-09T20:50:00.006-04:00

I’m frustrated.

I’m discouraged.

And, I’m not sure how to make things better.

Over the past month or so, I’ve been trying to set up a training session with the Border Collie Lady. We haven’t had a chance to continue our agility lessons since the end of May because of various scheduling issues. She competes in agility and conformation with her dogs, so a lot of her weekends were full. Then when Phoenix got sick, I really didn’t want to be away from him more than necessary. Over the past month though, I’ve been trying to set up a couple of sessions with her, but keep getting this excuse and that for why she cannot get together.

I understand that she is probably busy, but I also feel as though she is not truly interested in helping me. During our training sessions, I got the impression that she didn’t feel as though I could truly succeed in agility with limited sight, but I thought I could prove her wrong with time. I really enjoyed our sessions and felt as though she had tons to teach me, if I could only get past her preconceived notions regarding my abilities.

As far as I know, she has a sister who is blind, so I thought it would only take a bit of effort to win her over.

Well….

I’m now feeling as though I was sadly mistaken.

I don’t think she truly wants to help me. And I’m feeling discouraged.

I really, really want to compete in rally obedience and agility with Canyon, Cessna and Rogue, but I feel as though my skills are somewhat limited. I feel as though I need someone to watch me in action with each of them, and offer suggestions and advice regarding the areas we are struggling. I know I can succeed in these dog sports, but am really not sure I can do it without guidance. I find it helpful to have someone providing training structure and suggesting areas for improvement and new ways of overcoming challenges, but there really is no one else in our area except for the Border Collie Lady and a training program which seems to constantly cancel group classes they advertise on the radio.

After my experiences with the Border Collie Lady and previously Sue Alexander, I’m really beginning to wonder if I’m just too much work. I know Sue didn’t ask me to leave her program because of disability related concerns, but having negative experiences with two dog training programs, has really done a number on my self-confidence.

Is it me?

Are there things I need to change about myself?

Is it them?

Am I expecting too much of other people?

Should I just avoid dog training programs all together, and just educate myself?

These are things I need to consider, because the status quo is not working. If I want to achieve my dreams of competing, then I’m going to have to figure out where the problems lie. And, if it is me, then I need to figure out how to stop and change whatever I’m doing to scare off the people who can help.

Or, figure out a way to teach myself the things I need to know.

Any thoughts? Or words of wisdom?

Uninspired

2011-09-30T19:43:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posting this week, but I just haven’t had anything to write about.

Everyone is doing well.

Rogue continues to grow and mature into a wonderful little girl. She is still learning to control herself around food, but we have now started to feed her with everyone else in the kitchen. We have Aspen and Canyon eat together using the bowl table, she used to share with Phoenix, and Cessna eats with Rogue on the other side of the kitchen. Rogue can get really jumpy and overexcited when she sees the food being prepared, so we have started to attach her to a leash that is around one of the couch legs. She seems to calm right down once she has the leash connected to her collar, so I’m hoping that she will learn with time, to just chill out and wait for the bowls to be put down. Other than that, we have been working on loose leash walking and are really hoping to have her ready for a Rally-O competition in November. Of course it will depend upon how much we practice and on whether her CKC paperwork comes in, but we can hope right?

Other than that, I’ve been busy with school reading and assignments. I actually got my first assignment back today and received a stellar grade, so I’m happy about that. The group discussion portion of the course still frustrates me, but the professor is supposed to be reorganizing the groups after she has marked the assignments we handed in today. Today's assignment was to discuss and reflect on the group discussions and on how we felt our participation could be better. I’m not really sure this one went as well as the first assignment, but there are three other reflection papers to improve upon.

Nothing else is really new here. It has gotten really cold all of a sudden, so I’m sure we’ll have some snow pictures to share in the real near future. I was really hoping to have some more recent pictures of rogue to share with everyone, but it looks as though we have lost our camera. Maybe I’ll see if Huib can take some good ones with my IPhone.

For now, I'll leave you with a couple pictures Huib took in June of Aspen and Canyon.

Gone 13 Years

2011-09-25T20:12:00.002-04:00

It’s hard to believe, that just thirteen years ago, my mom was still a part of my life.

I know I’ve written about the death of my mom before, but I don’t think I’ve ever told the story of who she was.

Denise was just 39 when Juvenile Diabetes took her away. She was the mom of two teenage daughters, and the wife of a man who to this day, has never stopped loving her.

During her short life, Denise was a devoted, caring RPN (Registered Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse’s Assistant) at the York Central Hospital in Richmond Hill, Ontario. She worked on the geriatrics unit, and provided smiles and laughter for all patients and staff she encountered. To this day, her best friend, a fellow RPN, still misses her dearly.

In 1988, Denise injured her left foot while assisting a co-worker with transferring a patient from one bed to another.

It’s hard to think, that just ten years later my mom would leave us forever.

She was such an inspiration.

Such a loving person.

Even though my friends did not get a chance to know her as well as I did, her death still really effected them.

She loved to laugh.

Loved to tell jokes.

Loved to be surrounded by friends.

But, most of all, she loved her daughters.

It is for this reason, that Brandi and I still strive to keep her memory going.

And every day we hope, that we are still living up to her hopes and expectations.

Coincidental Timing

2011-09-21T07:41:00.005-04:00

On Sunday, it will be 13 years since my mother passed away. This anniversary has gotten me thinking about how each time I’ve gotten a new dog guide, someone special has left my life.

Mom passed away two months and two days after I was matched with Phoenix. She had a chance to get to know Phoenix, and thought he was the perfect dog for me. She enjoyed sharing her banana Popsicles with him, and would even offer to babysit if I had to go somewhere alone. She did not share this sort of relationship with Gryphon.

Granny passed away a month and fifteen days after I was matched with Cessna. She also got a chance to meet and sort of get to know her. She thought Cessna was a little rambunctious, but saw potential for a great worker.

Then recently, Phoenix passed away two months and a day after I picked up Rogue. He showed her a patience I had not seen him ever offer another puppy. He let her lick his face. He let her nap on top of him. He let her clean up crumbs he had dropped. And, I’m convinced he left her with a level of wisdom and maturity, I’ve never seen another five month old puppy possess.

Maybe it’s a coincidence, but it’s really got me wondering if I should stop getting new dog guides.

Please let’s hope I’m wrong.

Still Hurting

2011-09-20T09:45:00.004-04:00

It’s hard to believe Phoenix has already been gone for five weeks and five days.

I still find myself thinking about him each and every day.

Wondering where he is. Wondering what he’s doing.

Wondering if he misses me, as much as I miss him.

I’ve had people message me to say how much they are also missing Phoenix. He touched so many lives, that I know the pain of his absence is effecting not just our family.

I just don’t think people truly understand how empty I feel.

I’ve had people say they know how I’m feeling. But, I’m not sure they do.

I’m not sure how anyone can truly know how much I miss Phoenix. He was my partner for thirteen years. Even before Huib entered my life Phoenix was by my side.

He taught me the meaning of true loyalty.

He taught me the value of unconditional love.

He was with me through the toughest moments in life. He laid at my feet in the ICU, while I talked to my mom during her final hours. He gave me support when I watched my Granny leave this life.

Phoenix was also there during some of my major milestones. He walked me across the stage in high school. He walked me across the stage at the University of Guelph. He was there while I planned my wedding. And he helped Cessna become the companion I needed her to be.

With all the memories and all the love we shared, I really don’t understand how anyone can say they know how I am feeling.

Maybe you had a dog before that you loved, but they were not Phoenix and you are not me.

Maybe you were/are privileged to have shared your life with a service dog, but they were not Phoenix and you are not me.

Maybe you lost a friend who meant the world to you, but they were not Phoenix and you are not me.

Maybe you had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Phoenix, but you are not me and it was not the relationship we shared.

I talked to Huib a little while ago about my feelings surrounding how people keep telling me they know how I feel. I told him that only he could even close to understand the thoughts and emotions which plague me. He said that he could imagine how I was feeling, but that Phoenix and I shared a bond that not even he could explain. He said that even though he lived with Phoenix and watched him age, he could only wish for the relationship him and I developed. Phoenix refused to be anything other than a “Mommy’s boy”. Huib tried to be his buddy when Phoenix retired, but no matter how hard he tried, Phoenix constantly reminded him that he was not me.

Phoenix, Mommy misses you dearly. Even though I know you felt it was time to leave, it’s still hard to believe you’re gone. The house is so quiet and empty without your smile and wagging tail.

The others really miss you too.

Aspen still lies in the kitchen by the sink watching for you to come through the side door, or to appear in your favourite sleeping place.

Canyon has taken on the role of protector over the girls. He knows you’d want him to keep them safe, since that is what you did when you were here.

Cessna is quieter. She checks in with me constantly, making sure I’m okay. And she hates leaving me when we’re outside, worried I might need her help.

Rogue is so different. It’s like you’ve left your imprint upon her. She’s so much older and wiser for her age. And, she has taken over your job of being my constant shadow.

I hope we meet again. It may be a long time before I can be with you, but I know you’ve got people to keep you safe.

So, until then, rest in peace my faithful companion.

Student Woes

2011-09-20T09:41:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have returned to school. I am taking an online course and am so far finding it interesting. I’m having a bit of trouble getting back into the swing of student life, since I graduated from McMaster in June of 2007, but overall it’s going well.

I forgot how frustrating it can be to work within a group though…

With this course, we do not officially work together, but we do have discussion sections on the course website where we must post our thoughts on each unit’s subject and then reply to others at least twice within that week.

You’d think this was an easy task.

But, it’s not…

The group I have been assigned to, seems to be comprised of worse slackers than myself.

The first unit officially started on the 8th, but no one, including myself, posted their “original” post until late on the 15th. Only one other person posted something along with me, and then nothing else other than my response the following day to that individual, was done until the evening hours of the 18th, and the unit ended at 11:00pm. I had checked the website each day and checked in the afternoon of the 18th, but there was nothing, so I was left without the ability to post my second response.

I went on the site yesterday to see what the topic was for the second unit, and what should I see? Two more people had posted their “original” post around 10:00pm on the 18th, and one of them had posted responses to two people!!!

So frustrating!

I really, really want to do well in this course, but am not sure it will be possible if I don’t have the ability to fulfill my discussion obligations.

I know it is only the first week, but it’s still frustrating because I’m wondering if this week’s performance (or lack of) will be a pattern.

Rant is over.

Carnival Announcement

2011-09-18T12:36:00.002-04:00

It’s that time again.

The 5th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival has been announced!

This round is being hosted by Cyndy and Uschi of Gentle Wit.

And, the topic is “achievement”.

You can find more information here.

I hope you will join me. You don’t have to have a service dog or foster puppy, but can submit a post regarding these special canines. If you’d like to see some of my earlier Carnival entries, you can click here.

Five Months Old!

2011-09-15T10:42:00.009-04:00

Sorry for the late post, but we had some internet issues until late last night...one of the cell towers nearby had been damaged by lightening - aww...country life lol!

Rogue is now 5 months old!

She hasn’t really learned anything new because we’re trying to get her current commands to a point where she’ll do them anywhere, and under any circumstance.

The only new thing we’ve started to teach, is LLW or loose leash walking. So far she has had three lessons, and is doing quite well. We’re not yet at a point where we are naming the behaviour, but I’m sure that by the time she is 6 months, it’ll be second nature.

Since I don’t have five new behaviours she knows, or places she’s been, I thought I’d share the nicknames she’s acquired:

• Pupparoo (or Pupper for short)
• Roagie
• Baby Girl
• Little Monster
• Roagalini Boacachini (not sure where that came from lol!)

It’s amazing to see how much she’s grown over the past few months.

Rogue (Pinky) at 6 weeks

When we got her, she was just over 11lbs and could fit comfortably in the space between my elbow and wrist.

Rogue at 10 weeks

Now, she is 35.9lbs and 18 inches tall. Her orange, black and yellow puppy collar no longer fits, so she has graduated to a red and black one with large and small fire hydrants on it. Her coat is also getting to be snug, so Huib will need to start making her new one quickly.

Rogue at 4 months (this is the newest picture we have because I think we've lost our camera with the past few weeks of pictures on it...)

I also had a chance to get some updated pictures of one of her sisters.

Josie (Violet) at 6 weeks

Josie at 5 months (33.1lbs and 20 inches tall)

I'm hoping to get some updated pictures to share of her other siblings, but no one else has yet had a chance to send them to me.

National Guide Dog Month - Should You Pet?

2011-09-12T21:38:00.004-04:00

Sorry for slacking on these posts, but this weekend was pretty busy so I thought we’d just make it something that will happen each weekend this month – no “National Guide Dog Month” posts on weekends.

Today, Huib and I took Cessna and Rogue into town for a little sidewalk and intersection work. While walking the streets of Englehart, I heard a few people saying to their companions that they must not distract the working dogs. As I mentioned earlier in this post, we would actually like people to come up and ask to pet Rogue.

This got me thinking about all the service dog handlers who have a “absolutely no petting” policy, or who wish people would just stop asking.

Instead of taking the time to write a post about everything that has already been said by some other bloggers, I thought I’d just give links to their wonderful posts.

Teach Them Well by L^ & Jack

Don’t Pet by Nati & the Dogs

To Pet Or Not Pet A Guide Dog by Lynette & DeeDee

I am in the “ask, and I might let you pet my guide dog” camp.

I understand why some people have an “absolutely don’t pet my guide dog” policy.

And I understand why some get really annoyed by people constantly asking.

But, I have been blessed to have been matched with dogs who could care less about other people and their attempts at distracting them from their job.

I guess the bottom line is…to always ask someone before petting their dog, whether it’s a guide dog or pet. It’s just safer that way for everyone.

Where Were You?

2011-09-11T22:06:00.003-04:00

Over the past few weeks leading up to the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, the same question has been posed all over the radio, television and internet –

“Where were you?”

I’ve thought about this question for weeks. Where was I? What was I doing? Who was I with?

On September 11th, 2001:

• I was starting my 3rd year at the University of Guelph.
• I was living with Phoenix in residence.
• I had been dating Huib for ten months.
• I was looking forward to a bright future.

I remember that morning. I remember walking down the hall from my residence room. I remember hearing a lot of people crying and talking in the lounge. I remember hearing the television. I remember stopping at the door of the lounge to listen. And, I remember the feeling of shock that came over me.

I had not lost anyone that day. I had no real ties to America. But, I knew this day would change my life forever.

September 11th, 2001 is a day that should never be forgotten.

It is a day when we all learned that no one was safe. A day when the world stopped, and cried together. A day when thousands of people and special dogs were lost.

Please take a moment, to remember and thank all who were lost.

Happy Birthday!!

2011-09-10T10:29:00.005-04:00

Today is my husband’s 32nd birthday.

Huib never wants anything for his birthday and would much rather I not even acknowledge it. It is not because he is worried about aging, but because to him, it’s no fun getting gifts or being put into the spotlight.

Last year I surprised him, by having a half dozen roses delivered to his work. My sister went to the flower shop with me and we picked out a blue vase to hold a single blue rose with five white ones.

This year he is not working on his birthday and my sister is living four hours away, so I have decided to just take him for lunch and will have him pick out some new scrubs for work, when we go down to Guelph in October.

I would have loved to do more, but we live so far away from family and friends, so I guess this will have to due for now.

Happy 32nd Birthday Huib!

I love you lots and look forward to spending many more birthdays with you.

National Guide Dog Month - Psychiatric Service Dogs

2011-09-09T19:47:00.003-04:00

Today I thought we’d look at the controversial psychiatric service dog. You’re probably wondering why I call them “controversial”, it’s because this type of service dog can be easily confused with the therapy dog or emotional support dog.

Therapy dogs are personal pets which have been put through vigorous tests in order to be registered to visit public places, such as hospitals, long-term care homes and schools.

In contrast, psychiatric service dogs are special canines who are trained to perform specific tasks which mitigate the psychiatric disabilities of their human partners, whereas emotional support dogs are solely there fore “support”.

Both emotional support and therapy dogs do not have any special privileges in Canada, so must ride in the cargo holds of planes, remain outside public places, and do not qualify for residency in “pet free” housing.

Some of the tasks which psychiatric service dogs can be trained to do are:

• Wake up their client;
• Remind client to take medications;
• Track/find lost items;
• Lead client to a safe place;
• Alert client to oncoming symptoms;
• Check a room before client enters;
• Make space for client in crowded places;
• Provide pressure therapy when their client is feeling anxious; and
• Interfere with repetitive or harmful behaviours.

This link, will take you to a paper which discusses the results of a survey that looked at how psychiatric service dogs have effected the well-being of their clients.

Unlike guide dogs for the blind or service dogs for people with physical disabilities, the psychiatric service dog is still quite uncommon, so their clients often run into issues regarding public access. This issue is compounded by the fact that most clients do not have anything visibly wrong and there is still a large stigma surrounding mental illness, so clients are often reluctant to disclose why they need the dog and what tasks are performed.

This link, will take you to an article about a woman who owns and runs a program based in Guelph which provides psychiatric service dogs. I briefly volunteered with K-9 Helpers and had a chance to meet D’fer and see the amazing work he does for Sue. I also had the opportunity to participate in their weekly client sessions and observe the process Sue goes through when choosing, and later training a service dog candidate.

Psychiatric service dogs may not currently be a well-known type of canine assistant, but with the well documented benefits they provide for their clients, I’m sure they will soon be a common sight on our streets.

If you are left with any questions regarding anything I’ve written about, please don’t hesitate to leave a paw print in the comments section of the particular entry.

National Guide Dog Month - Poor Dog...

2011-09-08T17:14:00.007-04:00

This is harder than I thought it would be. It’s tough to think of topics to write about each day of the month. I’m only on like day four, and am already beginning to wonder if it is even worth my time. I like educating people about service dogs and dispelling some of the myths surrounding what the public thinks a service dog should be, but it’s really hard to think about what I should write that isn’t written somewhere else already.

If you have any questions for me or about service dogs in general please post them in the comments section and I’ll gladly take a moment to write about them.

So…now….what to write about today….

“Poor dog…”

The above comment is one I hear almost every day. It seems as though people think Cessna works day and night. It’s like they think she’s my slave.

In reality, Cessna works only in public places. And on average works less than 20 hours in a week.

Yes, there are weeks when I may need her to work more, but these are very rare. During those weeks, I spoil her with tasty treats and make sure to maximize the fun-factor during her “time off”.

Most days, Cessna is a couch potato.

She loves to get as much sleep as possible, even on days when she’s done nothing at all, you’ll be sure to find her curled up on our queen-sized pillow top mattress or sprawled out in the middle of the couch.

When she isn’t sleeping, Cessna loves to chase squirrels, birds, chipmunks and even Canyon when he’s retrieving a ball. I know guide dogs aren’t “supposed” to be chasing small critters, but Cessna isn’t your “typical” guide dog.

Cessna isn’t afraid to tell me when she needs a day off either. If she sees me getting ready to go somewhere, she’ll watch intently and if she isn’t in the mood, then I will usually find her pretending to nap on the bed. This is honestly a welcome change from the days I worked with Phoenix, because even if I wanted to leave him home, it just wasn’t going to happen.

Maybe there are service dogs out there who work non-stop, but this is definitely not Cessna.

Most times I will just ignore someone who makes the comment “poor dog…”, but on the rare occasion I have been known to stop and ask the commenter a few questions.

Me: “do you have a dog?”

Joe Public: “Yes.

Me: “May I ask where he or she is?”

Joe Public: “At home.”

Me: “Poor dog.”

Joe Public: “What do you mean?”

Me: “I feel bad for your dog having to sit home alone, while Cessna is out with me having a great time.”

At this point, the person usually just gives me a strange look (why do people give blind people dirty looks?) and walks away.

But, there are those, who will continue on trying to argue that their dogs are much happier than Cessna because they are not expected to “work all the time”.

At this point, I will usually ask them what they think she does, when we’re at home.

This usually makes them think a moment, and I will continue on my way because I’m not interested in listening any more.

In an earlier post, I wrote about an article I had read regarding PETA and their feelings surrounding service dogs.

There are other interesting comments I’ve heard during my public excursions with Cessna, but I’ll keep those for future posting.

National Guide Dog Month - Why Labs?

2011-09-07T17:11:00.008-04:00

Since the past two days have been focused on more serious topics, types of service dogs, I thought I’d look at something a little less “boring.

Often when I am out with Cessna, I have people ask me why labs are the main breeds used for guide dogs. I think this is a pretty interesting question, so decided to do a little research.

According to this website, 60-70% of guide dogs in the U.S. are Labrador Retrievers.

All three colours of labs have been used for guide work, but there are some programs in the U.S. who will not use chocolates. The coat colour of a lab does not make a difference in temperament or trainability, but there is still this sad myth. And, if the breeder at Wylanbriar hasn’t convinced you that these myths regarding chocolate labs are unfounded, then take a look at this post, written a while back by our friends, L^ and Jack.

If intelligence was the number one decision-making factor regarding which breeds would make the best guide dogs, then labs would have to move over for the border Collie and German Shepherd. It is a well known fact that labs are not considered the smartest breed, but there are many other traits which help these floppy eared goofballs excel in the field.

Some of the personality traits which make the lab a perfect choice for guide work, are:
• Their willingness to please;
• their ability to easily adapt to new people/surroundings;
• their ability to “bounce back” quickly when startled; and
• their trainability.

But, the most important quality, which makes the breed such a great guide dog for the blind, is their “stubborn streak”. It is important for a guide dog to obey, but in times of danger they must choose to go against their partner’s wishes, without concern, therefore this is an area in which the lab far exceeds the qualifications of other breeds.

I have only had personal experience with the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever, but will always choose a lab for my working partner. I have found my relationship with Cessna and Phoenix before her, to be one of true teamwork and dedication. Cessna has been working with me for six years now, but still thrives on being challenged and asked to work in highly stimulating environments. She constantly looks to me for direction, but will also take charge and guide me through some of the most difficult surroundings with a continuous smile on her face.

My goldens are softer. They find it tough to adapt to new environments at first, and become almost frantic if they can’t follow. I don’t find they possess the same level of desire to please and willingness to learn that my labs offer.

I’m sure there are labs out there who are not going to make great guide dogs, and goldens who would be great candidates for the job, but in my experience, I prefer the lab by far for working and the golden as a pet and/or competition partner.

This link, will take you to a page on the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners website, which discusses some of the points that should be considered when deciding upon which breed might best suit your needs.

Come back tomorrow for another installment of our National Guide Dog Month entries.

National Guide Dog Month - Seizure Response Dog

2011-09-05T22:41:00.008-04:00

***This post was supposed to show up this morning, but since I saved it in drafts last night, it decided to post as another Monday post***

Yesterday, we looked at autism service dogs, so today I thought we’d look at another less common type of service dog, the seizure response dog.

According to Epilepsy Newfoundland And Labrador (2011):

• 300,000 Canadians have epilepsy.
• 1 in 2000 Canadians are diagnosed each year.
• 38 people on average are told they have epilepsy each day.
• 60% of these cases each year, are children or the elderly.

Even though some dogs have been known to detect seizures, it is not a skill which most possess. Therefore, guide dog programs such as The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, have taken it upon themselves to train dogs to respond to their client’s physical cues.

Similar to the application process for other service dogs, individuals must first decide whether they have the financial, emotional and physical ability to support a canine assistant. They must then go through a vigorous screening process to make sure they can provide a suitable environment for the dog to thrive, and to make sure they truly understand what skills a seizure response dog can perform.

Some of the skills which these special canines can be trained to do are:

• to stay beside their client during a seizure;
• bark for attention;
• fetch medications;
• get the telephone, or
• alert a caretaker.

In this article, you can read about how the media has created some unfortunate expectations surrounding the job of a seizure response dog.

Even though there are some limitations regarding the job of a seizure response dog, these special canines continue to bring happiness into the lives of their clients through providing them with a sense of safety and independence they did not formerly possess. This link will take you to the stories of four seizure response teams which were sponsored by a private registered charity called Care-Alive.

Please join me tomorrow, when I discuss another guide dog related subject.

If there is anything in particular you might want me to examine, please leave a comment.

National Guide Dog Month - Autism Service Dogs

2011-09-05T09:51:00.009-04:00

September is National Guide Dog Month. I’m about five days behind, but since it seems to be mainly celebrated in the U.S., I thought my tardiness was acceptable.

Since this blog has been a little lacking in interesting and factual information, I thought I’d post some service dog related entries for the next25 days.

I began
my blogging journey during March of 2008, when we started fostering, Aiden,
for Autism Dog Services.

Here's a picture of Aiden that was taken in Toronto in June of 2008.

Therefore, I think I will start my National Guide Dog Month entries, with a post on autism service dogs.

Autism service dogs perform a wide variety of tasks, such as help curb unwanted behaviours, encourage interaction with others, and provide independence. Unlike traditional service programs though, such as the ones which train guide dogs, there is a little less consistency surrounding the training of these special canines.

Some of the skills which they have been known to perform are:

• Act as an anchor to keep children from bolting into traffic;
• Alert their child’s guardian to harmful behaviour (such as an attempt to escape);
• Search for their child in the event of a successful escape;
• Help their child calm down and/or handle highly stimulating environments; and
• Provide a bridge for social interactions.

Even though there are many benefits to having an autism service dog, it is important to look at how a dog’s presence might change the family dynamics. Not every child will find a dog comforting. And not every family will find a service dog helpful. Some families will start the process of attaining a service dog, only to find out that the added responsibilities and public pressures are too much. They may also find that their child is disinterested in the dog and that the dog’s desire to be nearby is too overwhelming.

In this article from February of 2003, you will read about two boys (Scotty and Riley), who are learning about how different life can be with their autism service dogs.

In this second article, you will read about Aiden’s sister Amber, and the process Katie’s family went through to find out whether a dog was right for her.

Here's a picture of Amber with her brother Aiden, that was taken in October of 2008 at the St. Jacob's Market.

Currently, there are only four programs in Canada which provide autism service dogs.

• National Service Dogs;
• Autism Dog Services;
• Dogs with Wings, and more recently,
• The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.

With the seemingly endless requests for these special canines, I’m very certain that we will soon see more programs offering autism service dogs, and that it may become just as common to see one as it is to see guide dogs who assist the blind and visually impaired.

Come back tomorrow to learn more about our special canine helpers.

(Just a closing note, I got most of my information through a basic Google search, but also took some points from an article inspired by the book “Animal-Assisted Interventions For Individuals With Autism” by Merope Pavlides)

Puppy Love

2011-09-04T12:50:00.006-04:00

Rogue has been with us for almost three months. I know this will sound cliché, but I honestly feel as though she was meant to be with us.

Ever since the day we picked her up, Rogue has been wiggling her way into our hearts.

She has more personality than any puppy I have ever raised or met.

She far exceeds our expectations daily.

And, to add to this all…she’s extremely cuddly and affectionate.

I know this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyways…

I LOVE this puppy!!

Cessna's Raisers

2011-09-02T20:18:00.003-04:00

Over the past six months or so, I’ve been debating whether it’s worth continuing to keep in touch with Cessna’s raisers.

During the first four to five years of being a team, her raisers e-mailed regularly and when I wrote, would ask numerous questions about how she was doing.

Over the past year or so though, this has stopped.

About six months ago, I wrote them to give an update since we had not heard anything in a while. And to let them know Cessna had been diagnosed with tiny cataracts in both eyes. I thought they would have written back worried, wondering whether she would be able to continue working. Instead, I got a message which asked questions about other things I’d told them, and that said “Oh, that would not be good to have a blind guide dog”. They did not refer to Cessna by name. They did not ask what the veterinarian had said about the cataracts. They did not even ask about how she was enjoying winter or how she was doing otherwise.

This message had me concerned and sort of put off in regards to wanting any further communication.

I waited four to five months, to see if they wood write…they didn’t.

So, a day or so ago, I wrote with another update and to let them know Phoenix had passed away. I thought I would try giving them another chance to show me they still cared and even tried to put things into the message that would have them ask further questions.

Well, I got a message back and again there was nothing said or asked about Cessna – I was crushed.

I’m not sure if I’m just being silly, but I really am not sure I want to write them anymore.

Maybe it’s just an accidental oversight on their part.

Maybe they’re so busy with her foster mom’s adult daughter that they’ve had to put other interests on the back burner.

Or maybe Cessna just isn’t as important to them anymore.

I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know that this lack of caring is bothering me.

I’m honestly stuck. I don’t know if I should continue writing and just give them the benefit of the doubt. Or if I should just leave things alone and see how long it takes for them to take the initiative to write.

New Liskeard

2011-08-27T12:19:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Huib and I took Cessna and Rogue into New Liskeard to get some groceries. New Liskeard is about thirty minutes away, and provides many opportunities for getting almost anything you might want. Over the past week, Huib has been working a lot. And the week before, we didn’t really have a lot of desire to go very far from home.

So, we thought it was time to do some more extensive public training with Rogue, practicing her sits, downs, waits and starting to teach her some “loose leash walking”.

Cessna was guiding wonderfully. She was a little distracted by all the seagulls in the parking lot outside New Liskeard’s tiny mall, but she never once made any mistakes. I don’t think she really enjoys the trips where we do less continuous walking, and more practicing/teaching, but she was surprisingly patient.

Rogue was really excited to be out and about. She was eager to get started and investigate the world. Huib first got her to pee before putting on her “Service Dog In Training” jacket, and then proceeded to walk towards the mall doors. He stopped each time Rogue was pulling, and waited for her to return to his side while in the parking lot. This made the short walk, quite long. Once at the doors, Huib had Rogue sit and wait, while he opened it and only calling her through if she was still in the sitting position. Rogue seemed to transfer what we’d been doing with her at home to this situation, so it did not take much time for her to give Huib what he wanted. Once in the mall, she was pretty distracted at first. After having to stop several times, just trying to walk a few feet, I suggested we try using the clicker – clicking and treating when she was in the correct LLW position. It did not take Rogue long to figure out where she needed to be to get a treat, but of course, this being her first real LLW lesson, she will need further instruction. We tend to only use the clicker at home when we’re teaching new behaviours because Huib finds it tough paying attention to Rogue, where Cessna is guiding me, and clicking to be too much work. Now that he has seen how much the clicker is helping with teaching Rogue the correct walking position though, I think he will be more open to using it outside the house. In addition to asking Rogue for LLW, and a sit/wait at all doors, we would only allow her to greet other people if she was sitting nicely. It's amazing to see how educated people are in the north, about not bothering service dogs, we actually went over to people we heard telling their children not to bother the dogs to ask if we could use them in teaching Rogue manners. When living in Southern Ontario, it wasn't this difficult to find people, willing to just come up, and ask to pet the dogs lol!

I think the main two successes of this trip were that:
• Rogue did not have one accident

AND

• Rogue didn’t once pull like a sled dog

National Dog Day

2011-08-26T11:16:00.002-04:00

Today is National Dog Day. It is an annual event, to bring attention to the dogs in need of homes, and to recognize the pet and working dogs who selflessly provide companionship and safety everyday.

You can learn more about this wonderful event by checking out this link.

Since this blog is mainly dedicated to my life with dogs, I thought, why not write yet another post which honours my canine companions.

First, I’d like to dedicate Bryan Adams’ song You’ve Been A Friend To Me, to them all.

The words of this song, ring so true. My dogs have been with me through thick or thin. They don’t judge me for how I look or for the way I dress. They forgive me for being irrational at times. And they don’t leave my side when I’m ill or in tears.

Each of them has provided me with some level of companionship. And each one has helped me feel safe, both emotionally and physically.

Being married to a nurse means you are alone a lot of the week because they are working anywhere from two to five days, depending on whether they’re doing eight or twelve hours at a time. My dogs are the only reason I can stay home alone in the middle of nowhere and still feel safe. If Cessna hears something, she’ll begin to bark, which alerts the others to either start barking or in Rogue’s case, look out the window behind the couch. Most times it is nothing, or at least I don’t notice anything, but I often wonder if maybe the dogs and their presence is part of what keeps it being nothing.

Cessna has been my dog guide for six years now and not once has she ever put me in harms way. She seems to always know when my attention is somewhere else and will actually shoreline )walk along) a set of stairs she is trying to tell me about with it on her side, until I notice and give her a sign that it is okay to listen to my “forward” command. I have corrected her and/or spoken firmly, trying to get her to obey, but she will continue to use “intelligent disobedience” until she knows I am actually aware of what she is showing me. This has also happened on the sidewalk when there was a barrier to show construction. We were walking to a place I knew well and when Cessna started to move onto the grass, I corrected her and firmly asked for a “forward” because I did not realize the barrier was in our way, and thought she was being silly. She proceeded to try walking onto the grass again, but I still did not realize something was in our way, so corrected her more firmly and ask for a “forward”. At this point, Cessna knew I still did not understand, so sat and just looked up in a questioning manner. It was then, that I realized she had been trying to tell me something and felt out in front of her, finding the construction barrier. I felt like such a jerk! So, I told her how good she was and then asked for a “forward”, she took me onto the grass, around the barrier, and once we were back onto the sidewalk, we had a party! If it weren’t for Cessna’s trust and willingness to “disobey”, I know there could have been times when I would have fallen.

These are just small snippets into my life with the dogs, and how their presence effects me each and every day. If they were not around, I can definitely tell you that I would not feel the same level of companionship and safety, that I do right now.

Thank you Cessna, for putting up with my mistakes and for looking out for my safety.

Thank you Aspen, for the constant smiles and surprising moments of safety you provide.

Thank you Canyon, for making me laugh with your toy obsession, and with watching over the girls (Cessna, Aspen & Rogue) as they play outside.

And, thank you Rogue, for being my snuggle buddy, and for doing your little part in keeping the house free of “invaders”.

Without all of you, life just wouldn’t be the same.

Please try to do a little something special for your canine companions today.

Grieving

2011-08-25T11:08:00.004-04:00

These entries are probably getting annoying, but I honestly don’t care because this is my blog, and the loss of Phoenix has left a gaping hole in my heart.

It has been two weeks since Phoenix left us, to walk across the Rainbow Bridge.

This means for…

14 days, I’ve woken up several times a night hoping to hear his shuffling feet or quiet snores.

336 hours, I’ve wondered who met him on his journey.

20,160 minutes, I’ve thought about the incredible memories we’ve shared.

And for 1,209,600 seconds, I’ve wished for just one more moment with him to make sure he’s okay.

I know time will heal these wounds, but right now it seems as though I will never be able to move on without Phoenix by my side.

In respect to the other canine members of the family, Rogue really seems to have matured overnight. It’s like Phoenix has left an ever lasting impression upon her. She still has her moments of silly puppiness, but her attentiveness and ability to learn what is expected of her, seems to have sky rocketed beyond her developmental age.

Cessna and Canyon don’t really seem phased by Phoenix’s absence, but I have noticed a bit more protectiveness over me from Canyon and that they just seem to be a little a little less energetic.

Here's a picture my sister took of Phoenix and Cessna while she was attending Georgian College and we had brought them to visit her in residence.

Aspen is a little more noticeably bothered by the absence of her best friend. She lies by the door or the kitchen sink all day, where she can watch for Phoenix to return to his favourite sleeping spot. Her stomach seems to have improved since our return from London (where she had horrible bouts of diarrhea for days after Phoenix left), but she really doesn’t seem to have much energy to play. And, she doesn’t really want to pay much attention to us or even sleep in our room at night.

This picture was taken in the fall of probably 2007, on a side street near our Guelph condominium.

This picture was taken before I was placed with Cessna, so most likely in the summer of 2004 or spring of 2005.

Rest in peace our friend, we’re all feeling your absence, but know you’ll continue to watch over us for as long as you can.

Back To School

2011-08-23T08:24:00.004-04:00

In June, I talked about wanting to return to school. I had decided to register as a non-degree student, and am hoping to take a course or two each semester between now and the fall of 2013. I’m tired of doing nothing, other than training with my dogs, reading books and cleaning the house. I know Huib does not hold my inability to get a job against me, but I still feel as though I’m wasting my life, sitting around.

Yesterday was the start of course selection, so Huib logged into my student profile, and registered me for this course.

When I was a student at the University of Guelph from 1999 to 2004, I majored in Criminal Justice & Public Policy, which primarily meant I took courses from the sociology and political sciences departments. I really enjoyed the political sciences, so focused mainly in this area when I had a choice, so there are actually very few courses left for me to take now that I am re-entering student life.

I was attracted by this new course, Governing Criminal Justice, because not only will it focus on areas that interest me, but it is also primarily writing based, and there is no final examination. I haven’t done a final exam in over four years, so I thought it would be best to start off taking a course that was writing based, since this is something I’m quite good at. I am not a creative writer, but give me a topic to research and I have no issues producing a paper that might just knock your socks off.

I’m not sure what the future holds in terms of my ability to find employment, but in the meantime I think I’ll try and better my educational background, so that I might be able to complete a masters when we move back to Southwestern Ontario.

Just Canyon & Rogue

2011-08-21T15:17:00.012-04:00

Here are some random pictures from the past few weeks that we found on the camera.

It's tough being a puppy...

Rogue, you're supposed to be doing something...other than playing!

Isn't he a handsome boy?

Rogue Randomness

2011-08-20T10:16:00.006-04:00

I thought I’d post an entry about some random Rogue news.

I got a message from Rogue’s breeder the other day and was informed that our first choice for her registered name has gone through!

Now, without further a due, let me present to you…

RLR’s Babe In Total Control

Doesn’t this formal name seem so fitting?

I wanted it to actually be Babe In Total Control Of Herself (see what the first letters of each word put together gives you?), but the Canadian Kennel Club only allows for thirty characters, including the breeder’s name, punctuation and spaces.

You’re probably all wondering where this name came from. Well, I was reading some of the entries Jess, of At A Glacial Pace,
wrote before I knew her and was inspired by this particular one.

In other news. Huib helped me measure Rogue the other day, and she’s huge! At just over 4 months of age, she is already 17 inches tall, 15 inches long, and about 30lbs!!

To give you all a comparison, we also measured Canyon, who is a 2 year old intact male golden retriever. He is 22 inches tall, 22 inches long and 77lbs! To be honest though, I actually thought Canyon was taller than that, since Cessna and Aspen are actually around the same height lol!

The changes in Rogue that we’ve noticed over the past week seem to be staying. It’s almost like we’ve mixed up our puppy with someone else’s. She was never a bad puppy, but she just seems so much further in her training and maturity than before our trip to London/Guelph last week. I’m not sure if it’s going to be short lived, or if witnessing Phoenix’s departure caused the changes, but it’s honestly mind boggling. She’s still testing us when it comes to her recall, but it’s like all of a sudden, she’s able to chill for long periods of the day, she’s extremely attentive and people oriented, and her obedience commands seem to be clicking. She’s also down to having about an accident every 2-4 days, so I think she’s well on her way to being house trained.

Yesterday Huib and I thought we’d take all the dogs into town to do some training in a park. Aspen will never be a competition dog, she’s just to timid and set in her ways, but we thought she could use the practice and might like being more involved. Cessna on the other hand could always use the practice and we knew she would be a great role model for the others, so of course she came along.

There is a sheltered area in the park where they’ve set up several benches around the edges, so we attached everyone’s leash to a spot where they couldn’t bother one another. Then, we had everyone go into a down and started to walk from dog to dog, only giving out treats if they were in the same position we left them in. this is an exercise I learned during my classes with Dogs In the Park.

Cessna was an absolute star, not budging once from her down-stay. She had some trouble with her sit-stays though, always going back into a down after I walked away or within a few seconds of getting her treat, so we’ll need to work on those.

Aspen was actually surprisingly good at remaining in her down and for part of the lesson, in her sits.

Canyon was pretty good at his down-stays, but I think he got bored after a bit so would try seeing if I noticed him get up lol! I’d just wait and then walk over quickly with a reward if he went back down. His sit-stays were non-existent though, so we’ll definitely have to practice.

With Rogue I am using the word “wait” because I don’t want to teach the “stay” until she is ready for her guiding commands. The “stay” command is really important in guiding so I don’t want to teach it wrong. She did pretty well with her down-waits, holding some for as long as 3-5 minutes before getting up again. I haven’t really done something like this with her, so I was quite impressed with how well she caught on. Like the others, her sit-waits were pretty terrible, but I’d have to say they were definitely better than Cessna and Canyon’s lol!

I think Huib and I are going to try and do these group lessons at least once a week, since they seemed to give Aspen some confidence and Rogue and Canyon will benefit from the distractions – especially if I want to trial with them.

I’ll try and get Huib to take some pictures next time we’re at the park, we had forgotten the camera on the coffee table.

Time Moves On

2011-08-18T07:50:00.003-04:00

1 week ago…

I lost my friend.

7 days ago…

I lost a loyal companion.

168 hours ago…

I lost a teacher.

10080 minutes ago…

I said good bye to my free-spirited boy.

604800 seconds ago…

I had to leave behind the one, who taught me the true value of unconditional love.

Rest in peace my beautiful, old boy...

Who Stole My "Get Up And Go"

2011-08-17T13:35:00.002-04:00

I have no motivation to do anything.

I have no real desire to play fetch with Canyon.

I have no energy to train with Rogue.

I have no will to get up from the couch and do anything more than surf the internet or read a book.

I’m so blessed to have the dogs I do.

While I write this blog entry…

Rogue is using my hip as a pillow.

Canyon is napping by my feet.

Cessna is sprawled out on the love seat.

And aspen is snoozing by the side door.

I guess we’re all lacking in the motivation department.

Four Months Old

2011-08-13T19:57:00.014-04:00

Today Rogue is four months old.

Here are 4 new commands she has learned this month:

1. Down
2. Off (used when she jumps up or to have her get off furniture)
3. Leave It
4. Up (used to have her jump up onto furniture or into the truck)

This past month has been a little stressful with Phoenix, so we really haven’t had a chance to do too much with our little girl.

Other than some training each day at home, we’ve taken Rogue and Cessna to see two movies at a local theatre (Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows and Pirates of The Caribbean), in addition to the usual shopping adventures, when Huib has had some time off.

Otherwise, Rogue has already gotten four of her very front adult teeth, and has almost grown out of her first collar and puppy coat.

Here are some pictures from our St. Jacob’s Market trip we took last month.

Phoenix Has Taken Flight

2011-08-13T18:48:00.003-04:00

I know most of you probably already know, but Phoenix, left us on Thursday afternoon.

I’ve lost…

My beloved companion.

My loyal friend.

And, the one who taught me the value of unconditional love.

It was a tough decision, but I knew it was what he wanted. Dr B felt he was telling us he was tired and needed to rest. She checked him over thoroughly and found nothing obviously wrong, except that his heart was beating rapidly. Huib says his heart was probably filling up with toxins from not eating and using up his own energy reserves. Dr B told us she could do some tests, to check for cancer or give him pain killers to see if he improved, but she felt he had already made his decision.

Phoenix has always lived his life on his own terms, so it just seems fitting that he would be the one to decide when to leave.

It’s been a rough couple of days, but I know he’s enjoying his new home with friends and family of both the human and canine variety.

I know he’ll always be with me in spirit.

And I know it will take time for the wounds to heal.

It’s just lonely around here without hearing him shuffling around or snoring lightly in the night.

Rest in peace my sweet, old friend.

We’ll all miss you, but know you’re in a better place.

I'm still here

I stood beside your bed last night
I came to have a peek
I could see that you were crying
You found it hard to sleep
I whined to you softly
As you brushed away a tear
"It's me, I haven't left you,
I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."
I was close to you at breakfast
I watched you pour the tea
You were thinking of the many times
Your hands reached down to me
I was with you at the shops today
Your arms were getting sore
I longed to take your parcels
I wish I could do more
I was with you at my grave today
You tend it with such care
I want to reassure you
That I'm not lying there
I walked with you toward the house
As you fumbled for your key
I gently put my paw on you
I smiled and said "It's me."
You looked so very tired
And sank into a chair
I tried so hard to let you know
That I was standing there
It's possible for me to be
So near you everyday
To say to you with certainty
"I never went away."
You sat there very quietly
Then you smiled, I think you knew
In the stillness of that evening
I was very close to you.
The day is over...
I smile and watch you yawning
And say "Good night, God bless,
I'll see you in the morning."
And when the time is right
For you to cross the brief divide
I'll rush across to greet you
And we'll stand side by side
I have so many things to show you
There is so much for you to see
Be patient, live your journey out
And then come home to be with me

Feeling Helpless

2011-08-11T00:13:00.005-04:00

It will soon be a month, since Phoenix started refusing food. It’s been a really tough month.

Especially the past few days.

I feel as though I should be doing something.

But, I’m at a loss for what to do.

We’ve tried feeding him anything he will take. This worked at first, but now he’s refusing everything.

We’ve tried forcing him to eat, but this only works to a point. We put homemade beef jerky or hot dogs onto his tongue near the back and wait until he swallows.

Today, we’ve decided to try creating a puree. Huib got some catheter syringes from work so we can squeeze the puree into his cheek and wait for him to swallow. We’ve been doing this with his glucosamine and anti-inflammatory for the past couple of days, and it really seems to be working out, so we’re hoping the pureed food idea will as well.

I know we’re grasping at straws here, but I can’t just sit back and watch him dwindle away because I didn’t try everything possible to save him.

Tomorrow at 1:00pm, we have an appointment with Dr B. I’m not sure what she will tell us, but I don’t foresee it being good. I think we’ll have some blood drawn, and have her look him over, but I’m not sure what else she will do.

Phoenix still gets up to drink water and go outside. But, he spends the rest of the day, sleeping. I try bringing him over to wherever we’re sitting, but often he’ll just get up and go to his favourite spots to sleep.

I really feel as though I’m about to lose my beloved companion.

This picture was taken around Christmas time, a few weeks after his recovery from his sudden onset of Idiopathic vestibular Disease.

I just hope it’s on his terms, and not through a decision I may be forced to make.

Fun In the Sun

2011-08-07T18:13:00.014-04:00

Red Labrador Retrievers reunion.

Cessna is really hard to take pictures of, so we rarely get any good ones to post.

Canyon sure does like that toy!

Canyon, Cessna and Rogue joined Huib and I in Waterloo.

Even the old guy wanted in on the summer fun.

Still a Mommy’s Boy.

This was a really neat picture Huib got.