Stairs!

To break the time up during a long drive to Baraga in the U.P., FLD Henry and I stop at the Cut River Bridge. It turned out to be a good opportunity to practice stairs.

A LONG staircase down to Lake Michigan. While the landings are wood, the stairs are open metal grates.

FLD Henry hasn't seen stairs like these!

"I got this!"

The river-view of the Cut River Bridge.

Playmates for Henry

Two sets of dog guests took the puppy-heat off Gus recently.

FLD Henry thinks, "What? Four-legged guests?"

First, retired Leader Dog "mom" Amber and cc'd Autumn came to visit. They stayed for more than a week.

All pups sat when asked, except "melted chocolate" Amber. From left to right is cc'd Gus, retired mom Amber, FLD Henry and his bestest playmate, cc'd Autumn.

One weekend, two German Shorthaired Pointers came to play. Oh, and to chase chipmunks around the woodshed.

Odo and Gauge mingle with Gus, Autumn and Amber. FLD Henry is not in the mix. Yet.

The play begins. Can you spot FLD Henry in the background peering at the action?

It is interesting how the dogs sorted themselves out. Gus and Odo paired up. Momma Amber sometimes acted as the fun police and barreled her body between pairs to break things up. Old-man Gauge, who doesn't play as much as he used to, found Autumn to be a sweet young thing.

Gauge and Autumn hit it off. Dog-play can seem scary.

But all is well as the pups are called out of play. FLD Henry is the only one who notices the dropped piece of kibble.

FLD Henry was not too shy, and eventually got into the fray. Autumn seemed to be his favorite playmate, she adjusted her play with the little guy. Gus will miss her when she goes home!

FLD Henry waits at the bedroom door. Gotta love a puppy that asks to go to bed in the evening!

Gandhi Gus

black lab melts on mat

yellow puppy snuggles up

baby teeth on snout

As soon as I grabbed my camera, FLD Henry snapped his head away from Gus as if to say, "What? I wasn't doing anything!"  Gus just rolls his eyes.

1st day of school

Hanging out at the Rose City Elementary School on the first morning after Labor Day is a fun way to give FLD Henry some "kid" exposure. Many of the kids remember me from when I brought FLDs Scout and Dutch to their classrooms. They are happy to meet my new puppy, and gracious about asking to pet him even when I tell them, Sorry, not today!

Two students ask me to take their picture with FLD Henry. I happily oblige.

FLD Henry winks at the camera as I take a quick photo of him with a new fifth-grader.

The school changed the bus drop-off to the other end of the parking lot, so FLD Henry and I walk over to see the kids disembark. A teacher standing nearby exclaims to the students, "Oh, look! She's got a new puppy!" The kids are all very good about waving "hi" and enter the school without engaging Henry.

One of the bus drivers steps down and spots us. "Oh puppy!" she squeals as she approaches, bending over as if she is going to scoop Henry up in her arms. Henry, I say. The little guy whips his head to me. With a quick YES I mark his attentive behavior. As I reach down to give it to him I ask the woman not to pet him.

She admonishes, "I've raised 12 of them, I know what's what!" She continues to coo at Henry from a foot or so away, leaning over with her hands on her knees. If she knows "what's what" I wonder why she is still carrying on.

Henry forgets about me and gets up from his sit. I call his name again but his leash tightens as he strains to greet her. I wait. He sits back down and looks back at me. YES I say again. He gets another treat. Now he's mine again.

"He is really focused on you," the woman says. "That's very good!"

 

With the distracting bus driver gone, FLD Henry sits nicely for a photo.

Gus's mat

This is where I'd rather find Henry hanging out next to Gus.

Couch. Not.

Uncle Gus tolerates a snuggled from Mr. Henry.

Oh Henry!

Someone has found his voice.

FLD Henry croons a tune during Cousino High School's first football game.

Maybe he didn't like sitting on the opposing side of the field.

"Shall I sing another?"

Bigfoot owls?

Eleven p.m. The last park of the evening. Gus busts out of the back door and pops into his hey-who's-out-there huff and puff. An owl howls in the north from the dark woods down the hill.

Mr. Henry leaps off the short wooden step and hits the "pea garden" running. He slides under my wooden arbor-seat with a rooster-tail of pea stone, turns and sits. What's that?!

The owl hoots again, this time a bit closer. Gus hops a few feet on stiff front legs and puffs his chest in his best act of protection. He throats a deep bark, yet holds his ground. Henry shrinks further under the seat.

The air feels like fall. I am glad for my hoodie, figuring I'm going to have to wait Henry out before he feels safe enough to park. I don't mind lingering. I look up. The past-new-moon sky is brilliant; after a few days of rain it is nice to be in awe of the Milky Way again.

The owl continues with a long, drawn out whoooo-who-hoot-whoooo! It seems even nearer. Gus woofs louder and my imagination goes wild. Is something rustling there in the brush? Why does an image of Bigfoot pop into my head?

Henry darts out beyond the pea garden onto the grass, pees and heads for the door. I don't mind that he parks on the grass this time.

Let's go inside!  Gus whips around and beats us in.

I doubt that Henry totally emptied his bladder. He wakes me with a whimper at 4 a.m. When I take him out the sky is clouded over and all is still. He uses the pea garden this time.

Lucky me

First night

     last park: 11 pm

     first, second and third park: 2 am, 4:30 am, 6 am

Second night

     last park: 11 pm

     first and second park: 4 am, 6:30 am

Last night

     last park: 11pm

     first park: 6:30 am!

Good boy Henry!

A sleepy FLD Henry.

A tear -dryer, not only for me

I carry FLD Henry from the car across the park to meet Tammy. She is sitting in the pavilion waiting for us. I set the sleepy pup down some 20 feet away and wait for him to "park."

A short, round man strolling with a rounder old dog along a perimeter fence line spots Henry. "A baby!" he exclaims and picks up his pace to a slow walk. I hadn't even had Henry for two hours and already he is attracting attention. I shouldn't be surprised. Henry is an adorable puppy.

FLD Henry shakes off.

Henry pees before the man reaches us. (Yay!) I snap him up into my arms. The man is disappointed that I don't let him meet his dog.

"He hasn't had all his shots, yet," I say. The man's dog, some kind of beagle mix, is overweight, has cloudy eyes and a myriad of gnarly red tumors sprouting from her snout, ears, paws and just about everywhere. 

"She's on her last leg," the man says. "And so am I." He lifts his shirt slightly to show us a black bag and holster belted around his waist. "This is my mechanical heart. I'm getting a transplant and I won't be able to get another puppy. It's a bad time for me."

I step forward. "You can pet him," I say. The man asks, "Can I hold him?" I hand over Henry, who snuggles into his neck as the man buries his face against his fur. The man takes a deep breath. "Puppies always smell so good!" he sighs.

"This is Henry," I say. "Henry!" the man exclaims. "Sadie, where's Henry?" Sadie has curled up a few feet away, glad for the break. I'm worried the man will bring Henry down to greet her. 

"My Sadie has a favorite stuffed toy named Henry," the man explains. Sadie isn't interested, she seems content to rest. I reach to retrieve my puppy. Instead, the man slips the handle of Sadie's retractable leash into my hand and begs me to let him hold Henry for just a little longer. The man eases himself onto the picnic table bench and begins to quietly cry into Henry's shoulder.

Henry quietly accommodates him.

FLD Henry takes a nap under our picnic table. It's hard work lending a shoulder to cry on!

Introducing...

It is never easy. But there comes a time when we are called to make that hard decision and give our pets a gift of peace. This week it was time for my Gypsy. At 14, my anxious mutt had too much pain.

We let her go.

My old Gypsy-doodle enjoys a bit of sun.

Over the last several years, Gypsy kept a string of Future Leader Dog (FLD) puppies in line (and off the furniture). She helped raise Rosie, Mike, Gus, Scout and Dutch. She also kept some part-timers in line. FLDs Bear and Bandit spent time here before heading off to prison. She puppy-sitted FLDs Baker and Grant this past year. 

The old girl will be missed. There is one thing, however, that works wonders in drying tears. 

Introducing - FLD Henry!

FLD Henry looking proud by the statue in front of the kennel lobby at Leader Dogs for the Blind.

After we returned Dutch to Leader Dogs last fall I decided to wait to see how Gypsy fared before bringing yet another puppy into our home. Some family commitments made my choice an easy one.

But now I was able to say "yes" when Leader Dogs called about a puppy.

FLD Henry (named by my hubby after Henry Blake in MASH) is a Golden Retriever/Labrador mix. His Golden Retriever mother, Emma, is Dutch's sister; his father is my puppy counselor Tammy's breed stock yellow lab, Wally.

Here we go again!

Puppy Update: "Pennsylvania" Dutch!

This time, I had a spy on the inside. Unintentionally, of course. Far be it from me to work around the rules. (April Fools!)

Sometime after I received the email from Leader Dogs for the Blind letting me know that the puppy I raised was issued to a blind or visually impaired client, a Facebook message popped up in my browser. It was from someone I know who was attending a two-week "brush-up" with her Leader Dog at the same time that Dutch was in class with his new person.

This person was very discreet. I learned nothing about Dutch's person, except perhaps that the person was English-speaking. My insider said that when Dutch was being his usual friendly self with the Leader Dogs bus driver, his person had said, "Dutch, you're not driving! Sit. Good boy."

LD Dutch

Sometime later, an email arrived with a jpeg attachment. Now I knew more. In the photo Dutch was sitting and looking intently up at his person.

Still, even knowing this much, waiting in the lobby of the Polk Residence at Leader Dogs on visitation night with a crowd of other puppy-raisers was still nerve wracking. What would Dutch do when he saw me? I had to not react and just ignore him. How would his person treat him? What would this stranger think of me?

The first team was announced. I can't even remember the name of the dog that was brought down the hall with its person. The trainer who walked with the team repeated the dog's name, looking for the puppy raiser to identify him or herself. Someone from across the lobby by the elevator said, "Here!" The team found the raiser. I strained to see; the dog was wearing a harness! (At past visitations the dogs were on leash and not in harness.)

"Here's Dutch!"

I quickly forgot about the group that was now working their way through the crowd and into the conference room to chat. "Where are you?" the second trainer beckoned. I raced over to where I could see down the hallway.

A Leader Dog trainer escorts LD Dutch and his person.

It was Dutch, walking on a leash on the left side of a woman wearing sunglasses. Her right hand was holding the left arm of the trainer. Dutch wore a harness like the first dog.

"Here," I called.

The trainer introduced me to Gail, who couldn't wait to ask, "How did Dutch get his name?" I blubbered that my husband named him. "Do you like it?" I asked. I searched the crowd for Andy. He and my niece Elaina were still back by the door. I motioned him to come so he could explain how he came up with Dutch's name.

"I'm from Pennsylvania," Gail said. "It's perfect!"

Poor Gail struggled with Dutch as he strained to sniff my legs. "When he heard your voice he really pulled," she said.

LD Dutch checks me out.

When Gail encouraged me to say hello, I knelt down to greet him. I am a little embarrassed to say that the golden boy went berserk. "I just don't want him to hurt you," Gail said as she admonished Dutch for his enthusiasm. "It's okay, I've got his collar," I said, grappling to keep the fur ball's four feet on the floor.

Eventually Gail and Dutch, Andy and I and Elaina made it into the conference room. Mr. Dutch was just as I remembered him. From the way he was so exuberant, I'd guess that I was just as he remembered me, too.

LD Dutch dips his shoulder to the floor, butt raised. When Andy leans in to pet him he rolls over to expose his belly. My niece Elaina looks on while Gail listens to Andy. He explains how Dutch got his name. "I always pick names that remind me of a good friend," he said. "We've had a Rosie, Mike, Gus, Scout, and Dutch."

LD Dutch knows who has the treats.

While we talked, Gail's hand seldom strayed away from Dutch.

The Nylabone I brought for Dutch helped him settle while we visited with Gail.

We are thrilled to meet Gail and see Dutch again. My niece Elaina was excited to join us this time. Her sisters Natalie and Sofia each got to meet the handlers of my other puppies that became working Leader Dogs - LD Scout and LD Mike. Gail promises to drop me a line now and then.

Our short hour ticked away and it was time to say good-bye. Again. Gail took hold of the harness and told Dutch, "Find the door." Dutch was all business as he led her straight away.

Other handlers took the arms of trainers to be escorted back to their rooms. Not Gail. She gave Dutch a command which I could not hear and off they went with no hesitation. As we watched them go, Dutch suddenly looked back. Gail said, "Leave it." He turned back around and did his job, tail wagging.

LD Dutch and his handler Gail walk away as one.

Dutch will live in the country with Gail and her husband along with 24 chickens, a 10-year-old dog, and two cats. Dutch sent postcards from Leader Dogs to Gail's six grandchildren, who are very anxious to meet him.

Gail told us of a park she enjoys walking to, but said she has never made it there safely using her cane. She either runs into things or falls. Gail said she is excited to have LD Dutch guide her the 2.5 miles to the park when she gets home.

LD Dutch is Gail's first guide dog!
 

Puppy Update!

Dutch is now an official LEADER DOG!

*****happy dance*****

Here is the email I received from Leader Dogs for the Blind:

Dear Puppy Raiser:

The puppy you raised has been issued to a student in the current class.  This is no guarantee of graduation however, it is another step in the training phase and hopefully if all goes along as planned we will soon be able to let you know of the puppy's graduation.  We are happy to offer you a chance to visit with the student in the Polk Residence Facility.  Please meet in the lobby of the Polk Residence Facility at 6:30pm on March 29, 2014.  This will be for you and your family only.  You MUST RSVP by 3/26/14 if you are attending so we can make sure the student has every opportunity to attend also.  It is their choice though and they may choose not to attend.  If that is the case, we will make every attempt to contact you.  If for any reason you would rather not meet the student or cannot make the class, rest assured we understand (but please respond)

It is very important that this be a positive experience for both our students and you, our puppy raisers who have given so much of your time, effort and love.  Keeping that in mind we are sending you some basic guidelines to follow.

1.         We ask that you not take flash photos until you have checked with the student or us.  Some eye conditions are negatively affected by sudden flashes of light and in extreme cases may even contribute to a seizure.

2.         We know the dog has spent a year in your home however it is now "their" dog and we ask you to respect that.  Do not take the dog out of their possession.

3.         You may bring gifts of photographs, letters, and appropriate toys.  The guidelines for toys are the same ones we use when raising the puppies.  Please make sure that the toys are large enough not to cause a potential hazard. Please do not bring any “edible” bones as they may cause stomach upset in the dog.

4.         The students will come into the conference center and have a chance to settle their dogs.   They will introduce themselves to the group.  After they are all finished you will have the opportunity to meet them individually.

5.         We expect the dogs to be VERY excited to see you again and have tried to prepare the student for the dog's reaction.  Once the initial greeting is over, the student will be giving the dog instructions to assist the dog in settling down and will expect the dog lay quietly during the latter part of your visit.

6.         We ask that if you are currently raising another puppy that you not bring it with you to the Polk Residence.

7.       We ask that you be careful with what information you share about the puppy.  While you know your puppy has grown in stages into a wonderful adult,  Comments like "I can't believe he made it through training", and "he chewed on things when he was younger" are comments that will cause the student who is still bonding with this new dog to have questions about whether this is the right dog for them and ultimately cause them to ask for a new dog.

8.         While we realize you are emotionally investing into the puppy that you raised, please keep in mind that you are here to meet the team of both student and dog.  Questions about where they will work together, how are you enjoying your stay at Leader Dog are appropriate questions to ask.

We again thank you for your wonderful gift of time and love you have given to this special puppy.  We look forward to seeing you at visitation.
                                                            Sincerely, Puppy Development

A very young Future Leader Dog. Very proud of you Dutch!

(For more on this story, visit www.puppiesinside.blogspot.com.)

Puppy update - Dutch is in Phase IV!

I received this email yesterday from Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Dear Puppy Raiser,

The dog you raised Dutch, D-14157, has been in training for 13 weeks and has completed the third of four phases of training.  The instructor working with Dutch has made the following comments:
Some of the things that Dutch is doing well at are:
1.       Obstacle avoidance

2.       Straight line travel


Some of the things that the instructor is working on with Dutch are:
1.       Obedience

2.       Positioning next to the trainer

3.       Turns


This update lets you know how Dutch is doing at this point in training.  Thank you for raising Dutch for our program!  Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Puppy Development.  You will receive another update once this special dog completes training and is placed with a client.  The journey is almost complete!

Puppy Development
Leader Dogs for the Blind

Way to go Dutch! Our paws are still crossed for you!

FLD Dutch is ALMOST to the top!

One year ago today...

...FLD Dutch and I made a presentation to the Rose City Brownies. Now Dutch is at Leader Dogs for the Blind in training to become a working Leader Dog. We're keeping our paws crossed for him!

FLD Dutch is a fine Valentine for these Brownies!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Thanks to puppies...

This post is my submission for the 14th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC), hosted by L-Squared on her website: l-squared.org. The theme this go-round is OPPORTUNITY.

 

Hi. My name is patti. I am a puppy-raising addict.

Because of my addiction, I spend two days a month in prison.

I can explain...

Back in 2002, Leader Dogs for the Blind started a ground breaking puppy-raising program in the Iowa prison system - with one puppy. After several years and even more puppies, it was evident that the puppies coming out of the prison system had a higher graduation percentage (65-70+%) than puppies raised on the outside (40-45%). 

Simultaneously, the recidivism rate of puppy-raising inmates (13-15%) ran well below the national average (50%). Soon, other prisons joined the program - two more facilities in Iowa, one in Wisconsin, and most recently one in Minnesota and two in Michigan (plus one more on the docket).

After 11 years, over 300 Future Leader Dog puppies have been raised in the prison system. To top things off, Leader Dogs for the Blind has received the 2013 Mutual of America Community Partnership Award. (Visit the following link to watch a video about the program: Inside to Outside Initiative - Prison Puppy Raising Program.)

A serendipitous series of events in 2013 led to the puppy-raising program being replicated in Leader Dogs for the Blind's home state of Michigan.

Three years ago my puppy-counselor Tammy asked me to help her with puppy outings in the eastern U.P. A handful of her puppy-raisers were spread out around the area and in the Canadian Soo.

Once a month Tammy and I would drive north. Typically we'd meet for dinner with the raisers and their pups and then gather at a school or park for a training session. Sometimes we did other things, like attend a hockey game at Lake Superior State University, or represent Leader Dogs at the Snowsfest in Lex Cheneaux. 

On a side note, these trips were another step in my growing addiction. I ended up a puppy counselor myself; I assist distance raisers that live from Maine to Florida.

Paula and Dave, a couple from the U.P. group, raised a golden retriever puppy they named Alphie. He ended up being pulled for breeding and eventually sired my FLD Dutch. Paula kept taps on Dutch through this blog. She read about the Iowa prison puppy-raising program and as they say, the rest is history. Catch up on that story by visiting my other blog puppies inside.

So now our monthly northern trips include visits to the Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kincheloe in the eastern U.P. and the Baraga Correctional Facility in Baraga, a half-day's drive to the western side of the U.P.

PUPPIES IN PRISON - A WIN-WIN SITUATION

Leader Dogs for the Blind gets puppies that are well prepared for formal guide dog training. These days some clients even ask for a prison-raised puppy.

Inmate raisers get a chance to give something back to society. They learn empathy and gain hope. And when they give their grown puppies back to Leader Dogs, they learn something about loss and what they took away from the victims of their crimes.

Prison officials get calmer units with less fighting. They get respectful relationships between inmates and guards. And they get inmates that have a better chance of staying out, once they get out.

And I get a monthly puppy fix, working with the inmate raisers and their pups. Oftentimes I get to spring a pup for dinner "furlough." And just after Christmas (2013) my home was a half-way house for FLD Bear, a seven-week-old black Lab that was destined for the Baraga Correctional Facility. (See posts about FLD Bear here: puppiesinside - FLD Bear.)

Getting a puppy-fix with FLD Bear.

Puppy Update! Dutch heads for Phase II

Dutch's 5th week update arrived at last, if a bit over-due...

The dog you raised, D#14157  Dutch, has been in training for over 5 weeks and has completed the first phase of training.  The instructor working with Dutch has made the following comments about the puppy you raised:
Some of the things that Dutch is doing well at are:
1. stairs
2. proper behavior on the training truck
3. name recognition
Some of the things that the trainer is working on with Dutch are:
1. obedience
2. elevator work
3. getting accustomed to the harness
This update lets you know how Dutch is doing at this point in training.  Thank you for raising Dutch  for our program!  Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Puppy Development.  You will also receive another update during the 13th week after Dutch has completed their 12th week of training.
Puppy Development
Leader Dogs for the Blind

Hooray!

No photos with this report. But here are two of Dutch taken one year apart...

FLD Dutch snuffs his nose into an early snowfall, November, 2012.

FLD Dutch, one year later, still trying to snuff up a dusting of snow!