Leader Dogs for the Blind: Puppy Days 2011

Every July, Leader Dogs for the Blind shows their appreciation to volunteer puppy-raisers, puppy-counselors, and breed host families by hosting an event that used to be called "Puppy Days."  This year Leader Dogs changed the name to "Leader Dog University" (LDU) to reflect their ongoing process-improvements.

We met, we ate, we learned things.

Raisers met their puppies' mom, dad, and siblings, toured the Leader Dogs for the Blind facilities, watched puppies waiting for pickup play in Puppy Land, attended mini-seminars, had their puppies paint a "paw-print," and observed Leader Dog trainers work with clients in downtown Rochester.

Fun, interesting, and inspiring, too!  The keynote speaker, Ken Ramirez from Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, gave a presentation about how the laws of learning apply to animal training.  (Visit his website at:  www.KenRamirezTraining.com.)

This year, I was dog-less.

Dog-less amongst several hundred other puppy-raisers, most of whom had Future Leader Dog puppies (of all ages) with them.

I felt like I was on the Au Sable River in a speedboat instead of in a canoe.

Oh, I had plenty of reasons not to bring FLD Gus with me to this year's fun at Leader Dogs.

• It had been a horrendously HOT week, even for up north, and Gus had a hard time keeping cool.  I filled a kiddie-pool with our icy spring-like well water.  I took him to Grousehaven Lake to swim, even though the water was more tepid than a Miami swimming pool.  I set up a fan next to his crate at night.  He left bits of the ice cubes I gave him all over the house to melt.  I knew it would be hot during LDU and I didn't want to expose Gus to more heat.

• It had been a horrendously HOT week and MY patience was wearing thin.  The air-conditioning guy came the day I left for the city.  At least Gus would stay cool at home with Andy.

• I had a lot of errands to run for the two days I was in the city; FLD Gus at my side would definitely slow me down.

• Leader Dogs for the Blind recently asked me to expand my volunteer activity into the role of puppy-counselor.  All puppy-raisers must be seen by their puppy-counselor every month.  The more than 45 raisers who live further than 90 minutes away from any puppy-counselor are termed "independent" puppy-raisers.  Heretofore, these independent raisers had been assisted by independent puppy-counselor Tammy via email or telephone.  Now Tammy has help.  I will be the puppy-counselor for independent raisers on the East Coast of the US; Tammy will continue with the Mid-west,  and Bev, also a new counselor, will handle the West Coast.  I planned to pick Tammy's brain during LDU--not having FLD Gus along meant I would not be distracted.

I even rationalized that it was good for FLD Gus to spend a couple of days without me.  (More about this in tomorrow's "TIP.")

Still, it felt weird.  Even when I wasn't on the Leader Dog campus during LDU, visiting family instead, I heard, "I can't get used to seeing you without a dog."

Anyway, my trip to the city went smoothly.  I got all my errands done, and enjoyed more than my share of puppy-breath fixes during LDU.

FLD Gus stayed cool.

I just wonder if Tammy has any brains left!

SOME PHOTOS FROM LDU

Two Goldens and one black Lab find a way to beat the heat--a pile of ice!

One young Golden puppy isn't too sure about being sniffed by another young yellow Lab puppy while waiting in the lunch line with their raisers.

Two yellow Lab puppies at play in Puppy Land.

A very tired FLD Kimber snoozing during the activities.

Bob and Mary (on the right) were sorry I didn't bring FLD Gus--they are the host family with Sienna, Gus's mom.  But they were happy to run into fellow puppy-raiser Cheri and her puppy, FLD Ava, Gus's sister!  (Cheri also raised LD Mike's sister, Nora!)  Ava is very petite, unlike my brute, Gus.

Hot Dog

FLD Gus, chilling in the van.

Unlike our house, it has air-conditioning.

 

"It's HOT!  Are we going swimming?"

Living the DIFFERENCE

The topic for the 4th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC), hosted by Kali on her blog Brilliant Mind Broken Body is THE DIFFERENCE.

At first, I was tempted to just include posts I wrote in the past about the differences between the three puppies I've raised for Leader Dogs for the Blind.  (Here are links to them, if you are interested.  FLD Mike vs Rosie, Three Puppy Rookie, and Puppies Three/Pictures.)  Comparing puppies is inevitable, and there are ALWAYS differences.

Nope.  I wanted to focus on something "different."

So I considered submitting a post I wrote last November about how exercise can calm a crazy, energized puppy.  (Again, if you are interested, here is a link:  What a Difference a Walk Makes!)

But I keep coming back to the differences I am living as a result of our move from the city to the country.  Many of these differences are obvious.

NOISE

• City =  LOUD, CONSTANT BACKGROUND NOISE that I really didn't notice until after we moved away and came back for a visit.

• Country = So quiet I can hear a chipmunk rustle in the leaves beneath my window and the mournful cry of a loon in the distance.

TRAFFIC

• City = CONSTANT RUMBLE, EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT and BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

• Country = Last week I heard my sister miss the turn to our road a half a mile away when she drove up with her girls for our family "camp out."

AMBIENT LIGHT

• City =  Even with room-darkening shades in our townhouse bedroom, the outside glowed a frame around the window.

• Country = Except when the moon is full, it doesn't matter if the shades are up or down at night, and I can see the entire Milky Way.

PACE OF LIFE

• City = It is a HUSTLE, BUSTLE, TEEMING dance with the rest of the population.

• Country = We'll get around to it.  Eventually.

Other differences are not so obvious, especially as it relates to things that my Future Leader Dog puppy must experience.

NOISE

Future Leader Dog puppies must be "sound."  They can startle at a sudden noise, but they need to be confident enough to quickly recover and stay on task.

• Taking my puppy for a walk in the city naturally exposes him to many sudden noises:  semi-trucks downshifting, police, ambulance, or fire engine sirens, beeping horns, barking dogs behind fences.

• On a walk down our country road we can hear one car approach from two hills away.  The sudden honk of a goose overhead, or the screech of an eagle may draw my puppy's attention, but he is seldom startled.

TRAFFIC

Future Leader Dog puppies must be comfortable working near heavy traffic and remain calm waiting at a crosswalk at a busy intersection.

• In the city, I could step out our front door with my puppy and encounter heavy traffic in any direction, for as long as we could walk.

• To expose my puppy to traffic here in the county, I must drive over 20 miles to a town with more than one traffic light.  And the nearest sidewalks are 7 miles away.

SOCIALIZATION

Future Leader Dog puppies must not be distracted by, or fearful of strangers.

• City streets are full of diversity, reflected by skin color, clothing styles, age, and attitudes.

• In the country, strangers are few, and perhaps not quite so diverse.

When we first moved to the country, I was anxious that FLD Gus would not get enough exposure to things like traffic and strangers.  A fellow puppy-raiser (who lives in northwest Michigan) reminded me that Gus needs ALL kinds of experiences, and that blind people live in rural areas, too.

Of course, she is right.

FLD Gus started his life in the city, and now is familiar with the country, too.  He has taken it all in stride.

Our next puppy's home base will be here, in the country, where things ARE different.  Knowing this, I will do what I can to assure that puppy #4 is just as well-rounded.

I think I am much less anxious.

Do you think my country environment might have something to do with it?

A recent sunset at our country home.

Forest Gus Goes to the City

On a recent trip to the city, FLD Gus and I stayed at my sister Anne's.  She has a fenced-in backyard.

I let Gus out on his own...

Video of FLD Gus prancing with a long limb in Anne's backyard, a mess of teeth-marked brush strewn about.  When I brought Anne out later to show her the damage she said, "I wanted that bush pulled out of there anyway."  

Of course I hope that FLD Gus goes on to graduate as a Leader Dog and become someone's eyes, but it's nice to know he might have an alternate career in Landscaping.