Busy, busy, busy

*Warning...explicit photo of FLD Dutch at the end of this post.
 

FLD Dutch is making himself right at home.

Even on Gus's "mat."

Our first week with FLD Dutch...

Not enough trips outside to "park." Loose leash practice on the driveway and down the road in front of the house. Racing around with Gus in the yard. Nearly every day a short trip somewhere.

Here's a list:

• visiting friends (one dog, one cat)
• post office
• bank
• hair salon
• winery
• grocery store
• coffee shop
• Rose City Cafe
• traffic work around "downtown" Rose City

 

FLD Dutch is more interested in my camera than holding his "sit" where I had posed him. But he kept a nice loose leash!

All in all, a very good first week. And...Dutch has let me sleep six hours at a stretch every night!

Good boy, Dutch.
 

Learning to ride on the passenger side floor.

All this learning makes for a very tired puppy. Looks like Dutch is completely comfortable here.

Introducing....FLD Dutch!

Andy and I couldn't wait to get back to the north woods. Coming home, even after a fun-filled trip with family, is like a batch of warm chocolate chip cookies just out of the oven. By the enthusiastic leap into the van when we picked up Gypsy and Gus from my sister's, I think they felt the same way. (Thank you girls, for watching them for us!)

For one of us though, coming "home" was a totally new experience.

Future Leader Dog Dutch!

FLD Dutch wasn't sure about his two new furry buddies--Gus, who bowled him over in greeting, and Gypsy, who snarled at us as much as to the little guy. Not another one!

Before we passed Flint on I-75 N, Dutch was fast asleep, cuddled in my arms. The ride home on pick-up day is the only time I indulge; soon enough he'll learn to curl up at my feet on the passenger floorboard.

Dutch is the fifth puppy I am raising for Leader Dogs for the Blind, but my first Golder Retriever. He is eight weeks old today and weighs in at a hefty 12.8 lbs!

Dutch's first puppy-breath kiss!

So far, FLD Dutch seems to be a content and confident puppy. His breeding host family and LD volunteers have done a tremendous job helping him to realize that "SIT" gets you just about anything--pets, praise, treats, and sometimes dinner!

Gusto-Gus learns "gentle" with our new boarder, and is proving to be very generous. Here he is with a toy he brought for Dutch; when we went outside to "park" and check the furnace, Gus carried a log out of the woodshed and dropped it near him. Nice, Gus, but we don't need another dog emptying the woodshed!

Gypsy, on the other hand, created a different reaction from Dutch. When he approached her as she played with a toy, she gave a deep-throated growl. He hightailed it into his little crate. Smart puppy!

It doesn't take much to tire out a young pup. Dutch shows his preference for the soft-life.

We're in for a fun ride!

SCOUT UPDATE #2

A second email from Leader Dogs for the Blind came with news on FLD Scout...

The dog you raised D#13647 Scout has been in training for 5 weeks and has completed the first phase of training.  The instructor working with Scout has made the following comments about the puppy you raised: 

Scout is doing well at:

1.   takes treats nicely

2. being attentive to handler

3. has picked up curb work

Scout is working on:

1. vocal behavior

2. jumping on the handler when excited

3. scent distractions

4. has exhibited food possessiveness over food towards other dogs

This update lets you know how Scout is doing at this point in training.  Thank you for raising Scout  for our program!  Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Puppy Development.  You will also receive another update during the 13^th week after Scout has completed their 12^th week of training.

Well, it's nice to hear. The things that Scout "is working on" is a bit worrisome to me, but mostly not a big surprise.

1. VOCAL BEHAVIOR

Remember my Tuesday's Training TIP: BE QUIET? FLD Scout was the noisiest puppy I ever raised. But she did come around with some "work."  Now that she's off to Leader Dogs, where her life might be more of a challenge, I'm not surprised that she's letting them know SCOUT IS HERE.

2. JUMPING WHEN EXCITED

Hmmmmm. This was a thing she started not long before she left for her formal training at Leader Dogs. We did our best to ignore this attention-getting behavior.

3. SCENT DISTRACTIONS

I don't know how many times I thought, "Scout could be a search and rescue dog" when she stuck her nose into the air to catch a scent. Sometimes I wondered if she was part bloodhound her nose was so busy!

4. FOOD POSSESSIVENESS

I didn't see this problem with Scout and food (check out my post about Labrador vultures).  But she was always quick to steal another dog's toy--except for the old girl, Gypsy. I never felt like she was aggressive about darting in to take a Nylabone away from Gus, or cc'd Rosie, just very, very fast.

Keep up the good work my little Scout. And mind your P's and Q's!

Here sits a very well-behaved FLD Scout in a one-room school house at the Ogemaw County Fair last July. Natalie and Sofia sit too.

At 2 weeks...

Leader Dog "mom" Amber is being an excellent mommy. She keeps the puppies clean and fed. Their eyes are still closed.

And mostly, when they aren't eating, they sleep.

PHOTOS

LD mom Amber takes a rest in the whelping box after most of her puppies had dinner. They eat, they fall asleep, they roll off mom.

They also like to sleep in a row.

Phyllis picks up a puppy so she can clip her nails. Eyes and ears are almost open and their snouts are getting longer!

Clip, clip, clip! This puppy is learning early not to fear the nail clippers.

The puppies doubled their weight in a week.

Aren't they precious?