Celebration Station

Thursday, a rainy, rainy night, we all trooped out to Celebration station, to participate in our monthly meeting.  Carolyn, in addition to having some great noise (apart from the thunderstorm) distraction games for us to play had a lot of news to pass on like the very cool puppy raiser training conference that was coming up in June.  Many in our group were going to be participate in it.
 

Roger is holding Sunny, a yellow lab, who is sitting and Fred and Jam , who is sitting as well, are on the right.  They flank the doorways of Celebration Station.

Since it was raining so hard, we met under the canopy, so everyone going to Celebration Station walked a puppy gauntlet.  It was a very cute puppy gauntlet and we even had a crowd at the windows who just stood eating their ice creams and watching us go through our obedience exercises.  Carolyn is so crazy good about obedience exercises, she draws a crowd! 8-)

Stephanie and yellow lab Coastie come up the path.

Fred and Jam, Brian and black lab Liz, Lois and yellow lab Babe, and Stephanie and Coastie are waiting for Carolyn and her hat.

Carolyn tried to get Liz to react to the sombrero.

Soon, Carolyn put on her sombrero and walked around to each puppy to see if they would react to the hat.  Reacting to hats, sunglasses, earphones, etc., is one of the tests that a puppy will have to go through once they go in for training.  So wearing a hat or doing an exercise like this one is useful to get your puppy used to strange things happening.

I think Jam is laughing at the sombrero. (Jam is in a sit on the left of Fred looking up at Carolyn.)

I think Jam found the hat amusing.  Carolyn told us that she had four sombreros.  Then she had to tell us why.

Shadow, a very sturdy black lab, thinks the sombrero smells like tacos.

Every puppy was pretty even tempered when it came to the hats.

Babe, a yellow lab, wants to know why Carolyn has four sombreros. "Why, Carolyn?"

The only exception was one of the puppy raisers, who will remain nameless, who said near the end of the exercise, "Oh, your wearing the hat for the exercise?!" That was pretty funny!

Carolyn surrounded by puppies staring at her huge hat.

In addition to the hat distraction, we worked on noise distractions.  I took a little bit of film on it.

Since Jam was still limping, when everyone went inside and upstairs, we went home.  But inside was a wealth of loud games, pinball machines, all sorts of noises and things to distract and give a good exposure to your pet.  It also includes lots of children.  So be prepared for the public and to be stopped and asked to have your dog pet or if your dog is over 10 months, be prepared to say no in a polite way and explain the rules.  You can always have them follow you outside where you can take off the coat.  If you want and if your puppy is calm.

Symphony Under the Stars

Saturday night our North Pinellas Southeastern Guide Dog Puppy Raiser group tailgated with the South and Pasco groups and went to the Raymond James Symphony Under the Stars for our Saturday meeting.

Puppy raiser Nancy is relaxing with her friend.

Of course, we had to have some time to chat and eat before the symphony.

John and Fred with their puppies Jam and Mars (a chocolate lab).

There was a lot of chatting.

Lauren and Carolyn talk by the food table.

And more chatting.

Mars is one very serious looking puppy.

I think some puppies were tired of the chatting and wanted to get started.  So we did.

Our band of puppies gathers together outside the stadium.

It was pretty filled up by the time we got in, so we were faced with sitting near the very back or in the sun.  We went to the very back and had a great spot.

Fred and Roger are enjoying their lounge chairs as puppies Jam and yellow goldadore Gail lie down quietly.  Down in front Stephanie and yellow lab puppy Coastie are enjoying the blanket.

It was an excellent exposure for both getting the word out about Southeastern Guide Dogs and for the puppies to experience:

• a stadium
• an orchestra
• the school of rock
• huge crowds

OH....

And, cheerleaders.

Off to take a photo with the cheerleaders.

Then Trudy's raiser Theo decided that Trudy and Coastie should have a photo with the cheerleaders.

Coastie and Trudy with the cheerleaders.

Because nothing is cuter than puppies and cheerleaders.  Pom poms can be so distracting.

Trudy, another yellow lab puppy, unlike Coastie, fell into a deep sleep very early on.

But that wore Trudy out and she slept the rest of the night!

Coastie meets with a fan.

Coastie, however, was up for greeting more guests!

Finally, Coastie joins Trudy in Slumberland.

But even he reached his limit and finally conked out.

Horsing Around

Our Thursday night meeting took place at the Lapham's stable way up North!  We started out slowly with some meet and greets with a very calm horse who was good friends with a dog and very used to having a dog run around his legs.

Photo of the group on the left of the stables milling around with their puppies.

Nancy and yellow goldadore (I think!) Orchid and Bob at the beginning of the meeting).

 One by one people would slowly bring their puppies up to meet the horse.  If the puppy seemed interested, they would let them get a bit closer.  If not, they would walk away.

Brian and black lab Liz approach the horse.

 We also had some obedience during the meeting.

Fred and Jam standing by the side of the road waiting for the obedience to begin.

Lois with yellow lab Babe waiting on the road for obedience to begin.

Karen with yellow lab Justice, who was sniffing around while she waited.

Brian and black lab Liz getting into place for obedience.

The whole North group lined up by the side of the road for an obedience exercise with food.

Food in a plastic container (so they can't actually get it!).

Everyone patiently waiting their turn to walk the gauntlet.

Jam seems a little anxious, but Babe is sitting and looking pretty.

Liz starts the gauntlet.

Now it's Jammy's turn.

Jammy did pretty well.  He wasn't food distracted.  Which is amazing considering how he is in the cafeteria.

Jammy looking up at a horse.  He loves them.

The group milling around the stables.

Jam and Fred walk by some stables where the horses are leaning out to say hello.

Lois has found a friend in this horse!

He does this weird thing with his lip.  Kind of like Mr. Ed.

Bobby started out scared of horses, but by the end of the tour, was fine with them.

Bob is getting the Mr. Ed treatment.

Bobby and raiser Kerry with a horse.  Bobby isn't scared at all.

Bobby goes closer to the horse.

One of the horses is walked by our line of puppies.

Our puppies in a sit stay as the horse is walked by.