Guide Dog U for June 2012

Post by Karen Hamilton

Here are a few pictures from the IFT day and a few recent professional pictures that we will cherish.  

Photo of Bob, Justice (a yellow lab female) and Karen all lying down.

Photo of Justice sitting and looking up at the camera.

Our day started off with Justice knowing something was up.  She didn't eat her food that morning and that was highly unusual.  As with most labs, it is eaten in about 30 seconds. Bob thinks it was because she could sense my anxiety.  This was our first Guide Dog U and WOW.....what an experience.  Far different from the days when you dropped your puppy off at the office, had to beg to puppy hug, and cried the entire way back across the Sunshine Bridge.  I was restrained and didn't cry the entire trip to school until we turned in to the parking lot and saw the row of puppy pictures and names.......that's when I lost it and the first wave of tears starting coming out.  When we went to take a picture in front of the Guide Dog U Freshman Orientation sign, I saw a carbon copy of Justice.  

Bob and Karen kneeling by Justice's Guide Dog U sign with Justice sitting in the middle.

I asked the raisers if she donated to the school and what was her date of birth and quickly confirmed it was Justice's sister AJ.  We found out that AJ's photo is on the Southeastern Guide Dog's  puppy raiser website as well as many brochures, and the flags at the school also feature AJ's picture.  When I first saw the puppy's picture I thought "wow that looks like Justice" and now I know why.  

Justice and AJ (a yellow lab) sitting by AJ's Guide Dog U sign.

The second wave of tears started when they were calling the puppies up one by one and handing them off to the trainers.  A total of 26 puppies were turned in that day and I think I shed tears for every one.  There was one particular golden retriever named Sarge, that really got me going. All of the other puppies trotted off happily but Sarge didn't want to go. He wasn't cooperating with the collar switch and turned around and anxiously looked for his people several times on the way back to the kennel.  

Bob and Karen with AJ's puppy raisers.

 

After this we went to puppy hugging in two groups.  Our group had five playful black lab puppies who put the smile back on all of our faces.  

Photo of some of the children from the puppy raiser families with some black lab puppies.

We were then taken to the kennels but were behind schedule so we received the condensed version without a tour.  Then we were presented with the presidential award by Titus, Karen Mersereau gave us the scoop on what happens to our pups from the time we turn them in to the time they are matched.  This talk was very informative and took a lot of the mystery out of what happens with your puppy after they are turned in.  Then, the most touching part of the day was when a guide dog user (and I am terrible at names but I think it is Susan Willoughby - she was the kennel manager but has another job at school) told us how her dog Carson changed her life.  She also told us about a technique used in the veterans assistance program for PTSD anxiety attacks.  We teach our dogs not to jump on anyone but these dogs are taught to give "hugs" during an attack.  She also spoke about how a recent graduate was on 11 different medications and lived apart from his family, but since getting his dog, is no longer taking medication and lives back with his family.  I needed about 100 tissues by the time she was done speaking.  

 
Prior to the ceremony I was selfishly hoping Justice would be a breeder and we could get her back.   After the ceremony I was hoping she could make a difference in someone's life and her story could be told to a future group at Guide Dog U Freshman Orientation.

Photo of Justice lying down, paws crossed in front and smiling for the camera.

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.