Puppy Central! The online home for Southeastern Guide Dog puppies being raised in Central Pinellas County, Florida ...and the people whose hearts they've stolen
Thursday, our meeting took place at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station near the Clearwater-St. Petersburg Airport. It was an amazing meeting for several reasons:
Group shot with hanger in the distance. We are waiting for meeting to start. Photo by Jeremiah Khokhar.
The Coast Guard!
The planes and helicopters!
The film crew! (oh yeah!)
Since there were so many photographers at the meeting, I did not take all of these photographs. The ones not credited are mine. One photographer in particular needs a special mention as he has been following Coastie since he was a little baby: Jeremiah Khokhar. He has done all of his baby puppy photos and he came out to the meeting just for Coastie. The best photos are his and there are links back to his facebook site or his website.
Coast Guard Commander kneeling beside a sitting Coastie who has his coat on. Coastie seems to be smiling and looking up. Stephanie is standing behind Coastie. The helicopter is behind all of them and has both of its orange doors open. Photo by Jeremiah Khokar.
When we first got there we walked through a gate to a large hanger which was beside a ginormous plane that was testing all four of its engines and was VERY LOUD. So loud that the very littlest of our group (Coach and Tabina, four months old) really didn't want to hang around. So Steve and I left early with the little guys and gradually the big pups followed us.
Coast Guard Commander with Stephanie and Coastie and the four engined plane with the props turning in the background. Photo by Roger Reese.
Then we went to another plane (and here is where I wish I had asked the commander for the specific name of each type of aircraft!) that had a drop down panel in the back, which the dogs where able to jump up on and walk through and then out the front of the plane down the stairs. The entire interior of the plane was metal and a very different surface for their feet, which was a very good exposure for them.
Yellow lab Coastie waiting his turn at the plane. Photo by Jeremiah Khokhar.
Stephanie and Coastie prepare to walk up the ramp into the airplane where about 5 Coast Guard airmen wait. Photo by Roger Reese.
Our last aircraft was a helicopter. They were going out to do a training flight on some new software and equipment they had installed. We were able to let the dogs jump up into the cabin and then meet the coast guardsman sitting inside (it was a she!).
Brian stands outside the helicopter as Liz explores inside.
Michele and goldadore Gail look out from inside the helicopter. Photo by Roger Reese.
Some dogs made the leap, most, had to be helped as it was a pretty sizable jump.
Stephanie and Southeastern Guide Dog puppy Coastie are at the front of the helicopter with photographer Jeremiah Khokhar and a Coast Guard member.
Then, we walked some distance away and watched as it taxi'ed down the strip and out to a take-off point.
Far shot of the helicopter as it starts up.
Most of the dogs thought the noise from the helicopter was pretty manageable. The first plane was the doozey!
The film crew for Coast Guard: Florida is up against the fence filming us as we watch the helicopter taxi away.
And we had a film crew follow us. Well, not us exactly. They were there filming the Coast Guard and we just happened to make good copy. So they filmed us visiting the Coast Guard.
The sound guy is watching the video guy as they film us for reality show Coast Guard: Florida.
After all, who doesn't love puppies?
Group shot of us watching the helicopter. Most pups are unconcerned. Some are lying down. Some are standing and looking the other way.
Bobby, a big chocolate lab, has decided he doesn't care and turned his back on the helicopter.
Orchid, a yellow goldadore, lies unconcerned on the asphalt, while nearby, Babe, a yellow lab stands and looks at the ground.
Brian is giving black lab Liz a kiss while Gail, a golden retriever, has decided she is quite close enough and won't come any closer, thank you very much! Fellow golden Katie is fine with the noise of the helicopter.
A photo of the whole group, puppy raisers and their puppies with the helicopter in the background. Photo by Roger Reese.
We spent our Saturday meeting at the Leepa-Rattner Museum on the St. Pete College Campus in Tarpon Springs. This museum was wonderful and we highly recommend it for their dog friendliness in addition to their amazing collection and changing exhibitions. When we went they had an Andy Warhol exhibition, which quite frankly, I was surprised to see in such a small library. It was outstanding. I highly recommend you get a chance to go up and see it. You may never again get a chance to see so many original Warhol works of art in one place again. Certainly not in the Tampa Bay area.
We started the meeting with obedience on the shady grass outside and then we went into the museum.
AC Carolyn starts the meeting sharing some Southeastern information.
Brian and black lab Liz, sitting, wait for a command from AC Carolyn.
Tabina, a yellow lab, is sitting pretty as another yellow lab stands off to the left in an attempt to say hello.
All the pups are lined up and in a sit.
All the pups are in a down stay and the puppy raisers are at the end of the leashes waiting to give the come command.
All the pups are in a down stay and the puppy raisers are at the end of the leashes waiting to give the come command.
Another view of the entire group of puppies in a down stay.
Our AC Carolyn hard at work.
AC Carolyn demonstrating the sit-come-heel command string.
Sunny, AC Carolyn's puppy and a yellow lab, on the recall.
Sunny does a good heel and ends up sitting next to AC Carolyn and gets some praise.
After obedience, we busied the dogs and went into the museum where we found a plethora of exposures for them. From life-size statues to strange sculpture, stairs, vivid colors in paintings, you name it, the museum had it.
The group inside the Leepa-Rattnor Museum.
We had some prospective puppy raisers there. Tim was trying out Babe, a yellow lab whom Karen and Bob had been babysitting.
Susan and Brian took advantage of the seating to have Liz do a down stay.
There were all sorts of strange things like life size statues at the museum. A great exposure for the dogs!
Jam was doing his weird asthmatic wheeze, so everyone always knew where he was. We also call him Goose because of his honking. The museum was not a quiet place that day.
Here Denny and puppy raiser Sylvia approach a life size cut out of Andy Warhol.
Prospective puppy raiser Tim and his kids try Babe out at the Warhol statue.
Puppy raiser Sue and her goldadore Katy have tried the stairs and are now sitting on the benches.
Tabina and her puppy raiser Blake find a quiet moment in main lobby.
Tabina, finally tuckered out, lies flat out on the floor with no intention of getting up anytime soon.
All in all it was a very good meeting. Not one accident in the museum! There were several puppies who ran straight to the grass as soon as we left the museum (Jam included!), but not a one had a pee-saster in the museum. Good job!
This will be a nearly wordless post. Our regularly scheduled meeting had to be canceled due to inclement weather. However, there were many who just wanted to get together for companionship and food and drinks. The Thirsty Marlin was nearby, the waitstaff was willing and the puppies were good.
What more needs to be said?! Since I can't tell by looking who many of the puppies are, I may not be able to caption all of the photos or rather caption them correctly. What's that saying about all black cats at night.... I'm sorry.
Feel free to add a correction in the comments and I'll fix the caption! I would like to thank Michele for sharing her photos as Fred and I were on vacation and not able to be at the quasi meeting.
Stephanie and Coastie, Susan with Jam and Sue.
I think this may be Liz.
Perhaps Gail and Tabina?
Coastie under the table.
Liz, black lab down under a chair.
Katy, a golden, eying some children throwing rocks in a pond (off camera).
I think this is Jam, Liz and Gail mixing it up.
Jam letting the server know that you cannot pet a coated dog.
Today we had a great hunt and seek game at the Countryside Mall, but before that happened, AC Carolyn gave us some awesome news!
AC Carolyn standing and going over some items on her list. Second in command Stephanie is sitting next to her.
Puppy raiser Stephanie, who has Coastie, had volunteered to be the official second in command for the group for Carolyn! Stephanie has already shown some amazing leadership qualities by her skillful handling of the City of Clearwater and the resulting sponsorship of her puppy Coastie. So having her as the second in command will be fabulous and a great thing for our group!
The group is listening to AC Carolyn. (Sylvia, Michele, Sue, Roger and Carey, in back)
We had a pretty full meeting today from brand new puppies to ready to go back to Guide Dog U.
AC Carolyn is explaining the AKC canine good citizen obedience test. On the opposite side you can see Karen, Bev, and Bob.
Getting in a line to do some of the tests from the AKC canine good citizen test. (Fred and Jam, Sue and Bibi, Bev and Sunny and Karen and Babe)
The first test was to have a person come up and greet you, shake your hand, have a short conversation. Steve, Carolyn's husband, was going to be handing out our Mall event finder pages and serving as our nice person greeter.
Blake and yellow lab puppy Tabina. Tabina was the star of the Mall and everyone wanted some puppy kisses.
Blake and puppy Tabina were the first to go. Tabina was amazing, especially for a little puppy.
Steve greets Blake while Tabina sits calmly by her side.
Blake, as her puppy raiser, did a great job! She was calm, cool and collected and it traveled right down the leash to keep Tabina calm as well.
Steve greets Stephanie will Coastie lies down calmly at her side.
Steve went down the line to greet our new second in command, Stephanie, whose puppy Coastie, did a great job.
Steve greets Susan while Liz sits and tries to gets Susan's attention by tugging a bit on the leash.
Then he went over to Susan and Liz, where that team was wonderful as well.
Steve greets Carey while Bobby starts to get up.
When he got to Carey and puppy Bobby, Bobby got up a little bit, but nothing Carey couldn't handle.
Steve greets Fred while Jam is looking the other way. (Ha! Super lucky for us!)
Steve went down to Fred and Jam and Jam just happened to be looking the other way. So, they completely passed the test.
Tabina gets an ear massage from Cheryl
The next task was to do an ear massage and a paw massage.
Tabina gets a foot massage from Cheryl.
Blake and Tabina did a great job.
Liz gets an ear massage from Cheryl.
Liz was very patient while I massaged her ears.
AC Carolyn gives Jam an ear massage.
Even Jam was a good boy while AC Carolyn gave him an ear massage. Then we were released to find certain items in the mall such as headless dummies, lifesize statues, which I captured some of in a video at the end of this post.
Babe, a yellow lab being puppy sat by Karen, gives her a big kiss from a proper sit.
After we had done most or all of the tasks set out for us, we headed back to talk about it. Then there was a little puppy loving. But before we get to the puppy loving, here is a short video of some of our tasks:
Bob finally gives in and gets some Tabina puppy time.
Karen follows Bob for some Tabina puppy loving.
And some of the puppies were able to just relax, like Gail who was outside the circle of acceptance at the beginning of the meeting, but calmed down after mallwalking for the whole meeting.
Roger and puppy Gail. Gail is in a down at his feet during a quiet moment.
