Kelda's Korner

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER ... Um, FALL ... Um, IS IT WINTER YET? Yep.

2011-12-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know I haven't blogged for quite a while. But I'm still alive and well. Grandma is, too, and so are the MEE-yows.

I had my birthday! "Mr. Big Ugly" (my PR dad) wasn't there this year, but I thought of him. He would have liked seeing me in this getup (see above). At least he would have made some sort of smart-aleck remark about it.

I still have my job at the George Mark Children's House. If you recall, it's a place for children who have life-limiting illnesses.

Here I am with Baby George and his family. He was precious. This picture was taken at the summer picnic; Baby George is in heaven now.

On Independence Day, I celebrated very quietly - unusual for me. But my vet had taken a lump off my foot, and he decided that, while I needed to enjoy the Fourth of July temperately, I also needed decoration no matter what. (I'm fine!)

Here I am at one of my other jobs - Paws to Read. Honestly, I don't know which of my jobs I like best - they're all fun. You're seeing me at Walnut Creek, reading to - well, actually, letting kids read to me. Sometimes children will read to dogs when they won't read to anyone else.

And here I am with a really special friend at Camp Arroyo. That's a camp disabled kids get to go to for two weeks every year. I love camp life! It's nice to have so many friends.

I don't just work; I go to school, too! Here I am with my friend Thelma, and our teacher Laura. We're in the (ahem) advanced obedience class.

I also help puppy-sit, just the way other people used to puppy-sit me when I was a pup and my PRs had to leave home. Here we are with Stanford. He's quite a handful - er, I mean, quite an interesting character!

I'm back at Paws to Read in this one. It was Halloween dress-up evening at the library.

This is another favorite job: Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation. This was their Halloween party. Man, that hay was tickly. (And speaking of Tony LaRussa, hooray for the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals!)

That brings me up to November. One day Grandma took me out front, on leash. She had me sit, and we watched a car pull in the driveway. Then the people got out, and they were... my puppy raisers! My dad said (this should be no surprise to you), "Hello, Big Ugly!" I was so excited I could hardly stand it.

Did I forget my good CCI manners? Well, let's just say that what happens at home stays at home....

We had a great time! I showed off games like "Which Hand Has the Treat?"

My dad got really good with that one.

Here I am with my PR mom and dad...

...and my lovely Grandma who takes care of me and buys me such silly costumes. Ahhh!

I introduced my puppy raisers to my MEE-yows.

This is Mocha. She is 13 years old and has lived in this house since she was just a tiny kitten. She sleeps with Grandma and me. Mocha likes to "play the harp" on my torso - but her claws are sharp! So I exert my authority... by getting up and moving to the other side of the bed.

Grandma rescued Muffin II when she (Muffin) was about a year old. I grab her neck, and she licks my face. Sometimes she even nips me, but it doesn't hurt. Muffin is a foodie, so I have to eat my dinner all up before she has a chance to get in it.

Both MEE-yows have very weird eyes, as cats do (let's not say anything about dogs). If Grandma ran short of cash for dog treats, she could rent Mocha and Muffin out as reflective markers for the neighbors' driveways.

...Be afraid... be very afraid. This is what nightmares (and empty food bowls) are made of.

We had Thanksgiving at home, and I always have a lot to be thankful for. Um, do I get my treat?

I wanted to dress up as a New England Thanksgiving Indian - but it turned out I dressed up as a Thanksgiving Mexican instead. This dog looks good in any costume of any country!

Now it's close to Christmas time. Christmas is great. There will be more parties to attend - in costume, of course, I'm sure - and people to visit. I think of my Creator at Christmas and how much He has done for this world and the dogs in it - and the cats, and the people. And I have some special presents for Grandma. I hope she has some for me, too.

Here's my Christmas photo. May your days be merry and bright!

Ah, Spring! (Almost Summer)

2011-05-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

It's been a long time since I updated my blog. Want to know why? Because my "ghostwriter" (my PR mama) has been busy with play rehearsals. She's in a community theatre production of THE MUSIC MAN. But that's in Colorado, and I'm here in California.

Well, I've been on my own stages, sort of. No lights, but lots of people. And costumes, of course.

It's springtime here, and the weather is nice - not too cold, not too hot. I'm back to my regular activities, and also some special ones. Read on to see what I wore to the Royal Wedding!

Here I am on Valentine's Day - with my new friend Mei Mei at the George Mark Children's House (GMCH). I love all the kids there!

They love me, too. Grandma and I passed goodies out to the children and the staff.

On St. Patrick's Day, I went back to GMCH. Here I am with Courtenay, the Volunteer Services Coordinator, and Korie, the Child Life Specialist. Betcha you can't tell us apart.

We celebrated Easter... and I brought goodies to the GMCH kids and staff again. I'm just great at that.

Nobody delivers goodies better than Kelda E. Bunny!

Here I am greeting my friend Justin.

And then, of course, there was the Royal Wedding on April 29. I wore all my pearls, of course. Some of the invited guests sported really outlandish hats. I, on the other hand, preferred something more - well, classic and elegant.

And if you believe that, I have a slightly used bone to sell you.

This month, I celebrated my third birthday! (The slightly fuzzy picture at the top was when I was just a pup.) Last year, on my birthday, my PR dad surprised us all by coming through Grandma's door shouting, "Hello, Big Ugly!" (That's a term of endearment.) This year, though, there weren't any Colorado pups for him to drive out here to California, so I had my birthday without him. Grandma, her friends, and I had a great time! I may post some pictures later, if Grandma teaches me how.

That's all for now. I have a brand new bone to chew on! Yum!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

2011-02-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking over the past year, ever since I changed careers and came to live with Grandma.

I came to Northern California just a tad over twelve months ago on January 24, 2010. My special CCI veterinarian, Dr. Brad Steele, and his family brought me up from Oceanside. I thought my life was going to be a piece of cake... or should I say large dog biscuit? I didn't know this lovely lady was going to tell me, "Kelda, you are going to follow in Uncle Trevin's footsteps!" (He has big footsteps.)

After we waited the required time period, Grandma took me for evaluations and temperament tests with three therapy dog agencies - she couldn't be content for me to be certified with just one! That's the reason I have three different vest and Gentle Leader combinations. The fine print in this deal is, of course... I have lots of different costumes, too!

What fun it has been, though, visiting disabled children! It's so great that I haven't (well, almost haven't) cared that I've had to look like a pumpkin - or an elf. I represented Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation at the ball park. I even marched up the aisle at a fancy theater and stood in front of the stage where Mr. La Russa was making a presentation to the big audience of donors and supporters. (Later he told Grandma, "What a beautiful girl Kelda is." Yesss!) Rumor has it that I'll be a greeter at Mr. La Russa's Celebrity Golf Tournament in April - it's called "Celebrities Fore ARF!" (So if you live in Northern California, come see me.) I'll get to meet some VIP athletes, among other special people. I don't think I'll be playing golf, but Grandma will be a "hole in one" spotter when the players are trying to land it in one and win a new car!

I love Paws to Read - times three! (That's three different libraries.) I've never read so many books in my life - I should say, I've never had so many books read to me! Here's a secret: not all the books are really interesting (the ones with MEE-YOWs are good). But Grandma has a stash of small cookies in her pocket and rattles the bag from time to time. That keeps my interest piqued! I look as if I'm totally engrossed in the book, but sometimes I'm really more interested in whether a doggy treat will fall out of the bag. Shhhh - don't tell!

I like being co-coordinator (with Grandma) of the visits to Camp Arroyo, the special camp for disabled children. Most of the kids are great! They may have unique disabilities, but they have good taste in four-legged friends. They enjoy my visits... and the visits of the other therapy teams, of course. One of the children liked blowing in my face, but I remembered my manners! (Just as I did at the George Mark Children's House at Christmastime, when a little boy stuck his finger in my eye. I didn't even flinch. I got extra praise and a treat out of that adventure.)

Did I mention that we've entertained a lot of guests in the past twelve months? Oh, I bet you've noticed that in the blog. I love to have people come to the house to see me. And I've been entertained, too - for instance, at the annual CCI Pool Party for graduate dogs in the South Bay area. I'm, um, not a swimmer, so the ladies pushed me around the pool on a raft. I felt like royalty! But Grandma tells me that this year I'll have to learn to swim just like the commoners.

I haven't forgotten my old friends and family. One day last spring the doorbell rang, and guess who it was? My PR dad! And he said, "Hello, Big Ugly!" as he always did when I was growing up in Colorado. It was my birthday, so we sat outside while I had a special doggy cake Grandma got just for me. Dad even wore a birthday hat. Then he went to class with me and put me through my paces. That was my revenge - I made him work!

Grandma and I watch a lot of sports on her big-screen TV. My favorite sports are the same as they ever were: the stick carry and the frisbee catch. Last year, when the wind filled the yard with branches, I was the gardener's assistant. Row-oooo! Today we'll be entertaining friends for the Super Bowl. You might read more about that next time.

Meanwhile, I'll continue to be nice to my kitties (I'm sure glad I had MEE-YOWs to grow up with so I knew how to be nice to Mocha and Muffin). And I'll mind Grandma, and grin-and-bear-it with all my activities. Actually, no dog could have a better life than I do!

Thank you, PR Mom, for choosing Grandma's house as my forever home! Happy Anniversary to ME!

NEW YEAR! WOO-HOO!

2011-01-08T18:35:00.000-08:00

I hope you've had as happy a Christmas/New Year season as I have. It's so nice to live where people love me, play with me - and, of course, feed me.

We opened presents...

...sometimes the wrapping is more fun than what it wraps.

Grandma's friends even brought some surprises for ME! Here is her friend, Lt. Holliday - you met her in an earlier blog.

See the big pup? Not me, the other one. Down there.

It's really a pillow. But Mocha has claimed it. She sleeps on it near the fire. Oh, well, I'm a generous dog and I'll let her! That's Muffin in back of me, with eyes glowing.

We brought the New Year in with Grandma's friends, Mr. and Mrs. Jennison - here is Mrs. Jennison. Everybody should love dogs as she does. Row-ooo!

Even after all the holidays are done, it's good to remember that the New Year brings many good promises: more pats, more ear-scratches, more tummy rubs, more bones, more peanut butter, more sticks, more people to cheer up, more running around in the back yard, more costumes (oh, wait...), more work, more fun.

Oh - and I hope 2011 brings good things to you, too!

P.S. As you may remember, my siblings and I were born as Canine Companions for Independence puppies.

It was hoped that we would become service dogs. But not all puppies grow up to make the cut (including me - we call it "change of career"). I am proud to say, however, that when it comes to being service dogs, my brothers and sisters and I achieved an almost 50% success rate! There are three service dogs among us, and the rest of us are doing good things, too. I'm very proud of us all!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T17:49:00.000-08:00

Isn't Christmas great? I love it! There are lots of lights and happy sounds, and presents, and smiling people, and presents, and singing, and - oh, did I mention presents? I am very thankful to my Creator for Christmas.

I'm thankful to Him for my grandma, too! I love her!

What do I want for Christmas? I already got my present (not that others are unwelcome) when the San Francisco Giants won the World Series! When you live where I do, you've gotta be a Giants fan! So lots of us have been celebrating Christmas for weeks!

Grandma and I have been going to Christmas parties, and I have a fancy Christmas collar to wear. I won't complain about this costume (although there's a hat to match, as you'll see). I like it, and so do a lot of other people.

My Christmas work has been mostly at the George Mark Children's House. I've told you about that place (if you've forgotten, look at the previous post or two). My "Uncle" Trevin (Grandma's previous dog) used to work there. The people are soooo nice. And the children with life-limiting illnesses who stay there are as sweet as they can be.

Including this one. I think he meant to pat my head. He was following me around to hug me and touch my face with his finger and say, "Ruff ruff." But right after this picture was taken, his fingers missed and I got one right in the eye. I was a good girl - I didn't say anything. Everybody else was impressed. (Is that worth an extra cookie bone?)

This little girl doesn't speak (or bark either), but she was sure excited to see me.

My CCI training sure is good here. This move is called a Lap. Some people can't bend down to me, so I go up to them!

Here's the Christmas party group picture. There were handsome firemen and even NFL football players (yes, they beat the Broncos, but I can't help that).

See the lady peeking out of her door? She started this whole place! She named it George Mark in memory of her two brothers.

Here I am with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. My job description is "Elf." But I bet you already guessed that... by the, um, ears. (Sigh. Just a small one.)

Mrs. Claus really digs me!

I sat for a family picture with a really neat baby boy named George. I am sorry to say that he is very sick. He has a feeding tube in his nose. His mom and dad take very good care of him and, when they need to go away, the people here take very good care of George, too.

How could any dog not want to work here? I feel as if I'm being given a special present each time I come. If you'd like to know more, here's where to look:

www.georgemark.org

Mocha, Muffin, Grandma and I wish you a Meowy Christmas and a Yappy New Year! (Yeah, I know that's old, but I like it.) We're going to. In fact, I know what I'm giving Grandma for Christmas - but I'm not telling!

Being Thankful!

2010-11-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

Ahhh... to be able to lounge on the down comforter with my good buddy, Mocha! That's the place to start being thankful. (If we look fuzzy, it's because we feel fuzzy - fuzzy and comfortable!)

But there's a lot more on my thanks list. I may complain about all the costumes (and you'll see more of them), but they have a good purpose.

At home I wear my own fur suit. I help Grandma's friends celebrate birthdays...

...and unbirthdays.

But when I go to work, it is often costume time. I told you about the George Mark Children's House, right? The children who come here have life-limiting illnesses, and the folks here help both the children and their loving families. It's pretty cool, and the kids really like me to be there.

I thought I was in trouble with the Security man, but he just wanted to say hello (whew!).

Here's a friend of mine! Blackie visits the George Mark Children's House, too. He is a therapy HORSE (from the Sunrise Equestrian Foundation), and do the kids ever love him!

This costume is for my Paws to Read kids. It is not my favorite. But if it gets the kids to read, I can manage.

Sometimes I go without a costume. My cape looks fancy enough.

Don't tell, but I didn't really want to know how to eat fried worms. Peanut butter is more in my line. But she did enjoy reading the book!

Another place I get to go is called Camp Arroyo. Disabled children come here to take vacations... which gives their parents and caregivers a chance to get vacations, too. (I'm squinting because the California sun is so bright. But don't tell Grandma or she'll find me some silly sunglasses!)

This girl likes to takes me for walks.

Here's the team for this fall. I have lots of two-footed and four-footed buddies here!

Despite the silly costumes, I'm thankful... both to my Creator and to everyone He has sent my way! I'm thankful for my CCI education! I'm thankful for my Grandma, who loves me and has given me such a wonderful home. I'm thankful that I get my meals in a timely fashion. I'm thankful that I have a yard to play in, and sometimes a warm fire to relax in front of. I'm thankful that my MEE-YOWs put up with my occasionally (!) chasing them down the hall. I'm thankful for the great toys Grandma keeps buying me!

Best of all, I'm thankful to be able to visit the children - whether they read to me to improve their skills, or whether I dress up to make them laugh, or whether I just visit them so they can talk to me and hug me and get smiles on their faces.

What are YOU thankful for?

It's Silly Time Again!

2010-10-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

SOOO sorry! I get so busy out here in California that I neglect my blogging. Life is pretty doggone busy!

But I need to show you this. Did you see it up at the top of the page? It's another SILLY time of year!

You think that looks strange? Take a look at Grandma!

But the costume is for a good cause. I wore it at the George Mark Children's House last weekend. I visited the sick children, the well children, the parents, the hard-working staff... and even a miniature horse named Blackie! Maybe I can show you a picture of Blackie one day.

This is a pretty special place. Very sick children come here, and the staff people take care not only of them but also of the whole family. They give the parents a chance to be parents to their children and not just care-givers! Sounds like a good idea to me. I wouldn't want my grandma to be too busy or worried to take care of me! But I'm staying healthy, thank you very much.

Want to know more? Check out

www.georgemark.org

You'll probably hear from me again when I have another, um, delightful costume to show off!

Too Busy to Blog! (or, Summer Tails)

2010-08-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be so tardy getting back to you all! I've had a great summer! Some people wonder what happens to CCI dogs when they flunk out - er, don't make it through all the training. Are we flops? No way! We just change careers. That's not flopping. Only fish flop (out of water).

I wouldn't have made a good service dog. They have to be able to handle anything (!) that happens, and I get a little nervous sometimes. But I'm fine right here. I love Grandma and I love the way she spoils me. She keeps me busy, too.

There's a children's hospital (UCSF, it's called) that just got a facility dog named Nilani! Grandma's previous dog, Trevin, was such a good hospital visitor that they said, "We need a dog here all the time!" A facility dog is a service dog who, instead of working for a person, works for a place. Facility dogs are great with children!

Well, Grandma and I went to a party for one of the hospital bigwigs. I'll never be a Facility Dog, but I still want to help carry on what Trevin has started. Everybody said I was lovely and well-behaved.

And I LOVE being in two (count 'em, two) Paws to Read programs! If you have children or grandchildren, see if your library has Paws to Read.

The children are so happy to read books to me out loud, and I like to listen. Happily, Grandma also gives me some treats now and then.

At the Pleasanton library, I have a whole set of equipment!

I also have a job with the Tony LaRussa Animal Rescue Foundation. Mr. LaRussa used to manage the Oakland As baseball team, and now he manages the St. Louis Cardinals. His foundation put on a program called "Dog Days of Summer."

Let's see, that's my green bandana. I have such a wardrobe!

I've helped at Camp Arroyo, a summer camp for disabled children in Livermore, California. Grandma is the Camp Coordinator (for the Valley Humane Society visiting therapy teams), so I'm the Co-Coordinator! How do you like that title? Here I am with some of the kids.

I even tried on somebody's sunglasses.

And here I am in a fashion show! (And my PR Dad calls me "Big Ugly." Ugly, indeed!) It was a benefit of the Auxiliary to the John Muir Medical Center. I modeled the scarf that they have for sale.

Grandma and I have done some entertaining this summer. Here's my friend Aunt Sandy. She gives the best paw massages.

Aunt Sandy is a police lieutenant, so I really have to behave around her! (Just kidding!)

Ahhh! I love sitting in the sun!

And then... there was the Pool Thing.

Grandma has a friend I call Auntie Joyce.

She gave a pool party for fifteen CCI Service Dogs. These graduate dogs had a chance to take time off from their work and just be their doggy selves. Some people would worry about fifteen dogs being together. But there were no fights, because these are all CCI trained. I'm a "change of career" pup, but I was invited as well. All the other dogs played in the pool as well as around it, but I had, um, never been swimming.

So after most of the dogs had gone home, Auntie Joyce got me on the float. Yikes!

I wasn't too sure about it at first...

...especially when Graduate Dog Georgina insisted on swimming across the float, right underneath me. It didn't help my confidence one bit! (See her? She's right under my tummy! Not fair!)

But after a while I felt a little better. A LITTLE better!

I'll try it again... maybe next year!

In the meantime, Mocha and I have other challenging things to do!

Kelda the Therapy Dog

2010-05-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

Remember my saying that I passed the test for my Canine Good Citizen certificate? Well, I've done more. Attention, please: Kelda the Wonder Dog is officially Kelda the Therapy Dog!

The proof is in the picture above. (I have certificates, too.)

When you are any kind of service dog, you wear a cape. That's so people know they can let you into their building. (All dogs are too cute to keep out of any building, but there are rules.) I'll wear the red cape for the Paws to Read program at the Orinda Library; I may have an adult day care job, too. The Purple vest is for the Valley Humane Society Pet Therapy Program; I'll be in Paws to Read (yes, I like books) and hopefully some other activities. The summer-yellow one is for Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation Pet Hug Pack. I'll be part of birthday and learning-center parties that promote animal awareness, and other events, too - like Stars to the Rescue, where I may meet some celebrities! Rrrrrowlf! Is Rin Tin Tin still around? Marley?

I'm going to love these jobs! I can hardly wait to get to work!

Speaking of being official, three of my sisters have graduated from CCI puppy college and become Canine Companions: Keilus, Kerris, and Kiwi. Way to go, Special Ks!

Here's what else has been happening. I have a friend at the fire department now. We met at the Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival in April. I don't know if that will make any difference if my MEE-YOWs should set Grandma's house on fire. (But why should they do that? It would burn up their dinners as well as mine.)

In May I went with Grandma to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, to meet my Aunt Lori. We had dinner at the Cypress Inn, which Grandma says is owned by an animal-lover named Doris Day. I'd never heard of her, but maybe you have.

Carmel is a town that loves dogs. Here I am on the famous Carmel Beach Walk (yes, that's really the ocean back there)...

...and on the dog-friendly beach!

There was another special day in May. It was my birthday! I am now two years old. My age count is half my paw count. Once you read down to the bottom of the page, you'll see my official birthday portrait - complete with pearls.

I had a party with Grandma and my buddy Alexis, whose PR is named Deb. We had permission to do Ups on her! I received a "cool" collar (Grandma can soak it in water and it will keep me cool)...

... and the inevitable, um, hat.

Then I had a big surprise.

My PR Dad walked in the front door and said, "Hello, Big Ugly!" I hadn't seen him since last August when I started puppy college. (Don't worry about the "Big Ugly" business - he says that to any dog who is a Lab instead of a Golden Retriever. We must forgive him for not being too bright.)

I got to sniff my car again, and even get in it (actually, it's my mom's car). It had fragrances not just from Colorado but also from other dogs. My dad had brought five CCI dogs out to California so they could start their advanced training. Too bad I didn't meet them.

Then we had another party, and there was a cake just for me which Grandma had bought from Dog Bone Alley! It was made with things that are yummy and safe for dogs to eat. It was as hard as a hockey puck, but Dad pretended he was going to share it with me.

Then he helped give me more birthday presents that Grandma had picked out. I love how she spoils me.

This is the best one. It plays, "Happy Woofday to You." Oh, wait... that's "Happy Birthday." Sorry.

After my party, we went to my class. Dad got to take me through my paces. I don't think he expected to do that, but he remembered everything. I taught him how to go around the cones. That was new for him. He did well, don't you think?

The summer should be fun - stay tuned!

California Living

2010-04-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

Everybody says living in California is easy and laid back. They talk about lots of sunshine (when it isn't raining); healthy outdoor living (when there's not a fire); and friends to - say - look out the window with to see if it's snowing (oh, wait... snow in April happens in Colorado, not California).

I'm sure enjoying it. I have quite a big social calendar and I've made some new friends. Here's my friend Marvin with his person, Auntie Ada Beth. We're showing her what good listeners we are. When she's done talking, maybe she'll give us treats.

Here is my Auntie Denise. We're at the park to show you Grandpa Weldin's tree. Where? Oh, well, I had to crop the picture so the tree's, um, out of sight. You'll have to tear your eyes away from (ahem) us and look at the little plaque to the left of us (your left).

Here I am with my friend Sophia. The decoration is really a toy. Aren't we gorgeous?

This is Betsy, who came to visit us. She lives in Ohio, and she raised my Mama, Jenni! She also raised my sister Kiwi. She's very nice. This (on your left) is called "cradle." This (on your right) is called "play with your guest's hair."

Since she raised Mama, and since I already have a grandma, is she my great-grandma??

I went with Grandma to a wine-tasting party. I prefer white myself, but.... (This is a joke, folks! Grandma knows, just as you do, that even a little alcohol is toxic for dogs!)

My friend Alexa is a CCI pup. She has so much to learn to be a service dog that I knew she would need a little recreation. So I very kindly gave her some.

Then there are times I just like to be goofy.

It's not all play, though. I just passed obedience school!

This is another step toward becoming a therapy dog.

And thinking about that, I'm wondering if all the crazy costumes Grandma puts on me might not be a good thing. After all, I'll be visiting people who need some good cheer. My Creator forgot to provide humans with tails to wag when they're happy, so they have to smile instead. Maybe my costumes will help people smile.

That being said...

...we, um, celebrated Easter.

I took the ears off for dinner. C'mon, Papa Jack, hurry up with the food!

The Easter bunny never looked this good.

After the festivities, of course, came another California tradition: chilling out in style! Zzzzz....

Kelda Does This and That, Not to Mention the Other

2010-03-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Mocha, Muffin, and I are sitting in my office - OK, it's really Grandma's office - talking over the past several weeks. (They like me now that I don't chase them down the hall.) There are events from those weeks that I haven't told you about. I've been a lot busier than the MEE-YOWs, but of course they have more supervisory work than I do. I don't think this household could run without them.

I go to obedience school. Not that I'm disobedient, but I need to get classwork in so I can get my Canine Good Citizen standing, which I need in order to apply to be a Therapy Dog. Grandma decided not to take pictures during class so as not to distract my other classmates... or make them jealous.

We practice the things that all dogs should do. We sit, we stand, we wait (staying put, no matter what our person is doing!), we walk politely, we refrain from chasing MEE-YOWs, squirrels, and other riff-raff... oops, better not tell Mocha and Muffin I said that. I do like to go to class.

After all that work I'm pretty tired, so I take a nap... oops, better not tell the CCI folks about this. (These flannel sheets are great, though.)

Once in a while I supervise the mail. Grandma can have the envelopes with the little windows in them; I prefer packages. This was a good one. My PRs sent her a picture they found (it's not of me but it could be), and they sent me toys which don't have a lot of stuffing but do have a lot of squeakers.

That reminds me of Grandma's birthday party not long ago. And even though it was her birthday and not mine, look what I got! Row-WOOO!

I went to her Valentine's Day party, too. (Just call me a Party Pup.) And I got to wear pearls! See? (Look closely.) They're not for every day! Here's Grandma wearing them. Who says I don't know how to share? Oh, wait... am I sharing with her or is she sharing with me?

Did I tell you about my vets? I have lots of veterinarian friends. When I lived in Colorado I was buddies with Dr. Wasinger and his staff. At the CCISW training center I loved Dr. Steele... and Dr. Steele. Now I have two more special friends. One is Dr. John Andersen. He's a real good friend of Grandma's.

The other is Dr. April Ervin; she has Dr. Weldin's practice (of course, he was a vet, too). Dr. Ervin makes sure I stay healthy. I hadn't planned for her to look at my ears, but she did. I have interesting ears. They get, um, germs 'n' stuff in them and then I need medicine. It just goes with being a lovable, lively Lab.

Finally, here is one of my other jobs.

It's my duty to celebrate holidays - or anything that comes close to being a holiday. I've heard about how St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. If he'd had to drive dogs, it surely would have been just to the nearest dog party. St. Patrick was a good man. So here I am, um... for, um... I hate to think about Easter coming up...

Aw, shucks, I look cute in anything!

Kelda Dreams About the Olympics....

2010-03-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

All together now: "TAH TAH de TAH TAH TAH TAH, TAH tah-da-TAH tah tah da-da-da-da DAH TAH TAH!"

(We didn't make up that picture. Somebody sent it to my Grandma.)

Just like so many other people and dogs, Grandma and I spent the past two weeks at our favorite new activity! Know what it was?

Watching the Winter Olympics, of course!

We stayed up late at night and took naps the next day. Then we started in again. It's all over, but even now it's fun to think about.

If I had been a hockey player, I would have grabbed that puck and run off with it. The players would not have been happy with me. It looked like just the right size to chew on, though.

If I had been at the half pipe, I... um, think I would have backed off. That sport is not for me, I think. But there are some dogs (and even an occasional MEE-YOW) who would love it.

I would have cuddled up with the figure skaters after they finished their programs. They needed me at the kiss-and-cry bench!

Why isn't there a winter Olympics for four-footed people?

Good ol' Sam might be great on a snowboard...

And for personal style, Zebrina can match that red-haired half pipe guy any day....

Here's Olivia, the gold medalist in lady dogs' figure skating, getting points from the judges and great applause from the crowds...

Mr. Grey dreams of being a gold-medal curling skip...

At downhill, Zoe would be perfect (it takes attitude)...

...and Buddy really, really wants to try the skeleton sled competition as soon as he figures out which end of it is the front.

Some dogs think winter is the best season. St. Bernards and other search and rescue dogs spend lots of time on the ski slopes and in the mountains doing their own kinds of events.

Remember Loki and Odin? They love winter. Odin thinks he'd be good at the pursuit races, but his people won't let him compete - they say they're the ones who do the pursuing.

Maybe the summer Olympics is better for most of us dogs. Look at all the things we're good at - sprints, distance running, swimming, long jumps, MEE-YOW and squirrel pursuit (oh, those aren't sanctioned by the IOC?). And think of the ball events! Wow! Think of the gymnastics! I've seen dogs who skateboard. I've seen MEE-YOWs who do high jumps (I've also seen them do pole vaults - without the pole - but I'm not saying anything else about that). Many of us are good at accompanying bicycles, even if we can't ride them.

But I have my sport already picked out:

The STICK EVENT.

Here I am with my trainer. Grandma calls him Mark the gardener, but I know better. By the time the summer Olympics comes along in 2012, I'll be in medal-contending position!

Meanwhile, I went with Grandma to a very special place. She had a CCI National Board Reception at the main headquarters in Santa Rosa. She hobnobbed with the big-shot people, and I hobnobbed with the dogs. Tessa (who is seven months old), Rusty (who's just a baby), and I ran around and played in the big yard.

Here I am sitting like a lady at the sign for Gittenger Park, which is on the CCI campus. I've been here before, a long time ago. When I was a baby like Rusty, I said goodbye to Mama and came here before they sent me to grow up in Colorado.

I acted like a lady when I got to go inside the headquarters, too. As a well-behaved COC (that means "change of career") dog, I remembered my good manners and showed no, um, peculiarities. Dr. Ruth (who's the big boss when it comes to dogs' health) said I have a beautiful girlish figure and look a lot like my Mama. We even have the same natural "eyeliner"!

Well, as Denver CCI pup Mars writes, Ciao for now! (Or is that "chow"? I like chow!) I have some important napping to do...

(I have permission!)

...before I go train some more....

Kelda Celebrates Mardi Gras

2010-02-16T10:07:00.001-08:00

A very brief, happy message to all my friends:

LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!

(OK, Grandma, get me outta these things.)

Kelda the Princess

2010-02-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

Didn't I tell you that I wanted to be a Princess?

Well, I think I am. I sure feel like one, and that's really what being a Princess is about in the U.S.A.

I like living with Grandma. Some of my blog friends are of the opinion that I shouldn't be calling her "Grandma"! It must be because she doesn't look like a white-haired, rocking-chair-sitting old granny. (Actually, it's my PR mom who has the white hair.)

But since my daddy was named after Dr. Weldin, Mrs. W. rather thinks of Daddy as a four-footed kid! So, being Weldin's daughter, of course I'm a granddog. And the name is her own idea, so Grandma she is.

To get back to the Princess thing: let me show you a bit of the Palace.

Here (right) is the deck off the kitchen. It's a good place to relax and survey my domain. I'm not really wearing a hat; that's a concrete lantern in the garden.

Here is the tea house. It's not really for drinking tea in, but when spring comes Grandma will set all the furniture out and it'll be really pretty.

In back of me are the pond and the waterfall. I'm not supposed to swim in the pond or play in the waterfall, so I'm not really sure why they're here.

And here is one of the best things about my yard: it is well supplied with sticks. My Grandma thinks of everything! When the whole place isn't so soggy, I'll be able to play out here.

There are others in my family besides Grandma, and one of them goes by the name of Mocha. The look on my face is not because I still live with MEE-YOWs. It's because I ran out of peanut butter in my Kong toy (sigh).

Grandma has many friends! This one (seen below) we call Papa Jack. His home has steps. Remember that twerpy pup who was scared of stairs? Glad I'm over that. After running up and down them a couple of times after the ball, I decided - Princess-like - to wait at the top for the ball to come up, catch it, and then drop it back down the stairs.

The reason Mocha and I are friends is because we'd like to have the same tastes in people food. Papa Jack had a great hot dog but he didn't share it! Not one bit!

These folks are Mr. and Mrs. Trisko. They have a CCI dog named Nuela, who had pups not long ago. The pups' daddy is my daddy, so that makes us half-siblings or cousins or something! It is indeed nice to be near family.

Of course, everybody knows that one thing a Princess does is to shop until she drops. So Grandma and I went to Dog Bone Alley. It's a very fancy shop! Smells good, too!

Take a look at this. I now have a Princess-like pink collar with polka dots because I like to be trendy. I have a leash to match, too.

And we found a ball that even I can't chew up (Grandma hopes)!

The store lady, by the way, lets CCI have fund-raisers there sometimes. So if you live near Danville, California, get your people to take you shopping at Dog Bone Alley.

Grandma tells me I'll have work to do soon, but right now I'm having fun meeting my subjects and enjoying my kingdom!

Kelda Reappears!

2010-01-30T06:18:00.000-08:00

You'll never guess where I am! Don't try too hard - I'm going to tell you.

This is what has happened since I changed my career direction.

I stayed at the CCI Training Center for a while. What fun! I didn't have any classes to pass. So I lived in the wing with the other dogs who didn't go to class either (because they had been released - or were in heat). I played... and hung out in the grooming area... and played... and hung out in the office... and played.... I still had to practice my good manners, though!

My PRs were looking for a forever home for me, where I would be loved and spoiled rotten and have some special work of my own, even if it isn't with CCI. And just as that was really going great... I got sick. Don't get the wrong idea. CCI dogs don't get sick too often. But it happens, and I'm all over it now. I'm glad, too, because I have better things to do.

Meanwhile, a lot of Super-People wanted me to live at their house - and I really hope they'll all get Super-Dogs to love. Among them was a lady near San Francisco Bay in California, who wanted to adopt me and teach me to be a therapy dog. This is a special lady.

Do you remember back when I was a little pup, telling you about my daddy? His name is Weldin. (That's his picture. Handsome dog, my daddy.)

Well, the lady who wanted to adopt me is named Mrs. Carol Weldin. My daddy is named after her late husband! His name was Dr. Donald Weldin, and he was a wonderful veterinarian who helped lots and lots of Super-Dogs like me. Pretty cool, huh?

SOOO... one day my friend the CCI vet - his name is Dr. Brad Steele - came to see me.

He took care of me when I was sick but, since I wasn't sick any more, he took me to his house instead.

I got to meet Mrs. Steele (who is Dr. Sophie Steele because she is a vet, too!) and their children... and their dogs... and their MEE-YOWs... and I got to sleep at their house instead of the kennel! I do enjoy a little variety in my routine.

Well. It was fun to stay there, but I had something on my mind. California is a big state, and Grandma Carol lived hours away. It has been soggy in California. It has rained and rained and RAINED! If I had curly fur it would have gone straight in all that rain. (My straight fur didn't go curly.) My PRs had told me all about Noah, back in Old Testament times, and the ark he sailed on with all the animals when it rained so hard. Was I going to have to hitchhike on an ark to get through the rain to Grandma Carol's house? (Imagine my cute face sticking out of the right-hand porthole in the front. Yoo-hoo! Picture Mr. Noah in back of me, waiting with a little peanut butter. My Creator taught him how to take care of dogs. He must've had peanut butter.)

I didn't need to worry. My favorite vets and their children - the Steeles - were my VIP chauffeurs! They drove me all the way from Oceanside up to Alamo, California, right to Grandma Carol's front door! Wasn't that nice of them? Better than swimming! (Yes, I heard about that brave dog in the Los Angeles river.)

...AND here I am with my Grandma Carol! This is going to be interesting! I'll let you know what happens next. (P.S. She has lots of peanut butter in her kitchen cupboard!)

Time for a Change of Career

2009-12-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

Hello! Here I am again! I haven't done any blogging because I've been too busy at school out in California. They've been teaching me things like how to walk beside wheelchairs and crutches. They've also taken the commands I learned at home and tried to make them better.

Most of this has been fun. But some things just aren't fun. I've had a great time going various places on leash with my trainers... some of the time. But sometimes I get worried about everything. I'm not sure whether I like having all those other dogs around, even though they are my friends... unless I can be boss of them. And the trainers want me to quit jumping on people, and I'm just not good enough at NOT doing that.

So CCI has decided I need to have a different career. It's not that they think I'm a bad dog. Heavens, no! It's just that a service dog has to be practically perfect in every way (like Mary Poppins; my PR mom read me that book) - calm and patient and willing to go anywhere and do anything. This job would be too hard for me to do.

So... what would I like to do instead? I'd like to supervise a terrific family. I'd like to be a princess! I'd like to have a great volunteer job. I'd like to have ice cubes and peanut butter every day. CCI has strict requirements for anybody who wants to adopt a release dog like me and, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure if they have the peanut butter and the ice cubes on their list. Don't know how they could have missed that. They have some other good things, though. (Want to know what they are? Contact your nearest CCI location.)

For various reasons (which I understand), my PRs can't take me back, but they're in on the search for the best career change options for me. I'll keep you posted! Have a Meowy Christmas and a Yappy New Year!

Kelda the College Student!

2009-09-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here I am in Oceanside, California, at the Companions for Independence Southwest Training Center! But that's a mouthful, even for a dog with a big mouth like me. I call it Puppy College for short. But you knew that, didn't you?

I began college on August 22nd. My PRs were going to fly out with me to give me a little extra vacation (and give themselves one, too). They were going to take me to Legoland and Sea World and maybe to the Getty Museum up in Los Angeles. And, of course, they wanted to take me to the beach and let me see what the ocean was like. Colorado does great mountains, but oceans? Not so good.

But my PR Dad fell off a ladder and cracked some things. (This picture is from right after he came home, and yes, I had permission to be on the bed! He couldn't move well at first, but I hear he's much, much better now!) So they had to stay home. And the CCI folks went into high gear. A nice lady in Denver offered to take me out with her, my friend Aunt Kelly was willing to take me up to Denver, and another CCI lady was willing to take care of me while I was in California. It's not just the dogs who are wonderful at Canine Companions!

So my PR Mom packed my bag with all the most important things: my leash, my cape, my Gentle Leader (I was hoping I could leave that at home), a couple of bones, and, of course, my FOOD!

The car pulled up at my house, I licked my people (the MEE-YOWS wouldn't let me lick them), and Auntie Kelly put me - and the bag - into her car.

She had a doctor's appointment in Denver - that's why she was really going - so I got a little more doctor's office training. Long hallways are good for sit/stay practice.

We pups need to have good manners at any office. We can't just wander around sniffing everything - unless somebody says it's all right.

Did you know I can read medical information? Hee hee.

This is my new friend Gloria. She was going out to Oceanside to see her dog graduate! Her dog's name is Alesia. (It rhymes with amnesia, which is what I have when I forget my commands.) Maybe in a few months I'll be graduating, too! She took good care of me on the plane, and I took care of her. I'm an old hand (paw) at flying - after all, I took my PRs all the way to the land of Indiana and back on an airplane!

Once in California, I switched people again. I just love meeting new people. Jeni and her daughter, Brooke, had a younger CCI pup with her (sorry, she didn't get any pictures of us together), and we had a good time. When you start puppy college, you leave your old bones behind - and get new ones - so I gave mine to Nettie to keep.

I didn't get that big vacation, but I did get to see how pretty Oceanside is! We went down to the marina. Ah, the wonderful water! I wonder what kinds of food people keep on those big boats. The birds were cool, too - made lots of noise. I loved it.

That afternoon, we went to the big ceremony, where the terrific dogs who are graduating and beginning their CCI careers are honored! They also introduce all the new guys like me.

I got to wear a special cape just for this ceremony. When I graduate (notice I'm saying when), I'll have a different kind of blue cape to wear when I work.

Here I am (above) by the big sign in front of my college. This school - one of the five CCI training centers around the country - is named after some famous people who love CCI very much. Everybody else knew who Dean Koontz was! But I never read any of his books. I did read one of Trixie's.

There are always lots of nice people and nice dogs at these ceremonies. Here I am standing in line with Brooke waiting to be introduced, so everybody can see how cute I am. The man standing there is Mr. Wahrenbrock, who is the PUPPY BOSS! He runs the puppy-raising program. If he's the puppy boss, he must always carry puppy treats in his pockets, don't you think? I have to check that out.

After all the fun, it was time to say goodbye to Jeni and Nettie, and go with another lady to my new dorm room. (She was holding on to a yellow leash on my collar so she wouldn't get lost.) I couldn't wait to see what my new place was like.

And... the first thing I found out was that my roommate is my old friend Emmy! Hooray, hooray, hooray! (Wag tail at great speed.)

All that was last month. I've had a great time since then. There are 32 dogs in my class, and sometimes they divide us into little groups and just let us play! My teacher - they call her a trainer - is named Becky. She's nice... smells like dogs, and knows how to make me wag my tail. While she and the other trainers get to know us, and check our bones and our eyes and the rest of us, they'll also see what we've learned and how well we've learned it. They'll find out if we're scared of anything (there aren't any cows around here, are there?), if we're noisy or quiet, if we play nicely, if we get too distracted by Bob the Cat or the bunnies (you could say they're trainers, too), and much more. Then they will decide if each of us pups should stick around here or if we need to go into another career. My PRs will get a report card about me once in a while.

What happens if (gasp!) I get released? It won't mean I'm a bad dog. It certainly doesn't mean I'm less wonderful than I've always been! (I probably won't even become more modest.) I might get to go to a different school and become a hearing dog or a drug-sniffing dog. Or I might come back to Colorado, supervise a wonderful family, and become a therapy dog, visiting people in nursing homes or reading to kids in libraries (oh, reverse that - they'll read to me). Or I might stay in California and supervise somebody here, and maybe live by the ocean, and get to know all those noisy birds... and maybe even go sniffing around in one of those boats.

But my plans right now are to stay right here and become a Canine Companion!

P.S. There are ice cubes in California!

Fun and Games before Puppy College

2009-08-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

I'm getting closer and closer to the time I get to go to puppy college at the CCI training center in Oceanside, California! It's exciting to think about. My PR mom says I'm gonna love it. It's a place that is comfortable and safe for me. There will be a whole lot of other dogs there, the teachers really know what they're doing, and there are lots of volunteers to bathe me (okay), love me (yes!), take me for walks once in a while (super), trim my nails (yuck), and do many other things. So - good learning, good playing, good sleeping, good attention - what more could I ask? Other than a little peanut butter. Maybe an ice cube once in a while. Do they have ice cubes in California?

So my PRs decided I could use a few more adventures... sort of a combination of pre-graduate studies and senior trip. This is what we've done:

One day we drove way out into the country. Finally we got to a small town (even I could tell it wasn't a big city) called Calhan, Colorado, and went through a gate that said, "El Paso County Fair." Well, I've been to street fairs, but they weren't like this. The streets were dirt and not asphalt. And they had things I'd never seen at a street fair.

This is a pond exhibit - a fine place to practice an "up."

There were also a lot of trucks. Dogs who like to chase trucks (I'm not one) need to run the other way from this one!

There were also quilts and photographs and paintings which my mom wanted to see, so of course we were gracious enough to let her. (It was time for a nap, anyhow.)

At this fair, I saw animals I had never seen before. I usually like other animals...

...but not this one! I would be embarrassed to tell you what this cow said to me.

The goats and sheep were... well, okay. Some of them were scared of me, but most of the just stared. The 4H people raising the goats liked me, though.

So did other people at the fair.

Here I am posing on a little tractor.

Here I am posing on a big tractor.

Pssst! Here is how it was really done! That's my tail end you're seeing as my dad picks me up!

After that, my PRs took me to another kind of fair. It was mostly people. But what people!

I am a cool dog. They didn't scare me.

But I wouldn't want to be seen in getup like that. I'll keep my nice fur coat, thank you.

I found these guys interesting. You have to look over the blue fence. I thought I'd stay on the near side of it. Not that I was concerned.

On the other hand, these weren't interesting. Rare cork-nosed piggies, my four feet! I was looking around for real piggies.

Hm. I had to see if this was a real fur tablecloth or a make-believe one. Couldn't tell for sure. I don't think the smell was interesting enough to be real. They may not want everybody to know that.

After a while we sat in the grass... and watched horses (and people on them) ride around like crazy. This rider came to the end of the riding area, saw me, and smiled. I don't know whether he was supposed to do that or not, but I liked it.

Now here are some Renaissance people I really like.

Here is Cindy, the Mastiff. Her ancestors were really around in Renaissance times!

And so were my greyhound friends!

After lunch, we visited some more friendly beasts... well, not quite. Uh-oh - there's another one of those cows!

The little horse was friendly...

... and so were the goats.

But the llama couldn't make up its mind.

Oh, look - a real pig! Now, that's better. You can really only see our noses.

And the sheep said my fur coat was better than theirs. They did. Really.

By the time I'd taken my people all around this fair, I was exhausted!

The next day my PR dad fell off a ladder. (If he'd had four legs instead of two, he probably could have landed properly.) So I did some visiting around to friends' houses while they took him to the hospital. But the hospital people said I could visit - actually, I could have visited even if I weren't a service dog in training - so that's what I did.

My dad is home now. He's going to be OK, and I'm trying to help him. I seem to get in the way a lot, though. I wish I could pick up what he drops and give it back to him. (Well, I do pick it up, but I don't always give it back.) I seem to sit in the wrong place and then I need to move. I want to be a Service Dog, but I'm not one yet. I guess that's what I'm going to college for - to learn more!

Kelda the Great Traveler

2009-07-18T18:59:00.001-07:00

We are back from Indiana, and I had a good time. I think it is probably a good thing to wear a fur coat all the time. My PRs don't have that privilege, and they came home with little pink spots all over their arms and legs. They sure looked funny! My mom said they were chigger bites. But nobody chigged on me.

We got on an airplane. (This is my dad and me on the way to the security gate.) I had not been on an airplane before. Adventure was everywhere.

When we got off the plane in Indiana, my mom took me outside to hurry. But I couldn't. Indiana smelled so different from Colorado that I had to sniff every inch I could! Another strange thing is that the air always felt as if it were just about to rain. My PRs call it humidity, and say I got off easily.

Then I had to go inside the baggage claim room and give a traveler a puppy fix. I call it public relations work.

Then we drove and drove and finally reached my dad's Aunt Margaret's house.

And her two dogs welcomed me with wagging tails! This is Sammy (Samantha). She doesn't run a lot, but she's very nice.

This is Buddy. There isn't much of him, but he and I chased each other all over the big back yard.

One day we got in the car again and went to another country called Ohio. I had to share the back seat of the car!

We visited some relatives who liked me a lot. I liked them all, too. I liked their monogrammed beanbag chairs even better.

Another day we sniffed around Oxford, Ohio, with friends of my PRs. They all went to college there together - long, long ago. I'm going to college in August - but not to this one.

Please look carefully at this photograph. Remember that sad puppy who was afraid of stairs? These are not only steps. These are steps built like sidewalk grates! They were a little scary, but they held me up - amazingly - and I went up and down them! Everybody cheered me, and I got a couple of extra puppy treats out of it.

If you just like dog pictures, I'm just a minor character here, so you can ignore these.

All right. Back to important things.

In Indiana we went to a big parade with my dad's mom and dad.

At a parade, you sit on the sidewalk with a lot of other people, and you watch other folks walk down the middle of the street wearing funny clothing and making noise. It was fun for a while...

...but eventually I had other things to do. Ahh, attention! Scratch right there, please.

You never know what kind of dogs you're going to meet in a foreign country.

Another thing we did was to go to the boat races. The Madison Regatta has about a half million people (it seemed that way) and some very noisy boats. Some are fast and some are slow, but everybody cheers when something happens along the river.

To go to a Regatta, you bring your own blanket. If you are a human, you bring your own chair. You bring things to eat and drink. Remember to share with your dog. If you don't share with your dog (sigh), bring something for your dog to do.

Dogs, remember to pray before chewing on your bone.

When nothing was going on in the river, and I got tired of napping...

... I went to the dog park! Yessss!

Here's what I looked like most of the time I was there.

Soon it was time to go back home. Here is the crate I use when I travel. My dad can fold it down to almost nothing. It's great for napping, too.

Here is a real picture of real benches at the airport! My PRs thought it was pretty funny.

When we got off in Denver, I thought that somebody really hanging around outside the window was pretty funny. My dad said he was washing the windows. Why didn't he just lick them clean?

Now I'm getting close to college time. My people are filling out forms so the CCI teachers will know what I'm like (besides adorable). I will have to go to my favorite veterinarian so he can tell everyone I'm healthy. More fun coming up!

Dogs I Have Known, Mostly

2009-06-25T16:08:00.001-07:00

This spring and summer I've been pretty busy, not only going places, but also doing a lot of canine entertaining - and I thought I'd introduce you to some of the four-footed people I've been hanging out with. I really like four-footed people. With two-footed people you have to behave yourself. With four-footed people you have to behave yourself, too, but you can get away with a little more. Don't tell anybody I said that.

BUT FIRST... I took my people to a street fair a few weeks ago!

They'd been to street fairs before, but I hadn't, so I figured it was time they got me involved. A street fair is a chance for people to play in the street. Really. They close the streets off to traffic and walk around and talk to one another. And just to make it more fun, a lot of folks sell things, and there are super smells and some things on the sidewalk you're told "DON'T!" about.

We had to line up to get on the bus, which was new to me (the bus, not the line). It was bigger than my living room. The people sat on the seats, but they left the whole floor to me.

Am I doing it right? There wasn't much room to do a real "under" command.

Once we got there, we cruised around.

And one of the first sights was of someone who should obviously be a friend! We were only allowed to wag our tails at each other because we were WORKING dogs!

I didn't get to eat any of those tasty-smelling things, but I did get some nice cold water.

This is a cool boat. Why do people get scared in these? Oh, something about the water under them....

This kind of work I love to do.

There aren't just dogs here! What IS that?

When we got on the bus to go home, my dad let me sit on the seat. There were some great views out the window.

Supervising wore me out.

My mom got a fast shot of me going down the steps to get off the bus. Got that? STEPS? Maybe I'm over my step-phobia. My mom says she'd like to take me to the mall to test that out, but her wallet is highly allergic to the mall.

Anyhow...

On to my four-footed friends! My Creator has blessed me by giving me lots of doggy friends.

Well, no, this isn't a doggy friend, but I couldn't resist. Leave it to MEE-YOWs to think it's fun to watch water drip.

These are my cousins, Loki and Odin. They're Norwegian Elkhounds, but they don't speak Norwegian - just dog. They came to see me last Christmas, and they came back to visit one afternoon not long ago with their mom. It was fun to play with them again.

This is Gus. He lives next door. He is a Vizsla. That's pronounced "veesh-lah" in people language
(and "ra-woof" in dog). He's looking at me through the window in our fence. Yes, we have a dog window in our fence. That's something you don't see every day. He doesn't jump through it (his yard is lower than mine), but sometimes he gets to come over here to play.

Gus was rescued from a puppy mill (I'm not even asking my mom what that is). He can't hear very well, if at all. But that doesn't stop him from looking cute... and having lots of fun.

He was afraid of the steps up our deck. I could have taught him a thing or two (ahem!). But I didn't want to embarrass a guest.

Now, this guy lives two houses down, but plays in Gus's back yard a lot. His name is Buddy. On the outside, he's the shape of a Welsh Corgi with the fur and eyes of an Australian Shepherd. On the inside, he's just another Lab in a funny-colored Corgi suit.

Maybe Gus doesn't come through the window, but Buddy does!

Sometimes he comes over when I'm not home. One afternoon he crashed a party my mom was having. He told me later that the raspberry sherbet punch tasted pretty good. Unfair.

My mom likes Buddy, but he's no taller than the MEE-YOWs, so when he's inside our house he sneaks into the laundry room through the little door...

...and gets into the kitty litter. Then she gets mad at him. (He only says, "Yum.")

My people are taking me to some foreign country called Indiana... so I'll blog again when I come back, if we don't run into trouble with immigration.

Kelda the Journalist

2009-06-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

I've been super-busy this week (befitting Kelda the Superdog)! But I wanted to share with you my (ahem) column that appeared in the Chaffee County Times last month. Remember when Gamay and I swapped homes? This is what came of it. Ms. Bensman is my ghost writer (because she has fingers and I don't). She took the pictures, too. Words in brackets [ ] are extra comments from me, Kelda.
........................................

CCI PUPPIES SWAP THEIR RAISERS

(by Kelda - Guest Columnist)

Hi! I'm Kelda. I'm a CCI puppy like Gamay. I met Gamay at the birthday party in Colorado Springs. I live in the Springs, but I stayed with Mary Lee for a week while Gamay stayed with my puppy raisers.

In the city, we puppies swap around our raisers quite a bit because we live close to each other. Since Gamay doesn't get in on all the fun, we swapped our puppy raisers for a week.

Gamay and I are almost the same age (one year, at the time of writing) and we are both being turned in on the same day (August 22) at the same place (Oceanside, California). That's were we go for advanced training ("college").

Here are more ways that Gamay and I are alike: We wear the same clothes; we don't like our Gentle Leaders; we like to walk ahead of our handlers instead of beside them [oops]; we are both Labs (although I am yellow - almost white - and she is black); we are both writers; we both get really excited to meet other people and dogs; we are both party animals.

When Mary Lee picked me up at my house and left Gamay with my puppy raisers, we went shopping. We shopped til I dropped! Mary Lee said I did really well in the stores. Except the office supply store; I barfed in the office supply store. Mary Lee had given me a chance to "hurry" before we went in, but she never told me to barf. So I did it in the store. [You'll notice there are no pictures of this.]

She was really nice about it. She knelt on the floor with plastic bags and paper towels scattered about, and let me do what I had to do. Then she wiped it all up. It's kinda hard to be inconspicuous about something like that. But she said she would prefer that people watch me barf than hurry in a store! [For those of you who may not know, "hurry" does not mean, "Get a move on." It's a substitute for saying, "Go to the bathroom right now." "Hurry" is one of the commands we learn. When we're real service dogs we may not be able to run outside any old time we need to. We need to do our business when it is convenient for our person.]

She called me "perfect puppy" in the restaurant! I just lay down on the floor without even being told to, and stayed there until we left.

Lots of people talked to Mary Lee about me. "How is she doing?" they asked. She said, "I don't know. I've only had her a couple of hours!" Then she explained all about the puppy exchange. By the end of the day, she was just telling them I was doing great!

We went to the pet supply store and Mary Lee bought a dog chew ring for me to play with on the way home! Well, she got it for Gamay, but she let me play with it while I was here. She also bought a hard rubber bone, but as soon as I started eating it, she took it away. She's kinda picky about puppies eating toys.

When we got back to Buena Vista, I scarfed down dinner! Then I had fun sniffing all around the yard and the house. I went right in my (Gamay's) crate when Mary Lee told me to. I knew just where I was supposed to sleep.

We went on a hike on Sunday and played ball, but it got kinda hot.

One time, I was lying on Gamay's pillow in the living room, playing with the new dog chew ring. I rolled on my back and gave it a toss, and it landed right in the water dish! I couldn't do that again if I tried! I drank as much water as I could so that I could get it out, but I couldn't.

I loved playing with the firewood that was on the deck. I picked out the biggest ones.

Mary Lee calls me "Sweetie" when I'm not trying to bite her! [I wouldn't bite her! It's just that when my tail moves fast, my mouth moves, too. I think the puppy college teachers aren't gonna like that.] She's kinda picky about that, too!

By the time you read this, Gamay will be home.

..............................

If you want to know more about Gamay, go to www.maryleebensman.com. I had a terrific time in Buena Vista. Everybody is friendly, the firewood sticks taste good, and Gamay has a really cool basketball!

Gamay, the Guest Columnist

2009-05-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

(Note from Kelda: Gamay is writing this week's blog because she was me for a week! We traded Puppy Raisers. Fun!)

My name is Gamay! If you're old enough to remember a face soap called Camay, you won't have any trouble with my name. I'm a beautiful black Lab, the only CCI puppy being raised in Buena Vista, Colorado. My PR mom writes for the local paper, so I fill in for her sometimes. (It's nice to be needed.)

A few weeks ago I came to the Big City, and attended Zebrina's birthday party while I was here. My mom thought it would be good for me to get more learning outside a small town, so she asked if Kelda and I could trade places for a few days. So Kelda went off with my mom, and I got to stay here.

Kelda had told me about her MEE-YOWs, so I couldn't wait to meet them. It turned out they were perfectly willing to wait to meet me. They would have waited much longer.

All I wanted to do was play! After all, they don't seem to play with one another - why shouldn't they play with me?

This is Nonny. He's kind of old. He didn't want to play. He growled and hissed.

All of a sudden, out of the blue came Mr. Grey! He got between Nonny and me, and started using his claws on my ear. OUCH!

I never dreamed the MEE-YOWs stood up for each other!

(There's another MEE-YOW named Cetty but she wouldn't give me the time of day.)

I did other things, too. Kelda's mom was looking for flowers...

...and I helped her.

These smell good. Taste good, too - oops. You didn't hear that.

I took Kelda's dad for walks.

I made sure Kelda's toys didn't get lonesome.

Here I am talking to Gus, who lives next door. You can't see him. And this isn't really my best side.

And, over time...

I can't say the MEE-YOWs and I became friends, but they started to put up with me. A little.

The big city is really a lot like a small town, because you can only be in one place at a time. The CCI commands we learn are the same wherever we live. So we can practice anywhere. With Kelda's people I went to Home Depot, to Walmart, to church, to the grocery store. It was interesting seeing all the different people.

Kelda's mom took me to a thrift store. There were lots of nice smells and lots of nice people. But I couldn't figure out why that monkey was hanging around up there on that person's NECK. Was it waiting to jump on me? Yikes!

When the cleaning gals came, it was fun. They like dogs.

They also have noisy machines.

I had a great week! Kelda and I had the chance to talk (and sniff) when we traded people back.

We'll be going to puppy college together in August. But I hope we'll have some fun before that. Colorado Springs, like Buena Vista, is a good place for a CCI pup to be!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-05-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

It's official: I'm a big girl! No, I haven't put on weight. I haven't grown tall enough to play basketball. I haven't set a record for playing with MEE-YOWs.

I'm a year old!

Last year at this time (May 13) I was born in California. I have six brothers and sisters. Here's a picture (left) of Keilus - she lives in Maryland, where the crabs are.

If you have trouble telling us apart, there's a reason... we wear the same style of birthday hat.

I spent the beginning of the week with Auntie Phyllis.

She's not my real auntie (if she were, she'd have fuzzy ears and a tail). But she loves dogs so much, and takes care of them so well, that she's Auntie Phyllis to all of us.

She took me to the library (Zebrina was there, too) so kids could read to me. I wish somebody had taken pictures because not only did the children like me, but they also pasted five-pointed stickers on my face after they read each book! I always knew I had STAR quality!

On my birthday she took me to class, where my PRs met us. We CCI pups have class together every two weeks. Sometimes it's a field trip - maybe to a fire station or a retirement place - but most of the time, we practice what we're learning at home.

Here we are doing "cradle."

You lie down on your person's lap on the floor and let everything show. Not ladylike, but nobody minds. I don't like cradling much. That's why my dad has his hand on my chest to keep me where I should be.

My friend Augie would rather be bouncing around, too. He has the very best bounce I've ever seen.

But some pups just lie there and snooze - or smile. Here's Emmy!

This is my teacher, Megan, talking to Nara and her PR mom. We have a lot of little kids in class right now.

Everybody needs to learn to sit. This is Malin. It's harder to "sit - stay." We like "sit - get up - run around" better. But that isn't a command.

"Down" doesn't mean, "Get off the furniture"; it means we get all our feet and our tummies on the floor. This is a very good napping command.

Here's a harder one: "Stand." It gets boring. But you're not supposed to sit - you need to keep standing. I'm getting pretty good at this one.

"Roll" is good for tummy scratches.

We learn to walk beside our people in the right way - not too far ahead, not too far behind, not sniffing the floor as we go.

(This - well, this is what sometimes happens when the little guys come to class.)

"Jump" means to get on something above the floor - like maybe a table at the vet's office. I like "jump," but this counter is too slippery.

We even learn how to go through doorways with good
manners. This is cute little Rio.

This is "visit." You stick your face in your person's lap and look up adoringly. If you do it just right, you should get a treat - or at least an "Awwww."

We learn to take things in our mouths and then drop them when we're told. This is Sherwood. He's a CCI release dog. He's been a therapy dog for five years, and he knows all the commands perfectly! We all look up to him.

And here I am, starting to do a "lap." I think it should be half a lap, because only half of me should get up there. But then, that much of me takes up a person's whole lap. We learn this because maybe our person will be in a wheelchair and won't be able to bend over to give us attention. So we go where the best attention is. Very sensible.

After we did all our schoolwork (and there's more than this), we had birthday cake!

Auntie Phyllis made it out of people food that is all right for dogs to eat once in a while.

Mmmmm! My mom wanted to get a shot of me eating the cake, but she didn't move fast enough. Even the crumbs were good.

It was too rich for the little puppies, but we big dogs loved it!

The Queen Reports

2009-05-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

I've been busy lately!

The latest thing I've done was to go with my PR mom when she got her latest mammogram. (No pictures, obviously!) New sights, new people, new smells, lots of attention... but I was a good girl and stayed in my corner, um, most of the time. My mom says annual mammograms are good for her health (and she was happy when we were done). But I'm sure glad we dogs don't have to do it!

So here is the most gorgeous Lab in Colorado posing on the deck on Easter Sunday. My PRs call it their deck. Actually, it's my throne room. From it, I, Queen Kelda the Magnificent, regard my vast domain. And now that the snow's gone, it's even more fun!

I entertained my cousin Zebrina on it. And off it. And around it.

She's my cousin because my PRs raised her before they raised me. She lives in town with people who spoil her rotten - and she loves it.

Here is what she looked like when she was a little puppy.

She didn't get to be a Canine Companion for Independence because she worries about things. Service dogs shouldn't do much of that because it keeps them from taking good care of their people. But now she has other people to take care of. She says it's just the right place for her!

She goes to the library! Here's a picture of her and another cousin, Olivia.

Children read to them! I don't know if they read back. As you can see, the sock monkey does, though.

She is a good citizen - yes, she is; both she and Olivia also passed their Canine Good Citizen tests. They have impressive badges to wear on their capes.

My friend Gamay and I went to Zebrina's birthday party at the library not long ago. (Gamay is the cute black Lab on the right.)

It sure was a good cake! (ZB shared it. She really did.)

Later on, she stayed at my house for a couple of days.

Cousins share!

What else have we done in my domain? We had a birthday party! Not for me - that's next week - but for my PR dad and some others of our family.

Here is Katie, one of the birthday girls. She likes me pretty well. Katie and her sisters stayed at our house overnight. That was fun!

Here is Megan. She's gotten tall enough to reach the door handle. Hey, I could do that, too, but there's no point. Doggy paws don't work well on doorknobs.

Here is Jenna. She used to be really afraid of dogs! She was afraid of Zebrina and Olivia and some of my cousins before them. But she isn't so afraid of me (unless I get really bouncy). My mom says it's because she is taller now than we dogs are. I say it's because I'm so cute.

The frisbee was fun! Tasted good, too. Um, I don't have it any more.

Oh well... the Queen still has a lot to learn!

Playing Keep-Away for a Good Reason

2009-04-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

Last blog, my PR mom was "teaching." This week, I guess I am. But first... I'll show you how we celebrated Easter Sunday here. My PRs had told me about my Creator's resurrection... but I had an idea that there was also supposed to be a little springtime-and-flowers ambiance. Right?

I ask you! Does this look like springtime???

Well, all right. I'll put on my teacher's hat now.

(How embarrassing. But at least it isn't my Gentle Leader.)

Mom picked up a little booklet at the vet's office when she was getting me some Heartguard. It's called, "101 Things You Didn't Know Could Harm Your Pet." Although the booklet sells pet insurance, it also warns about things Mom says dog people should know. Dogs, too.

As marvelous as we canines are - especially CCI dogs - there are actually things out there that can hurt us! Can you imagine? So, my fellow four-footies (including MEE-YOWs, I guess), let's keep away from these things this summer. Happily for you, I'm not going to list all 101! But here are some of the good ones:

HOME, SWEET HOME: Maybe we'll never get into the medicine cabinet (it's too high up), but if we find a pill on the floor we're liable to check it out with our tongues. So don't let us find aspirin, ibuprofen, or other such things. Keep us away from vitamins and any kind of people medicine. Keep us away from diet pills and insulin. To us, the stuff looks like doggy treats!

(...These are dog treats.)

(On the other hand, these are not....)

Keep us away, too, from detergent, fabric softener, drain cleaner, any kind of bug spray, mouse (or rat or snail) bait, and mothballs. (What the moths are doing playing with balls I don't know.) Keep us away from paint thinners, tobacco, and liquid potpourri. Whew! I mean, let us have carrots, puppy biscuits, and peanut butter (yeah!), but not Drano, cigar butts, or dryer sheets!

NOW GROWING IN A YARD NEAR YOU: I'm (ahem) much too grown up to nibble on plants... except that little one over there. Oh, and that one looks interesting, too.

So this is part of the HUGE no-no list: lilies, ferns, ivy, bittersweet, morning glories, daffodils, hyacinths, honeysuckle, iris, lantana, lilies of the valley (they're cute), oleander (nasty!), privet, tulips, wisterias, and yews. They look great, but plant 'em where we can't get to 'em.

FOODIE WARNING: Like most Labs (and lots of other pups), I'll do almost anything for food (except have my nails trimmed)! But we get very sick if we even try out chocolate, coffee (I almost tried that the other day!), garlic, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, salt, tea leaves, booze, wine, avocados, raw yeast dough, anything with xylitol (like gum), food with a lot of fat on it, or food that's moldy. I've never tasted chocolate (my mom kindly eats it for me). I hear I'm getting a cake for my birthday next month... but not a chocolate one!

THESE ARE NOT GOOD TOYS... but if we find 'em, we'll play with 'em! Keep us from finding batteries (chew toys!), twist-ties, coins, rubber bands, socks or nylons (I've heard hospital stories about those!), string, dental floss, jewelry (ouch!), pins, cotton swabs, buttons, plastic wrap, paper clips, or little bitty balls. They're small enough to chew and swallow, but once they get inside me I'm in trouble. So are you.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR OPINION... toilets are not good for us to drink from! So give us lots of fresh water in beautiful, big, clean bowls (preferably in gorgeous colors with our names painted on them), and keep the toilet lid down, thank you.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS... won't be great for me if I get stuck by the neck in a broken fence (or lattice), or if I run out an open gate or wide place in the fence. Don't let me get into gasoline or (shudder) anti-freeze - it's sweet but even a tiny bit can kill me! - weed killer, bug spray, or compost (made out of stuff that smells good to me), especially if it's moldy. Remember, we delightful dogs try out anything we find interesting. We just can't help ourselves.

Don't invite me to your yard if you have COCOA-BEAN SHELL MULCH around your trees or in your flower beds. It'll smell good and taste good, but it's related to chocolate - it can make me so sick you wouldn't believe it.

Don't ever leave me alone in your POOL or HOT TUB! No dog can swim that well! Do you know how hard it is to get out if you're weighed down with wet fur? Scary.

Speaking of scary, a reliable source (my cousin Zebrina - I'll write about her visit later) told me INDEPENDENCE DAY is coming up this summer. She says Fourth of July is all about scary decorations in the sky and scary noises on the ground (just down the street!). When she was a little pup she was so scared she couldn't even stay in the back yard, and had to go inside and hide in a corner. My mom says many dogs run away and get hurt because fireworks are so scary. They'll thank people who protect them from all that, no matter how much fun the people have with it.

Sigh. This one isn't in the booklet, but my PRs said to tell you. Learn NOT TO COUNTER-SURF! (Counter-surfing is higher-up hoovering. You know what hoovering is, right?) Sorry, guys! It's fun, but we feel so smart standing tall and reaching up to the counter that we're not always smart about what we take off it. We should not practice our "up" command on the kitchen or bathroom counter without supervision (my new word). Yes, I know the commercial where the dog takes the man's sandwich off the counter and puts the MEE-YOW there, but that's make-believe.

Do your people want to know more? Tell them to talk to your vet. (You don't have to be there.)

We dogs - our Creator's finest work (ahem) - are so wonderful that of course people will want to keep us safe and happy. We need to wag our tails even more, and let them pet us more, when they do. We could even take them for more walks. (That's good for them, too.)

Playing Keep-Away for a Good Reason

2009-04-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Last blog, my PR Mom was "teaching." This time, I guess I am. But first... let me show you how we celebrated Easter Sunday here. My PRs have told me about my Creator's Resurrection... but I had an idea that there was also supposed to be a little springtime-and-flowers ambiance. Right?

I ask you! Does this look like spring?

Well, all right. Now I'll put on my teacher's hat.

(At least it isn't a Gentle Leader.)

Mom picked up a little booklet a the vet's office when she was getting me some Heartguard. It's called, "101 Things You Didn't Know Could Harm Your Pet." Although the booklet is selling pet insurance, it warns about things Mom says every pet owner should know. Every pet, too.

As marvelous as we canines are (especially CCI dogs), there are actually things out there that can hurt us! Can you imagine? So, my fellow four-footies (including MEE-YOWs, I guess), let's keep away from these things this summer. Happily for you, I'm not gonna list all 101. But here are some of the good ones:

HOME, SWEET HOME: Maybe I'll never get into the medicine cabinet (it's too high up), but if I find a pill on the floor I'm liable to check it out with my tongue. So don't let me find aspirin, ibuprofin, or any such thing. Keep me away from vitamins and any kind of people medicine. Keep me away from diet pills and insulin. To us dogs, the stuff looks like doggy treats!

(These are dog treats.)

(These are not.)

Keep us away from detergent, fabric softener, disinfectants, drain cleaners, any kind of bug spray, mouse (or rat or snail) bait, and mothballs. (What the moths are doing playing with balls I don't know.) Keep us away from paint thinners, tobacco, and liquid potpourri. Let us have carrots, puppy biscuits, and peanut butter, but not Drano, cigar butts, or dryer sheets!

NOW GROWING IN A YARD NEAR YOU: I'm (ahem) much too grown up to nibble on plants... except maybe that little one over there. Oh, and that one looks good, too. This is part of the HUGE no-no list: Lilies, ferns, ivy, bittersweet, morning glories, daffodils, hyscinths, honeysuckle, iris, lantana, lilies of the valley (they're cute), oleander (nasty!), privet, tulips, wisterias, and yews. They may look good, but plant 'em where we just can't get to 'em.

The TRUTH about CCI Dogs!

2009-04-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yawwwwwwn! I'm not writing today. Here's why: I have a friend named Gamay. She is famous as the only CCI puppy being raised in Buena Vista, Colorado. Her PR Mom threw out a question for all the PRs around here to answer, and my mom answered it. It's far too grownuppy for me. In fact, I don't even think it's about me. It's about some dog named Rover. Does anybody really name a dog Rover?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why do you spend hundreds of dollars, and invest a year and a half of attention and energy, to raise a puppy you'll give away once it is well-behaved and a huge part of your life - knowing all along that there's no guarantee the pup will 'make it'?"

This query has three questions in it: Why part with your dog? What happens to the dog? What's in it for you?

First things first. Canine Companions for Independence puppy raisers take CCI puppies into their homes, raise them, teach them basic obedience, socialize them thoroughly, and then send them away for advanced training, preparatory to their becoming service dogs and helping persons with mobility problems.

But this conflicts with popular ideas about Rover. After all, isn't your dog your pet, your property? Existing for your pleasure is Rover's job description. (Rover may not see it that way; he may see you as existing for his pleasure. Maybe you're his pet. More likely you're his wait staff and play partner. But let's not go there.)

So people ask me - sometimes in tones of reproach - "How can you get rid of that dog?" As if I had no heart and no sense!

My answer is: "Sending my dog to advanced training is not like sending him to the pound. At the pound, his future and even his life are in jeopardy, and he'll feel abandoned because he has been. Here's what it's really like: sending your child to college. And, like that child, I hope he'll graduate and get a job!"

Once in a while, there's a second question: "But aren't you attached to that dog?" The answer is really too rude to say out loud, but here it is: "Yes! What does that have to do with it?"

When my husband and I applied to be puppy raisers, we went through three interviews. Invariably, the first question was, "Are you going to be willing to give the dog back to us?" This still reminds me that Rover is my puppy only temporarily (and with strings attached). I'm privileged to have him as part of the family for a while. But he isn't my dog - he's CCI's.

Happily for my peace of mind, CCI's breeding program makes a difference. CCI breeds Labs (yellow ones and black ones), Golden Retrievers, and mixes of the two. While other dogs may - and do - serve people well, Labs and Goldens are known for their ability to adjust their loyalties. They will love you all to pieces! But when you're not there, they will love somebody else all to pieces. (Dog treats help.) Given good treatment, they're perfectly willing to adapt, not pine.

Some of the training we give our puppies is socialization. We take them to public and private places appropriate for their age and degree of training. (CCI gives us a list of places where they may and may not go.) The idea is to make them feel comfortable, not frightened, wherever they are. Since there are many puppy raisers where I live, we trade pups with one another to give them even more experience.

By the time Rover's ready for advanced training, he's so socially secure that "going off to college" isn't a big deal. When he gets there, he's surrounded by trainers and volunteers who make sure all the dogs are happy and healthy as well as schooled. Monthly "report cards" let us know how Rover's doing. If I have questions, I can call the training center. We are treated with respect and support.

If our pup does indeed "make it," we'll be told at first that Rover's in the running for a job. If all goes well, we'll hear that he has been matched with a person. That's not a guarantee that he'll graduate, but it's close enough to make plans to go to the graduation in California, where we'll meet the person Rover's going to work for and present Rover at the ceremony.

It would be hard to describe a graduation in high enough terms. To know your dog is going to change someone's life - well, it's humbling and exhilarating at the same time. You can't help but be proud of Rover, and excited that the pup you raised is going to have such an impact - and such a future - because you had the guts to do the work and then say good-bye.

But that's a success story. What about the ones who don't make it? What if Rover's a failure?

Well, Rover's definitely not a failure. He's just not cut out to be a CCI dog after all (you can't tell when he's a puppy). But most dogs aren't. A CCI dog's life is more physically demanding than the average dog's. Hip and elbow problems are common in large breeds; even if they may not be serious enough to handicap Rover's average doggy life, they may be too much for him as a service dog. A CCI dog needs to be emotionally unflappable; many dogs have fears built into their genes, as it were, that would make service work too stressful for them. Some haven't the placid nature to snooze by their person's side for three hours if that's where they're needed. And some dogs just can't say no to a passing cat, bunny, or tennis ball.

Since more dogs are released from advanced training than graduate, what happens to them?

CCI doesn't let release dogs fall through the cracks. Many go right back to the people who raised them ("Hooray - Rover's coming home next week!"), and many of those dogs serve their communities in some way or other when they get back home.

Some qualify for other jobs; CCI also has a hearing dog program, and some dogs go into training for drug-sniffing or customs work.

In addition, there's a waiting list of people eager to adopt a release dog, and why not? Wouldn't you want a dog who is already house-trained, obedience-trained, and as loving and friendly as can be? Adopting a release dog means agreeing to certain conditions that ensure Rover a happy life - and plenty of folks are willing to meet those conditions.

Is Rover a failure because he doesn't wear a blue cape? No - he has simply made a wise career change.

Not every pup in whom we invest our time and energy (and dollars) will become a service dog. But every dog will serve in some capacity - even as a beloved, um, family superintendent. Consider all the dogs turned over to shelters because of behavior problems - either their owners' or their own. CCI release dogs, on the other hand, have a tremendous record for staying with the families who adopt them. Isn't that in itself worth time and energy?

I'm Trying to Be a Lady

2009-04-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

In my endeavor to become absolutely the best CCI Service Dog I can, I've been doing a lot of "out and about" stuff. I go out here, and I go about there. Nobody takes pictures of me doing it, but I do it anyhow.

We have to be willing to go anywhere and do anything with anybody. No, nothing silly like climbing trees with a MEE-YOW! But since I must use my wonderful manners everywhere I go, I go everywhere to practice them.

I need to get used to sleeping in different houses. I need to go up and down different steps, travel in cars and on buses, sit quietly in noisy rooms. I need to boldly go where no dog has gone before, or - this is harder - where lots of other dogs already are. Can you believe that there are some places where I am not the center of attention?

So I vacationed a few days at the house of some puppy-raising friends, and got to go with them for long walks. VERY long walks! That was a lot of fun. They have dogs but I still behaved like a lady (except, um, when I was playing like a dog).

Then I went to another friend's house, and her dogs and cats declined to play! It's their loss. This lady - Mrs. Gorman, who works at the CCI office - also took me to a meeting so I could help her talk about Canine Companions for Independence. Since lots of folks ask about the four-footed caped wonders they see around town, I was able to show them what I can do now... and then Mrs. Gorman told them what I'll learn later on so that I'll be able to help someone with a mobility problem.

A demo (short for demonstration) like this is a great way to get attention. Of course, you have to behave yourself to get the right kind of attention. Otherwise my PRs get comments and I have more practicing to do at home.

As any teacher of etiquette - that's my new word; be impressed - will tell you, you need to be a gracious hostess as well as a gracious guest. So when my PRs' daughter let us take care of her kitten for a few days, I was all set to make her feel welcome.

Well.

She fussed and yowled and spit and growled! Her tail got as big as my pink loofah toy (do you see me in the background with the distressed-hostess look?)...

...and she was using words she never learned at home. She didn't like me, she didn't like the other MEE-YOWs, and she didn't even like my PRs! She would look at us and growl - impressively, up and down several octaves - and then she'd go hide and growl some more.

If this is MEE-YOW etiquette, I don't think much of it.

After a couple of days, the girl must have thought, "Hey, I'm not dead yet." So she started "prowling around, just prowling around," like Sneakers the Rapscallion Cat in the stories.

Pretty soon she was going after tails. (That's the back of Nonny. He's healthier than he looks.)

Then she was popping out from under furniture - to try to scare us, I think.

I guess that's what kittens like to do, so I was a good hostess and let her do it. She still growled at me, but it was under her breath, like, "No matter how I look, I'm bigger than you, you silly-looking cat substitute, you." Good manners is not correcting your guests' opinions even if they need it.

So I let her alone.

A service dog does not offer help unless requested (well, commanded)... so I'll keep quiet about what I think of her!

I'm Trying to Be a Lady

2009-04-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

In my endeavor to become absolutely the best CCI Service Dog I can, I've been doing a lot of "out and about" stuff. I go out here and I go about there. Nobody takes pictures of me, but I do it anyhow.

We have to be willing and able to go anywhere and do anything with anybody. No, no anything silly like climbing a tree with a MEE-YOW! But since I must use my wonderful manners everywhere I go, I go everywhere to practice them. I need to get used to sleeping in different houses. I need to go up and down different steps, travel in cars and on busses, sit quietly in a room full of noisy people. I need to boldly go where no dog has gone before or - and this can be harder - where lots of other dogs already are. Can you believe that there are some places where I am not the center of attention?

So I vacationed for a few days at the home of some puppy-raising friend, and got to go for long walks. VERY long walks! That was a lot of fun. They have other dogs, but I behaved like a lady (except, um, when I was playing like a dog).

Then I went to another friend's house, and her dogs and cats didn't want to play! It's their loss. This lady - Mrs. Gorman of the CCI office - also took me to a meeting so I could helpher talk about Canine Companions for Independence. Lots of people ask about all the four-footed caped wonders they see around town. I was able to show them what I can do now, and then Mrs. Gorman told them what I'll be learning to do later on, so that I can help someone who has a mobility problem.

This is called a demo (short for demonstration), and it's a great way to get attention. Of course, you have to behave yourself in order to get the right kind of attention. Otherwise my PRs get long notes and I have more practicing to do at home.

As any teacher of etiquette - that's my new word; be impressed - will tell you, you need to be a gracious hostess as well as a gracious guest. So when my PRs' daughter let us take care of her kitten for a few days, I was all set to make her feel welcome!

Well.

She fussed and yowled and spit and growled. Her tail got as big as my pink loofah toy and she was using words I don't think she learned at home. She didn't like me, she didn't like the other MEE-YOWS, and she didn't even like my PRs! She would look at us and growl - impressively, up and down several octaves - and then she'd go hide and growl some more.

If this is MEE-YOW etiquette, I don't think much of it.

After a couple of days, the girl must have thought, "Hey, I'm not dead yet." So she started "prowling around, just prowling around," like Sneakers the Rapscallion Cat in the stories.

Pretty soon, she started going after tails. (That's the back of Nonny. He's healthier than he looks.) And then she was popping out from under furniture to try and scare us.

I guess that's what kittens like to do, so I was a good hostess and let her do it. She still growled a little at me, but it was under her breath. It was like, "I'm bigger than you, you silly-looking cat substitute, you." Good manners is not correcting your guests' opinions even if they need correcting. So I let her alone.

A service dog doesn't offer assistance unless requested (well, commanded), so I'll keep quiet about what I think of her!

Kelda Catches Up!

2009-03-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hello! Hello...? Anybody there? I'm baaaack!

I had a great three weeks at the kennel. I recommend it, for whatever reason you may visit. Those are very, very nice people! I made, um, a little work for them, but they liked me anyhow and even took me for walks every day. (I also got busted... for excitable jumping. They told my PRs on me. Oops.)

While I was away I missed a few interesting events. I'm not going to say my PRs were disloyal by bringing other dogs home. I just wish I'd been here to play with 'em.

This is a cousin of mine... or something. He's the very first puppy my PRs ever raised for Canine Companions for Independence! (I'm the eighth.)

His name is Sean. He's ten years old now. I'm only ten months old this week, so that's hard to imagine. He was a service dog for a little while, but he's retired and supervises a wonderful family. My Mom told me Sean was old on the outside, but the same sweet, goofy puppy on the inside.

Some people say dogs forget the past and live only in the present. Not quite. We love living in the moment, but we do remember smells and sounds and the people who love us. How could we not!

Remembering commands like visit, up, and don't - not so much. (No, I didn't snicker... did you?)

Here's another guest. Her name is Kenzie. She stayed here one afternoon because her house was the scene of a party. (For some reason, she wasn't invited. We dogs have a sad life. Sniff.)

Remember that big tree that, well, decorated the roof of our house?

They took it away.

While I was gone, some nice workmen began to build us a new porch. They're still at it.

They built the supports, but not the floor...

...so Kenzie played peek-a-boo. I hope to play with her some time!

By the time I came home, they had laid the floor but there was only a ramp down to the yard.

Now, I ask you: Am I chicken? No! Regard this, please...

Yes! It was fun, and I felt very adventurous!

This new, deck-y sort of porch gives me a great vantage point for watching wildlife...

...and doing other things.

That is not one of my MEE-YOWs! She lives next door. I don't know what she's going on my deck.

Then... they built steps! Oh, my.

Hm.

Can I do this?

YES! Hooray for me! (Hooray for puppy treats.)

How can I be in heat if it's snowing outside?

2009-02-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

I'm writing long distance (via my PR mom). I'm taking a vacation!

The other day my mom said, "Kelda, you've grown up! You're not ready to go to puppy college yet, but you'd be ready to have puppies if CCI wanted you to." Well, I hadn't thought about a career change, but... whatever! I'm always up for adventure.

The next thing she said was: "For this, you get a treat - three weeks at the kennel!" Oh, yeah? I'd heard other opinions about the kennel.

So she drove two nylabones, a toy, a filled bone, and me out to the kennel. There are lots of dogs out here! I live next to a very friendly Golden Retriever. I have my own room. My suite falls short in the fabulous decor department, but it does have an attached private patio. The people are very nice. They're going to play with me and walk me and do a little cleaning up after me. This may not be too bad.

So I'll see you all in three weeks!

Here's how to celebrate the Super Bowl

2009-02-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

So I started hearing the words Super Bowl, and I started wondering what was in it (the dish, I mean) for me.

No such luck. But it was all right, anyhow.

The Super Bowl, it turns out, is a people game in which grown men play with a ball, jump on top of one another, knock each other down, and run from one end of a big yard to the other.

Hey, we pups do that all the time!

If we knock one another around too much or start growling, our people take us home. But these humans went at it for hours, and nobody cared what kind of growls they made.

Apparently it's important, though - worth a party, at least. So I figured I'd better get ready for it. I prepared myself by watching...

...the Puppy Bowl.

Now, that was interesting.

I did get a little distracted. Maybe football isn't my thing.

Maybe track suits me better. (I like to do sprints.)

So then we went to the party, and, although I was hoping...

...to get a ball game going, it didn't work.

Gus liked the ball (just a big ol' ball - I didn't have one of those pointy ones), but he didn't care to run with it....

... and Rascal II liked telling me off. Just because it's his house.

Finally, we decided that what we really wanted to do was to be with the people.

I entertained them all when they got a little tired of the television. I ran up and down the steps (note, please: up and down the steps!) and wagged my tail at everybody. They couldn't have had a great party without me.

Next Super Bowl I'll be at puppy college in California, I hope (if I haven't - horrors! - flunked out). I'd like to plan a party for all of us advanced-training four-footies! Lots of balls, lots of running, lots of dog treats - it could be terrific.

Oh, before I go, take a look at this. Remember my friend who came over for the day because she didn't have a tag on her collar?

She came over again! See the tag? (Look closely at the edge of her collar on your left.) Isn't it beautiful? So she and I played for a while, and then my mom walked her around the block and took her home. Cool!

Of mice and MEE-YOWS...

2009-01-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

Here's what I've been up to lately:

Kelda helps clean up the yard! A big (enormous!) tree blew down right after Christmas.

I didn't get in on the fun when the men came with their chain saws...

...but later on, when my PR dad started cleaning up the clutter, I saw a way I could really be of service.

After all, I want to be a service dog, don't I?

So I picked up leftover sticks and other items to carry out of the way.

Well, I intended to do that, but they were so much fun to carry I forgot about being helpful.

Funny thing. My dad didn't say thank you.

Kelda's buddy, Mr. Grey! He probably shouldn't be my buddy because he likes to get service-dogs-in-training into trouble.

In the pictures, he may seem to have a mean look, but he really likes me.

No, really, he does.

Kelda's buddy, Jasmine! Jasmine is a grown-up Lab - she and my older cousin Zebrina (who used to live here) were buddies. She's my buddy, too. Look - she has a pink nose just like I do! When she comes over, we play and play...

..and then she shows me all the places she and Zebrina used to dig in the yar... oops. Forget I said that. I wasn't supposed to tell.

Kelda doesn't jump so much! (??) My PR mom told me she noticed I was trying to be good about not jumping on people. Mom says it's especially important that I not jump, because I now weigh 57-1/2 pounds and that's a lot of jumping power. So I really, really tried the other day when her friends came. I only jumped a couple of times. Maybe three. Um, maybe four. But I was so excited to see them (they really like me) that I wiggled and ran around the house in circles and barked very loudly. My mom sighed....

Kelda meets a Fake Mouse! I hear there's a more famous Fake Mouse in California (that's someplace west of here). But we only went up the road to a birthday party at a noisy pizza place.

Here's the birthday girl, Megan...

...Here I am with one of her big sisters, Jenna...

...And... here's her other big sister, Katie.

(They're my PRs' granddaughters.)

Well... I know what a mouse is. I've learned that from my buddy, Mr. Grey, who has a speaking (sort of) acquaintance with several in the neighborhood.

And what did I find?

Well may you ask! This dude has the last name of Cheese, but I don't think cheese would melt in his mouth. He doesn't even smell like a mouse!

Pathetic!

Kelda rests from her labors!...

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009!

This is my very first New Year's Day. I've enjoyed the whole holiday season. I received some good presents (a dinosaur and a nylabone, and also a kong toy with tails).

We've had lots of people visit us, an we've visited them. If this is what a CCI service dog's life is like, I really wanna be one!

My cousins (are they my cousins? My PRs' children belong to them) came for three days. Here are Loki and Odin; they're handsome Norwegian Elkhound boys. We had a good time together. They chased squirrels, and I chased them.

They like ice cubes, too, just the way I do.

I'm told it's the time to make resolutions, so here are a few, and what I'm - really, what my PRs are - doing about them.

I RESOLVE to eat my food, not bolt it.

I do love mealtimes! But I still chow down too fast, so...

...my folks have given me something to help me. Yep, it's a rock. No, I don't eat it, silly! I just eat around it. It makes me take more time.

I RESOLVE not to jump on people. I like people, and I like jumping. Why not put them together? It's hard to remember not to. So...

You wouldn't want to drink out of this can. It has little baby rocks in it. My PRs don't throw it at me (although they may be tempted). But it makes a big noise when I start to jump on somebody. I don't like the noise, so I try not to jump. I wiggle instead. Hey, I have to do something!

I RESOLVE not to be a fraidy-MEE-YOW about stairs. I don't know why, but sometimes I look at a stairway and want to run in the other direction! If my people pick me up and put me on the steps, I'll do what I should. But I'm a big girl - I've almost outgrown my medium-sized CCI cape - and it's hard for them to pick me up. So... I'll try to be brave. Maybe. (No picture for this one - they have their hands full of me.)

I RESOLVE to wear my tags on my collar every time I go out. This is my new friend. She came to play with me because she decided to walk around the neighborhood without her tags. It took all day long to find out that she really lived just over on the next block. (I hope she'll come back. With her tags.)

I RESOLVE not to get into big trouble. Hey, this wasn't my fault!

Yes, I admit I've pulled up plants and jumped on the picnic table, but nothing like this! I tell ya, I didn't do it! It was the wind! Don't blame me!

The Twelve Doggy Dos and Don'ts of Christmas

2008-12-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

I warn you that this is a long one. But, you see, I've been hearing about Christmas. It sounds good to me!

My PRs say Christmas is when my Creator came to earth as a human being. Personally, I think coming to earth as a dog would have been classier. But they say he knew what he was doing.

Lots of things are happening. I told you about the tree in the house. I have to leave the tree-sparklies alone so everyone else can enjoy them. I'm not to drink the water in the tree stand. Not even if I'm thirsty.

But I go to parties at other houses. Around the neighborhood, I see lots of lights; even deer have lights all over them. (My former neighborhood just had the regular kind.) At least, they look like deer.

I get to ride in the car more. I do lots of shopping with my PRs. The Post Office people know me on sight.

There is another part to Christmas. I'm not sure of the name; it sounds like "Sandy Paws" to me. My four-footed friends say this part is important if you like toys and treats. But this Paws character is like your PRs and your puppy class teacher: you're expected to be good!

So, to help us all be good, here - according to my canine buddies - are some dos and don'ts for this season:

1) Do let people enjoy you. Be friendly. Shake your paw if you're asked. Don't jump on people, especially short people like puppies... er, children (you could hurt them). Do let folks scratch you behind the ears if your people say it's all right.

2) Do let the people, not you, sit on the furniture. It isn't just because of our impeccable good manners. They look stupid sitting on the floor. We look better. And we can get up more easily, too.

3) Don't whine if your people put you in your crate or tether you to a chair during parties (do you see my leash tied to the sofa leg?). Do just sit there sweetly, looking as cute and pathetic as you can. You'll get a lot of "awwws" that way!

4) Don't chase the MEE-YOWs around the Christmas tree, even if they tease you. Knock the tree over and your people will be really upset. Do pose by it nicely, and someone will probably take your picture. If the MEE-YOWs want to get themselves into trouble, stay well away.

5) Don't eat the Christmas decorations. Sandy Paws might get upset. Your people definitely will. Besides that, you could get a major tummy ache. You don't know what those things are made of.

6) Speaking of eating (or not eating), don't eat tinsel or "icicles." Those are stringy things that some people hang all over the tree. It's all shiny and looks like fun. But it messes up your insides big time. No matter how much you enjoy visiting your vet's office, you won't like that trip!

7) Don't eat electric cords, either. How can I explain this? There are tempting little chewy-plastic-coated wire thingies between each light on the tree. There are bigger chewy-plastic-coated wire thingies like that on the floor, too. Do not chew on them! You might suddenly meet your Creator in person, and your family will cry.

8) Do eat doggy treats; don't eat people treats. My PR mom loves a treat called chocolate, but she won't give me any. She told me why. For us dogs (and MEE-YOWs, too), chocolate is poison. Other poison treats are raisins, grapes, and macadamia nuts. Don't eat any of those, not even a little bit! See #7 for what can happen.

9) Don't eat string, ribbon, wrapping paper, balloons, house plants, children's toys, the new gloves your PR was just given, or sharp objects. Doing those things is just plain silly. (I'm not saying I wouldn't try it - I'm just telling you what my buddies say.) Do, however, save your wonderful mouth for those chew toys they are going to give you. People, you'd better come through on this.

10) Do - if your people want to give you a special food treat - ask for veggies. Veggies are good! I like carrots best. Baby ones. Cut julienne style, thank you very much.

11) Do ask your people to get you a Christmas bandana. It makes you look as festive as everybody around you. Don't thank them by chewing on it. Chewing on it only makes it look tacky. A bandana is good. That and a Nylabone. Chew only on the Nylabone. Maybe with a little peanut butter on it. Mmmm, yes.

12) Everything is more at Christmastime - sights, sounds, smells, people. Maybe we won't get as many walks or as many naps as we're used to. It's easy to end up with a big case of stress. Do... try NOT to! Our body language will tell. We delightful dogs don't speak people (and people don't speak dog), but we're probably getting stressed out if we yawn a lot, or lick our bottoms a lot, or drool a lot, or keep our ears or tail down, or have a funny look in our eyes, or chew things we know we shouldn't, or, um, do you-know-what in the house (!), or run out the front door without permission. Remember, Christmas is just for a short time, and life is still good! Soon everything will settle down and we can take our naps again.

Do you want your people to know more about how to make Christmas merry for you? They can try these online places for starters:

http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/dangers_of_chocolate_for_dogs
http://www.csst.org/canine_stress.html
http://dog-training.suite101.com/article.cfm/dogs_suffer_stress_too
http://dogs.about.com/od/dogcarebasics/a/xmas_safety.htm

My four-footed friends and I wish you a Meowy Christmas and a Yappy New Year! (Yeah, I know that's old, but it's new to me, and I like it!)

Mother's Day in December

2008-12-06T05:46:00.000-08:00

Look! Do you notice that my nose is turning pink?

I think it's cute. Pink is my favorite color, maybe. Except when I'm hungry. Then dog food is my favorite color.

(I have a glassy look in my eyes because I was tired. Supervising these people is hard work sometimes. I have to take them for walks. I have to give them other exercise - like picking up my toys in the back yard and putting them away. I have to make sure they go up and down the stairs (good aerobic exercise for them) to check up on what I'm doing. I have to make sure they feed me. I have to take them when they go on errands in the car. Sometimes I have to take them to the office. I constantly have to show them what good manners are. I'll admit that sometimes I wonder: can't they do anything by themselves?)

I said I would tell you about my mama. So I will. It's a pleasure.

A lot of people worry about dogs whose job is to have puppies. But Canine Companions for Independence wants their mama dogs to be as healthy and happy as their puppies are.

Here's Mama!

Isn't she beautiful? She has a pink nose, too. I hope I'll be as pretty as she is when I grow up. (Check out the prodigy pup who's wearing the puppy cape already. Maybe that's me. Or maybe it's my sister Keilus. I honestly don't remember.)

My mama was once a CCI puppy just like me. When she got older - and smarter - she went to puppy college (advanced training), just as I'll do the end of next year. The teachers liked her there, too, just the way they liked my daddy. Not only was Mama smart and friendly, she was also calm - and very healthy. (Calm? How did I get related to her? Maybe I'll be calm when I grow up. Maybe pigs will fly. Maybe MEE-YOWs will fly. Maybe I'll get puppy treats whenever I want them. "No," my PR mom says, "just you wait," so I will.)

The teachers looked at her and thought, "Maybe she'll make a good mama." So they checked her and double-checked her, mostly to make sure she was healthy. I have to be healthy, of course - and service dogs need to be healthy, because they have such important jobs to do - but my mama had to be super-healthy. That makes her Super-Mama! Happily, she passed all their tests with style. She didn't even complain (not even the way I was complaining at the beginning of this blog).

SO... instead of graduating and helping somebody with a mobility problem, she was adopted by some special people in Santa Rosa, California. They loved her right away and were delighted to have her in their family.

Mama had to live in Santa Rosa for two important reasons: 1) that is where the special CCI vet is, and 2) that is where the daddy dogs are!

When the vet thought it was a good time, Mama got to spend some time with Daddy. So then I was born.

And I wasn't the only one!

That's me, with the bright pink collar, looking around for something to get into or chew on.

My mama has had other pups at other times, too. The vet (as well as her family) always gives her lots of time to rest before she has puppies again. After just a few litters of the cutest, smartest puppies you'll ever see (of course), she will retire from her puppy job and spend the rest of her career supervising the family that loves her and that she loves.

So you see - you don't need to worry about my mama. She's just fine!

Interesting things are happening at home. My PRs brought a tree right into the house. And then they hung all these wonderful toys on it - and they won't let me touch even one! Sometimes it's a dog's life.

Giving Thanks

2008-11-29T05:56:00.000-08:00

I'm getting to be a big girl!

When I came here a tad over four weeks ago, I weighed 36 pounds. My PR Mom took me to my doctor's office last week, and when I sat down on the scale it said I now weigh 47 pounds!

My PRs say my legs are longer. They don't have to bend down so far to scratch me around the ears (or hand me a puppy treat). My collar fits me better, too. One time, when my collar was a little too big, I slipped it, and did I ever have a good time! I thought going after me would be good exercise for my PR Dad, but somehow he didn't see it that way. So then we had lots and lots of Gentle Leader practice (sigh).

But I'm not done growing yet. My feet are still too big for the rest of me! Get a load of these paws. I'm going to be a gorgeous, GIANT service dog. Sooper-Kelda! Faster than a speeding squirrel! Able to leap over wheelchairs in a single bound! Wait a minute - I don't know if "leap over wheelchairs" is a command. And speeding after squirrels is definitely not a command. I don't do that. Ha ha. I was joking.

My family celebrated Thanksgiving, and I did, too. Imagine - a whole day just to say, "Thank you!" (or, in my language, "Rrrrrrr-ooof!"). My PR Mom says the Pilgrims were thankful to their Creator for giving them a new home, for keeping them alive, and for new friends. I have the same Creator, so I'm thankful for those things, too. I am also thankful for MEE-YOWs, puppy treats, fenced back yards to run around in without a leash attached, car rides, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

My Gentle Leader and anybody's stairs? Not so much.

I celebrated first by going out to the country for a couple of days. There were some very nice dogs there. They're much older than I am, but they were CCI dogs when they were puppies, so they showed me a lot of things I need to know. They're really good at "here" (golly, they go right up to the person calling them!) and "wait" - better than I am.

The people are nice, too. And I also met some new kinds of dogs called "cows," "chickens," and "horses."

Then I celebrated by traveling a long way in the car. We went to see three little girls and their mama and daddy, and all of them are related to my PRs. There were other people there, too, and another dog - a "hot dog" named Maisie.

I met some other dogs as well.

They're so little that you can hardly see them in the picture. But not everybody can be 47 pounds like me. Those little dogs sounded as if they were scolding Maisie and me for being in their neighborhood. But I knew better. They were just making pleasant conversation. The way the people were saying, "Quiet!" makes me think it wasn't very pleasant for them. You'll be pleased to know that I was quiet. I know what a service dog should do! (Not that I always do it.)

I learned to stay away from that big thing the little girls play on. Ouch!

But I didn't jump on anybody (much)...
and I put on my very best manners...
and everybody was glad I came.

Then... I got a Thanksgiving-weekend treat.

Do you want to know a way for your people to make you happy? (Christmas is coming!)

Get them to get you one of these funny-looking things.

It's called a Kong toy, and it's fun to chew on (and it bounces, like I do).

But this makes it even more fun: Get your people to put a little peanut butter inside it.
Wow! Good stuff. GREAT thing to be thankful for!

I might come when I'm called for peanut butter. I might stop jumping on people for peanut butter. I might even be better on stairs for - no, wait. Can't promise anything about stairs. I'll tell you about stairs another time.

Educational Matters

2008-11-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

I'm now six months old, and I've been having a good time!

My people take me places. I can't show you pictures of every place, because they don't always take out their cameras. (Sometimes I keep them too busy.) But I'm learning how to get around in stores and shops. I've visited a couple of people in their homes. I've been to the Post Office twice. Everybody likes me. I'm learning how to like everybody... politely.

I'm embarrassed to say that one reason (among many) that my Puppy Raisers are taking me so many places is because I have some, ahem, bad habits. Just a couple. When I get up in the morning, I'm full of bounce and I'm rarin' to go. I like to jump, I like to bark (I'm just full of conversation), I like to chase the MEE-YOWs around. So...

My people want me to put all that wonderful energy into my schooling. Sometimes, after they walk me, we're off on an errand or two at eight o'clock in the morning! They're happy about it. The you-know-whats are happy about it. Me? Well, it's all right. I know other CCI pups to go offices and schools early every morning.

I take naps in between being educated.

So this week, I got to educate. I did my first demo. Demo is short for demonstration (yes! - another big word). At a demo, I get to help teach folks about service dogs and CCI, and everybody else gets to look at me and give me attention and say how cute I am.

Since this was my first one, I didn't quite know what to expect. But, although I'd never been to the school before, I knew the teacher. She's my Puppy Raisers' puppy - er, daughter. I've jumped on - er, met her before.

Of course, when she has puppy treats in her hand, I would never think of, um, you know, jumping on, um, her....

So I visited her classroom, and my PR (Puppy Raiser) Mom talked about me. I sat around and looked cute, and occasionally did a sit or a down when she told me. I did it like a pro! (Of course, the cuteness comes naturally.)

And, of course, I had to show them how I can take my Gentle Leader off all by myself.

My PR Mom told the students what I'll learn to do - even though I don't know much yet - and how, by the time I'm grown up, I'll be able to help somebody who can't move around very well. She told them the difference between a service dog and a guide dog (do you know?). She taught them what to do when they see a service dog in their neighborhood or at the mall. She taught them what to do when they see any dog they don't know (do you know?).

Then she let everybody practice on me.

That was the best part.

They each came up and asked, "May I pet your dog, please?" And of course the answer was yes.

I must say that, about halfway through, I didn't know if I wanted to bounce around and play with everybody or lie down and take a nap. So I did a little of the first, and, after I got back in the car, a lot of the second. A puppy's life is soooo strenuous.

Family Ties

2008-11-08T05:43:00.000-08:00

I am excited (pant, pant, wag, wag) to tell you a little more about how I got here. Not by car - I told you about that. I mean... how I became a CCI puppy!

I was born to this position - a little like a hereditary monarch. It's the only thing the Queen of England and I have in common.

There are lots of service dog organizations (organizations, monarch, hereditary - look at all the big words I know!) and they get their dogs in different good ways. The way Canine Companions for Independence does it is by growing them! My Puppy Raisers tell me that my mama and daddy had me on purpose so that I might become a service dog if I can pass all the schooling.

Guess who this handsome dog is?

This is my daddy! I've never met him. He has this job where he travels a lot.

When he was a puppy, way back a couple of years ago....

... he looked a little like me, for some reason. He had Puppy Raisers who loved him and played with him and taught him important things. He learned to eat politely and speak only when told to and sit and stay and all that great stuff.

Then he went off to Advanced Training. That's puppy college. Not all CCI puppies graduate from puppy college! Many of them get other jobs instead - like being put in charge of a nice family. (I'll tell you about the other options another time.)

My daddy went to puppy college, and the teachers gave him lots of tests. They x-rayed his hips and other parts of him to make sure they were strong and healthy. They made very sure his heart and lungs and the rest of his insides were good. They watched him to see how smart he was, how patient (oh, dear) he was, how confident he was, and a whole lot of other things.

The teachers said, "We like what we see! In fact, we wish we had more puppies like him!" That's how my daddy got his job. His job is to be the daddy of a lot of puppies.

He lives with very nice people. They feed him and play with him and take him to his job sites and love him all to pieces. When he retires, he'll keep on living with the very nice people, and they'll keep on feeding him and playing with him and loving him all to pieces. Talk about job security!

Of course, I have a mother, too. But I'll tell you about Mama (yawn) another time.... this keyboard stuff is really tiring to do when you don't have fingers....

Bad Habits and Greatly Mistaken Identity

2008-11-01T06:24:00.001-07:00

I have a bad habit. Well, more than one, I'm a little embarrassed to say.

This is one:
Hey, I was just making conversation! These MEE-YOW things are interesting!

This is another (I won't say I have just these two):

It looks as if I'm merely enjoying a fine breakfast (and the bigger, the better, as far as I'm concerned). But I'm also setting a speed record. I can inhale a bowl of Eukanuba in eight seconds flat. They say this habit could make me sick. How could good puppy food make me sick?

Life sure isn't always fun. Sometimes I think my name has been changed from Kelda to DON'T!

But my Puppy Raisers say it is part of growing up to be a Canine Companion. A service dog needs to be really healthy and not get tummy-aches (or worse) from eating too fast. When I'm a service dog, I'll need to be quiet, too, except when my person commands me to speak. Commands me to speak? Hey, I'll enjoy that command, if I can learn it.

Here's a picture of me in my fashion-forward, royal blue Gentle Leader:

Some folks actually think I must be a bad dog because I wear a muzzle. This is no muzzle! A real muzzle would keep me from opening my mouth (and biting). But I'd rather chew on puppy treats and nylabones than on you any day, thank you very much.

A Gentle Leader works like a halter does on a horse. When I have it on, my Puppy Raisers can lead me around by my head. The rest of me follows, of course, and it's easier for both of us than pulling on my fine muscular neck all the time.

Do I like it? No! I think it's a doggone nuisance. But the waggy-tailed friends I met at puppy class this week told me that with a little practice I can get it off my nose with my front paws when nobody's looking (presenting my Puppy Raisers with the opportunity to practice putting it back on me). It's loose enough to do. I can eat, drink, pant, and yawn with it on. I could probably bite with it on, too, but I'm not that kind of dog. Please!

Um, when is lunch?

Here I Am!

2008-10-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

You never know what kind of talents you're going to have. Who'd guess a five-month-old Lab puppy would know how to write? I didn't know that I knew anything to do with a keyboard except sniff it. Maybe chew around the edges a little.

I thought I had my life figured out when I came to Colorado in July. I was two months old, more or less. My people were very nice, loving folks. They told me I was going to be a Canine Companions for Independence service dog - they hoped. That means that, if I pass all my training, I'll get a very special owner and help him or her do neat stuff.

Actually, my plans were different. I had planned to play all day long and be the boss of everybody. Not so, I guess.

So they started teaching me manners. They taught me how to sit and stay and sleep in a crate. They taught me to sit beside them (on the floor) while they ate dinner. They give me lots of time to play. And I like to play! I like to be the boss of playing.

I'm not sure what happened then, but somebody got sick (not me). So I lived with some neat folks who puppy-sat me (they didn't sit on me - they took care of me) for a good two weeks.

Then today they put me in their car and drove east a long, long way into the country. At the end of the trip there was a strange man waiting. I didn't know whether to like him or not. But he had puppy treats in his pocket so I liked him. He put me in his car. (Am I thankful? Yes! I've heard about some dogs who get out of their cars in the country... and are left there all alone. Yikes.) We drove a long, long, loooong way again. Then he said, "Welcome to your new home."

We were at a brick house with a nice back yard. I like back yards. My new PR Mom was there, and she had puppy treats, too. I got to sniff and play and sniff some more. Then she put a leash on me and asked me to do some things. I wanted to keep playing. So then she told me to do some things. I remembered those treats and did the things.

So this is my new home. There are creatures here I've never seen before. Birds I know. Deer I know. Squirrels I know. These dudes have long tails and pointy ears like squirrels, but they have longer legs and the tails don't curl up, and instead of saying, "CHK CHK CHK," they say, "MEE-YOW." They even come inside my new house! I don't know if I like them or not.

It isn't all different! I still have my yellow cape. I still have that Gentle Leader (sigh). I still have a leash. Some things never change for a CCI pup.

Here I Am...

2008-10-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

You never know what kind of talents you may have. Who would guess a five-month-old Lab puppy would know how to write? I didn't know I knew anything to do with a keyboard except sniff it. Maybe chew around the edges a little.

I thought I had my life figured out when I arrived in Colorado in July. I was two months old, more or less. My people were very nice, loving folks. They told me I was going to be a Canine Companion for Independence service dog when I grew up - they hoped. That means that if I pass all my training, I'll get a very special owner and help him or her do neat stuff... like pick things up off the floor, open doors, turn light switches off and on, and lots of things I can't even imagine yet.

I was surprised. I had thought I was going to play all day long and be the boss of everybody. Not so.

So they started teaching me good manners. They taught me how to sit and stay and sleep in a crate. They taught me to sit beside them (on the floor) while they ate dinner. They gave me a lot of time to play, too. And I like to play. I like to be the boss of everything. For some reason my people worried about that. It sounds OK to me.

I'm not exactly sure what happened then, but somebody got sick (not me). So I stayed with some folks I know who puppy-sat me (no, they didn't sit on me - they took care of me) for a couple of weeks.

Then today they put me in their car and drove east a long, long way into the country. At the end of the trip there was a strange man waiting. I didn't know whether to like him or not. But he had puppy treats in his pocket so I liked him. They told me he was my new Puppy-Raiser Dad. He put me in his car. (Am I thankful? Yes! I've heard about some pups who get out of their cars in the country... and are left there all alone. Yikes.) We drove a long, long way again. Then he said, "Welcome to your new home."

We were at a brick house with a nice back yard. I like back yards. My PR Mom was there, and she had puppy treats, too. I got to play, and then she put a leash on me and asked me to do some things. I wanted to keep playing. Then she told me what to do. I thought, "Why not?" and did. For puppy treats I'll do a lot.

So this is my new home. My PR Dad has taken me for a walk around the neighborhood, and I have met some new dogs. There are also creatures here I've never seen before. Birds I know. Deer I know. Squirrels I know. These dudes have long tails and pointy ears like squirrels, but they have long legs and their tails don't curl up, and instead of saying, "CHK CHK CHK," they say, "MEE-YOW." They even come into my new house! I don't know if I like them or not.

It isn't all different! I still have my cape. I still have that Gentle Leader (sigh). I still have a leash. Some things never change for a CCI pup.