Amigo's

No Blonde's allowed!

King Bentley and his girl's

Glory Girl

Glory

Introducing our house guest, Glory! Glory is a sweet 6-month old Labrador Golden Retriever Cross who is in training with Dogs with Wings. She came to us on Thursday evening and is fitting right into our routine.

It's not hard to tell that Bentley is the oldest dog of the three as he is quite content to maintain his lazing about with not much interest in play time with Glory. Breton on the other hand has made me so proud as she is a good helper in showing Glory the ropes and is also a good play friend for her. Sometimes I wonder who the older dog is as Breton often initiates play time.

Yesterday, Breton, Glory and I went to the off-leash park together and Glory was Breton's shadow the entire time. When we arrived home, I got Bentley and then took all three dogs for a long walk around our neighbourhood. If the girl's weren't tired after the park, they were certainly tired after their walk. It's a pleasure having Glory in our home and I look forward to more postings during her stay!

Summer Vacation 2009

Mom and Dad took us to the Okanagan in B.C. this year for summer vacation. We found it very hot for us dogs the first three days we were there, but the last three were cooler and that was okay by us. We went swimming every day which was a dream come true for a water lover such as myself. Mom and Dad's friends from Vancouver joined us with their two Bernese Mountain dogs. I especially liked Mischa cause I think she's closer to my age. I tried many times to entice her into wrestling matches. At the beach, Paisley tried to play with me, but I was always more focused on my ball. Us four dogs were the talk of the campground. People would walk by our campsite just to see to see if there were really four of us in one site and when we went for our evening walks together, people would always come out of their campsite's to see us. I think it was probably Mischa and Paisley who drew people to us, but that's okay cause we would get scratches too. Speaking of scratches, was I ever itchy by the end of our trip. That confused Mom cause I was given preventative medicine to stop fleas from making me itchy. I got a flea bath anyways when we got home and that stopped the itching and I feel much better now.

I'm comfy in my space as we began our road trip.

Here we are at the Saskatchewan Crossing for pee break #2 (of many).

We arrived at the campsite at six o'clock (it took eleven hours to get there) and this is Bentley waiting patiently for Mom and Dad to set up camp.

This stake in the ground was my nemesis. This is my high alert look as a bicycle went by as Mom snapped the photo.

Mischa and Paisley arrived! Bentley met them last year and he was happy to share our site with them again this year. Paisley is enjoying a nice roll in the cool grass.

I think this is Paisley coming up behind me.

Every day when we came back from the beach, us dogs curled up on the grass and went to sleep. The humans sat with us to keep cool on the grass too.

We slept in Revelstoke on the way home and this is us posing outside of the hotel with Mom.

Breakfast and pee break (#1) in Golden the next morning. We weren't too sure if Mom and Dad were going to leave us behind here.

I'm told we have another long drive coming up to go visit Nan and Pop in Winnipeg. By the end of this summer, I'll have visited three Province's!

Good Luck Schooner!

Schooner is moving into the Adult program on Monday and tomorrow, he is leaving his puppy raiser family and moving in with his new adult raiser family. Schooner and Breton are good friends and loved spending time at the off-leash park together. Today, Leah and I took the dog's to the dog park for one last run.



Good luck in the adult program Schooner! Breton and I will miss you at the park. I know your destiny is big as you take another step forward, and we are proud of you (and your momma for the job she has done raising you).

Leah, Breton and I are always up for a walk at the park with you. I know she would love to hang out with you any time you are craving some canine companionship.

Pool Time

Oh, hi there! Yesterday I was hanging out in my wading pool. I was skeptical in the beginning of exactly what Mom wanted me to do with this pool thing. It wasn't like it was a pond or the river at the park, you know, something to swim after sticks in. This was just a small, cold little body of water that barely went over my elbows. I watched my brother go in and dig around in it, splashing the water all about. When he got out, I decided to test one paw and then two and then I found myself standing in it. I enjoyed dunking my face in it, but basically I discovered it was just a great thing to stand in.





Bentley, chillin' and supervising (but mostly chillin').

I think he felt the pool was too small for the two of us. More pool for me.

Ah, Mom! She caught me coming up for air here.

Stony Plain Farmer's Day Parade 2009

It was one year ago, almost to the day, that we participated in the Farmer's Day Parade in Stony Plain and on Saturday, we marched in the parade again. We had a very good turn out of volunteers and their dogs, and even had Caper and Elliott, two of our 2009 working Autism Service dogs and their families walk in the parade with us. It was very special to see the two dogs working with their families and to witness the joy in the children they were with as we walked in the parade together.

May 30, 2009 Farmer's Day Parade

June 1, 2008 Farmer's Day Parade

Clipper

Elliott - Working Autism Service Dog

Caper and Elliott with their families as we were about to turn left down the next street through Stony Plain

Leah gave me a ride back to my car at the end of the parade. This is Breton wrestling with Schooner, her brother, in the backseat on the way to dropping us off. Schooner is a true host by allowing her to beat him up in his car.

Love you Miss May

Here is a link to a touching story about our beautiful May and her boy, Brenan. She was placed as an autism service dog on May 3 in St. Albert and I have posted this link to share her success. I worked with May at the office for the last four months of her adult training and I am so proud of her!
http://www.stalbertgazette.com/news/2009/0523/scene.htm

Sandicast

Two months ago, when Breton was still in the Puppy Program with Dogs with Wings, we had a class at West Edmonton Mall and our instructor had us walk into a store with Sandicast sculptures to see if our dogs would have any reaction. Breton barked and put the breaks on at the entrance of the store and wouldn't go inside. She was scared of the sculptures at the entrance and in particular of the wolf sculpture that was in the front. When Breton was removed from the program, aside from having failed her hip exam, there were temperament challenges Breton had that were of concern to the head trainer. Dogs with Wings agreed to allow me to keep working with Breton to see if I might be able to help her over come some of her challenges so that hopefully she can still become a therapy dog. We have been practicing at an easy and relaxed pace since then.

Today, we went to the same store that caused her so much anxiety a couple of months ago, and had success. The wolf sculptures weren't there, so I'm still not sure how she would react to seeing those now, but there was a life size black lab who was in the front holding a sign that said "Welcome" (could that be anymore inviting). Breton sniffed it and the other dog sculptures while I clicked and treated and she stayed nice and relaxed.

She also has difficulty with fast moving objects, IE. electric wheel chairs and bicycles but we've had some positive experiences with bikes recently so hopefully I can continue to keep her moving forward around those anxious kind of triggers.

I am proud of her success today.

Morning Play Time

Hanging with her Bro's

Rigger (left), Breton (middle), Digby (right)

Looking Like a Puppy (but not)

Almost 15-Months Old

New and Old Friend's

On Sunday afternoon, Breton and I had the pleasure of hanging out at the park with Ros, Dudley, Robert, Amelia and Michener. This was Breton's boarding (fun) family when we needed a puppy sitter last year. December was the last time she was with them. When she caught sight (smell) of her home-away-from-home family, she quickly ran up to them and gave each person a warm greeting as an old friend would.

Breton and I were delighted to meet Michener (Mich), a two-year-old German Shepherd who is Dudley's guide and came to Edmonton in February '09 from a guide dog school in California. Mich is a big beautiful boy (29" at the shoulder) who reminded me of Everest - a real gentle giant.

Breton and Michener got along fine and Breton hopes to have another play date together with Mich again soon (she enjoyed stealing his stick away and of course being the gentleman, er, dog that Mich is, he obliged).

Nicknames (and Rafter's Debut onto the Blog)

When Greg and I are talking about the dogs, we use nicknames for them and use their given names when we are showing them affection, praise or giving them a cue. This way, when they hear their given name, they almost always pay attention.

Do you have nicknames for your pets? The most recent one I've found myself saying to them (including the bird) is "Hello Moto" from the Motorola commercial, and what's worse is that I use that same robotic voice when I say it. Maybe I should be embarrassed to let this information out into the world so openly but, here are some of the nicknames we use for our pets:


BRETON a.k.a.: Miss, Missus, Munchkin, Pushkin (okay, most of these are reserved for conversation between Breton and I and a select couple for conversation between Greg and I), Stinker, Stinky Girl, Peanut, Precious


RAFFI a.k.a.: Rafter, Crafter, Raf, Walter Cronkite (after the CBS anchorman), Cronk, Cronker, Walter, Word, Birdie (Rafter, Raffi, Raf and Birdie he repeats back when he is talking)


BENTLEY a.k.a.: Handsome, Dansome, Gentley, Rentler, Bud, Bentley Boy, Benty

Does it take a few minutes to think back to the nicknames you have called your pet? It's funny for me to see how the nicknames for our "Lovelies" have evolved.

Thinking About Puppy Raiser's

Dogs with Wings has been busy with puppies and adult dogs over the last couple of months:

• The two new litters (G & H) have started their journey in the puppy program and are bonding with their puppy raiser's.
• The first phase of Breton's litter, the Nova Scotia litter, have left their puppy raiser's and moved into the adult program, with the remaining pups to enter in the coming weeks. The F-litter will be entering the adult program shortly too.
• There are adult dogs who have completed their training journey and moved into their destined role as guide, assistance or autism service dog. Soon, the office will be full of dogs at the beginning of a new cycle of adult training as the remaining older dogs are coming to the end of their adult training journey.

With all of the changes happening, it has got me thinking of the puppy raiser's. Those who have recently began a new puppy raising journey, those who have (or soon will be) letting their dogs go on to the next phase of their training journey and for those who are seeing the dogs they raised from puppies to adults entering their destined partnership that they worked so hard to help them get to.

Here is a link to a poem called, Puppy Raiser's Prayer by Melanie S. Meenen. If you are a puppy raiser, maybe this can help you right now. If you have read it before, it's a nice poem to read again from time to time.

Puppy Raiser's Prayer by Melanie S. Meenen:
http://home.earthlink.net/~quint407/rsrpryr.html

Cheers,
Shannon & Breton

Today, Breton was Relaxing...

...whilst the muddy puddle water from the park baked warmly into her fur...


... and whilst eating her dinner this evening (notice she was sitting - a first)!

Happy Easter!