Still a Silly Puppy

This silly puppy continues to make me laugh on a daily basis.I had Katie help me with this video because I'm not very good at walking a puppy and trying to capture video. I know someday soon she will no longer be this goofy, so while she is, I would like to try and capture as many silly moments as I can (she usually has all four legs spread eagle, but this was close).

I wish I could record all of the noises she makes while sleeping, but to this point have been unsuccessful. I will keep trying.

She is doing great at work. We go out about three times a day to practice "hurry" and then walk a little to use up some energy. Then back to my office where she insists that she is already a "good" dog and doesn't need to get back in her kennel.

Something About My Purse :-)

Showing Just a Little Attitude Here

This little puppy has grown so much in the last week and a half, I'm beginning to get worried. It seems that each time she awakes from a nap she is bigger. Playtime is even different with the other dogs now that she is bigger (and a little more clumsy). She was running around the house with Bailey last night and Bailey stopped in the middle of the floor and Mariko, not paying attention, running full speed, ran head-on into Bailey's backside. Both dogs just sat at looked at each other, Katie, Joe, and I laughed until tears ran down our cheek. Oh puppies.

Today was the first day for me to try and hit the club in the morning and have the family help me with Mariko. Hopefully we will be able to continue until she is old enough to go with me. I got up 30 minutes before I usually do, took all three dogs out for their morning constitutional. Then it was time for everyone to eat while I put my workout clothes on. Then we all got some play time in, well, actually I think Ginger and I curled up by the couch while Mariko and Bailey ran around the family room. Everyone was back in their respective kennels by 6:30 for me to run out the door for a 7 a.m. cardio class. For the most part, we did okay, I think :-) I did have to go back to the house after about 6 blocks because I forgot my clothes, and then realized after I was already at the club that my hair brush and dryer were still at the house :-( Fortunately there was a dryer (pretty poor, but it worked) at the club and I had a small brush in my bag. I am really anxious for us to be able to go together so she can work on her skills in a more hectic environment (well, more hectic than our house is).

Each day we both continue to learn more about each other and I hope she is having as much fun as I am

The First Week

Our first week as puppy raisers has come and gone. It was an interesting week in that I was pretty sick, so caring for Mariko and the family were a bit difficult when all I really wanted to do was sleep :-)

We did take Mariko to the vet on Friday, she has a urinary tract infection, so a quick seven days of antibiotics and hopefully she will feel better (and sleep better too).

Our son, Kyle, helped me get some sleep this last week. He goes to bed later that the rest of us, so he will take Mariko out just before he goes to bed, usually about 11:30 or 12:00 and then she sleeps until 6:00. I hope to be back on my feet next week, so 6:00 should be good (I'm hoping she will let me get up before she does, so I can get a couple of things done first - we will see how it goes.)

Mariko is such a smart puppy! I can tell the BC worked with the puppies a lot. She loves cradle and massage and already will lay on her back with her hind legs relaxed while you touch her ears and feet, and of course rub her tummy.

Asleep on Katie's legs after a belly rub.

She has seemed to settle in very nicely and is even starting to go over by the back door when she needs to go out. It has been really cold and there has been a lot of ice on the stairs, so we haven't really worried about teaching her how to go up and down the stairs yet. Currently she loves to slide down Ginger's ramp.

Being a goof.

More fun on the ramp, trying out the gentle leader.

She's doing very well with commands and seems to have master "sit" and "down," and "kennel" and "hurry" are coming along nicely. She is also starting to look at us when we call her name (this is good!). We will begin introducing a couple more commands next week and continue with the ones she knows.

I'm really worried about puppy chewing and household furniture, so we have LOTS of chew toys for all of the dogs and I have resolved myself to the fact that it will be a while before the house is clean and tidy again.

Yep, this is what the house is going to look like.

Being a good girl.

I was only at work for a couple of days last week due to me not feeling well. She did very well settling into a routine and doesn't seem to mind that I'm there to work and not play with her.

Relaxing at work (nope, she doesn't want to be in her kennel).

Next week will be interesting as we try to figure out schedules so that I can still go to the gym, but get Mariko home and fed on time. It's like having a baby all over again, but without the maternity leave to help with the transition.

Our First Day Has Come and Gone

All in all a great day. Mariko really seems to understand why we are running outside every 30 minutes, and she has been great with Ginger and Bailey and they have been great with her.

Snuggling with Ginger.

Commands we introduced and worked with today were "hurry," "kennel," "ok" (a microsecond wait before eating, ha ha . . . as she gets older this time will be extended), "sit," and "Mariko."

She's Here!

After a very long day, little Mariko arrived in Salt Lake very eager to get out and run around (she was originally scheduled to land at 1:20, she didn't make it until 4:50). The courier at Delta brought her right into the pickup area and when she saw that we were waiting just for her, she got very excited and started pawing at the front of the kennel to get out. My dear friend that rode to the airport with me took her outside while I signed her out and then cleaned the shredded newspaper out of her kennel. She was VERY happy to be able to run around and chase shoes.

Saying our first hello :-)

 

Such a wiggly little girl.

Settling in after a long drive home with her toy that arrived yesterday from her BC.

Looking very much at home :-)

My friend helped introduce Mariko to Ginger and Bailey. The first meeting went well and Bailey is already so excited to have a new sister to play with. Ginger is being the grouchy old mom and making sure the other two stay in line. Life is good! Let the fun (and work) begin.

Our First Lesson

Patience: the capacity for calmly enduring pain, trying situations, etc.; tolerant and even-tempered perseverance.

We just received a phone call from the CCI courier. The flight from SF to SLC, scheduled to arrive at 1:20 has been cancelled, but he can get her on a later flight, could we pick her up at 4? Seriously, we have been waiting seven weeks for this little ball of fur to arrive and now we need to wait a little longer?

So, our first lesson is the lesson of patience. I think Mariko needs to learn this lesson as well . . . I could barely hear the courier over her loud protests in the background :-)

Yes, patience, that is definitely our first lesson.

Turn-In Day 1

WOW, this is really happening! We just got an e-mail from our fabulous BC to let us know that Rumor's litter was delivered to CCI yesterday. The BC reports that it was quite a noisy ride for them to get the pups to CCI :-) Once at the facility they were able to spend some time with them in the puppy park while they played and to also go with them to their kennel to watch them settle in for the day.

Puppy Pile

The Litter

Today the pups are receiving tatoos and shots and getting ready for their next great adventure.

Thank you our volunteer breeder/caretaker! We have appreciated the love and care (and time) you have committed to these little guys and thank you for reaching out to us so that we could experience this part of the journey with you.

Canine Companions for Independence (CCI)

Thought I would share some information about CCI.

Founded in 1975, Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) is a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships.

CCI breeds Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and crosses of the two to become assistance dogs. CCI dogs are trained to cultivate their abilities and they place their dogs in teams that will utilize their training and celebrate their spirits. CCI dogs are trained to perform a variety of tasks.

CCI does not train dogs to do guide work for the blind, to do seizure or diabetic alert/response, to anticipate or detect medical symptoms, for the primary benefit or emotional comfort or social support, to recognize and/or manage undesirable human behavior, to provide supervision, navigation, or safety from environmental hazards, to respond aggressively, to provide personal protection, or to assist with the management of mental illness as a primary condition.

CCI assistance dogs are trained for four types of assistance dogs: service dogs, facility dogs, skilled companions, and hearing dogs.

• Service dogs are partnered with adults with physical disabilities to assist with daily tasks and increase independence by reducing reliance on other people. This type of service dog can pull their partner in a manual wheelchair, push buttons for elevators and/or automatic doors, and also assist with business transactions by transferring money, receipts, and packages.
• Facility dogs are expertly trained dogs that are partnered with a facilitator working in a health care, visitation or education setting.
• Skilled companion dogs are trained to work with an adult or child with a disability under the guidance of a facilitator. A facilitator is usually a parent, a spouse, or a caregiver who handles and cares for the assistance dog; will encourage a strong bond between the recipient and the skilled companion dog; and who is responsible for the customized training needs of the dog.
• Hearing dogs are trained to alert partners to key sounds by making physical contact, such as nudging the person's leg or arm. These dogs are trained to recognize and respond to a doorbell, alarm clock, a smoke alarm, or someone calling a name.

Puppy raisers provide obedience training (puppy classes), serve up a healthy diet, provide socialization opportunities and give lots of love. Puppies in training are in the care of their puppy raiser from 16 - 21 months. After this time the puppy is returned to their regional office to proceed into the professional training phase of the program. This phase typically last six months (in some cases it may be nine months). 

CCI is funded by private contribution and provides all dogs and services free of charge (www.cci.org).

There is so much more to know about this incredible organization, more than there is room on this page, but I thought it important to spend a little bit of time to share the reasons why we are taking this journey and some of the reasons why we will be able to say goodbye in just a short 16 months.

Mariko's Toy Is On It's Way

We received an e-mail last night from the BC saying Mariko's toy, a stuffed dog, is on its way :-) This is a little secret we learned with our last puppy.

When we brought our Sheltie, Bailey, home as a puppy (very young, six weeks of age), we brought with her a stuffed toy that had been in the whelping pen with her since our initial visit two weeks earlier. Toys that have been in the whelping pen tend to have lots of smells on them that are familiar to the puppies (litter puppies have actually been known to play with these toys (-: ).

This little trick was instrumental in helping us transition Bailey from being with her litter mates to being alone in the kennel (we never heard a peep out of her).

Bailey with her toy from the whelping pen. As you can see, she loved it!

Last Pictures from the BC

Well, here we are, it is almost time for our little PIT to arrive, hopefully the weather will cooperate and she will be okay with these temperatures (it was 5 degrees when I left my house this morning).

Mariko at 6 weeks

Here are some 7- week pictures.

Mariko with Rumor

Our Breeder Caretaker

Already, even though it is early in this journey, we are feeling blessed. The breeder caretaker has been incredible. Not only in how she is caring for this litter and providing as many experiences as possible for them; but she has also been including us in her journey; sending pictures on a weekly basis so that we can watch our little Mariko grow.

New Puppies!

January 2nd

6 Weeks old

Mariko

December 21, 2011 . . . a day I will remember for quite a while. Lunch with two of my very favorite ladies was on this day, and as I was sitting in a booth at the Beehive Grill waiting for them to arrive I get an e-mail from our contact at the SW Region, we will be getting Mariko II

There I sit, in a public restaurant, tears streaming down my face . . . Mariko!

A Little More Information

December 21, 2011 brought us the following information:

M	MYRON	RED	BLACK
F*	MARTY V	BLUE	BLACK
F*	MINGO	PURPLE	BLACK
F*	MIKAELA	NEON GREEN	YELLOW
M	MURDOCK III	NEON PINK	BLACK
M	MAGUIRE II	BROWN	BLACK
M	MAXWELL III	LIGHT PINK	BLACK
F*	MARIKO II	TURQUOISE	YELLOW

Whoa, wait a minute. We know we are getting a female and there are four females in this list, two of which are yellow. Oh man, now I really need to see some pictures.

We were in luck! I was able to contact the BC (that's breeder/caretaker . . . see, I'm rocking these acronyms) and she sent pictures of the litter. Here are the two females we could identify (because they were yellow). Will one of these be ours?

Mikaela

Mariko

Okay, now I am going crazy. Will one of these adorable little babies be our PIT (puppy in training)?

First Notification

On December 19, 2011 I received the following information from our main contact at CCI:

You're getting an "M" puppy from the Rumor x KJ litter. 

What in the world does that mean? So, I set out to learn what was being told to me in this e-mail. Here's what I learned.

CCI does their own breading and each new litter is assigned a letter from the alphabet, in order, and all pups are named with that letter. Our litter was "M" so we would be getting a puppy with a name starting with M.

Rumor x KJ turns out to be mom and dad. Rumor is the litter's mother and is a black LGX. KJ is the sire and is a black lab. Well, at this point I was pretty confident we were going to get a small black "puppy."

CCI Acronyms

 Here is a list of words that I learned will be to my advantages to learn.

ADA	Americans with Disabilities Act
ADIT	Assistance Dog In Training (PIT/PIP)
APIT	Assistance Puppy In Training (PIT/PIP)
ADIAT	Assistance Dog In Advanced Training
APR	Assistant Puppy Raiser
BC	Breeder Caretaker
CCI	Canine Companions for Independence
CCIU	CCI University (advanced training)
COC	Change Of Career – release dogs
FD	Facility Dog Graduate
GLD	Golden Retriever
GR	Golden Retriever
HD	Hearing Dog Graduate
LGX	Labrador/Golden Cross
MIM	Miracle In the Making
NC	North Central Region
NE	Northeast Region
NW	Northwest Region
PIP	Puppy in Program (formerly PIT)
PIT	Puppy in Training
PR	Puppy Raiser
R(SD)	Retired (placement: SD/FD/SC/HD; ex:Service Dog)
S(SD)	Successor (placement: SD/FD/SC/HD; ex: Service Dog)
SC	Skilled Companion Graduate
SD	Service Dog Graduate
SE	Southeast Region
SW	Southwest Region
TI	Turn In (Matriculation)
TT	Team Training

We will be a PR for the SW Region of CCI. We will be receiving a LGX as our PIT. Look at me rock these acronyms.

Can I Do This

Can I do this, I ask myself today (and most days). Today's question; however, is really about two thoughts and not one.

1. Can I blog
2. Can I be a good puppy raiser. 

I guess we are about to find out on both counts (and I would attribute both to Becca, ha ha she has inspired me on both accounts).

I really like the idea of having a record of our adventures with first our CCI puppy (Mariko) and what a great way to journal these adventures. I will admit at this point, however, that I am not very good at putting words to thoughts, but I will sure give it my best effort.

Here we go.