Ice Cream Puppies!

Tonight our local GRC (Gold Rush Champions) had an ice cream social at an amazing food and ice cream parlor called Leatherby's.

"Hi, I'm Spunky.. want some ice cream?!"

Felice, Service Dog, driving the Ice Cream Cart

Spunky and I already had a busy day after she had her first experience at the gym, then attended a movie, but we were both up for going and visiting our buddies to get some ice cream (yes I know.. I went to the gym... but I was working off my calories so I could eat it.. well that's what I tell myself).

We had a large group of us at dinner (35 +), and we all took up two long tables. My favorite part had to be all the tiny pups attending dinner..It was nice to get a baby puppy fix. Little Thompson, Froomin and France were there for me to cuddle with. 

Baby France..She made me want a black puppy so bad!

Silly Froomin 

My mom and I sat with our friends Wendy, Dave, Mark and Debbie. Our other friends were there too but they weren't sitting near us.. so we didn't get a chance to talk. We ordered our dinner and chatted with everyone, and I held the baby puppies! When our dinner and ice cream arrived, I had to snap a picture of it with my new pal for the next few months, Flat Stanley. He is visiting with Spunky and me to attend our vacations.. which we will report back to an Alzheimer's facility who colored the Stanley's for us with our photos about once a week. The lady who works there has a Facility dog through CCI and graduated in May 2011 with my mom! She has become good friends with our family.

Don't eat it all Stanley!

Puppy Photo Bomb!!!!! Appearance by Thompson

It was a great outing and an awesome chance to visit with friends. I can't wait for the next social outing. )

Folsom Prison

Today my mom and I took Felice (service dog) and Spunky to the Folsom Prison Museum. Since it's Summer time and we have so many museums not far from us, I decided they would be good outings for us to do. The prison isn't too far so we had some lunch and then headed over there.

Felice and Spunky in front of the Museum

As we we were walking through the museum I noticed there was a grate in the floor, which isn't something you would normally find inside. It turned out to the an air conditioner. I haven't really worked on grates with her and this was the perfect opportunity. We walked back and forth over it with lots of treats and encouragement. After some time working on it, I even got her to sit on it long enough for a picture.

Did it even with a smile on her face!

 We went further inside, and started checking out all the displays. It was really cool reading all about the things about prisoners, what they did there, old items they used to use at the prison and more. I enjoyed seeing all the old tools and the tools that prisoners made that were eventually confiscated. In the back of the museum there was a mock cell that had an animated talking prisoner. It told us about the daily life in the prison, what the walls were made of and other cool facts. 

"Don't make me stay, Mommy!"

 

Old surgery table

After we had left the museum we checked out a few things they had displayed outside, and got to look at the prison from afar. We weren't allowed to get to close, but we did go behind the "no visitors beyond this point" for a quick photo op.  

Pretending to be Rebels.

At the end of the day we stopped back inside the museum so I could get a shirt, and Spunky passed out on the floor. I guess it was too hot for her outside. We aren't huge fans of the 100 degree weather, while being a fluffy golden!

I can't wait to visit other museums over the next few weeks! I get to enjoy the places I haven't been before, while making it a good outing and getting some cute pictures! I would call it a successful day.

 

The Wonderful World of IKEA

Now IKEA wouldn't be the first place that I would have thought to have brought my dogs for a training day.. heck I don't think I would have ever thought of it! I follow a fellow puppy raiser/friend and she blogged about her trip to Ikea with her pup. My first thought was.. I have to take Spunky there! My mom and I picked a day that we could go.. and we headed there in the morning.

When we got to the store.. we headed inside and rode up the big elevator. As we were walking through the displays, I saw many different opportunities for practicing the commands "up" "down" "under" and "heel". We also worked on not forging. My mom's service dog, Felice, had fun shutting all the drawers as my mom opened them. 

Walking through Ikea is like a huge maze.. there are many twists and turns and lots of people. It is a great way to keep your dogs attention in a huge busy store and get them to do their commands with many people looking at them. 

Practicing the "here" command

When you come to the end of the display floor they have a mini restaurant that you can eat at.. so my mom and I stopped there to grab a bite to eat. The dogs got a chance to nap after practicing and working on our commands. After lunch we went to the downstairs part which is where you pick up the items  you would like to buy, then then we headed out.

It was a very eventful day.. and a great training trip. When we got home everyone was ready for a nap.. and we all took one. Spunky is still sleeping off the days activities.

1st Dog.. 1st Advanced Training Report.. 1st of the Month

Though July 1st may have been just the same as any other 1st of the month, for me it was the 1st day of the month I would be receiving Halo's first advanced training report. Though our region tells us that we will receive the report within the first 2 weeks of the month, I was already glued to my e-mail, pressing the refresh button on my phone every few minutes.

Waiting for the very first report is so nerve wrecking and exciting at the same time. Halo had been there for 6 weeks and I was DYING to know how she was doing. I was very interested to see how she had been behaving and working for her advanced trainer, Michael. I had met him at her turn-in and talked to him for a while.. and then found out about 3 weeks after turn-in that he was her trainer.

Halo's letter to me

July 1st had come... and gone.. and my fellow puppy raisers and I called it a day on checking our e-mails.

I woke up on the 2nd and was logging onto my computer to type out Spunky's progress report when I got a text from my friend Bonnie that our advanced training reports had arrived. I rushed to open my e-mail tab (the files don't open on cell phones.. I think they do that on purpose.. I'm glad I was home or that e-mail would have been torture until I could find a desktop).

I opened the attachment and was very proud of what I saw. She was in good health, and the only issues that she had checked off were barking (It wasn't elaborated as of where that was observed), rough play (no surprise there to me) and being afraid of walking through doorways ( not sure where that came from.. but it has been improving since turn-in). She was doing well learning her advanced commands and did well on her trip to Barnes and Noble.

Turn-In Day

I was really proud of her first report. It felt nice to be able to see how she was progressing.. and I can't wait to see her next report. I wish I could watch Halo as she learns the advanced training commands..

Updates!

Well... I was doing good about posting.. and I had myself all set up for posting and then I just got lost in the track of time and have completely forgotten about my blog. I've been doing my best to keep Spunky's facebook page updated.. but I do miss blogging. I enjoy writing about my experiences with my puppies.

Click here to "Like" and view Spunky's page

Last time that I blogged.. I just put up a bunch of pictures of my first few weeks with Spunky.. and now she is almost 7 months old. I'm not sure how that happened so fast. Halo turned in May 17th and that was a really difficult day for me.. but I held myself together as much as I could. Good news is that Halo is still in Advanced Training. I should be getting her first report very soon.


I am planning on updating my blog at least a week.. A fellow puppy raiser friend of mine  is so awesome at keeping her blog updated.. and I love reading hers.. and it has inspired me to keep mine updated. I hope that you will join me in my adventures that are to come with Spunky..:)

Spunky's First 3 Weeks!

Spunky and Auntie Em!

Green Ear!

Froggy

Halo and Spunky!

First Kindergarten class!

Sheriff (Left) and Spunky. Getting pictures of sisters together isn't very easy!

Target had puppies on Sale!

Hopefully Felice's blue cape rubs off on her

February Thoughts

I have been wondering what it would be like to see through Halo's big brown beautiful eyes. If she were a person, what would she be thinking about? I know that the next best thing to knowing about her thoughts is knowing that she is full of LOVE. I see her face every morning and she is just so happy to start a new day. She can't wait to see what is waiting for her.

Each day I get reminded how special that she is to me.. Whether it be while we are out in public practicing our commands and socializing, playing at home, or even sleeping, I am in awe of what this little dog is able to accomplish. Though people in public comment that she looks "sad", I know that she just knows it's time to work. If only they could see her at home when she goes on her crazy. run all around the house burst of excitement.

Today marks a new month, which means that I am one step closer to having to turn her in. Though I am dreading May 17th a whole lot, I know that I am truly doing something to help someone else. Giving up my 1st baby who I have cared for since 8 weeks and that has been my responsibility will not be the easiest. I know that when she walks through that door into the kennels that she will be starting a whole new experience. If she were a person and could talk to me, she would tell me that it is all going to be ok, and that she is going to love it at doggy college. I just wish that she was turning in a few weeks later so that I could have her when I graduate high school. I mean... she's a senior too! Though we won't be able to walk together at my graduation, we will have walked together at hers (as long as she doesn't go into heat!!!).

For now, I will get off my blog because I have some puppy cuddling to do because the new baby puppy comes on Tuesday!!!!

Disneyland!

The last week of Christmas break my dad and I took the adventure to Disneyland! I had heard that it was the best outing to take your dog too, and so I knew we had to go. Halo is a pretty easy dog to handle so I knew she would be up to the challenge. Characters, lots and lots of people, and many new experiences.

 Halo was so amazing. She wore those adorable Minnie Ears around the park. I gave her breaks from them, but when she wore them she didn't try and take them off. When we first arrived at the park we stopped by City Hall to grab Halo a first visit pin! That pin was a hit. Everyone who walked by commented that Halo had a pin and that she was wearing ears. Lots of people stopped to ask if they could take a picture of her, and others would walk by and you would see them stop and stare.

 Halo wasn't afraid of the characters at all. I was really happy because that gave me the excuse to go up to all the characters. Boy did we get some cute pictures with all of them.

 Did you know that Disneyland has handy dandy "Hurry" spots?! Well they do. If you see a gate with a person and a pup, the gate opens and there you can have your dog relieve themselves. I was sure to give Halo lots of "Hurry" breaks, water break, and just resting time. It was a lot but Halo sure slept well at the hotel each night.

I made sure to get Halo a light to wear around her neck for the night time. It sure made it easier for people to spot her. She's yellow and was still hard to spot. If I have a black dog in the park I would be sure to add more lighting than just the necklace. People aren't very good at looking where they are going.

Halo LOVED Pluto. I think we went up to meet him about 15 times. She had the cutest reaction whenever we went up to meet him. She started wagging her tail and would just be so excited. I made sure we stopped to visit him whenever we spotted him while walking by.

Overall this was a great trip. If you have faith that your dog would be up for the task, I would bring them to Disneyland. It is great for the experience for them and yourself. It was really good bonding time with miss Halo. I can't wait to see where she goes in her CCI life. She really knows how to make her momma proud.