Kennel

I've had lots of comments about Fina's first video regarding her kennel.

Thought you'd like to see the progress we've made!

And we progress!

Painting? Beans?

I'll never know.

Update

We've been progressing nicely...Fina is growing like a weed! We had class last week outside at Bicentennial Park, and it was a challenge. I think that next time I'll take Miss Thing for a long walk before we go, just to get her a bit tired. She was feeling her oats, for sure!

Yesterday we went to the vet for our shots, and she's now almost 24 pounds. Weight is perfect...I'm so happy. We're very careful with measuring and all, but it was something that I was worried about. Other than a little ear infection, a clean bill of health.

And, best of all, Healing Hands Animal Hospital (of Salisbury, MD) is going to donate all her office visit fees. They are the nicest people, and I'll gladly promote their business.

Today we had our first bath. We were not happy.

Somebody forgot to tell her she's a water dog.

Hello from the Netherworld.....

I'm not dead. I have a puppy. I've gone from up-to-date and current, to "what day is it"?

But I do have one observation to make. Richard and I have been talking about what life will be like when the kids are gone; it's kind of looming in the near future. We talk about walking around with money falling out of our pockets...think of what we won't be buying. Groceries cut more than in half. Car insurance....no teens or young people? Mr. Gekko will give you insurance for almost free, plus there will be only two cars in the driveway! Choptank Electric will send us a "miss you" card, because our electricity usage will go way down. The amount of laundry soap used in this house will dwindle.....shampoo, conditioner, body wash, gel. Corn dogs? Nada. Frozen pizzas? Non.

The amount of socks populating our downstairs will dwindle, placing the "stray sock" population at a dangerously low level, possibly close to extinction. Chairs in the living room? We may actually see the seat cushion one day.

Nobody will tape Survivor or Big Brother on the DVR. There will be no sounds of killing, shooting or race car driving coming from the XBox, along with the requisite laughter or groans.

Crackers and cookies will be closed properly. I think that kids believe advertising way too much. Take the following pictures, for example.


When I went to get these wonderful Cracker Crisps out of the pantry, I found that they had been closed in the manner shown.

I'm guessing the "magic tab" will keep all the air from entering those two large gaps in the bag on either side of the "magic tab".

Miss this? Not so much.

Miss all the other stuff? Probably a whole lot.

Except for the socks all over the house.

Puppy Poop and the Roomba

Note to self:

Make sure that puppy has been outside and/or is not gastrointestinally challenged before cleaning rug with Roomba.

Yes, that is a wheel-track mark of puppy poo.

One Small Step for Fina, One Giant Step for Mom

She went in the crate by herself without a lure.

I can't tell you how many times we've tried this over the past week, and she's done it.

It was almost zenlike.

Video from the Playground

She's not only smart, but funny too!

Working at the Playground

It's a tough job to be a puppy in training. You have to go to the playground and try new things!
The slide:

The sandbox:

Being a puppy is tiring.

Fina Howling in the Crate

Lunch

I met Maggie at Pizzaria Uno's on Friday, after driving around town looking everywhere for a place that had outside facilities. The weather hasn't been that warm, so nobody was set up, and/or people had gone out of business when we weren't looking.

Fina enjoyed it.

Pictures from Class

Just a few shots from class....including puppy pandemonium!

The Delmarva Region Grand Opening

We had our big grand opening party the day after the puppies came. It was a huge deal, with the Governor of Delaware in attendance (she said she was promised some puppy-holding time, and who could resist that!)

Barbara and Randy worked their butts off for this, and did a wonderful job. The local newspapers were there, as was Channel 7, WMDT. (Once I figure out how to get the video off of my DVR and onto a CD, I'll post the news story). Here's a bit of the story from the Milford Beacon:

Guiding Eyes for the Blind Delmarva Puppy Raising Region off to a great start
By Jennifer Robinson
Staff Writer
jennifer@milfordbeacon.com

Barbara Byle, the regional coordinator for Delmarva, has been busy setting the foundation for Guiding Eyes’ Puppy Raising Program.

The focus for the past few weeks has been for six new puppy raisers to attend pre-placement classes at Byle’s home.

“They’ve come every week for two hours for our pre-placement classes,” Byle said.

In addition, Byle has been visiting the homes of each of the puppy raisers to ensure that it is safe for their new arrival. The puppies are already equipped with kennels and supplies, thanks to a generous donation from All-Span Inc.

“I go there to help determine the best way to keep their puppy safe in their home because every home is different,” Byle said.

Kramer, the Labrador puppy that Byle is raising has also been a vital part of the training. He will remain with the couple for 14 to 16 months so they can teach him basic obedience and good manners.

“He’s doing really well,” Byle said. “He’s been the puppy we’ve used in classes and he makes me look good every time.”

Soon however, Kramer will be joined by his sister, Karleen, and two other puppies from the Bay Region, as well as Byle’s Labradors, Faulkner and Promise, for the training. One dog will be placed with each of the puppy raisers so they can sit for it and truly get a feel for the adventure they are about to embark on.

“Everybody wants to take Kramer home, but unfortunately we only have one Kramer,” Byle said. “It really is to give them a chance to see what it is with the commitment they’re going to make. It’s all to help them make an informed decision because it’s not your typical volunteer job.”

An opening ceremony will be held for the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Delmarva Puppy Raising Region at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4, at Bicentennial Park. If weather prohibits the ceremony from being held at Bicentennial Park, it will be held in the banquet room of Smith & Co. Restaurant. Five of the six puppy raisers will receive their puppies there. Sen. Gary Simpson has accepted an invitation to the ceremony, and commissioners from Kent and Sussex County and the Milford City Council have also been asked to join in the event.

“What we are doing is welcoming Guiding Eyes to the Delmarva Region,” Byle said.

Classes will continue the first and third Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Bicentennial Park. Anyone interested in becoming a puppy raiser or becoming involved in the effort is asked to come out.

“People are welcome to come out and observe,” Byle said.

Those interested in the program should have a love for animals, high energy and be able to attend class twice a month. Potential candidates should also be able to provide a loving home. Guiding Eyes pays for all veterinary care, and the puppy raiser is responsible for food and any toys. The next series of pre-placement classes will begin in June.

“We encourage anyone interested in puppy raising to fill out an application online and attend those classes,” Byle said.

Those interested in helping may volunteer in a variety of other ways if not as a puppy raiser. Other opportunities include becoming a puppy sitter, helping with fund-raising, public relations, presentations for community awareness, recruitment, sponsorship, or by working as helpers or instructors in class. Volunteers are also needed to help find sites for classes and quarterly evaluations, as well as those to help track vests that designate the puppies as dogs in training. They are also in need of sponsoring vets. Haven Lake of Milford, is a sponsor for Kramer as well as one of the new puppies.

After the puppies complete their time with their raisers, they will return to New York for Infortraining. If they pass, they will then go on to more formal training to become a guide dog.

Dogs that do not make it as a guide dog do have other opportunities to work either through ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) for arson and bomb detection or for a new program through Guiding Eyes for autistic children.

For more information on the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Delmarva Puppy Raising Region, call Byle at 422-3522 or visit www.volunteer.guidingeyes.org.

“People are welcome to join us,” Byle said.

It was a smashing success; it also was a last hurrah for Pat Clark, who has retired. I was happy to be able to give her a big hug and a thank you for picking out Fina for us.

I'll just post some pictures from the event..


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And finally, exhaustion after her big day!

Fina

Wow. The day has come and she has arrived! Actually, she arrived last night, and we've continued to be amazed by this little girl.

We picked her up a little early yesterday; Richard, Maggie and I went. Unfortunately, Max had to toil away at Sears. We arrived a little late due to construction traffic, but the pups were late also, so it worked out. Barbara and Randy were nice enough to host us in their home, but it was all I could do not to keep running to the window and see if they were here yet! The weather was miserable, cold and rainy, but all of our spirits were high!

They arrived, and we all gathered at the back of the van. The back door went up, and there were five little angels, four yellow and one black, all jumping on top of one another. My eyes welled up, they were just so cute. A few minutes passed, and then we all got our babies.

Fina seems a little overwhelmed at first, and shy. But we walked around a bit, and we all went inside so the pups could eat. We got a briefing about the Grand Opening, and got our shirts. Everyone loaded up their stuff, and off we went to begin the next 18 months.

Fina wasn't too happy at first about being in the crate in the car, but she finally fell asleep. We kept trying to ply her with toys to keep her happy, but then we realized ok, she's got to learn to calm herself.

We had our first evening together, which was blissfully uneventful. Mookie and Fina got along very well, and Mookie seemed to know that Fina is a baby and needs a little bit of TLC in the play area. We all continued to be amazed at the knowledge that Fina possesses at such a young age. In the following picture, it looks like chaos ensued, but it actually didn't. They were chasing the "redman" toy in this picture, and both running after it at full speed. I love the look on Fina's face!

Bedtime came at about 10:30pm, and Fina complained about it for about 30 minutes, but eventually fell asleep. She slept until about 4 a.m., when we went out again, but then she slept again until about 6:30. All in all, it's probably the best first night I've had with any puppy!


Our first day together was wonderful, all in all. I'm exhausted, and the house is in a little bit of a state (thank GOD for Richard), but life is good for all of us here.

I'll post about the opening ceremonies tomorrow (after a good night's sleep)!