year in review...without pictures cause i'm lame!

it's just been oh...a few months...but here's my puppyraising 2011 in review! :)

January: Cobb was 7 months old and an only dog and very adorable as always!
February: Cobb was 8 months old, we had a leader meeting and Rio came as an adorable 9 week old puppy to come live with us! And boy was Rio adorable!
March: Cobb was 9 months and still a great puppy! Joaquin graduated as a guide dog!!! Rio barked a lot, but was otherwise awesome. Rio went to his finisher raiser at the end of March.
April: Cobb was 10 months. Hallie was born. Mandy came to visit...and Rio came to visit for a puppy sit for the weekend.
May: Cobb was 11 months and the greatest dog ever. He started to get to stay loose in the house all by himself!
June: Hallie came to Utah to be raised...she was 10 weeks. Cobb had his birthday. Cobb and Hallie had a photo shoot!
July: Cobb and Hallie had their first swimming lessons! Cobb got to go on a quickie road trip to California to Fun Day and meet his littermates.
August: Cobb and Hallie got to go on a road trip to Oregon that started with 2 other dogs as well who were on their way to training. Hallie went to a puppysitter for a few days, while Cobb and I went horse camping at the beach with Whitney, Carney and Jethro...and also the horses Max and Bug. Hallie got to visit family with me while Cobb stayed at Whitney's house for a few days. Cobb went to Fun Day in Oregon and got to see Tillman the skateboarding Bulldog. We all officially moved into a new house with my brother and his family. School started for me so my summer bliss was over. 
September: Cobb turned 15 months and was officially eligible for GDB recall for training. Hallie turned 5 months and started getting to go to work with me.
October: Cobb went to CO for an evaluation, came home 2 weeks later and was cc'ed 1 week after that...he stayed at home to live with me forever! Hallie became the only GDB pup in the house and quickly adjusted to going on all outings with me.
November: Cobb adjusted very easily to pet life...he now sleeps on the bed while i'm at work all day, gets many treats and basically gets to do whatever he wants to do! Hallie continued to go on more challenging outings and continued to show awesome potential as a guide dog.
December: Hallie is now 8 months old and one of the sweetest pups i've raised. She loves to work, she loves to cuddle, she loves attention, she loves exercise...she loves life. She's a really nice puppy with TONS of potential as a guide dog...I am excited for the next 6-8 months that I have with her. Cobb is the most wonderful pet dog and companion dog that anybody could ever ask for. I am so grateful everyday that he's my very own dog forever and ever!

See Ya Later Sweet Boy!

Cobb on 3 beds stacked together...he's not spoiled or anything!

Cobb's goodbye pictures, he is looking less than thrilled in this pic.

These last 2 pictures make Cobb look very puppyish. He still has the adorable round ears and cute face that he had when he came 13 months ago!

a few weeks ago, we were going to my parents house and had a full car, so the puppies got to ride on the back seat of the car. I stopped at a light and looked back and they were sleeping like this. I thought it was SO cute!

If you didn't catch it from the title of the post, Cobb is leaving tomorrow. He is going to Colorado to be evaluated by my CFR. He is a very very sweet and tender-hearted boy, so we will see what he chooses to do! At any rate, his puppy raising days in my home are over and I will see him again in November when he comes thru Utah on the puppy truck on his way to training at GDB! So it really is "see ya later little buddy!"

I will miss Cobb immensely. He has been an awesome puppy to raise and I will be glad to see what he chooses to do in his future!

Cobb and Hallie pictures

Back in June, the former GDB leader of the Salt Lake Club, Lisa, took pictures of our puppies for us! Cobb was exactly 1 and Hallie was 12 weeks. Cobb was not thrilled about having his picture taken and was a bit freaked out by the photo studio. Hallie was Hallie and did great! Aren't they so cute?

 

 

 

sledding in July...

Yes, I did take these pictures on July 7,2011... We took my neices and nephew from Philly sledding...it was very fun!

I got a new camera recently...and today I decided to check out the pictures on my old camera and found this... This is a picture of Rio the day he turned 16 weeks old and went to his new raiser. I'm sure I thought it was pretty cute how he had his paw over his nose like that. He slept like that in my car often...so cute!

3 months...

Hallie is 3 months today, so here are 3 pictures...

1. Hallie's first puppy meeting...

2. Hallie on tie down on her 3 month day (7/2/11)

3. Hallie taking a nap...so cute!

Bad Dog Mom

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COBB!!!

Two days ago, June 26, 2011 was Cobb's 1st birthday. The above picture was taken back in December by Lisa Thompson who is the former leader of my puppy club.

I never imagined how much this little boy would steal my heart! As a puppy raiser you love all your puppies, but some pups are just different! Late last August, my puppy raising life was going pretty fantastically. I was co-raising my wonderful Joaquin, and had my awesome puppy Carlos who I had just been told wasn't going to the High School Program (much to my relief)...I was all set to finish co-raising Joaquin, and finish raising Carlos until this spring at which time I would get another puppy... I was told that Carlos was staying! Yay! The same night my CFR told me that I got to keep Carlos, she asked if I had any other raisers who would be willing to get a new puppy the next week to fly out with a breeder pup (they like to fly 2 pups together...) I didn't have any raisers in my club and no other clubs had another raiser either as the puppy truck had just come 2 weeks earlier! The next day the leader of the school program told me that they did need Carlos because another school raiser had surfaced and Carlos was the only other pup for the program. I was crushed! So after thinking for a day about what I was going to do...I asked my CFR if I could have that other puppy flying out the next week and she said of course! That was on Friday...and on Wednesday Sept. 1, I got Cobb! I had no clue how special this little puppy was going to become for me. I just adore Cobb and have LOVED his personality. I don't know what his future holds, whether it is to be a guide dog, or to be my dog forever...but I do know that whatever it is...it will be fabulous! Cobb, Cobby, Cobster-bobster, Cobber, Cute-boy and Happy Dog...I hope that you had a happy birthday and enjoyed the extra food, cuddle time and extra long walk!

Carlos...

I was lucky enough to say goodbye to Carlos at the puppy truck on Sunday morning. The time came for him to enter training to be a guide dog! He is a good boy and I'm excited to watch him as he goes thru the phases of guide dog training! Good luck Carlos!

Happy June and School's OUT!!!

It has been a long time since I thought about this blog...I'm going to try to do better...but first of all...it's June and school is out and I don't have to work again until August!

Second of all: Cobb...he is the best puppy! I just love him, he is energetic, but very sweet and soft and wonderful and easy to handle and has great house manners and is easy to take out in public...he's just one of the nicest dogs ever! I love him...and isn't he so cute... in the background of this picture Brogan is scratching...he scratches a lot...and he is visiting us a lot this summer while his family is on vacation. We don't mind cause we love Brogan!

Third of all... since it's June and school is out and I'm slightly crazy and don't want to get a new puppy to raise in the fall at the beginning of the school year...

I decided to show up at the puppy truck yesterday, June 9th in Salt Lake City...

And there was this adorable female black lab at the truck...

And have I ever been one to pass up on a puppy???

And when she started licking my chin... I figured I should just take her home with me...

She has 2 other sisters that came on the truck to Utah, but they are yellow, and while yellow can be very cute...

Black is Beautiful

And her name is...

HALLIE

Hallie's birthday is April 2.

Hallie's parents are Jenkins and Jillian

Hallie's sisters are Hazelle and Helena

If you ask me...I think I won the puppy lottery this year! - I might be a bit smitten by the little girl!

Joaquin Graduated

Joaquin graduated as a guide dog on March 12. He has the most fabulous new partner! She has had 2 golden guides so she knows what she's getting into with a golden :) I never had any doubt that Joaquin would be a guide as he has always been an incredible dog. Graduation was awesome and Joaquin went crazy to see me and Mickelle. Joaquin looked so awesome in his harness and you could tell he was proud of himself too. He was so excited to be with everybody who loved him so much that he was too excited to be a safe guide that day, but i've heard from his handler since then and she says he is doing well and is a good dog and does good guide work! What more could a dogmom want, right? So proud of my golden boy Joaquin. I'll post more pictures of graduation soon...along with some other updates in my life...

What have we here???

Rio

The Story: On Feb 2, I got an email from my CFR at GDB with the subject 3 Pups to UT? When I opened the email it said that there were 3 9 week old pups who could fly to UT on the 11th with a Guide Dog Employee when she came for our annual leader meeting. So of course, I immediately call my CFR and ask if I can start one of the pups. She immediately said yes and the next day sent me an email saying that my future starter pup would be MYL "R" born on 12/7. So on the 11th, I went to the airport to pick up "R". His parents are Alonzo and Holly. My CFR told me on Wednesday (I got him on a friday) that he had a great name with 3 letters. Rio was the only name I liked that started with R and had 3 letters...so I was happy that was actually his name! So far he's adorable and keeping me busy, he is mellow for the most part, but very independent! Cobb thinks he's a great toy that I brought home for him to play with.

So anyway, I have Rio for the next few months until he is ready for an adventure with another raiser.