Gone to the Dogs

Dock Diving

2009-06-29T21:20:00.008-04:00

Being without a foster puppy has afforded me the time to do other things with my own pet dogs. This past weekend Fortune and I headed to the International Food Festival in London Ontario to compete in the Dock Dogs Event. We tried this sport a couple years ago and Fortune did quite well but life became busy with some interesting, or rather "challenging" pups so we haven't had an opportunity to hit the docks again.

Fortune entered one Wave on Saturday and jumped 8' 10" and 9' 8" to earn her the top Novice dog in that Wave. Most dogs run the full 40 foot dock before leaping into the water but since we haven't really had any practice I thought it best to have Fortune jump from the edge and then work our way back as she (and I) gained more confidence. We learned at the end of the day that Fortune's jump of 9' 8" was the highest of all novice dogs (those who jump less than 10 feet) and meant that she would make it to the finals on Sunday. I hadn't planned on attending a second day, but figured we'd give it a shot and see what happened.

On Sunday we didn't take any practice jumps so Fortune was wired when it was finally her turn to jump. I moved her back about 5 feet from the edge of the dock and let her go.

She launched herself 11' 8" and secured the Novice Division! She will move up at least one level, if not two, when we compete again in July since I am convinced she will be running the full dock in no time. As a handler I am holding her back from accomplishing what she is truly capable of so it's time to let her show her stuff. She's the confident member of the team LOL

Career Changed

2009-04-26T10:33:00.002-04:00

Nugget has always been a sensitive and somewhat timid Golden. We all hoped (and thought) he would become more confident as time progressed but the opposite has happened. He is getting worse instead of better. A broom falling to the floor sends him high tailing to the furthest room with his tail tucked, the roar of a motorcycle causes instant anxiety and a trip to the mall is just too much for him to handle so he has been released from the program to live life as a much loved family pet.

I am saddened that he wasn't suitable for the program because he is a great (but slightly neurotic) dog, however, I am thrilled to be able to keep him with the pack he has grown up with.

The 'Fostering Hat' has been hung up indefinitely and the No Vacancy sign has been place out front.
This house has truly Gone To The Dogs!!!

This Week's Adventure

2008-10-23T14:13:00.006-04:00

We're puppysitting at the cottage this week. We have Frites, Java, Fortune and three ADS pups in training... Benson, Bella and Nugget. Benson and Bella are siblings but don't look anything alike. Benson is big for 5 mos.....more like huge....very stocky and solid, whereas Bella is petite and delicate in appearance. I've been trying to get pics of the two together but it hasn't been that easy. All are getting along ok and spend most of the day playing outside. Nugget is keeping up just fine with everyobdy. He's such a good little guy.

Journey Update

2008-10-20T06:56:00.004-04:00

It was determined that Journey just wasn't cut out to be a Service Dog so she was disqualified a few weeks ago. She is now living out in the country with no close neighbours, a forest full of trees to chew, and a lake to swim in whenever she wants. The young lad who adopted her is an avid hunter and his family has a hunting camp on the shores of Lake St Clair. Journey, who was a very late starter in the sport of duck hunting, is proving to be quite the natural. On her first outing she retrieved 4/8 ducks. Way to go, girl.... you're exactly where you belong!!

Introducing Nugget

2008-09-26T09:58:00.004-04:00

Nugget, another foster puppy from Autism Dog Services, is a purebred Golden Retriever who will be joining the pack shortly. Can't wait to get the little guy home!!!

Highland Games

2008-07-15T09:59:00.005-04:00

We had a puppy outing to the Highland Games this past weekend. The weather wasn't exactly the best but we managed to find some shelter to wait out the storm that passed through the area. I think Gunner, a 14 month old Choc Lab, enjoyed the rain showers the most. He was quite comical as he continually tried the catch the water that was being dumped off the awning we were standing under. He was soaked but he sure looked happy....and guilty!

Autism Awareness GeoCoin

2008-07-12T08:10:00.006-04:00

I was out Geocaching the other day and came across a really neat GeoCoin in one of the caches. I checked the tracking page for the coin and discovered its goal is to educate people about Asperger's Syndrome and that it had started out in Florida this past December. Naturally I had to take a few pictures of the coin with Journey, an Autism Dog Services Puppy In Training and post them for the coin owner on the tracking page.The other neat thing is that I was Geocaching with a person who has Autism and she was the one who found the cache!
We'll move the coin along shortly....after we've had a chance to show it off to some friends. If you're a Geocacher, keep an eye out for this really cool, colourful coin.

She's Back

2008-07-09T21:19:00.010-04:00

Journey has returned and will be finishing out her fostering time with us. She continues to do very well in public and just needs some fine tuning in the home environment. She settles well in the house as long as 'someone' isn't enticing her to play tug of war or chase (not mentioning names, right Jive???). She has developed a protectiveness of her territory so it has been a noisy few weeks as she learns that continual barking at every noise she hears is not acceptable. I think I may be winning the battle...... there hasn't been complaints from the neighbours in almost a week :-)

I went out the other day and picked up a new kiddie pool since 'someone' chewed the other one to pieces (not mentioning names, right Jive???). It was Journey's first experience in a kiddie pool and it didn't take her long to figure out how much fun these things can be. Of course she had 'someone' showing her how to splash and make a big mess, especially by rolling in the dirt after getting all wet (not mentioning names, right Jive???) Journey and Jive have become the best of friends and spend every waking moment together. Both love to run and play and have endless energy so it has been nice to have compatible dogs to wear each other out. We all sleep better at night !!

Molson

2008-06-15T00:45:00.002-04:00

Jumpin' Jive

2008-06-13T11:57:00.003-04:00

Memories of Mis(s) Fortune

2008-06-12T15:37:00.002-04:00

Down On The Farm

2008-05-19T18:24:00.017-04:00

Cody has gone back to stay with the trainer from Autism Dog Services and Jackson was placed elsewhere (not sure if he will be coming back or not) so I find myself back down to my own three dogs. Since my gang rarely go out as a group, I decided to take all three out to my friend's property in the country. We invited Kent (my first foster puppy) and his family along for the adventure. The 5 Labs and one Golden Wannabe had a blast racing through the long grass, wading in the creek and checking out all the different smells country life has to offer.

17 week old "Splash" appeared to enjoy herself as she happily chased after her new friend, Jive ....the only dog that was close to the same size. It won't be long before Splash outgrows "little" Jive, who at 18 months weighs a whole 43lbs and is the smallest Lab people say they have ever seen.

Even 12 yr old Molson was able to keep up with the much younger dogs as they raced around. I've often been asked by people, including my vet, how I have been able to keep Mo in such good shape. I gues the answer would be maintaining a healthy weight and having a puppy around constantly to keep him active. He may be losing his hearing and his sight, but he certainly hasn't lost his zest for living.

After a few hours it was time to pack it in and head back home with wet, stinky dogs on board. I think we accomplished the task of tiring out the puppy. After all......a tired puppy is a good puppy, right? A tired Fortune is always a good thing too!!!!!!

Dog Swap

2008-05-10T14:58:00.008-04:00

The trainer from Autism Dog Services and I have switched dogs for a short time. Jackson is being assessed and in return I have Cody, a lovely 12 month old MYL. So far all is going well. He's great on outings and well behaved in the house.....when Jive isn't trying to engage him in a game of keep away. LOL She may be about 20 lbs lighter and a good 4 inches shorter but she manages to win most of the time!!!

Yesterday Cody and I went out on my first geocaching adventure (thanks Sam...I'm hooked) and had a great time. We met a couple of vetran geocachers who gave me the ins and outs of the activity and invited us to visit them in their area sometime. For those of you who aren't familiar with geocaching, google it or click the above link and do some research. It's a great way to get out with your dog(s) and explore parts of your area you didn't even know existed. You may end up meeting some really neat people along the way too!

Florida

2008-04-13T15:28:00.011-04:00

Back in February, Fortune and I took a trip down south to get away from the cold and snow. Our trip wasn't nearly as eventful as when we drove from Ontario to Florida a few years ago with a couple friends and a total of 5 dogs! That was quite the road trip!!!

Fortune and I had a wonderful time. I spent a week visiting with my friends, playing golf, boating, visiting the beach and just enjoying the warmth and sunshine. I even managed to see a few dolphins and took a nice picture of one.

Fortune had the opportunity to swim and play with her sister (Frites) and Jive's sister (Java) who are both career changed Service Dogs.

We spent some time at Venice Dog Beach where Frites, Fortune and Java ran and played with a multitude of other dogs. The girls had a blast!

The holiday was a nice relaxing break for me and it gave me an opportunity to spend some quality time with Fortune. She has matured into a wonderful and mostly obedient dog- she still has her head strong days once in a while but not nearly as often as a few years ago. Sometimes I think back to those early puppy days with her and how difficult she was and I think about the time after her disqualification and how we worked so hard to build trust and work through other issues she had. It's hard to believe she's the same dog.....she's come so far!!!!

Spring Fever

2008-04-12T08:06:00.006-04:00

Jive, Jackson, Journey and Fortune in the background

Journey came for a visit last weekend and a good time was had by all. It was a little confusing having three "J' dogs around but we managed. I don't know how parents who name their children with the same first letter survive without going through the list of names before finally hitting upon the correct one.

Both Jackson and Journey are doing well in their training for Autism Dog Services. They seem to enjoy being in public and are calm when interacting with people. At home they are still very much puppies at heart. ;-) Jackson is maturing into a wonderful dog. He still has his moments but overall I'm very pleased with the progress he's made. I'm not sure how much longer he will be with us but I know that I will miss him when he leaves.

When people ask me about Jive out on our neighbourhood walks I tell them she's 17 mos and they can't believe it....she so tiny. I comment that she stopped growing at about 5.5 months and has remained that size, which is perfect in a multi-dog household!! I don't have any pictures of Journey and Jive side by side but after spending 4 days with them together I know I wasn't far off the mark in comparing Jive to a 5 month old Lab....Journey isn't quite 5 mos and is already the same size.

Journey (5mos), Jive (17 mos), Jackson (12 mos)

Winter's Wallop

2008-03-08T21:49:00.005-05:00

And I thought spring was going to come early this year!!

Officially A Pet Dog

2008-03-03T20:22:00.006-05:00

After almost 5 months of formal training, Jive has been disqualified for medical reasons. It didn't take her long to start enjoying the perks of being a pet.

It seems strange not having a foster puppy in my home right now but Jive is my main priority. Journey has another family who fell in love with her and will raise her until she is ready for formal training. Jackson is staying with a friend and will return once Jive is settled and doing well medically. It's very nice to have well behaved and calm dogs in the house!!!

The Pack Has Grown

2008-01-30T09:38:00.000-05:00

Journey arrived two weeks ago to add a bit of chaos to an already crazy household. She was supposed to be a temporary visitor until a family was ready for her but now I think she's settled in well and will remain with us. Journey, like Jackson, will eventually be matched with a child who has Autism, providing she gets through all the required testing down the road. She reminds me very much of Fortune at this age...a challenge compared to my last three pups but as cute as can be. Perhaps that is why Fortune and Journey get along so well. :-)

He's Staying

2007-12-24T21:13:00.001-05:00

Jackson will be staying indefinitely so it's only fitting that he be formally introduced. Jackson is an ADS Pupppy In Training. If he is successful, he will be matched with a child who has Autism. So far he is sound in public places, loves children (typical Lab!!) and seems eager to work. Our biggest struggle has been teaching him some house manner. It's been a long and challenging month but I think we are finally on the road to having peace in the house.

Home For The Holidays

2007-12-21T21:37:00.000-05:00

The school I used to foster for has a Home For The Holidays program that sends dogs in formal training home to their (or a different) foster family for a short reprieve from the kennels. This gives the dogs (and staff) a much needed break and offers the foster families one last opportunity to spend Christmas with 'their' puppy.

I picked Jive up earlier today and the reunion with Molson and Fortune was quite entertaining. Fortune was madly licking Jive's face and prancing all around while Molson barked excessively with what appeared to be a smile on his face. Jive did appear puzzled that another dog was in the home but the two quickly became friends, sharing space and toys as though they'd known each other forever.

It never ceases to amaze me that a dog gone for several months can so quickly fall back into the routine they had followed while living in my home. Jive didn't miss a beat with anything....meal time, outdoor routine, favourite place to sleep, location of the toy box and other 'desirables'. ;-)
Happy Holidays from the gang

Snow Day

2007-12-16T13:59:00.000-05:00

We have snow!!!! Lots and lots of snow!!!!!!

Jackson Visits Santa

2007-12-01T21:41:00.000-05:00

Jackson is still here so we headed off to the mall for the annual foster puppy picture with Santa. I have to say it was an interesting experience as Jackson is still learning how to behave in public places. He's a bit behind in his socialization but hopefully we'll be able to get him caught up and on an even keel soon. Santa was a good sport despite having his beard and coat chewed on!

Finally!!!!!!

2007-11-30T19:10:00.001-05:00

Lyric graduated from the Canine Vision Program last night. She was matched with a gentleman from Southern Ontario.

Way to go Lyric!

Ask And Ye Shall Receive

2007-11-17T21:36:00.000-05:00

Fortune's plea must have worked.....we have a six month old male black Lab named Jackson staying with us for a few weeks. He is a very enthusiastic boy and likes to explore his environment using all his senses. It's going to be a fun couple of weeks.

Tough Times for Miss Fortune

2007-11-12T17:14:00.000-05:00

Jive was recalled a month ago and since then Fortune has been without a younger canine playmate. She has tried to entice the felines to play tug-of-war without much success. They have, however, decided that sharing her space isn't such a bad thing. She isn't impressed.