Time Flies

College applications, School work, and of course raising guide dogs has temporary removed me from my updates on this blog. I am going to do a quick overview of what has happened so far, and later I will go in more depth. Of course, Newman is now IFT. I know that Newman will do his best as him and I extensively prepared for his next stage of his guide dog career. It was a bitter-sweet moment letting go of Newman as he was my close companion, and I will always be grateful to work with such a dog. On the same day, we picked up Jackson, a black male Labrador! I promise pictures :D

I will write more soon.

Boat Ride in The Villages

Today our training was at The Villages. Let me just say that The Villages is a really nice place, and Newman is really familiar with his place due to his puppy camp was at The Villages. So Newman quickly accumulated to the surroundings and was happy to be here again. What was special about today was that we went on a boat ride and toured The Villages. Once Newman and I were on the boat Newman right away laid down and enjoyed the breeze. We saw some wildlife like turtles,fishes, and even an alligator. I have to say the boat ride was great for Newman, since we really would not be able to provide such an experience for Newman. I think he handled the boat ride especially well and I am proud of him. Good going Newman! 

 My dad and Beau

 Newman and I

 Down stay being enforced

Boat Ride Pictures. Amazing Views!

Going home after a fun experience

Newman is Back!

As you can tell by the title, Newman is back from puppy camp. My parents and I picked up Newman on Saturday. I couldn't wait to see Newman it seemed longer than two weeks but he started puppy camp  right when school was getting out  and the weeks leading up to that is just one exam after another . I couldn't wait to give Newman a big old bear hug,after that Tom and Suzanne showed us around the Villages (which is a beautiful community),including letting the dogs having some free time. I could say how surprised I was when Newman was in a down stay then wondered over to check us out again; then Suzanne gave a command  and he casually jumped up on the golf cart and laid down. I was even able to drive the golf cart and experience what Newman got to do everyday. From that experience I definitely could tell that Newman enjoyed his camp experience. After having a quick bite to eat at the square, Tom and Suzanne showed us the town center of the Villages and we even educated a few people about SEGD dogs and raiser responsibility.  Suzanne is a lot like my dad she will hunt people out to talk to and promote the program. I let the cute pup on the other end of the leash break the ice and then answer questions when asked.  Tom and Suzanne provided Newman with best puppy camp experience new sounds, smells, and experiences. For that I thank you and I know Newman will miss you.

Beau, Newman, Uno at the polo fields

here we go , that was a blast.

under down and sleeping during lunch.

the gator is what had our attention.

letting the little pup entertain the crowd..

The Villages would be a good change a pace for the meetings once in awhile.

Puppy Camp Update

I was very lucky to have Suzanne as Newman's puppy camp counselor. She sent me pictures and updates of  Newman's adventures. Suzanne has informed me that he is doing excellent at his temporary new environment and especially loves riding in the golf cart.
I am proud that Newman is doing well at his camp. I can't wait to pick Newman up!
P.S. Newman is not picture shy!

 

Newman is a pro here!

 Hi Q!(Seriously, this looks like a pic from a magazine selling golf carts)

Back Seat Driver

I am very happy!

School Is Out

School is out for the year and I am starting it out with a few major news reports. First, Newman will start puppy camp tomorrow! He will be at his new house for a little over three weeks. Newman will experience new outings, exposures, and smells that I would not be able to provide at my environment. Also, my parents, Beau, and I will be off to Gainesville to visit the University of Florida (Gators). After that, we will be visiting St. Augustine. This means some new pictures and more posts!

Also, here are some pictures from the last meeting.

Another Shout-out and Quick Updates

Hey readers. Sorry I haven't been blogging in a while since this is crunch time for me with my IB tests and AP tests. I promise more posts will be up after I finish all of these pesky tests.

Quick Update: Newman is practicing his commands, but he is somewhat struggling on his commands "come" and "heel". The reason I am bringing this up is that we had a test on our commands. In my book he did pretty well but he floundered on those commands. I kept my patience throughout this debacle, and I know Newman will pick up these commands in time.

Another Shout-out: I received an e-mail from Bella about her website http://www.i-love-dogs.com/ . This site offers a great summary about each dog brand available in the market. So if you want to find out what you are feeding your dog or you are deciding which dog food to give to your dogs, consider reading  the information on this website.

See you guys soon.

Our work so far...

Right now I am balancing school( got a lot of AP tests coming up), Newman and Beau, and other activities.
I can't wait to finish them!

Guys,
         I want to make a quick shout-out to a new blog. This is my mom's blog, which is more focused on Beau and the group, so I recommend that all of you check it out at:

http://dogsincapes.blogspot.com/

Do it for Beau!

Who can say no to that face?

Anyways, Newman is doing pretty well for his age. Right now he is taking a nap (such a tired puppy). I have found out that Newman is very strong, so I am working on his tendency of pulling. We can't have that for any dog, especially like dogs as big as Newman. 

Thanks again!

Spring Break

Spring Break is finally here! The last few weeks have been pretty hectic, but I am happy to be able to post up some new stuff.

We had a meeting today at Spruce Creek's Firehouse Dept. Usually, we arrive at every meeting early,or on time and know where we are going. But this time we ended up at Spruce Creek's Nature Preserve. We ended up having to backtrack and then loop around in order to get onto the right street. We managed to arrive right at 9:30 A.M.but feeling rushed .

But that isn't really the main story. When some of our group members saw Beau, they were amazed of how beau-tiful( get it) he is. We also have Beau's brother, Sammy, in our group, so we let the two socialize with each other, you can tell they are brothers.

Quick note here. Beau and Newman love to play with each other. We have to let Beau get a little bigger before they can play together in the back yard , because we are worried Newman might accidentally fall on Beau or hurt him. But it is a clear sign they will get along well in the future.

Our group walked over to the fire department to let them hear some loud sounds and even meet one of the firefighters in full gear, since some dogs are afraid or unsure what to do when they see a firefighter or anyone in a strange getup. Newman seemed to like the firefighter and almost jumped on him. This is a good sign that Newman is not afraid of most things. Some dogs can wash out if they are afraid of certain things to the point where they can't perform.

Beau also strolled ahead to meet the firefighter. He was intrigued by the firefighter and had a curious look on his face. 

After this we did a quick group picture then took a walk practicing commands like left left, forward, straight, and others.  The small pups did the same at the playground. 

Tired Pups

Great News!

I have great news! Shirley has been adopted! Shirley will have a great time at her new home. Shirley will be living on the water, which is a dream come true for Shirley. Shirley loves the water and is a pro swimmer.below is Shirley with her new parents ,I didn't get permission to use the picture so that's why I 'm just showing Shirley. 

Shirley looks very happy!

I am so proud of her!

SEGD's26th Walkathon Vinoy Park

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We just arrived and were putting on our shirts and Newman was drawing attention he is a magnet .

No words needed  this is what its all about .

What a great   walk-a-thon! I would like to say this event was well laid out and a awesome location  very scenic,in the heart of downtown of St.Petersburg  Vinoy Park (very nice place by the way). After we turned in our donations and received our shirts( thanks again to everyone who donated)!

Newman is looking at me as if to say smile you are on Camera

 I was interviewed by a person associated with SEGD who was filming the event. I was asked questions about why I have taken part in SEGD by raising puppies and about Newman and my previous dog Shirley. By the way Newman did most of the work by hamming it up for the camera. It was exciting  to be interviewed,  I've only been interviewed a couple of times before in my life. Overall, that was a fun yet unexpected experience.

We also spent some time talking to different people, both newly acquainted and friends, and we even met up with Newman's brother, Ed.and family that was great to see them together.

Glenn from our group  going IFT 

My AC Jocelyn And Emily

 It's funny seeing fellow bloggers that you recognize because of the blogs we follow.

Newman did great on his 3K walk. When we finished the walk and went into the car and Newman took a long nap, and I don't blame him it was hot and and a lot to take in.But just resting up our day wasn't over we had some time to kill before heading over to the school.

Now you might be wondering who is this?

Well, this is a new edition! His name is Beau  who is a golden retriever. My mom and dad will be raising Beau, so he will appear from time to time on my blog. So far he is fitting right in and is very cute.

Tomorrow is the Walk-a-thon! The walk-a-thon is the major funding event for SEGD, since SEGD is not government sponsored. So come on down! Newman and I are fully prepared for this event. It is going to be very hot tomorrow, so I will make sure to have bottles of water for Newman and I. They also have a water station for the dogs, which is good or a few dogs may overheat/exhausted.



I have found a great way to enforce the down/stay command. My dad and I were playing Chess, and sometimes Newman would try to give his own insight by trying to move some of the pieces. Smart dog at playing Chess, but we had to have Newman resist from trying to move the pieces. After a few verbal "NO's" Newman got the idea. We will practice this again.

I will make sure to have lots of pictures of the event and maybe even a video.


P.S.: We will also have a little surprise tomorrow on the blog!

A Week Before the Walk-a-thon

For the past few weeks I have been preparing Newman for the walk-a-thon. I have been building up Newman's endurance because he is going to have to walk over a mile for this walk-a-thon. I think Newman will be able to complete the walk-a-thon with ease and we will have a lot of fun.

So far we have raised over a hundred dollars (hundred and forty to be exact) and I am very proud of how much we have raised so far. I am hoping by the end of March two hundred dollars will be donated as the deadline is  approaching soon.

Thank you for your donations!

I will make sure to take a lot of pictures at the walk-a-thon as this is a very important moment for the puppy raiser and the guide dog in training.

Career Change

I received  an e-mail from my AC  right after I posted Shirley's last report card . So I wanted to wait a bit before announcing this news Shirley has been career changed, and that she will be put up for adoption. Not every puppy is destined to become a guide dog.We had worked on a few trouble areas with Shirley. With everyday exposure her anxiety was very low, but still existent. But she just never truly relaxed in large crowds, and her innate fear of small children she never outgrew. And at SEGD's no dog is made to do any thing they are not comfortable with. I was sad and a little disappointed that Shirley did not become a breeder dog or a guide dog, but I knew that SEGD's tough decisions on Shirley were the right ones. The adoption program at the school is awesome and I was reassured she would only go to a loving home.  We were offered the chance to adopt Shirley, and although I love Shirley I don't think it would be fair to Shirley, since we have Newman . Shirley would not be able to go anywhere with Newman, since he would be in coat/cape. Also, the hectic schedule that my parents, Newman, and I have  would have Shirley in a crate for several hours a day and or alone, which is not fair for Shirley at all. Any public time I could give Shirley walks and parks would put her in the situation (kids and crowds)she'd much rather avoid . Wherever Shirley goes she will please her owners and will make a great family dog.

Quick Update on Shirley

We received some recent news about Shirley. I am so proud of her! I hope she continues her success!

CANINE NAME:  Shirley

MONTH:   January 2012

POTENTIAL BREEDER:   Y      N X

           

TRAINING PHASE:

TRAINING/COMMANDS IN PROGRESS

FORWARD :  Dog surges forward on command without encouragement       X

STRAIGHT LINE CONCEPT:  Dog should walk in a straight line, avoiding obstacles, until the team reaches the curb, steps or an obstruction that blocks the path of travel X

RIGHT X                     LEFT   X               RIGHT-RIGHT  X               LEFT-LEFT X

DOWN CURBS:  Dog stops at the end of curb or ramp before leaving the sidewalk and crossing the street    X

UP CURBS:  Dog stops at the curb or beginning of wheelchair ramp before stepping out of the street and onto the sidewalk and crossing the street X

CLEARANCES (OBSTACLES, OVERHANGS) : Dog moves handler around objects on handler’s right side X

TRAFFIC:  How the dog reacts and works in traffic

INDOOR MALL X

OFF CURB TRAVEL: travel on roads that do not have sidewalks

STAIRS                      ESCALATOR

BEHAVIOR: Behaviors exhibited during training

WILLINGLY ACCEPTS HARNESS X

DEMONSTRATES OBEDIENCE SKILLS X

WILLING TO WALK OVER UNUSUAL SURFACES

RESPONDS APPROPRIATELY TO PEOPLE

RESPONDS APPROPRIATELY TO CHILDREN

ACCEPTS PHYSICAL HANDLING/GROOMING X

INTERACTS APPROPRIATELY WITH OTHER DOGS WHILE WORKING

RESPONDS APPROPRIATELY TO NOVEL STIMULI/VISUAL SURPRISE WHILE WORKING

RESPONDS APPROPRIATELY TO ENVIRONMENTAL SOUNDS/AUDITORY SURPRISE WHILE WORKING

RESPONDS APPROPRIATELY TO ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI WHILE WORKING

EXHIBITS APPROPRIATE KENNEL BEHAVIOR (NO FIGHTING, PROTECTIVE BEHAVIORS, OR EXCESSIVE BARKING) X

COMMENTS: In the past month, Shirley has been learning a handful of in harness command. She has learned to stop at curbs, go around obstacles, and how to work properly in a mall. Shirley has a tendency to be shy at times, so we are currently working on getting her comfortable around small groups of people. She’s a lovable, sweet, smart girl that enjoys putting her harness on and going to work. Shirley also enjoys running and playing in the fields with her roommates. 

Group Training at the Sanford Mall

Today our group had the outing at the Sanford Mall, which is a good outing for the puppies in training due to the many distractions, people, smells, and noises. I was proud of Newman today, as usual. Newman has already had practice at other malls, so he knew his expectations and procedures that we practiced today.