A FUN Weekend

 This last weekend was Puppy FUN Day at Guide Dogs for the Blind....

 The theme was hawaiian so Mom dressed me up like this.....

I was no super thrilled about it....

 

But I got to see some of my brothers and sisters again...

From left to right it's me (Hensley), Heron, Hula, Hearst and Henry

 I was super tired by the end of the day and took a looooong nap!

 

On Sunday morning we woke up early to go on a ferry trip to San Francisco. Rembrandt and Zeke were not thrilled to be left again. (But we made them happy with extra cookies)

 

This is me being cute waiting for the ferry!

 

We took our picture at one of the "photo spots"

 

There were no sea lions  to watch so we took a photo here too....

 I'm not sure what I was doing here....I think I was about to sneeze.... but I look pretty darn cute doing it!

This guy and I took a break to watch the rest of the world cup... Yay Germany!

I made some puppy tunes on these stairs too....that was weird......I hope the video works.....

 We were really sad there were no sea lions:-(

 That was a looooooong weekend! I'm exhausted!

- Hensley

 

Zuzu Report

Zuzu is in Phase 4 this week!

Phase 4—Intelligent disobedience

The dogs are expected to make decisions when necessary and to work past distractions. Dogs are exposed to traffic work and learn stop, hold line, and back up on their line. New handlers come and make sure the dogs accept their body being handled by strangers. Extra socialization is given to the dogs that need it.

The Naughty Beast!

Hi my name is Zeke and I'm a naughty beast....

 You see my Mom takes me to these Agility Fun Matches and brings loads of yummy treats....Hot dogs, steak ect....

 And I like to run zoomies instead of listen to her....

 Mom even tried to convince me to be good with ear rubs......

 

So I jumped the first jump really well..... 

 

(Look and how well I cleared it!)

 

 

Then I got to the tunnel....and I snuck out the end...

 

And ran away like an agility fool!!! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOO

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We  brought Hensley to watch and he was a naughty beast too and got busted for going on the seat.....(He thought he could get away with it because he was cute.....Guess not!)

 Hey I look like I'm being good in this photo! (I'm not, I wasn't supposed to be on the teeter! HAHAHAHAHA)

 

Being naughty is exhausting.....

-Love Zeke

 

Zuzu Report! 

Zuzu is in Phase 3 this week!

Phase 3—Preliminary testing

Dogs are obedience tested for sit, down, heel, come, and stay with distractions. Dogs are tested for food refusal and general ease of body handling. The dogs go through their preliminary blindfold testing over approximately ten blocks.

Happy 4th of July from the Golden Gang!

We took photos today because we are so cute in our 4th of July bandanas...... It was fun!

(This photo was before the photogs assistants busted out the treats for the pets)

 

I ran away at first because I didn't want to get my photo taken....(and no one offered me treats!)

Aislin watched from the sidelines, happy she didn't have to be in the photos!

 

Then the treats (licorice) were busted out for the older dogs......they were excited....

 Issac practiced his "cookie" exercises.....

 They took a good photo together....

 Mostly because I ran away....again

But we succeeded in getting a good photo of the three of us. Aren't we cute?!?!?!?
Happy 4th of July Everyone from the Golden Gang!!!

 

Azara Report

Azara  is in phase 2 this week. 

I've been kind of a blog slacker and haven't updated since she went back so here is a long update on her...Yay for Phase 2.....GOOOOOO ZUZU!!!!

Phase 2—In town

The dog gets to go in town. By now, the dog is comfortable with his harness and has adjusted to the kennel. The dog is taken on a planned distraction route. Remember watching the movie Up? The dog needs to be able to walk and not scream SQUIRREL. The dog also gets to see the obstacle course.-->

Phase 1—Formal training begins

Formal training begins and the dog re-discovers food rewards and learns about clickers. Sit, down, and stay is reintroduced in a very precise way. Dogs learn to refuse offers of hamburgers from strangers and to not pick up strange food off the floor. Dogs are introduced to the harness, get their teeth and ears cleaned, and get petted and massaged. The dogs learn to walk on a treadmill. They learn the commands forward, halt, and hop-up. The dogs tend to LOVE the treadmill. 

Phase 0—Arrival period

The dog comes to the kennel and gets acquainted. The dog gets to walk around the campus, gets placed with a kennelmate that he/she plays well together. The dog gets daily grooming, any needed meds, cuddle time with humans, and is introduced to the community run playtime. The dog also goes through a health screening which includes hip X-rays, a formal veterinarian exam, an eye exam, and an accurate weight. The dog is also made up to date on his shots.