The proud doggy grandma!

Toffee started dog school in earnest today.

I was watching her and her mum out of the corner of my eye,

{the big boy was making no secret of not watching}!

She was working beautifully with Jess, sitting when told, and staying quietly when left at the fence without mum.

She walks so nicely at heel, I think the Black Dog halter works really well on our dogs.

In case you have forgotten what she looks like,

here she is with her "big girl" hair cut.

She has now gone from white to yellow group,

should be interesting as she is just about to hit adolescence, 

when all puppies start thinking rules are not for them!!!

Just like humans -- they push the boundaries 

all the time.

It seemed to go on for ever with Middi,

but now he is his old sweet self, but still very determined!

Next Thursday Toffee will go to dog school with Chris,

Middi and me,

I will be taking half the class with each of the dogs,

another challenge for all of us!

The "boy" as usual!

As usual I am talking about my boy!

Things are changing.

Last week Chris suggested we go to the local obedience club and see if they would be interested in helping me with his socialisation.

He loves dogs, but because I can't take him to the park and let him run free, he has no idea that some grumpy dogs do not love big silly puppies!!

with goofy faces!!!

So Chris, Helen and I went to

"Bayside Companion Dog School"on a wet, freezing, Thursday morning.

As usual I was nervous about what the boy would do, 

how he would react to three "Rottis", two German Shepards and a Ridgeback, or even more important, how they would react to him.

I need not have worried everything went well

and we were invited to join.

While we were there we tried another collar - a"Gentle Leader",

I think we might have found the right one at last,

I am not sure that Middi likes it much,

but I certainly do! Now I have control without any strain.

We are going to stay in the beginners group, 

even though we can do most of the commands,

reason -- because Midnight needs to learn how to behave around all sorts of dogs.

I need to learn not to say , "walk on big bum",[because he is skinny]

It is not a proper command !  :--)

We are off to school again this Thursday, I hope it is as good as last week.

Maybe we might get some pictures this time.

Until next time --- tell someone how much you love them!!

The Baybarker Autumn Newsletter

I think every one knows that Chris who runs Baybark, is teaching Middi and me, how to become a team and hopefully get that difficult Service Dog registration.

I an always full of worries that I am not doing the right thing and my darling boy is "blowing me off again"!

Not my words, but usually true.

Behind those serious eyes is the cheekiest brain, he can be a perfect angel and do everything I ask, 

or he can frustrate me so much with his inattention, that I am almost in tears.

Really its just like being a young mother all over again.

None of this has anything to do with what I was going to write about tonight, so back on subject!!

Chris has just published her Autumn News Letter,

and there is an article about Middi and myself.

She writes it as if Middi and I are doing all the work, this of course is not true, without her eternal patience with both of us I think I might have given up a few weeks ago.

Middi becoming a teenager has been very difficult for me, 

he is very strong physically and really wants his own way, not a good combination for a wheelie who likes to forget that she has a disability!!

ANYWAY,

this is what Chris wrote -----

A service dog in the making .......

For some months now, it has been my privilege to train a lovely standard poodle by the name of Midnight and his owner Anne. This beautiful black boy is destined to be a service dog.

Anne, lives in a power chair and had decided for various reasons that she wanted to train her own service dog, rather than have one assigned to her as is the usual process in Australia.

While there is nothing wrong with training your own dog, a service dog must be trained to a level beyond that of most ordinary dogs, the process can take up to two years, and when you are confined to a wheelchair this becomes more difficult.

Midnight is a very quick leaner, mastering walking nicely by Anne’s chair fairly early on.

His puppy training included the commands sit, drop, stand, back, and a few others.

As he progressed towards more complex training he has had to learn to feel comfortable with car rides, getting on the wheelchair lift in Anne’s transport vehicle, sitting quietly beside the chair and being confined to a crate on occasion.

While not yet a year old, Midnight must learn to ignore distractions around him when he is working and this area has been the most challenging so far.    He is now very large, very strong and still very much a puppy. He loves other dogs, but his exuberance in meeting them is often unwelcomed by the often surprised dog.

He and Anne can regularly be seen around the parks and shops of Bentleigh or McKinnon and they have become local celebrities.

 Anne adores her dog, and it shows in the dedication she has in training him.

As he matures, I believe he is destined to be everything Anne dreams he can be, giving her more independence and of course his, unconditional love.

Its a great article and of course I love the last part because he does give me his unconditional love, but it is really nice to hear someone else say it.

Read Chris' news letter, it is very interesting learning about the agility world and clever dogs and their owners.

While you are there browse her website, if you have a dog of your own I am sure you will learn something new. 

No pictures tonight, 

you will have to read the news letter for them.

Until next time --- Thanks Chris!!!!!

Oops, forgot the link !

http://www.baybark.com.au/files/Autumn%20newsletter%202011.pdf

An update

I can not believe it has been nearly a month since I last wrote anything in my blog.

I think it is time to update mine,

and Midnight's progress.

This photo was taken 19/11/2010

Look how long his legs are now, 

they look like fuzzy icy-pole sticks

and go in four different directions

when he runs!!

Every day I write notes on how he is progressing,

some days are good

and some are terrible.

Hopefully I am going to paste in my notes about going to the Bentleigh Festival.

You will see it was a very good day,

I was so proud of him.

Here goes ---

Sunday – Bentleigh Festival!!

The disability ambassador.

Quote -- We have been out and about being ambassadors for disability and service dogs. I think Midnight likes people, we have done both the farmers market and the Bentleigh Festival and he didnt put a nose wrong at either. He charmed my local MP who is a great supporter of disability and I know he will try and help me get Midnight registered, he could not resist the big black eyes and sloppy tongue! We had balloons bursting in our faces, loud music, children grabbing him, adults bumping us both, and even treading on his poor toes, nothing fazed him, we both loved it. Best part was the little boy who is terrified of even the family dogs fed Midnight on his own and they were both so gentle, I wish we had a video of the day, it was so lovely.

Walked 5km, a hot day as said above, noises were no problem to him, only me! Walked loose rein all day, too interested in everything to misbehave. Crossed railway via the long ramp, talked to children while waiting for train. Street very crowded, walked close

to chair, did not appear afraid, just interested. Very tired walking home, stopped for a rest under a tree, Midnight fell asleep!!  Went to toilet when we arrived home, slept all afternoon.

It really was an amazing day for both of us.

This is how he slept for the whole afternoon!!

 I love him so much, to be able to go out

with a dog beside me, is freedom!!

Until next time ---- Hug a puppy

Update.

I thought  it was time I did  an update on "puppy training", or perhaps it should be called "granny training"!

Here is Midnight after a hard day 

walking the streets of Glen Eira!!

It's a tough life isn't it?

Notice how big he is getting, 

when he climbs on the bed with me, he takes up more than half of it.

 Newest trick is to lie the length of the bed with his head on the pillow and then very quietly push his feet against the rails, next thing I know, I am squashed against the rails and he is in the middle of the bed.

Here we are out and about in our new harness,

it makes such a difference. He is now attached to my chair by a D ring on the side, no more twisted harness.

I am now looking for sheep skin seat belt covers and they seem to have disappeared from the market.

We are now walking from 2-4 k per day, 

sometimes he is brilliant and we have a great walk, 

other days nothing seems to go right.

Now we have started a daily diary, 

this will be very important when it comes time to try and get him registered.

We have learned one very important skill,

I can now clip his lead onto his collar and he knows that he must walk behind me from the house, 

through the veranda gate, down the path 

and through the very narrow front gate.

He then sits next to the chair 

so I can clip on his wheel chair lead.

I am amazed how quickly he has learned this difficult maneuver,

the path is very narrow.

He also sits beautifully,

reminds me of when I was at school and the teacher would say the person sitting up the straightest 

could go outside first. 

He pushes his little chest out just like the boys did!

We also have sort of mastered "stop",

  "Midnight walk on" and "up the hill".

Our biggest problem at present is dogs!

we don't meet enough of them, so when we do

he goes crazy and doesnot concentrate at all.

Chris, our trainer, says he must go to the dog park,

not with me, because he is too strong for my arm, 

so it will be Jessika walking him, 

and me watching.

Sometimes I get very frustrated,

I am finding it is so much harder 

to do things in my chair -- I cannot reach far, turn quickly,

or even get down on the ground and give him a cuddle'

when he has done something really clever. 

I guess we are both learning.

I think I have written enough for now, 

my boy is sleeping next to my chair waiting for a walk.

I wonder how we will go tonight?

Until next time --- hug a puppy!!