RSS Feed

Author Archives: Donna Black-Sword

Wordless Wednesday: Name Game Photo Invite

When I said call me for dinner, says Euka, this isn’t what I had in mind. But no prob, I could hear the kibble calling my name.

But truth be told, y’all, Euka did not get to partake in the noshing of her meal out here on the patio. But before you think this totally unjust, I can explain.

To be a service dog, that canine brain needs to wrap itself around the idea food on the ground, anything perceived as possibly edible, is not for them. Think about it this way . . .  a service dog in a restaurant must be focused on the handler, not the nibblets of treasure to be found under the table.  Same basic concept for any outing. A service dog is always tuned into his or her person, instead of like our pets [coughJagercough] who pass the hours of the day with nose to the ground scrounging for a scrap of edible goodness.

And this frame of mind starts early in life in the puppy raiser’s home. We understand the need for this training, we puppy raisers. So we do this, we always have.

But new and trendy among us these days is the sharing of photos showing our young charges with the expression of cool indifference upon their faces when faced with their name spelled in kibble. So you got me thinking . . .

An invitation

You don’t have to be a CCI puppy raiser to join in. If you have, or wanna take, a photo with your dog posed by their kibbley name, send the photo to me at puppysword@gmail.com.  Be sure to include a link to your pet’s Facebook page or blog, if you have such things.

We’ll post the grouping on next week’s Wordless Wednesday.

Tutelage in relaxation

Not pictured – the kid at the rear sorting Micron’s Tail of
Wondrous Beauty by shade of coat color.

Nothing too scary, ok? says Micron. I’m of a delicate nature. And not one about cats either. Those give me really weird nightmares. He shudders slightly.  Maybe a story about food?

I’ve got Star Wars: Bounty Hunters for Hire, says the young reader.

That’ll do, Micron agrees.

The big dog prepares himself for another evening of listening to stories at our local Brookville branch of the Dayton Metro Library.  The monthly Paws to Read event where Micron can [cough] work as a Therapy Dog. A reading tutor, of sorts.

As Micron rests with eyes closed, our young friend reads to Micron about Jango Fett and his cloned offspring. As each page is finished, the book is turned so Micron can see the pictures. Look, Micron, says our reader. And Micron does. He opens his eyes and lifts his head to get a clear look. He blinks, but doesn’t put his head down until the book is turned away. He does this every time.

The dog has a gift for this work.

A good group of kids this evening, we have six readers to share the dog with. All are at different reading levels, but Micron doesn’t notice this. He pays no mind when a word is sounded out by syllable or during the occasional pauses as the reader takes a moment for comprehension of the story. Micron doesn’t care a cat’s whisker about reading skills. His reasons for being here are as pure as only a dog’s can be.

He just wants to be near the kids. To be quietly among their presence and enjoy them.



Hey, I just met you and this is crazy, but . . .

Always a good idea to let everyone settle for a couple of minutes to get to know each other a little before getting things started. Micron is introduced to the readers with a short bio and his job description. Once again I find myself in that warm glow of being so proud of this fellow and his chosen vocation. This is absolutely where this dog should be, I know it and . . . Ack! Micron! Leave it!

Oh my. Love at first sight for my obviously myopic dog. Micron is entranced by a pair of furry boots. Well, only the left one, really. It must have more personality or something.

This calls for a dog cookie distraction . . . and he’s back. Alrighty, time to get things started here.

And so our young readers select an interesting looking book from the selection the children’s librarian has set out on display for them. They sit and crack open their chosen tome as Micron relaxes into his favorite story listening position. Which is pretty much just being prone. He says this is intended as a non-intimidating posture to relax the kids.  I say I wonder if I should hold a mirror up to his nose to see if he’s still breathing.

Just relax, my young reader friend.

Over the next hour we learn about interstellar bounty hunters, follow along with adventures of brave woodland critters, and laugh out loud at a funny story of a very silly squirrel. And Micron listens to every word.  His eyes are closed, but he’s not asleep.  He very much looks like he’s enjoying the experience.

You can tell here that he’s fully engaged. Because for one thing, he’s not snoring. A tell tale sign that he’s outa here, mentally speaking. And also because he has one paw firmly on the reader to keep going.  Tell me more.

That belly rub going on there is just a job perk.

Micron insists that this is indeed work. It must be, because he leaves totally exhausted and that’s what work does, right? Well, if you’re doing it right anyway.

It takes a lot to be this engaging, Food Lady. he tells me. I mean, I have to stay awake the whole time and stuff.  

Do what you love, they say, and you’ll never work a day in your life.

And you know what? If I ever doubted that before, I now know it to be true.

Our mighty Micron is proof. I can honestly say this dog has never worked a day in his life.


[gasp] Our children would be . . . Gorgeous!

Wordless Wednesday: I can see my future from here

I was looking at this photo from last fall, taken at a Miami Valley Pet Therapy Association fundraising event, and rolling through the noggin what it reminded me of.

Ah yes, it puts me in mind of those yearbook photos of days gone by. We know today’s photo shoots of our high school seniors involve changes of clothes and scenery, a professional make-up session, and the obligatory bank loan to pay for the things.  But back in the day, we simply showed up in our best dress or leisure suit and sat on a black stool to gaze off into the distance with a toothy smile on our mugs.

We’re looking off into our bright futures, our expressions would say on our senior portraits.

And that’s what it seems that the Mighty Micron is doing here as well. Not long after his graduation from mvPTa  as a Therapy Dog, he’s imagining what’s out there awaiting him. Where will he be needed most? What can he do to change someone’s world for a day? How can he provide a sense of peace and comfort to a person in need of such things?

Or perhaps, considering the spot of drool on that lower lip, he’s merely watching a squirrel. You never know with Micron. The waters run deep in this fellow, but sometimes the brain cells get caught up in a whirlpool.

Euka thanks you for your fashion advice



I’m ready to clean up and look
real purty now, says Euka

A few days ago on an earlier blog post, we asked admirers of the lovely Euka what her next look should be, collar-wise.  With the links we provided to WooferWear Dog Collars* on Etsy, you all shared your favorites with us.

We had thirty six votes for twenty different designs, all clever looks and somehow all perfect for Euka as well. And with each new suggestion, I was looking at some of the designs with fresh eyes. Of course! I’d cry. Why didn’t I notice this one before? Making it obvious that I can’t possibly be left on my own to decide.

But some choices rose to the top of the list, making the most popular design among you an easy thing.

Kind of.

You see, recall that Nancee at WooferWear makes these collars by hand, right?  Using top quality materials she stitches these with care and love to post on her Etsy catalogue. So when you hit the site, what you see is what you can get.  When a collar is purchased, it could possibly be the only one available. Such is the way with artists and their work.

And the hands down most popular look for Miss Euka was the Darling Dahlia design.  I’d show you what this looks like, but well, it’s not available right now.  Of course, we’ll check with Nancee to see if she has this design in her creation queue to make again sometime soon.  In the meantime, let’s move onto the other top picks.



Hoot Owls
Hoot Owls by WooferWear

Behind the Darling Dahlia design, we had a tie among Hoot Owls and Peace Out, with Colorful Blooms and Got Bones right behind.

Another fine suggestion we had was to consider purchasing at least two collars for Euka. By at least two, I mean some folk said to get one each of the hundred plus designs. But two? I like that thought.  One for everyday and another for nice. A show collar, so to speak.  One that is always clean and professional that we could snap on for looking fine at presentations and such. I’m good with that.

So yeah, two. Good idea, people. And here’s something that makes that concept even more palatable. You know I wouldn’t take Euka out of the house without her CCI ID tag, so how to swap collars without getting out the pliers to reattach her tag bling every time?


Tag Collars
Tag collar by WooferWear

Here’s how. WooferWear also makes a handy tag collar. That is, a collar for tags to go on the dog collar. We bought this clever accessory with Micron’s collar well over a year ago and the thing is hanging tough. Just a matter of a quick buckle release to remove his bling when the collar needs a clean up. Easy peasy.

That’s great, you say. Sounds like you got things covered. But it feels a little like a diversion, too. Have you actually told us yet what designs you’re getting for Euka?



Peace Out Dog Collar
Peace Out by WooferWear

Oh yeah. That.  Ok, so here’s my plan. Let’s run with the assumption that the demand for Darling Dahlias can be met. If we can check that one off, then Hoot Owls (photo above) will be the second design, with those snappy little pink owls on a brown background. Otherwise, I think, we can move on to Peace Out, a fresh look in bright colors. Nancee can put this design on a pink webbing to get this all girly for us.

How’s that sound to y’all?  Thanks to everyone for your fashion advice. Because I couldn’t have done this on my own.

Really. 

You know how that one time you looked down and noticed you actually had two different color of shoes on?  One navy blue pump and the other was black? You know how it was just that one time? Lucky.

Right. So Euka sends her eternal thanks for guiding me along in selecting her next fashionable look.  She has an image to protect, she says, being kind of a big deal and all. And she can’t trust someone who wears knee high hose with sandals.

___________________________________________

*From WooferWear’s Shop Announcement

Every dog deserves a stylish look! Come browse these custom dog collars for your favorite dog. Each collar is handmade from strong, durable materials. A percentage of all proceeds benefits Canine Companions for Independence, an organization that provides assistance dogs to people with disabilities free of charge (www.cci.org).

 

Wordless Wednesday: Why I don’t always fill the water bowl



Whu. . . ? No, [yawn] I’m not napping, says Euka. Hey,
while you’re up, the water bowl needs filling.
Jager, in his valiant quest for a sip of water sans the retriever backwash, has repeatedly requested his own water bowl.  And it’s not like I’m totally ignoring this worthy life goal, but really more that I’m just too lazy to mess with a personalized trough for each dog.
Because sure nuff, as soon as I shlosh down three water bowls, they will all decide to drink out of the same one anyway. It’s clinically proven, kind of.  Because this is exactly what happens with the dog beds.

If they’re gonna fuss over the same bed / tennis ball / water bowl / cat, then why have more than one hanging around to trip over?


Food Lady?  Maybe turn up
the heat a little?

So that answers that. The challenge this presents, of course, is keeping up with the continual hydration demand of three active canines. Which means that occasionally someone will happen by just to find the water bowl, well, bone dry.

But being the kind of girl that can make lemonade out of an empty water bowl, Euka takes it all in stride.  If the thing isn’t holding water, then perhaps it could simply support her weary head while she naps.

I wuvs my water bowl, says two month old Euka II. zzzzzz[snert]
The photo at top is Euka now at seven months, gently resting her noggin for a cat nap. And the one at left is just before her three month birthday.
Adorable.



 
 
 

Be sure to check out . . .

 
Going all out Diva style to help us choose some bling for our lovely girl. Euka has been around me long enough to know not to trust my fashion sense. She’s counting on you for this one.
We’re tallying up the suggestions and will announce the popular choice on April 21, 2013.