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Let the Dogs Speak: a book review

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Donna Black-Sword

[He] was the most sociable of the pups we’ve raised, by far. He was a total love sponge, climbing into our laps for a hug, often while wubbing on his favorite stuffed teddy bear.

He absolutely loved to carry things: shoes, keys, lunch bag, mail, water bottle . . . anything. Every morning he pranced into the lobby at work with something in his mouth and paraded around the room so everyone could ooh and aah at his cleverness.

He was a welcome addition to our family, providing smiles and silliness when we most needed it, keeping us firmly grounded in the present.  (excerpts from Let the Dogs Speak, Marianne McKiernan)

What do you think? Does this remind you of a certain goober dog? The passages above are not about Micron, but easily could be.  Proving nature over nurture in this particular fer instance, the words above are about his littermate Mars.

You know what I like so much about this volunteer puppy gig with Canine Companions for Independence?  Oh sure, there’s that thing about satisfying the craving for puppy breath and Frito feet. That’s a given, right?  What I didn’t expect when I signed up was how much bigger my world would become. 

And I remain wondersmacked by it all.

Over the past four years I’ve managed to finagle my meager existence into a great realm filled with dog lovers and volunteers passionate about their work. So much so, that when I come across someone who doesn’t understand/appreciate/like dogs, it comes as a surprise. I have to actually process that thought. And I try not to judge these folk harshly. I really do. But outside of having a bad experience with an aggressive dog, I just don’t get these people. Not liking dogs feels like a character flaw.

It’s remarkable, really, how saturated my world is with dog hair.  Home, family, friends, volunteer work and even my job are all things Dog.  Livin’ the dream, I am.

And the people we’ve met on this journey! Holy cow, I just never saw this coming. 

I began an online correspondence with Marianne McKiernan when we were charged with raising our M litter puppies, Micron and Mars. And things grew from there. Being bloggers, the both of us had yet another thing to bond over. And now, a few dogs later, our friendship is still clicking along.

While I’ve known all along Marianne is a producer for KMGH-TV, I was just a little embarrassed to find out recently she is indeed a two-time Emmy award winning producer. I was completely unaware of that factoid until this month and have now promised to treat her with some decorum by referring to her as awesome instead awesomesauce. And like that isn’t enough, her book Let the Dogs Speak  was released this month.

Let the Dogs Speak (on Amazon)

So while we’re on the topic of awesomeness, I am completely jazzed to have the bragging rights to tell Everyone that I’m friends with a Published Author, y’all. A two-time Emmy award winning producer author, don’t you know. Right here in my humble little world. How cool is that? I’ll tell you exactly how cool.



You see a working dog in a cape and you wonder: Can I pet him? How did he get to be so well-trained? Is he happy? In Let the Dogs Speak! four puppies tell their funny, suspenseful, and heartwarming tales of just how it all goes down as they train for the opportunity to be service dogs for Canine Companions for Independence®. Follow Hudson, Parker, Ross and Mars on their journeys, with each puppy providing a uniquely hilarious spin on things. Which of the four dogs will make it? Readers can’t help but root for the pups to succeed and graduate as service dogs.  (book description, Let the Dogs Speak, Marianne McKiernan)

Offered in a remarkably affordable paperback version, as well as for the Kindle and Nook, Let the Dogs Speak is an entertaining collection of adventures as seen from a CCI puppy’s point of view. (All of the author’s royalties will be donated to CCI). Of course, I highly recommend the tome to lovers of all things Dog. But hey, don’t take my word for it.  Not when we have raving reviews by working dogs to support my hefty claim. Dogs don’t lie. They don’t know how, you know.
 
You trust Micron, don’t you? If you’ve been following him here on the dog blog, you’ve surely gotten to know the yeller fellow over the last three years. He indeed has (is a?) character and, work ethic issues notwithstanding, he is surely a dog that can be held to his word.
 
And what is the word of Micron, you ask? Well, I tell you he speaks from the heart. Or the stomach. Some major and necessary juicy organ, anyway. His words are true.



“I love this book! It tasted like chicken.”-Micron,
CCI Change of Career Dog

Right. So we can also turn to the blurbs as written by other more deep thinking canines, such as Hanlee (CCI Hearing Dog) and Harley (Guide Dogs for the Blind).  Their words come from their own juicy organs, most likely brains in this case.

Some cute, cute, cute illustrations by Penny Blankenship will keep you flipping through the pages, too.  And check out the teaser at the Let the Dogs Speak fan page on Facebook  to keep an eye out for a contest to win signed color copies of her artwork. I. Must. Have. One.

The stories as told by Mars, Micron’s M littermate, start on page 170.  See if anything sounds familiar there [coughmicron] in gooberness personality traits. And I have to tell you this. I must. Something else in the Mars section, starting on page 213, just might bring up a nagging feeling déjá vu-ishness if you’ve been with us on Raising a Super Dog for a while. [ridiculously happy grin].

Holy cow, but I love my CCI world. It just gets more awesomesaucy all the time.

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First Service Dog Organization Salutes First Family – Canine Companions for Independence

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Donna Black-Sword

Congratulations to CCI graduates, fellow puppy raisers and other supporters of Canine Companions for Independence.  We’re proud of you and we’ll be watching for y’all on Monday.

From www.cci.org . . .

On Monday, January 21st, Canine Companions for Independence will be marching in the 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade.

Canine Companions will have 132 marchers from 14 states, with nationwide participation including assistance dog teams, volunteer puppy raisers, National Board Members, CEO Corey Hudson, as well as staff.

“Canine Companions is honored to be chosen to participate in the Presidential Inaugural Parade. We’re grateful to be able to share in this historic day and to share our mission of serving people with disabilities worldwide,” says Hudson.

Canine Companions was one of 60 organizations chosen from over 2,800 applications. The theme of the parade is “Our People, Our Future” and will be broadcast worldwide.

Click for full article:
First Service Dog Organization Salutes First Family – Canine Companions for Independence

CCI is scheduled to be in Division 4.  Full list of parade order is here. 

·         Canine Companions is one of 43 organizations chosen from over 2800 applications

·         9,000 participants total expected to march in the parade

·         Will be broadcast worldwide

·         Theme of the parade is “Our People, Our Future”

·         Canine Companions’ first Inaugural parade

·         132 Canine Companions participants; 16 graduates & 57 dogs

·         Marchers from 14 states, with nationwide participation, including assistance dog teams, volunteer puppy raisers, National Board Members, CEO and staff

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Wordless Wednesday: Some are more equal than others

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Donna Black-Sword
Right, that’s a fire extinguisher. In my kitchen.
It’s not a reflection of my cooking skills. But I
 appreciate that you were thinking that.
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”  George Orwell, Animal Farm

Bodine, benevolent ruler of Sword House, has commandeered the dog bed. A silent and bloodless takeover of prime real estate, which has left Micron to rest his weary bulk upon the kitchen tile.

To the left are three steps that lead down to the back door. Micron’s head is pretty much hanging there in a passive-aggressive statement of his discontent.

I’m suffering here, Bodine, says Micron. Takin’ one for the team.

Yep, says Bodine. [purr]





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She’s got legs (or Euka at Four Months Old)

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Donna Black-Sword

(Social media disclaimer. As I talk about Eukanuba, it is as an employee of P&G Pet Care. However, anything I say in praise of Eukanuba supports my personal belief that we make some great pet food now. No kidding, y’all. It’s totally true)

 

She’s got legs and she know how to use ’em. –ZZ Top

Yeah, she posed herself with that leg and off the shoulder gaze.
You can’t buy this kind of sassiness.

It’s getting harder to remember this leggy girl as the fuzzy cotton ball puppy we brought into our home just a few weeks ago.

Can you believe it? CCI’s extraordinary E litter, born on September 14, will celebrate their four month birthday on Monday.

We met the E litter (Emma, Everett, Ella, Elmo, Euka II, Emily, Ethan and Eliza) as tiny hamsters on the Eukanuba Channel Livestream.  Immediately upon our first sighting of these puppies with their newborn eyes and ears closed, we watched in fascination as they nearly time lapsed into active eight-week-old puppies.  For those with a yearning to reminisce on that earlier time of innocence, the Livestream is still open with a video library of the Best of the E Litter recordings.

But holy cow, look at Euka now, will ya? At four months she’s showing promises of being a noggin-turning beauty, isn’t she?  The trifecta of brains, beauty and that sassafras attitude has us expecting big things of this girl.

When the Mighty Micron was this same age, we covered his early progress as a puppy in training for Canine Companions for Independence at A Fine Taste in Shoes.  And with a completely different personality, Yaxley’s Four for Four showed us how this yeller feller was doing at a mere sixteen weeks old.

So how’s the polar bear pup doing, you ask. Ah, a fine question that. I offer you Euka’s Four for Four.

Good Eats

That’s Euka on the dog bed. Eating one kibble. One.

We knew early on that Euka II would be assigned to us to raise for CCI. So we tuned in to the Livestream coverage with rapt attention on everything that was Euka.  From growth development (Look! She’s walking! Well, kind of.) to attitude (huh. She’s a little bossy, isn’t she?) I was ridiculously jazzed to have this online version of “being there”.  But observing her habits at the communal dinner bowl, I had a nagging bit of concern. Euka was just not showing herself as the voracious eater I’d experienced before with our CCI pups. I fretted over this. How does one train a puppy that is not food motivated?, I wondered. Not exactly driven to the point of hand wringing, knowing I had plenty of resources to hit with other experienced puppy raisers. But still, would this be a new challenge?

Ah, but it ain’t no use use in putting up your umbrella until it rains. Or something like that. From the first food bowl served at the popular Sword House eatery, Euka has shown a completely normal appetite level for a lab puppy. By normal, I mean she finishes her meal in time to check out how the other dogs are doing. You gonna finish that? she wants to know. Then the three go in a musical chairs rotation to lick each other’s bowls clean until all that’s left is a spit shine.  Yep, that’s our normal.

It’s a Sign

Honestly, Food Lady. What’s a girl gotta
do to get some attention around here?

While some folk admit a squee-worthy love of tiny puppies, they cringe at the thought of housebreaking the little critter. Especially during the winter months. Oh, but not me. Educating the proper use of nature-based toileting facilities is just a blip compared to all the other awesome stuff that comes with the puppy package. 

However y’all, I will admit it to be a happy day when the yow-gotta-potty neurons start firing on their own accord. Ever the clever girl, Euka has connected the back door with bladder freedom and will hang out there until I take notice. A soft whine, she knows, will get faster action. 
 
This week while working from home, Euka decided to kick things up a level. I will not be ignored, says Euka. She walked into the kitchen, picked up my snow boot by the steps, looked at me until she got some eye contact and then took the boot to the back door and dropped it.
 
Um. Wow.

 

That Adorable Head Tilt

The first puppy we raised for CCI, the lovely Inga, did the head tilt thing as a pup. Do you think she’ll keep this behavior? I asked other puppy raisers.  Sometimes they do, they said. And she did indeed. We’d say In-GA to see the noggin tilt on the second syllable. Cute, cute, cute.

 

yoo-KA [sigh]

In many ways Euka reminds us of Inga, both in appearance and personality. And oh my, that head tilt. [sigh] I love it.

Corporate Office Material

Proving herself to be made of the right stuff, Euka made her debut at Eukanuba’s corporate office last week.  A total success, that first visit, and I’m pretty proud of how she handled herself.  With held held high and tail wagging, Euka pranced about the place like the sizzlin’ hot stuff she is. Hello, she said to Everyone. Do you know who I am? She absolutely loved recess time in the outdoor dog park we have for employees’ pets (Ah, smells like beagle, Bernese and chihuahua out here. With a mushroomy nuance of Micron) and quickly positioned herself  into a play bow with a muddy tennis ball. Confidence abounds. 
Euka 1.0 and Euka 2.0 pose for their first photo op.

Euka also had the honor of meeting the original Euka, the retired VP of Canine Communications for P&G Pet Care.  You may recall, our Euka pup will not be following in the pawprints of Euka as an officer of the company. Instead, we’ve got some big plans for her as she prepares herself for her upcoming Advanced Training to be a service dog.

More on the back story of namesakes and career destinations are on the dog blog post Introducing Euka II: She’s not a tuber.





Hey, I got this working hard thing down cold. When’s lunch?

Hey, so there ya go.  Four things about Euka II at four months old. You’re glad you asked, right? We’re moving along quite nicely here, IMHO and all.  And more Euka adventures yet to come! I can’t wait to see what’s she’s got for us next.

 

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Wordless Wednesday: Big girl chompers

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Donna Black-Sword
Hot news of the week! Our little polar bear cub is getting her big girl teeth.
The upper two chompers have emerged as well as the four bottom in the front. I should be finding little Euka molars on the carpet soon. [sniff] She’s growing up right before our eyes.
Ah, but the best part about puppy teething is the adrenaline rush from seeing blood splatters on playing puppies. But instead of checking for puncture wounds incurred by two playing puppies, we look into the dark abyss of a puppy maw to see who has bleeding gums from a newly missing baby tooth.
The second best part, I think, is how those top two teeth make her look like a Count Orlok puppy*.  Which leads us to the next obvious thought. If a vampire had a dog, what would they name it, do you think**? 
________________________________
*Movie trivia: Nosforatu 1922.   I’d apologize for the obscure movie reference, except this is a Classic, people. And the old fellow had some funny looking teeth now.  
**I recall in an Anne Rice vampire novel a German Shepherd adopted by one of her venipuncturing protagonists in New Orleans.  Bonus points*** if you know the name of the dog.  Extra bonus points if you can explain to me why my family wouldn’t let me name my own GSD that same ultra cool name. Because I can’t answer that one. 
***By Bonus Points, I mean Thanks for leaving a comment. We’re on a tight budget here.





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