Gone, but Never Forgotten

Remembering Barney on his Birthday


Barney with Bo (1993)


Gone, but Never Forgotten

They will not go quietly the pets who've shared our lives,
In subtle ways they let us know their spirit still survives.

Old habits still make us think we hear a scratching at the door,
or step back when we drop a tasty morsel on the floor.

Our feet still go around the place the food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night, we miss them terribly.

And although time may bring new friends and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts belongs to them and always will.....

Spring Break

After walking Buddy through the park yesterday, he came home covered in mud and smelly water. So, today we were out the door for a long walk before the sun warmed things up. Our attempt to keep him clean. We will not be washing him every day. His trips to the park have ended until things dry up, with the exception of his birthday.

We travelled to Janesville in the afternoon to check Buddy's weight. Today the scale showed 61.5 pounds - less than last week. He couldn't have lost weight. We have weighed him on three different scales the last three weeks which is not a good practice for comparison. We have no idea how much Buddy really weighs. The puppy trainer indicated that he needs more bulk.

The actual reason for going to Janesville was to start Buddy's stay at the puppy trainer's home. His four day "Spring Break" experience will include living with two other dogs, two kids, training classes, and one-on-one training with a professional dog trainer. Like most vacations he should come back on Tuesday needing a rest.


The best way to get a puppy is to beg for a baby brother - and they'll settle for a puppy every time. -Winston Pendelton

Recovery

:-) Dually has recovered from the complications with his surgery.

Cookie

Buddy's favorite word is "Cookie".


I talk to him when I'm lonesome like; and I'm sure he understands. When he looks at me so attentively, and gently licks my hands; then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes, but I never say naught thereat. For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes, but never a friend like that. -W. Dayton Wedgefarth

Snow Gone

Buddy's afternoon was full of shopping. Hardware store, department store, and another hardware store. As usual we met an interested person - a potential puppy raiser. Her niece raises service puppies in Indiana, so we explained the program and provided her with OccuPaws literature. Since Lisa had a service dog, the attendant at one of the hardware stores thought she was in need of assistance, so he was very helpful.

With the warmer weather there are more distractions out and about so we walked to a restaurant for our dinner. We passed kids on bikes, families playing basketball, and the most distracting little girls' screams.

On the way home we noted that one of us is really going to miss the snow. Buddy has grown accustomed to climbing on the snow piles to go potty. Coming home after dinner, he kept searching for the appropriate snow pile. He doesn't like the dirty ones or the icy ones or the short ones or the ones his feet sink into. He was crying because he needed to go potty , but couldn't find the right snow bank. He will need to adjust quickly to the snow being gone.


I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. -Gilda Radner

Broken

I wasn't going to be writing anything this evening. We were just having a quiet night at home. Tossing a few toys for Buddy to fetch and then watching television while he chewed on some of his toys.

Then all of a sudden Buddy bolts out of the room with the door from the entertainment center following him. It was attached to the ring on his collar, he panicked, and ripped the door completely off. They narrowly missed the glass hutch. About ten yards from where they started the door unlodged from his collar and fell to the floor. Buddy kept on going.

First, we needed to make sure Buddy was alright, which he was. Secondly and quickly, we needed to make sure that this episode wouldn't traumatize him, so we immediately returned to the site with Buddy, offering encouragement (not comfort). He came in a little fearful, but was calm. Shortly after his return we were playing and I would toss the toy right next to the entertainment center where he retrieved it without hesitation.


Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window. -Steve Bluestone

Jackpot?

Throughout the day on Saturday, we walked around the other booths to work the crowd (and work Buddy in the crowd). We must have added 100 people to Buddy's list of 'meet and greet's. Everyone from security, Lions, custodial staff, restaurant staff, to young children. We even met some of the teenagers that Dually and Heidi go to school with. The people ranged in age from 14 months to 80 years old.

He was exposed to wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, and drink carts as we walked through the convention center and casino. I thought the biggest test for Buddy would be the casino. He did well walking over grates on the floor and being distracted by the crowd, lights, buzzers, and yelling. We even stopped to play a slot machine. Buddy just sat down by my feet. He is a lucky charm, not at the casino though - no financial jackpot.

Nothing in the casino seemed to phase him. The biggest distraction turned out to be Dale. We exited the dining room a little before Dale/Nikki and waited by the elevator. Buddy must have a short memory because when he saw Dale walking toward us, it was the most excited he had been all day.

Right after that we met the nicest family with four or five young children who loved the dogs. Since the dogs were providing kisses, one boy had to return the favor and give everyone of us a kiss and hug - personal jackpot. Buddy is a lucky charm. Training a guide dog puppy opens up a whole new world, break down barriers, and provides new opportunities.



My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. -Author Unknown

Big Week

Buddy's leash broke yesterday. We got up early (5:30), so I didn't think we would see any other dogs and I didn't put he pinch collar on. Well there was another dog and we ended up breaking the leash while giving a correction. We had to invert the leash through the handle for the walk back home.

It's not as bad as it sounds. The leash was very old (Bo's) and cheap, the metal just fatigues over time. Last I week wrote about the subtle corrections, well your corrections are a lot more subtle with the pinch collar than the flat collar.

A trip to the pet store was needed today to replace the leash and a good opportunity to check Buddy's weight. Nikki thought he looked good yesterday, maybe 2-3 pounds light. He weighed in at 62.5 pounds today, about 2-3 pounds short of our goal. That's two and a half pounds more than last Saturday - a big week for Buddy.


We were looking for a soft sided crate that we could use for Buddy to sleep in when we are in Denver. Nikki purchased one for OccuPaws and Buddy had to try it out. It looks like it's comfortable :-)


To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs. -Aldous Huxley

Day with Dale

Buddy spent the day with Dale at Ho Chunk Casino and Convention Center. We attended the District D1 Convention of the Wisconsin Lions being held at the casino. For those of you that don't know Dale, he is the first guide dog trained by OccuPaws.

We met up with Dale at 8 o'clock with the usual exchange of sniffs and playful bites. After preparations were completed, the welcoming committee (Buddy and Dale) was used to attract Lions, Lionesses, and Leos (young Lions) to the booth. Dale and Buddy received pats on the head, belly rubs in exchange for their kisses and handshakes while Nikki and the rest of the group explained our mission and answered questions.

After lunch Buddy was very tired, until we were introduced to Weilly's younger brother, "Chump", who Doug was babysitting. Puppies always draw the most attention and Chump received his share from the Lions and from Buddy. The two of them were quite the sight, wrestling and nipping each other to the delight of onlookers.

The first opportunity that Buddy had to perform in front of the "boss", he did excellent. After a very long day, we packed up and headed home. Buddy ate his dinner, rested, took a short walk, and went to bed.

... and got into the garbage again looking for more chicken bones. This time I caught him in the act, so hopefully the correction was sufficient.


Happiness is a warm puppy. - Charles M. Schulz

Ice!

Our training on walks may be a little confusing to Buddy. With all the ice that we have, I will occasionally slip on the ice and regain my balance after flailing my arms about. Well, when that happens I end up pulling the leash and pinching Buddy. He receives a correction for no good reason and he looks up startled as if to ask "What did I do this time?"

Through these episodes and making him walk behind me as we walk around puddles of water or ice patches, Buddy has been trained to walk around puddles and ice. I am not sure that this is good for a guide dog. He will avoid the hazard and lead the blind person right through it.


I wonder what goes through his mind when he sees us peeing in his water bowl. -Penny Ward Moser

Yummy

The broasted chicken from the grocery store was just too irresistible for Buddy. The morning after he found we had eaten our share, he found the bones in the garbage and devoured them. Our initial concern was the bones splintering and causing problems or digestive issues. Fortunately he seems fine.

This is the second time in a week that we have found evidence of Buddy patrolling the garbage. We are not sure how he got into the pantry. The sliding door is usually closed, but can't be locked. So he probably had to push it open.


The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. -Ambrose Bierce

Flat Collar

Yesterday, Buddy went to the grocery store with only the flat collar. As we have mentioned before he gets really bored in the grocery store. This time he managed to stay alert because we picked up some chicken from the deli before we started shopping. That held his interest; occasionally his nose would be working overtime as he tried to figure out why the smell was always in front of him.

The collar was sufficient in stores and on walks unless we passed or spotted other dogs. I tried to loop the leash to simulate a choke chain, but that wasn't enough. The experiment identified our/his area of improvement.

This evening on our walk, we reinstituted the pinch collar. We walked with a pack of familiar dogs for about one and a half hours and worked on remaining calm and projecting calm submissive energy. After reading Cesar Millan's book ("Be the Pack Leader"), I think that Buddy might have been "attacked" so often because of the energy he was projecting.


Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend. ~Corey Ford

Break

Buddy is on vacation for a few days - from his pinch collar. He will continue his normal routine of walks and outings, but I have been working him without the pinch collar.

There are two reasons for this. The first is that Buddy has gained weight and we think the pinch collar is too small so we are ordering some additional links to lengthen the collar. The real reason is that Buddy should be able to respond to subtle corrections and voice commands.

Since the weather was so nice today we ended up taking three nice walks and Buddy did well on only the flat buckle collar. We will see how he responds on some outings the next few days. He also spent some time chasing his plastic ball and snow balls through the yard as I cleared the ice away.


If you get to thinking you're a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around. ~Will Rogers

Another Dog

We got a late start this morning - recovering from a cold. Out for a long walk this morning and a short walk before our outings this afternoon.

First we stopped at the pet store to pick up a bag of biscuits and weigh Buddy for the monthly progress report. He has gained three pounds since two weeks ago (60 pounds now). It's also a good opportunity to work on human/canine distractions and socialization. Buddy met a little chihuahua and we let them frolic for ten minutes. The kids with the chihuahua thought that they were "best friends that just met." Buddy was very clam and gentle with the little dog.

After some gift shopping, we headed to the mall for more human distractions. Walking the mall, Buddy seems really bored. Kids yelling and screaming don't even phase him. I thought the biggest distraction would be the food court with its mine field of tempting treats. However, today we met not one but two other service dogs. Initially when Buddy saw the dog(s) he sprang to attention and I considered avoidance to be the plan. I didn't want to distract the other dogs, however, I relented and walked Buddy past the dog. The "real" service dog didn't even flinch and Buddy walked past without incident with a lot of verbal coaching.