Raising A Miracle: Year of the Dog

Just thinking back to way back when...

2009-05-29T20:17:00.001-07:00

I just watched the movie "Marley and Me" and it made me remember all of my good times with Tyanna. I miss that girl so much, especially on days like these. I'm so so so proud of my baby girl :). I can't wait to raise again and experience the pure awesome-ness and joy these dogs bring to life!

HAPPY SECOND BIRTHDAY TYANNA!

2009-04-19T14:07:00.001-07:00

Today is Ty's second birthday! Jackson's mom said he and his sister have been counting down the days. I sent a package in the mail with two of Tyanna's favorite things for her second birthday: a sterilized bone and liver treats.

Happy birthday, baby girl!!

Here are some pictures Jackson's mom sent me a while ago (click on them to see the full image - i'm not sure why they aren't working):

The first picture makes me laugh because I have about 15 pictures of the exact same thing. The second photo is Jackson's younger sister who absolutely adores Ty! It looks like she got a new pink collar :).

Thank you card from Jackson and his sister

2009-03-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Today in the mail I got thank you cards from Jackson and his sister! I scanned in Jackson's so you guys could see his great artwork and thoughtful words. I was tearing up reading them in the middle of my student center. DEFINITELY made my day :).

In case you can't read it, it says:

Dear Maddie,
Thank you for giving me Ty. She is a good dog. You are nice. You are cute (haha). You are my friend.

Love,
Jackson

:)

GRADUATION!

2009-02-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

**i'm having issues with the pictures. click on them and you can view them in a new window**

I'm sorry this post is so overdue! School has been keeping me quite busy and midterms start next week, so I thought I would write this before all my exams began!

Graduation was AMAZING! Getting there was quite interesting: Train from school to home. Car from home to CCI. Car from CCI to home. Plane from home to school. Phew. It was an exhausting weekend, but definitely worth every second!

When we first arrived, the instructors told us to make sure we try to avoid the dogs we raised until it was the proper time to see them. My parents and I were waiting in the lobby and right when I saw Ty I knew it was her. We hid around the corner until her trainer took her from her new family and brought her into a separate room. It was so cool seeing her walk in with her blue vest on and her new family by her side. She looked so happy and just like the same baby I had raised (no, she hasn't grow a bit! Still hovering just above 50lbs). After all the dogs were there, the instructors let us into the room. All the dogs were in a down-stay...a cute mushy pile of heroes! Then one-by-one the dogs were passed out to their raisers. Tyanna who is SUCH a mellow girl got as excited as she does when she saw me :). It was so nice to have her back in my arms. She smelled the same, felt the same, had the same looks, mannerisms, everything! She has matured, but over all she was exactly how I remember her. I will admit, after being away from puppy raising for 6 months and not having a dog next to me at all times, it was weird to look down and see her staring back...but I LOVED it.

After the reunion, I took her outside to "hurry" and then we took some pictures....and she definitely still has a huge disliking for having her picture taken. Whenever she sees the red auto-focus light go on she turns her head. It's funny at first then just plain annoying! Between her hating pictures and the reflective strip on her vest and the inability to use flash in many places (flashes can cause a strobe affect which affects children with autism), the pictures aren't that great.

What made me laugh was when I got on the ground she just plopped herself in my lap like she always used to. It was so funny to see her do the things I have missed so so so so much.

After the pictures my family had lunch with Ty's new family. They are absolutely amazing! Their family is everything I ever hoped and prayed for. I'm so excited for Tyanna to start her new journey with them! I gave Tyanna's new partner (Jackson) the picture book I made him and he and his sister loved all the 'baby Tyanna' pictures!

After lunch was time for the ceremony. As always, it was absolutely incredible. I met up with Kara and her SD Jen II. They came home from college just to be at graduation with me! It meant so much! We had a great time crying and laughing together as the dogs were presented. Going on stage and handing over the leash was incredible. It was very emotional to have to say goodbye to the baby once more, but this was definitely a happy goodbye. I will keep you guys updated as I do...so check back every now and then!

As you can see, Jackson's younger sister adores TY! She loves to practice the "shake" command :).

I want to thank everyone who has been reading and contributing to this blog over the past 20 months. You all provided such a network of support, advice, and encouragement. I couldn't have done it without you all! Once I'm out of school, I will definitely be back to raising...so look out! I'll be sure to keep tabs on your blogs and puppies until then!

graduation post coming soon!

2009-02-16T10:53:00.001-08:00

...as soon as my econ test is taken!

SHE HAS MADE A MATCH!

2009-02-05T22:25:00.001-08:00

Tonya from NCR called today and said Ty has made a match! I am not allowed to give any specific details yet because anything can change at any time. :( However, I can tell you that she is currently placed as an ambulatory skilled companion. I can't wait for next saturday!!!! Yay for a Valentines graduation!

a little bit more detail

2009-01-29T16:20:00.000-08:00

I talked to Ty's trainer today and I got a few more details about her class, the expectations, schedule, etc.

There are 15 dogs going into this Team Training. The on-site class will consist of the 'regular' skilled companions and service dogs and the off-site class will be the ambulatory skilled companion dogs. The trainers are hoping to place Ty in the off-site class. The individuals in that class are kids with developmental disabilities and autism and a facilitator (usually a parent). In addition to the 'regular' set of commands, these dogs have also learned the "nudge" command. This is used to help focus the kids and break repetitive habits. Both of these classes will graduate together at the graduation/matriculation ceremony on Valentines day. Tony said that the latest they would be calling the PRs would be Friday, but she's pretty sure that she will be able to get a call to us on Thursday around 4pm. This is going to be a long week of waiting!!

"THE CALL"

2009-01-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I have exciting news!

Tonya (Tyanna's trainer) called today. She called the house, and my mom wasn't home to pick up, so she left a message. Unfortunately, due to weather in Ohio she was out of the office so I can't call her for more details until tomorrow after 4pm. However, she did leave me with some exciting news (although not a lot of details). She confirmed that Tyanna will be entering the February Team Training Class (which begins Feb. 2). Tonya said that they are looking at numerous possibilities for her, but are hoping to place her as an ambulatory skilled companion (i will explain that in more detail after I talk to tonya tomorrow) in the off-site class. They are running two classes this february: one at the CCI campus, and the other at an off-site location just for space's sake. Both classes graduate on Valentines day :). If she is placed in the on-site class i will know feb 4th. if she's matched in the off-site class i will know the 6th. if i don't get a call those days then she is either being released or being held until the may TT because she didn't make a match.

i will give you an update after i talk to tonya tomorrow!!

keep your finger crossed!!

here is a video that i love of cole and ilia, his skilled companion dog.

The countdown is in the single digits...

2009-01-19T17:58:00.000-08:00

I'm working on not getting my hopes up - but there are many "housekeeping" things that need to be done in case that day comes. The biggest of them all (above the bus tickets, missing school, etc) is putting together a scrapbook of Tyanna's growing up. This is where I am turning to you guys - the network of puppy raising friends that know what it's like and how it feels - something that my parents and close friends can't identify with. I'm having trouble putting this book together on many levels. Any ideas where to being [or end]?

Actually, any ideas would be welcome. :) Thanks so much for your support. Let's still keep our fingers crossed!

wow, i can't believe how fast time flies.

2009-01-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

tyanna has exactly TWO weeks left in training. no matter what happens, i'm so so so so so proud she has made it this far!!

20 days and counting

2009-01-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

if tyanna can make it through these next 20 days she will be graduating! keep your fingers crossed!

DECEMBER!

2008-12-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

WOO! She's made it this far! Only ONE more month to go! Hang in there Tyanna!!

The next report will be a phone call no matter what - either telling us she is being released, or she will be graduating. This is so nerve-wracking! I am actually very surprised she has made it this far, only because I kept telling myself not to get my hopes up knowing the slim chances of reaching graduation, but she's so close! The report was overall pretty good, there are still a few behaviors they are keeping an eye one. Her trainer reported a significant decrease in her "bone sharing issues".

Keep your fingers crossed!!!

I miss her watching me...

November Report!

2008-11-19T16:09:00.000-08:00

I just got Tyanna's November report. There are many more positive elements, which I'm very excited for! They have her working on behaviors with wheel chairs now. She is currently classified as "second semester" meaning she has made it half way!! Her instructor noted that she has been seen growling at dogs trying to take bones from her, which is bad. On a positive note, she responded to the corrections. CCI thinks it has to do with reorganizing the pack because a whole new string of dogs just arrived in the kennels this month. Hopefully that improves. It's something that I have NEVER seen her do before, so that was definitely a shock. I'm really hoping she cleans up her behavior...quickly!

A picture of her as a puppy was featured in the CCI North Central Region Newsletter with an article called "The Cuteness Factor." I took the picture on Photobooth through my computer, so it's backwards. But you get the idea. :)

Tyanna's Third Report

2008-10-30T10:43:00.001-07:00

I got the e-mail with her report attached early this morning. The only thing that has changed is her breeder status...she was spayed. I am completely fine with this decision - I never really saw her as a breeder, and didn't have my heart set on it. As far as the report goes, nothing has really changed. She is still showing signs of dog distraction, and has started licking her handlers. The report this month was really slim because of Team Training, so there isn't too much to say! Hopefully these issues can be figured out! Her trainer said that Ty is making improvements in all of her "downfalls", so it's still a waiting game!

No Report Today!

2008-10-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to get Tyanna's second monthly report today, but nothing came! It's Team Training Week, so all the trainers are SUPER busy making perfect matches and working with the graduates, so everyone is probably a bit behind on their paper work!

I will let you all know as soon as I get it!

Taken From Colby Akins (CCI PR)

2008-10-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

On her thoughts about turning in a CCI puppy:

"...it is entirely possible to leave a small piece of your heart in an entirely different state miles and miles away. But the wonderful thing about leaving that piece of your heart is that you know it's out there somewhere, spreading your love and passion somewhere that you physically aren't able to reach."

I couldn't agree more.

Second Update

2008-09-30T18:28:00.001-07:00

Tyanna's second update arrived in my inbox last Wed, and I have finally had time to share it with you!

Overall, the report was mediocre. They reported about her dog distraction (which we all knew about), but said that it has been improving over the past month. I think the kennel stress is getting to her because they noted some behaviors that I have never seen her display. I am hoping that she will adjust and let herself shine :). She passed all of her medical exams, and is still a potential breeder, so we will see! The reports aren't very detailed, and they note more of the bad than the good, so I'm really not going to let it bother me, especially because dog distraction was something I had been working on with her since the first day home. She's just a social butterfly...

Hope all the training is going well! Enjoy your pups!

Turn-in post/First Tyanna Update!

2008-08-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! So I finally have a few moments to sit down and write!

Turn-in was AMAZING. The graduation ceremony had me bawling more than the matriculating portion to the ceremony. When we first walked into the building and saw all the CCI capes, I felt so reassured that I had done an amazing thing for this small (but so important) community of CCI. 2 minutes into the ceremony I was already bawling. By the time they called our names to the stage/showed the slideshow video, I was gone. I recovered myself in time to see the graduates take the stage, but then I REALLY lost it. I never knew I had that many tears inside of me!

After the ceremony there was a greet and meet room with food, CCI gear, and lots of people and puppies! I met up with Kara and Jen II, and found Tucker, Tyanna's brother! He is SO SO much bigger than her! It's crazy!! He made my 52lb baby look like well, a baby! It was interesting to see how they interacted - I feel like they knew who each other was.

After eating a bit and chatting, we went out in front to take some pictures, then headed over to the kennels to say goodbye. We took a few more pictures in front of a CCI sign, then went inside. I met with her trainer and answered some last minute questions about her, took off her vest, GL, and collar (that was the hardest part), said goodbye, then gave her the command to enter her kennel.

Closing the door was the worst. But, she soon met her roommate Wyatta and forgot all about me :). I then finished up talking with the trainer, and said my final goodbyes. Walking out of that room was incredibly hard. I just wanted to keep turning for one more glance.

Yesterday, I got Tyanna's first update. The first and last always come by a phone call. My parents and I had agreed earlier that all updates/news would go to them first because I don't want to get horrible news right before walking in to a huge final exam or anything of that nature. So, to say the least, I got a brief overcap from my mom about what was going on, and I have to call back after noon today to get the bigger picture, and the trainer has a few questions for me.

Overall, the report went well. They said that her class of dogs is one of the hardest that they have seen in the past 8 years, and they have already released a good number of them (hang in there Ty!). They were EXTREMELY impressed with her behavior around food (they dropped it all around her and she didn't even look), as well as her behavior in the pet store. At the park she was a bit too sniffy, and on the playground she was hesitant with the stairs. This worries me because I walked a jungle gym with her at least twice a week, so I hope that kennel stress isn't building up in her. That's just about all I know for now...I will give another update after the call today!

ps - she is still on breeder watch!!!

I Know, I Know...

2008-08-20T12:28:00.001-07:00

I'm not forgetting about the official goodbye post. College has got me busier than an entire swarm of bees. I leave tomorrow! So if I don't get the post in tonight, it will be coming from my new dorm room!

I'm still missing my baby tons, but time has definitely helped to heal the wound. Thank you so much for all your support. There is nothing like the words from a fellow puppy raiser because you guys "just understand".

Saying Goodbye

2008-08-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

I think I have put off writing this post as long as possible. i leave for college on Thursday and I know I will be incredibly busy until then. To put it bluntly, I miss my baby SO SO SO much. I have such a heavy heart right now. I'm feeling completely shelfish about the way I feel, but for some reason I forgot how much it hurts to say goodbye. I emptied the house of all her stuff because I couldn't stand looking at it. The things that are sentimental I kept, but stuck them in a drawer out of sight. I barely made it through one of my favorite stores today that I used to bring her to. I'm not used to being alone like this, as weird as it seems. She's always just been there. I know the first few days are the hardest (especially when I don't have a new puppy to distract me), so I'm hoping that every morning I will feel a bit better.

I get my first update on her progress August 27th. She is still a potential breeder, so her first few weeks in the kennels will be breeder evaluation stuff. I'm anxious to see how it goes! I will post pictures of the big day soon, it's still hard to look at all of them.

These past 14 months have been an absolute blessing. I couldn't imagine spending them any other way. I will love you forever Ty baby.

Expect a real "goodbye" post soon.

Packing Up

2008-08-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

I thought I would drop a quick note before we start packing up the car for the drive to Ohio. We will be driving half way there, sleeping in a hotel, then driving the rest in the morning.

I just wanted to thank everyone has has helped me over the past 14 months - you guys were great with any questions or concerns I have had. I REALLY appreciate it. I will post as soon as I can with pictures and stories from turn-in. Keep us in you thoughts! I will be thinking about all of the "blogger" turn-ins tomorrow!

The End Is Close...Too Close

2008-08-13T20:26:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I only have 2 more full days left with my baby. It's scary to think how fast these past 14 months have flown by! It's just something I cannot seem to get my mind around.

On Tuesday Tyanna and I were photographed by a professional photographer. It also happens that he is a yearly donor to CCI's annual Chicagoland fundraiser called "Day at the Races". He takes some excellent photos of pets and their people. Check his work out at www.suttonstudios.com. On the left hand side of the page there are options for "People & Their Pets". I will get to see the photographs this Friday, and choose which ones I would like printed. Yay!! I can't wait!

Waiting for the photographer.

"Sharing" the back seat of the car.

Today was a busy day for Tyanna because she got to help me get some stuff for college. This meant consecutive trips to Costco, The Container Store, the mall, Walgreens, and Target. She did fabulous and I couldn't have been more proud of my girl!

Other than getting ready for our next adventures, we have just been hanging around enjoying each other. Monday was my last day at PetSmart for the summer. Now that my days are more free we've been having a blast. Enjoy your puppies!

Is it just me?

2008-08-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

It seems like everyone is turning in puppies on August 16th!

Time flies when you are having fun...

2008-08-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

...and that's exactly what we have been doing. Eight days left and no regrets.

The past month has been a busy one. I have been averaging about 37 hours/week at Petsmart. Pile on top of that friends, family, babysitting, and of course Tyanna, and you get one busy college bound teen! The past month has been full of adventures and new experiences. She got EXCELLENT reports from a couple puppy sitters which has definitely put my nerves to rest a little. Yesterday my friend and I when on a 5 hour shopping trip in the very urban town of Evanston and Tyanna did FABULOUS. I was very impressed with her! She is definitely ready to go back which is completely bittersweet. Although, as sad as it is to say goodbye, at the same time it is SO exciting to see what path they choose in life. I know that no matter what Tyanna chooses, she will make somebody EXTREMELY happy. :)

I also haven't been taking many pictures recently which is really sad. We have just been so so so busy. I never thought summer could get like this! I will try to update a bit more frequently up until "the day" (August 16) with more pictures and the goin-ons. My last day of work for the summer is the 12th, so I will have a few full days with the baby.

We will be making the trip to CCI the morning of the 16th (bright and early!). Coming with me will be my parents and best friend who has been there from the start, literally. She was there when I picked her up at the airport over a year ago. It just seems full circle. Plus, Tyanna has become a huge part of her life, so it's only fair that she tags along. :)

The pictures in this post were all taken yesterday in Evanston. Enjoy! Happy training everyone! I know there are a few puppies out there who are turning in soon (even some that are turning in the same day as Ty)...good luck to those puppies. You are all OUTSTANDING!

A Picture Fix For Now...

2008-08-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

Stay tuned

2008-08-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

Update arriving shortly!

The Promised Picture Post

2008-06-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

June 19th was our first anniversary together! It was on that date a year ago that I was driving up to the Milwaukee Airport to pick up my new baby! It is crazy to see how far we have both come in the past 365 days. Now, we are left with 52 days together!

Besides the normal errands and outings with friends, we haven't been up to much lately. We spent the last week camping with TONS of friends. That was a blast and Tyanna discovered how much she likes swimming. Sadly I didn't get any pictures!

I was talking with one of the trainers and PetsMart about Ty and her commands and she invited me to come in for a free evaluation! I figure that PetsMart may not have the BEST trainers out there, but it never hurts to have another set of eyes on you and your pup while you are working...especially so soon to turn-in!

Lastly, here are the pictures:

New Job = Busy!

2008-06-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

I have officially finished 2 days of work at my new job...PetsMart! I am hoping that I will be able to bring Tyanna with me in the future, but for now I am happy without her...I couldn't imagine learning all that I have to while watching her! I'm picking up on everything pretty quickly, so hopefully the day when she can come will be here soon. I am also working another part-time job (only thursdays and fridays) at the Center for Ethics and Advocacy. I'm not sure if Ty will be able to come with me there. We shall see.

I'm about to run out the door, but I will post pictures soon!

Seventy-Five

2008-06-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

I have 75 days left with my baby. Time flies! Before I know it summer will be coming to a close and it will be time to say goodbye.

On a happier note, Tyanna and I have been relatively busy and lazy at the same time. We had a few busy days, and since then Ty's life has been pretty bland with all my graduation and end of school stuff. Her life should start to pick up again after Thursday (graduation!).

We had a memorable trip to the mall the other day. There is an interesting playground that I thought would be good for some surface practice, so I decided to walk Tyanna through. There were hills, and I decided to make her stop and do a fit sits and downs just for good practice on a new surface. Well, as soon as we hit our first down we were SWARMED with children. To be exact, they were ADORABLE Asian children whose parents began to whip out their cell phones and take MANY MANY pictures of their kids with "the dog". Unfortunately they were speaking in a much cooler dialect than boring English so I didn't get much of what they were saying...but by the looks of it they were sending quite a few cute pictures to family and friends! I didn't have my camera with me, so my friend and I took out our phones and snapped a few pictures too!

These pictures only show a portion of the children. At one point I think there were 7 petting her at once. Tyanna did fabulous with this onslaught of young people. There was a little girl who was literally kneading Ty's back leg, one boy looking in her ears, and another girl playing with her vest. My baby didn't budge! She was able to sneak a few kisses behind my back though...but who can blame her?

We also had some fun on Memorial Day. We missed the parade but we made the closing ceremony. It was great crowd exposure, but unfortunately it was also the first HOT day of summer so Ty was a bit out of it.

Practicing her "up" command on some old battle artillery.

In other news, I have switched her food to Blue. For the past few weeks she has completely stopped eating her Eukanuba. I didn't want to give in because I thought that maybe she was just being stubborn, but after two weeks of barely eating I switched her food. We are still in the process of "phasing out" the old, but she is eating full meals now. This is also a higher quality food, so the switch isn't a bad one!

Hope everyone is enjoying their puppies and SUMMER!

Surprise in the mail!

2008-05-20T14:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I received a very special surprise mailing! A friend of Tyanna's breeder/caretaker sent me the collar that she wore as a baby. Her BC stitched the name of each puppy into the collar. She has been meaning to send them out for awhile now, and she finally had the time to do it! CCI records birth order by means of color - Ty was the purple puppy. Ironically, she has been wearing a purple collar for quite awhile now! Below are pictures of the collar - the first is the puppy collar with her current one, and the second is an up close view of the stitching.

Woo!

2008-05-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Before I head out for a night of fun, I decided I would force myself to sit down and write an entry. Granted, I can't remember much that went on during that past week or so, but I will try to fill you all in! Because school has been hectic (3 days left as a high schooler!), I haven't had much time to do any fun stuff with Tyanna. I am in the process of planning a trip to the Aquarium though, so that should be fun!

Recently I have switched her back to working on the gentle leader. I was able to curve her dog distraction using the prong and choke collars, and now we're back to walking nicely on a GL. We have also been practicing a lot of "appropriate greetings" with adults. She does great with little kids and teens, but for some reason, she gets SO wiggly with adults!

I am also working on her "car" command. When going into a front or back seat she does fine, but she hates to jump into a trunk or out of a trunk. It's not that she's afraid of the trunk itself, but she never thinks she can make the jump.

Looking at my iPhoto, I realize that I only have pictures from two events. The first was our trip to Claire's when my friend got a double piercing. Like most other young girls, Tyanna is a big fan of Hannah Montana, so I quickly snapped this photo.

Last night was the art fair at my high school. Ty did a wonderful job being a well-behaved puppy in training. She was great with the crowds, food, and artwork. We even had our photo taken by a professional photographer for the school...we'll see where it ends up!

Until summer officially arrives, updates will be sporadic, and life for Tyanna will be quite bland. I'll keep you in the loop!

Still alive!

2008-05-11T19:00:00.001-07:00

I know I've been lacking in the posting right now! I just finished all my AP tests last week, so hopefully that will free up some time! Senior year is coming to a close, so I am busy busy busy. Expect a real update soon!

School!

2008-04-29T14:40:00.001-07:00

Tuesday was Ty's first experience at school. She came with me to my first period class, then we did a small presentation second period, then my mom came to pick her up. Overall, she did VERY well! She was a little restless during class, but I later found out that she really had to go to the bathroom, so I understand why...no accidents though!! The students were also really good about the whole petting thing, so that was a relief! Hopefully she will be coming back soon! The school loved her!

Hmm..blogger is not behaving and won't let me upload any pictures! I will get them up asap!

We're here, and we have an update!

2008-04-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, I have had a horribly busy week. Sunday night my aunt passed, so we sent Ty to the kennel from Tuesday-Friday so we wouldn't have to worry about her while doing all of the funeral "stuff". I haven't taken many pictures recently, so I pulled up a few old ones to share. They are all from the past few months.

Recently I have started to take Ty with me to Church. She has done extremely well, and has gotten plenty of compliments! Right now we are sticking to the less-crowded masses until she figures out the routine. She mostly just sleeps for the hour, but will wake up when we sit/stand...whenever I stand up she looks at me like she's asking "Where are we going? Should I get up to?!" We also have to work out a few kinks the in the getting Communion aspect..she always seems to like to stretch in the aisle....we will work on that!

We have also just received permission for her to start coming to school with me! My social justice teacher invited her to our class to show an example for the other students about volunteerism and "making a difference". So for now she is only going to be coming to 1 class with me, then going home with my mom. But I have a feeling that after the teachers get to know her they will want her too :).

Today we went to a crew regatta. I was the varsity coxswain on my high school's rowing team for the past three years, but this year I decided not to take part because of my surgeries and raising Ty. Today there was a regatta not too far from my house (they are usually in other states) so we went and hung out there for about 4 hours. It was really fun and a great socialization opportunity. LOTS of dogs, and LOTS of people! Overall she did pretty well, she wasn't the best walker, but she did better than most the other dogs that were there! The team fell in love with her, and I got some of the parents interested in puppy raising, so that's always great!

Okay, for the last part of my update I have a cute story. After Church last weekend I was about to walk out the door when a little girl stopped me to pet Ty. There weren't many people around, and Tyanna was behaving, so I let the girl pet her. She asked me where I got her from, and I explained to her that she came from "special people who use these dogs to help people"...but she insisted on knowing exactly WHERE I got her from. After a bit, she finally stood up and said: "Well, I got mine from Canine Assitance, and I just want to know where you got yours!". Her dad came over and told me that she has an assistance dog to help her with her epilepsy. I'm not sure why they didn't have the dog with them, but they said that he has public access and goes everywhere! Maybe I will run into them another time! Moreover, I was super impressed with Ty because the girl was sticking her fingers in her mouth and pulling her ears, and my puppy did wonderfully!!

Sorry for the long update!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2008-04-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY TYANNA!!

MOM, no more pictures!

2008-04-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

Beach Recall

2008-04-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

Today Ty and I ventured to the beach to practice some recalls. She did pretty well, the hardest part was getting her to hear me over the loud waves. After she heard me she would come running, but it took a pretty loud voice :). Once we got away from the crashing waves it was much better, and she responded well!

Therapy dog for a weekend (well, kinda)

2008-04-07T16:35:00.001-07:00

My aunt is very sick with a rare form of cancer so we went down to visit her in Michigan this past weekend. I was a bit nervous brining Tyanna into the hospital (I knew we would be in the room for a long time), but she did fabulous! All of the nurses loved her, and she took a few long snoozes under my chair. She went Saturday and Sunday and did great both days. It was nice to not have to worry about her while everything else was going on.

The staff absolutely adored her. Many of them asked me if she was the "house therapy dog". I'm glad that they thought she was well behaved enough to be certified :). I couldn't be more proud of my girl. She did such a great job and I never doubted her performance. It was SO nice to have her with me during this hard time, and did a great job bringing smiles to many sad faces.

What puppy?

2008-04-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

It seems that I no longer have a puppy on the end of my leash....I have a mature, well-mannered DOG! When did this happen?

Needless to say, Ty will be ONE (!) in 17 days, and I couldn't be more proud of her. She has learned SO much, including 29 of the 30 required commands, and is well on her way towards her turn-in date. As I am making all of my college plans, I cannot help but think of Tyanna's next journey to CCI college and what the future holds for her. There is no doubt in my mind that she will make somebody very happy, whether she graduates or not. I am so lucky to have her in my life.

It's nice to be leash in hand again...

2008-03-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

Side Note: This was supposed to be posted yesterday, so all of the "todays" refer to yesterday, Sunday.

This weekend was a very fun, and exciting for both Tyanna and I. Saturday morning she was at home with my parents, but Saturday afternoon lent itself to a first: rollerblading! I live near the train tracks, and all along the tracks is a paved bike path called the Green Bay Trail. Luckily, Tyanna practiced very pristine leash behavior and there were no problems! We went with my friend who also likes to rollerblade, and between the three of us, we got some great looks from passerbys :). Tyanna also proved to me on this little adventure how much she has improved her dog distraction. I saw a golden retriever coming up, so we went on the side of the path and I put her in a stay just in case she decided to pull. Needless to say, she remained sitting, gave some great eye contact, and with the exuberant golden got near (and actually started licking her face), she didn't move a muscle!!!!! I was so EXCITED!! She also did wonderful with all the bikers and big loud trains passing!

Her cape "issues" have also improved a ton. I decided to try the next size up on her (a large) to see if she had grown into it yet. The large is still a bit to big, but she takes to it a whole lot better so I'm thinking that the medium was too small and must've been rubbing or hitting her somewhere that she didn't like. So I guess that I'll keep her in the large even though she looks a little silly. It's not too bad though (she's wearing the L in all the pictures).

Today we went to Target and practiced lots. There must've been some unattended wild child in the store because there were crushed cheetos everywhere we went! Luckily for me, Tyanna has an EXTREMELY low food distraction and she walked over them without even noticing. We also practiced some "unders" and I put her under a table with crushed cheetos, straws, and ketchup packets (she didn't get any food on her), and ignored it all!

Tonight for dinner she went with me to a small restaurant in town. Luckily, we got a corner seat so I just let her sleep in the corner and didn't make her squeeze under the table or chair. She took a nice snooze for the 2.5 hour meal, and didn't even wake when two pieces of chicken fell on her leg :).

Now she is home and resting! I have been letting her sleep next to my bed on a tie-down lately because she has reached the age allowed for this. So far, no problems! It's nice to wake up to your puppy :). Woo! Long post...again!

One more thing: Today my family was putting dishes into the dishwasher and Ty was in the way, so my dad opened the dishwasher door figuring she would move....nope, instead she just laid down flat. Funny girl.

Basking in the Sunlight

2008-03-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't want to be a puppy?

Tyanna is back, and pretty exhausted. She did a lot of traveling and switching yesterday so I definitely understand.

Suzanne called yesterday and told me that Ty had been tested at the vet and she was still in heat. She said that it would still be 100% okay for her to come home, otherwise, I could pick her up next weekend. We have a very ill family member right now, so I told Suzanne that we would stick to the original plan of Tyanna coming home with Madison because we weren't exactly sure if we would be able to make the 6 hour drive down to Ohio the following weekend. Anyways, our only provisions are that she must stay leashed and have no big outings in the next 3 days...after that, we're back to normal!

It was pretty snowy last night driving to South Bend, so both Madison and I were a little late, but it ended up working out just fine! We met in a PetsMart to make the switch. Needless to say, Tyanna was excited to see me, and I was excited to see her! When I first saw her Madison had her in a sit, but once she was released it was wiggly reunion time! She got a great report from both Suzanne and the Warrens, which made me happy :).

After getting kisses from Ty, I gave her to my dad and got to hold Andros, Madison's new puppy! HE IS ADORABLE. I wish I had my camera (I forgot it!!) because this is one of the cutest puppies...EVER. He's gonna be such a handsome boy when he grows up!

Our families chatted a while, took some pictures (which I will post once Madison e-mails them to me), and bought some last minute dog food. It was so cool to meet another raiser my age, and I definitely with that I had more that lived closer to me. Madison and her mom were some of the nicest people, and I hope we will cross paths again!

On our way home we stopped at Panera and Ty nicely stayed under the table. My dad wanted to "test" her, so he dropped a chunk of his sandwich next to her head and she didn't even budge! After a few minutes, she actually turned her head away from it! Good girl!

When we got home, Tyanna knew exactly where she was and started to get super happy. When we got inside she kinda froze, and just looked around. She wasn't quite ready for bed yet, so we practiced a few commands, and you can definitely tell that she stayed with 5 professional trainers for 3 weeks ;). She is still in "adjustment mode" and figuring out her new schedule. It's so nice to have her home!!!!!!!

WOO! That was a long post! Sorry! Congrats to anyone who made it all the way through ;) !

SHE'S BACK!

2008-03-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

My baby is home and doing great! She's still adjusting to being back in the house, doesn't quite understand the whole thing yet! As soon as we got out of the car she knew exactly where we were and just about flipped out. So excited!

There is a bit more to the story, but I will fill you in on all the details tomorrow...I'm exhausted!

Needless to say, the trip was a lot of fun, and meeting Madison was a blast! Andros is ADORABLE...check out her blog for pictures! I will openly admit that he is a cuter puppy than Tyanna was! SUCH a cutie!!!

HORRIBLE commercial.

2008-03-27T00:07:00.000-07:00

While on YouTube I found this commercial "about guide dogs"...but it is anything but that. I was absolutely amazed that a company would run such an ad. I encourage you guys to write to this company (I sure will!) and educate them about raising guide dog puppies and guide dogs in general and how this commercial is NOT comical.

On a lighter note....I PICK UP TYANNA TOMORROW!! I am meeting Madison (who just turned in Conover and will be picking up Andros II) in South Bend to make the exchange...I'm SO excited!!!!

Home Again

2008-03-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

I just got home from an amazing time in California and thought I'd write a quick update.

Ty comes home in FOUR DAYS!!!! YAY!! I can't wait to have my girl back! WOO! I received a quick e-mail from my PPM a few days ago. It wasn't much, she told me that Tyanna adjusted well and she has no concerns about her! YAY!!

Gotta unpack...

Skilled Companion Team Shea and Mercer

2008-03-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3933064n

Sniff, Sniff

2008-03-11T22:35:00.001-07:00

I miss my girl!

On The Road

2008-03-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

Posted from a blackberry...excuse errors.

We just dropped off Tyanna at the NCR kennels. She seemed to adjust well. She will be getting a roomate later in the week which will be good for her. The trainers are going to work with her a little bit each day which will also be good.

I saw Stafford and Conover. I didn't get pictures because Conover was getting groomed and Stafford was practicing down stays. It was a really cool scene-there were about 15 dogs all in down stays waiting their turn to br groomed...this was part of their preliminary testing. Both of your boys looked great!!!!!

I'm already missing my girl...

The plans..

2008-03-06T04:50:00.001-08:00

Alright, Tyanna is scheduled to be at CCI tomorrow, which means I am missing school (yikes!) to accompany my mom down to Ohio. Looking at the calendar, I wont get my baby back until the 26th (aroundish..). This is going to be weird!!!

Madison - I will try to get a picture of Conover for you!

:(

2008-03-05T15:08:00.001-08:00

Our blogger female pups must really be in sync! Tyanna went into heat today...

We are still figuring out our plans to get her down to CCI. I'm going to miss my baby SOOO much!! Three weeks without her!! Well, one of them I'll be in California on spring break, so hopefully that will help ease the pain :).

Does anybody know how regular females are? I know their heat cycles are on a 6-month cycle, but do they stick to that? Ty's turn-in date is exactly 6 months away, and I'm praying she wont be in the kennels...

LOTS of progress

2008-03-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry, no pictures...

After a long conversation with my PPM, she decided that I should try a prong collar with Ty. At first I was very hesitant because Tyanna is so soft, but I decided to at least try one with her at the pet store and see how she reacts. It turns out she's not as soft as a I thought she was! I don't like using the prong, but it has really worked. Tyanna is a brand new dog. The goal is to teach her what behaviors we want with the prong, then wean her off it. Her distractibility wasnt horrible before, but it was something that needed to be fixed. Needless to say, this isn't "the easy way out"...I will still be working with her and continuing our PetsMart sessions weekly. But, so far it has proven to be a good tool.

This weekend has been a busy one for Ty. Yesterday and today she ran a bunch of errands, including some firsts. Yesterday was her first time in a grocery store and today was her first time at The Container Store. She did wonderfully in both! Hopefully I will get some new pictures of her soon to post!!

PetsMart Sessions

2008-02-27T16:26:00.001-08:00

I'm ELATED!!

Let me back up...

For the past few weeks, I have been taking Tyanna to PetsMart on Wed. nights at 5:30. This is when they hold their puppy kindergarten class. No, Tyanna is not in puppy kindergarten...but I have found it a very useful tool when working with her dog distraction! Each Wed. we go and work around the pen where the puppies are...the LOUD, BARKING, WHINING, puppies. The first few weeks were a bit rough, and I was starting to give up hope. Last week was better, and today was FANTASTIC! She was able to walk around the entire pen (on a loose leash) and keep full eye contact! She would even sit when I stopped (this is required for CCI puppies). Because of this success, I decided to work her around the small animals and birds. She also did great! I'm so excited! Things are starting to turn around!

The puppy class was going on behind her...notice the great eye contact!!

Staples Are Out!

2008-02-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

Today Tyanna's staples were removed from her incision. That being said, she has been given a full clearance from the vet to return to her normal lifestyle. The incision still looks a little nasty, but I was told that it would "clean itself up" and turn into a "pretty" scar in no time. That was good news for my stomach...

Ty was a another PRs house from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon. Overall she got a good report: she was excellent with the house cat, settled in well at work, had good house manners, etc etc. The PR did mention things that I already knew about though: she has dog distraction, and a slight adolescent "stubborn side". I've been working really hard with her dog distraction, but have seen little progress. Does anyone have any tips? Tyanna is still putting up a fight about putting on her vest, which part of me thinks may be an adolescent behavior, but it is still something that needs to be fixed.

Today I took Ty on her first trip to Costco. She was at first a little nervous around the huge carts and loud noises, but quickly adjusted. Her people distractibility has improved loads, and she really only loses focus at the people who insist on smooching, whistling, and calling her to come to them. Being a lab, I don't really blame her though. We practiced commands in the aisles of food, and took some time to sit in the demo chairs and watch the carts and people go by. I even let her pick our a new dog bed, which she couldn't wait to use:

The tired pup is currently laying by my feet wrapped up in one of my blankets (that she decided to make her own)...sound asleep.

The Goin-Ons

2008-02-13T14:46:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow Tyanna will be going to another PRs house while I am gone for a few days in Saint Louis. She will be the only dog in the house (her current pup is with another raiser at graduation), so I wont have to worry about her being too wild :) (she is still supposed to be laying-low). She will be accompanying this PR to work on Friday, then doing some obedience work/social stuff with her Saturday and Sunday. This will be a great opportunity for her to experience another handler, something she especially needs right now.

Below is a picture I took last night. The scene is the usual: me doing homework, and the pup sleeping (and me being jealous!). Yet this time she found a pillow that I had left on the floor and decided to make it her own...

Because we wont be here tomorrow to post, here is our early Valentine's Day post with Tyanna sporting her pretty heart-decorated scarf she received at the groomers today:

Ty's recovery has been going excellent! She has all of her energy back, and acts as if nothing happened! We are still waiting on CCI's decision, though.

She's home!

2008-02-08T14:34:00.001-08:00

Disclaimer: Do not look at the pictures if you don't like to see the "med" stuff.

Yes, my baby is finally home...and looking the best that she has in the past 7 days!! She's happily sleeping next to my feet, and couldn't be happier to be back in familiar surroundings. I still can't believe the difference 24 hours can make in her recovery...besides some funny walking and silly shavings, you would never know what she just went through! She greeted me at the door today with a wagging tail (we have a glass screen door and she can see when cars pull up), and has even been going up and down stairs! Perhaps the ONLY good part of this whole ordeal is that Tyanna lost the extra pounds that we were working off, and is back to ideal weight.

I have plans to go out to dinner tonight and out on Sunday, but other than that, I will be home helping her recover. Next Thursday she will be going to another CCI PRs house while I am in Saint Louis for a college interview. She will be the only dog in the house, and the lady she is staying with is a nurse, and has plenty experience with this stuff, so I feel completely confident with Tyanna being with her for a few days. She will even be accompanying this lady to work on Friday, and working on some commands through out the weekend. This will also be a great experience for the adolescent Tyanna who has recently begun to get a little "loose" with other handlers other than myself.

Here are some pictures of her incision:

Just got home

2008-02-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

Pre-Surgical Tyanna

Just got home from visiting Ty. She looks much better, and her incision looks a whole lot less sore. She was definitely more aware, and had LOTS more energy. She was really still for the first hour of visiting, and after a few continuous whimpers, I asked the ICU if I could take her outside. Sure enough, she had to "Hurry" like a mad woman! As soon as we got back inside she was all wiggles and wanted to greet everyone in the lobby. When the ICU nurse (if that's what you call them) came back to get her, she gladly trotted off with a whirlwind tail...so at least I know she likes them :). For now, CCI has big hopes that she will not be released, and after tonight's visit, I have a feeling she will be just fine. She comes home tomorrow morning at 10am!!!!! My dad will be picking her up while I'm at school, so I wont get to see her until 3:30 when I get home :(.

Tyanna Medical Update

2008-02-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

For the past few nights, I had Ty sleeping next to my bed in case she had to go outside (she was having diarrhea). Tuesday night (3am), I woke up to a jolt of my bed (she was tethered to the post) and the very unpleasant sound of diarrhea. A few minutes later she threw up twice. My mom volunteered to sleep with her in the kitchen in case she experienced another spell. About an hour later Tyanna had more diarrhea and vomiting.

As soon as the vet opened, we called and arranged for her to stay another day so they could monitor her, and try to get her to eat/drink (it had been 36 hours since she had had food and a good amount of water). After I left for school, my mom dropped her off and continued on her way to work. She also placed a phone call into our Puppy Program Manager. A few hours later, my mom got a call from the vet's office saying that Dr. Daniels from the CCI headquarters was having Tyanna transferred to the Emergency/Referral hospital, and my mom was to pick her up and take her there immediately.

When my mom got there she was given an address to take Tyanna to, no time for any explanations. All they could tell her was that CCI was taking control of the situation, and Dr. Daniels was in charge. Understanding, my mom rushed Ty to the ER, where her name was already written on white boards and a file was already put together. She was taken into the back, and my mom was instructed to go home, and wait for a phone call.

About an hour later my mom got a call from a surgeon telling her that they found something in her intestine, and were already operating on her (with approval from CCI) to find out what it was, and remove it. This was around 3pm. At 6pm, I picked up the phone and it was the surgeon on the other end telling me they found a Highlighter marker in her small intestine, and that she will need to stay in the ICU for the next 3 days.

At 9am today, I got a phone call from the ER asking me to come down and see if I could get her to eat some food because they were having no luck. Of course, I rushed down to see my girl and try to get her to eat. As soon as they opened the door and she saw me she started to wag her tail (as much as she could, anyways). Of course, knowing the mama's girl that she is, she ate her entire breakfast out of my hand, and even worked up enough energy to lick the bottom of the bowl :). I spent the next hour and 45 minutes on the ground with her before it was time for her to go back to the ICU. She has about an 6" incision, and her entire underside/sides are shaven....yet she still looks adorable to me :).

I would like to commend CCI for all they did with Tyanna. Even though we are hundereds of miles away from Dr. Daniels out in Santa Rosa, CA, she cared enough to investigate the situation and find out what was going on. If it wasn't for her, and her concern, Ty would probably still be at our normal vet's office "experiencing the side effects of going into heat". It amazes me that Dr. Daniels knew enough about Tyanna and what she was going through to make some executive calls, and change the path of action.

Please keep praying for Tyanna and a super quick recovery. When we get more information, CCI will evaluate her condition, as well as her future.

The house is pretty empty without her, and I can't wait to have her back! We still dont know how she got the highlighter, or when she had the opportunity to chew it, but nonetheless, everyone has learned a very big lesson. I feel very guilty about the situation and all the "what-ifs", but what is, is what is. It's a complete horror to me that the first inappropriate item she has EVER chewed turned into such a fiasco.

Please get your puppies prayin'!

2008-02-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

So, it has been a whirlwind of a day, and I'm not quite ready to talk about it yet. Please keep Tyanna in your prayers for now. Hopefully I will be able to do a more legitimate update tomorrow.

Camp CCI?

2008-02-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

After spending the entire day at the vet's office, the vet believes that Ty may be coming into heat which could be the cause of such severe side effects. We are "on alert" and watching her closely to see what happens. If she is indeed going into heat, she will be driven down to CCI and will stay in their kennels for 3 weeks... :(.

The "Artistic" One...

2008-02-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

For the first time EVER, Tyanna found something that wasn't hers, and decided to chew it. Of course, this thing had to be a Highlighter, and to our joy, we ended up with some bright yellow splotches on a white carpet and one sick puppy.

After vomiting almost 6 times, we rushed her to the vet where she was x-rayed. The x-rays showed no plastic in her, which was great news (if there was, she would have needed surgery). So, instead, the vet gave her an injection of Cerenia, a new anti-vomiting drug. Well, to say the least, the drug helped with one end...

Side effects of Cerenia: hyper salivation, muscle tremors, lethargy, lack of appetite and diarrhea. Unfortunately, she is experiencing ALL of these, and may need a trip back to the vet.

Presentation Pictures

2008-02-01T22:07:00.001-08:00

My mom took these pics, all of them candid, so enjoy my random facial expressions!!

The Snow Beauty

2008-02-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

The snowfall has been insane! We have SO much snow on the ground! Luckily, school was called off today, so I took Tyanna outside in the winter wonderland to snap a few pictures. The snow was up to her stomach, so it was interesting to see her try to walk...she actually ended up hopping all over the place.

Tyanna gave our CCI presentation at my grade school on Wed. It went really well, and Tyanna was extremely behaved. I had two graduates presenting with me, and they were both amazed at her behavior for such a young dog! My mom took some pictures, so once I get them off her computer I will post them!

She learned back!

2008-01-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

Finally! We have been working on this command for a good month now, and she was having quite a bit of trouble with it. From my understanding, "backing up" is not a normal canine behavior, so many dogs have problems with it because it does not fee comfortable to them. Needless to say, Tyanna was having this problem, but in the past few days she has been showing quite improvement!! Here's a video of her practicing her "backs". They still need a little cleaning up. And oh, please excuse my messy messy room!

Picture Post

2008-01-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from tonight...

Ignoring food on the floor (that I of course accidentally dropped...)

Exciting things on the horizon...

2008-01-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

Good news first: I am going to be a "featured alumna" at my grade school next week for my work with CCI.
Bad news: This involves a presentation about CCI and puppy raising, which also involves public speaking....

Luckily, with the help of the CCI Chicago Satellite Office, the director was able to get two grads to come help me out with a demonstration and talking to the kids about assistance and how they enhance the lives of the people they work with. I'm very excited to see the demo, and get the kids excited about CCI (which may lead to a school-wide fundraiser...), but I HATE public speaking!!! But, it's all worth it!! I'm pretty excited to go back and show what I've been up to and stuff. I'll post pictures :). That happens on the 30th (next Wed. I believe).

I have also made a resolution to start taking more pictures of Ty. I have barely any of her out and about in public, and it's starting to make me sad! I also have like 10 pictures total of me and her actually together...so gotta get more of those!!

Hopefully I'll be able to put up some pictures later tonight!!

Old Pictures

2008-01-22T18:16:00.001-08:00

Here are some old pictures from the summer that I found lurking in my hard drive.

You can see her tattoo in this picture.

Practicing her down-stay in PetsMart.

Weekend Update

2008-01-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

Alright guys, so I accidentally cleared my memory card after visiting the regional center...so no pictures of the center!! Trust me, I'm pretty upset! It was really fun, I got to meet with my PPM and see the training room where they have a house set up to practice commands. I also got to see the kennels, and some brand new puppies that had just arrived and are waiting to go out to their PRs!! They were absolutely ADORABLE.

My grandpa lives about an hour and a half from the regional center, so we spent Saturday there. Tyanna was excellent in the hotel room, and did a great job in the car. She came with us to a few restaurants, as well as Wal-Mart. She also had her first encounter with cats at my grandpa's house. She did excellent, didn't even lunge! She didn't know what to make of them at first, and would lie down and try to inch her way over to see what they were. She then figured out they were boring and took a nap :).

The following pictures are from the hotel room. She loved lying on the cool bathroom tile floor...even though it was 20 degrees outside!

The Chunkster

2008-01-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

After our visit to the vet today, my suspicions of Tyanna's weight have been confirmed....she's starting to get a little chunky. The doc assured us that this was nothing more than the normal "winter weight gain", but would still like me to try to get her to trim down a bit because she is still growing. Nothing drastic, just a little less food at each meal. He said it should come off with no problem!

Please ignore my face in the above picture....its one of the only recent ones I have uploaded onto my computer!!

Exciting News!

2008-01-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day of finals, so I'm in a pretty darn good mood, but I'm now in an even BETTER mood because my mom gave me a little news today... :)

Well, I have a 5 day weekend this week, so my parents planned a trip to CCI for me! Unlike many of you other raisers out there (the lucky ones), I don't get to go to the center that much because it is so far away. So, early this Friday morning I will be on my way to the North Central Regional Center (and visiting my Grandpa)!!! I'm SO excited!!!!

Cole and Ilia - Skilled Companion Team

2008-01-14T13:16:00.001-08:00

Biscuit Suggestions?

2008-01-08T18:41:00.001-08:00

Hey guys! I know that some schools don't allow their puppies to have treats, but for those that are allowed to give their pups treats, I am asking for some suggestions. I use Bil Jac treats (as suggested by CCI) with training and teaching because Tyanna goes nuts for those things. Does anybody have any suggestions for a good biscuit (like a hard treat)? I like to give those occasionally because they help to clean teeth in addition to our teeth brushing routine :). Thanks!!

I had one of "those" puppy raising moments today.

2008-01-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

You know, the ones only us PRs can understand?

I was at Starbucks working with some friends on our Physics project that is due soon (ugh), when a man approached me. He asked whose dog was on the floor, and I thought that he was going to "scold" me for having a dog in a facility where food is served. However, it turns out that he has immense hearing loss, and has been researching hearing dogs. He was SO great full to meet Ty and I, and I gave him a CCI brochure to look over and keep. The man was very excited, and I could tell that he loved seeing Tyanna. When we left Starbucks, he stopped me to thank me for the information. I love these moments, as I am sure all of you do. It's the feeling of opening up a new door for somebody, and inviting them into the CCI family with open arms...nothing gets better! Neither of my friends could understand why I couldn't stop smiling...

Here are some pictures from tonight:

"I'm a big girl now and get to ride in the back seat!"

Her new (and odd) resting place...

2008-01-06T20:39:00.001-08:00

...the first landing on the stairs. She has been doing this a lot recently, and it's pretty funny to observe!

I'll be the first to admit...

2008-01-04T21:42:00.001-08:00

...that I have been such a bad blogger recently!! I have so much going on right now between recovering from surgery, school, and all my other stuff. Finals are coming up in a week, and I still have SO much to do, but I won't bore you with those details :).

Ty playing telephone with my friend's little sister, Brayden.

The past few weeks have been pretty slow for us because of surgery. Nothing really exciting lately. Just the same old same old....visiting stores and friends! After school today I took her with me to Walgreens. I forgot her gentle leader, but I wasn't in the mood to drive back home, so I took her in on her flat collar...and she did wonderfully! I was very impressed with her demeanor. She got a little distracted when a man started smooching at her, but other than that, she was great! I was able to hold a few poster boards, glue, and a big stack of note cards (AND her leash) with no trouble at all! This was such a relief for me because I have been worried about her heeling lately, but she seems to be doing a lot better.

I desperately need to start taking more pictures of her in public. I either forget my camera, or feel really awkward. But I have come to realize that I am not going to have many pictures from her, so I better get on it! There have been many moments when I wish I had my camera, like last Sunday. I was with a friend in Potbellys and Ty was asleep on the floor with crumbs around her head. Priceless moment only a puppy raiser could understand :).

Since I was in bed for most of the Christmas season, I wasn't able to take any pics of Ty by the tree, and mine died already so it's been tossed...so I went over to my friend's house to borrow her tree for a photo op, and let Tyanna play with her pal Mackie (pictured). You may remember Mackie from some previous posts. She is exactly 1 month younger that Ty, and they get along great! It was So hard to get a semi-decent shot of the girls...

I'm heading out to the pancake house tomorrow for a quick breakfest, and I think I may bring Ty. I have never taken a pup there before, so I may call ahead in the morning to clear everything with the manager! We shall see!

Happy training!

2007-12-31T15:17:00.000-08:00

Tyanna and her Mr. Octopus want wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I am off to spend some time with my friends, and Tyanna will be staying home with my parents next to the fire...her new favorite place. :)

Quick Update

2007-12-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack up updates guys! Unfortunately, it will continue to be slow for awhile. I had surgery today, so there won't be much to blog about. Tyanna is still doing great. She has proved to me that if she were to get CC'd, she would definitely make an excellent therapy dog! tyanna has been my escort all day. she sleeps by my bed, and when i wake up, she rests her head on my edge of my bed. then if i get up to go to the bathroom, she walks me there, waits until i come out, that walks me back to my bed. such a cutie, and so nice to have!!

I hope everyone has an amazing holiday. Give your pups a holiday kiss from Ty and I!

"The Letter"

2007-12-15T22:14:00.000-08:00

Tyanna's recall letter came today, with a date of 8/1/2008. She will be turning in with her other intact littermates at the North Central Regional Center of CCI. I really do not know how I feel....excited for her, and extremely sad at the same time. We still have lots of time though!

EDIT: I looked at CCI's website, and the official day for turn-in is AUGUST 16, 2008! 244 days left...

Introducing the "Leave It" Pro

2007-12-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

She cracks me up sometimes. She takes every command so seriously, and her way of doing "Leave It" makes me laugh. So, finally, I decided to video it so you guys could get your laugh in for the day!

We have gotten a TON of snow lately...almost 2 feet! When it was fresh, it would come up to Ty's hithers. At first she was really confused, and didn't like it much, but now she's obsessed...as you can see from the photos below....

Last weekend we went on some Christmas shopping adventures. After leaving the first store (it was an outdoor mall) she did her business. At first I was really mad at her, then I realized that it was an outdoor mall and she probably does not know the difference yet. So I corrected her, and hopefully it won't happen again! Other than that, she was an angel!

On Friday I went to Borders with her, and the employee asked me what kind of disability I have....surprisingly that's not the first time! I don't take offense to it at all, but it does humor me that people think I would be using a 7.5 month old puppy as an assistance dog! Not much has been going on around here lately. She spent most of the weekend with my parents because I was out of town visiting my friend at college for Friday night, then yesterday I went to the Jonas Brothers concert (and met them!!). And for all the Jo Bro fans out there...

HAPPY TRAINING!!

Puppy's first Christmas

2007-12-06T16:40:00.001-08:00

Alright, so I was thinking of things to get Tyanna for Christmas, and I thought about a Jolly Ball. What do you guys think of them?

CALLING ALL HELP!

2007-12-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

Alright guys, suddenly Tyanna is not responding to "release". I know, weird, right? Like I put down her food, tell her to wait, then say RELEASE! and she doesn't budge. She'll sometimes go take one piece of kibble and waits to see what happens. Frankly, it's getting pretty annoying. Any advice?

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's that time of year! Chicago's first major snow...and Tyanna is having a blast! I was out shopping at an outdoor mall with her when it started to downpour snowflakes, so we rushed home in order to beat it. I wasn't quite sure how she would react, but needless to say, I released her from the car and OFF she went! Running around has proven great fun, as well as the occasional belly slides resulting from a far too vigorous labby shuffle....all in good spirits though!

Ty is now soundly exhausted and napping her on her bed....

The Blogger video was taking too long, so I did it through zippy (click the picture):

Now she thinks she's an angel...

2007-11-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

...but she's only an impostor

Puppy's First Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T12:42:00.001-08:00

Happy thanksgiving guys! Hope you and your pups have a great day!

My dog thinks she's a human. For real.

2007-11-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

I got off for break on Tuesday, which means I pretty much had no homework over the weekend and Monday. This gave me an opportunity to spend a lot of time with Tyanna, at least more than I usually get. I love my girl so much, and I'm starting to realize how hard turn in is going to be.

Ty thinks she's a masseuse. Either that, or she likes being a warm blanket. The human in the picture is my friend who has known Tyanna since day 1. She came with me to the airport when I picked up the little chubby puppy, and they adore each other.

On Saturday she went with me to a college visit. She was during the opening session, but during the student session I started to get really sharp pains (I had surgery over the summer), and I started getting really stressed out, which made Ty really stressed....which means that it wasn't a good 30 minutes. After that session ended, I took her outside and we went for a short stroll, and got ourselves together. We went to one more session and she did great. My mom and I then went on a tour of the campus, and Ty stayed with my dad and casually strolled around. Because she is still a puppy, the day was getting a bit too long for her and I didn't think taking her on the tour would've been good. I could tell she was starting to near her breaking point.

Today I went down in the city with my friend to go shopping, so she stayed home for most of the day with my mom. Tomorrow she has a 'play date' scheduled with a CCI grad who lives a few streets away! This should be lots of fun for her, and a great learning opportunity, as well as a nice way to burn her energy before Thanksgiving dinner!

Enjoy your holiday!!!

EDIT: The blogger picture thingy wasn't working, so I had to use photobucket to upload the pics. Click on the thumbnails to see a bigger version!

Her colors seem to be everywhere...

2007-11-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

WORKing dog

2007-11-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

Today Tyanna went with my mom to work. I had a very good report. My mom said that she heeled beautifully in the halls, and held down stays like a pro. It was a relief to hear this because I have been worried about how Ty listens to other handlers.

I'm working on trying to get Tyanna to come to school with me once a week or so, some of you may have gotten an email. A big THANK YOU goes out to all of those who offered advice!

Ty's diarehea has gotten a lot better. She has to finish her set of pills, but is now down with her perscription food, and will start back on her normal diet tomorrow.

There's not much else going on...

Back to the Vet

2007-11-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

So, Tyanna has diarehea AGAIN. She got into some deer or rabbit droppings at the park, so she is on a strict diet of Hill's prescription foor (half a can 2x a day), and nothing else. No treats, no nothing. The poor girl is starving! A half can is NOT much food....she also has to take a pill every 12 hours with some cheese (she likes that part A LOT).

Last night was when it got really bad. Somehow (and i have NO idea how) she escaped from her crate, and she had an accident on the floor (not on carpet, thank god!). She then RAN upstairs and got my mom (i sleep with my door closed). My mom said that she was doing circles next to the bed really really fast, and as soon as she got out of bed, Ty dashed downstairs and to the door. When my mom opened the door she bolted outside and had really bad diarehea...poor baby! She's laying low right now on her bed, just relaxing. I hope she gets well soon!!

What a weekend!

2007-11-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

Ty had a very busy weekend with me! I will try my best to remember the details...

On Friday she went to the play with me. It turns out my headmaster was 100% okay with it, and I didn't even have to do any begging. That's always nice! My school is a small, all girls private school (180 girls), and the performing arts center (where the play is held) only fits 100, so I had a lot of confidence that Ty would do well...and she did! She was absolutely fabulous. She held her down-stay the entire time, and fell asleep after about 10 minutes of watching the play. At intermission I had to help with selling concessions, so I put her in a down-stay, and dropped the leash so I could handle the money better. She didn't budge (even when a trash can was rolled into her by accident) or even try to lick crumbs off the floor. After the play was done, we made our exit, and so many people were shocked to find out that there was a dog in the audience!

On Saturday, she accompanied my friends and I to the mall. We got some dinner, checked out some stuff in the Apple Store, and looked at a few clothes in a new clothing store that was just put in. Again, she did fantastic. I'm so proud of her, and how far she's come! Unfourtunatly, I forgot to bring my camera to the play AND the mall, and I forgot my phone at home when I went to the mall, so my friend took some pictures with her phone:

Today has been pretty lazy for the most part. I was going to bring her with me to DSW to find some shoes, but she has been pretty tired today...and I can see why. So I decided it was best for her to have some crate time, and take a nice long nap. O! I almost forgot! My friend and I made homemade peanut butter dog biscuits on Saturday, and that was really fun, and Tyanna loves 'em! Alright, I gotta go finish my homework...

EDIT: You can see Ty's new gentle leader in the pics. I love how it barely shows up...so much better than a blue strap across her face!!

Gotta work the puppy magic...

2007-11-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to convince my head of school to let me bring Ty to the fall play, since they won't let me bring her to school. I haven't heard back yet, but I'm praying that its a yes! Has anybody done this type of outing with their pup? How did it go?

10 Weeks

busy busy

2007-11-07T19:31:00.001-08:00

i'm probably not going to be able to do a real update until saturday....so here's a baby pic to hold you over!!

My big girl is getting bigger!

2007-11-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

I took Ty to the vet on Saturday, and she officially weighs 46.1 pounds!! That's only 2 lbs lighter than her mom, so we'll see if she grows much more...

Lets see, not much has been going on with us. Today we went to Walgreens and the guy at the cash register thought she was a graduate dog, and was trying to hand her the gum that I bought (CCI trains their dogs to "Up" onto the counter and take the item). It was funny because she sat just there wondering what she was supposed to do. She was good though, and didn't jump.

Tyanna STILL has not barked ONCE. Has anyone encountered this before?

She FINALLY learned "stand" today!! I don't know why, but it took her FOREVER to learn how to do this command, and it finally clicked to day (with three spoonfuls of peanut butter....).

Pictures soon, possibly the weekend!!

GOOD LUCK TO CORDOVA!! SHE IS ALMOST THERE!!!

I promised...didn't I?

2007-10-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the promised update...again! haha, i've been doing that a lot lately!

Alright, back to last saturday. There was a Graduate/PR workshop for all the chicago-land raisers/grads. It was SO much fun, and SO informative!!! I met TONS of people, and lots of other teen raisers...none of which blog, though. Sadly, there were no pictures taken by me, as i was trying to save my batter for the Fall Out Boy concert that night. There were A LOT of dogs there, and they all behaved beautifully! Ty got so many compliments from the trainers...I'm so proud!!!

Okay, so Saturday night was the FOB concert, so Ty stayed home with my parents while I was freaking out and yelling out for PATRICK!! Ah, we got spots at the barrier, which was pretty much amazing. It was probs the best day of my life. aldkjfdkfj i miss it so much! FOB is from my town, and this of course means we know all about them, have met them, they are in our yearbooks, etc, etc, so its so much fun to see them back home.

On Sunday, Pete Wentz did a signing. I brought Ty along, and she did GREAT while we waited in line for 2 hours. This was my second time meeting him, but I really wanted Ty to meet him so I could have something to pass along just incase she gets matched with a FOB lover!! There were no pictures allowed, but Pete signed her collar, and was totally interested in her, and was asking all sort of question...even took a CCI brochure!!

Her autographed collar:

While in line, completely ignoring all the trash and food on the ground:

Today we went to PetsMart to get a new collar because I don't want her wearing the autographed collar, understandably :). Instead of our traditional blue, we picked out a pretty purple. I know, I know, purple is not the best with blue and yellow, but I am so sick of everyone calling her a boy!!! Everybody I have encountered with her automatically thinks she's a boy because of her blue collar. Hopefully that problem is solved!!

Yesterday she went with me to Borders to pick up Cobra Starship's new album, Viva La Cobra! She was great, and we ran into a CCI graduate dog who happens to live around the corner from me (we have never met). Everyone in the store was so confused about what was going on because we were so excited to meet eachother and was making the line very interested....

Hope all the puppies are doing well out there!!

Happy Training!

Just so you know what I'm talking about:

Fall Out Boy:

Pete (resting bass on shoulder) and Patrick (holding up the guitar) are in the middle.

Quick Pupdate

2007-10-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

I can only do a quick update right now, because I have to get homework done. If I can't do a longer one tonight, expect one soon.

The convention yesterday was AMAZING, and I learned so much!!! My mom watched Tyanna while I was at the Fall Out Boy Concert, then today I took Ty with me to meet Pete Wentz himself....more to come!

As promised....

2007-10-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, here it goes...the big update!! Senior year has been crazy so far, so I apologize for my lack of updates. Things are starting to settle down now, though, so hopefully I will be able to start posting again on a regular basis!

Overall, Tyanna has been doing wonderfully! She was weighed on 10/2, and was 38.2lbs! Yes, small for a 5.5 month LGX! By now I'm guessing that she weighs about 43lbs. She is now eating 3 cups a day!

On 10/3, my friend's mom brought her new cockerpoo puppy over, named Tinkah. After practicing some sit stays and self control around the crazy puppy, I released Tyanna to play with very close supervision, as the puppy only weighed 7 lbs! Most of the play time consisted of me holding Tyanna, and Tinkah swatting at her nose.

Ty went with me to dinner again on 10/5, and did very very well! She has really good manners when she is out in public, so far at least! The next day she went with a friend and I to the Verizon store. She was SO good! She stayed in a perfect down-stay when asked, even when a man came up to her patting his legs and calling her over to him. I was so proud!!

On Columbus day I went to visit a college, so Ty stayed with another CCI volunteer. The volunteer said she did excellent, and played very well with her other dog, which was very good news!

On 10/12 she went with me to the bank. Again, she did fantabulous! They didn't even realize there was a dog in the building! That is always music to a puppy raiser's ears!!

This Saturday there is a workshop for all puppy raisers and graduates in our area...and I'm really excited to meet some new puppy raisers and graduates as well has having Tyanna evaluated by the CCI trainers!!! This should be really fun, and I'm totally excited! Later on Saturday I'm going to the Fall Out Boy concert, so she will be home with my parents. Then on Sunday, Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy is doing a signing at a local guitar shop, and I may bring Tyanna along, depending on how I'm feeling about the whole thing. What a good picture that would be for her baby book....

O yea, and remember that bed that I got?? SHE LOVES IT! Actually, SHE ADORES IT! It was definetly a good choice, and she was definitely ready for a new, bigger bed!! In some other news, I had bought a Nylabone bone for her, which she literally destroyed over 1 weekend of chewing (now granted, I probably did not buy a strong enough one for her). Anyways, I sent the half eaten bone to the Nylabone headquarters, and they sent me THREE free products! A Dino Dental Chew, A Wolf Size Durable Bone, and a Barb-b-que Steak Shaped Chew (all non-edible). And she loves all three of them!! So I am very happy, and impressed with Nylabone customer service! If you have had a problem like this, send the product back to Nylabone (the address is on their website), tell them the age of your dog, its weight, and breed, and they will send replacements!! Yay! Gotta love free stuff!!!!

We also made a trip to Michigan this past weekend to visit family. We stayed at my Aunt/Uncle's house with Ty, and she was the perfect house guest!! She was also great in the car, and was so easy to travel with.

Anyways, I will update after the convention and tell you all how it went!!!

PS - the pictures were taken with my phone, so excuse the quality!

I know I know...

2007-10-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

A BIG update coming soon...I promise!!

Updates Updates

2007-09-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Not much has happened in the past week. Today Ty went with me to my crew team's meeting, and she did EXCELLENT. She didn't fall asleep, but she stayed in a down-stay the entire time. YAY!

After the meeting, my parents and I went to dinner at JP McCarthy's restaurant, but we ate outdoors because it was Ty's first restaurant experience. She also did amazing. There were TONS of kids running around and she didn't even budge. Even when our waitress came with hot pizza she stayed in a sit.

I just got word that there will be a puppy raiser and graduate convention near me on October 20th, and I'm SO excited!! I can't wait to meet everyone and their dogs!!

BIG GIRL VEST!

2007-09-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Now that Tyanna is 5 months, she gets her big girl vest! It FINALLY came today in the mail! She automatically looks so grown up. It's hard to believe this day is here....it seems like yesterday I was tossing and turning the night before I was going to pick her up, thinking about all of these milestones we would reach one day. Time flies.

Last week Ty went with me to a high school volleyball game, the beach, and an 8-year-old's soccer game (where a grad CCI skilled companion was!!). She will be going to another vball game this friday (I'll try to remember to get pictures!) Here are some pictures from the last week!!

I Can't Believe Some People

2007-09-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my walk with Tyanna,
and we encountered a very frustrating situation.

Around the corner from us lives a skilled companion
graduate team. It is such a joy to see the dog out,
and chat with the family about CCI.

While out on our walk, we ran into lady walking her
dog (I am familiar with her, as I see her out all the
time, and she knows Tyanna is a puppy-in-training).
Like a normal 5 month lab puppy, Tyanna acted very
enthusiastically when she saw this lady and her dog.
Anyways, we got talking, and the lady told me: "This
dog will never make it, she could never be a working
dog." That comment drilled a hole in my heart...but I
know I can't listen to her. But, it gets worse.

She continued to say that she feels sorry for the
skilled companion that lives around the corner because
he is a "robot dog". She told me how he never gets to
be a dog, and is only used as a tool. Her evidence was
that the family didn't let the CCI dog play and greet
her dog while out. I nicely explained that a working
dog's attention must be focused on his handler, and
working time is not play time. I also educated her in
the process of choosing a graduate dog: how the dogs
absolutely LOVE what they do, and when they are
working, they are the happiest. She continued to
differ with me, telling me this dog has no life.

It was so frustrating! I remained calm and cool, and
tried to politely educate her, but she would have none
of it! Has anybody encountered this situation before?
How did you handle it? I see her lots, so I think I
will have to do some more educating in the future, and
I want to make sure I do it properly.

Thank you for listening to my ranting!!

Just for comparison's sake

2007-09-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken almost 2 months ago....

This picture was taken today...

...and honestly, she doesn't look that much bigger! She IS bigger, and her face has deff. matured, but I think she has hit a plateu in her growing spurt. Plus, the vet said she's gonna end up being a small girl: only about 52 lbs....which for a lab, isn't much!

Here she is doing "shake":

Squeaky Clean!

2007-09-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

This is Ty's new obsession...Mr. Crab. Sadly for him, it's the norm to be dragged around the house (usually while running) by a claw or leg...

Now that Ty has all of her adult coat in, I can really tell the difference when she has a bath, as she did today. Her fur is so SOFT, and light! When she had her puppy fur, it didn't really matter because puppy fur IS soft and light! I just can't stop petting her! She feels like she went to the salon and got blow dryed!!

Just though I'd let you know...

The Shopping Pup

2007-09-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

So, a few days ago, Ty destroyed her first toy...a key labrador trait. It was a toy that she has had since the day she arrived, so it was about time. Some of her other toys were getting a little dirty too, so I decided to take her to the pet store to pick out a few new ones (as if she doesn't already have a trillion billion toys!). I hate wasting money on toys that she ends up not liking, so I literally allowed her to do the choosing. I released her from all commands, and we walked down the isles. She stuck her head into the shelves, and chose her first (the hard part was getting it away from her). Then, we decided to walk by the hanging toys...she took one off the display, and once again, I hate to fight for it, just to pay. Luckily, she didn't splurge on the super expensive ones...my kind of puppy :).

On another note, we have been giving her a bit more freedom. We have left her alone for up to 3 hours gated in our kitchen while we are out of the house. So far there have been no accidents, or chewed articles. Plus, it's nice to come to the door and see a puppy waiting on the other side of the glass, instead of in a crate!