My Guide Dog Puppy

Pillow Pet

2011-08-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Here is Joe who Nora decided was the perfect pillow pet while watching Aiden and Soren in a soccer tournament.

It's all about the poop...

2011-06-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

... so we are logging Joe's feeding and relieving to try and deal with his one real problem: pooping "too often" (5 times a day on ProPlan was not unusual) and not on command when on walks (the bigger problem). He's transitioned to Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet for less fiber. I looked online for a "poop log" and couldn't find one so made one up. Feel free to use it: Download OpenOffice or duplex PDF of feed/relieve log

ferst krismess 4 mee!! bi jo miself

2010-12-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

hi jo heer i am dewing th blawg 2day sorree about mi speling but i am ownlee a pupee well it wuz kwite a day i dont no wut it wuz awl uhbout kidz ruhning uhrond up 2 errly then riping pakejes and i had a stokking wit a veree humongis beeef bon th big fude gie iz holldeng it 4 mee heer

th bon wich i am werking veree hard 2 disstroy but it miite tak me a wile it iz soo beeg!!

a-den and th big fude gie tuuk me on a wok in th fut-hilz and it wuz fun cuz so manee smelz r thair and silee a-den sez hee kan run az fast az mee!! ha ha i dont thinkk so!!!

then mii old frend molay cam over i dont no whi cuz hee never wantz 2 pla he iz 2 old i gess and hee tuuk mi bed sum timz!!!

heer is molay in hiz own pikcher yu kan see heez owld and haz gra harze on hiz muzzel

tim 4 mi napp and bon aneewayz iz 2 hard tipeing i havv pawz 2 big

I hop u haff enjoid mi ferst blawg

jo the dawg puppee

2010 Nov 16: 29 weeks 46 lbs.

2010-11-16T08:42:00.000-08:00

In the raiser meeting last night Joe was the Senior Dog now that Banta, Clifford, and Joaquin are at college! So he and his brother Joshua have to take the mantle of seniority. Yikes. Joe is still such a puppy (that's a good thing, but he is far from the serious expertness of Banta or Clifford). He did great on the Go To Bed, recall, and wait, but as soon as he sees his buds he just wants to act like a kid! He has time. Will post some photos of the rest of the crew here asap.

Joe Meets Olympic Gold Medalist Billy DeMong

2010-11-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

Joe got the chance to meet Olympic nordic combined gold medalist Billy Demong at Wild Rose tonight. Anna had met Billy previously when he skied with the TUNA kids just after the Vancouver Olympics. Aiden got a chance to try on the gold medal!

2010 Nov 09: 28 weeks 43 lbs.

2010-11-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

Seven months and what a handsome dog! Joe has had his food increased to 2.5 cups 2X per day since he is still pretty lean. He has no trouble downing the increased portion. He has really taken to his green Goughnut stick and will typically greet you at the door with it jutting out of one side of his mouth like a cartoon cigar.

2010 Nov 02: 27 weeks 43 lbs.

2010-11-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

Joe power-napping on his bed.

Joe has had a couple of days of diarrhea so he's been on a diet of rice and chicken and has had some accidents in the house. Thank goodness for wood floors (vs carpet). He obviously feels bad about the accidents (if you have a dog you know what I mean) but he just can't control it in the middle of the night. Other than that he is acting normal so we're not worried.

	At our weekly raiser meeting we had a party to send three dogs off to college. Here are all nine pups in the Salt Lake County club. More photos of the party here.
Goodbye party for three dogs going off to college

2010 Oct 19: 25 weeks 42 lbs.

2010-10-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Six months old! That is some milestone. Lets see, he would be 3.5 in people years. There was no post last week since we were camping and canoeing on the Green River from Oct 9 -18. Joe did really well. He loves camping and hiking. Maybe it is just the extra attention, or being outdoors, or ??? He is still not Mr Water Dog but at least now he will walk in up to his knees on his own initiative. He also likes the new (to us; it's a 1999) 4WD truck. Everyone on the trip fell in love with him and wanted to know more about GDB puppy raising. Trip photos and Haiku coming as soon as we can get to it.

2010 Oct 5: 23 weeks 39 lbs.

2010-10-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

Joe is on a new feeding schedule of two cups twice a day versus one cup three times. He seems to like this better. He doesn't seem always hungry, and he seems to be growing and gaining weight again after plateauing for a while.

2010 Sep 28: 22 weeks 36 lbs.

2010-09-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Lots of new incisors coming in. Joe is really after his tug of war rope and several times it has had a lot of blood on it after just a couple of bites. And we found an incisor on the carpet. I was in San Francisco for a few days and Anna reports that Joe stuck to her like glue when he had the chance. I guess his dog thinking is something like this: "one of my Main People seems to have disappeared. I better keep my eye on the remaining one!"

Joe is getting used (well, sort of) to his Halti head collar, which is a new Requirement for all dogs. Then this week we learned that Halti is out and Gentle Leader is in (animal psychologist Dr. Roger Mugford is going to be bummed although he recently got 15 minutes of fame on BBC TV).

2010 Sep 21: 21 weeks 35 lbs. The Apple Butter Fiasco

2010-09-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

We have been so pleased that there have been no Food Incidents with Joe. Until now. Details are a bit murky and the children involved may be exercising their 5th Amendment rights. Here's what we know: there was a tablecover partly folded off the kitchen table which led to a number of items getting pulled off, with no time to clean it up as we ran out the door to take Anna to school. Upon return, we all forgot about the situation until I heard Joe making an odd slurping sound and found him in the kitchen finishing off a small tub of home made apple butter! Argh. Urk. At least it isn't toxic. A few hours later he had mild diahrea for the next few hours but showed no other ill effects. So we will be even more careful about this sort of thing in future. He has not shown any increased interest in illegal food so hopefully we did not cause major training regression.

2010 Sep 15: first restaurant: good dog, Joe!

2010-09-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

So Joe was at my office when the call came in, inviting me to a rather urgent business lunch at the nearby Thai Siam restaurant. Three other engineers converged on the Systronix HQ. Whether to leave Joe in his office crate or bring him along? The other guys were up for something unusual so off we went. Joe settled at my feet in Bill's SUV which amazed everyone else. Then at the restaurant he was welcomed with open arms by the hostess (maybe it was his bath yesterday). Joe lay down under my chair and chilled for 45 minutes while we ate. This made a major impression on the rest of our party especially when they learned he was only five months old. Good dog, Joe!

2010 Sep 14: 20 wks, 35 lbs, bath time!

2010-09-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

Joe actually liked his second bath. The rubber "uncomb" was great for shampooing him. He smells so good now and his coat is really shiny. People are remarking how good he looks. He graduated to a larger jacket too. He's growing up quickly!

Joe meets Leonberger puppy Alta: pooch smooch

2010-09-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

Joe (19 wks) meets Leonberger puppy Alta (8 wks).

Alta looks startled to receive a quick pooch smooch from Joe.

Dog Sitting: Mazzy & Scrappy

2010-09-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Anna is dog-sitting two former clients: Mazzy and Scrappy for a long weekend. This will be good practice for Joe in dealing with "dog distractions". Joe assumes every dog he meets is a new friend who will want to play.

Mazzy is a sweet dog who loves to sit in our yard like the queen of the territory. She tolerates Joe but doesn't want to play with him.

Mazzy doesn't mind letting Joe lie on her pad while she takes a nap on the floor. This is great progress for Joe - being this close to another dog and chilling at the same time.

And here is Scrappy, whose attitude is about 10X her actual size. She is very affectionate and not at all afraid of Joe.

Scrappy's appearance is, well, unique, don't you think? Her coat is actually quite pretty and she is a real little heater when she snuggles with you. She is very well crate-accustomed and has powerful springs in her legs! Joe isn't quite sure what to think of her but they get along OK.

2010 Sep 07: 19 wks, 33 lbs

2010-09-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Joe went with us on another camping trip. This week his weight was the same as last (within the ability of our bathroom scale). We had to let out his puppy collar. And he went with me to Salt Lake Community College classes for the first time.

2010 Aug 31: 18 wks, 33 lbs - Camping!

2010-08-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Joe's first camping trip, in the Uintah mountains. It was cloudy and somewhat cool - perfect for hiking but too chilly to jump in Island Lake.

Here are Eva, Zoe, India, Anna and Joe. If you look closely you can see some faint streaks in the picture - those would be rain drops.

Shutter speed was 1/100 sec and the streaks are about 4-6 inches long so that's a velocity of 1 foot in 1/33-1/50 sec, or 33-50 ft/sec, which is about 22-35 mph.

Joe doesn't yet have his adult coat so he gets chilly when he stops moving. We brought along a blanket and he was content when he had a warm person like Anna with whom to snuggle.

Here's a cairn atop a lichen-spattered boulder on the trail. Joe had a great time with lots of kids to love him and lots of new things to discover. As Aiden put it: "Joe doesn't know what his four-paw drive can do!"

It also groppeled a little one morning! Welcome to summer in the Rocky Mountains at 10,000 feet.

2010 Aug 24: 31 lbs - his own dog bed

2010-08-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Joe has graduated to a Costco $20 dog cushion and loves it. He looks like the king of the world perched thereon. He made a visit yesterday to the empty classrooms of Salt Lake Community College, where he will accompany me when teaching resumes.

This is one of my favorite recent pictures of Joe!

Joe Changes Aiden's Mind About Dogs

2010-08-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

Here are Aiden and Joe on a morning walk at the Graffiti Bench near 13th Ave.

This is the same Aiden who, when Anna and I were planning Joe's arrival, announced: "I don't think I will be very interested in the dog". That changed in about the first day when Joe came into our lives. Now Aiden's whole attitude towards dogs has changed and he says "dogs are a lot more interesting when they're yours". Aiden has been coming to the GDB meetings when he doesn't have a conflict with soccer, which is his current passion.

2010 Aug 17: 16 wks, 29 lbs, Vet visit #2, jacket

2010-08-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Joe now has his official Guide Dog puppy in training jacket. He seems to feel special when we put it on him!

Joe didn't seem to gain so much weight this week, but he still looks good and his coat is glossy. Maybe he burned up all the energy chasing other dogs while being puppy-sat at Gael's (thanks Gael and Lauren!) while we were out of town for a few days.

2010 Aug 10: 15 weeks, 28 lbs, sleeps through night for last week!

2010-08-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Joe is spending the latter part of this week with puppy sitter Gael and her daughters since we are traveling back east. He is doing really well with Go to Bed and food-induced Recall. He thinks those two are the most fun game a puppy can do. When you give the command he makes a dash for his blanket and flings himself down on it, then eagerly looks for his kibble (shown here).

Plus he has been sleeping through the night for a week now.

Joe is showing more interest in his Nylabone, which you can see here is in unused, pristine condition. Anna noticed something on the ground near his mouth and it turned out to be a puppy incisor! So we guess he has an urge to chew when he can feel new teeth coming in.

2010 Aug 06: 2nd day at office

2010-08-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Joe has been really good at the office, mostly on tie-down. He's got a designated relief spot in the parking lot, a food dish area in the kitchen, and his small crate from home (he barely fits now!). He has a cool spot to hang out under my desk and must be feeling OK because he is sleeping on his back. Doesn't look comfortable or dignified to me, but then I'm not a BLM puppy.

Last night he got his ears cleaned and teeth brushed. He LOVES the toothbrushing, and why not: poultry-flavored toothpaste! (No, I have not sampled it.) And another milestone today: his puppy collar is on its last hole - but it can be expanded quite a bit before he needs the Big Dog collar.

And he slept through the night again, this time from about 10PM to 630AM. This is Progress.

Aug 03: 14 weeks, 27 lbs

2010-08-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Joe made a visit to our small neighborhood swimming pool to cheer Anna on during a swim meet. Joe has also been walking up with me first thing in the morning where he waits while I swim a few laps. Then he gets to greet the young swimmers who arrive for swim team. Instant Joe Fan Club!

Here is is giving Anna the "chin of friendship".

Why so serious, Joe?

July 28: 13 weeks, 25.4 lbs

2010-07-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

July 21: 12 weeks, 23.7 pounds, first vet visit

2010-07-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

We were so proud of Joe on his first visit to the vet! He was not at all scared or timid, and he didn't give the vet any trouble with his shots or exam. Here he is on the way in. The clinic has a pretty awesome fire hydrant right in front - what a coincidence! I can only image the use to which that hydrant gets put every day. But Joe showed no interest, which is a good thing since we don't have a hydrant at our house in his relieving area. So the humor of this situation is lost on Joe.

2010 July 13: 20.2 lbs

2010-07-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

Joe has been waking up in the middle of the night, to be relieved. Then he goes back to sleep, but only until sunrise. This brings back memories of having an infant... But last night was a GDB meeting which apparently wore him out. He slept through until 6:00. Rather than try to get him back to sleep this time I decided to play with him a while, feed him, and then walk him up to our little neighborhood pool and see if he would let me swim a few laps. Plus this should wear him out for the morning. He was great! He relieved pretty much on command outside the pool and behaved well on tie-down. I only swam maybe 10 minutes. I'm was mainly trying to get him used to the idea - I can swim longer next time. Then we walked home - a total of over a mile, which is his longest outing yet. Early in the morning there are seldom other dogs or major distractions so it was a low-stress event for him. Back home he was very calm on tie-down while I worked on the computer and then willingly went into his kennel when I left for work.

Joe gnaws a bone

2010-07-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Joe has an (approved by GDB) beef bone which he really likes to gnaw - but he has a hard time picking it up. He likes to have it held up off the floor for him. He will often put one paw on your hand while he chews. Here he is this AM on the tie down which he doesn't mind at all as long as he has the bone! He has managed to barely scratch the bone so it looks to be a lot more durable than the rope.

Joe's Vacation Home - under the couch!

2010-07-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

Joe manages to barely squeeze under the couch. It's cool there and sort of private so that is where he likes to go to "get away from it all".

Why so serious, Joe?

Of course one of the best things to do under the couch, where it's a little dark, is snooze!

What Joe thinks

2010-07-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

Should I chew this bone now, or later? Or both?

How can I decide?

Will it taste as good as it did last time?

It smells familiar.

When can I eat?

Who are all these people?

Where's my dog mom and dog family?

What else can I chew?

What will I be when I grow up?

Yum. That was a good breakfast.

My tummy is nice and full.

I'm bored.

I think I'll just take a nap.

Photos: Panasonic GH1, Rayqual OM adapter, Olympus 50 mm f/1.4. 1/20 sec ISO 100.

July 06: 10 Weeks, 20.6 lbs

2010-07-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

'Sit" on a scale is harder than you might think... and it confirms where that Pro Plan is going: into puppy meat. He seems visibly larger than a week ago. He's learning to play hide and seek with Anna and I, and he acts like he knows "Sit", which seems almost too good to be true. Maybe he just happens to want to sit when we tell him. He has a fan club of 10-12 year old girls. He's pretty OK most of the time on the tie down. Yesterday: no peeing in the house. Today: oh well; keep working on it. He will Sit and wait for "Joe, OK" before eating his food (at least for a couple of seconds, but hey, he's only 10 weeks old and that Pro Plan does look awfully good). His leash manners are getting better.

July 03 & 04: Joe sleeps through the night!

2010-07-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

We gradually transitioned Joe's crate into Anna and Aiden's bedroom (which has a hardwood floor unlike the master bedroom carpet) after a few nights. This time he seemed OK with that change. The first night there he slept from about 2130 to 0600 which is a huge improvement in sleep for us. Last night he slept through from about 2200 to 0700 and wasn't bothered by the fireworks Saturday night.

Joe's Rope

2010-06-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

Joe has a lot of need to chew since his puppy teeth are still developing. We have three chew toys and the rope (100% cotton) is clearly his favorite. He can play tug of war with it, as well as really get his teeth into it and pull it apart. This rope won't last too long...

June 29: 9 Weeks, 18.6 lbs

2010-06-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

Joe sat on the scale so we could weigh him. He's been really good about pooping outside in the designated area and hasn't had an accident in the house since his first 24 hours. Peeing is another story... sometimes you take him outside to relieve, he comes back in and pees 5 minutes later with no warning. But he is still young and adjusting to being here (only 5 days so far). He went to his first Guide Dog meeting last night and did pretty well. He was a little anxious riding in the car even with Anna in the back seat for comfort. Next week our assignment is to work on tie-down and on-leash manners. He's doing well with handling, lay-overs, and other things.

Overall, the first week has been kind of hard on us all. Joe has not slept through the night. So we typically get up at 2:30 and 4:30 to relieve him, and then he doesn't go quietly back into his crate. His crate is in the living room. We put it there to start since that is where we are most of the day and he is a lot more content if he is where the people are, and initial attempts to move the crate into a bedroom were not successful. So we are taking turns sleeping on the couch to keep him company.

Anna asked Marilyn: was there ever a time when we were babies that you wondered why you decided to have children?

2010 June 06: Will sleep under any circumstances

2010-06-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Joe's ability to sleep under any circumstances is amazing. Here he is apparently comfortable, conked out on Anna's lap on the deck in a rocking chair.

I have memories of sleeping in our car on long trips, lying down on the floor in the back seat of our station wagon, warmed by the exhaust pipe underneath, and lulled by the rumble of the road. Maybe similar to what puppies can sleep through.

Full tummy... warm leg to lie on... ear rub whenever you want it... sigh... life is good...

Joe takes puppyhood seriously

2010-06-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Joe has a very serious expression. He looks a lot older here than 8 weeks.

Anna: When he doesn't understand something he appears politely puzzled.

2010 June 25

Joe's First Nap - 2010 June 24

2010-06-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

We got Joe home and introduced him to his new house and surroundings. The last couple of days have been stressful for him: leaving his litter, traveling hundreds of miles in the puppy truck, meeting new people and going in a new car to a new home. His whole world has been turned upside down. Finally it was all too much and he just passed out here on the carpet and slept for over two hours.

Joe Arrives - 2010 June 24

2010-06-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

The big day arrived! (We've been so busy with Joe that we're behind posting about him. It's almost as much work as having a new baby.) Here is the eagerly-awaited puppy truck.

We learned that our puppy's name is Joe born 2010 Apr 27 (Tue), and he is one of nine in the litter. His siblings are black and tan, and Joe is apparently the largest black in the litter. It was a tearful moment (don't ask me why, it just felt that way) when Joseph handed Joe over to us. We started this journey over a year ago and now it seems unreal that Joe is here -- and that he could grow up to help someone see!

Anna: I just couldn't believe it when they handed Joe to us. It felt like a dream. One of the best and most real dreams ever.

The black puppy Joe
Bounces by the big pine tree
leaping in the sun

Three of Joe's litter-mates are now in Utah (Joshua left right away and so isn't in this picture).

Tomorrow is Puppy Day! We're ready!

2010-06-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

On 2010 June 24 we are scheduled to meet the Guide Dogs for the Blind Puppy Truck in Salt Lake City. We will take home a male black lab whose name starts with 'J'. He will be 8 to 12 weeks old and will at some point be neutered (not planned for breeding). That's all we know at this point.

We bought $35 worth of approved toys and grooming aids and have some Purina Pro Plan Large Breed puppy chow on hand. Today I bought a flat-bottom stainless steel water bowl at the DI for $.50. We're almost done reading the extensive Puppy Raising Manual. We have been attending raiser meetings for over a year, have attended all-day workshops, and have practiced with other dogs in the meetings. We've had a Home Inspection and puppy sat another Guide Dog Puppy (Carlos). Several rooms in our house a Puppy Proof. We have a stack of poop bags and puppy first aid supplies on hand. We have arranged to borrow a small dog crate while we look for a large one to purchase.We still need diaper wipes (those will bring back memories).

My daughter Anna (12 years old) and I are about as ready as we can be. We decided to start this blog as an excuse to document our journey with words and photos. 24 hours to go!