Adios vs. Chao

In Spanish there are several ways to say goodbye. Most people know the term "adios." However, in Ecuador where I learned Spanish, adios is a permanent goodbye. You'd only say that word if you knew for certain that you'd never see someone again. Thus, I cringe anytime I hear the term.

Instead, I prefer the term "chao." This word is a much more informal goodbye. I love the friendliness of this term that is more akin to "see you later." Chao is a goodbye that I can handle.

Saturday afternoon, I took Kyle at the puppy truck. This morning Kyle should be arriving at the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus in Boring, Oregon. Although Kyle is no longer in my home, there is no way I'd ever say adios to my boy. I couldn't do that. Our paths in life have diverged, but we both have big adventures ahead of us in the next few months.

With tears in my eyes but a smile on my face, I say chao to Kyle. He's ready for all the excitement formal training has to offer him.

In the mean time, here are a few final shots of my big boy.

(Kyle in the car on the way to the puppy truck. I love his clear brown eyes!)

(This is the final shot of the four of us together for now. I'm hoping we'll get another one at graduation. My fingers are crossed.)

 (Kyle spent a good portion of the day in my lap, but we needed one more cuddle before goodbye.)

 (Kyle with his little brother Rio. This is a great shot to capture the contrast in their personalities. Kyle: "I'm not taking a picture. They bother me." Rio: "Aren't I cute!")

(The drivers asked me to put Kyle on the truck, and I lost it. I love this boy!)

(One final shot of Kyle in his kennel on the puppy truck. Kyle, I hope your journey went smoothly and you are enjoying new adventures in Oregon.)

Good luck Kyle. You are going to do wonderful things in life. ¡Chao!

The Way Life should Be

While my students and I are dreading Kyle's recall, all Kyle knows is that today is the best day of his life.

(Two students petting Kyle at once.)

All day long students and coworkers have been stopping by to pet Kyle. He's gone outside for every class period. We've made him the center of attention by taking his picture with each class. After school, students played with him in the classroom. Kyle even got to (accidentally) run free on a practice field for a few minutes.

There couldn't be a better dream day for Kyle. The world finally revolves around him, and he loves it. With only 25.5 hours left until recall, I'm more than happy to spoil my boy for one last day.

May 12th

Until tonight, I thought the first Utah puppy truck of the year was going to be in April. A fellow club member texted me and let me know that it is actually coming on May 12. My leader later confirmed that at our meeting.

What does that mean for Kyle? Unless things change, Kyle will be with me for another two months!

Kyle arrived on May 9, 2010. Since he was a transfer puppy, I never expected to keep him a full year. Instead, I mentally prepared myself for him to be recalled at the end of February when he turned 15 months. Now it looks like we'll just barely pass the year mark together.

(Kyle the day I picked him up. He was such a wiggly ball of fun that day.)

Now that we have a lot more time together, I need to find interesting things to entertain Kyle while training him. The way I figure it, we can use this time to further tip the odds in Kyle's favor for successfully graduating. First off will be cementing "stand" and perfecting his off leash recall. However, I'd also like to come up with new outings for him.

Has anyone out there kept a puppy in training until almost 18 months? I'd love to hear your ideas for outings and activities to work on Kyle's training as an older pup.

Good Luck Picassa

Three weeks ago Picassa and Kyle traded places for a few days. I got the privilege of hosting Picassa for her last puppy trade. Let me tell you, I already liked the girl, but Picassa completely won my heart that week. Picassa also managed to charm my neighbors and convince my coworker to beg to keep her as a pet.

(Picassa posing with my neighbor. The two played wonderfully together.)

Picassa was a pro on all our outings. I cannot remember having to give her a single correction. After a couple days with Picassa, the girl managed to teach me a few things I can do better in training Kyle. She is ready for formal training!

(Picassa under the table at my favorite sushi restaurant.)

Six months ago, Picassa and Kyle arrived on the same puppy truck as transfer pups from Colorado. Today Picassa got back on that truck and headed to California to begin her formal training. I cannot believe how time has flown. Picassa is being evaluated for breeding, and I think she would make a sweet mama dog. If not, I have a mental image of just the person she could be partnered with as a guide. Everything's up to Picassa though, and if service work isn't her thing, she'll be the best pet anyone can ask for.

Picassa isn't traveling alone. Christina, a black lab from our club, is also returning to campus for breeder evaluations and training. I don't know Christina as well Picassa, but I'm cheering for her too!

Today I had a hard realization. Now that Picassa and Christina are recalled, the next dogs in our club to leave will be Sugar and Kyle. Noooooooooo! That is still four months away, but I don't like the idea that my boy is the next to head to campus. I'll just repress that thought and live in denial for the time being.