Under the Bed

Rio's new favorite room in our home is the bedroom. Rio voluntarily heads up the stairs to hang out alone. It's an odd change to have such an independent puppy after needy Kyle.

Last night I headed upstairs for Rio so that we could go to a friend's house. This is the sight that greeted me.

(Rio asleep with his rear on the dog bed and his front under the human bed.)

I have one seriously weird puppy. Rio's antics constantly make me laugh.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

(With the help of my friend, Rio can do a pretty good chihuahua impersonation!)

Becoming a Cuddle Bug

After almost two months with Rio, it's amazing how many things I'm still learning about the boy. Now that Kyle is in formal training, I have way more time to spend with Rio. My favorite realization is that Rio can be a much more cuddly puppy than I previously thought. If you haven't picked up on it before, I love cuddly dogs!

(Rio laying on my lap.)

The day after Kyle left, Rio started sidling up to me and pressing his body against my legs the way Kyle used to do every morning. He'll also peer at me in the morning to get me to wake up. When I sit or lay on the floor, Rio will come and lay next to me. He even puts his head in my lap to request an ear scratch when I'm busy at my desk or table. I love it!

I already thought Rio was the perfect puppy. Now there is icing on the cake!

Family News

Rio is fairly attached to his big brother Kyle. I feel bad that he's going to have to say goodbye to him next Saturday. Never fear though...Rio's getting another family member soon.

I'd like to introduce you to Rio's new dad! I don't say much about the details of my personal life on this blog, but I have to share the happiness of my recent engagement.

 (Rio, my fiance, and me outside Cafe Rio a few weeks ago.)

We will be getting married this summer, and I couldn't be happier. Rio is pretty smitten with his new dad, so I'm pretty sure he's going to love having him around as a co-raiser. Life is good!

Kennel Naps

When Kyle was little, he slept in some really weird positions. I think Rio's nap choice today takes the cake though.

(Rio sleeping in a too small kennel with his head smashed in the corner and his leg hanging out.)

Rio has easily outgrown his medium kennel. The big boy is already 42.8 pounds! That's only 19 pounds lighter than Kyle's 61.8 pounds. Crazy!

At home Rio gets to sleep in Kyle's large kennel, and the medium one at home stands empty. Kyle, on the other hand, sleeps free and has since he was six-months-old. Rio voluntarily chooses to nap in this medium kennel at work. He's on a tie-down and doesn't have to be cramped.

I should get Rio a bigger kennel, but the truth is that he will inherit Kyle's kennel and comfy dog beds in nine days. We're not talking about that right now though. Okay?

Photo Shoot

Three weeks ago, one of my students who is a fabulous photographer volunteered to do a photo shoot with my pups. When all was said and done, she took 234 photos. A few pictures have already made an appearance on the blog, but there are still hundreds more.

To keep from delaying this post any longer, I'm just going to let a few of the pictures speak for themselves. All I have to say is that I'm raising two photogenic boys.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

For anyone who wonders how Kyle and Rio are getting along, take a look at Kyle's reaction when I try to take his little brother away. Kyle thinks Rio is the best play toy I ever bought home!

(Kyle tugging on Rio's leash in an attempt to keep him nearby.)

Kyle and Rio are normal pups and do a fair amount of teasing each other too. Normally this takes the form of stealing toys, but it can manifest itself in other forms.

 (Rio looks like he's laughing while Kyle sticks out his tongue.)

2012 Calendar Submissions

Pictures for the 2012 GDB calendar were due today. I selected my submissions weeks ago, but I just managed to email them in. There's nothing like cutting it close. For your viewing pleasure, here are my submissions.

I love this picture of Kyle! Posing him in front of a Braille sign seems like setting him up for success. This picture is from June 2010 at a park in Idaho Falls. If any of my pictures are going to make it, I'm pretty sure this one has the best chance.

Rio's head tilt is always a heart melter. This picture is from the end of March. It's taken in my backyard on the day Rio was transferred to me.

 

The day Snickers came off the puppy truck, I asked his raiser if we could take a posed picture of him in Kyle's jacket. Thus this picture from August 2010.

Last month I took a road trip to Oregon with a fellow puppy raiser for Picassa's graduation. I puppy traded for Breeze since she needed the road trip experience. This picture isn't too far from GDB campus at Multnomah Falls.

I'm excited to see if any of these shots make the new calendar. I'll keep you posted.

Four Months

Rio has only been home for a week and two days, but I am already completely in love with this little pup. Guide Dogs sent me another great puppy to raise.

I could make a super long list of things about Rio. However, I'll stick to four things since he is four-months-old.

1. Rio proved himself a bomb proof dog today. During an earthquake drill, sirens and flashing lights alerted us to the mock disaster. Rio didn't even blink. He also successfully ignored 1850 students all headed to the football field at the same time. I was impressed!

 (Rio in a perfect sit on the football field with huge crowds of students behind him.)

2. Rio loves his food! He gets more food a meal than Kyle's ever gotten, but he's still on the skinny side. Even with larger portions, Rio finishes his meals before Kyle. He also makes adorable piggy snorts whenever he earns a kibble. We practice come just so I can hear them.

3. Rio loves Kyle. When they play, Rio wears out before Kyle does, so he's learned to hide under the kitchen chairs, under my bed, or behind the rocking chair to signal a time out. Rio also heads for these locations whenever he manages to snag a bone from Kyle.

(Rio hiding with a new bacon flavored nylabone under the kitchen chairs.)

4. Rio already has nearly impeccable house manners. I keep an eye on him because he's not accident free yet, and he is teething. That said, Rio is free when he's the only dog around. I love what an easy puppy he is to live with.

This past week has been so much fun with Rio. I'm excited to spend the next year or so with him!

Sixteen

Kyle is 16-months-old, and Rio is 16-weeks-old. One year sure can make a difference in the life of a puppy. It's fun having the comparison of the skills Kyle has already mastered, and the adventures Rio is soon to experience.

 

(This is a miracle shot. Both boys are looking at the camera with their eyes open.)

I weighed both pups on Thursday because I wanted a comparison. Kyle weighs 62.8 pounds, and Rio weighs 34.7 pounds.

For comparison, I got Kyle at 23 weeks, and he weighed 37.1 pounds. I'm guessing Rio will be that weight within the next couple weeks. Rio still looks like a little guy to me, but apparently he's going to be a big boy!

Homecoming Goodness

Be prepared to be inundated with tons of adorable puppy pictures! Picking up Rio and introducing him to his new home was a blast!

(Someone must have told Rio that the way to win my heart is by snuggling his head on my shoulder.)

In case you haven't figured it out yet, Rio is a transfer puppy. About eight weeks ago, my club leader told me about three lab puppies that were coming to Utah that weekend. Two had homes, but the third was a starter puppy. She asked if I would be interested in finishing the pup. My intention had been to start my own puppy, but on a whim I said yes and cannot be happier with my decision.

(Rio cuddling on my lap outside my friend's condo.)

I thought all three pups coming were female black labs. That was almost right because two were. I laughed out loud when I found out that the starter puppy was a male yellow lab. All four of my puppies have been MYLs. If I ever raise anything different, I won't know what to do.

The day Rio came to Utah, we had evaluations with our CFR. It was at that meeting that I found out that Rio was officially mine. My CFR also let our club guess his name. It only took about 30 seconds to guess Rio. I love Rio's name! It's my favorite puppy name and the only one I would have chosen for a pet dog. (Sorry Turk, Mesa, and Kyle.)

Rio was started by the leader of the club to the north of us. I never got to meet Rio in person before yesterday, but I did get to see pictures of him via a text, a blog, and facebook. I couldn't wait to see the boy in person.

 (Holding Rio out so that I could see his adorable face.)

Ever since my first puppy club had two gorgeous red colored yellow labs, I've longed for a red puppy of my own. Rio fulfilled my wish! I'm seriously so excited about his darker color.

(Red Rio showing off his fun speckled nose.)

I wasn't the only person eagerly anticipating Rio's arrival. My neighbors, friends, club members, family, and students we're all excited to meet him as well.

(Rio meeting my neighbor. She loves my puppies and is super excited that Rio plays gently.)

Of course, the most important meeting was when I introduced Kyle and Rio. Things couldn't have gone better!

 (The first sniffs as I let Kyle free from his kennel.)

Kyle and Rio are adorable when they play together. Kyle is great at matching his play style to other dogs' styles, so the boys hit it off well from the start.

 (Kyle and Rio sniffed each other for about two seconds before they began roughhousing.)

To wrap up the massive amounts of pictures, I took the boys into the backyard for some shots in their puppy vests.

 (Kyle whispering secrets into Rio's ears. Hopefully he was giving Rio tips for being the best guide pup possible.)

Rio needed a head shot for our club website. He is about the easiest puppy to photograph. I just love this adorable face!

(Rio with an charming head tilt and wrinkly eyebrows.)

After all the camera happiness, it was time to just snuggle Kyle and Rio. My friend Katie was with me to pick up Rio, and she acted as our photographer. Since both boys wanted attention, Katie stuck around, and we took turns cuddling both puppies.

 (Rio enjoying Katie's lap.)

There are tons more pictures and stories, and Rio hasn't even been home for 24 hours. The next year with Rio is going to be a great one!

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

(Rio, me, and Kyle in our back yard.)

Introducing #4

Just over an hour ago, I picked up male yellow lab #4. My new little boy is Rio. More information about the little guy and his big brother will follow later. For now, I'm going to go love on both of my puppies.

7.5 Hours until #4

Puppy #4 arrives in 7 1/2 hours. I cannot wait to meet the little one! It's seriously affecting my productivity at work.

It's not too late to cast a vote on who's coming. So far nobody is right, so you still have a chance to win.

Game Time

I'm no good at keeping secrets, but I've held this one in for several weeks now. Aren't you proud of me?

Kyle's going to be a big brother!

Part of the reason I was surprised by Kyle's late recall date was the fact that I had already applied for a new puppy. Since that pup is arrives on March 29, I'll have two puppies in training for six and a half weeks. The idea overwhelmed me at first, but now I'm looking forward to the adventure.

In anticipation of the new arrival, it's game time. When I found out about Kyle's transfer, I shared each puzzle piece of information as I gathered it. With puppy #4, I'm doing the opposite. I'm not going to tell anything. Instead you get to place a guess in each of the following categories:

Gender, Breed, Color, and Litter Letter.

The first person to guess correctly will get a care package with a couple of Kyle's favorite toys. After all, Kyle has to be a part of this, or he'll get jealous. If nobody guesses correctly, we'll draw among the people who get 3 out of 4 correct. The game closes when I post a picture of the new pup.

*If you know the answers, please don't play. Your prize is being in on the secret. :)