Winter Wonderland

Utah might be snowy and cold, but it's downright toasty here compared to where my sister lives in Idaho. Kyle loves the snow, so he thought this was a great deal. In fact, he spent a good portion of the time we were in Idaho playing with Boo and Kasie in the snow.

(Boo, Kyle, and Kasie taking a break from a game of chase.)

For the most part, my sister's dog Boo doesn't like to play with Kyle. Instead, they play independently in the same yard. Thankfully, the neighbors' dog Kasie warmed up to Kyle after a few minutes, and they became fast friends.

I wanted Kyle to learn to be outside in a fenced yard without me, and having Kasie around helped him gain the confidence to do so. The first day, Kyle kept barking to come inside with the people, but by the end of our trip he was comfortable spending time out of my presence. Since I always had a fenced yard with my other GDB puppies and pets, it was funny to have to teach Kyle this skill.

(Kyle chasing Kasie across the yard.)

Kasie and Boo's favorite game is chasing squirrels up a tree. They'll spend hours on end watching their favorite squirrel spots. I was a bit worried that they would teach Kyle this game, but he never quite figured out what they were up to. I guess Kyle's retriever instincts with small animals aren't too strong. That's perfect for guide work, so I won't complain.

(Boo and Kasie are jumping at a squirrel in a tree while Kyle wanders away bored.)

Just because I can throw it in, here's a shot of my handsome boy in the snow. This picture really shows how much he is starting to look like an adult.

(Kyle standing in packed down snow.)

I'm not a fan of cold weather, so poor Kyle hasn't had his daily walks for awhile. However, with my sister Kassie and Boo as companions, we found the motivation to brave the weather. The walks were beautiful, but I have to admit that the pups had wet paws, and the humans had soggy shoes and pants by the end of each walk. That didn't keep us from venturing out again though. It's always more enjoyable to walk with company.

(Kyle and I venturing down one of the cleared sidewalks. Nice sidewalks are worth crossing the street!)

Finally, since we had a photographer with us, Kyle and I got a rare picture together. Venturing into the winter wonderland was worth it to give Kyle a weekend that he loved.

 (Kyle and I on the sidewalk in front of the snow.)

Colorful Colorado

In Colorado there is a popular bumper sticker that states "Not a native, but I got here as fast as I could." My family moved to Colorado when I was almost 12-years-old and immediately agreed with that sentiment. They stayed there for over nine years. For a family that moves about every two years, that is a really long time.

Kyle's first puppy home was in Colorado. Thus, while we both ended up in Utah, the "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" sign sure brought a huge smile to my face. Kyle was asleep, but we stopped a bit down the road so that we could both enjoy a break on Colorado soil.

(Kyle in a great down-stay near the top of Monarch Pass.)

The first stop on our trip was my hometown where my best friend from high school, Sarah, and her dog, Sam, live.

When we got to Sarah's house, she surprised me with an early birthday celebration. This was Kyle's first opportunity to watch someone open gifts. He got excited about the process and decided to help me.

(Kyle was really interested in seeing what was in my box. He was disappointed to find out that there weren't any puppy toys. However, I loved all of my gifts!)

Both Sarah and I were fairly nervous about how Sam and Kyle would get along. They have such different sizes, temperaments, and ages that we could have had problems. However, all our worries were for naught. They got along just fine.

(Sam, a 5-year-old Scottie, relaxed on the couch while Kyle sat next to him on the floor.)

Kyle and I spent our first full day in Colorado playing in my hometown. Kyle's favorite spot was Sarah's parents' backyard. He and Sam had a blast running around. The yard is huge, so it was a great place to practice off leash recalls.

(Kyle was "in the doghouse" for part of the time while we played in the back yard.)

The main purpose of our trip to Colorado was four days of camping in Marble. That meant Sarah and I loaded up both dogs and drove for five hours. Kyle started out on the floor and Sam had the back seat, but they both ended up sharing the seat in the end.

(Kyle and Sam curled up together on the seat.)

About halfway through the drive, we stopped at Independence Pass on the Continental Divide. The pictures show just how breathtaking this spot of earth is.

(Kyle and I in front of mountains in the distance. Kyle may be getting heavy, but I still can pick him up like a baby.)

When we sat down for a rest on a bench, we ended up meeting a puppy sitter from a Colorado club. I was suprised that she recognized Kyle as a dog in training since he wasn't wearing his puppy jacket. Sarah pointed out that I was wearing a "Born to Lead" tee-shirt. Silly me!

We had a great visit about Kyle, and the puppy sitter offered to take our picture. However, after being stuck in a car for the second day in a week, Kyle was a bit of a goof ball.Sam definitely put on a better show of his obedience training at that point.

(Kyle tried to squirm every-which-way in my arms while Sam sat calmly in Sarah's lap.)

A few minutes later, we headed down the trail and Kyle decided to sit wonderfully for a picture in front of the Independence Pass sign. I guess he just needed to get his wiggles out. Truth be told, I did too.

(Kyle sat like a human in my lap with his front paws hanging over my arm. The silly boy enjoys sitting like this whenever I let him.)

Kyle and I also had to get a picture with Sarah and Sam. If you look at our feet, Sarah and I are sitting in the exact same pose. That makes me laugh.

(Our group of four in front of the sign and a pond. I love the little ponds that dot this area.)

After we got to our campsite and pitched our tents, we headed to an old marble quarry to see the antiquated equipment. I was amazed by the shear quantity of marble. The marble used in the Lincoln Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier came from this area.

 (Kyle and Sam posed on a marble table that reminded me of Aslan's table in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.)

On another day of our camping trip, we headed to some natural hot springs. At first Kyle was really hesitant of getting in the water. However, after he saw Sam playing, Kyle decided that the water wasn't that bad. He especially liked trying to catch the water we squirted up with our hands.

(Kyle and Sarah sitting in a hot spring with the river in the background.)

(At one point I enjoyed a hot spring while Kyle dried out on the beach behind us.)

Usually our camping trips include a lot of hiking. Sarah and I have been known to hike two trails a day for a few days in a row. However, this year my broken foot limited our hiking abilities, so we stayed to flat trails and the main streets of tiny towns. Kyle and Sam loved all of the walking and stayed alert and active all day. At night, the two of them crashed in the tent. I loved having Kyle right next to me as we slept. He is my cuddle bug after all.

By the last full day of camping, Kyle finally got tired enough to take a nap. After a long walk, he crashed under a tree. Since he previously spent his time trying to eat the pine needles and twigs under the tree, this was major progress.

(Kyle is collapsed on his side in the shade of a giant pine tree.)

While we loved camping, it was nice to get back to Sarah's house. On our last day in town, Kyle and I visited the church were I grew up. That, more than anything else on the trip, felt like coming home. The congregation was full of people who shaped the person I am today. I loved giving them hugs and catching up on our years apart. I wish I could still see them every Sunday.

Since I come from a large family with several sisters who look alike, some people in the congregation questioned which sister I was when they spotted me in the pew. However, they saw Kyle and figured out that I was Amanda before having to ask. After all, they remembered me with Turk and Mesa in times past. Kyle was a saint (insert cheesy laugh here) at church and won over the hearts of all of my friends. He sure can be a charmer!

Kyle and I love Utah, but Colorado also has a piece of my heart. I know that Kyle loved going to his home state as well. I don't know if Kyle will make it back again before his recall next spring, but I look forward to many more adventures showing puppies-in-training where Turk, Mesa, and I grew up.

New Best Friend

This past weekend Kyle and I decided to take an impromptu road trip to visit my mom and Aunt Judy. Within an hour of deciding to travel, we had the car loaded and were on our way. Once again, Kyle was a good sport about the travel time. However, the friend waiting on the other side of the drive made Kyle's weekend.

Judy's family has a six-year-old black lab named Lucky. Kyle and Lucky were instant best friends. I brought Kyle's tug toys, and they had a blast playing with them.

(Lucky and Kyle are running alongside each other. They are holding opposite ends of the Jollyball rope.)

Lucky is a lot stronger than Kyle. Thus, whenever they played tug, all Lucky had to do was stand his ground. Kyle pulled and pulled, but Lucky won most games of tug without exerting much effort. The boys were so fun together that we literally sat around and watched them for entertainment a couple times a day.

(Kyle and Lucky playing tug with the Jollyball. I love that Kyle's ears are flying because he had to exert so much effort to try and pull against Lucky.)

Lucky had never played with all of the GDB approved toys. Kyle gave Lucky one of his sterilized  bones. Before the week is over, Lucky will have a goughnut and a nylabone. Lucky also has a Furminator ordered from ebay. Lucky might not be a guide dog, but GDB has the best things for labs figured out.

(My mom held a sterilized bone for both dogs while they gnawed away at them. Spoiled boys!)

These dogs bonded quickly. If Kyle was on tiedown, Lucky stayed near him. Lucky always sleeps near Judy, but this weekend Lucky was a traitor and slept in the family room with Kyle and me. I took Kyle to church Sunday. When we got home Lucky started whining at my door of the van because I wasn't letting Kyle out quickly enough. Monday when I put Kyle in my car to head home, Lucky tried to jump in.

I wasn't the only person who decided to run away. After a weekend of fun, Judy headed to my home yesterday, but she left Lucky at home. Poor boys! We're just going to head south again sometime soon so that Kyle can play with his new best friend.

Random Vacation Memories

I promise that this will be the last post about the road trip to Idaho. These pictures include a hodgepodge of memories that are just too good not to include.

Papa loves dogs, so he had a blast playing with Kyle and Boo. After playing tug with Kyle for quite a while, he still didn't want to stop. In fact, the last thing they did before we left was play tug together.

(Kyle and Papa playing tug together.)

Kyle spent a good portion of Saturday running around outside with Boo and another neighbor dog. While Kyle enjoyed the rare freedom, he did check back with us frequently by peering in the window. Every time he stared at us, it made everyone laugh.

(Kyle intently looking at everyone through the window.)

On Sunday everyone decided to head to the river walk again. By then my foot was out of commission, so Kyle and I enjoyed reading in the grass while we waited for our family to return.

(Kyle looking regal as he lies in the grass.)

Monday night we finally took Kyle on an outing where only guide dogs would be allowed. Ricky and Papa had never been in public with one of my pups before, so this was a new experience for them. We celebrated Nicki's birthday at a yummy Mexican restaurant. Kyle stayed calmly under the table for the entire meal. That even included the wait staff singing to Nicki, much to her chagrin.

(Here's everyone I spent the wonderful weekend with: Papa, Nicki, Ricky, Me, and Kassie.)

After dinner we headed to the store to get ingredients for dessert and a few other odds and ends. Papa asked to walk Kyle. Since Kyle was in a head collar that night, I let him. They made an adorable team. Papa is fascinated with Kyle's career as a "blind dog" and repeatedly told me that he was going to be the best "blind dog" ever. I sure hope so.

(Kyle walked on a loose leash for Papa the whole time Papa had him.)

Papa was so good with Kyle that I hope he gets the chance to puppy raise in five or ten years. I've already planted the idea in his head.

Check out the video to see how well they walked together. At one point Papa took a wrong turn, but he even figured out how to redirect Kyle towards our group without pulling on the leash. Way to go Papa and Kyle!

I love my family! Kyle and I both had a blast spending a wonderful weekend with them. Hopefully it won't be too long until we're together again.

Day at the Sand Dunes

My sister Nicki and her family originally decided to visit Kassie so that they could go four wheeling at nearby sand dunes. I ended up as part of the plan because I invited myself along. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see my "almost twin" sister (we're the same age part of the year) and my adorable nephew. My brother-in-law is great, too!

Monday morning we headed to the dunes. We had two four wheelers, but one of them decided not to work. Thus, we had to find another way to entertain ourselves while we took turns riding. After a brief walk around the parking area, we found a shallow lake where Papa and Kyle could get wet while Nicki and I visited and watched.

When I first had Kyle, he didn't want to walk through puddles. Thus, I was amazed at how quickly he voluntarily ran into the water. He'd run a large circle around me through the water and across the beach.
 There is no doubt that Kyle is a water-loving dog.

(Kyle standing in the water. At the lake's deepest point, it was probably 1.5 feet deep.)

Of course, getting wet didn't make enough of a mess. Kyle decided that he wanted to roll in the sand after a few runs through the lake. That effectively changed him to a gray lab.

(This is a shot of Kyle's underside completely coated in sand.)

Kyle never completely wore himself out, but he did spend some downtime soaking up the sun rays.

(Kyle lying in the sand. I love that his nose is completely covered. I'd brush the sand off, but it never lasted.)

Eventually Kyle got tired of the hot sun and decided to make a cooler spot for himself. Sometimes animals' natural instincts amaze me. Kyle has never dug in the past, but he taught himself how and burrowed down until he got to the cooler wet sand below the ground's surface.

(This is a great video of Kyle flinging sand everywhere as he dug himself a cool resting spot.)

Kyle never got to rest in his holes for very long because Papa always filled them in for him. I counted at least three seperate holes that Kyle created for himself though.

Papa loved having a K9 friend to play with in the sand. Kyle got too rowdy at one point and jumped on Papa. Other than that, they made great playmates. Kyle even sat patiently while Papa tried to bury him.

(Papa has a huge grin and Kyle has a grimace as Papa poured sand on Kyle's back. The sand was too dry to actually bury the patient pup.)

Perhaps Kyle's favorite part of the trip was the last few minutes. I walked Kyle through a spot that had a few burrs, so I let him sit on my lap long enough to check the pads of his feet. He didn't want to get up afterward. He still thinks he is a lap dog.

(Gigantic Kyle overwhelmed my lap as he rested on it, but he enjoyed the treat nonetheless.)

Of course, after a messy day at the beach, only one option remained for Kyle. He had to get wet again as he took a bath. He survived though, and is now squeaky clean.

(Kyle gets to sport a mohawk whenever I bathe him. He is less than impressed.)

After Kyle's fun at the beach, I want to go to a deeper lake where I can take him swimming. That would be fun!

Playing at the Park

Idaho falls has one of the biggest parks I have ever seen. It was spread over several acres and housed several different sets of play equipment. We headed to the park so that Papa could play, but the adults in our group ended up having just as much fun.

This outing was after my foot disaster, so Kyle and I started out taking it easy.

(Kyle and I sat at the picnic tables and watched the water bottles.)

(Kyle hanging out on the squishy rubber mat under all of the play equipment. He didn't mind the new surface at all.)

Does anyone know if there is a puppy raising club in Idaho Falls? We had several families approach us with interest in Guide Dogs. Kyle and I especially had fun telling all of the cute kids about his training and future career.

(A curly-haired little two-year-old was fascinated with Kyle. She smiled from ear to ear when she saw him.)

(Kyle and I teaching three young children about how to interact with a service dog. They were full of great questions.)

My favorite find at the park was a giant braille alphabet. I thought the sign was a great tactile activity for little kids. Plus, it was the perfect spot to get a picture of a future guide dog.

(Kyle in a handsome sit in front of the braille alphabet. The sign is twice as tall as Kyle.)

(Kyle and I sitting to the side of the alphabet.)

Idaho Falls Riverwalk

While Kyle and I had a great time at my friend's farm, we were excited to see my sisters and headed to Idaho Falls for the second half of our trip.

When Kyle and I pulled into Kassie's house, the first thing Kassie and I did was let Kyle and Boo meet. Boo is Kassie's almost six-year-old black lab/chow mix. It took about a minute for Boo to establish her dominance over Kyle, and then they were great friends the rest of our stay.

Since Kyle had just sat through another long car ride and Boo was stuck home while Kassie worked all day, we decided to lod up the dogs and head to the riverwalk downtown.

(Boo and Kyle sitting on the back seat with smiles on their faces and their tongues hanging out of their mouths.)

Kyle and I loved the riverwalk, and Kassie was willing to act as our photographer so we actually got quite a few pictures together.

(Kyle and I sitting in front of a spillway on the river.)

(Kyle and I sitting in front of the river.)

It sure felt good to stretch our legs after half a day in the car. Because Boo isn't a service dog, she got to run around on the trail sniffing everything and chasing geese. I was so proud of Kyle. He didn't let working alongside Boo distract him in the slightest and walked on a nice loose leash with his head held high the entire time.

(At one point we got another family to take a picture of Kassie, Boo, Kyle and me in front of one of the spillways.)

The riverwalk was a perfect evening outing. Next time we visit Kassie, we'll have to make a return trip to the river.

Farm Living is the Life for Me

The first stop on my road trip with Kyle was to my friend's farm. She, her husband, and their three little girls live in the middle of their working farm. Honestly, their back yard is barley fields. I love the peacefulness of visiting their home!

Kyle's favorite thing about my visits with this friend is her three adorable daughters. They've met on multiple occasions, and the girls love to play with Kyle. He got all kinds of attention from them on the trip. They played with him during the day, and every night before bed, the girls gave him kisses and hugs.

(The three cute girls are pulling on the rope of Kyle's jollyball while he pulls on the opposite end. The ball in the middle made this a safe game of tug for little hands.)

During the trip, my friend, the girls, and I picked and canned 40 pounds of pie cherries. I got to bring home seven of them for my food storage. While this blog is about my puppy raising adventures, gardening and canning are two of my other favorite hobbies.

 (These five buckets of cherries turned into 14 canned quarts, 4 frozen quarts, and one wonderful cherry crisp.)

Unfortunately for Kyle, dealing with cherry pits and sticky syrup meant that he had to stay on tie down by the piano for the good part of an afternoon. This was not his favorite activity.

(Kyle is tied to the piano and ignoring two bones at his side. His droopy eyes tell the story of his boredom.)

Thankfully, Kyle never stayed bored for too long. The girls left their other play activities to make frequent visits to Kyle.

(E, 4-years-old, took this picture of H, 6-years-old, playing with Kyle. H patiently held Kyle's bones while he chewed them on multiple occasions.)

While we primarily stayed around the house, Kyle did get to go on a walk to see some nearby cows and horses. He also helped me babysit the girls at the park while my friend went to a doctor's appointment.

(I love this shot of Kyle lying in the grass at the park and looking straight up at the camera. He is turning into such a handsome dog!)

After three days at my friend's farm, the verdict is that I could live on a farm forever. I tend to be a natural homebody, so my friend's lifestyle suits me. However, I think Kyle would turn down the chance to move to a farm. Without permission to kill gophers and run free like the farm dog, Kyle would get bored. He loves to be out and about too much. Thus, we'll stick to living in our wonderful community that feels like a small town for my sake but has plenty of places for Kyle to visit.

Road Tripping with Kyle

Last Wednesday Kyle and I set out on a road trip that was supposed to cover 1034.42 miles in 15 hours and 20 minutes of drive time over a six day period. That estimate didn't even include drive times while we were at our destinations. Now that we are home, I can say that we covered that much distance, but thanks to road construction, we logged more time than that in the car.

It was with a bit of trepidation that I took Kyle with me on this trip. How well behaved can a puppy be in a car for hours on end? Let's just say that Kyle was a pro. Honestly, I have never met a dog that traveled as well as he did. I hope Kyle gets paired with a partner that loves to travel because he is the dog for the job!

When I first got Kyle, we had a contest of wills over where he would sit in the car. I am insistent that my puppies belong on the floor. He has learned his lesson, and sits on my passenger floorboard now. Thus, that is where Kyle started this trip.

(Kyle is smashed in a tiny ball on my floorboard.)

Eventually, I started to feel bad for his cramped position, so I invited Kyle onto the front seat. He sat well mannered and enjoyed looking out the windows.

(Kyle in a perfect sit on the front seat while he looks out the windshield.)

You never know what interesting things you will see on a road trip.

(A foot and leg are hanging out of the trunk of a car. I'm pretty sure they are fake because my family used to have one to use for Halloween and April Fool's Day.)

While I had good intentions of giving Kyle more space by allowing him on the front seat, he wanted to sleep more. Thus, he curled in a ball on the seat which offered less space than the floorboard. At one point I looked over at him and he had half fallen off the seat and was still dead asleep.

(Kyle is sound asleep with his front half on the seat and his rear end on the floorboard. His body is bent awkwardly.)

The towel on the front seat gives away the fact that I planned from the outset of the trip to let Kyle on the front seat eventually. However, I realized that he really needed even more space. Kyle never complained one bit, but I felt bad for him. About four hours into day one of our trip, I pulled over, got my emergency blanket out of the trunk, and covered the backseat so that Kyle could have more space. He loved that!

(Kyle sitting on the backseat with a lopsided grin and his tongue hanging out of his mouth.)

Truth be told, although I have cute pictures of Kyle when he was awake in the car, he spent almost all the car time on our trip asleep. That is what made him such an easy travel companion.

(Kyle is lying on the backseat half asleep.)

My favorite moments with Kyle in the car were when he wanted to keep enjoying the luxury or the back seat while being by me. On multiple occasions, he stretched so that his rear end was on the back seat, his front end was on my arm rest, and his stomach was suspended in the air. Talk about a good ab workout.

(Kyle has his head and both paws wedged on my armrest and his hind quarters on the back seat.)

(Kyle is tipped sideways on my armrest and falling asleep. This time he had fallen off the seat, so he was sitting on the floor.)

I'm amazed at how well Kyle did. Today as I traveled home, I actually talked to another raiser in my club who wants to take Kyle to the California Fun Day at the end of the month. I was happy to tell her that he is the perfect dog for that road trip. Between that trip and one we have planned to Colorado next month, Kyle is going to be a seasoned traveler before long.

The real question is how long it will take me to retrain Kyle to only sit on the front floorboard now that he has experienced the luxury of a back seat.