Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Diarrhea Has Met It's Match

Wayne here,

Some of you readers may know that I have been having a terrible time with diarrhea. It has been so bad that I would have it in the middle of the night and it would be everywhere! I had it really bad with the Royal Canin puppy food that the school wants me to eat. It is just too strong for my stomach I guess so mom had to change my diet to Nutro. I was doing fine at first with having pumpkin in my food as long as it was in there EVERY time I ate, it not, then the diarrhea was back. I would already be fully housebroken if it weren't for this issue.

Mom has finally gotten to the point where she is sick and tired of having to clean up after me every time I eat and in the middle of the night, that we have taken a trip to the vet for some tests....the verdict is in and it looks like I have an infection in my intestines which is minor and treatable with antibiotics. You may be thinking that mom has been ignoring the problem, but believe me, she has tried everything she can think of before the vet visit. I had to go to the vet anyway to have my Canine Influenza vaccinne anyway, so why not treat the problem while we are there? There have been other dogs that have had this same issue when they were younger and it's just something that puppies get. I just take my 2 pills 3 times a day for a few days and I should be good as new. So far so good, so keep wishing me luck!

I will keep you updated on my progress.

Love,
Wayne

Winter Wonderland- Dec. 26,2010

Wayne here,

We had a very nice snow here in NC on the 26th. We got about 4-5 inches of snow in one night! We just missed having a white Christmas which doesn't happen often according to my mom. Oh well though, at least we got snow this year, and a good one at that. My family went outside to play in it and enjoy it while it lasted. We all had a blast! I especially loved to dig my head in it and throw my head back throwing it all over myself as if to cool down, even if it was not hot outside. Bristol and Jake chased their toys while I ran as hard as I could to keep up with them. It was gorgeous outside and we had a great time. It tasted snow good...hehe, I have to humor myself a little.

Here are some pictures that mom took of us while we played:

Snow on the railing

Me

Bristol wearing her sweater. (The Vizslas get cold)

Digging in the snow.

Pretty wonderland



Very cloudy sky


Hi!

Nice cold seat available

Snooping through the snow


Running to mom

Chasing Jake




Oh what fun we had that day! Maybe we will get some more snow. I really like this cold weather.

Love,
Wayne

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Underneath The Christmas Tree

Wayne here,

Our family did a little gift exchange this morning/ Santa Claus. Santa knew just what I wanted! He brought me a bone and some treats! Wow, I really like him. He knows what puppies want. Can he visit more often? I might have to make up a list for next year on what he can bring me wherever I happen to be.

It was a really good Christmas for me and I hope yours was as good.

Love,
Wayne

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I wanted to tell you all that it has been a great Christmas Eve for me so far and that I am looking forward to seeing what Santa brings me under the tree tonight since I have been a good boy for momma. I went last-minute Christmas shopping with the family last night at Wal-Mart and I did great! Not traction on the slick floors though and no accidents!! That was the best part.

I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday and that you get the opportunity to spend it with the people you love the most! I know I will. Mom and I will have to post some pictures of me soon.

Love,
Wayne

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Pictures from Christmas Party- 2010

Just like I promised, here are the pictures which are a little blurry. With young pups like us all sitting in one spot together, what can you expect?

I am sitting on the floor like a good boy.

Trying to get everyone together and calm. From left to right: Joyce and Mako, Mom and Me, Doc and Jeannie (in the very back), and Emmy and Jenny.
                                          

Oh yeah it was hard to sit still.

This would have been a really good one if I hadn't looked down and Emmy hadn't moved so that her face looks like a blur.

There goes Mako.

Me and Mom

Moms dog that she got in honor of Hugh




All in all, it was a great meeting. Good to see everyone again, especially my brother, Doc, and sister, Emmy. I don't get to see them often since they live so far away. Good times were had by all.

Love,
Wayne

Puppy Raiser Christmas Party!

Wayne here,

Tonight, our group had our Christmas party at a restaurant here in Albemarle, North Carolina. This is where we all get together and eat, fellowship, see each other's dogs to compare and contrast them, and exchange gifts.

Our group has a tradition that we have been doing sine we branched off into our own small group from the once really big group. That tradition is to play the Secret Santa game. For those of you not familiar with this game, it is played like this: everyone brings a gift (up to $10 or so) and puts it on the table either wrapped or in a bag.All of the Puppy Raisrs who brought a gift pick a number out of a basket and we go in order allowing each person to get a gift. Here is the twist, if you are next in line, you can either steal a gift that you really like from someone or you can choose a new gift that has not been selected yet. The person that was number 1 is able to steal from anyone once everyone has had a chance to get a gift. It's a super fun game. You never know what you will end up with by the end of the game. Mom's gift tonight was a bag of dog cookie mix and a small lint roller. Now I can have home-baked treats and she can be dog hair free when I start shedding really really bad.

Doc and Emmy were at the meeting tonight. Doc and Emmy are both so big! They make me look small and I am a chunky puppy! Our puppy raiseers were exchanging  questions about us puppies trying to compare us together. We definitely are from the same litter. Since this is our one meeting for the month, all of the dogs were required to be there. We only have one meeting this month since Christmas usually falls when our second obedience training meeting is held and we know there will be people away visiting family at this time.

Our group also has a tradition that we do every year. The puppy raisers that have had a dog be matched in the past year (between last Christmas party and this one) gets something special at the meeting honoring thEm and the dog they raised. The puppy raisers all get a small stuffed dog that is matched to the best of the ability of the very special woman in our group who came up with this really neat idea. She orders a stuffed dog and makes a small leather harness to put on the dog representing it as a guide dog and names it the same name as the dog the puppy raiser raised. It is such a special treat when the puppy raisers have a dog be matched and are honored at this meeting. We had four dogs be matched this past year: Hugh (mom's 2nd dog that she raised. He is a Goldador), Duchess (Hugh's sister), Dave (Hugh's brother), and Dexter (Hugh's other brother). That's quite an accomplishment to have all of our littermates from one group be matched.

Pictures are coming up in the next post which is about 5 minutes from now...

Love,
Wayne

Monday, December 13, 2010

It is Cold!!!!

Wayne here,

It is super cold here in North Carolina! We had a light dusting of snow yesterday. It is still cold enough to snow here right now, it just hasn't yet. We may get some later on in the week. I know everyone dreads going outside because the winds cuts through you like ice. It is terrible! I think it supposed to get down into the teens throughout the night. Brrr so glad I don't have to sleep outside.



Puppy love,
Wayne

Sunday, December 12, 2010

More Pictures of Me

sleeping on the kitchen floor

in front of the baby gate

playing with my toy

my first bath

I look really happy, don't I?

Obedience Meeting #2

This past Thursday, mom and I went to my second obedience training meeting. Mako, my sister, and I were the only two pups there. We practiced several commands including: forward, sit, stay, down. and ignoring distractions that were on the floor such as wrapping paper, bows, and kids toys.

It was a really good meeting. The place that were were in was decorated with all kinds of Christmas trees donated by various businesses (same place as the last meeting) so there were plenty of distractions. Mako, her raiser, mom, and I all took pictures with each other.

I actually got to go to work with mom for the very first time. We took an hour lunch break to go to the meeting and practice before going back to work. I liked going to work with mom even if I had to sit in my kennel while she got her work done. Maybe I can go again some time. It's a great experience going to work.


Mako and her mom at the Santa chair


Mako, her raiser, mom, and I






























Next puppy meeting will be at a restaurant for our Puppy Raiser Christmas Party. Can't wait for this. All of the raisers who had a dog matched this year will get a special treat. That is almost all of the raisers in our group since they were repeat raisers and all had littermates to each other.

Our dogs that have been matched this year are: Otto, Hugh, Dave, Dexter, and Duchess.
Dogs currently at the school for IFT: Sandy, Riley-Jack, Laura, Ranger, Cameron, and Spunky.
Career changed dogs are: Legion and Rudy.
Current Puppies-In-Training: Wayne (me), Mako, Doc, Emmy, SNAP, and CW.

All of these dogs deserve something special in their stockings from Santa for being such wonderful dogs. Our group is moving right along with the training of these pups. :)

Bye for now,
Wayne

Monday, December 6, 2010

We're Making Progress....

Wayne here,

Mom, dad, baby, and I all went out this morning to Wal-mart to grab a couple of things and to get the oil changed in the car. I walked around with mom while we waited on the car to be fininshed, and guess what? No accidents!!! Mom was so proud of me. I didn't have any accidents in there the last time we went which was last night. I am doing so much better about not having accidents in public. I think I am getting the hang of it! However, I am not so great at warning mom that I need to go out at home. I will eventually be completely potty-trained. Mom is praying that day comes soon (I know she is). When I am completely potty-trained and trustworthy, she will let me have more freedom in the house.

Pray for me to get the hang of this soon....

Love from, Wayne

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Pictures of Me

Wayne here,

Mom and I have been trying to get some pictures of me on here and I think we finally got it. Here we go...

  This photo is a little blurry. This one was taken a couple 
of days after I arrived in my raiser home.

                                I am sitting on the towel where the water bowl is supposed to be.

                                                    Looking tired and I am comfortable.        

                                              My raisers' baby is making sure I drink my water.

                                         Asleep in my kennel after a trip to Wal-Mart. My kennel
                                       door is not shut so I could come out any time I was ready.

                        I would rather take a nap then eat. How many times do you see a Lab do that?

More pictures of me to come. It is late I think mom and I will go to bed now. Maybe post some more pictures tomorrow.

Goodnight,
Wayne

Obedience Training Meeting: Class 1 of 6

Wayne here,

Today was the start of a 6-week course of OT that we 'little ones' must pass. This is the beginning phase that all puppies must go through. We will continue to have regulaer OT meetings each month, but this is the only required time we have to go 6 straight weeks. During this time we will learn the basic commands such as: sit, down, stay, come, and forward. Depending on each pup's progression and what the raiser chooses to teach, determines if we can learn a couple more commands. We are taking this time slowly to make sure that we all master each and every command before moving on.

There were only three of us at the meeting today since one raiser was not feeling well and the other two live so far away. That's okay though, we had a good meeting anyway. Here are some pictures of us at the meeting:

                                            Me and Mom

                                                                Gene and SNAP

                                                                  Jennifer and CW





                                        From left to right: Sue (AC), Jennifer with CW in her lap,
                                         mom with me in her lap, and Gene with SNAP in his lap.

It was a good meeting and I think we all enjoyed ourselves.

Puppy Love,
Wayne

Daddy

Here is a picture of my daddy




Here is my daddy, Bob       

Coming Home to NC

Wayne here,

Hello, nice to meet you. I am a puppy in training for Southeastern Guide Dogs. I am a black Lab puppy. I will be here with my raiser and her family for roughly one year before I return to the guide dog school. My raiser also has a blog for the last dog that she raised which is currently back at the school finishing his training. If you would like to read about his adventures too, go to:
http://camerontheguidedog.blogspot.com/

As for me, I will be blogging about my adventures just like he did. I hope you enjoy reading about me.  Here we go...

My mom and dad picked me and two other siblings up at the school on November 6, 2010 after bringing back her last dog and another raisers dog the previous day and we headed to our new home here in NC. My two siblings will not be living with us, but they will be part of our Puppy Raiser Group that meets together to have our monthly Obedience Training meetings as well as exposure outings. I will actually have three siblings in our group: Doc and Emmy (both live in VA with their raiser families) and Mako (lives in NC very close to my house). Doc is a yellow male, Emmy is a yellow female, and Mako is a black female.

Anyways, my raisers picked us up and we drove all the way home to NC without any one of us getting sick on the long car ride. Of, course we stopped or food, gas, and potty times, but none of us were sick and that was great! Mom was so proud of us all. We arrived at my house at 10:30 that night and Emmy and Doc spent the night with me. Mom and dad picked up their baby from her grandparents' house and we got to meet her for the first time. We all slept soundly together which was nice....especially for my raisers' sake.
After a decent night's sleep, we all got up around 7 the next morning and were ready to eat. Our Area Coordinator's husband picked up Emmy and Doc shortly after breakfast and took them to meet their new raisers.

I have been here in my PR home for a  few weeks now and I am still working on the housebreaking, but am doing good with it. Every now and then I will have an accident, but that's par for the course I guess.I have been to several small stores and I have done well with that. I will be attending my 2nd meeting tonight, but this meeting is going to be the start of my 6-week Obedience Course that I must pass. I will do good. I know a few commands so far like: sit, stay, come, working on forward, no, and working on drop it. I am a smart little boy and mom loves me.I have learned a couple of lessons so far in this home: never lick an outlet and don't touch the inside of an oven door when it is open...they hurt.

Enjoy,
Wayne