Tyrone Square Mall February 28

Our Tuesday meeting in February brought us to Tyrone Square Mall, where we gathered in – or maybe I should say "took over" – the central court to begin.

Marcy had organized a scavenger hunt that took the puppies into several stores to experience many different types of environments, including Old Navy, Finish Line, Yankee Candle, Starbucks, Express, and Bath & Body Works. It was also a test of our puppies' abilities to NOT "busy" in the tempting confines of a shopping mall. I know of at least one puppy that did not pass that test – my own Mars, who made his debut at this meeting with his brother Popi. Let's hope this is not a harbinger of things to come.

Here's Popi with Ric and Betty Jo. What a good boy!

And here's Mars with Larry and Gabrielle, acting all innocent just before emptying both bladder and bowels in the mall. There's a reason we travel with cleanup supplies!

Along with the scavenger hunt, a roving train, a kiddie ride, and (at least for some of us) a food court provided further exposures for our pups before we called it a night.

Tampa International Airport February 11

Our Saturday meeting in February was at Tampa International Airport, which provided a whole host of different exposures from our visit to the much-quieter St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport last August. For one thing, it was much harder to describe where to meet!

But meet we did in one of the parking garages, where we divided the group into older and younger pups for some obedience exercises, including offering the pups the chance to do their business on concrete before we headed to the almost-completely carpeted terminal building. We also did a collar check to make sure the young puppies' buckle collars were no looser than two finger widths. It's important to keep these collars that tight so that if something unexpected frightens the pup, it cannot slip out of its collar and run away.

We began our journey by riding the monorail, one of the few working train-type transports in the Tampa Bay area. Here are Eric, Petey (aka St. Petersburg's First Puppy, attending his first meeting), and Eckerd (along with their handler torsos Melisa, Dave, and Kerry) enjoying their monorail ride.

After riding the monorail's full circuit, we walked by the monorail track to get to the terminal, so our pups could experience train travel from the outside too!

Once we got in the terminal, we took the elevators down to the ground floor to some grassy "busy" areas by some loud and misty fountains.

Then it was back inside to baggage claim, where a flight had just arrived to accommodate our exposure needs. Below, Tammy (with handler Darlene) looks ready to grab the first bag she recognizes, while Tommy (with Donna), Maytag (with Jen, Lincoln, and Julianne), and Nancy (with Starr) wait patiently.

We got back in the elevators to go to the concourse level, where we stopped by the observation deck (a good place to run to if you need a cement busy area ASAP), then walked by several shops as well as some diners just on the other side of a low fence at TGI Friday's. Mmm, French fries!

An airport display in the process of setup or teardown provided an impromptu obstacle course for the pups, who navigated it effortlessly by just following Tommy as he found the way to the wall. We continued through the Marriott hotel's lobby to their outside patio, complete with a wooden bridge for us to cross, as Polly (with Jean) does below.

We rested at the end so Dave could hand out Petey's business cards advertising Walkathon. Then we had one final exposure on a bridge over the roaring fountains that led us back to the parking garage and home.

Canine Body Language January 26

Our "Tuesday" meeting in January was held on a Thursday as we got together with the North Pinellas group for a presentation by Jen Gerrity about canine body language. We met at the Criminal Justice Center in Clearwater, where our first step was to go through building security.

That done, we made our way to a second-floor conference room, where we all barely fit in. Fortunately, Jen was able to connect her computer to the projection system without a hitch.

Jen talked about various aspects of canine body language, including:

- ear position (up and alert may indicate tension, hanging normally indicates relaxed confidence, and lying back shows fear or submission);

- tail position (high can be tense or aggressive, normal is relaxed, low or curled under is fearful or unsure); and

- body profile (puffed up with hackles raised is aggressive, normal is relaxed confidence, low with the head turned shows stress or uncertainty).

Jen also answered raisers' questions about various issues they were having, such as relieving separation anxiety by using a toy filled with food as a distracting challenge or correcting jumping by having a leash on the dog when company is expected and being ready to give firm downward leash corrections at the first sign of jumping.

We look forward to our next quarterly meeting with Jen.

Saturday Morning Market January 14

It was a brisk, sunny day when we met at St. Petersburg's Saturday Morning Market.

After walking around the area a bit to get the pups loosened up and relaxed, we stopped at a park across from the market for some pre-market business.

Due to changes in the Pinellas County groups, we had several new raisers with us for the first time, so we started with introductions.

We then began going over some new information posted by Jen Gerrity on The Blue Coat Journal (since renamed The Blue Cape Journal) about greetings.

First, we practiced how our puppies should greet people, putting the pup in a sit when the visitor is a few feet away. If the pup is in a controlled state, we can then say "take a break" to allow the pup to go up to the visitor to greet. Giving the pup this opportunity to move toward the visitor on her own makes it less likely she will want to jump. If the pup jumps or otherwise misbehaves, correct her, move away, and try again. If the pup is under 10 months of age, this is an example of a time when it's OK to use "take a break" with your puppy in coat. If the pup is 10 months or older, petting in coat is to be discouraged, as by this time, the pup should be focusing on working when in coat.

I was the lucky one who got to be greeted by all the puppies! And they all did well. Good job! Here I am practicing with Melisa and Eric.

We next worked on greetings with other dogs. It's important to remember here that your pup should be behaving on a loose lead before he is allowed to greet another dog. The greeting is a reward, and you don't want to reward unacceptable behavior. Also, greeting other dogs should only occur out of coat. If your puppy is too excited to greet nicely, distract him by calling him to you and go on your way. If your puppy is focused and obedient, you can allow him to greet the other dog briefly. It's important to make the greeting brief and to avoid greetings when either dog is overly excited or tense, with raised hackles and a stiff posture. When the brief greeting is over, call your dog and go on your way.

Jen's post also mentions that it's OK to use "take a break" with a puppy in coat under 10 months old when releasing her from an obedience exercise. She also suggests interrupting play dates with moments of calm, going to your pup to put his leash on and having him settle down for a bit before he can resume play. Be sure to read Jen's entire post for a fuller understanding of these new uses of "take a break" and more.

I also had a lot of announcements to make at this meeting. In brief:

1 - We have new puppy raiser shirts in a different fabric and color. These will be rolled out slowly, with raisers receiving a new shirt when they get a new pup.

2 - The January Puppy Raiser Newsletter was full of information about:

- the ABCs of Awareness (knowing what your pup is doing and how she is reacting at all times as well as checking her physical condition), Balance (mixing up what you do with your dog, so sometimes he's in a crate and sometimes on a tiedown, usually he's with you but sometimes he's home alone, some exposures are familiar and some are new, taking him out both day and night), and Consistency (in your commands, actions, praise, and corrections);

- being aware of toxic foods (e.g., grapes, coffee, and xylitol in sugar-free gum) and plants (e.g., some types of palm, oleander, and rhododendrons); per Puppy Raising Services,

Should your pup eat anything toxic or you suspect is toxic DO NOT WAIT to seek treatment even if you cannot reach the school or your AC or the pup seems fine. Toxins can cause damage even after the ingested material is initially purged.

The ASPCA site is a great resource for information on this and has a 24-hour poison control hotline (1-888-426-4435, with a $65 consultation fee);

- the latest Puppy Raiser Survey results, which show great satisfaction with Southeastern's puppy raising program; new initiatives planned to arrive this summer include an updated, online Puppy Raiser Manual, online training videos, an online forum, and more.

Be sure to let me know if you are not receiving the Puppy Raiser Newsletter!

3 - This year's Walkathon is March 3rd! We discussed everything about Walkathon so that everyone would understand what it's all about and how to make the most of this exciting annual event – our biggest of the year, being held in St. Petersburg for the first time!

4 - Due to an abundance of puppies in the puppy kennel, volunteers may be needed to house young puppies for a few days before they go to their raisers.

Whew! After admittedly a lot of talking, everyone was ready to go across the street to explore the sights, sounds, and smells of St. Pete's well-known and very popular Saturday Morning Market, which also provided a great opportunity to practice working around a variety of other dogs – and people. I don't know about John, but Legion definitely looks like he's heard enough!

Puppy Raiser Day December 17th

As most of you know, the last puppy I raised was a very light-colored male yellow Lab named "Dodger" (actually "The Artful Dodger," after the character in Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist, since artfully dodging obstacles seems like a prime trait for a guide dog to have). Since I raised his mama and was friends with her breeder host, I've known Dodger almost since the day he was born. After a year together, Dodger went in for training this past June, and just two weeks ago, I got word that he had been matched with a visually impaired handler and was going on to become a working guide dog.

On Saturday, I was fortunate to be able to participate in an event that all Southeastern puppy raisers long for and eagerly await: Puppy Raiser Day! I got to meet Dodger's new handler, see Dodger in harness working, and of course see and pet Dodger for the first time since he went in for training over six months ago. Puppy Raiser Day is such an incredible experience that I wanted to share it with everyone who has not been there yet.

It's a hard fact of life that not every puppy raiser gets to experience Puppy Raiser Day. My first two puppies became breeders, so I had to wait a while before it was my turn. This day of celebration and interaction is also something that not every school does, so we are lucky to have this opportunity when it arises. I sincerely hope that everyone in our group gets to have this experience at least once. It is such a wonderful feeling seeing the puppy that you molded and played with and loved for so long go on to give someone else the gifts of mobility, independence, and dignity.

The day began with new Puppy Raising Services Communications Coordinator Carol Cohen (aka PRS CC CC) reading bios of all the students. When she was done, there was not a dry eye in the house. It is amazing and inspiring to hear the life stories of these visually impaired men and women – some blind since birth, some only recently losing their vision to disease, some totally blind, some able to see some things but dealing with serious visual impairment, some tentatively taking the next step in their evolution by getting their first guide dog, some dealing with the passing of a trusted and reliable partner and wondering if they'll ever find another one as good. And each one is now bonding with a new dog at his or her side that someone in the room nurtured and loved just for this purpose.

After the bios were read, we went outside to watch each new team do a route, eagerly waiting to see for the first time "our" dog in harness actually guiding someone. It is an indescribably moving moment. Dodger's new handler, Marty, has had a Southeastern guide dog before. Dodger is his second, and as you can see, they are already a great team. (Marty graciously gave me his permission to post and share these photos.)

After all of the new guide dog teams had completed their routes, they came out to the gazebo area on campus to meet the not-so-patiently waiting raisers and their families. I certainly enjoyed meeting Marty for the first time and looked forward to getting to know him better, but of course at first your anticipation is centered where your heart is, and you want to be reunited with the puppy you've been missing. Luckily, when I asked Marty if I could pet his dog, he said yes! It was great being able to once again feel Dodger's soft fur and big ears, and to give him a big hug. He seemed to like it, too. They say that this is the happiest day in your pup's life, because all of the people he loves – his raiser, his trainer, and his new handler – are in the same place together. I'm sure that's true.

This picture was taken after we had been together a while and Dodger had settled down a bit. What a handsome guide dog!

We went back inside for brunch, where I had a chance to talk a lot more with Marty, each of us eager to learn about the other and to share stories about Dodger. Marty is a great guy, very easy to talk to, and it's obvious that he loves Dodger and that they are a perfect match. I know Dodger will have a terrific life together with Marty and his family.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. As we said our farewells, I got in my last Dodger hug of the day.

Now the 90-day countdown until the guide dog handler can contact the puppy raiser begins! (Well, starting from graduation on 12/21.) I have a feeling this will not be the last time I see Marty and Dodger.

Florida Botanical Gardens December 13th

Because of the holidays, we are only having one meeting this month, so I decided to do something different and make it a night meeting to see the holiday lights at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.

As we often do, we started off with some obedience in the parking lot – or more accurately, on a bridge that spans a marsh in the middle of the parking lot. As we also often do, we began obedience with a forward walk, though this time we varied the pace to sometimes go faster or slower than our normal gait. There is no command used to go faster or slower; the pup should match your gait, whatever it is, though as you slow down, you may have to tell the pup "easy" if she begins to pull. We also practiced coming to a stop (again, there's no command, but you want to take a few steps to slow down to a stop) and turning using "right about."

Then everyone lined up on the dark bridge doing down-stays while I brought out a series of distractions. I started weaving a flashlight around the pups – no reaction. (Yay!) Then I brought out a plastic milk jug that I dropped and kicked about. That got the attention of a couple of pups. Then I brought out a whole garbage bag full of plastic bottles and dragged and bounced it around. I followed that by waving an empty plastic bag around. Some of the dogs looked at me like I was nuts. (I swear sometimes I feel like Carrot Top, opening up my trunk of distractions, looking for the next bit. I just hope no one is laughing.) Finally, I pulled out the secret weapon of our two youngest pups, Bobby and Tommy, and had them walk in front of all the other pups. Bobby wanted to play with everyone, and even got a few takers. All in all, though, a job well done!

Then we moved to a lighted spot to have everyone introduce themselves, since we've had some new and returning raisers lately. Also new to the meeting was Tommy, being raised by Donna and Marv. Tommy is a yellow goldador male from Angel's litter with Max, so he's already family. Did I mention that he's my grandpuppy?

We also have a couple of pups leaving us to go on to the next stage in their training: Gabby, raised by Chris and Starr, and Dawson, raised first by Nancy and Karene and finished by David. I will miss Dawson for the simple reason that he is always more excited to see me than my own dogs! Good luck, Gabby and Dawson! I know you will both do great.

Finally, I announced to everyone that the last puppy I raised, Dodger, was matched. (Yay!)

I had a few other important announcements. First, Leslie Shepard is now the Puppy Raising Services Manager, with Tara Woodard becoming PRS Coordinator. New addition Carol Cohen is now PRS Communications Coordinator. Jen Gerrity is still the PRS Field Rep. Some new forms have been introduced for when you pick up a puppy and when you turn one in for training. And the current policy for females in heat is for the raiser to keep her throughout her heat cycle, since the school does not have available space for boarding. This may change as circumstances change. In the meantime, it is important to remember that if you have a female in heat, you should never leave her in a fenced-in yard unsupervised (something you should never do with your pup anyway); walks in the neighborhood should be brief and close to home. While your pup is in heat, do not take her out on outings. Please let me know if you have questions about this.

I also revealed that I was in the process of getting my landline number transferred to a cell phone. I had actually hoped to show off my arrival in the 21st century at the meeting, but AT&T and Verizon were battling for the title of Most Incompetent Customer Service and could not be interrupted. (For the record, Verizon went on to win the title, though in either case, this does not bode well.) Wouldn't you know, when I got home after the meeting, my cell phone had magically been activated. (Yay!) Now I can be reached 24/7 by puppy raisers everywhere (fees may apply). Oh, wait...

With that, everyone was free to enjoy Holiday Lights in the Gardens! This is a truly delightful and festive display that I and my camera cannot hope to capture, so I kept my lens pointed toward the pups. Here is Donna walking Tommy on the entrance boardwalk. (Did I mention that he's my grandpuppy? I'll try to take pictures of the other pups, too, I promise.)

Donna Thompson was caught on the path admiring the lights with Lizzy. (Sorry about cutting off your head there, Donna; I'm known for doing that.)

A bunch of us gathered in the main courtyard before and after (and during?) seeing the lights for some final holiday wishes.

Here's hoping everyone has a safe and joyous holiday season!

Breakfast with Santa December 10th

A few raisers from our group (Donna and Marv, Elizabeth, and Victoria with her two grandsons) joined me at this year's Breakfast with Santa, put on by the Lions Club for children in the Miracle and Challenger Leagues. The event took place at the Lions Club Beach House, and it gave us a chance to catch up with some friends from our old Pinellas County raiser group, of course including Chuck & Debbie Hietala, who are heavily involved in the Breakfast with Santa event and who made me aware of this annual event through their past meetings there.

This breakfast is a great way for these challenged kids and their families to have fun at a Christmas party just for them. There was nonstop entertainment, too, with music by Elvis, a juggler, breakdancing from the Leos at St. Pete High, and the guest of honor, Santa himself, with gifts for everyone. The pups were just an added bonus that was much appreciated by many of the children there, and we know the puppies enjoyed all the extra loving. A great time was truly had by all.

Here's my grandpuppy Tommy (being raised by Donna and Marv), who's not sure if it's appropriate for this huge furry lion to be petting him while in coat. (Honestly, this photo does not do justice to Tommy's confidence when confronted with big game.)

Here is Eckerd making sure Santa knows what a good girl she's been this year.

J.R. could stay here all day.

I hope next year that everyone can participate in this wonderful event.