CCI Matriculation...Helper Goes to the Oceanside Facility

This is the hardest entry to write.  It is about turn in day...Friday, August 16th.  I was able to hold myself together as we were getting ready and left the hotel, as I drove the 25 minutes to the civic center where the matriculation ceremony takes place, as I dressed Helper in the back of the car before entering the building and even when I checked in with CCI's Puppy Program Manager.  However, when I sat down to change Helper out of the gear (collar, vest, leash, gentle leader) that she had used for 17 months and into the new things she would use moving forward...I started to cry.  There was no way I was going to be able to walk across the stage with Helper in the symbolic gesture of turning Helper in to CCI for advance training.  So I spoke to the CCI Puppy Program Manager and she arranged to have me skip the ceremony and take Helper to the kennel privately while the ceremony was taking place.  When I got to CCI's SW Region office and kennel, Helper knew that something was wrong because it took a lot of encouragement to get her to eat her last meal...that never happens.  The reason CCI ask you to feed the dog before coming in to the kennel is to make sure they eat one last time with you in case they get anxious and decide to skip a meal or two.  The picture at the bottom is of Helper in her ceremonial cape in the back of the car when she did not initially want to eat.  The picture of her looking away was taken just prior to us entering the facility.  I could not get her to look at the camera.  However, you can see how nice she looked with her light colored fur and the bright blue matriculation cape.

Something that several experienced Puppy Raisers told me was that the dogs do not even look back at them as they are being led away.  Not true for Helper...she was happy to meet a new handler but as they walked away (with her tail and whole butt wagging!) she looked back at me as if to say "this looks like fun, aren't you coming?"  It broke my heart.  :-(

Last night together...

When we got back to the hotel after Helper's swim in the Ocean she was very tired.   But I needed to give her a bath to get all the sand and salt water out of her coat.  After her bath she was so cold that she  began to shiver...probably because of the air conditioning and her state of exhaustion.   So I went to the hotel laundry and warmed some towels which I then used to wrap around Helper after I told her to "jump" up onto the bed.  CCI dogs are never allowed on the furniture but since it was our last night together I figured she deserved this comfortable treat!   She did not move until morning and this is a pic of her sleeping.  Sweet dreams Helper...tomorrow you go to CCI for Puppy College.

Helper Swims in the Ocean!

After our tour of CCI,  Helper got to swim in the Pacific Ocean!  My fellow Puppy Raiser Becca and her family brought their puppy Rozlynn for a swim too.  These two dogs have been together many times over the past 18 months. It seemed very appropriate for them to have one last big adventure together before turning in for advance training tomorrow.  They both charged into the ocean without any hesitation or fear.  It was a wonderful thing to watch!

Many thanks to Becca's sister's Sarah and Emily for holding the leads and going into the water with the dogs!  In this picture Sarah is holding Helper's leash.

Tour of CCI's Oceanside Facility

Canine Companions for Independence offers a facility tour the day prior to "turn in" so you can see where the dog you raised will be living.  The pic to the left is the courtyard area.  The kennels are in the picture.











This is a picture of Helper in the grooming room at CCI.   Her friend Sarah is cuddling with her.

Here is a pic of Helper with her good buddy Rozlynn at CCI.

California Vacation with Great Friends

When planning the trip to take Helper to CCI for advance training in Oceanside, I decided we would go out a week early to visit friends and family. We arrived in California on Thursday August 8th and stayed at the Marriott in Calabasas, California.  The hotel was great with Helper!  The bellman even took Helper for a quick potty break while I checked into the Hotel!   The weather was cool and a great break from the 100 plus degree days in Texas!  Consequently, Helper and I had a nice walk before retiring for the night.

The first person we visited was Marguerite.  She invited Marcia and Donna over for a lovely brunch. Helper loved meeting Marguerite's cats!

Then we went to Marcia house to meet the kittens that she was fostering.  Take a look at the two pictures of Helper and the kittens...she loved them!  The kittens were curious but cautious with Helper.

Marcia let Helper explore her beautiful courtyard.  Here Helper is at the door looking very happy to be outside!

Many thanks to Marguerite for taking these pictures!

Next, we spent the weekend at my good friends Pam and Gene in Los Angeles.  They have three dogs.   Moe and Cece are Pug puppies that are new to their family.  Kylie is their Weimaraner.  Helper had a blast playing with these great dogs!  It was fun to watch!

The top pic is of the Pam, Gene and the dogs.




The pic to the right is of Helper and Moe.  They had a special bond and were always playing with each other

After we left Pam and Gene's house  we headed south to see my friends Jena,  Jett. and their two children.    They have a beautiful home in Coto de Caza, California and had invited us over for a  backyard BBQ.  As I was distracted meeting everyone that was there for dinner, Helper made herself at home by taking a swim in the pool!  I was pretty embarrassed but Jena and Jett were  great sports and did not mind Helper getting in their pool.  Here are two pics taken while she was resting on the tanning ledge.

The day after we visited Jena's house we met up with a good friend from Coca-Cola.  Pat and I enjoyed a fun dinner to catch up and Helper enjoyed a quiet nap under the table.






Finally, we visited my Aunt and Uncle in San Diego for a couple of days.  Helper loved Joe and Rita!  Here is a picture of us enjoying the harbor.  Helper loved looking at the water.  She would do an "up" on the sea wall and take in the sights and smells of the salt water...a very new thing for her!

Trip to California for Advance Training

Well, the time has finally come to take Helper to California for advance training.  For the past several days Helper has been visiting people and places to say goodbye.  :-(  One of the very important stops was to see Dr. Hunter and the team at Lazy Paws Animal Hospital.  Helper had to have a health certificate completed for her to fly with me to California.  It was hard to say goodbye to all of our friends at Lazy Paw.  They all were great with Helper over the past 18 months!

The picture above was taken at DFW airport just before we boarded our flights to Phoenix and then on to Orange County.   Helper was great on the flights and changing planes in Phoenix!  She was a great ambassador for CCI during the trip!

Frisco Rough Riders Game

Helper and Nessie attended the Rough Riders baseball game tonight.  The Rough Riders are the farm team for the Texas Rangers and they attract quite a crowd of avid fans.  The pups were very popular with the fans and they were great about meeting tons of people!




The pic to the right shows Nessie and Helper meeting the Rough Riders mascot.  Helper was very calm and comfortable with the mascot while Nessie pulled away (she is on the left).  It just goes to show how big and scary some of these things look like to a dog.

Helper Visits Coca-Cola

Today we went to Coca-Cola's regional office in Dallas to visit with people I used to work with.  Helper went from office to office to visit all the people that were working.  It was a great experience for her to be in a corporate office environment.  If she graduates, she could end up going to work with her partner in a similar situation.  

Helper is 19 months old today!  She is a beautiful LGX (Lab Golden Cross).  She is mostly (98%) Lab and weighs 52 pounds.  The folks at Lazy Paw Animal Hospital think she is in great condition!