They grow up so fast...

For those of you that don't know...Mom is the Puppy Coordinator for Fidos For Freedom. That means that she's in charge of all things Puppy at Fidos. Arranging to bring in new puppies (sometimes testing them herself), teaching Puppy Class for the Puppy Raisers, talking to new Puppy Raisers, taking in new pups until a Puppy Raiser is available, and so on.

So she sees a lot of puppies. We (the dogs @ home) see a lot of puppies.

The puppies that Mom has worked with along the way are now getting matched with clients...and starting off on their new working career. Mom does feel proud to have had a hand in all of these matches, despite not being "officially" part of the new team. It makes her tear up a bit to see those hand-picked puppies and dogs going about their new life...and helping someone. Each puppy touches our lives...sometimes in a big way, sometimes in a small way that not many people realize.





A big goofy golden retriever boy, Jacob, just started his one year probation with his partner at Fidos. What part in this did my Mom play? Jacob was in the first Puppy Classes that Mom helped teach (she was the Assistant Puppy Coordinator at the time). She remembers back when he was just a little fella. She helped teach his Puppy Raisers...advised them, sympathized with them, and laughed with them. She's not on the "list" of people who helped raise and train Jacob...but she is part of his new partnership nevertheless. And she's proud of him.

~SDS

Handicapped Parking Fraud.org

Someone sent this website to Mom, and we want to pass it along to everyone. We love this idea. Basically, it's a website that you can report Handicapped Parking fraud on...idiots who don't need the spot that park in them anyway. From the site:

HandicappedFraud.org was launched as a place for community based reporting of handicapped placard abuse and fraud. Unfortunately, there is wide spread abuse of the blue placards issued to the handicapped, and there simply aren't enough police officers to issue the tickets.

Handicapped Parking Fraud

The site also has a lots of other resources for disabled individuals. :) We love this site, and we're going to be reporting abuse here from now on...and trust me, we see a LOT of abuse of handicapped parking spaces. Even cars that have placards or tags, but park into the hash marks...grrrr. Some of us need those hash marks for wheelchair lifts! Mom always says that people must think that the hash marks are there so they don't have to park straight.

~SDS

Thank you Premier and Laurie Luck!

This past Saturday, Laurie Luck, a trainer in the area...and a Premier rep came to give Fidos For Freedom a demo on Gentle Leaders and Easy Walk harnesses. She brought equipment for everyone, and we all learned how to fit them properly.

It was great...all of the loose, ill-fitting equipment got tightened up and fixed. My Easy Walk was a bit loose, because I'd lost some weight over the winter (I don't do as much in the winter...so Mom dropped my food intake down...guess she dropped it toooo much). Mom was happy, as the equipment that she fit was given the okay. *Click!*

The demo was extremely helpful...as Mom learned some great ways to simplify the explanations on how to put the equipment on...so she can help others better. I think everyone was pleased. I myself showed off...Laurie fit my EW on me in front of the group...and I stood there like a good boy, and even gave her a little kiss. Such a ladies man!

Then we went to lunch next door at the deli with some of the other Service and Hearing dogs and their humans. The humans had a nice time talking about training and Fidos, while all of us dogs took a much needed nap under the tables. It's always fun to see all of us crowded under a table like peas in a pod.

All in all, it was a great demo...thanks again to Laurie and Premier!
~SDS...snazzy in his purple Easy Walk

New Title!

Hooray for me!

We went flyballin' this past weekend...and I was able to earn my newest title. I am now a Flyball Master Champion (FMCh-15,000 points). Whoohoo!

I ran really well over the weekend, and even gave up some runs to a teammate. Since I have bad knees, Mom doesn't really mind letting me run a little less than normal. :)

No pics this time, the building was dark...maybe Mom will snap some pics of me with my new ribbon soon though.

See ya
~SDS