Puppies Forever!

News from our trainee

2011-02-28T10:49:00.000-08:00

We just received this copy of the official photo taken at Brando's turn-in on February 11th, along with a cutesy note allegedly written by Brando, telling us how much fun he's been having. He looks a little worried to me in this picture, and frankly, I'm a little worried too since hearing there's been an outbreak of kennel cough. But we know he was immunized for that shortly before turning in, so we hope he's faring well. We won't get our first real report on his progress for another whole month.

Goodbye, puppy friend!

2011-02-11T17:12:00.000-08:00

Here we are, about to turn Brando in for his advanced training. The dreaded moment came today. After living with us for almost 19 months, Brando is now in a kennel up in Oceanside. He's sharing it with another young male pup, and I'm hoping his buddy's presence will distract and comfort him amidst the strangeness of his surroundings. On Monday, the CCI staff will start doing the physical exams and temperament testing that will take up most of the puppies' next few weeks. By the beginning of March they should begin working in earnest on transforming the pups into service dogs.

People constantly comment to me that they could never raise a puppy and give it up, and I always respond that you can never volunteer to be a puppy raiser unless you understand that it's not your dog. You get to take care of these really cool animal for a year and a half or so, but you steel yourself from the start for what's coming.

That's all true, but the psychological truth is that I don't much think about Turn-in Day until it's almost upon us. And then it's horrible. It helps to see the graduate dogs being awarded to the people whose lives they'll change -- kids in wheelchairs with awful diseases; ex-soldiers who's limbs have been blown off; even the facility dogs who'll be going to work with victims of violent crimes or strokes or the like. It doesn't help to see the slide show of images of the incoming puppy class, always adorably cute and comic and surrounded by their loving puppy raisers. The crying starts then, and overtakes us periodically from then till we drive away, with an empty kennel.

Will Mr. Brando make it? Fulfill the destiny he was bred for and enter a life of service? Steve and I say he has a fighting chance. He's the easiest dog we've ever raised, a total sweetheart and an ever-entertaining companion. But only he can demonstrate that he has the right stuff. We'll continue to follow his journey here.

Brando Does Vegas!

2010-12-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

We've just returned from Brando's first tour of Vegas, and he was a HUGE hit. Although the original plan was to accompany Steve to the conference he had to attend there, Brando was the star of the outing, as things turned out. We stayed on the 24th floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, and while toileting was always a challenge (exactly how well can a puppy hold it while walking down a loooong corridor, waiting for the elevator, making his way through the Mandalay's "beach" (read ground) floor level and out the door to the not so near stones and grass?), he performed like a champion.

Brando will turn in for his advanced training in mid-February, and if there was ever any great opportunity to practice avoiding distractions in preparation for that, this was it. A few times, walking down the Strip in the early evening, with all the crowds and noise and lights, his flattened ears gave me an inkling that he was uneasy. But he never acted fearful or inappropriately.

And the big surprise and delight of the trip was people's reaction to Brando. CCI puppies often get a warm reaction when they're out in public, but I have NEVER seen a response like we got here. Everywhere we went, people pointed and smiled and made kissy noises or exclaimed, "What a good baby!" Some burst into spontaneous chuckles, and we never rode in the elevator without once getting warm nods or comments and usually extended conversations.

Steve supposed this meant that Vegas attracted an unusually high percentage of animals lovers, but I have another theory. It seemed to me that Brando's innocence and cuteness contrasted so sharply with the jaded artifice of the place that it startled people into smiling or laughing. I felt like I was accompanying a rock star.

Here are a few choice moments from our adventures:

Our home away from home

Brando enjoyed all the pharoanic art...

...though that large creature made him a little nervous.

We wish we could take him with us to Paris later this month, but the Vegas Paris will have to suffice.

A pup can get sleepy even he could have a bird's eye view of the Strip.

Yankee Doodle Puppy

2010-07-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

Brando and I felt honored today to be a part of the first ever Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) Puppy Precision Drill Team, in its debut at the City of Coronado's Independence Day Parade.

In a nod to the fact that the actual 4th this year falls on a Sunday, a day when much of Coronado has churchly duties, the parade was shifted forward a day. As far as I could tell, the change didn't reduce the turnout much. Orange Avenue was crammed with enthusiastic spectators. And our drill team delivered, in the way of spectacle. For the first time ever, all of the puppy raisers wore a sort of uniform, and our puppies not only were caped but also sported patriotic bandannas. Best of all was our precision marching and crisscrossing and halts at which we ran through a sample of CCI puppy commands: Sit! Shake! Down! Stay! Let's Go!

Veteran puppy-raiser Jim Siegfried employed his best football coach voice and whistle-blowing skills to prompt us. You can't hear the whistle signals on the following video, but they worked just fine in real life.

After all the parading and performings, we wound up at the amazing home of CCI patron Jeep Rice, who once again opened his beautiful home to a horde of frolicking puppies and their puppy raisers.

Brando had such a good time that he's now fast asleep. And I'm dreaming dreams of glory. Today the Coronado Independence Day Parade. Tomorrow: the Rose Parade?

Precision Pups!

2010-06-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

Brando, Steve, and I have a special reason to look forward to Independence Day this year. As we did last year, we're going to be marching in the Coronado Parade. But this year, the participating CCI pups will include a puppy precision drill team.

Brando and I showed up at puppyraiser Pattie Urie's house last weekend to learn and practice the drills. We think the whole gang will look very sharp. We have signals to cue us to form two lines, criss-cross each other, then halt and run through a short but snappy set of commands (Sit, Down, Shake, Stay, etc.)

It promises to be a blast. Look for video here, hot on the heels of the big event!

Happy Birthday Brando!!!

2010-06-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

He's one-year-old today! And such an obedient fellow, sitting so nicely with his birthday crown. No cake for him, because he's only supposed to eat dog food (ha!), but we did have a party of sorts. Riley and Cassidy, the two 11-year-old Golden Retrievers from next door, have been visiting us for the past few days, while their pack has been off in Las Vegas. Riley and Cassidy are very chill guys. They wag their tails, they smile, and mostly they just lay down and look around, or they nap. But they do lend a more festive air to the patio, and even if they won't wrestle with him and chase him around, as he would like, Brando seems to welcome their arrival every morning.

Only Brando was good enough to tolerate the party crown for long, though Tucker tolerated it briefly.

The game all pups love to play

2010-04-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

I believe it's called Try to Bite the Other Guy's Head Off (Not Really!) Here Brando is playing it with Eva, Leslie and Craig's dog, who stayed with us two weekends ago. Brando loooooves this game. But Eva loves it even more. When he would get tired, she would bark at him and scratch his nose to try to provoke her into playing more.

Tucker, who's nowhere near as fond of the game, now that he's a geezer (in spirit, if not in years), just stayed with Eva Saturday and Sunday, while the human members of the pack were in LA for the book festival. But Brando got to go to Benjie's house, another mecca of puppy pleasure.

Progress Report

2010-04-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

Brando has graduated from the CCI Basic instruction. Last week he and 5 classmates were tested and our teacher gave Brando 9s or 10s on everything he did -- a solid "A" performance!

He has now learned:

Down

Wait

Let's Go

Drop

Here

Dress

Roll

Shake

Stand

Under

Heel

Side

Speak

We start the Advanced class next week!

Brando Speaks!

2010-02-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud of him! We could never get our last puppy, Yuli, to do this (on command, that is.)

Brando of the Desert

2010-01-31T17:40:00.001-08:00

Brando ventured to the eastern reaches of San Diego County this weekend, where we gathered with some friends interested in hiking and photography. Tucker came too, and both dogs underwent a startling personality change. This was most pronounced in Tucker, normally a mild-mannered, even timid follow. But when we took him outside of the house where we were staying, he transformed into a Wild Dog, racing through the unfenced open space at 100 miles an hour, heedless of our demands that he rejoin our company. He intruded upon neighbors' properties, met a sleek Doberman named Duchess, fell in love, and (when we finally recaptured him) moaned to be allowed to rejoin her. Brando happily followed Tucker's lead, though was marginally quicker to return. After a few rounds of this foolishness, we took them outside ONLY on their leashes.

We had looked forward to hiking with our friends, and Saturday we happily set off for Palm Canyon (where we were looking forward to penetrating the region beyond the oasis). To our chagrin, we learned that dogs -- even leashed ones -- are not allowed anywhere in the park except on paved roads. I felt both bereft and irritated, as I had checked in my book of dog hikes in San Diego County (Leave Only Paw Prints, Sunbelt Publications) and came away with the impression that the park offered myriad hiking possibilities. Alas I had not read carefully enough. Dogs are only allowed on roads in the park, not on hiking trails. (Apparently, canines scare desert sheep.) This meant Steve and Tucker and Brando and I had to strike off on our own.

We wound up hiking through a section of Rancho Galleta, owned by an heir to the Avery labels fortune. Mr. Avery for the past few years has been commissioning an artist to create sculptures of prehistoric creatures on his land (a big chunk of the town, on which he generously welcomes the public to hike and camp). We decided we think the statues are cool.

What was not cool was the ubiquitous chollas cactus. Tucker got stuck several times, and even Brando (aka Mr. Teflon Coat) fell victim once. We decided probably dogs and deserts don't really mix well. So we won't all be back soon. Still, it was a memorable outing.

Recovered

2010-01-07T19:31:00.001-08:00

Brando has totally recovered from his recent surgery. We celebrated the end of the year with our annual beach walk from the Scripps Pier up to 15th Street in Del Mar. Although it took more than five hours, Brando was a trooper, and particularly enjoyed smelling the delicious smells during our stop for pizza at Jake's.

We also began our Basic puppy instruction this past week, and Brando did well, as he was introduced to the Stand and Shake commands. Next up: Heel!

About the only bad thing he's doing is some digging in the yard. This is annoying to us, but apparently, he hasn't gotten that message yet.

Merry Christmas Puppy

2009-12-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

Tucker's been excited ever since he saw the Christmas stockings. He's learned over the past 4 years to associate them with special treats. Now Brando's been educated too, and now he too thinks Christmas is wonderful . We broke with our tradition and gave the dogs not only pig's ears and edible treats, but also 3 toys. BAAAD idea. Tucker managed to destroy 2 of the 3. We plan to take at least one of the them back to Petco and complain, being as how it was advertised as standing up to "power chewing." (Yeah. For about 10 minutes!)
It was all very exhausting... for dogs.

Snipped!

2009-12-23T10:12:00.001-08:00

Brando went in for the Big Snip Monday morning and returned the end of the afternoon, wearing the cone and looking very, very sad. We felt bad for him, but we were only following orders -- the orders of CCI that he be neutered when he reached the age of six months. That's apparently standard for all the crossed breeds. Brando's father, Desi II, was a pure-bred Golden Retriever, but his mother, Avani, was half black lab and half Golden. (She reportedly looked like a black lab.)

Since that first night, things have picked up. Brando doesn't seem very intent on licking his incision (which held together at least in part by some sort of glue).

So he doesn't have to wear the cone when we can keep an eye on him -- while out walking, for example, or hanging out with us in the kitchen during dinner preparations. Steve took him Christmas shopping, coneless, yesterday, and came back with reports of countless ladies swooning over Brando's cuteness and exceedingly soft fur. He feels like mink.

Puppy Kindergarten graduation

2009-12-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, Brando and his classmates in Puppy Kindergarten were tested by our teacher, Mike Fowler, and Steve and I were pleased (if surprised) that Brando got almost all 9s and 10s in all the areas in which the dogs were tested. We've now begun taking him out on our grocery-shopping expeditions. Although he typically pees at least one lake per hour, he hasn't yet had any accidents in a store (nor will he ever, we fervently hope). Still the distractions of morcels on the ground and other friendly shoppers are an intense test for him. He particularly seems to adore young ladies. He's seen here with Mike's friend, Maria (in our kitchen, not the grocery store.)

Who Brando reminds us of, periodically

2009-12-13T12:52:00.000-08:00

Jar-Jar Binks. See the resemblance? (Well, we can. It's that long nose and friendly look.)

Catching Up

2009-12-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

I'm turning over a new leaf, vowing up update Brando's blog more often. A few highlights from recent weeks:

While Steve and I exchanged homes with a Reno couple (so that we could spend Thanksgiving with Michael and Elliot, who flew in from Chicago), Brando went to doggy paradise, aka Retrieverland, aka the home of former CCI puppy-raisers Teri McCartney and Tom Geary. Here he is romping with one of their millions of toys. Brando has made it clear he would like more puppy toys from Santa for this Christmas.

Brando was too young to participate in last week's La Jolla Christmas Parade. Pups had to be 7 months old, and he's only 6 months old. But he and Tucker have switched to their festive red holiday collars.

Three months and three weeks old

2009-09-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

Brando stayed with puppy-sitter Chris Harrell while we were on our trip to the East Coast, and he looked noticeably larger when we reclaimed him! He's growing so fast.

I was pleased by Chris's comment that he seems to have an "old soul." I agree. And yet he's still very much a puppy. For my money, one of his more endearing habits is to sit with his tail curled under him -- and then to wag it! I don't know how he does that.

A Water Dog? Maybe. A Mud Dog -- Definitely!

2009-09-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

Steve and I decided the other day to give Brando his first real swimming lesson. There's a constant danger that he could fall into the pool by accident, and it would feel good to know that he could get out safely. So we took him into the pool with us and watched with pleasure as he paddled from one of us to the other. He seemed more relaxed and calm in the water than any dog we've had since Astra (our very first dog, acquired back in the late 1970s).

After a while, I led him up the stairs and out of the pool. At which point he immediately ran to the nearest patch of dirt and rolled himself frenetically. Think of breading pork chops for the frying pan -- only this was Brando, coating himself with a nice thick layer of mud.

He was almost black. The only thing we could do was to give him a full-on bath. He hasn't been back in the pool since then -- about which we feel some relief!

12 weeks old!

2009-08-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

This is the calmest 12-week-old puppy I've ever had. So often, he's content to just lie near us, wakeful yet at rest. He's so much less destructive than Yuli was at this age. He likes to chew on the occasional twig or rock, but he's not destroying the irrigation or actively attacking plants.

I think he's learned to control himself around Tucker, whom he worships. Tuck's still uneasy about some of Brando's puppy moves, but he seems to be relaxing a bit around him. I'm hopeful they will eventually become pals.

And on the house-training front, I think we're there. No accidents in more than a week. This pup understands that he needs to go outside to pee and poop (though in this hot weather, we haven't put that to the test of requiring him to ask us to open the door).

First Ventures Out

2009-08-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Brando and I went out for our first walk yesterday, all the way around the block. After some initial wrenching and twisting on the Halti, he settled down and trotted along with me briskly (with only intermittent break-downs in which he tried to claw the strap off his nose.)

Steve and I also took him along to a party Saturday night, where he romped ecstatically in the lush grass, then settled down beautifully (only interrupting us with his puppy snores.)

He'll be 11 weeks old tomorrow, and we've had him for three weeks as of today. I've given up counting the peeing accidents in the house, but suffice it to say they continue. (No more pooping accidents, beyond that one.) The unauthorized pees are confounding. He has enough capacity to abstain for 8-9 hours every night (in his kennel). And he's great about "hurrying" whenever we order him to do so. But on Monday, he peed a LOT three times within an hour -- twice in the dining room. We speculate that the explanation may be two-fold: lots of drinking that afternoon and vigorous play with Yuli, exciting his bladder [?] Sadly, he won't have much more of the latter, as she moves on to Advanced Training on Saturday.

Day 12

2009-08-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

Brando is a champion sleeper! We LOVE this. Last night was the fourth straight night he's gone all the way through without awakening us. I'm convinced he has accepted this as the pattern of our Pack, and his bladder capacity is sufficient that he doesn't need to go out at 2 a.m. to pee (as

Yuli did until she was at least 6 months old.) But he's a sleepy guy in general. Although he wakes up and explores the yard at times (when we're out there watching him in it), and he spends some time wrestling with Yuli, he naps away great chunks of the day. Taking care of him feels easy.

Meanwhile, on the House-Breaking front, he had an accident on Thursday. And we discovered a little pile of puppy poop in a corner of the living room that appeared to have been deposited there a day or so before our discovery. So the score is now: Peeing in the House: 7 times. Pooping inside: 1. Still he had no accidents Friday or Saturday or today (so far). And he certainly understands the command to urinate.

We've been putting his Halti on every time we feed him, to accustom him to associate wearing the Halti with Good Things (he now LOVES to eat, having entirely recovered from his early pickiness.) But we haven't yet tried to attach the Halti to a leash. We need to start that soon.

A huge milestone

2009-08-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

One reason I've started this blog is because I can't remember from one puppy to the next when they got over the worst of their puppyish behaviors. But last night something wonderful happened: Brando slept quietly from 10 p.m. to 5:55 a.m.

Will this continue? I'll report it here first!

On other fronts, he has peed in the house 6 times since we got him. He has not yet pooped in the house, and we fervently hope he never will (though if he doesn't, that will be a first in all our dog-raising experience.)

One thing for sure: he already understands the CCI "Hurry" command (which applies to both urination and defecation.) He pees every time we take him outside and tell him to hurry.

But among the budding bad habits: he LOVES digging.

Meet Brando!!!

2009-08-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

This is what he looked like when I picked him up last Wednesday, July 29. He was one day short of 8 weeks old and weighed 14 pounds 9 ounces. His full name is Brando II, as there apparently was one Brando before. This is what he looked like that first day.

In the last 8 days, we've already had plenty of adventures. After a happy day on Thursday, we awoke on Friday to find him looking like a poster puppy for listlessness. When we took his temperature, we thought he was running a slight fever. Then I realized I had given him the incorrect dose of his heartworm medicine the night before, and Steve and I were extremely concerned that we might have poisoned him!

I got him to the vet’s by 8:40 a.m., and there things got crazy. At one point he had a massive diarrheal attack (in the back room), and the vet tech was telling me it was almost certainly parvovirus (which can be fatal). I okayed a parvo test (cha-ching! $32), and of course that came out negative (as I had been certain it would, considering how meticulous the CCI breeders are.) They gave him subcutaneous fluids and anti-nausea meds, and sent me home with special dietary dogfood (total bill: $155), but only after I had to endure a confrontation with the vet in which I had to order her not to do a stool analysis and blood panel (which would have added another $100 to the bill!)

It was all very exhausting. For Brando too apparently, who slept away most of the rest of that afternoon. But by Friday night, he had perked up considerably and seemed to enjoy being fawned over by our friends who joined us for dinner that evening. Our friend Howie Rowen took this wonderful shot of Maya Lau holding Brando: