Thank You Wadsworth Elementary!

On September 24th, two Tuesdays ago, Joy and I visited Wadsworth Elementary School and gave a presentation to four classes of 6th graders. They were the coolest 6th graders I've ever met! (If any of you are reading this- HI! Joy misses you! ^_^ ) The questions they asked were really great questions, like how much food Joy eats and what else Guide Dogs can do if they don't lead the blind.

Joy was a little crazy during the first and the third class but she was very calm during the second and fourth. She did lots of "SuperDog" and "Turtle Dog" for the students too! :)

 



 





Yesterday Joy and I got a package in the mail. When I opened it up, I was so surprised to see thank you notes from all of the 6th graders! And after I pulled the notes out, I saw something that looked veeeery yummy for the doggy...

 

 

*drumroll*

 

 

 

Aaaaaaaand......................

 

 

 

 

Whoa, this little dog is SOOO spoiled! The millisecond I pulled out the Kong, Joy was in a sit and looking as desperate and sad as she could be. And in case you are not well versed in Kongs, although most puppy raisers are, this is not just a Kong. No. This is an EXTREME Kong. This is like the Kong of Kongs. You could say that it is the King Kong. (ahahahahaha I'm so punny! XD )

 

Last night I read all the notes that I received. Oh my goodness, they made my entire year! Some made me laugh, some made me a little sad, one made me a little frightened but all of them made me smile! The fact that they all (even the ones who couldn't be there) took the time to write me a thank you note and/or draw me a beautiful picture was just too spectacular.

 

To Ms. Kuypers 6th graders: You all were the best audience I could ask for. You listened, asked awesome questions and were so gentle and sweet with Joy! I could tell that she absolutely LOVED you all! :) Your illustrations were incredible, by the way. I can't draw to save my life so I was seriously impressed with all of your amazing skills! So many of you said that you hoped I could come back and I hope I can too! I would love to revisit with you all and get to know you better and meet all of you who couldn't be there. Also, Joy would be thrilled to see you all again (she was super exhausted for like 24 hours after meeting and playing with you all haha). I'm sure she would thank you for her gifts if she could just put that Kong down for like five seconds! ;)

 

I hope I see you all again soon!

 

 

 

Peace, Love, Joy :)



Adventures In Randomness

So, I have been pretty busy lately, which is why I haven't made a post in a while. Also, I haven't been able to go somewhere with wifi...

Here are some pictures of our latest shenanigans ;)

 

 

Taking a power nap during band practice

  


We came across this really fun toy
car in a store window. Joy sat and
watched it go around the tracks for
a good five minutes!

 

Still watching...

She reeaally liked this bear.

 

This is how Joy sleeps every night!
And the flash didn't even wake
her up.

Peace, Love, Joy :)

Catching Up

I feel like it has been forever since I have made a post! Not too much has been going on... School has started so I'm pretty busy with college classes and stuff. Joy really doesn't like this "school" thing because she doesn't get NEARLY as much attention as she thinks she should get!

One exciting thing is that she finally lost her last baby tooth! I was getting seriously worried that the last one was going to have to be pulled. I even managed to catch it before she could swallow it and set it aside but I think someonw threw it out...

Joy has gotten to that age where she is reverting! NOOOoooooo.... I'm having to reteach her everything, including NOT going in the house. I know that every dog goes through this but Joy's came so soon! And when will it be over??? Ugh, I'm whining as much as Joy sometimes does.

Everything is starting up again, dance, church, etc. so Joy and I will be able to get out some more.

Anyway, that's about all I can write right now. I'll be able to put some posts up soons because we'll actually be doing stuff that isn't school (labor-day-beach-party post anyone?)

Behind the Scenes

So, I take a ton of pictures of Joy, right? However, not all of them make the cut. Some pictures are too random, or it would be too long to explaining what's going on, or I just don't feel like posting them. Here are some of those reject pictures.

I think it's obvious why I never posted this picture. Also,
it had nothing to do with anything I ever wrote about.

Relaxing in her comfy spot. (Joy loves blankets!)

Joy makes some friends at a pet store.

Mice would be fun to chase...

I thought it would be fun to put this on her.
She didn't agree.
She also couldn't stay still enough for me to
take a good picture!

That's it for now!
Peace, Love, Joy :)

A Birthday Treat and a Special Outing

So, right after my last post, I went home and made Joy a special half birthday treat! I filled up a small, plastic bowl with water, added some treats and stuck it in the freezer. About an hour later, it was done and Ms. Joy had a special ice cake to eat! It was intended for Joy and our non-guide-dog-in-training, Figaro, but Joy isn't too keen on this whole "sharing" thing.

Is it ready yet?

Yummy.

A close up!

Almost gone...

The next day we went on a fun trip! All of the girls (myself, my mother, my grandmother, and Joy) went down to Orlando where we spent the night. We made a couple of stops to stores and then went to our hotel. Joy likes hotels.

Later that night, we went to a mystery dinner theatre! We all had lots of fun and, as usual, Joy was quite a hit. A cast member asked me if he could refer to Joy during the show and I said, of course. The show was about a fox hunt in England and we were supposedly at the pre-fox hunt banquet or something. The Butler told the audience that there was even a Fox Hound In Training with us. Joy did not bother to wake up so she could say hello to her adoring fans.

When she wasn't sleeping during the show, she was quite riveted by what was going on on the stage. There was one particular character that she liked who was quite loud and had big, frizzy hair (like a poodle). Everytime she walked around or yelled at the Butler or anything before the show started, Joy jerked her head around and stared at her.

I was so pleased with how well behaved she was. It's amazing how much progress she has made. She adapts to new environments extremely well and this was proven continually on our trip. She was so well behaved that, when the cast came out to take a bow, the Butler also mentioned Joy and how she never made a peep! I was very proud when she got her own round of applause :)

Oh, one more thing! I have been getting so tired of hearing Joy referred to as "he" lately! Everyone calls her a boy. And our Yorkie, Figaro, is always called a girl. I was unaware of the fact that all Labs are males and all Yorkshire Terriers are females. But apparently, this is the case. I could rant about this for a long time. Anyway..........I've put a stop to it. ;)

Gender confusion problems? Just add a
pink flower, that'll stop 'em!

Peace, Love, Joy :)

Happy (Half) Birthday Joy!

Today/Yesterday is Joy's half birthday! I will clarify by saying that it is not clear whether her litter was born on the 5th or the 6th ( I have heard both). I'm assuming that means that they were born around midnight. Joy is right in the middle of her litter, so I have no idea which day it is.

Anyway- HAPPY 6th MONTHS JOY!!! I can't believe this little girl is already half a year old. Here are 6 reasons why I love Joy.

1. She is very...well...Joyful! I have never seen her sad or angry, she is always all smiles!

2. She is ticklish! If you scratch her stomach in different places, she will go crazy. This is 100% guaranteed, whether she is lying down or standing or sitting.

3. The Hyena Face. Joy loves to lie upside down and make this face at me. It consists of an open mouth, lots of teeth, eyes practically rolled back into her head, and her ears sticking straight out on the ground. Oh, yes, and her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

4.  She is brave. She has almost NEVER shied away from anything (she doesn't like the vacuum cleaner, although, who does?) and she eagerly tries new things.

5. The Reign of Terror. It speaks for itself, although I explain it here.

6. She is loving. Seriously, she loves EVERYONE. Whoever is fortunate enough to have her will be very happy. She is sweet and cuddly when we're at home, and smart and confident when we're out. Whether she does end up as a Guide Dog, or a veteran dog, or just a dog, she will be someone's forever friend and love them until the end.

Happy Half Birthday Joy!

We love you! :)

Peace, Love, Joy :)

New Blog

Hi everyone :)

I have just a quick announcement; I was recently asked to create a blog for our puppy raising group. I helped create it but I'm not going to have much to do with writing. Anyway, the address is www.firstcoastpuppyraisers.blogspot.com. Loooong name, I know. Please check it out and follow our puppy raisers!

Thanks,

Al


Peace, Love Joy :)

Obedience and Working Doggies

Last Monday was the first time Joy and I had been to Puppy Obedience in a while (since, before our trip)! We were definitely due for some training. Instead of our usual meeting place (the mall parking lot), we had class in a beautiful place called Bird Island Park.

Waiting to begin...

It was also a special class because Jen from Southeastern came to do a special training session with us!

She taught us some great things about scavenging, not that we would know anything about that, right Joy? *cough cough*

Anyway, we have been practicing what Jen has taught us. Joy's improving...for the most part...

Hey, look! It's Gordon!



Ms. Joy needs to take a lesson from her brother about
ignoring what's on the ground in front of you...

Retrieving yet another object from Joy's mouth

Group Picture!

Today, we had a small outing but it turned out to be a great experience. We were hanging out for a while in the mall in Daytona (waiting for the car to finish up in the shop). All of a sudden Joy just stops and gives me a pathetic look. She has started doing this recently and it's her way of saying she has to go out.

"We're kind of far away from the entrance," I said.

"We can't risk any accidents- pick her up and run!" says my mother.

"She's like 50 pounds!"

"I'll take your stuff, just go!"

So, what do I do? I pick up my 47 pound dog (Hooray for dancer muscles) and I speed walk toward the entrance. This may seem unnecessary but Joy gives you two "stop and stares" before she just GOES. It's like she operates on a three-strikes-you're-out basis. Only it's like: I'll-give-you-two-warnings-and-if-you-don't-get-me-to-some-grass-then-I-WILL-POOP.

You think I'm joking but, sadly, I'm not.

So, as I'm speed walking, I'm trying to also avoid the staring and snickering faces. Turns out that wasn't so difficult because Joy was BITING MY FACE. Seriously? I'm trying to get you to some grass and you're going to start teething? On my face? Now?!?!

I had just about had it, when we turned the corner to the food court and what do I see?

A dog.

Well, that was it. I promptly execute a right-a-bout (my vocabulary is becoming limited to training commands) and tell my mom, "There is a dog. I am putting her down!"

As we drew closer to the doors, and the dog, I notice something. It's not a dog. It's two dogs. A beautiful Golden Retriever and an adorable Black Lab. Interesting, I thought. But I had more important things on my mind than why there were two dogs in the mall. Because right then, I had to get my dog out of the mall.

The funniest part was when I was almost at the table, the people and dogs saw us and there was an overall chorus of "Leave it. Leave it! Leave it!!!" from all dog handlers.

Lo and behold, she evacuated her bowels swiftly and neatly (There's an inside joke there involving Cascada's Evacuate the Dance Floor. Please don't ask about it.) once we reached the grass and we were able to return to the food court and eat lunch.

Joy and I sat at a table on the end closer to the dogs and as we ate, more and more dogs arrived! Soon, there were seven or eight! When Joy noticed them, she was stone still. I think this was the first time she had seen actual, working Guide Dogs. She was staying in a good down under underneath my chair but I did hear her let out a small whimper. 

Some of the people with the dogs noticed Joy and started smiling. Then a man who was obviously a trainer came over and asked about her. She was thrilled that FINALLY someone was paying attention to her. We asked about their organization (New Horizons) and he said they were having a group outing and these dogs had just been matched.

Joy did get to have a controlled greet with one of the dogs, which was  really nice because I'm pretty sure if she didn't, she would have exploded.

Joy meets Piper, an 8 year old Service Dog

Today was a great experience for her to see how to act when there are other working dogs around and I think she learned a little from the "grown up" doggies!

Peace, Love, Joy :)

Day Seven: A Whale Of a Tail

Today we went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore! This is an absolutely incredible and huge aquarium! It is definitely worthy of the name. Instead of boring you with me going on and on about different fish that I like and their natural habitat and other nerdy things, I'll just show you a couple of pictures of Joy.

She really loved looking at all the animals!

Yay, aquarium time!

Joy meets a turtle!

Oh, I've been meaning to say this for a while but I never had any pictures: Joy is losing LOTS of baby teeth! She wants to show you all her big girl teeth.

Ignore all the food stuck in her teeth...

Something really cool happened to Joy today. Well, really, all of us. The National Aquarium has a great dolphin exhibit. They put on a little showcase/training session. We caught the 3:30 show and really enjoyed it!

Waiting for the shoooow...

After the show my mom and I walked around and looked at the jellyfish. My dad kept Joy because she was sleepy. We were halfway through the exhibit when my mom got a call. It was my dad and he told us to get over to the dolphins- NOW!

So we hurried ran over to the dolphins where we found out that Joy could visit with the dolphins for enrichment. I walked her up and down the side of the tank and the dolphins sort of swam about. Then, one of the dolphins, the youngest (Baylee), finally noticed Joy. Then they all went crazy, chasing Joy and staring at her! Joy still hadn't seen them though...

One dolphin turned upside down in a desperate attempt for Joy
to notice her!

Stiiiiill not noticing...

Finally she saw the funny looking swimming animals.

Oh, hey there.

Joy tried to give them a kiss!

Running along with her new dolphin friends.

Bye!

We had quite an audience snapping photos and videotaping the cute puppy/dolphin shenanigans. Eventually the trainers had the area closed off to the public (Except for us!). It was an absolutely incredible experience and we will never forget it!

Right before we left (I can't believe I twisted my foot like
that, ugh.) 

After we left the aquarium we drove over to Charm City Cakes (the bakery behind Ace of Cakes). It's closed except for reservations but we still got a quick picture! Can you tell we really like cake?

Well, this was the final leg of our...long...legged...journey. That's sounds weird.

Tomorrow morning we head back home, all the way to La Florida. We have had the BEST vacation and Joy has learned SO much.

Peace, Love, Joy :)

Day Six: The Museum To End All Museums

So, today we spent the entire day in the National Museum of Natural History. This is the BEST. MUSEUM. EVER. At least it is in my opinion. Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures. Also, there's not much to say besides: we looked at cool stuff and Joy slept for the most part.

Wait! I take what I said back, we did take one picture (that isn't super blurry).

She's such a sweet girl!

Peace, Love, Joy :)

Day Five: George Washington and Cupcakes

Today was a very exciting day for Joy & Company! We spent the majority of the day at Mount Vernon, the home of George and Martha Washington. Joy was enthralled by all the different sights and smells! Also, it was very casual because leashed dogs were allowed on the grounds of the estate. Joy liked the special privilege of getting to go inside our first President's mansion, though. By the way, she was super well behaved, again. We all agree that she is getting better every day.

Joy and I outside the Mansion

Oh yeah, and did I mention there were sheep???

Ta-da.

Now, these are not your average, run of the mill sheep. These are Mount Vernon sheep. If you have never heard the noise that these sheep make, then you are missing out on one of the great wonders of the world. It's sort of a cross between an old man coughing/yelling and a dying walrus. You would agree if you have heard these sheep.

Joy is all ready for the tour!

So, after Mount Vernon, we drove over to Georgetown Cupcake!!! They have their own reality show called DC Cupcakes! I can't stop using exclamation points!

Inside Georgetown Cupcake

I got a Vanilla Birthday cupcake: vanilla cake with buttercream frosting, I really don't like chocolate. My mom got the Chocolate Birthday cupcake and my dad got a vanilla cupcake with cream cheese frosting. We also got extras to eat later, a chocolate ganache and a cookies and creme! I think we're going to bust into them pretty soon...

The verdict? The cupcakes were super moist and the frosting was sweet and amazing! A+! Now, I've got to go, those cupcakes are calling me...

Peace, Love, Joy :)

Day Four: Greetings From the White House!

Now, I wasn't going to write anything but I will just say one thing. Joy was SO well behaved today! She was absolutely perfect in The White House, all the secret service agents and uniformed officers loved her!

I did tell her to be on her best behavior, though. She clearly listened to me.

Peace, Love, Joy :)