puppies inside: FLD Andie

Showing posts with label FLD Andie. Show all posts

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Relaxation with a twist

Chippewa

March 30, 2015

This is only our second time back to the prisons together since September. Tammy and I still have our routine down. On the drive up we brainstormed how we'll execute Tammy's lesson plan:

puppy presentation
paperwork (Tammy) / meet & greets, handler's exams, questions (me)
group discussion
relaxation protocol
exercises with treat delivery and impulse control using a ground tether
obedience practice for all and In-For-Training (IFT) assessments for FLDs Bandit, Andie, Adell and Teysen
rally course, ladder and distractions exercise (teams) / finish IFTs (Tammy and I)
"blind" touch
musical chairs
Bandit's good-bye

It always amazes me that we manage to get through the entire list.

After the puppy presentation Tammy takes care of the paperwork with Rial. I circle the room to practice meet and greets and handler's exams. I ask each team, "Tell me something good about your puppy and then tell me something you are struggling with." Their answers should drive the group discussion, but there are no big issues.

Everyone in the room is interested in hearing an update on FLD Ashley. The black lab returned to Leader Dogs for the Blind in December for formal training and now she's ready to move into an "advanced" level. At the next step she'll be matched with her new partner. (No one knows it yet, but Ashley is destined to be matched at the end of April.)

Tammy starts off with a twist on the standard relaxtaion protocol. Normally the puppies sit, down or stand in heel position with the handler standing during the exercise. Tammy instructs the handlers to stay seated. "Tell your puppy under," she says, "or have your puppy lie down at your side."

A light colored golden retriever and a yellow lab are lying on a tile floor in between the legs of two men. The first man with the golden is weraing green pants and the second man is wearing maroon pants. Both puppies are looking up at their handlers (who are mostly out of view).

FLDs Andie and Diesel look at their handlers like they are thinking, "What are you doing? We usually do this with you standing up!" The idea of trying this while sitting is to simulate situations where their handlers are sitting, like at restaurants or meetings.

Four men are seated on lunchroom stools. The man on the far left is sitting up and looking at the other three, who are bent over at the waist and touching their toes. There are three puppies lying on a tile floor beneath the men. The puppy on the far left is a yellow lab and is looking back at his handler, the next puppy is a german shepherd and his facing out, the third puppy is a light colored golden retriever and he is facing out too. Three of the men are wearing with t-shirts, the third man is wearing a maroon sweatshirt.

The seated relaxation protocol has the handlers do things like touch their toes, turn to the right or left, stamp their feet, or cross their legs. The puppies stay in position throughout the entire exercise.

With the relaxation protocol finished, Tammy puts me to work demonstrating the treat delivery and ground tether exercises, and helping her with the IFT assessments. I'm too busy to get any photos, but once the music starts for musical chairs I am free to shoot away.

In this game, there are chairs for everyone. When the music stops, the men must sit with their puppies "under" the chairs...last puppy down is out!

A group of men and their puppies cirlce around two lines of light blue plastic chairs. A woman wearing a grey t-shirt and blue jeans is on the far left.

Tammy's CD has dog-themed songs, like "Who Let the Dogs Out?" and "How Much is that Puppy in the Window?"

A low shot of a golden retriever/lab mix puppy walking toward the camera with a loose leash and looking up toward his handler. The man handling the puppy is only visible from the waist down and he is wearing the blue prison uniform. There are a few men sitting down on the right side.

FLD Henry keeps a nice loose leash and a keen focus on his temporary handler.

Now the men are sitting on the chairs with their puppies "under" the chairs facing out. The woman is in the background on the left side.

The music stops...who is out?

A low, close up shot of a small stuffed weiner dog in the foreground and a larger black lab puppy walking by trying to sniff the stuffed dog. In the background on the right side is a german shepherd puppy also looking at the stuffed dog, being held back by a man wearing a white t-shirt and blue prison pants. The black lab is being held back by a man wearing a white t-shirt and blue prison pants. The lab is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

I set a distraction down for the puppies. FLD GeeGee is very interested in "Travel Deacon," as is FLD Chance in the background.


We have a winner! FLD GeeGee is under her handler Ro before FLD Chance hits the tile under his handler Eric.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Raising thinkers

Chippewa

October 23, 2014

Before getting the teams up to work, Deb has lots to share. She reports on the kennel project that is under construction at Leader Dogs for the Blind; she talks about the breeding program and what happens to the puppies when they return to Rochester Hills; she describes guide work and what it means when the blind or visually impaired handler cannot support the decisions the dog has to make.

"We need forward-thinking, independent-thinking dogs," she said.

Many of the men express interest in continuing to raise puppies once they get out. Deb leads a discussion about what raising a puppy on the outside entails, how they will have to deal with veterinarian and food expenses, and transportation when picking up and returning a puppy.

The men nod their heads when she suggests they take time to get their lives in order first. These inmate raisers are thinking, too.

Three men sit on stools and are leaning forward and looking at the two black lab puppies and one chocolate lab puppy lying on the floor between their legs. The man on the left is wearing a long sleeve white shirt and peach sweat pants, his hands are massaging the black lab's shoulders. The puppy is looking at the camera. The man in the middle is wearing the blue prison uniform and is reaching down to the black lab puppy at his feet with his left hand, which is holding an antler. His right arm is resting on his right knee. The african american man on the right is wearing the blue prison uniform and is bent over with his left forearm on his left knee. He is reaching down with his right hand and holding the left front paw of a small black lab at his feet. The labe is lying on her right side facing the camear.

Three puppies and their raisers share a moment. Ro, on the right, is handling FLD GeeGee's front paw. GeeGee is Ro's second puppy; he raised FLD Sammy, who, at the time of this post. is in training at Leader Dog. Ro says that even though he thinks Sammy was the best, GeeGee has stolen his heart.

Time to work. Deb has a fun exercise planned. She recreates an outside puppy outing she and FLD Jedi attended at Detroit Metro Airport. The puppies will practice sit or down/stays, recalls, handling, and settling.

We set two chairs at one end of the room to simulate a metal detector. One at a time, each inmate raiser puts his puppy in a sit or down stay in the middle of the room. Here he removes his shoes and the puppy's collar and leash.

A man dressed in maroon sweats is standing in the middel of a room, he is taking his shoes off. In front of him is sitting a golden retriever puppy. The puppy is facing him and wearing the blue Future Leader Dog puppy. On the floor by the man's shoes is the puppy's leash. In the background three other men are sitting on stools and facing the man that is standing.

Abe removes his shoes while FLD Andie holds a sit/stay.

The raiser leaves the puppy to walk through the chair-metal-detector, then turns and calls his puppy to come.

A yellow lab/golden retriever puppy wearing the blue Future Leader Dog jacket is walking away from the camera toward two light blue plastic chairs. Just beyond the chairs is a man wearing a white t-shirt and maroon pants. The man is facing the puppy and looking down at him. In the background are three men and three women sitting or standing and watching the puppy.

FLD Henry comes readily to Matt, who is waiting on the other side of the "metal detector."

Another inmate, posing as a NSA agent, pats them both down. Once cleared, the inmate puts his shoes and the puppy's collar and leash back on and is shuffled into the corner to wait.

Two men in the foregrond are running their hands on a black lab puppy. The man on the left of the puppy is kneeling on the tile floor, he is wearing a white t-shirt and blue prison pants and a blue ball cap. the man on the right of the puppy is wearing a green sweatshirt and the blue prison pants, he is bent over at the waits over the puppy. There are two men and one woman along the wall on the far left side, standing with puppies, and three men and two women in the far background.

"NSA agent" Eric checks out FLD Dylan while Dave, the pup's handler, rehooks his leash.

A low shot of two men patting down a black lab puppy. The man on the left is standing and leaning over the puppy, he is wearing a white t-shirt and blue prison pants; you cannot see his head but his arm is covered with tatooes. The man on the right is kneeling on his right knee and his left hand is feeling the puppy's throat. He is wearing a white t-shirt and blue prison pants and a blue ball cap. There is a man in the background standing against the wall with a german shepherd on his left side.

FLD Ashley gets checked over.

A man is standing on the left with his arms stretched out, facing a group of men (and one woman) and their puppies. Several of the men are bending over to settle their puppies, they are in a tight corner of a room, with a glass wall and door on the left and a white brick wall on the right.

"NSA agent' Eric keeps the group sequestered in the corner.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Sit, down, stay, play

September 25, 2014

Chippewa

RELAXATION PROTOCOL

In three positions...

A woman wearing blue jeans and a teal t-shirt is standing on the right side with an orange piece of paper in her hands. She is reading from the paper. Three men are standing on the left, each are wearing white t-shirts, the one on the far left and the one in the middle are wearing orange shorts, the third man is wearing blue prison pants and is standing with his arms folded at his chest. The middle man is looking down at a small yellow lab/golden retriever puppy that is lying on the tile floor looking up at him.

Tammy gets started on the relaxation protocol. She asks the teams to have their puppies in the "down" position to start.

A black lab (left) and a yellow lab (right) are lying on a tile floor, both are wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandanas. The puppies are looking up to the left at their handlers, who are only visilbe from the waist down. The man on hte left is wearing maroon sweat pants and a white t-shirt, the other man is wearing orange shorts and a white t-shirt. Both puppies' leashes are lying on the floor.

FLDs Ashley and Adell keep an eye on their handlers.

A young chocolate lab is lying on a tile floor looking up at his handler that is standing on the left. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and his leash is lying on the floor in front of him. Only the handler's lower legs and feet are in the frame. He is wearing maroon sweatpants and white shoes. The legs of another man are on the right, he is wearing orange shorts and white shoes.

FLD Bandit. Focused.

Three men are handling three puppies. The man on the left is wearing orange shorts and a white sleeveless t-shirt and he is holding the leash of a yellow lab puppy that is sitting on his left side looking up at him. The man is looking down at the puppy and reaching toward him with his left hand. The man in the middle is wearing orange shorts and the blue prison shirt; he is looking down at a yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy that is lying on the tile floor facing the man, his leash draped on the floor. The man on the right is wearing the blue prison pants and a white t-shirt with his hand folded at his waist and looking down at a small black lab. The lab is sitting on the floor facing the man with its back to the camera. There is a fourth man in the background sitting on a lunchroom stool.

Now Tammy asks the handlers to have their puppies "sit." FLDs Adell (left) and GeeGee (right) jump right up, but FLD Henry (middle) has to think about it.

The picture is taken from a weird angle so everyone could get into the shot. There are four men standing in the lunchroom (tables line the walls behind them) and each has a puppy sitting at his left side.

FLDs Teysen and Bandit show how "sit" is done.

A man dressed in the prison blue pants and a maroon sweatshirt is standing facing the camera. He is looking down to his left at the young golden retriever puppy that is standing on his left side. The puppy is wearing the blue bandana and the man is holding his leash with his right hand, held up at his chest.

Abe with FLD Andie in the last position: "stand." Now that is a loose leash!

TESTING

With everyone relaxed, Tammy announced that she would do AKC S.T.A.R Puppy and CGC testing on those puppies that were eligible. The other puppies could practice. FLD Coda was ready to take her In-For-Training (IFT) assessment and Tammy asked me to do it away from the others. I was happy to oblidge. FLD Coda happened to be in heat and was a bit distracted. Her raiser, Jeremy, was patient with her and she did just fine away from all the boys.

YARD WORK

We went into the yard to practice a modified version of the distraction training that we did at the last furlough. Instead of tape on the ground, Tammy had the handlers stand on their puppies' leashes on the grass, just long enough so the puppies could move onto the sidewalk. No pictures here because Tammy put me (and others) to work offering distractions. Someone bounced a ball, one guy crawled up and down the sidewalk, I dragged the stuffed squirrel on a rope, wiggling it to simulate a real squirrel. Not one puppy budged. Either the pupies were great at ignoring distractions, or they were super-well trained to stay off the sidewalk. (The men did say they had trained the puppies not to go past the sidewlak into the gardens on the other side.)

PLAYTIME

Before we leave, we let the puppies play. Brothers Henry and Harley are well-matched. They were moving too fast for me to get a clear focused shot. A little help from Photoshop and you can see the fun they had.

Two small yellow lab/golden retriever puppies run toward the camera, the one on the left, slightly behind the one on the right, has his mouth open and is going for the right ear of the other puppy.

FLD Harley (left) has FLD Henry on the run. Big ears are easy to grab.

Now the two puppies are facing each other. The pup on the left is wearing a red collar and is standing up with his left front paw in the air. The puppy on the right is lying on the cement. His tongue is sticking part way out of his closed mouth like he is taunting the other puppy.

Nah, nah, na nah, nah! FLD Henry might be down, but he's not out!

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Just a couple more

September 25, 2014
Chippewa

Robert isn't the only one getting attached to his puppy...

A man wearing a white t-shirt and orange shorts is squatting on a tile floor, snuggling with a small yellow lab/golden retriever mix. The man is resting his chin on the puppy's head and has his arms wrapped around the puppy. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

John and FLD Harley.

A man wearing a light maroon sweatshirt and blue prison pants is outside. He is facing the camera and squatting down on cement and looking down at a young golden retriever puppy that is sitting down in front of him facing him. The puppy has a blue collar around its neck. The man is holding the puppy's head with his hands.

Abe and FLD Andie.

A man wearing the blue prison uniform is sitting on a lunchroom table stool and bending over toward a young golden retriever puppy that is lying on his back between the man's legs. The puppy's front paws are in the air and his mouth is open. The man is scratching the puppy's chest with both of his hands and looking down at the puppy. There is another man half our of view on the right also sitting - he is holding the leash of a small black lab that is asleep between his legs on the floor.

FLD Andie enjoys a scratch from Carlos. (FLD GeeGee is on the right.)

Monday, December 29, 2014

Three D's and Henry

September 11, 2014

The Soo

FLD HENRY

We took FLD Chewy with us when we left Pike Unit. Doc Bennett, the veterinarian who volunteers his service for the puppies, saw something he didn't like in the Shepherd's running gait. Tammy was charged with bringing Chewy back to Leader Dogs for the Blind for a complete checkup. But first he'd have to hang with us.

Tammy and I were late getting to the Antler's, a unique restaurant that has always been gracious to visiting Future Leader Dog puppies. This day was no different, although our group was seated in the main dining area instead of the quieter banquet room. Here the pups were treated to bells and whistles every time a ship passed through the Soo Locks.

We left little Hershel asleep in his crate in the van, as it was a cool evening. Tammy brought FLD Chewy in for Frank to handle, Rachel had her golden puppy, FLD Harkin, Kim was with FLD Kayla, and Paula had brought FLD Andie out on furlough from Chippewa. Of course, I had FLD Henry, who recently learned he has a voice. He barked a bit so I took him out to park. Afterwards he was better, but didn't really settle until it was nearly time to go. The other puppies were all well behaved.

As Henry and I got up to leave, a woman and some friends coming in for dinner blocked our passage. "Can I pet him?" she asked. Her entourage spread out and surrounded us. I had no choice. "Can you help me with his training?" I asked her in return. She stepped forward, "What can I do?"

"Let me get him sitting and then you can approach," I explained. I asked Henry to "sit" and used "touch" to get him to focus on me. "He needs to have four on the floor and he cannot mouth you. If he gets up or licks too much, just take your hand away and step back."

The woman took another step toward us and Henry leapt forward. The woman stepped back. Henry sat down. "Yes!" I said and gave him a treat. He held a squirmy sit as the woman tried again. She stopped. Henry whipped his head around and looked at me as if to say, "This is it, right? You want me to sit, right?"

"Yes!" I said and slipped him another bit of kibble. While I was giving it to him, I asked the woman to come and pet him. Henry didn't know what to do then with his attention; his head swiveled from her back to me. Eventually he controlled himself long enough to accept a nice pet.

The crowd around us had grown. Another group was trying to leave. "Can you see how he improved?" I asked. They all agreed.

Good boy, Henry!

THREE D'S

We regrouped at a local school where Rachel works so Tammy could conduct a training session with us. Immediately we had to practice stairs to get up to the conference room. As usual, Tammy loaded her agenda, starting with the relaxation protocol in "sit," followed by meet & greets (from quiet to excited), and weight checks.

Before we moved on to "stay" we practiced ignoring distractions. Tammy stuck a three foot long piece of painter's tape on the floor, behind which we stood with our foot on our puppy's leash. The leash was long enough for the puppy to move past the tape. From a distance, Tammy wiggled a stuffed squirrel that dangled from a pole and instructed us to treat our puppy at our left side whenever our puppy moved away from the toy and came to our side of the tape.

The tape itself was enough distraction for FLD Henry - the first thing he did was to rip the tape right up off the floor!

Oh, Henry!

Again, the other puppies did much better...

A man wearing khakis and a black top is standing on the right looking down at a large German Shepherd that is standing in front of him. The man is stepping on the dog's leash. The dog is looking to the right, where a woman wearing blue jeans and a marron top is kneeling on the carpeted floor facing the dog and man. The woman is bouncing a pink ball in front of her. She is several feet away from the man and dog. In the background are long tables with chairs behind them, another woman is sitting on the floor in front of the table and has a young yellow lab standing in front of her.

Tammy increases the distraction and now bounces a ball. Frank is firmly planted on FLD Chewy's leash, waiting for Chewy to move toward him. FLDs Andie and Kayla wait their turn.

A closer shot of just the man and the German Shepherd. Now the shepherd is turning toward the man. The man is leaning forward just a bit and reaching toward the dog with his left hand, which holds a treat. The other woman is still sitting on the floor with her yellow lab, facing the camera. Another woman is stting on the far side of the table.

FLD Chewy looks away from the ball distraction toward Frank, and loosens the tension on his leash. Frank rewards him.

The man is still standing on the shepherd's leash, but now the dog has moved to the man's left side, well behind the tape on the floor. The woman wearing blue jeans and a maroon t-shirt is on her hands and knees very close to the tape and has rolled the pink ball toward the dog. The dog is looking down at the ball, but is leaving it alone!

FLD Chewy resists the ball temptation, even when Tammy rolls it right up to him! Notice how Chewy has repositioned himself at Frank's left side.

On to stays. "People always want to rush stays," Tammy said. "That's why they have rotten stays." She told us to remember the "three d's." Duration. Distance. Distractions. "First is duration. Your puppy should hold position for one minute before adding distance," Tammy said. "Never mind about distractions! They come later."

I have lots more work to do with Henry and duration. He dropped into a down at about 10 seconds. "Take notice of that and treat him at eight seconds," Tammy advised.

Thank you, Tammy!

A floor-level close shot of a small chocolate lab puppy. The puppy is lying on the carpet facing the camera. He is busy chomping on a dog bisquit. His leash is attached to the leg of a table behind him.

FLD Hershel is happy attacking a Milk Bone from the sidelines.

Another close shot of the same chocolate lab puppy. Now he is sleeping, with his head resting across his leash.

All this work tires a puppy out!

Later, FLDs Hershel and Henry have some play time in the hotel...

The small chocolate lab is running toward the camera on green carpet. Behind him is a little bit larger yellow lab/golden mix puppy, who is following him. Behind and to the left is a cloth crate.

FLD Hershel takes off with FLD Henry close behind.

The yellow lab/golden puppy is standing over the smaller chocolate labe and they are play-fighitng. The chcolate lab is trying to bit the other puppy'es right ear.

Whoo-hoo! Lab wrestling!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Ready for a celebration

July 16, 2014

Chippewa

We travel north every month and every month is different from the last. In July, we don't make the long trip west to Baraga; instead we have an extended visit in the eastern UP. The afternoon of Thursday, July 17 is Chippewa Puppy Days, a one-year celebration of the Leader Dogs for the Blind/Chippewa Correctional Facility prison puppy-raising program.

Because Deb Donnelly, Puppy Development Supervisor at Leader Dog, is coming from the west to attend the event, she stops at the Baraga Correctional Facility to conduct the monthly training class in our place.

Tammy and I head up to Chippewa the day before Puppy Days. The guys want to firm up their presentation.

It is obvious they are ready.

A small yellow lab puppy is sitting down and gazing up into the bright blue sky. She is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. Behind her is the brick building of the Pike Unit.

Super Dog FLD Adell at the ready!

Here are photos of the men practicing their routine in the Pike Unit yard.

A man wearing the blue prison uniform is bending down to give a treat to a small golden retriever puppy that is lying on the ground next to him. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. There are two yellow labs standing int he background. The ground is sand with some grass.

Abe rewards FLD Andie with a bit of kibble as the men leave their puppies in a STAND/STAY. We are impressed at how the men set their puppies up to succeed.

A small yellow lab puppy is lying on the grass with her right front paw resting on the black shoe of her handler, who is standing on the left (only his feet are visible in the shot). The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and is looking up at the handler.

FLD Adell keeps tabs on her handler.

A man dressed in prison blue pants and a white t-shirt is bending over placing bits of kibble on the grass in front of a young chocolate lab. The lab is lying down facing the left and wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The puppy is looking intently at the kibble with his tongue just coming out. There are legs of another man in the background, wearing maroon sweat pants.

FLD Bandit stares intently at the bits of kibble Justin stages as a distraction.

The young chocolate lab is still lying on the ground while the lower legs and boots of a man pass by behind.

FLD Bandit holds his down while ignoring the kibble, and the men running by.

A young black lab is running toward the camera acroos the grass and dirt yard. He is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. There are two men behind him, only their legs are showing, the man on the left is wearing green sweatpants, the man on the right is wearing the blue prison uniform. There is a yellow lab and chocolate lab lying down on the far right side looking to the left at the running dog.

FLD Sammy takes off on a recall across the yard in front of a line of puppies.

A man dressed in the blue prison pants and a white t-shirt is standing half out of view on the right side of the picture; sitting at his left side is a small black lab with his back to the camera. The puppy is looking up at the man. Beyond them is another man squatting down, wearing green sweatpants and a white t-shirt, he is facing to the left and there is a small yellow lab puppy standing in front of him looking at him. There is a brick building in the background.

FLD Teysen looks up at his handler, while Tim helps FLD Adell stand.

The men are happy when we leave FLD Grant (a yellow lab that I have been puppy-sitting for a few weeks) and FLD Gage (a golden retriever puppy that is destined for Baraga) overnight. FLD Grant will stay in their charge until we leave the day after Puppy Days. ARUS Tammy from Baraga is picking up FLD Gage in the morning.

A young yellow lab is lying on a green rug on beige tile flooring, he is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog jacket and looking up at the camera. A leash is attached to his collar.

FLD Grant.

A man wearing green pants and a white t-shirt and blue baseball cap is lying on the grass on his back. He is holding a small golden retriever puppy on his chest with his hands, the puppy looks like it is squirming. The man has a surprised look on his face.

John has some fun with FLD Gage.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Dress rehearsal

June 20, 2014

Chippewa

Tammy's agenda for our training session includes the monthly topics we need to cover: STAY and TRAFFIC. Needless to say, we won't be doing much work with traffic on the inside. But we can work on STAY.

A small golden retriever puppy is snuggled in a grey prison blanket on a tile floor. The puppy's head is on the floor on its right side and the blanket covers the rest of his body. A brown leash is attached to his collar and is draped over the blanket. A man's lower leg (in the prison blue pants) with a black shoe is visible next to the puppy on the right of the photo.

No problem here with STAY. FLD Andie has it down!

The guys are eager to show us what they've planned for next month's "Puppy Days" celebration.

Two men are holding up a large, long vinyl sign. The man on the left is wearing jeans and a blue short-sleeved shirt. The man on the right is wearing the blue prison unform. There are men sitting down around the room in the background. The room has a tile floor and white ceiling tiles with lights and a fan. The banner is white with black paw prints along both sides. It has "Leader Dogs for the Blind" in blue letters on the top and large black letters below say "PUPPY DAYS" with a green outline of the Upper Peninsula behind them. Below that in smaller blue letters is "Chippewa Corectional Facility"

ARUS Rob (left) and Matt (right) hold up the banner for July's "Puppy Days" celebration.

Tammy had charged the teams with figuring out a routine with the puppies to show off their skills. The men re-imagined the relaxation protocol, adding distractions such as dribbling basketballs, running and clapping, stepping over the puppies while in a down position, recalls and more. They ask Tammy to read each step as they perform the almost-military-drill for us.

We are impressed.

An outside shot of the prison puppy raisers demonstrating their performance. Two golden retrievers on the left and one chocolate lab on the right are lying down on the grass; two men are visible standing next to the goldens on the left, the nearest one is wearing the blue prison uniform, but his head is out of the frame. The furthest man is wearing the prison blue pants and a green sweatshrit. A man wearing a white t-shirt and prison blue pants is bouncing a basketball past the puppies. Another man dressed in the prison blue uniform is also bouncing a basketball. In the background is the brick wall of the prison with a couple windows. A man wearing a maroon sweatshirt is in the background.

FLD Drummond (foreground), FLD August (behind), and FLD Bandit (right) hold a down position with bouncing ball distractions.

The two goldens are still lying down, the one in the foreground is looking up at the man standing next to him. The man is looking down at the puppy.

FLD Drummond looks up at his handler...

The two goldens are still lying down. The one in the foreground is yawning. In the background is a woman wearing blue jeans and a grey t-shirt; she is holding a piece of paper and smiling. A man wearing green prison pants and a white shirt is running toward the right clapping his hands.

...he seems bored with all the commotion.

The goldens and chocolate lab are still lying down while two men dressed in the prison blue uniforms step over them. There are several men and the woman standing in the background watching.

The puppies hold still even while the men step over them.

There are several men and the woman standing in the background watching as two black labs run past each other from opposite directions. A goldne retriever is standing up on the right side like he is trying to reach the running puppies, but a man dressed in the blue prison uniforms is holding his collar. A yellow lab in the background is lying on the ground.

Whoops! The racing labs during the recall pull FLD Granite out of his "down."

We are so proud of the teams and all their hard work.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

A pledge

November 1, 2014

Regrettably delinquent. I confess I have neglected this story.

My self-imposed sentence? To catch things up by December 4, 2014.

Have you ever heard of NaNoWriMo? The National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 when a group of 21 young writers in the San Francisco Bay Area thought that becoming novelists would give them a better chance at getting dates. For one month they got together to churn out 50,000 words a piece. In the process, they discovered that writing this way - "half-literary marathon and half block party" - was fun. Because what they ended up with was not "horrible," they thought anyone could do it too. The national challenge to write a novel in one month was born.

In 2013, according to the NaNoWriMo website, "310,095 participants started the month of November as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists."

Crazy.

I've been called crazy more than once, but rest assured I am NOT signing up for the NaNoWriMo!

Instead, I am challenging myself to write posts about our June, July, August, September and October visits to the Chippewa and Baraga Correctional Facilities and finish before I next visit in December. (I am not able to make the trip this month.)

Ready?

Here goes...

June 20, 2014

Chippewa

Tammy and I make a one-day trip for a special delivery.

A close shot of a fuzzy white golden retriever puppy being held by a woman just off camera to the right. The puppy is looking right at the camera and has dark eyes and a black nose.

FLD Andie!

A man in a light blue shirt is holding the fuzzy puppy in his arms. He is looking down at the puppy and has a surprised smile on his face. He has a mustache. The puppy is cradled in his left arm and his right hand is petting the puppy's neck.

Warden Woods is excited to meet the new arrival.

A bald man wearing a white t-shirt is standing on the left with a huge smile. Next to him is a man with a blue shirt on - the fuzzy puppy is being lifted over this man's right sholder. In the background is a woman and man standing and watching.

FLD Andie is presented to his raiser, Abe (in the blue shirt), and co-raiser Carlos.

A close shot of the man in the blue shirt snuggling the fluffy puppy. The man's eyes are closed and he is pressing his face against the puppy's face. The puppy's front paws are sticking straight out toward the camera. On the right, a tatooed arm is reaching over to pet the puppy's ear. A man is out of focus in the background, sitting down on the right.

Abe seems to be drinking in the sweet puppy breath of little Andie.

The man in the blue shirt (and prison blue pants) is still snuggling the puppy, but he is showing the puppy to a row of six men and a larger golden retriever. The men are all wearing white t-shirts and blue pants, except for one man on the right who is wearing maroon pants.

Abe introduces FLD Andie to FLD Bravo and some of the other puppy raising teams.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

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Saturday, January 10, 2015

Monday, December 29, 2014

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Monday, November 3, 2014

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