Showing posts with label FLD Ecko. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FLD Ecko. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

The next day

July 18, 2014
Chippewa

The day after Puppy Days at the Chippewa Correctional Facility was a watershed moment. Scott's feelings of "impending loss" were about to become real. FLDs Drummond and Bravo, the first puppies in the Leader Dogs for the Blind prison puppy-raising program in Michigan, were returning to the Rochester Hills campus for their formal guide dog training. Joining the two golden retrievers was FLD Granite, a "finishing" puppy that came to Chippewa some months ago.

It was their time.

More than a dozen men and one woman are standing or sitting around a room. The men are wearing prison garb, blue or green pants with white t-shirts or blue shirts. The woman is wearing blue jeans and a yellow shirt. There are many puppies with the men, some golden retrievers, black and yellow labs, and one german shepherd. The woman is going to each team and greeting the handler and dog.
Practicing meet & greets.
But first. Tammy-the-taskmaster wanted the group to do a few exercises before she completed the separation paperwork with Scott, Morrison and Jeremy, the raisers of the three dogs. We applied Frontline on all the puppies, practiced meet & greets, handler's exams and "arounds."

Then we chatted about the Puppy Days celebration; we decided it all went very well. The men were thrilled with how receptive the guests were to them. Joe said when the presentations were over and the guests were invited to partake in pizzas and deserts prepared by inmates in the prison's culinary program, he thought everyone would rush over to the food tables.

"Instead, they all got in line to meet all of us," Joe said. "They shook our hands and told us we were doing a great job." None of the men expected this kind of reaction.

One woman and three men are standing in line, talking to the prisoners that are standing against the wall in the gym. The inmate on the right is wearing blue pants and a white t-shirt. He is holding a small black lab puppy and leaning toward another man and listening. The woman, wearing a yellow shirt, is on the far left, followed by a man wearing a yellow vest, then a man wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt, then a bearded man wearing khakis and a royal blue shirt.
Inmate raiser Joe (right) holds FLD Teysen while being greeted by Dave Bardsley and Lions Club members.

But there it was, a transcendence of circumstance. These were men after all, paying their dues, attempting to bring positive change to themselves by creating opportunities of independence to strangers they will never meet. Raising puppies!

On to business. The men shared stories about the three pups that were about to leave.

FLD BRAVO
Raisers Morrison and Cody revealed how nervous they were when young little Bravo arrived. "He's a sensitive puppy," they said, nicknaming him "Budbuddog." ("All one word," they said.) Morrison told a story about Bravo having an accident that elicited laughter around the room. "I had poop on my leg and in my new Nikes!" he said.
A man wearing blue prison pants and shirt with an orange vest is kneeling on his left knee next to a golden retriever, who is standing, looking toward the camera. The man is looking at the dog, with his left arm draped over the back of the dog, and holding up a certificate with his right hand. There are two men and a woman in the background.
Morrison and FLD Bravo show off the "thank you" certificate from Leader Dog.

FLD DRUMMOND
Everyone agreed that the big golden was a protector and guardian of the new puppies. "He let Ashley walk on his back in the snow," they said. The men shoveled pathways in the deep snow. Ashley was walking on top of the banks and couldn't make the jump over the chasm to the other side. Drummond positioned himself so the pup could use him as a bridge.
A floor level shot of a small yellow lab (left) lying next to a large golden retriever, who is also lying on the tile floor. The little puppy has her chin on the floor, looking at the camera. The golden's head is up and he is looking off to the right.
FLD Adell (left) lies safely next to FLD Drummond.


A man dressed in the priosn blue uniform and an orange vest is squatting down with a golden retriever on the left. The man's right arm is wrapped around the shoulders of the dog. The dog is standing and looking at the camera. The man is holding a certificate in his left hand. There is a woman and two men in the background.
Scott and FLD Drummond with the Leader Dog "thank you" certificate.

FLD GRANITE
The teams were afraid of this finishing puppy when he came to Pike Unit. "The first night he growled like a golden with a toy in his mouth," Jeremy said. And Granite wouldn't let them get close - he came a long way with Jeremy's help.
A man wearing the blue prison uniform and an orange vest is squatting next to a golden retriever. The golden is sitting down on the right side and is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The man has his left arm draped over the dog's shoulders and is holding up a certificate in his right hand. The man has a very big smile on his face. There are three men in the background.
Jeremy and FLD Granite are proud of their Leader Dog "thank you" certificate.

Doug added a story about Tammy's FLD Harper, who had spent some time in Pike Unit with him. One morning when Harper woke him up because he needed to "park," Doug stopped to use the restroom on the way. Little Harper couldn't wait and Doug had a mess to clean up. "I learned you can't procrastinate with a puppy," he said.

Two men are sitting down behind a yellow lab, who is sitting on the tile floor in front of the man on the left. The man on the left is wearing green pants and a white t-shirt. The man on the right is wearing blue prison pants and a white tank shirt and a blue baseball cap. The men are holding up a certificate between them.
John (left) and Harlan (right) hold up FLD Ekco's AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate.

The guys encourage Ro to demonstrate his method of urging the laid-back FLD Sammy to "get a move on." Amongst cheers, Ro danced across the room with the lab singing a do-rop ditty. Too bad we couldn't get a recording!

An african american wearing prison blue pants and a white t-shirt is walking toward the camera with a leash in his hands, looking down to a young black lab at his side. There are men sitting all around three sides of the room behind the man and dog.
Ro and FLD Sammy kickin' it out.

DOGSPEED PUPPIES!

A man wearing an orange vest is on the right holding a golden retriever with his left arm and hand. The golden is sitting in front of him in a van with his head pressed against the man's chest. There is a dog crate in the background with a yellow lab looking out.
Morrison says good-bye to FLD Bravo...
The man wearing the blue prison uniform and an orange vest is turning away from the van. He is looking down facing the camera with a strained expression on his face.
...not an easy task.

A man wearing a blue shirt and an orange vest and glasses is leaning in toward a dog airline crate that is in the back of a white van. The crate door is open and there is a golden retriever sniffing the man's left hand.
Scott leaves a treat for FLD Drummond.
The man in the blue shirt and orange vest is turning away from the van and looking at the camera with a sad face. A woman wearing blue jeans and a blue t-shirt is closing the door of the airline crate.
Tammy latches the door of Drummond's crate as Scott turns away.

A man wearing a blue shirt and an orange vest is reaching his right hand toward a golden retriever that is sticking his head out of an airline crate. The man is facing away from the camera toward the dog.
Jeremy reaches toward FLD Granite for a last pet.

Two airline crates are in the back of a van with two golden retrievers in them. The dogs are both standing up looking out from the crates. There are two leashes on the floor of the van in front of the crates and a blue Future Leader Dog bandana.
FLDs Granite and Drummond.
Two airline crates hold a yellow lab (left) and a golden retriever. The dogs are lying down looking toward the camera. The crates are in a van and there is a leash on the floor in front of them.
FLD Grant, who was just visiting, and FLD Bravo.

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Sunday, August 31, 2014

Catchup 3

May 14, 2014
Chippewa

PART THREE - PUPPY FURLOUGH

"The bus is here," ARUS Rob announced. Gary was a bit early. As an outside puppy raiser Gary also drove a school bus for the Pickford Public Schools. Tammy had arranged for him to take the older Chippewa pups and their furlough handlers to the elementary school for an outing. Not only would the puppies experience a bus ride, they would be exposed to lots of kids on the playground during recess.

Tammy still had items on her agenda, but our session was over. She had covered information about TAG teach, a sort of "clicker" training for people that we learned at Leader Dog during puppy counselor training, but we had no time to try the exercises. Maybe next trip.


This photo is shot from inside the school bus looking down the stairs. A woman with long brown hair wearing blue jeans, a light purple shirt with a gray zippered sweathshirt open over it, is stepping up and holding the railing with her right hand. She is holding a leash in her left hand, attached to a yellow lab who is stepping up the steps with her. The woman is looking down at the dog. She also has a black treat bag around her waist.
Kim negotiates the bus steps with FLD Ecko. Check out the nice loose leash!

A woman with short grey hair and wearing blue jeans a grey t-shirt and a purple zippered sweatshirt open is standing at the top of the steps coming out of a school bus. She is wearing a black treat bag on her waist and smiling at the camera. A large golden retriever puppy is standing at her left side looking out at the camera. He is wearing a blue Future Leader Dog bandana.
Puppy counselor Tammy pauses at the top step with FLD Drummond before disembarking at the school.

A group of four women and two men, and six future leader dogs ( two yellow labs, one black lab, two golden retrievers and one german shepherd) stand in an elementary school yard. The brick sided building is behind the group. Three of the dogs are standing, two are sitting and the black lab is lying down.
FLDs August, Ecko, Sammy, Bravo, Drummond and Chewy hang out in the school yard with the furlough handlers. I have been instructed not to take any photographs of the children. Children played basketball, baseball, soccer, swung on swings and played on the playscape while we walked the puppies amongst them. The puppies were more interested in each other than the kids!

A child's hand pets the head of a black lab. The child is wearing a blue and grey plaid jackent. The arm of another chold is just visible in the background, wearing a navy blue with a white strip jacket.
The children were respectful in asking permission to pet the puppies. FLD Sammy was happy to oblige.

A group of people and Future Leader Dogs pose in front of a yellow school bus from the Pickford Public Schools. From left to right, a man wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt under a grey jacket is with a black lab, a man wearing khaki pants, a green shirt and an open black jacket and a safari hat is with a golden retriever, a woman with short white hair and glasses wearing blue jeans, a grey shirt under an open purple zipper sweatshirt is with a golden retriever, a woman with short grey hair wearing blue jeans and a long sleeve orange top and holding a blue jacket is with a german shepherd, a woman with long brown hair wearing blue jeans a light purple shirt under a grey open zippered sweat shirt is with a yellow lab, a woman with longish grey hair wearing blue jeans and a dark shirt under an open light yellow jacket is with a yellow lab, and a tall man with a white mustache wearing dark pants and a short-sleeved blue polo shirt with a black lab. The first six puppies are wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and the puppy on the far right is wearing the blue working jacket.
Our intrepid furlough handlers and their charges pose after our outing. From left to right are ARUS Rob with FLD Sammy, Frank with FLD Bravo, Tammy with FLD Drummond, Rhonda with FLD Chewy, Kim with FLD Ecko, Judy with FLD August, and Gary with FLD Allegiance.

Thank you for the bus ride Gary!

 
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Monday, July 7, 2014

Outside simulation

April 11, 2014
Chippewa

One thing that stands out during the dice game is how the teams root for each puppy, even if it isn't their own. When Tammy asked Eric to heel FLD August through the cones a second time, it felt like we were in a baseball stadium, the batter facing a 3-2 count with two outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to win or lose the game. A proud Eric nodded to the cheering crowd as August rounded the last cone for a home-run performance.

As the last team tosses the dice it is about noon. Inmates assigned to clean the lunchroom hover outside the door. Tammy has more tricks in her training bag and the raisers want to keep working, so we move out to the yard. Piles of snow linger yet the sun is shining and the temperature is quite pleasant.

WAITING ROOM GAME

The set-up.
Tammy asks for five chairs; she sets two facing the door to Pike Unit and three in a row behind them facing to the side. This game will simulate a visit to a busy doctor's office. Eric and Dave sit in the two chairs. I sit in the middle chair of the group of three with a notepad and pen. A squeaky toy is staged a bit beyond.

The task.
The handler and his FLD will enter the "waiting room," maneuver around the waiting "patients" and take a seat next to me. Hopefully, he will settle his puppy before I hand him the notepad and pen. I will give three instructions.
  1. Write down your puppy's name and number.
  2. Write down your name.
  3. Write down one thing your puppy has taught you.
After writing, the handler will exit with his puppy, passing by the squeaky toy.

The challenge.
Of course, nothing goes easy. Those of you who raise puppies on the outside will recognize the scenario. As the team approaches the waiting room, Tammy acts much like many people in the general public. "I know I'm not supposed to," she squeals, reaching out, "but I just HAVE to pet your puppy!" She encourages Eric and Dave to do the same. By the time the handler reaches me, the puppy is wound up and not interested in going "under" the chair. Surprisingly, most of the puppies care less about the squeaky toy.


A tall, african american man is standing in the distance in the middle of the photo, near a set of double doors, one of which is open. He is wearing the prison blue pants and a long sleeved white t-shirt. He is looking down at a yellow lab which is sitting on his left side looking back at him. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The man's right hand is in a fist at his chest and his left hand hanging at his side is holding the leash. In the foreground are two men sitting in light blue plastic chairs, facing hte first man. The man on the left is wearing a white t-shirt and has a ponytail, his hair is grey. The man on the right is wearing a green sweatshirt and is bald. There is a woman standing far on the right, half out of view. She is wearing dark glases, blue jeans, a grey t-shirt and purple hoodie that is unzipped. It is very sunny out.
Josh gets FLD August's attention before braving the waiting room gauntlet. Eric (left) and Dave (right) are August's raisers, so this will prove exceptionally challenging. In the end, Josh does a great job keeping the pup's focus on him.

A clsoe over-the-shoulder shot of a man wearing a white t-shirt and blue pants. The man is on the far right side and half out of the frame. He is sitting and holds a notepad on his right knee and is writing on it with a pen in his right hand. His left hand is supporting the notepad and a leash is looped around his left wrist. A yellow lab is standing at the end of the leash in front of the man, facing away and to the right. The puppy is wearing a blue bandana. They are on cement and there is snow piled up in the distance. The sun is casting a dark shadow from the dog.
Churchard writes his answers to my three questions while hanging on to FLD Ekco's leash. Managing the puppy while trying to write (and remember the questions) proves to be the biggest challenge to the men!

Playing games makes it easy to forget that all the while the puppy is being trained to maintain a loose leash, generalize cues like "under" or "sit," and ignore distractions. The waiting room game in particular points out to the inmate raisers what outside raisers deal with every day when socializing their puppies. Strong obedience skills make these situations easier to manage.

As if to prove that point, Tammy has the group do one last loose leash heeling exercise.

A group of men and puppies are walking from side to side amongst each other. The man in the middle in the foreground is wearing the prison blue uniform and is walking to the left. He is holding the leash with both hands near his waist, a black lab is walking on his left side. In the background is a man in a white t-shirt and green pants waling to the left with a small german shepherd. The woman in a grey t-shirt and purple hoodie is in the very background standing with her hands on her hips near a red brick wall.
Tammy has the group divide into two and face each other. In a series of planned steps, she has the teams approach and retreat with their puppies until they can walk closely by and swap sides. Then she has half the group sit their puppies while the rest weave in and out among them.

 Coming up, time to say good-bye...
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Thursday, July 3, 2014

Training games!

Tammy's training games make "work" fun for the handlers as well as the puppies. First up, the "contraband" dice game we played at the Baraga Correctional Facility.

A bald man with a goatee wearing green pants and a white t-shirt has just tossed a pair of six inch dice. The dice are out of focus in mid-air in front of him. His left hand is holding the leash of a young german shepherd puppy, who is pulling to the right toward a small black lab. There are two other men sitting on the right side. The first man, wearing blue pants and a white t-shirt, is holding the leash of the black lab, who is standing between his legs looking at the german shepherd. The man's right hand is reaching toward the puppy's chest. The man on the far right is wearing green pants and a long sleeved white t-shirt and glasses; he is looking down at the puppy and he has his left leg crossed over his right leg at the ankle. There are several other people sitting behind the man standing.
Doug tosses the dice, but FLD Chewy is more interested in FLD Ashley.
The same man is now in mid-jump of a series of 10 jumping jacks. The german shepherd puppy is now sitting on his left side looking up at him. The puppy is wearing a blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The people sitting around behind him are watching.
Now FLD Chewy seems curious as to why Doug is jumping and flailing his arms.
A different man, dressed in blue pants and a white t-shirt has just thrown the same dice, which are caught in mid-air by the camera. The man is holding a leash at his chest with his right hand and at his waist with his left hand. A golden retriever is sitting at his left side looking up at the dice. The puppy is wearing a blue Future Leader Dog bandana. There is a woman dressed in blue jeans and a grey t-shirt with her arms on her hips behind and to the right of the man. Another man is sitting down on the far right. He is wearing the prison blue pants and a green sweatshirt. His arms are folded on his chest. A golden retriever is lying down underneath him.
Matt throws the dice and is amused at FLD Harper's intense attention.
This man is now in mid jumping-jack and he is looking down at the golden retriever, who is looking back at him. The woman standing behind is smiling at the pair. The photo now shows two men sitting on the right side, the same man with the golden, and the man with the black lab, who is also lying niced under him. There are two other women sitting down directly behind the man jumping.
Good boy, Harper!
A different man is in mid jumping-jack with his feet off the floor and his arms spread wide. He is the one wearing blue pants and a green sweatshirt. A golden retriever is sitting at his left side looking up at him. Another yellow lab is standing in the foreground, looking toward the man and golden retriever. The lab is being held by a leash and is wearing a blue bandana. There is an orange cone in front of the golden retriever and a pair of large six inch dice on the floor too. Three women are sitting behind the man and one woman, dressed in blue jeans and a grey t-shirt with her hands on her hips, is standing behing and to the right.
FLD Drummond keeps close watch on Scott, who is in mid-air doing jumping jacks. Lucky number seven has been rolled several times and the task is: "Sit your puppy while you do 10 jumping jacks." I'm not sure, but I think FLD Ekco is the interested puppy in the foreground.
The woman dressed in jeans and a grey t-shirt is standing on the left side of the photo, looking to the right. A man wearing blue prison pants and a white t-shirt and is bald, is standing in the middle of the photo with his arms at his side. He is looking down to the right at a yellow lab that is sitting on a tile floor. The puppy's leash is laying on the floor next to her, attached to her collar. She is wearing a blue bandana. There are two large six inch dice about to come to rest on the floor in the foreground. The man with blue priosn pants and a green sweat shirt is sitting on the right side with his arms crossed on his chets. Ther eare three women sitting on chairs behind the others.
Churchard and FLD Ekco wait for the dice to land.
The bald man in the white t-shirt is squatting down facing away from the camera on the right side. The yellow lab is coming toward him, dragging her leash, her right front paw is crossing in front of her left paw. The man in the green sweatshirt sitting in the background is bending over to pet the golden retriever that is lying onf the floor beneath him. There are three more men in the background sitting in a row on stools attached to lunch tables. All of their faces are out of the camera's view. They are all wearing white t-shirts, one is wearing green pants, the two on the right side are wearing the blue prison pants.
The task this time is a recall across the room. Even though Churchard has only had FLD Ekco for two days, the pup comes to him when he calls. And ignores the dice distractions and all the other puppies!
A man wearing the blue prison pants and a white t-shirt is walking by some orange cones on the tile floor with a yellow lab, who is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The man is looking down at the puppy with his right hand in a fist up high on his chest. The puppy is slightly in front of the man, looking up at his hand. The leash is fairly tight. There are six men sitting on the lunchroom table seats in the background, all are wearing white t-shirts and blue prison pants, except one man has green pants. There are three black lab puppies underneath three of the men. The puppy on the far left is standing, the other two are lying down. There is also a chew toy on the floor in front of the puppy on the right.
Eric and FLD August's task is to loose leash heel through a series of orange cones. It appears that Eric might have a treat in his right hand, which could be causing August to swing in front of him. Tammy has them repeat the exercise because the leash was a bit tight; she knows they can do better. And they do!
A man dressed in maroon sweat pants and a white t-shirt is bending over toward a golden retriever that is standing in front of him, facing him and away from the camera. The man is holding out a green plush toy to the puppy and holding the dog's leash with his left hand. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a black body harness. There is an orange cone just visible in the foreground. There are three women sitting in the background but not quite visible, and the woman in jeans and a grey t-shirt with her hands on her hips standing behind the dog, but she is only visible from her shoulders down.
Morrison offers FLD Bravo a plush toy to "take" as part of his task. Bravo isn't sure and has to be coaxed to take it. The pup readily "gives" the toy back to Morrison when asked.

Coming next - a game that simulates a real-world situation....
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Monday, June 30, 2014

The worst thing

April 11, 2014
Chippewa

No matter how early we wake up to park the puppies, feed the puppies, feed ourselves, haul crates and puppies and luggage back into the van, we always fall behind schedule. Today we end up 15 minutes late.

Upon arrival at the Chippewa Correctional Facility, we apologize to the staff members who meet us at the visitor entrance. They tell us they joke about it now. They never expect us when we say we're going to be there.

We must be infected with "yooper-time."

Our session starts with a bit of social time. The lunchroom tables are pushed to the perimeter of the room where the guys sit with puppies "under" their seats.

Four men sit on stools attached to a table on the left side of the picture. On man sits just out of view on the right side. The first man is an african american wearing the prison blue uniform. He has this hands clasped on his lap and below him a black lab is lying on the tile floor. The next man is leaning back with his arms folded, he is wearing blue pants and a white t-shirt. The next man is wearing a white t-shirt and light maroon pants. He is leaning over looking down at a golden retriever that is lying under him on the floor. He is petting the puppy with his left hand and his right elbow is on the table. The fourth man is just visible behind the third man, he is wearing a white t-shirt and looking away to the right. The man out of view is wearing the prison blue uniform and hs holding the leash of a black lab that is lying on the floor between his legs.
Teammates Ro and Aaron sit with FLD Sammy; Morrison tends to FLD Bravo with Cory at his back.

Tammy and I circle the room, an informal "meet and greet" with each team.

After a quick rundown of the skills we want to work on, Tammy takes John aside to sign the puppy-raising contract and review the paperwork for the newest arrival, FLD Ekco. I visit each team to ask the same two questions Tammy asked the inmates at Baraga.

1. Tell me something good about your puppy.
Many of the puppies are smart, intelligent, and attentive. Others are confident, loveable, and have a great recall. FLD Bravo's team says that the pup's "clingy-ness" is both good and bad. "We call him the old man."
 2. What are you struggling with and need to work harder on?
Some puppies are overly friendly, or "ambitious socially" as Abe describes FLD Zella. A few rush stairs. Cori says that FLD Baker has a great stay, but is jumpy with loud noises. "She spooked at the cleaning cart," he reports. Baker got away from him and bolted. She ran through Unit 8, up the stairs and almost to his room before someone caught her. "She is fast!" he says. The worst thing, according to Scott, is the thought of giving FLD Drummond away.

Saying good-bye is on everyone's mind today. When Tammy and I leave this afternoon, we will be taking FLDs Nell, Zella and Tara back to Leader Dogs for the Blind to begin their formal training.

But first, we have work to do...



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Sunday, June 1, 2014

Backwards

April 10, 2014
UP

Each month our three-day UP itinerary to meet with the prison puppy-raisers takes us first to the Chippewa Correctional Facility, and then to the Baraga Correctional Facility. In April our trip runs backwards.

We'll be taking Chippewa's first puppies back to Leader Dogs for the Blind to begin formal guide dog training. FLDs Stella, Nell and Tara's raisers will appreciate the extra two days with the pups and the girls don't need to be cooped up in the van any longer than necessary.

Tammy's plan in reverse sounds easy, but that means she must leave her house at 7 a.m. to drive an hour south to Leader Dogs. Here she swaps her car for the van and loads up dog food for the prisons and crates to transport puppies. One crate holds FLD Ecko, a six-month old female yellow lab "finisher" we will drop off at Chippewa on our way to Baraga. It is only a few miles out of our way.

Tammy and I rendezvous along northbound I-75. I bring lunch and an addition for one of the crates. Sometimes being puppy-less is an advantage - FLD Baker, a five-month-old black lab/golden mix, was enjoying a two-week stint at "patti's halfway house" because her raiser was on vacation in Florida.

A young black lab/golden retriever mix puppy is sitting on a sidewalk in front of a stone wall looking at the camers. The puppy is wearing the baby-blue Future Leader Dog working jacket. A brown leash is attached to her coller. Leaning on the right side of the picture are three artificial legs. The first one, closest to the puppy, is from the knee down and it looks like a mannequin lower leg and foot. The middle one is futuristic and made of graphite, from the knee down, the one on the far right is a full leg. The foot and upper leg look like a mannegquin, but the lower leg looks like a metal piston.
FLD Baker is a sweetheart. (And she is house trained!) It is fun to have her along on my assignments writing for the Ogemaw County Voice. Here FLD Baker poses with a selection of artificial legs after my interview of the owner of Orthotec Orthopedics for a future story. (Puts a whole new meaning to the word "leg" doesn't it?)

A close up shot of a woman's face (she is wearing glasses) looking down and to the right at a very small black puppy that she is holding in her right hand. You can only see the puppy's head. The puppy is two weeks old and its eyes are closed still. The tip of its little pink tongue is just stickig out of its clsed mouth.
A two-week old not-yet-named-Baker is  held by her mom's host, Phyllis.

A chocolate lab "mom" is lying down with five black puppies trying to nurse on her. Two other black puppies are nearby. The dog and pups are in a white whelping box, there is a thermometer on the left side. The chocolate lab is looking at the camera with a tired expression! All of the puppies have colorful ribbons tied around their necks for identification.
Baker's mom, Amber, nurses Baker (in the orange and purple ribbon) and her siblings. I was fortunate to act as an assistant mid-wife to Amber during the birth of of this, her fourth and last litter.

A small black lab/golden mix puppy is walking toward the camera, the puppy is looking away to the right. The puppy is walking on a wooden deck that has some snow on it. Behind the puppy are rungs of a railing.
A five-week old not-yet-named-Baker checks out the snow on Phyllis' deck. Baker was named by her raisers, Karen and Ron. Do you know the term "baker's dozen?" This little pup is the 13th puppy being raised by the couple!

Miss Baker and Tammy's FLD Harper will spend the night at Chippewa. Tammy wants to take FLDs Drummond and Bravo on furlough with us to Baraga.

We get to Chippewa sometime after 1:30 p.m. The brilliant sunshine makes the mid-50's temperature feel practically balmy. There are still plenty of snow piles in the yard where the guys are waiting for us, but much has melted. ARUS Rob directs Tammy to pull the big white van right up to the Pike Unit gate for the swap.

Gate pass prisoners carry two large bags of Purina Pro Plan Sport All Life Stages Active 26/16 and two large bags of Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Chicken and Rice Formula into the unit from the van. A special delivery this month - poop bags! We hand off FLDs Ekco, Harper, and Baker in exchange for the two beautiful Goldens. Tammy is distressed when Mr. Harper, for the first time ever, doesn't seem happy to stay. He barks. He stretches his front paws through a space between the gate and the fence, reaching for her. He barks again and tries to squeeze his head through.

Maybe the image of Harper's escape attempt disorients Tammy. Maybe it's just because our schedule is topsy-turvy, that we usually head for Baraga from where we spend the night in the Soo, which is north of Chippewa. Maybe it's because the roads are dry and the sun is shining for the first time in months.

Whatever.

It takes us at least a half hour before we realize we took the wrong turn onto I-75. Our travel day just got longer. 

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