puppies inside: FLD Granite

Showing posts with label FLD Granite. Show all posts

Sunday, December 14, 2014

So little time...

September 11, 2014

Chippewa

Logistics for our trips to the UP prisons can be tricky. Tammy leaves from her house to travel about an hour to Leader Dogs for the Blind. Here she picks up the van and loads whatever she needs to deliver to the two correctional facilities. Usually that includes several 50-pound bags of Purina Pro Plan dog or puppy food.

This trip we are also delivering two puppies - a male black lab (Dylan) to Chippewa and a male chocolate lab (Hershel) to Baraga. Unfortunately, they aren't ready to leave Leader Dog until after 9 a.m. This means a late start, made a little later when Tammy tries to get sleepy Hershel to "park" before being tucked into his travel crate. No luck, so in he goes.

About an hour and 15 minutes from our meeting place on northbound I-75, I get a call. "Bring clean up material," Tammy says. "I was driving down the road in the van and smelled it and thought I should have given him more time." She stops to check and finds out "it wasn't even him!" Dylan was the poopy culprit.

We clean things up and head north. I brought sandwich makings so we only have to make pit stops for the puppies. Still, we don't get across the Mighty Mac until 3:30. We arrive at Chippewa after 4. Lots to do in little time.

PUPPY PRESENTATION

A man wearing a green sweatshirt and a blue ball cap and glasses is facing the camera on the left. On the right is a man wearing a white long sleeved tshrit. He is looking at the other man. Between them and behind them is a woman with short white hair and glasses, wearing a blue windbreaker. She is holding a small black lab puppy over the left shoulder of the man on the left. The puppy'es front paws are reaching over the man's shoulder.

Tammy lifts FLD Dylan over Dave's left shoulder as Eric looks on.

The man wearing the blue ball cap is holding the black lab puppy and giving the puppy a big smooch on its right cheek. The woman behind is out of focus and she is smiling.

Some puppy-lovin'.

Another close shot, this one of the man wearing the white t-shirt. He is holding the black lab puppy close to him and is smooching him on his left cheek.

FLD Dylan doesn't look too sure of the attention.

The two men stand together (the man in the ball cap on the left and the man in the white t-shirt on the right( and hold the black lab puppy between them.

Team FLD Dylan.

JUST RIGHT

As Tammy goes over the puppy contract with Dave, I am supposed to greet the teams and check the weight on each puppy. We use the Purina Body Condition chart as a guide and like to see a rating of 4 or 5. I ask each team to rate their puppy. It is interesting that the men rate each puppy at least one number lower than I do.

Because guide dogs will walk a lot during their career, it is imperative to keep their bodies lean. A lower-than-the-normal-pet-dog-weight will assure less wear and tear on the joints - and a longer working life. The men need to learn what a good Future Leader Dog physique looks like.

I like to tell people to use their own hand as a guide to compare how the puppy's ribs feel. If the puppy's ribs feel like your open palm at the base of your fingers, then the puppy is probably too heavy. If the puppy's ribs feel like your knuckles when you make a fist, then the puppy is likey too thin. The puppy is just right if its ribs feel like your knuckles when your hand is held open.

BANDANA-RAMA (just because it sounds fun)

A young golden retriever/lab mix puppy is sitting on a carpted floor, with his head turned away from the camera. His leash is hanging loose on the floor. He has the blue Future Leader Dog bandana around his neck, and a second blue Future Leader dog bandana over his head. In the background are the legs of several men sitting in chairs.

FLD Harley models his new bandana that was embroidered by a volunteer named Jean.

Now the same puppy has turned his head toward the camera. The bandana on his head has his ears pinned back.

"What?!"


Ro likes FLD GeeGee's new bandana. He named his puppy after his daughter. "She thinks every puppy I get will come home with me," he said.

A man weraing a long-sleeve white t-shirt is sitting down facing the camera. He is holding a blue bandana up between is outstreatched hands. Embroidered on the bandana is the outline of the Upper Peninsulat with the word "Chippewa" under it. There are two black dogs with a yellow dog between them embroidered on it. Under each dog are the names (from left to rigth) Tara, Granite and Coda. These are the three "finsihing" dogs the man has raised. Behind the man is another man who is holding up a poster facing away from the camera and reading it.

Jeremy holds up the bandana he received with the names of the three finishing dogs he raised. He said he likes getting the "rehomed" dogs because "they have character." He admitted that he enjoyed FLD Granite the best, but is very pleased with the progress he's made with FLD Coda.

Friday, November 21, 2014

The Golden Boys return

July 18, 2014
Rochester Hills

Puppy counselor Tammy delivered FLDs Bravo, Drummond and Granite to Leader Dogs for the Blind. She sent an email with the following "report."

I have attached the pictures and story of my trip to Leader Dog with Bravo, Drummond, and Granite. All three were wonderful travelers on our almost eight hour trek south (traffic and construction slowed us down). The guys should be proud of them. All three of them walked on nice loose leashes as I walked them from the van into Leader Dog. The staff at Leader Dog will take wonderful care of them. I am sure they are settling in nicely and have been spending some time playing together as well as with a few other dogs-maybe even some of their siblings.

GREAT JOB GUYS!!!!!

A golden retriever wearing a blue bandana is leashed to a black stature of a sitting german shepherd. The golden is sniffing the rear end of the stature.

The golden retriever is now sitting next to the german shepherd stature. He is facing the camera with his tongue hanging out like he is smiling.

Since Bravo was in front, I decided to check him in first. We walked around a little and then I took him to meet the German Shepherd statue. I guess even dog statues need to have a proper greeting.

The golden is sitting on a blue canvas dog bed that is inside a large dog kennel. He is looking at the camera with the same happy expression.

Bravo wasn't too sure about getting in the kennel even with some toys, a water dish, and his supper in there.

One of the dog care staff crawled in and soon he was in her lap. She was able to crawl back out and Bravo ate his dinner and tried out his new bed.

Another golden retriever is sniffing the black german shepherd statue.

This golden retriever is sitting further from the black german shepherd stature. He is looking up and to the right, with a proud expresssion on his face. He is also wearing a blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

Granite came next. He also gave the Shepherd statue a proper greeting before he would sit beside him for his picture. Many of the staff remembered him and commented that he had grown up.

The golden is sitting on the same kind of dog bed in a different kennel, looking at the camera. The kennel has tan tile walls with metal bars for the door. There is a teal blue sign on the top right of the kennel that says "dog care only."

Granite walked right into his kennel, at dinner and settled on his new bed.

Yet another golden retriever is sniffing the black german shepherd stature, but this one is sniffing the face and not the rear. He is also wearing the blue bandana.

This golden is lying down next to the black stature, with his tongue hanging out and smiling at the camera.

Finally, it was Drummond's turn. He had waited so patiently. He was very cautious and curious as we walked around a little bit before it was his turn to meet the statue.

The golden is standing in a kennel looking at the camera with the same happy expression. There is a teal blue sign on the top right that reads "dog care only."

Drummond had no problem entering his kennel. He checked out his toys, bed, water and his dinner which he ate slowly.

Once the Golden Boys were settled, I gave each one a hug and wished them well. I took a picture of their names on the wall and noted that Drummond's brother, Bruin, was in the same bay so I'm sure they will be playing together in the next few days! Now on to their next part of their journey. Dogspeed!

A black sign with clear plastic sleeves to contain white tags with the names of dogs typed on them. The first three on the top left side read Granite, Drummond and Bravo. After a space on that side is the name Bruin. On the right side are three empty spots followed by a tag that reads PUPS 6-12 mo, followed by the names Teddy and Coda.

Thank you, Tammy, for the great report and taking such good care of the Golden Boys!

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!