BIG NEWS!!!

Okay, it might be a little early to say this, but I have to announce it anway...









This afternoon I talked to my mom and she told me she had some news about Llarson and I knew that could go one of two ways. Then she told me...





Llarson is graduating! That is right folks, after nearly year of training Llarson has found a handler and is officially an explosive detection dog (well almost). Right now as long as everything goes according to plan (and no changes are made), he will be leaving Lackland Air Force Base on November 19 to work in the Minneapolis Airport. I am crossing my fingers that I will be able to meet Llarson's handler and say goodbye to the big guy before he departs for work. Right now it is sort of a mess because of when I get off of school for Fall Break and being in Colorado for school doesn't help, but hopefully everything will work out and I will be able to find a flight back to Texas to see him.

To be honest I can't even put into words what I am feeling. All I know is that I am so proud of Llarson. I know he will do great things. I really can't believe that goofy, crazy pup I raised a year ago has matured enough to make it through the rigorous training that he has. I can't think of one moment that I have been more proud than this. I have called a lot of my friends and family to tell them the news. It is an amazing feeling knowing that I helped raise such an amazing dog. Congratulations Llarson!!

Almost a Puppy Sitter!

Last night I attended my 3rd meeting for Guide Dogs for the Blind. I filled out the paper work to be a puppy sitter and all that's left is reading the manual. I am so excited and can't wait to start watching some pups!

New Half Siblings!

Llarson is a big brother to 9 new labrador pups! His father Aabel was the father of the newest Z litter. The other neat thing about the litter is that they are the first litter in the program to be born on September 11. These pups truly are a tribute to those who lost their lives on that tragic day nine years ago.

Check out the link from a local news station that talks about the newest litter.

Also here are some pictures of his half siblings both from the Y litter (they are purebred Vizslas) and the Z litter (the labs).

The Z litter with mom Bbarbara



The Y litter



As one puppy raiser put it "A Y litter pup being modest."

Remembrance

Every year I like to take time to remember those who lost their lives in the tragedy of 9/11.

I would like to say to Harry Goody III and Scott A. Larsen, that you will never be forgotten. I am proud to say I have raised two wonderful dogs who are named after two extraordinary people. I couldn't be more proud of what these dogs exemplify and I only hope that they demonstrate the true bravery of both of these men. I express my deepest condolences to the Goody and Larsen families.

I also would like to recognize both the men and women in our armed services who risk their lives everyday to protect our country. I hope everyday for the safe return of our nation's soldiers.

God Bless America.


Addie

First GDB Puppy Meeting

I just got back from my first puppy meeting with Guide Dogs for the Blind! I had a great time and everyone was so helpful. One raiser let me borrow her career change dog Hoss for awhile, then we switched and I got to work with her puppy in training, black lab Oliver. Oliver was so sweet, but had a bit of a stubborn streak, especially with the down command. Overall I really enjoyed it. The only thing I am going to have to adjust to are the training methods. The puppies I raised basically had the complete opposite approach to training (basically obedience was not overly emphasized with the explosive detection dogs). Oh well, it will be fun learning new techniques. I can't wait for the next event!

First GDB Event!

I have to say I completely love GDB (not that I didn't before), but now I know why so many people continue to be a part of this great organization.

Today I went to volunteer as a "gate watcher". A neighborhood pool was shutting down for the year and invited all pups in training, as well as career changed dogs, guides, and retirees. I helped make sure that no dogs escaped while people entered or exited. It was really fun and the dogs were so sweet! Some of the pups that I saw were: Spruce (male golden retriever), Chet (male black lab), Covey (male black lab), Tatum (female black lab), Hugo (male yellow lab), and Macaroon (female yellow lab/golden mix, I think). I hope I spelled their names right!

I had a great time talking with another woman helped guard the gate with me. Overall I really enjoyed the experience. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I cannot wait to attend my first official meeting.


Addie

New News

First off, I don't think I mentioned it before, but I am off at college now! Currently I am dogless, living in the dorms and all. However, there is a guide dog puppy raising group near me (Yay!), so I am hoping to get involved with them, maybe as a puppy sitter? I will update on the progress of that.

I received an update on Llarson and he is still in training. (Come on big guy, no need to stay in school forever!) But I did learn that his sister Llangone has been placed with a handler and should graduate in early September. His brother Llevin on the other hand seems to have been dropped from the national explosive detection dog program and is now awaiting to be picked up by a police agency to work.

Also some exciting news, Llarson's mom just a litter of eight puppies! They are purebred viszla's and their names will all start with the letter "Y". They are absolutely adorable and I wish I could raise a Llarson half-sibling.

Anyway here is a picture of Llarson's newest siblings.

The newest "Y" litter.




Addie

Llane Has Graduated!

Llarson's sister Llane has graduated! She graduated back at the end of July and is currently working in Pennsylvania. Congrats to Llane and her handler and great job Llane's puppy raisers.

Llarson and his two sisters Llenoir and Llangone are still in training. Let's hope for a graduation sometime soon!


-Addie & Ggoody

Bowser Update

Bowser aka Marley's owners have been so sweet in sending us updates. About a month ago they sent an e-mail that said Bowser has settled into his new home and is a wonderful addition to their family. I am so happy Bowser found such a wonderful home. They even sent a few pictures. Enjoy!







-Addie & Ggoody

Summer Vacation

Well Ggoody and I returned from our vacation to Lake LBJ on Friday, July 30. (Yes, that was a long time ago!) We were gone for about six days and had a blast! I still miss the lake and I am sure Ggoody does too being a true water dog an all.

Just to recap, we arrived to our lake house Sunday, July 25, in the afternoon. We mainly lounged and unpacked while Ggoody took it upon herself to smell every last inch of the house to make sure everything was ok.

On Monday my family and I rented a ski boat, but Ggoody had to stay behind for safety reasons (ie: high speed of the boat for tubing, choppy water, etc.)

Tuesday we rented a pontoon boat that Ggoody was allowed to go on. She loved it, except when she fell into the water by accident, but all was well after she got back onto the boat. After that ordeal she fell asleep on the bench inside the boat.

On Wednesday we were supposed to have a ski boat however the boat we had, had issues so instead we took out another pontoon boat. Ggoody tagged along again. She loved the wind in her face! When we got back, I went fishing that evening and caught a small bluegill! Ggoody had no idea what to do with the fish. She just smelled it and looked at it funny, then watched it swim away when I released it. I didn't have my camera with me so no pictures of the fish.

Thursday was another ski boat day so Ggoody spent the day with my grandma and grandpa liked she did on Monday. She even got a rawhide bone because she was being so good!

Then Friday came and we had to leave. Ggoody got one last round of fetch in before we had to head out. Overall it was a great trip. I think Ggoody proved herself worthy of accompaning our family on more trips. Sadly vacation is over and we are back to reality...

Ggoody is all packed and ready for vacation!



One pooped pup!



Ggoody was fascinated by the waves in the lake.



Ggoody on the boat



Checking out the water by our boat dock




Until next time,

Addie and Ggoody

Quick Update

Our lake trip is going well so far. I just wanted to update on what has been happening so far. We arrived Sunday at Lake LBJ and Ggoody settled in quickly. On Monday my family and I rented a ski boat, but Ggoody had to stay home. On Tuesday however, we rented a pontoon boat and Ggoody got to tag along. She loved it! After about an hour we stopped to swim and Ggoody slipped into the water. She loves to swim, but the middle of the lake is hard for a dog to swim without tiring. My mom and I hoisted her up on our tube so she could rest and get back into the boat. After her 5 minute dip in the water, Ggoody was tired. And she slept for the rest of the boat trip. That's all for now, more to follow later.

Megan and Picassa's Green Leash Giveaway!

Megan and Picassa, her puppy in training for Guide Dogs for the Blind, are hosting a leash giveaway. Megan knows how to make service dog leashes that can adjust to two different lengths and come in a few different colors. Check out her blog to enter the giveaway. Don't miss out on this great opportunity!

Long Overdue Summer Update

It has been way to long since I have posted last. The end of school, graduation, work, and summer have consumed much of my time, but nonetheless I have an update on Llarson and his siblings. Llarson is currently still in training. I was really hoping he would have graduated either in June or July because I head off to college in August, but I guess he is progressing at his own rate. Congrats to Llinnane and Llane! His sister Llinnane graduated on June 25 and his sister Llane is set to graduate in July. Llangley, another sister, has been transferred to the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Program (DoD MWD). The rest of the L litter is still in training with the National Explosive Detection Canine Team Program (NEDCTP).

In further news I will be heading to the lake in a few days and Ggoody gets to tag along. I will try and take some pictures of Ggoody's first vacation with us. I hope everyone is having a great summer.

Until next time,

Addie & Ggoody

Happy 4th Birthday Ggoody!

Today is Ggoody's 4th birthday. I can't believe four years have gone by. Wow time really does fly when you are having fun. It's weird cause now I can see a small amount of grey coming in on her muzzle and she's only 28 in human years! I took some pictures of Ggoody's day. Enjoy!

When I came home from school I made Ggoody's favorite treat: a peanut butter/kibble filled kong.

Ggoody eagerly waiting for her treat.



Ggoody enjoying her kong.






Then later we went a long walk. I stopped by some really pretty flowers to get some pictures of the birtday girl. Of course she wouldn't look at the camera the one day I really want her too. Silly dog!






-Addie & Ggoody

Spring Break

Over Spring Break (last week), my family and I went skiing in New Mexico. The weather was perfect for skiing, but sadly Ggoody had to stay at home. My wonderful neighbor Lois watched her for us and my friend walked her.

While shopping around Santa Fe we walked into a store that sold dog collars, leashes, and portable water dishes. Since Ggoody was left at home, I figured a new collar and portable water dish was a must. Her old water dish was just getting old from years of use and her collar, well it was time for a change of pace. Missy, Lois' cocker spaniel who we watched over Christmas Break, also got a collar. Missy got a red collar with a matching textile design while Ggoody's is turquoise with a textile design. I took a few pictures of the collar, but for some reason I can't find the pictures.

Other than that not much to report. A newsletter (Pawprints) from the puppy program came yesterday. Llarson is still progressing in his training. A few "K" litter pups are set to graduate soon so I am keeping my fingers crossed Llarson is next.

Until next time,

-Addie & Ggoody

One Year Ago...(from yesterday)

One year ago from yesterday little Llarson came home with me to start our wonderful puppy raising adventure. I miss the little bugger, but I am so proud of him and cannot wait for graduation.

On a side note, I have started some "detection" work with Ggoody. I figure she may not be able to work for the Department of Homeland Security, but she can work for me. Her drive to find things needs to be put to work. Over the last few days I have been teaching Ggoody to find treats I hide in the car. So far she has done well and I hope to film her progress to see how she progresses. Here is a clip of her trying to "detect" a dog treat. It's Ggoody the great kibble detector.

Llarson Update

The February Pawprints came this week so I wanted to share an update about the L litter. 8 out of 9 puppies in the L litter are currently in formal training. That is fantastic! I want to say congrats to Llarson, Llangley, Llinnane, Llenoir, Llilore, Llevin, Llane, and Llangone. Great job L litter, cannot wait to see you at graduation.

-Addie & Ggoody

Snow Day!

Last Wednesday (February 24) we had a snow day! Austin normally never gets any snow. Once in a blue moon we will get a ice storm where everthing freezes over, but never actual fluffy snow. Our school day was cut short (however our teacher's were great and let us outside to play in the snow, until snowball fights broke out INSIDE the school) and then the next day we had a delayed start. When my brother and I got home we put warm clothes on and headed outside with Ggoody to enjoy a rare event in Texas. Enjoy the pictures.

Ggoody's first few steps in the snow





Ggoody with her squeaky orange toy



Our backyard





Snow prints!

Dog Park and IWYPRS

Yesterday was a great way to end a rather long and stressful week. I am happy to say that both me and my sister participated in International Wear Your Puppy Raiser Shirt Day. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of us with our shirts on, but we did wear them. After school and golf practice I decided to take Ggoody to the dog park to burn off some energy. I have been pretty bad about walking her these last few weeks because golf season has started up and missing school causes an extra amount of weekday homework. The dog park was packed! I would guess at least 15 dogs while we were there, if not more. We even ran into a working guide at the dog park. I brought my camera and took some pictures of her. Enjoy!

Ggoody, today taking a nap on the floor Ggoody looking good wearing my Grandpa's hat. Getting ready to fetch. Ggoody with an old soccer ball she found. Ggoody trying to destroy the soccer ball.

No Foster Dog

Sorry for the lack of an update, but it ended up not working out with the foster dog. We were going to foster a female German Shepherd mix named Gracie, however, my dad was not completely on board with the idea so we had to put fostering on hold. My dad likes animals, but he is not in love with them like me and mom are. I am going to talk with him in the next few weeks and see if we can work out some sort of compromise. I was devastated when my mom told me we were not fostering dogs for awhile. I love fostering and raising dogs that I cannot see myself giving this up. I am going off to college in August and raising dogs will be on hold for a few years so I want to be as involved as I can for the time being. My dad has been supportive of me raising Ggoody and Llarson, even Bowser (I think he secretly loved that dog and was sad to see him go) that I think he just wanted a break from "visiting" dogs. In the meantime I think I will go up to our local animal shelter and walk dogs to get my complete dog fix.

I am happy to report that Gracie found her forever home no more than two weeks after being in the foster program. Hopefully I will be able to foster dogs in the near future and I will definitely update with any news.


-Addie & Ggoody

New Foster Dog Coming Soon

We received a call today that Austin Dog Alliance has several dogs in need of foster homes. We happily obliged to take one in. As far as I know, right now we are getting a female shepherd mix that is about 10-11 months old. However, we will see as situations can change and we may end up with a completely different dog. I will update as soon as possbile when I know for sure what dog we are to receive.


-Addie & Ggoody

Bowser/Llarson Update

I have great news...I have updates for both of my boys.

I will start with Llarson because the news is pretty short, but I am glad to have heard something. I e-mailed Diana, the program specialist, to ask her how Llarson and his siblings are doing in training. She said they are doing well. I also e-mailed her to let her know I have a friend at school who is an editor for my school's newspaper and she is writing an article about the program. I asked my friend before winter break if it would be possible to write an article about the CBDC, to promote the program. My friend got the topic approved, so in the February issue of the Trailblazer (our school paper) there will be an article featuring the CBDC. I am so excited! I will try and post the article when it comes out.

Now on to Bowser. Bowser's new family was extremely kind and e-mailed us an update on how the little guy is doing. So far he seems to have adjusted well to his new home. He went to the park for a walk on his first day home, but this week would be his first few days home alone because his family had to go to work. He also has a new name: Marley. Too cute! His new family also sent some pictures that are pretty adorable. Enjoy!










-Addie and Ggoody

Bowser Has Found his Forever Home

Sorry for the lack of updates, I feel like such a bad blogger. I have been extremely busy with school and golf because the spring season kicked into gear.

Well, just as the title of the post reads, Bowser did find his forever home. He was adopted by a nice couple, who were looking for a companion dog. They were new dog owners, but seemed to have done their research and were quite knowledgable about dog care. A week ago another family was interested in Bowser, but it did not work out because their youngest child was afraid of him.

For the two weeks we had him, I did not update about him at all on my blog. Here is the bio I put up about Bowser on the Austin Dog Alliance website, just give some detail about his personality.

Hi my name is Bowser! I have been with my foster family for about a week now and I must say I am quite the charmer. After only a few days of being with my foster family, I settled into their routine and my full personality is starting to bloom. I absolutely love walks! Show me the leash and I am ready to go. Car rides are great too! I love to be out and about around people. I am very playful as well. I love kongs, tennis balls, and rope toys in particular. I love to play fetch and I am very good about bringing the toy back for another round. Playing with other dogs is another favorite of mine. I get along quite well with my foster family’s Labrador, who I love to play tag with in the backyard. After exercise I love to curl up by people’s feet (or in their laps if they let me) and take a nice nap.

My foster family also discovered I know several commands. I know “sit”, “stay”, “come”, and I know my name. My leash manners are also quite good. I have excellent house manners; I am house broken, crate trained, and I only chew on dog toys. I recently met the pet parakeets at my foster home. I am very curious about them and kept trying to figure out what these strange animals were. I am just trying to be friendly, but my foster family says I may need supervision around small pet animals.

If you are looking for a dog that loves to be out and about, play fetch, and take mid-afternoon naps with you, I might be the perfect dog for you.

I have to say I really bonded with Bowser in the short time we had him. He was such a great little dog with a wonderful personality. The experience of giving him up compared to giving Llarson up was actually harder. With Llarson I knew he was going to be recalled; I knew the day I picked him up. With Bowser, I felt the back up plan could always be we could adopt him. It was so hard to say good-bye. In fact it was quite tearful, but now a few hours after he left I feel happy that I provided someone else a loving companion. I think back to how excited I was when Llarson and Ggoody came home and I am happy to have provided that joy to someone else.

Here are a few pictures of Bowser while he was here with us.









Bowser, I hope you and your new family have a wonderful start together and enjoy many years to come.

-Addie & Ggoody

Introducing...

Bowser! (like the Mario character)



After some persuasion, my parents gave in and allowed my siblings and me to foster dogs for Austin Dog Alliance. We keep the dog until it finds its forever home.

Bowser is a 9 month old Terrier mix. The shelter he was at originally said he is a Rat Terrier, but I do not see that at all. I would say he is more of a Border Terrier mix. Or a mini German Shepherd! Anyway I will post as we discover more about his personality, but I do know he is a sweetie so far.


-Addie, Ggoody & Bowser

New Phone, Old Pictures

Today I got a new phone (Yay!), so I had to save all of my pictures from my old phone to my computer. I found several pictures of Llarson on our many adventures to the middle school's field. I also found a picture of Ggoody wearing a pair of Raybans. She is one stylin' dog! Enjoy.









-Addie & Ggoody

P.S Possible foster dogs coming soon! I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Mud Puppies

Well I just got back from a self dog wash place called Mud Puppies. I would have brought my camera, but it probably would not have worked by the end of the bath due to water damage. Anyway Ggoody got a bath and smells great especially after a long hike two days ago (swimming included), days at the dog park, and sadly a seizure that happened in her kennel. (If I have not mentioned on my blog, Ggoody does have epilepsy which started about a year ago. She has a seizure about once a month.)

Anyway, Mud Puppies is a self dog wash place combined with a doggy daycare and professional grooming. We did the self dog wash and it was a ton of fun. They have a non-slip ramp that the dog walks up to get to the grooming platform which then leads to the bathtub.

It took some coaxing to get Ggoody in the tub, but once she was in she was fine. They also have these tie downs that keeps your dog from jumping out of the tub and off the grooming platform. In fact tie downs are everywhere at this place. Very convenient I must say! After her bath, we towel dried her and brushed her. Then we used the fur dryer. I was hesitant that Ggoody would be afraid, but she handled it like a pro. I was very impressed with how clean the establishment was as well as how easy it was to groom Ggoody. They also provide all of the supplies such as shampoo, brushes, towels, etc. Of course you are welcome to bring your own supplies if you wish. We will definitely be heading back especially during the winter months.

Here is the link to Mud Puppies if you want more information. I highly recommend this place, of course if you don't live in the Austin area look around in your area and try a self service dog wash. It is worth it!


-Addie & Ggoody