River 4 Months

 
OK, so he's really four and a half months old.

I think I've said this on every River post, but he is getting so big!  He's coming along well with his training, we just need to fine tune heeling...

Ahem, right, fine tune heeling.

...and start working on distractions,
particularly the door bell!

We've done some fun stuff lately.  Here's a peek!

He was hungry

So he helped me make dinner...
(that's what I mean about getting big!)

OK, the real fun thing was our trip to the Rochester Fire Station with our puppy group.

The goal is to expose the dogs to the sirens and sounds of the running fire engines, as well as the strange way firemen look  and smell in bunker gear and masks. 

 How cute is that?

We also took the dogs into the training tower.  A three story cement block building with no lighting and metal grated stairs.  Some of the pups did not like it much, but after the first flight, River went up like a pro!

Here is to one awesome dog!

River, 12 Weeks

This boy is growing like a weed! 

At 11 weeks he weighed 25 lbs. That's a 15 lb gain in 5 weeks!

He doesn't even have to jump on the gate to see over it any more.

River, 8 Weeks

This dog is growing so quickly!

This picture was taken the day I brought him home.  He could just get his chin over the top of the gate.

I took this picture today.  Need I say more?

Introducing River!

This is River. He is a seven week old future guide dog!  Raising a service dog is something that has been in the back of my mind for a while, and last year, I finally completed a puppy raiser application for Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester, Michigan.  There was a 6-9 month waiting list for a puppy, and right before Christmas I got a call asking if I could be ready to receive a German Shepherd puppy in a few weeks.  Of course I said yes! So, yesterday, Mom and I made a trip to the Leader Dog kennel to pick up this adorable ball of fluff!

Raising a service dog is very different from raising a pet.  There are certain toys he is not allowed to play with (such as tug ropes and tennis balls), and certain games he is not allowed to play (like, fetch).  He is never allowed off leash and also, has to be trained to relieve himself on command.  Perhaps the most well known, and most fun difference, is that he needs to be used to going anywhere a human can go.  This means we have access to places you would not normally see a dog so he can get used to the sights, sounds, smells, and distractions of everyday life.

We had our first outing last night when we visited the Walker family.  River was a little intimidated by their St. Bernard's barking, though we were no where near them, and wasn't too sure about the vacuum cleaner. But He had a blast playing with all the kids!

So what are we working on now? Top priorities include being quiet in his crate, house training, and learning to chew on appropriate items. (Not my fuzzy pink slippers!) We have also started learning basic obedience commands.  Using marker training, River has learned sit, and touch (touching his nose to my hand) in one day!  Other things he learned include where I keep his bag of kibble and how to tip over the garbage can... no, I didn't teach him those.

Stay tuned for more on River's progress. 
...I think I'm in for a year of adventures!