Graduation

Mommy walked me across  a stage after taking me to a new place.

PD: Happe and I infront  of some glass bricks. I'm wearing a cap and c gown

♤Happe

dangerous location

Contrary to what you might think he spends more time bein a normal dog who plays fetch, does tricks, and eats nature (sticks), and lays in dangerous spots than being my guide.

PD: a yellow golden lab mix laying ng under a recliner footrest.

☆Katie

wow...just wow

So I am moving sometime in June and this weekend (4/25) I went to look at the different places my fiance had found in New Jersey. Now I've never taken Happe on a plane so I was understandably anxious but he was a supper great traveling companion and there was nothing to worry about. He did awesome in the city too, busses and trains didn't faze him at all, even my high stress level did nothing. We also went to see Phantom of the Oprah and I swear he was watching it. I couldn't ask for a better guide dog because there is nothing better 

this is not ok even with an empty bus but he wasn't moving

Theater dog enjoying Phantom of the Oprah 

☆ Katir

Updates

Tuesday was the one year mark of us being a team and I have no complaints. We went to the mall yesterday afternoon (bad idea especially on a Saturday) and Happe was awesome in the crowd. He continues to amaze daily in and out of harness sand especially at night when all I see is lights.

 

Guide Dog Union

Dear Union Rep for the Guide dog Union,

I’d like to file a complaint against my human. She did the unthinkable! She! Washed! The! Dog! Toy! My stinky, well-loved, dog spit-encrusted, stuffed squeaky toy trout... She took it away from me, and she put it in the spinning wet thing where the human fur goes to get my fur and spit off of it. So I have to work twice as hard to make it smell like me and look like me again. Why do they insist on making me work so much harder after I get things all good and furred and smelly anyway? Then she put the soap on it, and then she put it in the hot thing with the big banging door. The humans go clean it off, and leave me to start all over getting it full of dog spit and that’s really hard work that requires a lot of unpaid hours of hard work. I feel this is unfair labor practices, resulting in a hostile work environment, because I have to do twice the work and all my human has to do is say: “Ferdinand, out.” I find this highly unethical, and the Ferdinand Rule Book doesn’t have a rule for telling my human no when she asks me to give her things. It would be unethical for me to not give her the toy. But it’s unethical for her to take all my hard-earned spit off that toy! 

But she took my trout! And now it’s all fluffy and clean and wrong! She squeaked it at me. I refused to acknowledge her. Maybe if I give her the silent treatment, she’ll learn not to do things like that anymore. 

But I’d like some sort of union meeting where we tell the humans it’s just wrong to take our broken or dirty or smelly toys and clean them. That’s when they’re in prime toy condition! I do not know how to help them understand that these belong to us, and we like them filthy and smelly! 

Signed: Ferdinand the Guide Dog

Dear Ferdinand, active union member, number xxxxx:

Thank you for your letter of concern. We have reviewed your complain about a hostile work environment... but we do not find this rises to the level of hostile work environment because you can not play with your trout while working. This does not necessitate a strike by all Guide dogs, nor a labor meeting... but we do suggest continuing to administer silent treatment to your human until she learns that taking your toys and cleaning them is a bad human behavior. Please let us know if her behavior persists, and we will have a union rep visit her to discuss the matter further. The removal of cuddling, lack of wagging, and extra sad puppy eyes may be recommended if her behavior does not cease. We wish you the best of luck, and remind you to reach out with any concerns you have regarding your work. Thank you for your service. You are one outstanding service dogs.

Regards,

Your Union Rep: service dog unions HQ, Guide Dog division

Thank God mom hasnt washed any of my toys yet. I dont own many plush toys, mom thinks I'll destroy them.

¤Happe

Perfect

I just blew mom's mind. We went to the Wild Lights display at the D etroit Zoo. So many new things and smells and mom says I did perfect through all of it.

¤Happe

He did absolutely amazing! I thought putting boot a on him would cause problems but I was mistaken, he didn't care at all and did his job perfectly. I thought the zoo and all the smells  would cause issues, again not an issue. Wow, just wow. Thank you Leader Dogs for the Blind for Mr. Wonder Dog here m.

♡Katie

Training Time (again)

I know I've talked about it before and posted a link  to a blog post by my school (LDB) and this probably covers the same information but some people like videos better.

https://youtu.be/tNhcGXEmypY

☆Katie

A Guide Dog Life

Here is the life of a guide dog from puppy to guide. 

https://youtu.be/PgXOrXfgQFk

♡Katie

Changes

We did indeed move into an apartment as Happe said. We have been here for a week now and it has been going well, I am still learning my way around and Happe has been a rockstar and a steady rock. We saw Ann (human), Mint (guide dog), and Mikki (human) the other day and let me tell you, it was furry.  We will be going to see the classroom I will be student teaching in on Tuesday, hoping it goes well. 

♡Katie

New

We got a new home! There is no yard but my friend Mint lives here somewhere. I like it, we can play all the time and not worry about disturbing anyone.

¤ Happe

Yay friends

I got to hang with some friends yesterday. We met some puppies and I got a bath.

¤ Happe

PD 1:Happe and his friend Pretzel, a golden retriever, sitting next to each other. They look like brothers.

PD 2: six poodle puppies of varying colors sitting in their pen behind a gate