Time flies when you’re having fun!  It’s already been several weeks since I last checked in.  My puppy raisers tell me that I am growing very fast.  I weigh 25 pounds now and I am feeling quite tall with my long legs!  I can now see what is on the kitchen counter when I jump up but Petra tells me that I’m not allowed to do that!  I have grown out of my puppy collar and now wear an official Hero Dogs collar.

I have a new friend…Tracy came home from college for Spring Break and boy did we have fun together!  She calls me “baby!” and I come a runnin’.  We play with balls, play hide and seek, lay in the sun out in the yard and I love to snuggle with her.

We all went on a really cool trip together!  I took my first long drive in the car.  We drove to the Outer Banks in North Carolina.  I didn’t think we would ever get there but Petra says that I was very patient in the car.  She did bring along a special new bone for me which helped to pass the time.  I experienced all kinds of fun things at the beach.  I loved running in the sand with Tracy, playing in the waves, chasing the foam and digging deep holes in the sand.  But first I had to maneuver those open wooden steps that go down to the beach.  It took me a few days to get up the nerve to go up and down.  By the time we left I was an expert at navigating all kinds of steps.

I have been enjoying the warm springtime sunshine!  My puppy raisers like to play tennis and I love hanging out on the court chasing the balls for them.  Petra likes to work in the garden and I have been helping her pull weeds and been keeping track of her tools.  Playing in leaves and chewing on the mulch is also a great pastime.

Other than having fun I have been practicing lots of commands.  Everyday Petra and I go for a walk and I work on “heel” as we walk up the street.  It’s hard to stay focused when there are leaves blowing by and there are so many interesting things to smell.  But she praises me and I think I’m doing a pretty good job.  I know lots of commands now…at ease, come (usually, unless I’m doing something really fun), down, give, kennel, mine, sit and wait.  We work on “take it” and I’m getting really good at picking things up and giving them to Petra.  “Touch” is also a new favorite.  I always get a treat when I do that…pretty cool!

Petra has been taking me out to some fun places.  I love going on new adventures, I just don’t like getting in the car and sitting on the floor.  We have been to Home Depot and the drug store and the bank.  I always get compliments on my behavior.  We have been on walks in different neighborhoods and I have met other dogs.  The big ones scare me a little at first but then I learn to be friends.

We continue going to Puppy Kindergarten every week.  I really look forward to seeing Rosie and Franklin at class.  It’s hard for me to concentrate since there are so many friends there to play with.  When we get free play time I can’t wait to play with the other Golden Retrievers.  They are my best friends in the world!  We like going to class since we always learn something new to work on at home.

February 18, 2012 was a very big day for me. I moved in with my new puppy raising family. There is Petra, the Mom and Jay, the Dad and a really fun big guy Cory who has a special dog friend JD who is lots of fun to play with. There is also a cat at the house and I’m not quite sure what to make of him. He makes funny sounds and he is very fast. I have been chasing him and barking at him but I don’t think he likes that very much. I would much rather play with JD! 

There is a huge yard to play in and I love to play with JD. I can barely keep up with her when she runs in circles in the backyard. She is very patient with me though and she shares all her toys and lets me chew on her neck.

My first night in my new kennel was a little lonely but I was so tired from my big day. I only woke up once and wondered where I was. I’m used to it now and it’s a great place for a quiet nap. Petra puts a few treats in the door and I climb in and fall asleep.

I am learning many commands from Petra. I know how to “come” when called and I sit and “wait”. I wait very patiently now while she is preparing my food until she says “at ease”. I think that means that I am allowed to play with my Kong then. I love, love, love to run into the laundry room and grab a shoe and run away with it. I think Petra likes that game too because she always finds me and rewards me for taking care of the shoe for her Then I “leave it” so that she can put it back. I especially like the orange rug in the kitchen. It didn’t used to have a fringe but I think it looks better that way. So now she has taped the fringe to the floor and so it’s not so interesting anymore.

Petra has taken me out on some fun outings. I am still a little nervous about the car. I can’t quite jump in and out of it yet but I’m sure it’ll get easier when my legs are a little longer. I don’t like staying on the floor of the car but Petra tells me that’s where service dogs need to stay. I wedge my little head up just as far as I can so she can pet me and I don’t get too lonely.

My first outing was to Petsmart so Petra could buy me some chew toys. JD doesn’t have any fun ones and I think I am making her crazy because I like to chew everything in sight. Petsmart was a cool place…lots of good smells and other dogs to meet.

Everyone loves me there especially the little kids. They let me play with them…I love kids!!! The first man I met told Petra that his son was a Green Beret in the Army and he was on his second tour in Afghanistan. That made me, the Hero Dog feel very proud!

We have been to the Kentlands where I got to walk down the street and we went into the shoemakers and to buy Petra a coffee. There were lots of cars and sidewalk grates that I had to be careful walking over. We’ve been to the Rio lake. I heard sirens and trucks and ducks and geese…there was so much to see. I wasn’t afraid at all. I just sat in the grass and took in all in.

I have been to the Doctor to get my shots which I don’t mind too much. But the last time we went I got a Leptovirus shot and I didn’t like that at all. It made me feel very sleepy. I didn’t want to get up all night and my left shoulder was really hurting. Petra called the Doctor and she told her that from now on I will need to take a Benedryl before I get a shot of any kind.

All in all this has been a very exciting few weeks. I am very happy here and I have lots of fun playing in the yard and running with JD. I have even learned how to bring the newspaper up to the house in the mornings. Jay really appreciates that! Petra says I am growing really fast and learning to be a well behaved dog.

Welcome Hero Dogs Alvin C. York. “York” and brother ”Franklin” are our second set of brothers (after “Audie” & “Scotty”). 

Thank you puppy raiser Petra R. for taking “York” into your home.