Well, my second week in my new home has been busy. We have gone somewhere every day except Friday when my partner wasn’t feeling so great. On Monday I got to go back to Hero Dogs and I played with Radar. Radar is cool. My partner dropped her phone (again) and Radar was all over it, picking it up and giving it to her before I could cross the room. Radar is fast. I was like “I’m supposed to do that,” but my partner was nice about it and told him thank you, so I was cool about it too. And, after all, it’s not like there won’t be lots of other opportunities for me to pick things up for her. It was great to see Ms. Jennifer and the younger dogs. Ms. Jennifer wanted to know all about my first week in my new home. I guess she doesn’t read my blog.

On Wednesday we went to Lakeforest mall and we went to the library before shopping in many stores. I was very good. Of course I had to be very good, because hearing dog Ms. Hope was with us, and she is very into proper service dog deportment. I had to do my partner proud, and I did. I wonder how Ms. Hope stays so calm with all the distractions? She really makes it look easy. My partner says it is because she has been doing it for a long time, and soon I will be just as cool and calm as she is. I have my doubts.

On Thursday we were back on the metro going to the VA again. I like riding on trains. People leave gum and other tasty stuff but my partner keeps telling me I have to leave it alone. Sigh. She gives me yummy salmon treats though to make up for it. I am pretty good at pushing the button for the elevator and doors. I have to be, ’cause if my partner tries to do it she always drops something. When I asked what she did before I came to live with her, she told me that a Labrador named Zoe took care of her.

My cat keeps trying to wash my ears, but it tickles too much so he licks my paws instead. He is a weirdo. We play bat the ball together. He is really good at it. My friend Benny is a golden doodle and we play king of the A-frame. Benny is a lot of fun.

On Saturday we were in a parade! There were horses and hounds and a band and lots of other stuff. The clowns liked me a lot, but I couldn’t play with them because I was working. All my friends from Hero Dogs were there too. It was so good to see everyone! I got a new red harness after the parade and a sweet cushy mat to lie on. My cat likes it a lot. I don’t mind sharing it with him as long as he leaves my ears alone. My partner says I get to rest and play tomorrow.

Until next time, keep your wings level!

Top Gun Maverick

Hullo friends,

Well, I have moved in with my partner, and I have to say it’s none too soon. She trips over everything if I am not there to warn her and to help her up and down stairs, curbs, roots, etc. She also drops things a lot. I helped her do laundry. I pulled the basket all the way to the washing machine and unloaded it for her.

We went to the grocery store and I was very helpful. My partner dropped her wallet at the checkout (no surprise) but I was there to pick it up and give it to her. Everything smells so good in that store but I had to keep my eye on my partner so I couldn’t sniff anything.

It’s okay, though. Every time I come back home I get brushed, petted, and fussed over which I like a lot. And get this: at night just before bed I get a massage! Man, that is the best . My cat tries to horn in on the action, but it’s all about me time.

I like it here. I have made new friends and I play with them every evening. My partner is nice and appreciates me. All of my school work is paying off. I will stay in touch and let you know about my adventures.

Hi! I’m Calvin! So a really cool thing happened on Thursday at Puppy Class! I met my puppy raisers Christen and Brendan! I’ve been with Hero Dogs for a couple weeks now so we started their training right away. I think they are doing a great job so far. I know how to “sit,” “down,” “wait,” “at ease,” “kennel,” and of course my favorite “get busy.”

After class we took a car ride and I totally passed out. When I woke up we went to Petco for some things to keep me occupied. It was very distracting in there, but Christen kept me focused on her with my food and we practiced my commands. The lady at the register even told us an awesome story about her therapy rats. Then we went home, where I was so comfortable that I went right to sleep.

Later that week we went walking around downtown Old Ellicott City. I practiced my commands and it was tough to ignore all the awesome things on the ground. There were lots of people everywhere and many cars zooming by!

Another day we went to what they called “The Snowball Stand,” but I don’t understand why they call it that. There was no snow and there were definitely no tennis balls to retrieve… I am an expert on those! We had a great time and I was really good at leaving all the things on the ground alone.

On Monday we went back to Hero Dogs HQ to get more of my supplies, but mostly I was there to play with Maverick! Everyone keeps telling me I will have an important job to do one day and that I am going to be a big boy. I don’t know what they are talking about, but I hope they mean I get to be just like Maverick!

My goodness, I have had such a busy month. I got to go out to dinner with the family to a nice sit-down restaurant. I even got to sit in the bar. I sure turned a lot of heads when I came in. I heard, “Awww, look at the puppy. Isn’t she cute.” I have been to the grocery store, Costco, Home Depot, the dry cleaners, the bank, and even the Hair Salon. Renee took me to White Flint mall and we walked all around. We climbed the stairs and went down the stairs. We climbed some more stairs and went down the stairs again. I was getting tired. Then Renee took me to get her hair done. She had a frozen Kong for me and then I slept through her appointment. I kept hearing in my sleep, “What a good puppy. Boy, I wish my dog was that well behaved.” It made me feel really good.

I got to see Franklin and Jeanie at the Pet Valu event. We spent an afternoon together out in front of Pet Valu in Gaithersburg. We talked to some people, and Franklin got to show people what he can do. I showed how I can pick up keys, pens, and some paper money. I have to learn not to slobber so much. We even saw Maria and she brought Sammie with her. Then Lisa stopped and said “hi.” She didn’t have Jack with her.

My family went away for the weekend and I got to stay with Becca at the kennel. I loved playing with all the other big dogs at Hero Dogs. I even got to go to the Big Dog Class. I get to go to those classes now because I am a big girl, and I graduated from basic puppy training classes. Thank you Becca, and thank you to all the helpers for taking such good care of me.

April was a big month for me. I have gotten to take lots of rides in the car. I have decided the best thing about the car is I get to sleep and get ready for whatever happens next. Sometimes I distract the humans with my snoring, but I can’t help it. The car is nice and comfy and it makes me relax. One time, there were even three teenage boys in the car with me. They were loud and boy-like, but I just slept.

I have had many trips to stores, and it seems like the humans take me to Home Depot at least once a week. I really like the wide aisles and the friendly people. I get lots of practice not picking things up, which is hard. I still think that things on the ground need to be picked up or moved. The humans don’t always agree.

  I have also been to several pet stores; Big Bad Woof and Petco are the closest. My brain switches into overtime when we go in, with so many toys to choose from. I really like Nylabones and Kongs, but my favorite is still a ball. I like to chase them and pick them up. They come in many colors and sizes and I like to run after all of them.

This month I realized the vacuum cleaner is not such a big deal. I have gotten used to it and I don’t even mind being in the same room while it is doing its job. Sure, it is a little noisy, but I can go right up to it and I am not even afraid. One of my favorite things to do is to help the humans wash the dishes. While they are at the sink, I sit on their feet and lean on them, to make sure they keep working until the job is done. You can’t move with a Joe on your feet! My support helps keep the kitchen in ship shape!

Almost every weekend I went to puppy playtime at the field. Sometimes I have the field to myself, but usually my friends are there. It is such great fun; we all romp about, with the Golden Retrievers and the Labradors going all over the place. It is really great when Miss Jennifer’s dogs come too; they are so fast!

I finished the Puppy One class and I am eagerly waiting for Puppy Two. While I am waiting for Puppy Two, I have been attending Hero Dogs class with the big dogs! They are awesome. It is so neat to see all of the things they can do. If I work really hard, I will be as good as they are someday. That is why I practice every day, so I can be like the big dogs!

I took a couple of trips to Brookeville Animal Hospital for check-ups. I have gotten all of my shots and I am in really good shape. By the end of the month I was up to 43 pounds! All of the daily walks and puppy play is making me really strong. I will have more updates next month!

It’s my favorite month of the year: Mae! I’m really excited for the good weather, outdoor fun, and soccer! I love soccer balls. Torrey said she will get me one for my first birthday!!

April was pretty nice. The weather was good for the most part, except for a few days of rain. I don’t really mind the rain that much. We discovered that we can go to the baseball fields across the street. It is really fun to go there, and I usually find some baseballs that the players left.

I’ve also started to enjoy jogging more now that I’m a little older and I can keep up with Justin. He says I’m doing great on my walks. I can go most of the time without trying to eat acorns and grass, and I’ve learned how to press the crosswalk button when we come to the intersections. People in the cars waiting at the red lights are always impressed, and sometimes tell me how good a girl I am as they pass.

I’ve been doing a great job at laying nicely under the table at restaurants. The other day we went out, and when we were leaving, a lot of people said they didn’t even know a dog was in the restaurant! That’s a great sign. Justin and Torrey were really proud of me. It was really hard to stay quiet, because the Thai food smelled really great. Torrey took me to book group the other day. I was a really good girl then, too! I almost accidentally knocked some drinks off the coffee table with my tail, but what can I say? I get really excited when I meet new friends, and that tail has a mind of its own (and a motor of its own, too).

I am working on my skills. I am much better at staying quiet and not barking when people are outside. The other day, I forgot and barked once, but I helped Justin and Torrey out by going to time-out on my own. I redeemed myself later when Torrey ran out the door without her keys. Justin gave them to me, and I took them out to her. She was really impressed!

Here’s a picture of me in front of the Capitol. I went for a walk there on a really nice day recently. Have a great May. Hopefully it will be aMAEzing!

I just can’t believe that in a month I’ll be going to college to become a Hero Dog! Robin said the other day that she can’t believe it either. I’m now just about 17 months old, so it is time to leave my puppy raiser’s home. I’m excited because with all this nice weather I’ve been going to Jennifer’s field to play with the other Hero Dogs and some of their friends. Some of the dogs are already in college, and some are new puppies who have just been with their raisers for a short time. Some are just like me and are going to be going to college soon. At Jennifer’s, we run and chase each other in the field until we are so tired we have to lay down and rest for a few minutes. Then someone jumps back up and we chase each other again. When I get home from all the playing I just want to take a nap.

I’ve gone to some other places too during the last two months. We went to Brookeville Animal Hospital to visit the animals that they have in the field. I saw a very shaggy pony, some sheep, and a llama. They were interested in us too and came over to the fence to see us. They sure don’t smell like dogs. We also went to a place called IHOP. I went under the table and waited quietly while Robin and Mark ate their breakfast. The waitress didn’t even see me because I was so quiet. She said that she didn’t know I was there. I saw her, though. I watched all those people eating their pancakes. I also went shopping with Robin and Mark at the hardware store. There was not much room in that store for me to walk around. There was stuff everywhere, so I had to be very careful and practice my “follow” and “go through.”

I will be in a parade on May 18th. That will be a very new thing for me. Right after the parade we are going on vacation to the lake. I’ve been to the lake twice since I last wrote in my diary, but that was just for the weekend. I’m very accustomed to the long ride and I don’t make a peep until we get there. This time I’ll be going on some boat rides and probably go swimming. That will be my last vacation at the lake before I go to college. After my vacation, I will be all rested up and ready to see all my friends at Hero Dogs. So many people come and go each day while we are in the kennel that we are never lonely there. I’m going to work hard with the trainers that come each day to teach me and to help me practice my Hero Dog skills. It will be exciting to learn some advanced service dog skills.

I hope that everyone will come and visit me at the Hero Dogs open house on June 15th!

Dear Friends,

So Stacey just said that if you get one month’s summary in early and it is super long, there is more grace for the arrival of the next month’s summary which is both shorter and late. Okay, so maybe she is just hoping that it’s true.

April started off with a wedding and ended with a wedding, which means that April started with a fun visit to a puppy sitter and ended with a fun visit to another puppy sitter. Stacey said she hates to leave me for all of this time with puppy sitters, as my time with her is getting short, whatever that means. Supposedly Jennifer told her that it is good for me to stay with numerous different puppy sitters before I “go to college.” Does “good for me” mean stuff like eating spinach and getting ear drops? Neither of which I like, by the way. As far as I am concerned puppy sitters are a blast. Both Susan and Carole have yards with fences which means I can run around and around, pretty as you please. I do not have one of those at “my” house with Stacey. Susan also has a dog to play with. Life is so good.

During one week this month, puppy class was at a park. You know, the kind of park with grass and birds and grass and birds and grass and birds. You get the point. There was a slide and I went down that a couple of times which was fun. We also got to run around, kind of in a big open field. What kept happening was as soon as I really got going Stacey would say “come” and I would. She always gave me a treat and smiled real big, so I listened pretty much every time. Okay, so maybe I forgot to come back one time when I got pretty close to Calvin puppy. You try running back and forth like that for a time and see if you don’t get just a bit worn out. The other thing about this park picnic was that we were not allowed to eat any of the food that somebody had very thoughtfully left there for us. It was in plain sight, on the floor of the covered shelter, on the benches and even in the grass. But were we allowed to eat any of those corn dogs, etc? No sirree, it was “leave it,” “leave it,” “leave it” the whole time. Some of the puppies managed to get a bite or two, but all in all that food was left behind uneaten. Go figure; sometimes these two-legged creatures are hard to understand.

I made another trip to the assisted living facility, which is always good according to Stacey because there are canes, walkers, and wheelchairs with people connected to all of them. I was a very good girl, and even though I am much bigger now and most of the time when I am in my vest Stacey does not ask me to say “hello” to people, she does here. It makes the folks so happy there when I do. I am always careful and gentle; I can tell that jumping on them would not be good. It was a chilly day, so we went to see a movie and then got something to eat in a restaurant. I really do not know what all this fuss is about, deciding what restaurant to go to. No matter where we go, I pretty much eat the same thing. Stacey was very proud of me because I was under the table and it turned out to be a very busy section of the restaurant. There was a birthday party right across from our table, and a little girl was dancing right next to me; several people came by with walkers and canes; and stuff was dropped and clattered on the floor; I remained interested but never agitated, anxious, or overly excited. I did not bark or try to jump up. I looked up at Stacey a couple of times to see if she wanted me to do anything, but she did not want me to move. She said “settle,” and that’s what I did. She said, at least for that day, I passed the Grand Central Station test!!

On April 15, I think, we had another quarterly puppy raisers meeting. These are so much fun. We get to see all of the puppies and their people, and before the meeting we got to run in Ms. Jennifer’s field together. Can’t beat that!! We did work on skills, which is always hard for me when my friends are all around me. Calvin puppy was there and they used him as a distraction for me to work on “look.” I like to look! When I see something new or interesting Stacey says “look,” and I think of course I am going to look at that. Then she clicks, my head whips around, and she gives me a treat. As soon as that happens she says “look” and the same thing happens again; she does this again and again. Pretty soon I figure if I just sit there and “watch” the treats will come without all that rapid head movement stuff. Fooled her, treats for just looking at her. YES!!! Stacey, Petra, and Robin seemed at little sad at one point during the meeting when the college word was mentioned, but life is still the same for me rolling merrily along.

April started with the usual routine of work and play and one visit to the office (good reports so far), but the next week was a big change: a five-day sleepover at Robin’s house, where I got to play with Lucy. I tried my best to be a good guest and I think everyone was impressed with how well I listened and followed commands. I went out with Robin to a dinner party (boy, do people eat late at those events!) but Robin took pity on me and fed me first. The first night was a bit scary because Robin put me to bed all by myself, but things were all right after she came to check on me because I knew she’d always come back for me.

Next morning when I was out doing my business, there was a weird sound that Robin wouldn’t let me check out until I was finished. Guess what? That sound was clucking, and the chickens were as interested in me as I was in them. Lucy and I had a good time running around chasing each other.

Then off to puppy class before breakfast. I missed coming the first time she called my name, but when she pulled out some fish treats, I really paid attention! We practiced climbing stairs to a slide, and whee! What fun to slide down! Then – listen to this – Jennifer dropped pieces of chicken nuggets and corn dogs all around, and I wasn’t allowed to eat them. Didn’t she know I hadn’t had breakfast yet? A growing puppy has a hard time managing on little bitty fish treats. I guess I survived because I had a good run with some buddies at Hero Dogs and had fun playing with Lucy when we got home. Then, nap time.

Afterward we took a walk and met a lady who was afraid of dogs. When Robin explained that I was a service dog in training, she not only came to talk to us, but she took a bit of kibble from Robin and gave it to me. A good experience for all of us, since seeing me follow Robin’s commands taught the lady how well-behaved a dog can be.

Robin took me to a Test Kitchen and I had a nap while inhaling the most delicious odors. The rest of the day was too quiet for me and I had a hard time getting to sleep that night. The next day, though, lots of running and playing with my Hero Dogs buddies. Yay! It was really hot that afternoon, and Robin thought I’d like a drink from a hose, but I couldn’t figure out how to manage that at first, so Robin let me drink from her hand. I’ll have to give the hose another try sometime.

The next day, Robin worked on some of the skills I’ve been learning, and when I didn’t do something right, wouldn’t you know: Lucy did do it right and got a treat. That sure made me concentrate! Then we really worked together — I think I taught Lucy a few new things.

Rain made the next day look like it would be a bore, but Robin played with me in her basement, so we both made the best of it. Then the next day, we got to play in Jennifer’s field, and I think I wore Lucy out trying to catch me — she’s nearly 10 years old, and I guess she needs more rest than I do.

I had a good time at Robin’s, and Lucy and I are great buddies now, but I was very happy to go home and back to my old routine. I showed how glad I was to be back by behaving very well while there were workers in the house for three days making various noises. I was a little worried when they were up in the attic and I couldn’t keep an eye on them, but I was well-behaved.

Another romp at Jennifer’s with my buddies, and I kept up my good behavior at a Hero Dogs Golf Committee meeting. I had a little tiny lapse when Jamie had a friend over to visit. I got excited and I’ll have to work on greeting etiquette.

All in all, April was a good month — a little routine here, a little change there. I can handle it!

April began the same way that March ended – on the RV. From Hilton Head, we drove to Charlotte and then to Virginia Beach. That was fun. I went on really long walks, played in the sand, chased waves (they kept coming back!), and went to a nice restaurant where I became the center of attention because I was “so young and so well-behaved.”

Once back home, I kept up with my busy schedule of going on walks, visiting stores, behaving in restaurants, going to puppy class, and practicing all the skills I will be expected to know when I become a service dog. Speaking of puppy class, you should know that I am now in Puppy II. Some of my friends from Puppy Kindergarten are there with me, too! We are all doing well, but we don’t get as much free play time as we did in Kindergarten. Bummer!

I have been going to some new places where I am expected to REALLY behave. I went to the people dentist, eye doctor, and regular doctor with Maria. (Do you think she is falling apart?) I also went to a gym full of kids swinging on bars, tumbling, and walking across boards. I visited a school several times – once as the special guest of the Kindergarten class. Those little kids wanted to know all about me and Hero Dogs. They were duly impressed by what they heard and by what they saw me do. At the mall, I practiced going up and down stairs, riding a glass elevator, walking past lots of people, and leaving things that were strewn across the floor. Then, I did something that usually only the big dogs do – I went on a “home visit” to approve a new puppy sitter. That was amazing. I tried really hard to act like a grown up. I liked the house and the people and their dog. So, I gave them a paw-up. Maybe I’ll get to stay with them for a few days, sometime.

On a beautiful Sunday morning, Hero Dog Jack and I and our people decided to go see the cherry blossoms by the Tidal Basin. But, wouldn’t you know it, there was a race or some event going on down there, and we couldn’t get near a single cherry blossom. Instead, we went to Georgetown for a leisurely walk. We met lots of very nice people and practiced walking on different surfaces – especially bricks.

On the very last day of the month, I was awakened earlier than usual, but I didn’t get any breakfast. Instead, I got in the car and we drove to pick up Ms. JoAnn and her hearing dog (black poodle) Hope. Off we went to a place they kept calling “Be We.” What? It turns out that it was an airport – Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). Of course, I had no idea what that was either. They said that I was going to be the first Hero Dog to fly. How could that be? I have no wings. I just like to look at birdies fly. Well, it turns out that it’s not quite flying like a birdie. Instead, you go inside a huge bird that does the flying. But before we could go inside the big bird, we had to go through a machine that made noises when I passed it. “Wait,” they said. “Stand on the side while we get someone to pat down the dog.” That sounded pretty ominous to me. But a very nice man came over and, as I stood perfectly still, he started petting me and telling me what a beautiful girl I am and how good I am. I couldn’t help myself, my Labrador tail went into full wagging action. He laughed, and next thing you know, Hope, the humans, and I are walking into the bird. We sat next to what they called the bulkhead. Well, actually, Hope and I curled up together and went to sleep. (She makes a nice pillow!) Before we knew it we were getting off the big bird at a very sunny place… Los Angeles. It smelled different and looked different. We jumped into a new car and drove to another place… Santa Clarita. We went to a restaurant for dinner and back to the hotel where my new travel kennel was set up and waiting for me. It was so nice and cool and quiet. I was able to dream about flying like a bird. Happy dreams!