Becoming a Helper Dog

This morning Ruth made me a special breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon and then she took me for a walk by the river and had a bit of a cry while I played in the long grass. When we got home she packed up all my toys (80 or so) and my bed and my food and my treats.

She gave me lots of strokes and a hug when she said goodbye. She told me I'm a big puppy girl now and ready for the next stage of my training. She said I'll be the best helper dog ever but if there's ever a time when I can't be a helper dog I could come back and live with her and Eric and that would make them the happiest people in the world.

Visiting Elmo

This is a photo of me and Elmo looking smart in our special Canine Partners coats.

Today I went to see my brother Elmo at his house. He lives with Carol and Gareth and their children Abi and Jamie. I liked playing with Abi and Jamie. Abi threw a ball and I ran and got it and brought it back. Elmo doesn't like retrieving things yet but he did like running round and round the garden and play fighting with me. Elmo is going to start the next part of his training next week and so am I. I wonder what the next stage of our training will be.

Cambridge

Today Ruth took me on a long car journey to somewhere called Cambridge. We met Keli and Gil and they made a big fuss of me – which I liked. But then a swan on the river hissed at me – which I didn’t like. I had a jumbo bone while they had lunch in the restaurant. The waitress gave me some water and Ruth gave me the ice cubes from her drink. I liked crunching them.
I practised walking on my loose lead around Cambridge which is what I'll do when I'm a fully trained helper dog.

Chicken and Rice

My tummy was a bit poorly and I couldn’t concentrate at puppy class so Ruth made me some chicken and rice and we had lots of cuddles.

Bedford Park

Ruth’s been taking me to all my favourite places. Today we went to Bedford Park and I met Sharon and her dog Pippa. Pippa and me played and played and then we went back to Sharon’s house so Pippa and me could play some more. Mainly we played chasing and tug of war.

Keys

Ruth taught me to do something new today. She told me to wait in the kitchen and then she went into the living room and hid her keys and then I had to find them. I could find them just about everytime - even when she hid them in my toybox and in my crate and on the stairs and the sofa. Ruth thinks I'm very very clever. Her keys have a special smell that makes them easy to find (it's because she dropped them in something yucky and even though she cleaned them they still smell a bit funny to me).

After all that hard key finding I needed a rest.

Canine Partners

Eric and Ruth asked Canine Partners if they could keep me. They offered lots and lots of money. But Canine Partners said no because I might make a very good canine Partner dog one day and change someone’s life.

PRIORY PARK

We went to Priory Park today and I had a paddle and a swim and got to say hello to lots of other dogs.

VETS

I had to go to the vets today because I was poorly over the weekend. The vet wanted me to wee in a little bottle so she could see what bacteria was causing my urine infection. But I didn’t want to wee when the vet wanted me to. So Ruth had to collect the wee when we got home. The vet says I’ll be better very soon.

Bronze

Today I took my bronze kennel club exam. I did everything right apart from you have to stay sitting or lying down for 1 minute. I lay down for a whole minute but when Ruth walked back to me I sat up – so I failed. They said I can try again another time.
Ruth and Eric still think I’m the best dog in the whole world.

Rain

The path I walk on when we go down the river has disappeared because of all the rain. We had to come home because we wanted to go for a walk – not a paddle.

I did very well in puppy class today so Ruth gave me some of her ice lolly when we got home – yummy.