Tag Archives: recall

Last Puppy Class

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Casey in her Halloween costume

Today was Casey’s last puppy class! We went on our annual trip to the corn maze. This year we were joined by the Park City club so we had lots of puppies. Casey’s brother Crosby was there he will be going back on the same truck as Casey. It threatened to rain but mostly held off until after we made it through the maze and we were eating chocolate cake. The cake was to celebrate all the puppies that are going back to GDB this week. From our club Kasha and Radison are also going back. Karen is getting a new puppy this week just like we are but Gael and Laurene are done with puppy raising for awhile.

Salt Lake and Park City puppy clubs

Casey & Waffle Farewell Party

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Invite for Waffle’s & Casey’s Farewell Party

We have the tradition to have a Farewell Party the Sunday before each of our puppies gets on the truck. Since Waffle is transferring to the high school program on Saturday and Casey gets on the truck a couple of weeks after that we decided to combine the two parties together. It is just a relaxed fun time where friends, family and especially kids from the neighborhood and play with the pups and see them in their home environment. We had a card to sign for each of the girls. Usually we have a guess the puppy name contest but since we don’t know what letter of puppy we are getting yet we had a vote for your favorite photo contest. We have an official puppy portrait wall and I had narrowed Waffle’s photo down to four and thought it would be fun for people to vote on which one they liked best. We had an obvious winner. So I uploaded it here because I didn’t get any photos take at the party.

winning Waffle portrait – taken by Lisa Thompson

Now I need to get this photo prepared to take to Pixels and have a canvas made for our wall. I don’t think I can get it back before she leaves but hopefully it won’t take too long to get done. Waffle is finally big enough to wear her big girl collar. The other pups have been able to wear it at 6 months but Waffle has such a skinny head that it could easily slip off. Our little girl is getting all grown-up and ready to leave the nest. Friday is going to come really fast I’m afraid. I wonder if it will be harder to had a puppy off to another raiser than it is to put them on the puppy truck back to Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Casey Recall Reprieve

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Bill with Waffle and Casey

We got news today that Casey will not be returning to Guide Dogs for the Blind on the next truck. They have more dogs in Breeder Evaluations than they need and training needs more dogs. So since Casey was the youngest puppy scheduled to go on the truck and she is in consideration to be a breeder she will not be going back until the next puppy truck to Utah which is expected to be in October. I didn’t see this coming. Casey is ready to go back but we sure will enjoy having her longer. I think for Waffle it would have been better to have a month or so as an only dog before she is transferred but that is not to be. We have canceled Casey’s Farewell party to be rescheduled when we have a new recall date. Another good thing about the change in recall date is that Casey doesn’t have to go back just a few days after she is released from her confinement from being in season.

Casey Farewell Party

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Invite for Casey’s Farewell Party

You are invited to attend an open house in honor of Casey and her upcoming return to Guide Dogs for the Blind
on Sunday, August 21st from 3:oo to 6:00 p.m in the Webster home.

Upon her arrival in San Rafael, Casey will first be evaluated to become a breeder for Guide Dogs for the Blind. If she is not chosen as a breeder she will start her formal harness training to become a guide dog for a blind or visually impaired person.

August Recall List

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Casey

Today we got the following email forwarded by our club leader:

Because the August puppy truck is scheduled to be later in the month than was previous thought…many dogs are going to training/campus for recall with raisers during Fun Day…this frees up the truck and as of today Casey and Radison are both on the breeder recall list for the late August truck, last i heard it was a San Rafael truck, but will know for sure before it comes. Below are the details from Barb…
The next puppy truck to UT/CO is now scheduled for:
Aug 25 UT puppy drop off
Aug 26 CO puppy drop and recall
Aug 27 UT recall
TR
Jacinda, Chiffon, Farley, Covey, Jaya
Breeder eval
Yoga, Jakota, Jorinda, Joilet, June, Tatum, Tonga, Radison, Razzle, Rhyme, Antiqua, Crosby, Casey
I do know there will be at least 2 more truck this year, maybe 3. This has hardly come together so please don’t ask me to guess Sept/Oct schedules, I just don’t know yet. J
Barb Deevers
Guide Dogs for the Blind
Canine Community Field Representative
Colorado and Utah

Recall Day

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At noon today we put Banta on the puppy truck for San Rafael, California. There were eight puppies getting on the truck today. (I think that was the right number) It was a very different experience than with Apex because with him we dropped off early in the morning and there were no other raisers dropping of their pups off that morning. All of us where gathered there at the truck and no one wanted to be the first to put their pup on so I figured we might as well go first since Banta is early in the alphabet. She went right into the kennel on the bottom left side of the truck in the very back. She handled it all like a pro and got in the kennel just fine.
It is so quiet around here without Banta’s huge spirit. I’m amazed at how much calmer Casey is too. I had a cub scout pack leaders meeting her tonight and Casey did just great. Usually I have to confine her in the kitchen. She has grown up a lot in the last month, but that isn’t all of it. Casey gained a lot of confidence from Banta’s mentorship but she is ready to be on her own now.
We are going to miss her so much but I’m excited to see where her career path takes her. It will probably be a month or two before we hear anything on Banta unless they find a major problem early in her medical exams. So now starts the waiting period. She will arrive in California on Thursday afternoon.

Banta, Clifford & Juaquin our club’s November recall pups
Bill with Banta and the puppy truck
Banta on the puppy truck
 

Update from Apex

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Yesterday I sent this photo to Apex’s handler and gave her an update on Banta and introduced her to Casey. It was one year since we put Apex on the truck to go back to GDB. It is so much fun to hear how Apex is doing. Here are some excerpt of what she wrote:

Apex is doing wonderful and we are about to leave the country again bound for Haiti this time.  I am planning on traveling with the team from my office/church as we go to work with our sister churches in Haiti. I will be at the school, teaching during the days and working the revival services at night. Soon after we get back from there – I will be traveling to our cabin in GA for a few days of R&R.  This will be his 1st time at the cabin and I can not wait to see what he does with the ducks and the pond…
Apex is also having a wonderful time visiting the 3 local nursing homes.  The Alzheimer’s patients love seeing him come in.  The children finally are back at school and Apex loves recess time and lunch time more than ever.  Our 1 child that is autistic loves to read and pet him so Apex is learning to love story time as well.
He is up to 70 lbs and his chest is broader than ever.  He runs like a freight train out of control and then all of a sudden it at eye level.  My boss loves watching us play here at the office while I am waiting for the bus to go home.  He calls him “Tigger” -quite appropriate since I work just minutes from Disney.
I have been blessed with Apex and regaining my freedom to travel and go where I want to again.  I have been able to travel again with out fear of falling or of getting lost – both of which I did on a regular basis with the white cane. I have been able to shop for my own groceries again because he navigates the aisles and people for me. I no longer feel like a blundering idot while trying to find my way – Apex is wonderful and once we have been there – he can find it again and again – traveling with him is a great joy and long layovers are not so long now with him at my side. 

Beginnings & Endings

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Today Casey got her last puppy shots. She weighs 26 lbs. This kind of marks the end of being a baby puppy and moving into being a young puppy with lots more opportunities. The end of the beginning of raising Casey. Today we also found out that Banta will be returning to GDB on November 8th for breeder evaluations. We knew it was coming but now we have a confirmed date. There is so much mixed emotion about her leaving–excitement to see what her path in life will be and sadness in that she will no longer be part of our everyday lives. This is the beginning of the end in raising Banta.