Sunday, April 29, 2012

check in time

Because we were doing our usual check in at NEADS the next day. Ed and I stayed overnight with Sherri and Joe. (Sherri mans the front desk at NEADS and has always said that we could crash at her house, so we took her up on the offer). I loved having the chance to visit with them, and you can be sure, we'll plan on staying there again!!!
In the morning we met up with the rest of the puppy crew... who arrived just about the time Pastor Jane and Ginger were arriving!!! Everyone was so excited to meet them and see their girl once again.
Ginger was so happy to see all her old friends, both human and canine. We are making plans to go and visit Pastor Jane and Ginger at their church, once everyone has the chance to settle in. That is going to be great fun!!!!

We met up with Dave to have the usual question and answer time. All the puppies are doing well... June and Vicki are regulars in our group.. and now Lee (NY) has another puppy and is joining us again as well. Vicki has been giving her Mom some troubles with grooming.. so Dave took some time to work with us (assisted by his son.) As a trainer myself, I really enjoy the opportunities to watch other trainers work and get new ideas and opinions on things. One should never stop learning new things.

Our puppies are getting big... it really all goes by too fast. Here's our "little Monty"... he's the baby of the bunch... but not for long...

Otis is now our mature dog, and will actually be turning in next week. Kelli and Rick have done an amazing job with him, and I know how hard it will be to let him go off to college. But, that's what puppy raising is all about... and the little sweetie beside Otis is Lee's new puppy (who, for the life me, I can't think of her name!!!)

And our Norton... second in line, and next on the turn in list. He'll be a year old the first part of May and he's ready to head to college too.

The city seemed to be extra busy and loud this visit. There is construction going on all over the place. Great for the puppies to work around. They all handled it in stride, but I'm not so sure some of us puppy raisers took it that well... we definitely are not "city folks".

We timed it perfectly for the train again. They're getting used to seeing us waiting for it to pull in. We walked up and down the isles... put the puppies "under" the seats... all the usual. Even the little guys did well....

And then we played behind the buses... normally one would never walk behind a bus.But puppy raisers consider everything a training opportunity!!!!

So, who is this??? Well, say hello to "Moxie". She is the newest member of the Maine team, and already has quite a story. Moxie will be Rick's new dog (after Otis heads in) and her name carries a very special memory. This little girl did not have a sponsor, so Dave asked if Linda (our chapter leader) would be interested in naming her. Linda started with NEADS in 1993 with a puppy in training named Moxie - Maine's first NEADS dog. That means in 2013 (when Moxie is ready to graduate) the Maine puppy chapter will celebrate it's 20th anniversary... so in celebration of that and our first Moxie..... it was the "only" name to use.
Course any of you who know me, also know what the name "Moxie" means to me. It was because of my own little Moxie that I even became a puppy raiser.


And not to put any pressure on this little sweetie pie, but if she follows in the foot prints of the the "Moxies" before her.... she already has some pretty big paws to fill. Her parents, and all her aunties will be sure that she does.