Thursday, January 22, 2015

first visit of the new year!!!


A cold (very cold) winter day finds us at neads for the beginning of our monthly check ins. We haven't been down since November, with the holiday season and the like. And as usual, we get a warm welcome when we arrive. Now, looking back over my stories, I can't believe that I haven't once mentioned Bella!!! She's the golden (saying hi to Sherrie's dog)... Bella is staying at the farm along with Danny. She arrived a few days before the New year, flying in from California.... she is (was) a guiding eye dog who didn't pass the program out there, so she's here, trying her hand (er paw) at service work. She's a sweetie pie, though I can tell you the snow is NOT her thing and it has taken her some time to get used to that... she's very sweet, but very soft, and my personal opinion is, she'll make a fine pet... but time will tell and that's why she's here... to figure that out.....

Danny has learned to grab all the attention he can get... but "just a black lab"... I have to say the goldens usually grab the attention... but Sherrie knows how to give the love to everyone.....
Kathleen and I have become "co raisers" if you will... she has been swapping back and forth with me.. Danny and Bella... it's a nice trade and we enjoy working together with the puppies....
Can't you just hear Danny.... "really Bella... you don't get enough pats as it is"......
Danny Boy is doing so very well... I have a feeling that it's not going to be much longer before they will be calling him back. He's been such an easy, willing boy.... I'm going to miss him....



Bella... 
After our greetings, round table talk and the like we head to the city.... sure was cold this day.. but we bundled up and moved quickly. Kathleen worked with Danny and I took Bella... and even as we unloaded the dogs from the car, I could see that Bella was on edge.... the sounds and sights of the city were not her thing....
When we got to the train station, she needed just a bit of time to take it all in. So, I just stopped with her and let her check it all out. 
She needed some coaching .. but I could tell by the look on her face she wasn't overly excited about all of this...
Things began to look much better when we brought Danny in. They have become very good friends, and once Danny was close, Bella perked up and seemed like she was going to do better.....
I think Danny knew she could use a hug.....of course Dave was watching all of this as carefully as I was. I think he already has a game plan for her, but like us, he's willing to give any dog a try and see what they have to tell us....
She did OK when a freight train came roaring threw (which sort of surprised me)..... but I think between Danny and us, (people she knows she can depend on)... she just trusted what we told her...

From the trains we went onto the bus station.... Dave was giving us tips the whole way threw.... Danny seems to be paying close attention....
Again, Bella pretty much kept it together... as long as Danny was close by. However, the thing is, if she is going to  make service dog.. she'll need to handle these things on her own. Not every dog is cut out for this type of work, and though it's disappointing to let one go.. neads is very sensitive to making sure that the working dogs, want to be working dogs....so, if it turns out that this is not Bella's cup of tea.. then they will put her where she will be the happiest...

By now, everyone was feeling the cold, so we decided to head down to the big hospital for some lunch, elevator work, and to warm up....
Once inside, everyone settled in....
Danny, by now, knows the drill and knows when to take advantage of some snooze time.....






I loved sitting under all that "green" in the hospital while we had lunch... makes me forget for a moment all that cold and "white" outside....