February 8, 2012

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Puppy In Training TV – Ep 18 – Puppy Turn In Day

December 23, 2011 By 4 Comments

Make sure you bring a handkerchief for this episode of Puppy In Training TV because it’s a real tear jerker.  It seems just like yesterday that we picked up a 7 week old puppy from the “D” litter that we named Dublin.  As a guide dog puppy raiser we work on basic dog obedience training, puppy socialization (taking our pups out in public), and good house manners.  We begin working on these things from the time our pups are 7 weeks old until they are approximately 18 months.  At about 18 months we return our puppies to the schools where they begin a more intense “formal” guide dog training.  This is where they learn to wear their harness, left and right turns, intelligent disobedience, and many other advanced skills.

Black and White Lab Puppy

Curious Pup, Dublin!

Dublin was a shade under 18 months when we dropped him off for “Guide Dog College”.  Puppy Turn In Day is one of the most difficult days for us as puppy raisers.  This is the day we’ve all been dreading when we have to say good bye to our puppies, wish them the best, and hope to see them again wearing a nice shiny harness at graduation.

Check out this weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV – Ep 18 – Puppy Turn In Day:

Ep 18 – Puppy Turn In Day

Here’s this weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV.  If you’d like to sponsor an episode take a look at the Puppy In Training TV Sponsorship page.

That one makes me a little bit sad every time I watch it.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Below is the transcription for this weeks episode just in case you can’t see this weeks puppy training video.

Puppy Turn In Day Transcription

PuppyInTraining.com Logo and Website Address

Hi Everyone! Today’s Dublin’s last day here. He’s going off to Guide Dog College. Stetson and Linus just wanted to say goodbye. Welcome to this episode of Puppy In Training TV.

Guide Dog Puppy Training Starring DUBLIN
With Linus Aussie Shepherd Rescue
Also Colby The Human
And Stetson Career Changed Guide Dog

So Dublin and I headed out the front door for the last time. Just like we had done everyday for the past 1 ½ years Dublin hopped onto the passenger side floor boards of my car. And just like that we were on the road! Heading to Guide Dogs of America with Dublin for the last time.

Traffic can be unpredictable so we left nice and early. Lucky for us we arrived early…a chance to shoot some video of the campus!

The front office is normally closed on weekends so we went through the side gate. This gave Dublin a chance to work on walking calmly through a threshold.

We walked down the hill to the vets office. Then on the way back up the hill we saw Gentry and Denise who you might remember from Ep 17 and our trip to Disneyland.

We decided to walk over towards the puppy nursery and work on one last walk up the brick stairs.

Guide Dogs of America holds a short luncheon to thank all the puppy raisers on puppy turn in day. We also get a nice certificate and photo commemorating our accomplishment of raising a puppy.

We took one final snapshot with Dublin’s pal Chloe and then walked back down the hill and made our way towards the GDA kennels.

And just like that they called Dublin’s name. We’re allowed to walk our pups to the kennel and stay with them for a bit while they get used to their new roomate and their environment.

Dublin’s new roomate isa Yellow Lab Golden Retriever cross named Saffie and look! Chloe and Dublin got to be neighbors!

We went to the outdoor side of the kennel and Here comes Dublin happy to see me!

One final hug for me and Dublin and giving him some last minute advice to be a good boy.

It’s tough saying goodbye!

And finally my first walk without my pal Dublin…thinking back to all the happy memories I spent with my little buddy!

[Video of our adventures with Dublin]

Dropping your puppy off for formal guide dog training is one of the toughest things you can do as a puppy raiser.  We worked really hard with Dublin on his training and we know he’ll do well in college.  Thanks for joining us for our last episode…

Hold on!  That can’t be the end.  In fact we plan on posting more video in the coming months including hopefully a video of Dublin’s graduation.  And of course there’s always a chance for Puppy In Training TV Season 2.

…of Puppy In Training TV and we hope to see you soon!

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A special thanks to Denise and Gentry for showing us around Disneyland today

If you’d like to sponsor an episode of Puppy In Training TV visit PuppyInTraining.com

Our Final Thoughts On Puppy Turn In Day

One of the saddest and happiest days of puppy raising.  We’re always sad to say goodbye, but happy to let Dublin continue his journey to becoming a guide dog. A few points to add about our turn in day:

  • We always take off our Pet ID Tags at home.  This way we don’t fumble around trying to remove the tags when we’re trying to say our goodbye’s at the kennel.  The only tags you need to leave with your puppy are the ID tags that GDA originally issued to you on Puppy Pickup Day.
  • One of the toughest parts about turn in is so many others are crying that it just makes it that much more sad.  Be prepared with sunglasses and a hanky.
  • We were lucky and all the pups were paired with a kennel mate.  One of the things that made me feel better was to see Dublin playing with his new pal Saffie.  It was the same when Stetson met up with his kennel mate.  However, when we turned Stetson in there were a few pups without kennel mates which made me sad for those pups…so be prepared.
  • You can always call the school to see how your puppy is doing in his formal guide dog training.
  • Northwoods Inn generously donates food for the luncheon.  Special thanks to Northwoods Inn for providing food!

We worked hard with Dublin’s obedience training, house manners, and socialization as you can see on all the puppy training videos we produced for our Puppy In Training TV series.  I’m sure he’ll do well at Guide Dog College and even if he doesn’t make it as a guide we’ll still love him just the same.

How about you guys?  Are you puppy raisers?  What’s it like for you on Puppy Turn In Day?  We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Puppy In Training TV – Ep 17 – Dogs At Disneyland

December 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Today we’re going to find out if Disneyland is the happiest place on earth for doggies too.

We took our guide dog puppy, Dublin to Downtown Disney when he was about 6 months old, but we usually don’t take our guide dog pups to the actual Disneyland park until they’re over 12 months old.  In fact we sometimes don’t take our puppy’s in training to Disneyland at all if we don’t think they’re ready for the hustle and bustle of people, activities, characters, sights, sounds, and smells of a theme park.

If you’re thinking about taking your puppy in training to Disneyland be prepared to turn right around and head home if you notice your puppy stressing out from all the activity.  You don’t want your pup to be frightened of the happiest place on earth.  Lucky for us we have a Disney Passport that gets us in and out of Disneyland and California Adventure Parks just about any day of the year.

So without further adieu check out this weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV!

Episode 17 – Dogs At Disneyland

Here’s this weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV.  If you’d like to sponsor an episode take a look at the Puppy In Training TV Sponsorship page.

Dogs At Disneyland Transcription

Can you tell where Dublin and I are? That’s right it’s the happiest place on earth! Disneyland. Welcome to this episode of Puppy In Training TV!

Guide Dog Puppy Training Starring DUBLIN
With Linus Aussie Shepherd Rescue
Also Colby The Human
And Stetson Career Changed Guide Dog

First stop at Disneyland navigating the parking structure to the tram.

Then Heading Down 4 flights of stairs

Next…we worked on weaving in and out of the poles on the way to the tram. A good exercise in heeling before entering the amusement park.

And now…boarding the tram.

Getting from the parking lot to Disneyland is an adventure in itself. After walking the parking structure, stairs, and weaving…our final leg is the tram ride. Dublin kept asking “are we there yet?”

Finally! Exit the tram and on to Disneyland! The happiest place on earth! And time to work on Dublin’s Puppy Training in Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Fantasy.

As we started our adventure down main street we noticed everything was setup for Halloween

I put Dublin in a sit-stay while we watched this horse and trolley go by.

That’s Gentry down there with Dublin. She’s going to be our tour guide at Disneyland today.

We started off our journey by walking through frontierland…past the Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyers Island…up the short flight of stairs and to one of our favorite spots the Haunted Mansion.

If you go to Disneyland during the holidays make sure you visit the Haunted Mansion. The entire ride gets revamped for the Nightmare Before Christmas.

We left the Haunted Mansion and right outside was Splash Mountain…Dublin looked up at me and said I want to go on that ride!

Sorry Bud…it looks like you’re a little to short for Splash Mountain. Maybe when you’re older.

How about we go on the Winnie the Pooh ride instead.

Alright…if you want a little more adventure then lets take the ferry to Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyers Island.

As you can see the ferry ride made Gentry a little overly excited.

Pirate’s lair was pretty cool. We saw some geese. Sat on the stage. Lots of stairs and uneven places for the pups to walk including this bouncy suspension bridge.

We also found a spot for the pups to pump for gold. You two have to work harder then that.

Dublin and Gentry said “Is this the gold we were pumping for” Make sure you two guard the gold! If not you go to the bone prison.

Dublin and Gentry Guide Dog Puppies

Dublin and Gentry Find Gold

It looks like Dublin and Gentry were snoozing on the job because they ended up in prison

Hey wait for us! Dublin wanted to ride the Mark Twain boat, but we were a little too late…plus I didn’t tell him, but you can’t catch that boat from tom sawyers island.

Instead we hopped back on the ferry and headed back to the mainland where the pirate band awaited us.

Back on the Disney mainland we visited the Big Thunder Ranch Halloween Roundup and saw some awesome pumpkin carvings.

Dublin and Gentry posed in front of this pumpkin head dude.

Then Dublin went over to the donkey, Pocahontas to say hello.

Disneyland is puppy in training friendly and has designated spots throughout the park for relieving your puppy…Good Busy Dublin!

After Dublin and Gentry both went potty we went over to Fantasy Land and visited the Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, and one of our favorites Peter Pan’s Flights.

After fun in Fantasyland headed over to Tomorrowland for the spooky Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. Sorry Dublin you’re too short for this one too.

It had been a long day so we started walking back down main street past the giant mickey pumpkinhead. Then headed out the exit back to the tram.

Dublin was pretty tired on the tram ride back so we hopped off and started our walk back through the parking lot for the car ride home.

As we walk off into the parking lot sunset we’d like to thank you for joining us for this episode of Puppy In Training TV.

Please Subscribe

A special thanks to Denise and Gentry for showing us around Disneyland today

If you’d like to sponsor an episode of Puppy In Training TV visit PuppyInTraining.com

Our Final Thoughts On Dogs At Disneyland

Dublin was the second puppy in training we took to Disneyland and while he was a very good boy throughout the day his reactions and behavior were much different then our first guide dog pup, Stetson.  We took both pups on a few rides and Stetson really could care less what was going on around him and for the most part just lied down by my feet.  Dublin was more interested and wanted to peek out and watch all the activity going on.  Both pups did great and showed no anxiety in front of the crowds and different, sights, smells, and sounds.

While Disneyland may not be a puppy in trainings happiest place on earth I do think that our pups happiest place on earth is by the side of his owner/handler no matter where they may be.  Thanks to Disneyland for being such a puppy in training friendly park and thanks to Denise and Gentry for being our tour guides for the day.

Have any of you taken your pups in training to Disneyland or any theme park?  If so, tell us about your experience in the comment section below.

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Puppy In Training TV – Ep 16 – Guide Dog Pups Visit The Fire Station

December 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We’ve been raising guide dog puppies for the past 5 years and we had always heard about visiting the fire station, but after raising Stetson then Derby and now Dublin we had never visited fire fighters or a fire station until today!

Visiting fire fighters and a fire station is a great outing for our guide dog puppies.  You never know when they might run into a firefighter fitted with a full gas mask or perhaps the screaming sounds of the siren.  Today we had the opportunity to let our puppies see, hear, and smell everything at our local fire station.

Check out this weeks Puppy In Training TV episode:

Episode 16 – Guide Dog Pups Visit The Fire Station

Here’s this weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV.  If you’d like to sponsor an episode take a look at the Puppy In Training TV Sponsorship page.

Guide Dogs Pups Visit The Fire Station Transcription

This week we got to visit the Orange County Fire station right in our backyard…Irvine, California! Joining us on today’s outing are Yuki, Archer, Miles, Chloe, Wriley, and of course the star of our show…Dublin. My name is Colby and welcome to Episode 16 of Puppy In Training TV.

Guide Dog Puppy Training Starring DUBLIN
With Linus Aussie Shepherd Rescue
Also Colby The Human
And Stetson Career Changed Guide Dog

We got to the fire station a little bit early so we made sure our pups “got busy” before we walked across the street to the fire station.

As soon as we saw the fire truck return we headed over for an exciting day working on puppy training with fire fighters.

We started off by introducing our puppies to a fire fighter fully suited wearing a gas mask. Can you hear that (pause)…He sounds a like darth vader…I was expecting to hear…Luke I am your father… Our pups all had a different reaction to this unusual looking human…the look, sounds, and smells didn’t bother Miles one bit. Dublin got excited to see the fire fighter like he was his new favorite toy. Chloe was a little bit hesitant of this strange looking thing.

After all the puppies observed, sniffed, and greeted the fire fighter in his gas mask they pulled the fire truck around to the back for more puppy training exercises.

Our entire group did some heeling exercises around the truck. Dublin was a little bit excited and was pulling more than he does on his regular walks.

After heeling around the fire truck we got all the dogs in sit-stays and down-stays and let them hear some of the crazy sounds that come from a fire truck….yay! no howling! all of our dogs did really well…while some became alert to the sirens none of our pups seemed fearful. After popping up to attention they all recovered very well.

By the way, who was in charge of making all that noise…looks like a future fire fighter!

After listening to the sirens Dublin and I posed in front of the big red fire truck for a glamour shot.

We were all hungry after a morning at the fire station so we headed down the street for a bite to eat.

Once we got to the University Town Center the farmers market was going on with a crowd of people.

We made our way through the crowds and stopped in at the Steelhead Brewing Company for some lunch and a break for our puppies.

Many thanks to the firefighters at the Orange County Fire Station in Irvine for working with us and our guide dog puppies. We’ll leave you with the whole crew posing for a picture. Thanks for joining us for this episode of Puppy In Training TV. We’ll see you next time!

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If you’d like to sponsor an episode of Puppy In Training TV visit PuppyInTraining.com

Our Final Thoughts On Guide Dogs Pups Visit The Fire Station

Puppy With Firefighter

Dublin Checking Out The FireFighter

Our Fire Station outing was awesome!  Getting the opportunity to visit a fire fighter in a gas mask was great for all our pups.  Dublin got excited and thought it was play time when he saw the Fire Fighter in mask.  Some pups were worried while others thought the gas mask was the best thing ever (Miles…).   Walking around the fire truck and and letting the pups listen to the siren were also a great experience.  Overall I was very pleased with Dublin’s reactions on this outing.  While he was a bit overly excited he calmed down and did very well.  And of course he did just fine lying quietly under the table during lunch.

If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Puppy In Training TV visit our sponsors page and fill out the form.  We’ll see you next time!

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Puppy Raiser Questionnaire – In For Training

November 30, 2011 By 5 Comments

It’s been over a month since Dublin went in for formal guide dog training and I really haven’t done too much here on the blog, on his facebook page, his YouTube channel, or on his Twitter account.  However, that’s all about to change starting with this short blog post about one of the last reports we filled out before turning Dublin in for formal training.

A couple months ago we received a letter in the mail telling us that it was time to bring Dublin back to guide dog school for his formal guide dog training.  Included with that letter was a short questionnaire that we filled out letting the guide dog trainers know a little bit about Dublin, how he did in his dog obedience training classes, and anything that might be helpful during his stay at guide dog college.  Here are the questions and answers we provided.

Dublin and Guide Dog School

Dropping Dublin off at Guide Dog School

Puppy Raiser Turn In Questionnaire

Dear Puppy Raisers:

Listed below are some questions that will help the trainers in knowing a little more about your puppy.

Please fill it out to the best of your knowledge and bring it with you to the luncheon.

THANK YOU

Puppy’s Name: Dublin

1. How many family members worked with the puppy?: 1

2. Where does the puppy sleep at night?: Crate next to the bed

Have you ever used a crate?: Yes

3. What are the dogs favorite activities: he likes playing with my o

ther dog Linus or lay quietly chewing on a bone.

4. What is it’s favorite toy?: Kong

5. What reaction does your dog have to loud noises?: Startled or alert and recovers quickly.

Barking dogs?: Alert sometimes excited.

6. Has your dog been exposed to other animals?: Yes, horses, dogs, cats, birds, donkeys, llamas, snakes, lizards.

7. In what kind of neighborhood environment did your puppy grow up? (Sidewalk less areas, livestock areas, high traffic areas): Condo community with sidewalks on a golf course.

8. How is your puppy at being restrained?: excited, but ok.

During Vet exam?: excited, but ok.

While cleaning its ears?: Dublin has had many ear infections and will sit calmly to get his ears cleaned.

While on tie-down: he remains quiet on a tie-down.

9. Any chronic health problems?: Ear infections.

10. Any problem areas?: Over excited on meet and greets.  Mouthy behavior.  Doesn’t like getting his nails trimmed.

11. How much is your dog currently eating?: 1 1/2 cups 2x a day.

What brand of food?: Purina Pro Plan Chicken.

12. Please list anything you would like the trainers to know about your puppy?: He’s still a very mouthy dog mostly licking now.  On a couple occasions with other dogs on outings he’s been very excited and lacked focus, but when we’re not with other dogs on outings he usually does quite well. His obedience is good, but can use work on sit-stays and down-stays.

As I mentioned it’s been a little over a month since Dublin went off to college.  We still haven’t heard anything back from our little puppy in training, but at this point in time they always say that “no news is good news”.

As a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs of America I know we all receive this Puppy Raiser Questionnaire, but how about the other organizations?  Do any of you out their who puppy raise for other guide or service dog organizations receive a similar questionnaire?  Let us know in the comment section below.

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Puppy In Training TV – Ep15 – Guide Dogs Of America Open House

October 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Guide Dogs of America Open House is held every June in Sylmar, California.  This year Dublin, my guide dog puppy in training and I attended the event.

There’s a ton of stuff going on at the GDA open house.  Puppies in training have the opportunity to participate in the puppy trials (we arrived too late and I didn’t  get a chance to take Dublin through the trials this year).

There’s also a silent auction with tons of goodies for dogs, cats, other pets, and tons of cool stuff for us humans as well.  There’s several booths with…you guessed it tons of doggy stuff for sale.

GDA Open House
Dublin Lovin’ it!

Guide Dogs of America also does a guide dog training demo.  There are tours of the campus and also tons of other goodies are given away in the GDA raffle.

I’m sure I’m missing other cool things that happen on this awesome day.

We were able to put together our most recent puppy training video starring Dublin in Episode 15 – Guide Dogs of America Open House.  Check it out:

Episode 15 – Guide Dogs of America Open House

Here’s this weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV.  If you’d like to sponsor an episode take a look at the Puppy In Training TV Sponsorship page.

Guide Dogs Of America Open House Transcription

PuppyInTraining.com Logo and Website Address

We recently made our way back to Sylmar for the Guide Dogs of America Open House. That’s Dublin standing at the gates of GDA and I’m Colby welcome to episode 15 of Puppy In Training TV

Guide Dog Puppy Training Starring DUBLIN
With Linus Aussie Shepherd Rescue
Also Colby The Human
And Stetson Career Changed Guide Dog

We’re back at GDA campus and that’s Dublin hopping up on stage. We’ll see him there again later. Do you remember the last time Dublin and I posed out in front of the Guide Dogs of America sign? If you guessed back during episode 1 puppy pickup day then you’d be correct.

When we arrived at GDA we walked down that very same hill from episode 1 towards the Silent Auction As we mosied on down we saw this pup working on his “Get Busy” command You might also notice his handler petting him while he potty’s. Puppy raisers pet their pups when they potty. Why you might ask? Because when they become formal guides this helps their vision impaired handler determine if their pup is going #1 or #2.

Ahhh…the GDA Silent Auction. There’s always great stuff here. Tons of stuff for dogs, but that’s not all their are usually gift baskets for just about anybody from Laker fans, to cat lovers, to wine tastings, to restaurant and golf outings, and of course you can find something for your puppy…including a little bit of attention from a fellow puppy raiser

This years theme was june in bloom and some of the pups got quite festive

Open house is a great time to see future guide pups in training!

Every year at open house Guide Dogs of America sets up a beautiful stage to match the years theme…perfect photo op. Here’s a short clip of Dublin posing with his two siblings Daisy and Denali. Can you tell which one is Dublin?

Our puppies are given a chance to show off their obedience skills and tolerance to distractions at the puppy trials. Unfortunately we showed up late and missed the puppy trials, but still got to see that llama dublin was just staring at, a horse. We even got dublin up close and personal with a few chickens.

While we were hanging out by the chickens Dublin was a good boy and remained in a down-stay while he received a few pets

This little guy was all tuckered out after a long day at GDA open house.

As we were walking out Dublin told me he could work as a guide just like the other pups working in the lobby so I told him to show me a sit stay…pretty good Dublin, but I think you have to be a little more still to take one of their jobs.

After a long day at the Guide Dogs of America open house Dublin relaxed for the car ride home. thanks for joining us and we’ll see you next time!

Our Final Thoughts On Guide Dogs of America Open House

We love attending the Guide Dogs of America Open House every year.  Although we did not get an opportunity to go through the puppy trials we did see all the items at the silent auction (unfortunately, no bidding for us this year).  We also got to work on Dublin’s guide dog puppy training by seeing unusual distractions like the llama’s, horses, and chickens.  We also got to work on his meet and greets which in general is an area we need to work on.  However, today he was absolutely awesome with his meet and greets.  Dublin surprises me again!

Dublin was much improved from his day at the Universal City Walk.  I’m hoping his behavior on the train, tram, and bus during our visit to the city walk was an anomaly.

I’m glad you were able to join our puppy in training tv blog post.  If you have any questions or suggestions for an episode please leave us a comment in the comment section below.  Oh yeah…after you watched the video do you know which puppy was Dublin on the stage?

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Puppy In Training TV – Ep14 – Trains, Trams, Buses, And Puppies

October 14, 2011 By 1 Comment

It’s important for us to take our guide dog puppies in training out and about exposing them to different people as well as different situations.  Dublin and I rode the metrolink to San Clemente back in Episode 7 – Puppy Training Ride.  Today in Episode 14 we had the opportunity to once again ride the metrolink train, but this time we took it north to the Union Station in Los Angeles, CA.  Not only did we ride the train, but we also had the opportunity to ride the tram and bus on our way to the Universal City Walk…you could call it a “Transportation Puppy Training Day!”

We found our train, tram, and bus riding experience to the Universal City Walk to be invaluable.  It’s very important to expose our guide dog puppies to public transportation as it’s one of our pups likely modes of transportation when they become working guide dogs.

Anyhow enough jabber…on with the show!!!

Puppy In Training TV Ep14 – Trains, Trams, Buses, And Puppies

Here’s this weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV.  If you’d like to sponsor an episode take a look at the Puppy In Training TV Sponsorship page.

Trains, Trams, Buses, And Puppies Transcription

PuppyInTraining.com Logo and Website Address

I hope you’re enjoying my great camera work of the incoming train and the headless Dublin :) Anyhow…welcome to the latest episode of Puppy In Training TV

Guide Dog Puppy Training Starring DUBLIN
With Linus Aussie Shepherd Rescue
Also Colby The Human
And Stetson Career Changed Guide Dog

That train you just saw speeding by was the Metrolink. We hopped on the Metrolink in Orange with our GDA pals and headed off for an adventure to the Universal City Walk in Los Angeles.

In episode 7 we took the metrolink south to San Clemente and visited the beach and walked the pier. This time we took the train north to the Union Station in LA.

After exiting the train we did a head count. Yuki…Check, Dublin…Check, Baron…Check, Wriley…Check! Then we headed through the tunnels to meet our tour guide.

All of our pups did really well riding the train and walking through the train station. As you can see and hear their are tons of strange sights and sounds not too mention the different smells.

Our second leg of the trip was to hop on the tram. It was a little bit cramped in their with people and pups, but Dublin got comfortable in a down-stay.

After exiting the tram we had a great opportunity to walk up a long flight of stairs. As you can see Dublin was a little bit eager, so I did my best to slow him down and keep him in a nice heel position.

Once we reached the top of the stairs we saw a sign to our final destination the Universal City Walk, However, we still had to take the third leg in our public transportation training trip…a short bus ride to take up the hill.

After a train ride, a tram ride, and a bus ride we made it and gave our pups a chance to pose out in front of the famous Universal Studios rotating globe.

The Universal City Walk was pretty crowded with people with lots of noise and activities going on. Our first destination was the Karl Strauss Brewing Company for a bite to eat.

After relaxing and having a bit of food we came downstairs and let the puppies hang out by this interesting water fountain.

As I mentioned the Universal City Walk was crowded! But there was tons of different things for the pups to see, smell, and hear.

A Giant Gorilla…A Giant Guitar….Some crazy Dancers…And Skydivers floating around in a giant tube. Now those are some things you don’t see everyday!

Baron even got to check out a little yapping puppy.

On the way out Dublin thought it would be a good idea to hang out by the Sparky’s Mini Donuts….so we went ahead and bought of few…Sorry Dublin donuts are for the humans…

After a long day we started our bus, tram, and train ride back home.

When we finally got back on the metrolink Dublin absolutely zonked out. Then when we got in the car he squished his head between my backpack and the chair and started snoring away.

Thanks for joining us on our Train, Tram, and Bus Ride to the Universal City Walk. We’ll see you next time!

Our Final Thoughts On Trains, Trams, Buses, And Puppies

You may have noticed in the video that Dublin was a tad bit eager.  In fact, he was probably on his worst behavior, constantly pulling and trying to move out in front of me throughout the day.  Fortunately, about half way through the day Dublin started behaving more like a normal guide dog puppy in training.  However, today’s trip to the Universal City Walk was definitely one of Dublin’s worse outings.

Why the change in Dublin’s behavior?  I’m not really sure because we have been on many outings before with other GDA pups and he’s behaved just fine.  He wasn’t fearful and the sights, sounds, and smells didn’t seem to bother him.  He seemed to be dog distracted more than anything and had an extra dose of energy pulling towards our other guide dog puppies in training.  Hopefully Dublin will adjust and mature a little bit more before he starts his formal guide dog training at school.  Since shooting this puppy training video Dublin has definitely shown improvement and this seems to have been a one time event.  As I mentioned I’m not too sure what happened…I guess he was just having one of those crazy days.

Have you taken your puppy in training on a train, tram, or bus.  If so, how was the experience?  How did you puppy handle all the different sights, sounds and smells?

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Formal Guide Dog Training

October 9, 2011 By 5 Comments

Dear Colby,

Well, the time is here, the day you’ve been anticipating since you picked up Dublin all those months ago.  It is now time for Dublin to come in for his formal guide dog training.

We know this is a hard time for you and we would like to try to make it a little easier by inviting you to a Luncheon on October, 29, 2011 at 12:00 noon.

This is just a fun day for you and the other puppy raisers for moral support and to say good-bye to your puppy until Graduation Day.  After we are done eating, talking and playing, we will walk the dogs down to the kennel where you will be able to put them in their runs.

Please give us a call to let us know that you will be attending and how many of you in your group.  If you cannot make it or prefer to bring Dublin in on a different day, please give us a call to let us know when you will be bringing him in.

While he is here, please feel free to call at any time and we will let you know how Dublin is doing in his training.

Enclosed you will find questionnaires to be filled out and brought to the luncheon, along with his Veterinary Medical Records and jacket.  If you would like to bring a toy to share with the others, please do so.  (Hard rubber toys, Kongs, hard bones would be great!)

Again, thank you for all the love, support and a job well done!  If you are thinking about a new puppy, please give me a call — we have PLENTY coming up.

Sincerely,

Guide Dogs of America

Dublin is Going In For Formal Guide Dog Training

So there’s the official letter from Guide Dogs of America we just received.  It’s hard to believe that my little puppy is already going into formal guide dog training.  It seems like not that long ago we were picking him up and putting together his first Puppy In Training TV video.

We still have a few weeks left with Dublin and plan on shooting several more videos and posting several new episodes of Puppy In Training TV during that time.  So stay tuned as we work furiously to get those last few episodes up to YouTube and the website.

As guide dog puppy raisers we always here the question: how do you do it?  meaning how to you let your puppy go?  I have to say it’s very difficult, but at the same time very exciting to see the puppy you raised move on to help someone achieve independence.  While I’m sad to see Dublin leave I’m happy that he will be doing something special for someone else.

Have you turned in a puppy in training to formal training?  If so, tell us about your experience.

Filed Under: Guide Dog Training Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Orange County Transportation Authority Service Animal Training

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

One of our favorite guide dog puppy training events of the year is the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Service Animal Training.  Dublin and I had the opportunity to attend this wonderful event last year and lucky for us Dublin gets a second chance to enjoy this awesome event.

If you are training a service animal and live in the southern California area we highly recommend that you try and make it out to the Fullerton Park and Ride this Saturday, October 1st, 2011 from 8am-12pm.  OCTA does a great job allowing you and your puppy in training to work on riding the bus and getting on an off using both the steps and the ramp.

Not only does OCTA provide bus training for service dogs in training, but they also give you a courtesy pass into Knott’s Berry Farm where your puppy gets the opportunity to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a major amusement park.

OCTA Bus Training And Knott’s Berry Farm

Some of our favorite parts about OCTA Bus Training are:

  • You get to experience riding the bus with your puppy in training
  • You get dropped off right outside Knott’s Berry Farm where there are a ton of live chickens hanging around…another great experience for your pup
  • You get a courtesy pass into Knott’s Berry Farm
  • Applications for OCTA Bus Mobility Trainer are available. This No-Fare Identification card allows a Trainer/Handler to ride the OCTA fixed-route system free of charge with a Service Animal

Just in case you missed last years episode of Puppy In Training TV.  Here is Dublin’s puppy training video from our OCTA Service Animal Training experience:

OCTA Service Animal Training Details

Here’s the letter received from the Orange County Transportation Authority on this years Service Animal Training.  Of course we  had to include an image of Dublin at last years training.  During training they allow you to walk on and off the bus using the regular stairs and as seen in this picture the bus operator also extended the ramp for us to walk across.  Hope to see you all at the Fullerton Park n Ride!

Orange County Transportation Authority

OCTA Service Animal Training

Dublin at OCTA Service Animal Training

Service Animal Training Day
Saturday, Oct. 1st, 2011 8:00am-12:00pm

All Service Animal Trainers/Handlers:

You are cordially invited to OCTA’s annual Service Animal Training day with your Service Animals in training! This is an opportunity to add the experience of riding an OCTA transit bus, including the sights and sounds of beautiful downtown Buena Park and Knott’s Berry Farm into your training program!

Training Day: October 1st, 8:00am to 12:00pm at:

Fullerton Park and Ride (Stalls 1 & 2)
3000 West Orangethorpe
Fullerton, CA 92833

Check-In: Beginning at 7:30am, sign-in and pick-up your Knott’s Berry Farm courtesy entrance bracelet (Good only for AM entry and shopping – No Rides). Then, enjoy unlimited practice boarding, riding, and alighting an OCTA transit bus along a designated training route. Departure shall be every 20-minutes with training stops along the way.

Training Route Schedule

Bus A Departs at: 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am & 12:00pm*
Bus B Departs at: 8:20am, 9:20am, 10:20am, 11:20am
Bus C Departs at: 8:40am, 9:40am, 10:40am, 11:40am
*Note: The last bus at 12:00pm will be “pick-up” only – No Stops!

Training Route via FP&R: (R) Orangethorpe, (R) Magnolia, (R) La Palma,
(L) Dale, (R) Lincoln, (R) Beach, (R) La Palma, (L) Magnolia, (L) Into FP&R.

Check-Out: It is very important that you sign-out, as we account for each rider returning safely!

For agencies within Orange County, applications for OCTA Bus Mobility Trainer will be available. This No-Fare Identification card allows a Trainer/Handler to ride the OCTA fixed-route system free of charge with a Service Animal.

Do you plan on going to OCTA Service Animal Training this year?  Have you gone in the past?  We’d love to here your experiences.  Hopefully we see there this year!

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Puppy In Training TV – Ep12 – Orange County Pet Expo

September 25, 2011 By 3 Comments

I’m sure many of your have been following the Puppy In Training blog for quite a while now so it’s no secret that the Orange County Pet Expo is one of our favorite events of the year.  In fact we probably never would have started this blog if it wasn’t for the OC Pet Expo.

A few years ago, before we decided to adopt a puppy, volunteer with a local dog rescue, foster puppies, or raise guide dog puppies we visited America’s Family Pet Expo in Costa Mesa, CA.  It was at the expo that we first began thinking about how we could spend our free time volunteering to help puppies and dogs.  We visited many of the animal rescue booths, guide and service dog booths, and watched many of the different demonstrations from elite dog trainers on how to train a puppy and puppy training tips, shutzund training, police k9 search and rescue, and even basic dog obedience training.

Fast forward to today…

  • We’ve helped rescue and foster several litters of puppies and dogs.
  • We’ve been raising guide dog puppies for the past 5 years.
  • We started our Puppy In Training Blog to help others with puppy training tips from our experiences as Guide Dog Puppy Raisers.
  • We even started our own little YouTube Series called Puppy In Training TV!

This weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV is all about this years Orange County Pet Expo.

Episode 12 – Orange County Pet Expo

If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Puppy In Training TV visit our sponsorship page.

Orange County Pet Expo Transcription

PuppyInTraining.com Logo and Website Address

Dublin and I took a trip to one of our favorite events…the Orange County Pet Expo! My name is Colby and I’m raising Dublin! a Guide Dog puppy In Training, welcome to episode 12 of Puppy In Training TV!

Guide Dog Puppy Training Starring DUBLIN
With Linus Aussie Shepherd Rescue
Also Colby The Human
And Stetson Career Changed Guide Dog

Every year the America’s Family Pet Expo comes to the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. It’s one of our favorite events and this year Dublin and I worked part of the day at the Guide Dogs of America booth.

We got to the Pet Expo a little bit early before our shift so I let Dublin check out some of the animals at the show. We saw horses, we saw sheep and chickens and other animals inside the petting zoo, there were also donkeys at the oc pet expo, here’s dublin getting a little bit closer to that donkey, Dublin even relaxed in a down position and got almost nose to nose with a Llama!

There are tons of exhibits and demonstrations at the orange county pet expo. of course our favorites are the dog exhibits…However there are also exhibits for birds, fish, reptiles, and other small animals. my mom goes back every year to check out the cats, and of course there’s just about everything a pet lover can ask for at the OC pet expo.

After getting a short preview of the pet expo we followed this pug and group of horses over to the Guide Dogs of America booth. We hung out for a couple hours with some of the other GDA pups and puppy raisers and talked to people about the guide dog puppy raising program.

The OC Pet Expo gave us a great opportunity to walk Dublin through crowds. We’ve done the same kind of walks through shopping malls, but we have never walked through this many people or had so many distractions. Dublin did great walking through crowds and wasn’t afraid of the people or other animals…maybe a little to gung ho as he was pulling a bit on his lead.

One of our favorite events to watch is splash dogs…WOH! Lets watch that again…some of those dogs can really fly and this dog gets some serious air.. Dublin do you think you could do that?

It’s been a while, but we used to foster dogs for a local rescue so I like stopping by to at least say hello at the pet expo. If you’re looking for a dog or puppy please check out your local animal rescue or shelter or another great place to check out is petfinder.com.

It was a long day so we grabbed some food and got ready to head out.

We tried to get as much done as possible while we were at the expo, but there’s so much to do at the OC Pet Expo we felt like we could have used a 3 day pass. In 5 seconds here’s a list of other things we did or wanted to do that we didn’t capture with our video camera…

K9s for Disabled Kids
Police And Search Dog Demo’s
Does Your Dog Need A Job
Assistance Dogs the How And Why
Shutzhund Mondio Ring Dog Sport
The Art of Dog Protection Training
10 Most Common Reasons Dogs End Up In Shelters
Let Your Dog Follow His Nose
Dog Training Secrets Revealed
Pet Products
Parade of Dog Breeds
Those Jumping Scotties
Pet Adoption Fashion Show
And Tons of Other Non-Dog Exhibits

Thanks everyone for joining us and we’ll see you in our next episode or Puppy In Training TV.

Please Subscribe

If you’d like to sponsor an episode of Puppy In Training TV visit PuppyInTraining.com

Final Thoughts On The Orange County Pet Expo

If you’re a pet lover I highly recommend you attend the OC Pet Expo next year.  As I’ve mentioned it’s definitely one of our favorite events of the year.  There’s tons of great information, demonstrations, exhibits, dog adoption and rescue booths, and of course we will most likely be manning the Guide Dogs of America booth again next year.

Dublin did very well with all the crazy sights, smells, distractions, crowds, and other animals at the OC Pet Expo.  However, there was a lot going on and this is definitely not an event we would recommend for a younger guide or service  dog puppy in training.

Remember if you’d like to sponsor an episode of Puppy In Training TV visit our sponsorship form.

Have you visited the Orange County Pet Expo in the past?  If so, what was your favorite part?

Filed Under: Puppy Training Videos Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How I Became A Guide Dog Puppy Raiser

June 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

How I became a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser brings us back more than 5 years ago.  It all started at the  Orange County Pet Expo way back in 2006. Becoming a guide dog puppy raiser was one of several volunteer activities I was considering at the time.

In the past I had volunteered for many other organizations, but now I wanted to do something to help out people and animals. The number 1 and number 2 volunteer activities on my list were:

  1. Fostering Dogs and Puppies
  2. Guide Dog Puppy Raiser

Here’s how we went from volunteering for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Special Olympics to Fostering Dogs and Puppies to finally becoming Guide Dog Puppy Raisers!

Fostering Dogs And Puppies

As I mentioned earlier I was interested in volunteering my time helping both people and animals. Back in 2006 I had recently volunteered to help put up dry wall at one of the local habit for humanity homes and while it was/is very fulfilling to help out others by building a home I wanted to do something that involved helping out both people and animals.

A few weeks after putting up drywall for Habitat for Humanity I attended the OC Pet Expo which is held every year in April at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA about 15 minutes from my house. I spoke with many of the volunteers at various organizations and decided that I either wanted to volunteer as a foster parent for dogs and puppies or as a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser.

Becoming a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser was a long term commitment. Most organizations required you to raise a puppy from approximately 7 weeks of age until they were 18 months old…that’s nearly 1 1/2 years!!! However, fostering was much more short term and usually lasted until your foster puppy was adopted. I therefore opted to try fostering with a local rescue called Cuddly Canines. We had the opportunity to rescue and adopt out two litters of puppies and a 4 year old purebred long haired German Shepherd. Here’s a picture of the German Shepherd puppies we rescued:

German Shepherd Puppies

I really enjoyed fostering puppies. Out of the twelve puppies and dogs we fostered the shortest stay in our home was 2 weeks and the longest stay was 3 months. However, I have heard that some dogs and puppies can end up at your home for much longer than 3 months.

Guide Dog Puppy Raisers

I really enjoyed fostering puppies however, I wanted to give Guide Dog Puppy Raising a try. I knew the commitment would be much longer then fostering, but the thought of helping raise, train, and socialize a puppy to become a working guide dog for someone in need sounded like an amazing way to spend my free time.

So I went ahead and submitted my application to the three local guide dog organizations with groups located in Southern California: Guide Dogs of America, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and Guide Dogs of the Desert.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) – GDB was the first organization to contact me. I spoke with two of GDB’s group leaders and also attended several meetings and outings. I was very much on the verge of joining GDB as a puppy raiser.

Guide Dogs of America (GDA) – I submitted my application to GDA in October, I called the puppy department three times, and I emailed them several times. I was very persistent, but I nearly gave up on GDA until late December when I was finally scheduled for a home interview.

Guide Dogs of the Desert (GDD) – I submitted my application and emailed them several times, but never heard back from them.

I know all of these organizations are very busy so I don’t fault any of them when it takes a little time to get back in touch. Guide Dogs for the Blind was by far the fastest and most responsive of the three organizations. However, after attending several group meetings I felt like I was lost amongst a large group and had some difficulty making a connection. As I mentioned Guide Dogs for the Desert never got back in touch with me after I sent my application so I really can’t comment on their group meetings or activities. Finally, after waiting nearly 3 months I had the opportunity to speak with the Orange County Guide Dogs of America (OCGDA) Group leader on the phone and then during our home interview. After speaking to Tammy and attending several group meetings I really enjoyed the smaller more personable Orange County Guide Dog Puppy Raising group. I went ahead and decided that the Orange County Guide Dogs of America Puppy Raising Group was the group for me.

I’m currently raising my third guide dog puppy in training for Guide Dogs of America and I’ve been documenting most of their activities on this blog since 2007. We also started a YouTube Channel to document our current pup, Dublin’s adventures as a Guide Dog Puppy. Here’s the first episode:

If you’d like to be alerted to Dublin’s future Puppy In Training TV episodes then you can follow our Blog, YouTube Channel, Facebook page, or our Twitter account.

So that’s how I became a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser!  Are you interested in becoming a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser too?  If so, then make sure you come back tomorrow and find out how you can become a guide dog puppy raiser for Guide Dogs of America.

Filed Under: Guide Dog Training Tagged With: , , , , ,
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