Dear Kolby

You buns fit inside the palm of my hand at just 5 weeks old, and your length fit on my lap. You wrapped your paws around my hand and we looked at each other. You held a gaze that was steady and I knew then that you were something special.

Your Breeder Caretaker, Becky, mentioned that although you were one of the last to be born, you certainly had an Alpha quality about you and seemed to get what you wanted from your siblings. Your bulky stature might have helped in that too. It wasn't until you came to be Puppy Raised by my family that I realized what Becky was referring to (wink).

You had a mighty voice that was not afraid to let me know you had an opinion. While it was cute as a wee-little 8 week old pup, I knew that there were program expectations that were clear that you shouldn't Speak until asked. So our first agenda was getting you to accept the rule; which you eventually did.

Through your growing up months you shifted from being just enough-naughty to keep me and our Contract Trainer on our toes, to getting the big picture. You weren't awful by any means, but you still had some Alpha status that needed to be brought down a notch or two. We worked hard at controlling your rough play, and it certainly worked. That overly rambunctious young puppy has matured greatly.

Playing Catch has always been your favorite pastime. Whether that was sitting patiently at the top of the stairs until I tossed it to the bottom floor, telling you Release, and letting you zoom down and back as if I were timing you ... or whether it was in the family room with short distance air tosses and catches ... or whether it was traditional ball in the backyard, you had it covered. You. liked. it. all.

You spent a few weeks in the Military Prison Puppy Program when we went to travel to celebrate Haddie, our first puppy that Graduated in November 2013. You were in your adolescent months and the authority of the male prisoners served you well. Your wisdom clicked-in and you realized your true potential, and chose to settle down and just listen and follow through.

That isn't to say you gave up your personality. Far from it. I think that is one of the magnets that you have which draw people close to you. Your expressions are priceless, and you'll do anything goofy off leash for a laugh. Buns in the air like you don't care, hoping like a rabbit, bowing, high prancing, rolling on your back while making tip-toeing motions in the air with your front feet, with your mouth wide open, and your tongue hanging out sideways, because you are essentially upside down. Your sideways look, your front paws over your face, your shifty right hind quarters that seems to have a tickle in it whenever you are asked to Down Stay but you KNOW a treat is on the way, because I am talking high pitched and excited on purpose. And you stay, and your right leg twitches, and your tail wags, and you stare. at. me. willing. the. treat. to. float. the. space. between. my. hand. and. your. lips.

Your expressions are endless and your eyes speak volumes.

Then there is the working side of you. From day one you have been solid in our outings. It didn't matter if it was a new adventure or a repeat, you held your ground in staying focused, checking in with your amazing eye contact, going with the flow, and doing your commands. Excitable Greetings didn't last long, and you took in the attention of others only when I said ok. I could always count on you to enjoy an outing, and I always walked back to the car beaming that once again we had another successful adventure together.

Kolby, I have no predictions of what you will choose as your path. I know that we have had an amazing journey together as a family. Your heart is worn in your expressions, your mind is sharp and wise, you love to work, and you love to rest. I am confident and certain of one thing, you love the people in your life and you know how to show them love.

And that is what this Service Work is all about. Giving Love. And I pray that you feel confident to show your best in college, that you are not fearful of the unknown working dog world, that you give it your best and see how it works for you. I know that you have much love to give. I know that you could provide amazing support, independence, and joy to others in Service Work.

But that isn't my job to tell you if that is right for you. My job is complete. My family and I have raised you from 8 weeks to 19 months, our job of "telling you what to do" is over. Our teamwork as a Puppy in Program has concluded. And I am very grateful for the dedication and love and laughter and joy that you brought to Team Kolby.

Your life path is yours to make and it will be perfect. No matter the decision, you will continue to show love and give life to others. It is clear you are meant to be someone's amazing dog, as you were our amazing puppy. It could be us, or it could be a Graduate. But someone will be blessed to call you their dog.

Puppy hood is over, Kolby. You are college bound tomorrow and ready for the next chapter in your life. Our firsts and lasts are complete with you here at home as a puppy. Now you are ready to start a new series of firsts and lasts, and I am so proud.

They never said Puppy Raising was going to be easy, they said it was going to be fun, challenging, inspiring, and hard. And they didn't lie. But I would do this all over again, if it meant that you would be My Puppy.

God Bless you, Kolby. I love you with my entire heart and I will never, ever forget you.

Thank you.

For everything.

Your Puppy Raiser,
Elle J.

The last home outing

I feel so far behind on this blog and I don't know why. I think it is because I feel like every detail about Kolby and his adventures with us needs to be said right here, right now; as if the memory bank is going to expire and I won't be able to share about Kolby ever again. So I will close the outing posts with this one. His last home outing.

Kolby Puppy Sitting Inez during a Long Down Stay

The last home outing was August 9th. We enjoyed our Chapter's Annual Picnic at a beautiful home that was large enough for everyone to enjoy the back yard and the kitchen with ease. It was a nice, calm environment to wish the Matriculating Puppies a farewell from our Chapter. It was even better enjoyed with our sweet friends.

My friend and I have enjoyed many adventures together, but the one adventure that continued to be on our Puppy Raiser's Bucket List was going to a Major League Ball Game, specifically our cities team that has been our favorites no matter the Season's Wins or Losses throughout the years. We are die-hard, forever fans.

We started planning our Summer Outings back in June. Scratching off some due to time constraints and plugging in others to the calendar. The game came up and we quickly rushed to the computer and had a convo via text to figure out what worked for both of us.

The baseball mojo was in line because the game that was the obvious choice was the night when our favorite Manager was being inducted into the Team's Hall of Fame. Of course we HAD to go and bring Kolby and Helaine. And it would work perfectly. Go to the picnic, carpool to the game, enjoy the entire day together.

And that is exactly what we did.

At this stage of training, there isn't much to share about the workings of our Puppies in Training because they are just that smooth. That isn't to say they are guaranteed a Graduate, but it means that they have completed their Puppy Program fully and successfully. The next stage of learning Advanced Commands and being under the direction and leadership of professional trainers is now up to our puppies. Our team work is complete and we have no regrets, no do-over wishes, and only positive, beaming pride at what we have accomplished.

Helaine and Kolby slept through the Hall of Fame ceremony and the first two innings of the game, they walked the pavilion of food while we gathered our choices, they returned to our seats to sleep innings three through eight, they watched the last inning of the tied up game, they watched the extra inning, they had more photo ops before we left, they walked the crowded city streets back to the car, they had their first Hurry break since leaving the picnic, they jumped in the car together, and they road back across the bridge where professional Fireworks were being displayed across the water.

A perfect day. A perfect ending. The last home outing.

Walking just might be his favorite

When I say, "Kolby, do you want to go for a walk?" his ears perk quickly and his eyes grow bigger and he stares at me with his excited look. Then I move my feet toward the door and he quickly follows as if he just might be left behind because he didn't make it clear enough!

My daughter had the idea of traveling by car to get to our walking spot. A location not terribly far away but in a different city that houses a huge master-built community; where you have all the stores, elementary school, and houses in one neatly tight area in an otherwise desolate space.

This particular place is built on a hillside that once on top you have views of the two largest cities in our area that are miles away. The view is breathtaking.

Finding our parking space under a shade of trees, we got Kolby suited up and we were off, strolling among beautiful multi-million dollar homes. It was quiet. We saw a deer with two of her babies taking a similar walk down the sidewalk, Kolby saw them but didn't care, and they saw us and didn't care. We saw "Bear Safe" warning signs on mailbox outposts but thankfully did not see any taking a walk.

It was so peaceful. Simple. A perfect summer morning with Kolby. I will always remember his gentle walk on his leash, no matter the leach-accessory used, he does not pull, but follows in step with the pace of his person. I will always remember his panting up and down the sidewalk hills (it has been so beautifully HOT this summer), he was getting conditioned for his soon-to-be California Living. I will always remember our stops in the shade for water, his sweet nose drowning in the bowl I had brought in the backpack and coming up for air with water droplets creating his own masterpiece on the cement.

I will always remember Kolby. For our very simple adventures where he always made you feel like it was an excellent choice to bring him along too.

Puppy Inez and Kolby

Before any fellow readers get too excited that this might be an announcement of our Puppy #3 ~ this isn't it. This sweet, smart, and fun puppy belongs to Helaine's Puppy Raiser and her name is Inez.

She had just turned 12 weeks old and her Puppy Starter had a full day commitment that was not puppy-friendly (Helaine's Puppy Raiser is waiting for Helaine to go to College in two weeks before she takes Inez full time). The Puppy Starter of Inez is our great friend who lives ten minutes away, so it was a quick Yes and logistics set that we would keep Inez for the day. Unfortunately, Helaine's Raiser lives two hours away which is not conducive for a-quick-and-easy-last-minute-setup, otherwise for sure she would have loved-on Inez this day.

My kiddos were instantly sold and my daughter especially was all about chatting up our Puppy #3. While Inez was incredibly well mannered and easy to keep up with her command work, I was not having any of those "puppy feelings" that showed I was ready for #3. It is definite that at least one person in this family needs a break, and that one person is the person who is home with puppy the most, therefore, we are keeping our plan to have a break once Kolby goes to college.

That isn't to say that we are stepping out of Canine Companions. That will not be happening. Rather we will continue to volunteer with my writing work for the Chapter, and Puppy Sitting for Puppy Raiser's who need a short term break, or who have a day conflict such as Inez's. Puppy Sitting is very valuable, I have used many different volunteers during the raising of Haddie and Kolby. Each brought with them a new experience and way of doing life, and that is important for our Puppies to know how to behave and work no matter their location or person in charge.

Kolby didn't know what to think of Inez. He was sweet and gentle, but he definitely had a curious look when she romped around and wasn't too sure about her cuddling up to him for photos. His tail wagged (thankfully, and go figure) when she got on her back two legs to reach high up to his long ears for a little mouthy tug. Adorable.

If I play my cards right, we might actually get to Puppy Sit Inez for over night stays as she continues to grow (wink wink). If so, you'll be seeing her again on the Blog.

Another city outing

How did we get so lucky as to have the best puppy raiser friends? Last weekend we enjoyed another outing in the City with our sweet friend and her puppy in program. The only benefit of living two hours away from each other is that we get to enjoy the City which is the closest to middle as we can get; while still having something "to do".

The Aquarium. Our adventure was pretty amazing with the sea life that we got to see as humans, and expose our pups to at the same time. Kolby was interested in a Sea Otter that continued to swim past his face (below photo), but was less enthused by a River Otter that was full-on up in his grill on the other side of the glass. The River Otter became obsessed with Kolby and Helaine, while the two pups kept turning their heads and looking at one another as if to say, "Yeah, be jealous, River Otter ~ we got this thing called Service Work and we aren't impressed with your shenanigans." Our puppies were completely uninterested in this little guy who all the humans thought was Tote Adorbs.

Walking the busy, busy streets of the city proved once again that our puppies have been well socialized (we were unaware until we arrived, that there was a city parade later that evening which brought the crowds early during the day). Our puppies blended into the crowd and weaved between passerby's like a pro. We were beaming at the finality of a Summer Walk through the city with our two headed to college.

We were planning to eat our Seafood lunch on the Pier with the Gulls, but the enormous crowd of other like-minded lunch goers, and the intense heat of the sun, made us opt for indoor dining. Our pups were happy with our choice and immediately enjoyed their snooze under our table. There will be so many things I will miss about not having Kolby join us where we go, and having him by my feet while dinning out is kinda an extra special treat and very unique.

My friend and I were chatting days after this adventure; reflecting on the upcoming Turn In of our puppies. While we will be sad to see them go, and excited for the news of their decision to Graduate or come home, one thing we both realized ... both dogs are definitely ready for this next chapter in their life's journey. When you have a Puppy in Training who gets all the commands no matter the environment, who can blend into society, who can be playful when it is time and turn it off when it is not, who is going through the routine of being awesome ... then you know they are ready to up their game and try something new.

Helaine and Kolby are ready. They no longer needs us as Puppy Raisers, they need us as prayer warriors and cheerleaders for their next adventure. The biggest adventure and decision making time of their sweet, brave, young life.

To Kolby and Helaine ~ no matter your choice in placement, we are so very proud of you. Make your decision because of what you want in life, not what we want you to have in life. And while others may smirk that I am typing to two puppies, only Puppy Raisers in our position understand that you two know what we are saying, and know that it is your choice. Much love and Godspeed.

Three Weeks

My heart just sank as I was viewing the calendar for upcoming things we have to cross off the To Do List. The breaking of my heart feels like it is torn in two and the tug in my stomach is my heart being caught before it reaches the floor.

In three weeks we will have already spent our first day in Napa Valley, touring the wine fields with the grapes still on the vine (our hope) and taking loads of photos of our children and of Kolby. In three weeks we will have our final days with Kolby as our Puppy in Program. And while we have done this before with our Haddie, it seems like we are starting over.

No two dogs are alike, although both dogs who are not alike, can both graduate. So while the process of Turn In will be "the same", the experience and memory will be different because Kolby is Kolby and he brings a new character and happenings with him.

As I was with Haddie, I could not predict her outcome. There were definite parts of my thinking that felt she was good enough to graduate, and then I'd think about some things that I thought would get her a ticket home. I feel the same with Kolby. Like humans, no dog is fool proof, so to predict one way or the other is just a lot of thought that is not worthy to think much about.

Kinda like guessing if your pregnant belly is carrying a Girl or a Boy. It will definitely be one or the other, but guessing will not make a bit of difference. The same with Puppies in Advanced Training. They will in fact either Graduate, or be a Change of Career.

So - in three weeks we will start the Kolby Waiting Game. And I have three weeks to wrap my head around him not being next to my feet at all times; of him not following me to the laundry room to drink his entire bowl full of water while I put a load into the wash, of him not making the biggest kerplunk onto the wooden floor when I start unloading the dishwasher, of him not jumping into the car to go on an outing, of his amber eyes not looking deep into my soul to will his way into a reward of praise, treat, or toy, of him not leaning against me at the large box store while we are standing still looking at something as if to say, "I'm still here", of him not peaking over the backseat, of him not rolling and stretching and taking his time getting up and fed and out in the morning.

Of him just not being him in our household.

Three weeks.

Kolby.

Gonna miss you, Mister!!

Another Camper Kolby Moment

Time has flown by and I have yet to post about one of our camping adventures in June. Kolby has always been a great camping puppy - he loves to ride in the RV, sleep under the table while I am preparing dinner, and patiently being invited up in my daughter's bed to sleep for the night.

He loves to go on walks to smell the fresh air of nature, and his favorite of all-time-camping-moment is when my daughter finds him a fresh stick to carry. And Kolby will carry and prance around with the stick in his mouth during a hike like he is the King of the World. It takes so little to please him.

This campsite was very relaxing; situated on a large lake with a fishing bridge. One late morning, my husband was going to stay back at camp to "smoke" salmon that he had caught earlier that morning over the campfire (it worked, by the way - yum). But my son wanted to go fishing off the bridge. My daughter joined Kolby and I for some photos ops while waiting for my son on the bridge; and then she went back to camp to spend time with her dad, while I continued to wait a few hours with my son.

During the wait, Kolby and I found a little cove area on our own bridge-like structure and sat together enjoying the fluffy white clouds and sunshine. It is amazing how many dogs go camping with their families. At one point about five dogs came around the area where Kolby and I were hanging out. It turned into an incredible learning environment for Kolby.

At first, he was interested in looking at the dogs (who thankfully were leashed), but then I turned it into a lesson in paying attention to me, not them. It didn't take long for Kolby to remember that I was way more interesting (insert ego boost). I called his name, offered a treat, and that was that. Kolby has amazing eye contact and will literally drool in anticipation that his eyes can will the behavior out of me to give him a cookie for good behavior.

It became so obvious that Kolby was maintaining awesome eye contact that the strangers with the said dogs started up a conversation with me. "Oh my goodness, look at his focus on you." which opened up my chance to share about Puppy Raising Kolby (he wasn't wearing his vest). It turned out to be a great conversation with a group of dads who had brought their kids to the lake. When the moms joined them fifteen minutes later, the dads were retelling the story of Kolby, and then others would over hear, and before I decided it was time to go back to camp to have lunch, everyone seemed to know Kolby (insert smile from me and Kolby's face below).

The fun part of Puppy Raising is sharing the joy of what it is that we do while our puppies are behaving so outstanding. It was definitely a Teamwork Moment that I will never forget.

The rest of the weekend was all about fishing, and more fishing, and campfires, and cuddles and walks with Kolby, and jokes and laughter. I am so thankful that we have camping memories of our family of four, and our cute four leggeds too.