Getting back on track

Emily and Debit at Lowes.

Ledger and Debit

Debit, Audit, Ledger

Audit, Debit, Ledger

What a busy summer we have had!! My computer was gone for about three weeks for repair, but is now back and I can get back on a regular blogging schedule. I am now 20 weeks pregnant, HALF WAY!!!! I am feeling great and have all my energy back, which is a great thing because we are moving. We close on our new house next week and are super excited.

Debit and Ledger are doing great. They have grown so much and are really turning into handsome dogs. Their brother, Audit came to spend a week with us while his raiser went out of town. I have posted a picture of the three brothers. They were very well behaved while all together and definitely had a great time playing. We have been taking Emily to Lowe's every other weekend to do a building project and one of the boys gets to go each time. Generally there are about 50 kids and their parents hammering away while trying to complete the project. I have been super impressed with both dogs at these events

This past weekend NHSD hosted a training event at Stetson University, there were over 30 dogs and raisers in attendance. It is nice to speak with other raisers and meet other dogs in all stages of training. I will post pictures from the event this week. After the training we all headed to a local restaurant for lunch.

I hope this post finds everyone well and avoiding the heat of the summer :)

Summer Days

We have really been enjoying summer to the max. Emily and I just got back from a weekend at Disney and had a great time. We try and get outside as early as possible to play and do yard work, the heat has really been killing me. I shot these pictures the other day of Emily playing chalk with Ledger, I thought they were pretty cute. He is such a tolerant boy.

Debit made his first purchase this week at Bealls. He bought a pair of shoes and he did so well. We need to practice "up" a little more as he thought I was asking him to "jump on", it was pretty funny. I don't think Ledger is quite ready to make any purchases, but I am sure he will in his own time. Their personalities are so different, Debit is all business once the cape goes on and does not miss a beat. Ledger is very laid back and needs alot of motivation to complete tasks, but he is by far better in the house manners department. I am sure it will even out over time and both will be GREAT.


Debit, Ledger

Education

I find that one of the biggest aspects of being a puppy raiser is Community Education. I do not mind taking an extra five minutes out of my day to share information with any one who asks or may question my dog. I recently came across the blog of Lani, a service dog user. http://www.disabilitynews.org She is currently chronicling the hardship she went through to have blood drawn at Quest Diagnostics. I cannot imagine what it must of felt like to have something like this happen to you and I hope that through community education we can prevent it from happening to someone else.

The Mascot Games

Today we headed to Stetson University for the Mascot Games. There were over 30+ mascots from all over the country participating in the event. We had a ton of fun. Our seats were in the first row and enabled Emily a ton of interaction with the mascots. Ledger attended and did pretty well considering all the craziness going on around him. He met a bunch of different mascots and got lots of practice with crowds. I can't wait til next year so we can go again :)

Great Article

The Christopher and Dana Reeve foundation just published an article on service dogs and NHSD.
Check it out!
http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.mtKZKgMWKwG/b.5283025/k.6854/Service_Dogs_to_the_Rescue.htm

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! I was totally impressed by my boys, the fireworks did not phase them at all. My brother got a new yellow lab puppy this weekend and Ledger got to visit with her, he was very gentle with her.

I have been teaching swim lessons the past couple of weeks, it has been great practice for the boys especially when Emily is in the pool taking her lesson. Both, Debit and Ledger are very protective of Emily and become very concerned when she is in the water so staying in the down stay position is rather trying.

Well, heres to a great week!!!

Excuses and Big News

I realize that I have been a total slacker in the blogging department, I have a good excuse but none the less I am sorry. The boys are doing great, as you can see they have moved into bigger jackets, the second and third picture are of Debit and the last two are of Ledger. The summer really has been crazy so far......Emily started swim lessons, we put an offer in on a house and it actually got accepted and is moving forward, and I recently found out I am pregnant. We are super thrilled to be expecting our second child the end of January. This pregnancy has been completely different from my first, I have been so sick and completely exhausted which really isn't very easy to explain to a two year old and two puppies. I have every intention of getting back into the swing of blogging, but please bear with me for a couple more weeks and I am sure I will be back to my energetic, smiling self. On another note, it has been ridiculously hot here, so hot that I haven't been taking the boys to swim lessons with Emily. I can't bear the idea of them sitting in the sun for 45 minutes with a fur coat in the blazing heat. OK, I am done whining! Have a great week!!!!