Scary Times at the Village

 Dad said this is the BEST time of the YEAR !!   It is Nebraska football season and also the World Series of Baseball.  Dad was very excited and the weather was so nice we watched the final game outside.  Dad even shared some of his drinks with us - mostly what he called backwash but it was a first for me.  I have watched Avalon do this so I knew just what to do.  GO CHICAGO CUBS !  Way to WIN !!!

The weekend came and it was NEBRASKA football again.  Mom made dinner early and it cooked all day making the house smell so nice.  Mom and Dad finally took the boat out of the water but not before they took a ride around the lake.  Avalon and I didn't get to go but we watched from the deck.  Dad said it will be gone all winter but in the spring it will be back.   We went swimming in the lake when they got back and I must admit the water was cold.  While we were swimming Mom and Dad finished putting all the outdoor fun stuff  away and cleaned up what was left of the garden.  I guess it is official - Summer is over - and fall is here.  Winter is around the corner.  Something called snow is coming.

 Halloween finally came.  Avalon has been talking to me about it and said it can be scary.  Miss M and Miss K along with Grandma T came over and Avalon and I watched them put all kinds of fun and scary things up in the yard.  Then before it got dark Mom took me out to look at all of the cool decorations.  I was not scared !!  I am a BIG girl.  However, when it got dark outside all of these scary people came to the door and wanted treats.  Mom and Dad put treats in their bags just for saying "trick or treat" - they didn't have  to do any commands.  I didn't think that was right!

Mom watched me closely when someone would come to the door.  She said a small black puppy can not get out on a night like this.  I could get lost and it would be scary.  I really didn't want to get lost so I listened to Dad when he would say - Sit/Stay when someone would come to the door.  Miss M and Miss K even came back to get treats before the night was over.

Mom had her handyman over to fix the redecorating I did in the mud room.   I thought a hole in the wall would look nice along with roughing up the casing around the doors.
I thought I did a good job but Mom didn't like it.  Bill, the handyman put up some stuff on the walls to deter me from redecorating again.  Now I think that looks funny !  I also celebrated my 8 month birthday.  Thought there would be cake and hats or something but Mom just said I am getting older and we were off to run errands.  I just don't understand why Avalon doesn't have to go and gets to stay home by herself.  It is not fair but Avalon reminded me she gets car sick plus she is just a forever puppy now not a service puppy in training like me.                            

 Saturday and BIG Red football.  It was a night game so Dad was excited all day long waiting for the game to start.  However, it was a really SAD day in Husker land.  They lost the game BAD.  I thought dad was going to cry so I told Avalon we should go over and comfort him.   I don't think it did any good since he went to bed right after the game was over and did not even listen to the radio like he usually does.   This meant early to bed for Avalon and I too.

 This week Mom and I went to a store called Target.  Mom said we were on a mission to buy a turkey which I have been told people eat for a Holiday called Thanksgiving.  I asked Mom if the turkey we were going to get would be like the ones that walk through our yard sometimes ?  They are BIG birds and make funny noises.  However, when Mom picked the turkey out it was hard and wrapped in plastic.  It sure didn't look like the ones that visit us sometimes in the yard.

Avalon and I finally went on a trip
together this week too.   We went to see one of our favorite people, the Vet.  It was Avalon's yearly physical and I had a pre-surgery check up.   Mom said it is time to make sure I don't have puppies and become a mommy instead of a Guide/Service puppy.  We had the talk about the birds and the bees and I am glad I will be a trained dog and not a mommy.  Not that being a mommy isn't cool - I just want to be a forever assistance dog for someone who needs me.


Saturday has come again and the HUSKERS are playing at home. Mom and I took some food to the Humane Society then ran some errands while Dad went to work.  When Dad got home Avalon and I got to spend time in his Man Cave in the basement during halftime.  I have never been there before - It had lots and lots of HUSKER stuff everywhere.  Dad played a game hitting balls with a stick.  I tried to help him put one back on the table when it bounced off  but he wasn't to keen on that.  I thought it funny that he would hit them in holes on the table just to do it again.

It is with sadness that I tell you that BABY passed away on November 9th.  I didn't know Baby much since she stayed away from me because I played too hard as a puppy, but Avalon told me Baby had been around for 18 years.  Avalon told me she was here for all of Mom and Dad's forever puppies and also all of the Guide/Service puppies they raised.

REST IN PEACE OVER THE RAINBOW BRIDGE !

Fall has been BUSY !

 Fall, I have been told means

HALLOWEEN

is around the corner.  I am not sure what that is but I do know it means buying funny round orange things called pumpkins at the farm. Dad loaded us all up and off we went.  While Mom was looking at the funny things in the barn Dad and I went and saw some big birds that have their own house.  That is cool.  It was just like a dog house.  After Mom bought her supply we stopped and looked at some four legged animals that thought I looked funny.  They asked me why my fur was soooo black.  I told them I came that way.  They also asked me about the vest I had on so I told them I was in training to be a service dog but that was a ways away.  Right now I am in puppy training.

 I thought it was time to start getting cold here in Nebraska but Mom and Dad have been out on the boat a few more times.  They keep saying they are going to take the boat out of the water but then say maybe next weekend ??  Just one more ride.  Avalon and I have even been swimming in the lake on our walks around the lake.  I know I have a fur coat that keeps me warm while swimming but I must admit the water is getting colder.  I don't care though - I could swim everyday !

 I sooooo miss by best buddy Miss M.  She has to go to her two legged school five days a week which means I don't get to spend as much time with her as I did this summer. Sometimes though she will surprise me and come over and off we will go to play. I have her work on her commands.  I hope she doesn't get rusty on them since we are not working on them as often.  However, I have taught Mom commands so we still work on them so I can get treats.
 Miss M's Grandma has those funny round orange things in the front of her house just like Mom.  Miss M was telling me about Trick or Treating on Halloween and that she was going to be here and I could go with her and Miss K.  She said you wear funny outfits and get treats when you go up to someone's house.  You don't even have  to do commands.  How cool !!

 I want to tell you about two little girls I met at Hy-Vee with my Mom.  They get excited just like I do sometimes when I meet new people.  They were telling my Mom that their Mom has a service puppy.  Her puppy is being trained here in Omaha.  I tried to tell them I know commands and I could teach them but I think they already knew them.  I did still get a treat !!

The weekend came and that meant HUSKER football.   We went for our weekend walk plus swimming then it was game time.  Mom stayed in the kitchen and wore some funny stuff and cut up hot peppers.  We had to stay in the mud room just in case a hot seed would fall on the floor and Avalon and  I would make a dive for it.  Dad had all of the TVs I think in the house on and he paced between them.  So sometimes we got to watch with him and other times we couldn't find him.  I don't really understand football but I do know we won.  Mom took me out for a victory picture.  Won't be picking me up much more.

 Milo asked his Mom to call my Mom to see if I wanted to go on a training trip to a Halloween store.  I said yes and guess who else was there - My sister Wheels. We played for a little while outside then went inside the store.  There were some scary musical monsters right when we got in but all three of us were big troopers and just walked right by them.We then walked around and looked at all of the cool stuff in the store.  Mom asked if they had any outfits for puppies but they only had a few and I was NOT going to put those on.  They were for baby puppies and I am too old for that!!

After we walked around we went
back outside and all us puppies hung out while the mommies talked.  It was cool to have someone other then Avalon to talk to.  Milo, Wheels and I talked about all of our adventures and what costumes we were wearing for Halloween.


Mom and Dad spent an evening with my two - two legged sisters.  Since Mom and Dad did not take me I need to wish them my sisters a

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

My two legged sister's birthday are two weeks apart so they celebrated them together.  Grandma Keuter took everyone out at the Grand Lodge restaurant where she lives.   Mom's brother was there too along with his wife.  I did not get to go because Mom thought I was too tired from our field trip earlier.

Milo and me had another training field trip and this time Grandma T came.  It was in a store like the grocery store we go to all the time but it was much bigger.  Things started out Ok but for some reason I just got really excited seeing Milo's Mom Debbie that I started jumping on her and things kind of went downhill a little.  Debbie took me outside and had a talk with me then we came back inside. I told Mom I was sorry for my behavior and would try not to get so excited again.  I don't know if she understood my words but she could see how sorry I was by me trying to snuggle with her.

While I was outside Mom and Grandma T walked Milo around the store. I was kind of jealous but Milo told me it was cool and that he has had to leave a store before when he got too excited.

Now, let me tell you about yesterday.  I heard Mom and Dad talking about going to go see the HUSKERS play and Avalon and I were going to get a babysitter.  I was overjoyed when I found out it was Miss M and Grandma T.

First we went on our weekend walk then Grandma T came in her car and picked me up.  I didn't know I was going to get to go on a training field trip while they were babysitting.  Avalon didn't get to go but she said she was happy staying at home and relaxing.

First, we went to see some really nice older people and listened to Miss K play her violin.   I stayed on the floor and listened with Miss M.  Miss M and Miss K's parents were there and we had a great time together.  After listening to music Miss M, Grandma T and me went out to eat. I thought that meant every one was going to get to eat including me but that was not to happen.  I did a good job at down and under and waited for them to finish their treats.  Next, we went and visited Grandma T's parents at a beautiful cemetery and then came home.  I was so excited to get back home that I was able to escape and run down to the lake and try to take a dip.  I don't think Miss M and Grandma T were very happy about that !  I hope every time we have a babysitter it is that FUN !

GO BIG RED - FOOTBALL !

Summer has come to an end !

 Well, I heard Dad say Avalon and my swimming days are coming to an end.  We were out with Dad swimming a little while ago and I thought it was still warm but I could tell the water was a bit cooler then before.  I told Mom and Dad we have a coat of fur so we can take the cooler water.  I am not ready to stop swimming. Mom told me in a few months though that the water would turn hard and we would be able to walk on water instead of swim in it.  I don't know how that can be but I will watch out for it.

 After Dad, Avalon and me played in the water Mom and Dad went for a boat ride.  I was upset that I did not get to go along and had to stay in the mud room so I showed them who was the boss.  I scratched a nice big hole in the wall that somehow looked like a bird.  Avalon said I would be sorry I did that and I was.  Mom and Dad were pretty cool about it and discussed with me the consequences for what I did.  That was to spend the rest of the evening in my kennel.  I think I learned my lesson - at least I hope so.

Miss M came over and we went for a walk and over to the tennis courts to run and practice commands.  Miss M's Grandma T came too and took some real cool pictures.


The weekend came and Mom and Dad first spent time again out in the garden picking veggies then cooked most of the afternoon for a HUSKER football game at our house.  It was in the evening so all day long the house smelled so wonderful,but Avalon and I only got our same old dog food while Mom, Dad and their company got the great smelling food.  Avalon and I had to stay upstairs but we could tell the HUSKERS won by all of the noise coming up the stairs.

I did get to spend some time with Milo on one of what Mom calls a big training adventure and not just the day to day visits to the grocery store or hardware store.  It was actually Milo's first birthday.  We had a nice time walking around the Mall but when I heard it was Milo's birthday I thought for sure there would be cake and ice cream some where ??  I won't get to see Milo for a little while - He is leaving for a few weeks for training at another person's house.   Most of my training has just been the same old day to day stuff lately so I hope maybe sometime before I go back to KSDS Inc. I get to go to another person's house.  However, I heard Mom talking with Milo's Mom about some special training adventures when Milo gets back.

Another weekend came and this time Mom and Dad left for Lincoln, Nebraska where the HUSKERS play their football games.  Avalon and I had to have a babysitter.  Avalon said she was old enough to not have a babysitter and she could babysit but Mom did not trust her and me alone together.  A good friend of Mom and Dad has a Dog babysitting service now that he is retired called "Uncle Donn's Dogcare"  I have seen him out and about when we go for our walks so we already knew him.  He didn't stay all day while Mom and Dad were gone but came over twice and let us out to do our business and played with us and also gave us some special treats he had.   I hope if we need a babysitter again Mom and Dad hire him.  We were treated the next day with a very long walk and swim in the lake since Donn gave us a good report on our behavior.

Next, I want to tell you about a GREAT training adventure and fun trip we had the next day.  We went to the Nebraska Humane Society annual fundraiser.  It was a long drive there so I took a short nap on the way.  Avalon could have gone on this trip since all dogs were welcomed but with the long drive Mom thought she would probably get car sick.  After we got there we walked around the booths - I had a paw print done - along with watching some puppies do tricks in an arena area.  I have never seen any Guide/Service dogs do those kind of commands so I guess that is why they called them tricks.

 We also stopped and talked to a person at a booth that was a "Dog Whisperer"  The person we talked to was signing up people to be able to talk to the whisperer.  Mom put my name in the drawing so I could talk to her but some other puppies name was called.  I really wanted to talk to her - I don't know of too many people who understand puppy talk and I wanted to tell her some things to tell my Mom and Dad.  Maybe we will see her again somewhere and I will get the chance.  It was a FUN time there and I got to meet a lot of different puppies.

 Mom and Dad donated $$ to the Humane Society which help puppies to find forever homes.  

My message to everyone is PLEASE donate to your local

Humane Society 

so puppies and all other special animals can find homes.