Yellow, Black and Gold

Yes, it has been almost 2 months since I last wrote a post. Shameful. But there was quite a bit going on dog-wise in my life, even as Winter refused to let go its grey, icy grip and let Spring so...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2014/03/of-puppies-and-prisons.html

The three month probationary period is up and I am now free to try to contact guide dog Dorian's new furever partner, Carlene. In preparation for this I have been fashioning a video of Dorian's e...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2014/02/dorian-on-youtube.html

Marcella and Max were a team. Marcella was a strikingly tall, slender black lady, Max a gentlemanly, long-legged blue standard poodle. They appeared made to order for each other. Marcella made it...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2014/02/farewell-marcella-and-max.html

PIPER IN HOBBY LOBBY PICKING OUT DOG BED MATERIAL.  Although I've raised puppies for guide dog organizations for several years, it wasn't until I switched to raising for St Francis Service ...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2014/01/head-halter-lovehate-relationship.html

SAM AND YOUNG PIPER LAST JUNE SAM AND PIPER IN DECEMBER Piper is head-over-heels in puppy love. However, the object of his ardent affection and undying love is not some canine cutie, but...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2014/01/meeting-sam-and-self-control.html

A FEW OF THE DANVILLE THERAPY DOG GROUP (THERAPY DOGS INC) DRESSED IN THEIR CHRISTMAS REGALIA. L TO R:  PIPER, MEGAN, BONNIE, MAGGIE AND BOLT. PIPER IS NOT A REGISTERED THERAPY DOG, HE JUST T...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/12/peter-piper.html

TWAS THE EVE OF THANKSGIVING Twas the Eve of Thanksgiving when I saw with much dread, I had no more pie filling and was all out of bread. So I called to my pup and we sprang to ...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/11/twas-eve-of-thanksgiving.html

Dorian and Carlene are now a fine twosome and I couldn't be happier. But let me back up, everything has been a whirlwind lately.... DORIAN ON A BILLBOARD. REALLY! About three weeks ago, fur...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-fine-match-dorian-flies-to-his-new_2.html

PART II - PIPER ON US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 461 KUNG FU PANDA AND THE YAWNING CHASM. Continuing with the story started in Part I of Westward Ho, Piper and I walk down the jetway from the gate to t...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/10/westward-ho-piper-on-us-airways-flight.html

Last Saturday six-month old service pup in training, Piper, reached a special milestone - his first air trip - from Raleigh-Durham, NC to Los Angeles, CA. As his raiser, I would say it was a jour...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/10/westward-ho-piper-at-rdu-airport.html

Every year St Francis Service Dogs puts on an outdoor festival at "The Farm", celebrating dog-lovers and their best buddies. Dogtoberfest is also a fundraiser, with proceeds going towards the r...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/10/dogtoberfest.html

When you raise a puppy and you're out in public, you try your best to project a good image. You vigilantly keep Puppy from sniffing the lower shelves at the grocery, from blocking a busy doorway ...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-people-in-line-behind-me.html

AS A THERAPY DOG, WRANGELL ENJOYS BEING SURROUNDED BY ADMIRING FANS. It is early June, the beginning of summer. Yellow Lab Wrangell, sporting an orange vest with a Therapy Dogs Inc. patch, w...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/09/summer-magic-and-therapy-dogs.html

The movie "The Help" came out in 2011, based on a book by the same name by Kathryn Stockett. I enjoyed both the movie and the book immensely. It takes place in the Jim Crow South of Jackson, Miss...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/09/you-is-smartyou-is-niceyou-is-important.html

There is a nursery rhyme about a little English lad that goes: Little Tommy Tucker, Sings for his supper. What shall we give him? White bread and butter. Just like little Tommy Tuc...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/08/sing-for-your-supper.html

SPEAKERS STEVE WHITE AND PATRICIA MCCONNELL (RATHER BLURRY). Last weekend I got to meet one of Dog-dom's greatest - Patricia McConnell - PhD and author of numerous books on canine behavior...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/08/patricia-mcconnell-update-on-dorian-at.html

PIPER THE IVY GNOME. Preschoolers are fascinating creatures - and a little intimidating if you don't understand them. This past week I was thrown into a swimming pool of preschoolers. In oth...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/08/of-puppies-and-preschoolers.html

Piper is finally old enough to go into Walmart. Not that I make a point of frequenting the store, but if I have a list of odds and ends, like a watchband, hair conditioner and a birthday card, Wa...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/07/wacky-women-of-walmart.html

JOE'S GARAGE ON MAIN STREET IN CHATHAM, VA You have your puppy exposures and then...you have your puppy exposures. Some are carefully planned and executed and some are purely accidental. It ...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/07/joes-garage-and-puppy-exposure-emporium.html

Piper is transforming before my very eyes. PIPER LOVES HELPING ME HAUL AWAY GRASS IN THE WHEELBARROW. It is wonderful to watch. His once snubby snout is now elongate, with a surprisingly l...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/07/transforming.html

Since several people have asked, I wanted to ST FRANCIS LOGO ON PIPER'S SERVICE VEST. explain a little about St Francis Service Dogs of Roanoke, VA. St Francis is the largest service dog o...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/07/st-francis-service-dogs.html

On April 20th my family said goodbye to Dorian at Southeastern Guide Dogs. Dorian trotted off with a trainer to start a brand new phase - the work of training to be a guide dog. That was 10 weeks...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/06/dorians-early-progress-at-guide-dog-u.html

I have had Piper a good month now, and as a repeat puppy-raiser you can't help but compare your current puppy to past ones. Several things stand out about Piper: PIPER IS PART BEAR-CUB. Some...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/06/part-bear-cub-part-fish-all-labrador.html

What is it about puppies that draws us - like moths to a flame, like flies to honey, like iron to a magnet? Last Sunday I made the command decision to take 10-week Piper to church. With much ...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/06/stop-right-there.html

PIPER SAYS, "THE VETS' CAN'T SEEM TO FIND MY FILE, SO GUESS I'LL JUST SIT HERE ON THE COUNTER AND WAIT." In the end, the vets' office had the St Francis school fax the info again, so Piper i...

http://yellowblackgold.blogspot.com/2013/06/piperpiperi-dont-see-you-in-our-system.html