Down Under

For safety reasons Guide Dogs need to keep out of the way as much as possible when their handler sits.

We teach Guide Dog puppies a command called "Down Under" where they tuck themselves under their handler's chair or under the table.

When we took Cami and Watson to the local coffee shop they both tried to get "Down Under".

It was a tight squeeze for them to do it together.

Book Worm

Watson and I went to our neighbourhood library to check out the latest Best Seller List.

Watson loves people and kids, but, she needs to learn that when she wears her vest she is working and that she needs to ignore distractions and stay focused.

We set the bar high and sat in the children's section.

It might look like she is sleeping on the job, but, what she is doing is ignoring the people and kids around her.

I think it is safe to say that Watson aced the test!

Pirates on the Bayou

Watson went on a Boat Tour of Buffalo Bayou through downtown Houston.

Cami and her mom, Jenni, joined the adventure.

Cami and Watson practiced their Down Under position as much as possible.

Watson and Cami were so well behaved the Captain was impressed and had to have his picture taken with The Girls.












We can now check off  "Searching for Pirates" on their Exposure List. 

Theatre District Open House

Houston has a very vibrant Theatre scene.

Once a year they hold an Open House in the Theatre District.

This is a great opportunity for Watson to be exposed to costumed characters, large groups of people, music and lots of kids.









Characters from the Nutcracker were very happy to pose with Watson.












The large crowds gave Watson practice ignoring children and adults.

It also gave us an opportunity to teach children and adults to ignore a dog wearing a service vest.

Watson certainly wasn't afraid of the "cheap seats" or "nosebleed" seats in the upper balcony.

Walking in front of the wall-length mirror was a piece of cake.











Watson was not invited to go on stage, but, as they say "in the business", performers should never share a stage with children or animals, because the children and animals always steal the show!

Exhaustion!

We took Watson and Clara for a walk in Memorial Park, our favourite "jungle" park in Houston.

It is a change from the regular city sidewalks and streets.

They loved the rustling sounds of squirrels, birds, lizards, armadillos (and other creatures that I don't want to know about) moving around unseen in the woods.

In Houston, mid-August means really hot weather, some days close to 100F (37C) with high humidity.

The park is cooler than the city streets, but, still very hot and steamy.

When we got home everyone was exhausted.

As we all know, tired dogs are good dogs!

Puppy Camp with Clara

We had a one week Puppy Camp at our house for Clara.

Clara is a 5 month old yellow lab being raised by one of the FFA high school students. 

Clara is a very confident little girl that adjusted well to her new home and new routine with ease.

This is exactly what we like to see. 

Clara is a "well built" lab puppy.

She is not all legs, ears and awkwardness. She is a "solid" girl. 

She loved playing with Watson.

Watson loved playing with Clara.

Clara LOVES to eat. She was relentless trying to find opportunities to break into her food bag. It seemed that as the week progressed, so did her girth. We nicknamed her "Chunks".

Clara loves going for walks. On her leash she walks with a mission. She walks straight forward and doesn't get sidetracked - much.

This earned her the nickname - "Tank"!

Puppy Camp was fun for Watson, Clara, Chunks, Tank - and us!

We Have an Official Date - She's Heading to College!

When we picked up Watson on July 30th last year, we knew she would be with us for about a year.

At that time a year seemed so far away.

Now, a bit more than a year later,
her IFT (In For Training) looms over our head.

We have received official notice that her initiation to College will be September 22nd at SEGD's campus in Palmetto, Florida.

Now IFT doesn't seem so far away.

How does time fly by so quickly?