Dreaded turn-in day. The minute you get your new charge, that lovely and naughty little pup, you know — KNOW — the countdown to turn-in day starts. I’ve done this more times than I can remember and I’m still surprised how hard it is — and how the date sneaks up on me — even […]
Yellow Lab Stars in Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial
Nothing like a showcasing the bond between people and animals to make a killer commercial. Thanks for ruining my makeup this morning, Budweiser ad guys! It’s hard to imagine improving upon those majestic Clydesdale horses that Budweiser so beautifully shows off in their annual Super Bowl ads. But adding a puppy to the mix — […]
We’re God Parents!
I’ve never yearned to be a god parent. I don’t have brothers or sisters, so the chance of me being one was slim to none anyway, but I’m just not the kind of person to be voted god parent. I mean, I guess I could do it if the kid was like 17 years old, […]
Train Your Dog Like You Love Him
I’ve loved dogs since I was a little girl. I’ve always had dogs. I chose to make dogs my profession. Not because it’s lucrative (it isn’t) or because it’s easy (it isn’t that either). But because I want dogs to have the most fantastic life possible. Dogs don’t get to choose where they live or […]
Service Dog Training: What It Takes to Make a Good Service Dog
Lots of people say “I think my dog would be a good service dog, he’s so friendly!” Truth is, it’s really hard to become a service dog. Friendliness is just one of the many things a dog needs to be good at to meet the high standards of service work. As we evaluate our latest […]
Labradors Go GoPro at Lake Anna
We’re loving our GoPro Hero2 camera, especially because it gives us great underwater footage of the dogs! This was taken during our last trip to Lake Anna and it’s just a quick edit. We’re taking the camera (and the dogs, of course!) on vacation next week, so there’ll be more underwater video coming soon! Note: […]
How Dogs Beat the Record Heat (Labradors Love Water!)
This was a pretty special weekend for us: Caysun turned 1 (June 30), it was my husband’s birthday (June 30), and we had a fantastic time beating the record heat wave that came through the mid-Atlantic region. And, as regular blog readers know, it was Caysun’s swan song weekend: she’ll be leaving us in exactly […]
Service Dog Ike Has A Partner
Our sweet boy Ikey now has a partner! In Ike’s own words, as told to Hero Dogs: I knew something was up, ’cause it started with a BATH. Then there was the new collar, the new harness, the new vest. I have never been fussed over so much in my life. Quite frankly, I […]
Grilled Pork + Feta = Easy Subway Trip for Ike
Part of becoming a service dog involves getting used to a lot of different sights and sounds. Ike had a field trip today to our local commuter train station. It's highly likely that in his lifetime as a service dog, Ike and his partner will need to take public transportation. It's crucial to make these […]
Different Dogs, Different Rules
If you live with more than one dog, do the same rules apply to both? I suppose in most homes, the dogs have the same rules. But in our house, different dogs have different rules. Ike, the service pup in training, has the most rules to follow. His life is relatively structured, as he's going […]