:)

As Betsy, Jorinda, and I crawl into bed tonight we are watching big fluffy snowflakes fall from the sky! How I love winter :) and busy days!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jo

Fall

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons. I love the crunchy leaves, the brisk air, and most of all the colors! I have always had my puppies walk through leaves, just to get used to the crunching. Jorinda wasn't too sure what to think. So while there were still leaves on the ground we walking through tons and tons of crunchy leaves. We played games and sat in them. Eventually she stopped noticing them.

Such a little princess!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda

Late Night! [[Not puppy related!]]

First off, Harry Potter was pretty amazing. I didn't really understand all of what was going on, but I still enjoyed it. I would advice against bringing children though. There are some very disturbing scenes of the movie, especially towards the end. I think the part I enjoyed most was spending time with my friends. Waiting in line for 4 hours. Freezing outside because they wouldn't let anyone seeing Harry Potter in until 11. Playing Catch Phrase with complete strangers. Making Starbucks and Wendys runs. Driving at 3am. It was great :) I adore my friends!
But getting up at 6 this morning was absolutely torture! My parents told me I was allowed to go to the midnight showing on one condition, I had to go to school the next day. You could say I don't function well on 2 hours of sleep! I survived the school day and shopping after, but I think I'm going to head to bed pretty soon. Going to bed at 4am one night and 7pm the next. Gotta love it!


Maddie

Pictures!

So tonight my nerdy side is coming out and I'm going to see Harry Potter at midnight! Woo! Mainly I have a friend who loves Harry Potter and wanted to go see it, so I'm a tag-a-long! I am excited, but getting up at 6am tomorrow for school is going to come so early after 3 hours of sleep! Oh well, it'll be worth it!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Halloween

Better late than never right?
And Blogger is done being tempermental for now. I'm beginning to think it's my computer though, not Blogger.
 Either way, Happy Wednesday...halfway there!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda...AKA Mini, a Princess, and the Chicken!

!!!

I'm about ready to quit blogging! Stupid Blogger won't let me upload any pictures!! Is anyone else having trouble?


A very annoyed...
         Maddie, Betsy, and Jojo

A good worker!

Jorinda is so incredibly good in public! She loves to go, go, go! I can take her on all day shopping trips and she doesn't get tired. She is very good about not greeting every person and she is a pro at loose leash..for the most part!
We do have a problem though, after a short outing she refuses to get in the car! She backs up, sits down, and refuses to get in the car! She isn't done working, so she isn't ready to leave! Any advice on how to tackle this bump in the road?

 {{I can't upload pictures again!...Grr!}}

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda

Kitty Friend!

This cat, name Kitty, is the best cat in the world! He has put up with all the crazy puppies I have brought into the house. Today Jorinda saw him laying on her bed so she walked right up to lay with him. Best Friends! :)

Maddie, Betsy, and JoJo

Snow!

This past week we got our first snow here in Colorado! This is really late for us! Normally we have our first snow by October 1st so to wait until November 10th was a really long time! I'm a snow lover and all of my dogs always have been too! This was Jorinda's first time experiencing snow, and I don't think she even noticed it! We'll she what she thinks when we get 2 feet of fluffy white stuff! Betsy of course recongized it right away and ran like mad! She loves snow but hates wet grass. So as long as it stays snow she's a happy camper!
Oh my silly girls! <3

Betsy playing in the snow last winter. I swear she wait until I hit the button to stick her tongue out!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda
                    ...walking in a winter wonderland

Squeaky, Squeaky, Squeaky!

 

Betsy absolutely adores her Cuz squeaky toy! Jorinda thinks it's so unfair that Betsy gets a cool toy, but she never tries to take it! Betsy just loves to lay on the ground and squeak it. She's not a fan of fetch, it's too much work with not enough benefit for her! Silly girl!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda

What's in a name: Jorinda

Remember wayyy back when I did a name for for Betsy? And even longer ago for Gabrina? Well today I was planning on doing one for Jorinda, but I ran into a slight problem. Her name isn't the most common name in the world, in fact, I can't find a origin anywhere! So thus, her name was invented at GDB and I have taken it upon myself to give it a meaning!

Jorinda
Meaning: A spunky little girl with lots of personality
Origin: San Rafael, CA
Nicknames: Jo, Jojo, JJ, Jori, Jay, Joey

All the spunk makes a girl tired! Doesn't she look like Gabrina in this picture?

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda

Wordless Wednesday: Sunshine Beauty!

Isn't my girl gorgeous?

Harddd

This 30 in 30 thing is way harder than it was last year! I guess my life just isn't as exciting as it was a year ago! haha
Let's see, today Jorinda and I went to blockbuster and got gas....yepppp that about sums it up! I could tell you all about my personal life, but do you really care? I doubt it! haha. Who wants to read about the life of a junior in high school. I bet you can guess what goes on...friends, boys, school, sports, boys, guide dogs, music, boys, homework....:)

But look....pictues!

Mr. Vernon!

 

Jorinda, Verono, and Betsy!

Hopefully I'll have something more to say tomorrow, but don't count on it! I guess my plan to not bore you guys isn't really working out. Sorry bout that!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jojo

Bye Bye Vernon!

Vernon went home last night. We really enjoyed having him. He is such a sweetheart and fit into our lives so well. He reminded me so much of Betsy. He is calm and loves to hang out at home.
I wish I could upload some pictures of this guy. I'm about to punch blogger! :( I reported an issue so maybe is will be fixed!

Sorry for such a short, super boring post! Jo and I are rushing off to a 4-H meeting! Pray for pictures tomorrow!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda

School Play!

As I mentioned in my past post, Jorinda and I went to a play yesterday. Jorinda did so good for being 6 months old! The production ended up being close to 3 hours and she only got a little bit antsy!
I had never been in the auditorium of the school that was hosting the play so I had no idea about the layout. It turns out they have a very slanted, slippery floor. Jorinda ended up sliding on the floor and getting stuck under the seats in front of us. As expected, getting stuck under the seats was very scary for her, and caused her to whine whenever it happened! My friend and I ended up holding Jorinda up with our legs. She laid behind our legs and we tried not to let our feet slide forward!
After we got this all worked out, Jorinda did great! She slept through most of the play or chewed on her toy. Thank goodness I brought a Goughnut that didn't slide all over the floor!
Next week we will be attending my school's play, hopefully Jo with do just as good as yesterday! :)

Maddie, Betsy, Jorinda, and Vernon

(Still can't upload pictures!!)

Failure already!

This whole 30 in 30 thing is already not working for me! I missed a post on the 6th day...oops! But in my defense, I was home for a total of 3 hours yesterday. It started with a soccer team sleepover on Friday night. I woke up Saturday morning, rushed home, showered, and rushed off to school to help run a debate tournament. When that was over I came home, ate dinner, grabbed Jorinda, and rushed off to see a school play. After the play we came home for the last hour and a half before midnight. Ahh the life of a high schooler, I love it! :)

And Blogger still won't let me upload any pictures, so sorry my posts have been so lame!


Maddie, Betsy, Jorinda, and Vernon.

PS I love my parents who watch my puppies while I run around from event to event :). What would I do without them?

A visitor!

Meet Vernon!


{{Pretend there is a picture here of a male yellow lab with a big blocky head that still has a puppy-look to it. He is absolutely gorgeous, but Blogger won't let me upload any pictures!}}

Vernon's raisers had to make an unexpected trip out of town so he is staying with us over the weekend. He has been playing great with the girls, but always settles down when asked! Vernon is 2 weeks older than little Miss Jo. She has loved having someone her age to play with, but man, it's amazing how much more work 3 dogs is than 2! I'm just glad they are all so well behaved and listen so well! We are loving having Mr. V visit! :)

Maddie, Betsy, Jorinda, and Vernon

6 Months!

On the 27th Jorinda turned 6 months old! I can't believe how old she is getting. I have been slacking at keeping track of my favorite things about her. So here are 6 things at 6 months!

1. She is such a sweetheart that is so eager to please! She will perform any command you ask of her at any moment just to make you happy!

2.When you praise Jorinda, her whole body wiggles. It is so funny to watch her wiggle while holding a sit or a down.

3. Jorinda never chews anything up! She had yet to destroy anything. She sleeps loose all night and new touches a thing.

4. Little Jo still chases her tail! It is the cutest thing in the whole world! I absolutely adore this little puppy antic she has held onto!

5. Jorinda is always so happy to see anyone. She stays in her kennel while I am at school and when I come home for lunch you would think she hasn't seen me in years! Her whole body wiggles and she crinkles her eyebrows. She doesn't leave her kennel until I give her the "OK" command. This isn't something I taught her, she just started doing in on her own, but I love it! Jorinda is always happy to go back into her kennel after lunch though! I love her happy-go-lucky spirit!

6. Jorinda is the best "do-your-businesser ever! She will relieve every single time you ask her to, where ever you ask her to! It makes going on outings so much easier! Sometimes when we are in public she will get picky and only relieve on grass, but she is getting so much better. At home she will go anywhere. Even when she doesn't have to go she will immediately try. This is so nice after having Betsy who only peed if she wanted to.

I love my little Jo! She is such a great puppy! I need to get some updated pictures of her! I guess she has "third child syndrome". I'll get some pictures of her eventually! :)

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda

The Joys of a CC

Having Betsy home has been absolutely amazing. I love the freedom of being able to do whatever I want with her. My favorite thing is lifting her into my lap for some good cuddle time!
My parents didn't want her learning to jump onto the furniture on her own, so instead when I want to hold her I just pick her up and put her on my lap. She is small enough to easily be lifted.

It's sleepy time after a long cross county practice!

I don't let Betsy sleep with my at night though. I know this is something that a lot of people love doing with their dogs, but I can't stand sharing my bed. I tried one night and Betsy takes up way to much room! She likes to lay right in the middle and not move! What a stinker! So instead she cuddles with baby Jo!


Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda

Sisters [[Best Friends]]

At the airport!

Betsy has settled into my home so nicely. It's as though she never left. Jorinda loves having her big sister home! They play so well together, but stop as soon as they are asked to. Betsy and Jorinda can even handle both sleeping loose in my bedroom together. They will sleep until at least 9 on weekends without making a peep. All they ever want to do in the morning is cuddle on the dog bed! Oh my girls, they're not early risers!(:

I have clicker trained Betsy to wave, shake, fetch, and give high fives. She is great at all of them and just loves learning new things! Betsy never liked to learn how to do anything so it's great to see her so eager to please. She definitely gets upset when she doesn't understand what I want. She will perform all of her tricks and then pout if she didn't get a click. But it's a work in progress!

I'm just so happy my girl is home!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda

It's that time!

First off I would like to apologize for being gone for so long! But I mean I'm in high school, I'm never home! I spent the entire month of October running...literally. I ran cross country for the first time and loved it! Now I run almost everyday after school even though the season is over. I am hoping that one day Betsy will be able to go with me, but I don't know if she has the energy to do it! But I'll save that for another post!

Today is November 1st! Which means the first day of No Shave November and National Blogging Month! I am going to try to post everyday for an entire month. I was able to do it last year. But who knows. I haven't posted in an entire month, so do you think I can post everyday for a month? I'll give it a shot!
 

Anyways, Happy November! I'll update you on what happened last month throughout the next few weeks!

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda!

--don't forget Heartguard and Monthly Reports--

SHe's Homeeeeeee(:

We picked Betsy up from the airport at 9:45 this morning. And, let's face it, she looks as gorgeous as ever!

More to come...


Maddie, Betsy, and Jo

The Report

I got Betsy's report from her trainer yesterday. Here's what it said:

DOG: 4W03 - Betsy F\LAB\Black - TRN\REL  DOB:4/28/2009
LOCATION:  OR  
RELEASED DATE: 9/17/2010
PLACEMENT:
SUMMARY:   Betsy is an average sized female black Labrador retriever.  Upon Betsy’s arrival on the Oregon campus, she showed major signs of fear both in and outside the kennel.  She was quickly assigned to a master instructor for a temperament evaluation.
Betsy seemed so show more fear towards men then women.  She was introduced to the clicker and high value food was used.  She was quick to learn the clicker “game”.  Unfortunately both on and off campus she continued to have major fear reactions to some people, traffic and any loud noise.  She was slow or never would recover and refused food during these reactions. 
Due to her reactions and poor recovery she is not suitable for training as a guide.  She currently is on 3 cups of Natural Balance Lamb and Rice.
RELEASE REASON(S): 21101 - BEH: Fearful Behavior People  Generalized
LOCATION (if applicable):
IMPORTANCE: Primary
RELEASE REASON(S): 21301 - BEH: Fearful Behavior Environment  Generalized
LOCATION (if applicable):
IMPORTANCE: Secondary 


The part about her refusing food really concerns me with how stressed she must be. Betsy is one of those dogs that would go through walls if I called her with come. She would do anything to get that piece of kibble. If she is refusing food, she must be super stressed!


Also, it looks like we will be flying Betsy home. While my CFR is in California right now, Betsy is in Oregon! It will cost us around $300 to fly her home, which is cheaper than driving out to get her. If everything goes as planed she should be home this weekend!




Maddie and Jorinda

Why the CC?

I have had many fellow bloggers ask why Betsy was career changed, and the answer is, I'm not really sure. I didn't get to talk to my CFR because she is on vacation. I actually wasn't even home when GDB called, I was running in a cross country race. My mom talked to a guy from GDB who said the "official" reason she was released was for fear of people in (and) public places. The guy also said that Betsy never really adjusted to living in the kennels. She was always very stressed and almost depressed while she was there. He said there was an especially long report written about her. I can't wait to get the report and see what they have to say about my special little girl!

Maddie and Jo (anxiously awaiting a phone call from my CFR)

HUGE news....(:

Remember this beautiful girl...

 

Who was born on April 28, 2009...

Who arrived on July 10, 2009...

Who stole my heart...

Who adopted a new litter sister on June 25, 2010...

Who was recalled on August 13, 2010...

 

 And who was career changed on September 17, 2010.

Yep, that's right, Miss Betsy Sue was career changed yesterday. Honestly, I am not surprised at all. And I know, you are supposed to be sad when the dog you poured your heart and soul into for over a year fails at what you were working so hard to achieve. But really, I am so incredibly excited!! My baby girl is coming home! I can't wait. We are still working out the details of when she will be back. My CFR just happens to be in California right now, so if she drove out there, most likely she will bring Betsy back with her, and if she flew, Betsy should be flying back with her! I'll be sure to let you know when I find out more!

Maddie and Jojo!

puppy bag gone school

Remember awhile back when I said I was going to be doing a review post for CSN stores? While today is the day! About a week ago my new bag came in the mail. When I first ordered it, I thought it would be perfect for traveling with a puppy. It was full of pockets for everything from pooh bags to toys to an extra leash. It was big enough to fill with toys and food for a trip to a puppy sitters, or a sleepover at a friends. I thought it would make a great, stylish diaper bag, but for the dog!

When I got the bag I completely fell in love with it. The pockets on the front are the perfect size for sticky notes, pencils, pens, gum, ect. The little turnie knob on the front makes the pockets easy to flip open during class.
The side pockets are the perfect size to hold a snack. This makes eating before cross country practice so much easier.
On the front there is a big pocket that currently holds my calculator.

On the inside there is a divider to hold a laptop. What more could I ask for? But, this bag has even more to offer! It has a huge inside capable of holding over 3 binders and a textbook. Perfect for the school days when I don't have time to run to my car between classes. And the best part? The bag holds all of these necessary items without looking big and bulky.
The straps have a thin layer of padding so they don't dig into my shoulder as I navigate the halls with a puppy in tow. My used to be puppybag was quickly converted to a school bag. Sorry Jorinda!

On top of all that, this bag is completely adorable. The gray and purple plaid is so cute and stylish. I love the design and placement of pockets. Everything is absolutely perfect!

CSN stores website is so easy to navigate too. They have links to all different necessary things, including dog items! I had a lot of trouble choosing what item to order, but I'm so glad I settled on this bag, it's perfect!
The only real problem I had was with shipping. It took over a month after I ordered my bag for it to get here. For some reason CSN had trouble processing my payment, but trust me it was worth the wait!
I will definitely be using CSN stores in the future! They have everything I could ever need or want in life for low prices, and free shipping!











Thank you CSN for this great oppertunity!

Maddie and Jorinda

Sleepy Baby! :)

I have always enjoyed letting my puppies sleep out of their kennels, especially during the school year. During school, Jorinda is kenneled from 8 to 11 and then from 12 to 2. I know it's not super long, but when you are 16 weeks old, all alone in a kennel, it seems like forever! Hopefully little Jo will be able to go to school with me soon. I hate having to lock her up for most of the day, and then lock her up again at night.
Last night Jo had a major test, and she passed! I let Jorinda sleep outside of her kennel, loose, for the first time ever. I don't like to have my puppies sleep on tie down because I am such a heavy sleeper. If she were to get tangled up and whine, I wouldn't wake up. So instead I just jump right in to letting them sleep loose in my room. Jorinda did great last night! She slept from 11pm to 9am without waking me up. When I rolled over at 9am to check on her, she was happily laying on the floor chewing on a bone. I am so glad she did great! My family was up cooking breakfast, taking showers and whatnot, and even though you can hear everything in my room, she just laid there and entertained herself. My little baby girl is growing up :).

And really, what's better than waking up and having your little 4 month old puppy rest her head on your bed while you say good morning!

I love my little Jo!

Maddie and Jorinda

Oh for the love of vets!

Last Friday we took Jorinda into the vet to get a sterile sample done because they though from the free catch sample that she still wasn't over her UTI. A sterile sample is basically when they take a urine sample directly from the bladder. They say it doesn't  hurt the dog, but really? It sounds pretty painful to me! Anyways, today we got the results of the test, and she is UTI free! So somewhere between her bladder and hitting the ground, her urine is being exposed to bacteria. It could be something as serious as a dip in her vaginal wall where urine pools up allowing bacteria to grow or it could be as simple as having bacteria in her hair that gets in the urine when she goes potty. For now the vet wants us to wait and see, before doing an ultrasound. If she starts to get little red bumps by her little girl parts they want us to bring her in again.

Poor me :(

My poor baby girl!

Maddie and Jojo

The Big Goodbye

Friday was the big day, recall day. It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Sure I cried plenty that morning, and on the car ride down, but I didn't cry when I loaded her up. Betsy is a dog who really sets her mood off of other emotions, especially my emotions. I knew if I put her on the truck crying, she would be nervous the entire ride. So I put on my big girl pants and put her on with a smile on my face.

The truck driver told me that, Betsy (human), the lady Betsy (puppy) was named after, was so excited she was being recalled. Betsy (human) told Joe, the puppy truck guy, to assure me that she would give Betsy (puppy) a little TLC :). Betsy (human) is a kennel welfare technician (I think) and was the lady in Gabrina's kennel. I got to meet her when I was out in California for Gabrina's graduation. I know Betsy (human) will take great care of my Betsy (puppy)! Confused much?

Betsy was placed in her kennel and immediately picked up the bone in there to show me. She wagged her tail and was so excited to be somewhere new! She gave me a big ole kiss and I told her to make me proud! As I closed the door she had her big happy smile on :). I kept my smile on; doing my job to make her confident.

As I was leaving with baby Jo, my CFR stopped me to tell me that because of Betsy's cough, they decided to spay her as soon as she returns to GDB. I am disappointed that she isn't going to be a breeder, but that's okay. My CFR said they would get her back, give her a few days to adjust to the kennel, do the surgery, give her a couple weeks to recover, and she would enter training. She said they try to complete all the medical tests if they can while the dog is recovering. There is a slight chance Betsy will enter the training string with the dogs she went back with, but most likely she will wait for the next recall. So watch for my baby on the phase report in 2 -3 weeks!

Jorinda is adjusting okay to the leaving of her sister. She was a little whiny the first night, probably because Betsy always slept right by the kennel so Jo was never really alone. Now she is doing great. She still looks for Betsy around dinner time and when she wants to play. Jojo definitely has more energy now that her little play toy is gone!

Maddie and Jorinda

Here comes goodbye

Betsy leaves tomorrow at 12:30. To say I'm going to miss her would be an understatement!

 

Why was this painted in the street? I have absolutely no idea.

The queen of having her tongue out during pictures! :)

Goodbye sweet girl! <3

 

Maddie, Betsy, and Jorinda

The best way to snore...

It's Official

Betsy is officially going back for training on August 13, 2010. I think it is finally setting in that she is leaving. I am having mixed feelings about her going back. With Gabrina, I knew she was ready for it , so I was excited for her. But Betsy seems so happy here. She isn't bored and looking for something to do, she is happy. It is definitely going to be hard putting her on the truck. She is the perfect pet dog for me: calm, laid back, and happy to hang out at home if I'm going to be gone all day. I struggled having her as a PIT because I live a super busy life style and she would rather hang out at home, but as a pet she would be great. I know I would take her back in a heartbeat.

So I guess all I can say is:


"Betsy I hope you either fly through the phases so I can walk you across that stage, or quickly tell them that you don't want to be a guide so you can come home to me! I love you baby girl!"

I'm gunna miss you Sue Sue!


Maddie, Betsy, and Jojo