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