Joe's Garage and Puppy Exposure Emporium

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 was really not my bright idea to take my service pup to a garage for an outing, but my car had a light on the dash panel that would not go out. So off we went to Joe's Garage early one summer morning.

Going to Joe's is like going back in time 30 years. Sitting on the corner of Main Street in the sleepy town of Chatham, Virginia, the garage is old and musty, with peeling paint. The weedy lot is small and crammed with cars, mostly older models. It has 4 full service gas pumps served by a young attendant. Over the years Frank and I have cultivated a trust with the owner and head mechanic, Joe. When you own older cars with high miles like we do, the relationship with your mechanic takes on a depth akin to what you might forge with a son-in-law. Joe's wife works at the shop off and on, and their boy comes in after school to do his homework at the front counter. They love dogs and at times have kept their St Bernard or Great Dane in the shop. Joe is always busy, yet always has time, and is always polite.

"So much junk there is!"

As Kevin the mechanic drives my car inside the shop, Piper and I walk around outside. Lots of mechanical stuff, lined up and stacked along the outside wall. Old motor oil scent hangs heavy in the air. Piper sniffs and inspects engine blocks, some metal tubing and other junk.

The arrangement of tires is interesting too. I try lifting Piper inside a stack of tires for a photo but he will have none of that and hops out quickly. Meanwhile the loud clattering of an impact wrench taking the wheel off a car makes us both turn around. Piper is intrigued and moves in for a closer look but I make him watch from a polite distance.

Checking out the changing of a tire.

When Kevin comes back he stops for a minute to ask about Piper, then they have a petting session. Caressed by rough, greasy hands, Piper is enjoying himself. Then the mechanic goes back to work while Piper and I cross Main Street over to Jesse Sours Garage to see the pigeons flapping and roosting in the rafters of the old, abandoned building.

Back at Joe's, it is time to sit on the bench outside and watch cars getting filled up. "Beep-beep-beep," the Pittsylvania County bookmobile bus is backing up to the diesel pump right next to us. The driver lets the air brakes out - "Whoosh!" Piper startles slightly at that, as do I, but we quickly recover. Across the street and down the sidewalk comes a man on an adult tricycle with a high red flag swaying back and forth. He smiles and waves. I wave back and Piper, from a prone position, eyes the flag-contraption thing. After that activity quiets down so Piper takes 40 winks under the bench.

Under a bench outside the shop.

Soon the work is done, the charge $10. "Are you sure?" I ask. "Oh yeah," Kevin shrugs. He hands me the little light from off the dash that has been a problem since our daughter sideswiped a tree several years ago and the door quit closing properly. This kept the dash light on, which drained the battery continuously, which meant having to jump-start the car at the most inopportune times. For instance in the drive-thru line at the bank. It was as if Kevin had extracted a bad tooth and put it in my hand. He is a genius. I load Piper in his crate where he settles in for a good long nap as I drive away from Joe's Garage. A fine outing, I say to myself.

Transforming

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 large black nose on the end. His legs are getting gangly, his back feet reminiscent of a long-legged hare's. His tail has become a whip almost the length of Wrangell's tail. When he runs he can really eat up the ground, albeit Piper's paws aren't quite in synch with each other and the resulting scramble is hilarious.

Inside he is transforming as well. To my great relief he is not so high maintenance. Honestly I am not that crazy about the tiny puppy stage. Cute as they are, they are SO, SO needy. It seems as if you never stop asking yourself  "Does Piper need a ....?" Fill in the blank with nap, food, water, toy or the ever-popular potty break. When you're not doing that, you're stopping Puppy from doing bodily harm to you, your stuff or themselves. It hearkens back to my young-mother-with-toddler days.

Now Piper is learning the rules. I no longer have to spray down walls, molding, cabinets, appliances, table and chair legs, tablecloths, and baby gates with Bitter Apple. Bouts of restlessness, whining, barking and contrary behavior (what I call the bear cub spells) are becoming less frequent. Instead he seems more grounded, happier, and in control of himself. He and I are becoming best buds and learning to read each other's cues.

Piper staying cool in the horse trough.

Maybe I am just on a cloud because Piper actually slept partway thru a church service today (believe me, there was some PR praise going on there)! Maybe it's because he didn't try to gnaw and chew at little fingers afterwards. Maybe I am on a coasting section of the Puppy Raiser Road. I know it won't last, but right now I am basking in the sun watching Piper transform.

St Francis Service Dogs

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 organization in Virginia, established in 1996. As a non-profit school their mission is to partner professionally trained dogs with adults and children with many different types of disabilities. There are 3 main programs:  service dogs, veteran dogs and facility dogs. The school serves Virginia and areas within a 3 hour drive of their facility. Located on 18 acres of what was once part of a farm, they have 11 full-time staff and their kennel houses up to 24 dogs for advanced training. Of course, I am still learning about St Francis myself!

The St Francis logo features a monk and dog silhouette.

Currently St Francis has about 7 puppy raisers who come to the school weekly for classes. In addition they have a prison program at medium security Bland Correctional Center, with presently 18 puppies. The program has been very successful, with inmates living in the honors dorm having the chance to raise a service puppy. Once a week St Francis trainers give lessons and check on the puppies' progress at the prison. Periodically the Bland puppies are cycled out for "real world" exposures. This ends up being a win-win situation for both the school and the inmates.






For me it was not an easy decision to switch from Southeastern Guide Dogs to St Francis Service Dogs. Southeastern is a top-notch organization with absolutely awesome dogs and trainers. Over the seven-plus years and 6 puppies I have raised for SEGD, I have watched their campus and programs blossom and their relations with PR's become increasingly more personal and gratifying. You cannot help but build close friendships with your fellow PR's and Area Coordinator, and I have even gotten to know several of the staff in faraway Florida. Especially I have looked forward to my visits to the SEGD Palmetto, Florida campus to pick up a new puppy, drop my dog off for In For Training Day, attend an AC conference, visit their Discovery Center, and best of all, the four times I've been invited down for Puppy Raiser Day, when you meet your dog's forever partner! At the Southeastern campus I always feel welcomed and appreciated.

However, since I live in southern Virginia, getting together with my SEGD PR group, based in North Carolina, can involve some serious logistics and driving. With St Francis I can actually visit their campus on a regular basis and work my puppy, Piper, with a trainer. Also it has been challenging and interesting to train service dog foundational skills, which lead up to tasks such as retrieving objects, learning how to open doors, and other jobs a dog performs for their partner. Some behaviors you teach the puppies are the same for both schools, but the word you use is different. So you say Here instead of Come, Park vs. Busy, Release vs. Take a Break, Load vs. In, etc. A little confusing at times! My two personal dogs have had to switch to the new vocabulary as well - they are becoming bi-lingual! 

Dorian's Early Progress at Guide Dog U

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 ago.

Little by little, news about Dorian has trickled in. First, posted on Facebook were a couple of wonderful pictures of him with room mates at the Assessment Kennel. They all looked like a bunch of college kids having a grand time. Later I got the finding on his hips and elbows (excellent and normal). That was a relief! Then the news he and the rest of his college buddies were making the move to the Training Kennel. Next came his first Training Report (hooray!) and just a few days ago, Dorian's harness picture came in the mail. These info-morsels and tidbits are like food to my starving PR soul, I quickly gobble them up and wish for more. But the school is understandably busy with the business of training guide dogs. Puppy raisers must learn patience. Nevertheless I really appreciate the mentioned updates and pictures from my Area Coordinator and the staff at the school. THANK-YOU so much Southeastern Guide Dogs!

Below you can see some of Dorian's progress at the school. He has gone from freshman at the Assessment Kennel to sophomore at the Training Kennel. So far, so good...!

Dorian (L) with brother and roomie Holden (R) at the Assessment Kennel in April. This picture and the one below were posted on the PR Facebook page by Katie, one of the staff.

From left:  Dorian and Holden (top) with Lalo, Holly and Pax. Holden and Pax are Dorian's brothers. Picture taken in late May just before their move to the Training Kennel. 

Below is the comment section on his first Training Report. He is in Phase 1 - learning curbs, straight line walking, accepting the harness and turns:

COMMENTS- Dori is coming along very nicely through his training, and he is very smart! He has learned very quickly that the clicker means he gets a treat, and does not mind working for the food as training progresses. Dori loves playing out in the field with his buddies in the yard, and he has good social skills as well. 

That's my Dori! I can certainly verify as his raiser Dorian does not mind working for food. I can also verify the part about Dorian's social skills. Dorian could charm the Statue of Liberty's dog into loosening up and playing with him. 

Dorian's official harness photo. He looks so mature and dignified - is this the goofball I raised?

So Dorian is doing well...and I have a new service pup to keep me busy (a huge understatement). We really are having a good time together. But that doesn't mean I don't get choked up when I come across one of Dorian's battered toys, or visit one of our old haunts. Puppy raisers out there probably know what I mean. 

Part Bear Cub, Part Fish - All Labrador Retriever

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. Sometimes when Piper gets excited, I look down and see not a sweet, cuddly puppy, but something more akin to a furry black baby carnivore pulled out of his den by the scruff of the neck. Lips pulled back, needle-sharp teeth bared, emitting play growls, whites of his eyes showing, hunched into a little ball of bear-cub fearsomeness. Wow, am I ready for this? Rather than put on leather gloves and play "Who Is the Biggest, Baddest Dude - Me or You?" I try to wait him out until he calms down. If that doesn't work, I simply and unceremoniously pop him in his crate. A short time-out does wonders for his bear-cub spells - they disappear. As the weeks progress, the bear cub episodes are starting to fade away.

In contrast, his incessant mouthing has been daunting to correct. Although he has mostly stopped mouthing me, he does gnaw on everyone else. Meeting people invariably ends with their fingers in his mouth and comments (nice or otherwise) such as, "My, his teeth are sharp!" Children are more to the point. "He bit me!" I ask them to pet his back half instead, but that is not as interesting, and they soon gravitate back to his head...and the mouthing starts again and I have to be referee. Now I am trying a new tack, where I offer people a toy to offer Piper - Piper can gnaw on that instead of their tender fingers.

Piper is Part Fish. I have had pups that loved the water and pups that didn't even like to get their paws wet. But I've never had a puppy at 8 or 9 weeks who would dive head-first into the horse trough, completely submerging, blowing bubbles and spluttering to the surface, only to scramble out, shake off and want to dive back in again! Since he's started doing this I make sure to keep the trough only partway full. CPR is not something I want to do on my puppy if I can help it. With all water containers, his muzzle is constantly underwater, blowing bubbles. It is as natural to him as breathing.

Piper is All Labrador Retriever (emphasis on retriever). Piper is hard-wired to retrieve. I did not have to teach him. An object is thrown and Piper naturally retrieves it for me. Even as a chunky puppy he did it with such eagerness and pure joy, it was as if he had discovered The Zone. I encourage this but keep the games short and on my schedule. I have added the words "Get It", "Piper, Here", and "Give" to start teaching him cues that go with retrieve. Retrieving will serve him well as a service dog, as one of their biggest jobs can be fetching objects for their person.

All that said, with the challenges, interruptions, frustrations and surprises, Piper is a wonderful, affectionate puppy with a keen mind that learns as naturally as he retrieves and blows bubbles underwater. I am looking forward to our journey together down the Puppy-Raiser Road, with all its bumps, twists and turns, valleys and hilltops. One thing is for certain though, I don't expect many flat, boring sections along the way!

Stop Right There!!!

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 thought and deliberation, my strategy was laid out. I would not take him into the main service (Piper can bark with such a shrill note it sends shivers up your spine). I would not linger in the foyer, where my sweet and very well-meaning church friends would engage me in indefinitely long puppy conversations. No, with tunnel vision we would quickly stride through the foyer, and down the hall to the very end where I usually help with the kids.

Like any good strategist, I was properly prepared and armed. Piper had recently relieved himself and now had his little service jacket on. He was in my arms. My tote-bag of supplies included a blankie, various toys of different textures from chewy to prickly to fuzzy, clean up supplies, some treats, AND my secret weapon, the rawhide chew, approved by St Francis Service school.

At the very end of the hall is Kingdom Kids, a big colorful room with a stage and long benches of different heights for children small and tall. This summer all the regular church kids, from pre-school thru middle school, are meeting here for one hour Sunday morning to practice a play. The play is a musical with lots of singing, some dancing and quite a bit of loudish music.

Piper sports his new service vest at 10 weeks.

Slightly late and with Piper-in-arms, I walk into the kids' room. The children's director, facing the door, sees me enter first and her face spontaneously lights up with that delight that puppies elicit when they enter a room. The children, all seated on the benches with their backs to the door, in unison turn around. As one they start to rise with a collective, longing sigh - "Awwwww!"

But thankfully, a puppy love-fest was not in the making. With an amazing command of Children-ese, the director snaps them back to reality. "Stop Right There!!!" she says in her most authoritative tone. The children freeze. "Remember, this is a service dog, just like the last one that used to come here. He is being trained to help people. You cannot pet him and Stay in Your Seats!" As one, with a small groan, the children sink down on their benches. I mouth a "Thank-you" to her and proceed to settle little Piper well over to the side. Piper was very good and quiet and took all the noise, clapping and squirmy kids in stride. He was busy with his toys and chews. As if he were a movie-goer more interested in his popcorn, he would occasionally glance up to see what was on the screen. Later he sprawled belly down on the cool linoleum and rested.

As the play proceeded the director blocked out where each child should stand or move. During the lulls, an occasional child would look over longingly at Piper. One little boy softly said, "That sure is a nice puppy." I smiled and winked. After the hour was up, I let a few say hello, but very soon I had Piper whisked away, down the hall, past the busy entryway and out to the parking lot. He was in good spirits.

It was a successful outing. As the trainers say, set them up for success. Next week I plan to bring Piper again. After all, I am the stage manager and need to gradually get him squared away, so I can actually start helping with the play again. Piper and I will go it "One Step at a Time", which is one of my PR mottoes. Another one, adopted from Search and Rescue is  "Semper Gumby", meaning...Be Flexible!

Hmm, Piper...? I Don't See You In Our System.....

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 is now in their system.
Gaining more than 1 pound per week, 10 week-old Piper now weighs 14.5 lbs. Grow, grow, grow!