So, I've just had word that there may be a placement soon for Ruby! That's all we know right now; Mr. Raiser and I have no idea in what capacity Roo will be placed. But wherever she's destined to live, our greatest wish is that she's happy...and that her happiness will bring as many smiles to her new family as she brought to ours.
The day I received the email about Ruby, I also received a preview copy of the new book, Awkward Family Pet Photos, and the timing was perfect. I'm a big fan of the site, Awkward Family Photos, and during our Ruby Year and a Half, you can bet there were a lot of awkward, silly, and goofy shots along the way.
Jeff lifting his leg
Ruby laughing at me at Jax
Something with Ruby and Kiva
Awkward Family Pet Photos is a collection of some of the funniest, silliest, and goofiest shots of humans posing with their dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds. And reptiles. Not to mention monkeys. And a cheetah and maybe even a porcupine, but you'll just have to see the book. But no matter how goofy, every photo is really a love story of these families and their pets who are so precious.
To celebrate Ruby's final step toward placement, we're giving away a copy of Awkward Family Pet Photos to a lucky Raising Ruby reader. Just leave a comment letting me know
November 3, 2011
October 24, 2011
Raising Ruby in Mile High Dog Magazine
Cover dog, Caitee, is a first responder with a local Colorado police department and she's got a pretty important job. She provides emotional support to victims of violent crimes, including children who must testify in court. As the article explains, dogs like Caitee can work magic on the psyche of a physically or emotionally wounded person.
I'm proud to have contributed a piece on my service puppy raising experience for this issue. If you'd like to know more about Ruby and me, and get a feel for the incredible journey it is to raise a service puppy, just click on the cover image or this link to read our story: Raising Ruby in Mile High Dog.
September 30, 2011
Photo Pupdate: Designated Driver
Still feels like summer here in Colorado! Sunny, 80s, a good time for another round of golf.
Roo's friend is pouting because Ruby got a few pars and won the match!
Sue also let me know that Ruby will be finishing up her training in another location. Paws crossed that Ruby will be placed soon, and many thanks to Sue for keeping us up-to-date with all the wonderful photos of Ruby's advanced training over the past year.
Roo's friend is pouting because Ruby got a few pars and won the match!
Sue also let me know that Ruby will be finishing up her training in another location. Paws crossed that Ruby will be placed soon, and many thanks to Sue for keeping us up-to-date with all the wonderful photos of Ruby's advanced training over the past year.
September 12, 2011
September 6, 2011
We'll Just Have A Salad, Thanks
Here's Ruby and friends just saying "no" to some tempting hot dog tidbits. Service dogs in training learn not to pick up stray morsels of food, so excellent work, you guys! Although when it comes to hot dogs, maybe the Roo Crew is just as tired of BBQ after a long holiday weekend as the rest of us!
September 2, 2011
Service Puppy William & Service Puppy Wrangler Kiva
Hey! Is my boyfriend, service puppy William, trying to sneak a kiss on a Kiva? Aww, Kiva's not really into the mushy stuff, but she couldn't resist your charms, little guy. You got her frolicking a bit and loosening up those old bones, and that does her (and her mom's) heart a lot of good.
August 29, 2011
Smilin' Pups
Puppy kisses, congratulations to all, and our great appreciation to everyone who voted for Raising Ruby in the Petties Awards — we may not have fetched the title this year, but our readers and friends always make us feel like winners! I am so thankful for all of your support in spreading the word about service dogs and the independence they can help bring to people with disabilities.
I'm also very grateful for your many kind comments and emails on my previous post about Kiva. I love reading about your experiences and sharing tips and suggestions on how we can provide the fullest lives possible for our senior dogs. If you have a question, a solution, or just feel like chatting about the precious old dog who shares your life and heart, feel free to contact me anytime!
Enjoy each day!
August 18, 2011
Old Dog
People frequently tell me there's no way they could ever raise a service puppy, because it would be too hard to give them up. Each person knows what they are able to bear, so I completely understand the sentiment behind that statement. Having raised both service and pet dogs, though, I find it much easier to lose a dog to life than the inevitable alternative.
Ruby is my sweetheart. But Kiva is my soulmate. We met Kiva when she was six weeks old, took her home at eight weeks, and then, since her sixth birthday, I've had a kind of odd relationship with her aging process. I think that no matter how much we celebrate with cake and presents, no one really enjoys watching those canine birthdays rack up, because we unfortunately get so few of them. But I've come to love each birthday as a celebration of what she's had rather than a worry about what she'd have left.
When Kiva got cancer at six years old, I never thought I'd see her reach seven or eight. She did. And then she hit nine. Nine is the number I always really hated thinking about in a dog; to me, it's the age that signifies the official beginning of what a friend calls, "the worry years." But she had survived cancer and hit nine and I felt jubilant.
Ten? I was triumphant. Eleven, ecstatic. Twelve was the birthday where I absolutely rejoiced. She had lived six years past her sixth year. I had been given the remarkable gift of a second lifetime with her.
Now that Kiva is thirteen years old, it's the extra cherry on top of the cherry on top. As she so patiently taught me (while I agonized over her cancer diagnosis and she exhiliratingly lived her life despite it): "Dude. Put down the tissue box and enjoy each day." And I really do. But there are some realities about my old—and I can't tell you how grateful I am to be able to use that word, that she made it to old!—dog that I've recently had to face. The most challenging is what her veterinarians believe is a degenerative spinal disorder. It's been gradual but steady and it's difficult to watch the back half of your dog in terminal disagreement with her front half.
She's still eager, curious, and playful, though. And hungry. For chicken and cheese and life. We've changed her activities to match her capabilities, but we've never altered the fun. Old dogs still love fun as much as pups do! So maybe it's two short walks a day rather than one longer one. No more strenuous mountain hikes, but lots of good, brisk swims. She still wants to play catch, but I put her in a "down" and toss her soft line drives now, keeping all those paws safely on the ground.
And we've kept our tradition of shaking off the summertime blues with a roll in the snow. Last July, we took Ruby and Kiva to St. Mary's Glacier here in Colorado. It was a bit of a walk up to the snowfield, but at that time, Kiva could handle it.
This year, we took a weekend road trip up to the Snowy Range in Wyoming instead. We enjoyed easy access to crystal lakes, cool green meadows bursting with wildflowers, and frosty snowfields. Wyoming is delicious this time of year!
And not just for senior dogs. Here's Kiva's over-the-hill mom...well, trying to make it over the hill. Yep, that's me wiping out and about to land smack on my butt as gracefully as possible.
A great time was had by all. As long as Kiva still wants to have fun, we'll find it for her. It's just become time to discover it in different places and ways.
I want to thank two wonderful people who are helping me navigate the challenges of Kiva's senior years. Their advice and friendship have been invaluable to me.
Jenny Kachnic is service pup William's mom. Besides sharing the joy of her service puppy with me, she cares for my Kiva with gentle massages and is very knowledgeable about the issues and challenges facing dogs (and their owners) during the senior years. Her upcoming book, Your Dog's Golden Years, will contain chapters from 18 canine professionals with information and options to help senior dogs live longer, happier lives.
Chandra Conway writes the blog, Daley's Dog Years, a great resource for advice on senior dog health, and information on the topic of canine degenerative spinal issues. I'm grateful to Chandra for her warm encouragement and for sharing the knowledge she gained during her search for treatment and therapies for her chocolate Lab, Daley.
For information on how to help improve the lives of homeless senior dogs, please visit The Grey Muzzle Organization.
Ruby is my sweetheart. But Kiva is my soulmate. We met Kiva when she was six weeks old, took her home at eight weeks, and then, since her sixth birthday, I've had a kind of odd relationship with her aging process. I think that no matter how much we celebrate with cake and presents, no one really enjoys watching those canine birthdays rack up, because we unfortunately get so few of them. But I've come to love each birthday as a celebration of what she's had rather than a worry about what she'd have left.
When Kiva got cancer at six years old, I never thought I'd see her reach seven or eight. She did. And then she hit nine. Nine is the number I always really hated thinking about in a dog; to me, it's the age that signifies the official beginning of what a friend calls, "the worry years." But she had survived cancer and hit nine and I felt jubilant.
Ten? I was triumphant. Eleven, ecstatic. Twelve was the birthday where I absolutely rejoiced. She had lived six years past her sixth year. I had been given the remarkable gift of a second lifetime with her.
Now that Kiva is thirteen years old, it's the extra cherry on top of the cherry on top. As she so patiently taught me (while I agonized over her cancer diagnosis and she exhiliratingly lived her life despite it): "Dude. Put down the tissue box and enjoy each day." And I really do. But there are some realities about my old—and I can't tell you how grateful I am to be able to use that word, that she made it to old!—dog that I've recently had to face. The most challenging is what her veterinarians believe is a degenerative spinal disorder. It's been gradual but steady and it's difficult to watch the back half of your dog in terminal disagreement with her front half.
She's still eager, curious, and playful, though. And hungry. For chicken and cheese and life. We've changed her activities to match her capabilities, but we've never altered the fun. Old dogs still love fun as much as pups do! So maybe it's two short walks a day rather than one longer one. No more strenuous mountain hikes, but lots of good, brisk swims. She still wants to play catch, but I put her in a "down" and toss her soft line drives now, keeping all those paws safely on the ground.
And we've kept our tradition of shaking off the summertime blues with a roll in the snow. Last July, we took Ruby and Kiva to St. Mary's Glacier here in Colorado. It was a bit of a walk up to the snowfield, but at that time, Kiva could handle it.
This year, we took a weekend road trip up to the Snowy Range in Wyoming instead. We enjoyed easy access to crystal lakes, cool green meadows bursting with wildflowers, and frosty snowfields. Wyoming is delicious this time of year!
And not just for senior dogs. Here's Kiva's over-the-hill mom...well, trying to make it over the hill. Yep, that's me wiping out and about to land smack on my butt as gracefully as possible.
A great time was had by all. As long as Kiva still wants to have fun, we'll find it for her. It's just become time to discover it in different places and ways.
I want to thank two wonderful people who are helping me navigate the challenges of Kiva's senior years. Their advice and friendship have been invaluable to me.
Jenny Kachnic is service pup William's mom. Besides sharing the joy of her service puppy with me, she cares for my Kiva with gentle massages and is very knowledgeable about the issues and challenges facing dogs (and their owners) during the senior years. Her upcoming book, Your Dog's Golden Years, will contain chapters from 18 canine professionals with information and options to help senior dogs live longer, happier lives.
Chandra Conway writes the blog, Daley's Dog Years, a great resource for advice on senior dog health, and information on the topic of canine degenerative spinal issues. I'm grateful to Chandra for her warm encouragement and for sharing the knowledge she gained during her search for treatment and therapies for her chocolate Lab, Daley.
For information on how to help improve the lives of homeless senior dogs, please visit The Grey Muzzle Organization.
August 8, 2011
Pupdate: On The Lift
When Ruby was a pup, we worked with the funny sensation of motion. At three months old, she rode an elevator for the first time. I took her to a swaying dock and for rides on trains and buses. I also made sure she walked on all kinds of surfaces including metal grates. Early exposure like this helps in her later education, because as a service dog for a person with a mobility-related disability, Ruby needs to be completely comfortable accessing a train, bus, or van on a motorized lift.
I just received these photos and it looks like Ruby is doing really well with this exercise in advanced training. Here she is with her twin, Racine, as they experience the van lift...
then Roo waits patiently on the van as her trainer gets situated.
A few years ago, I was assisting an advanced trainer as she placed a service dog with a gentleman who had quadriplegia. He was a big fellow, strong and determined, very active in sports prior to his injury. After our training session, he and I waited together for the bus to take him home. He told me how he was looking so forward to having a service dog by his side as he took public transportation, because it was one of the hardest things he had to do as a person living with a disability.
It wasn't the physical aspect of boarding the bus that was so difficult, he explained. It was because of the many stares and glares he would get as the other passengers had to wait for the ramp to lower and rise. He told me that people would also make rude comments about him, loudly, as if he couldn't hear them. Or maybe, he said, they knew he could hear them. He described his mortification—he didn't want to inconvenience people or make them wait—and told me very honestly that it often made him cry. He was devastated, daily, by the little cruelties he experienced simply from having to go through his day a little differently than most people.
Sometimes it does take a few extra seconds to wait. But in those few seconds, it's so easy to be kind.
Thank you to Sue and to Ruby's advanced trainer for the wonderful photos.
I just received these photos and it looks like Ruby is doing really well with this exercise in advanced training. Here she is with her twin, Racine, as they experience the van lift...
then Roo waits patiently on the van as her trainer gets situated.
A few years ago, I was assisting an advanced trainer as she placed a service dog with a gentleman who had quadriplegia. He was a big fellow, strong and determined, very active in sports prior to his injury. After our training session, he and I waited together for the bus to take him home. He told me how he was looking so forward to having a service dog by his side as he took public transportation, because it was one of the hardest things he had to do as a person living with a disability.
It wasn't the physical aspect of boarding the bus that was so difficult, he explained. It was because of the many stares and glares he would get as the other passengers had to wait for the ramp to lower and rise. He told me that people would also make rude comments about him, loudly, as if he couldn't hear them. Or maybe, he said, they knew he could hear them. He described his mortification—he didn't want to inconvenience people or make them wait—and told me very honestly that it often made him cry. He was devastated, daily, by the little cruelties he experienced simply from having to go through his day a little differently than most people.
Sometimes it does take a few extra seconds to wait. But in those few seconds, it's so easy to be kind.
Thank you to Sue and to Ruby's advanced trainer for the wonderful photos.
August 1, 2011
Just A Question...
Anyone else's dog like to put their paws up on the ottoman while they watch TV?
Mine does.
We all love our cozy creature comforts...especially old gals like Kiva 'n me. Sometimes you just want to kick back and relax – even on a road trip – and this week, cool new travel blog Fathom chills out with us! Take a look: Dog Digs the Spa
We all love our cozy creature comforts...especially old gals like Kiva 'n me. Sometimes you just want to kick back and relax – even on a road trip – and this week, cool new travel blog Fathom chills out with us! Take a look: Dog Digs the Spa
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