Milano update

Here's Milano! Amy sent updated pictures and Milano looks great!! I miss having her, but school has been so busy (I'm in my last class before I officially graduate with degrees in Deaf Studies and Criminal Justice).

Milano - 16 months video

Milano is doing well in her training and still having fun and enjoying life everyday! She is such a happy puppy :) Milano will go back to CCI for advanced training in August. Two of her siblings, Mica and Maura already went back to CCI in the NCR. Best wishes for them!!

Milano's fun filled weekend!!

Milano has had a great weekend!! Check out these fun pictures her other
puppy raiser sent to me. Looks like she had a blast!!

Fun in the sun!

Milano and Shawn are at Lisa's Sigma Kappa kickball tournament. It's
such a nice day here in Sacramento!

Makia II

I recieved an email from Makia's puppy raiser. Sounds like she is doing well :) Here are some pictures of her:

Milano's busy weekend...Cal-Ed, mall and GRC Crab Feed

Milano had a very busy weekend with me! It started on Friday when we went to the Sheraton downtown to help set up for Cal-Ed, a conference for teachers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in California. Milano was awesome, hanging out as I helped set up rooms and tables. She was happy to walk with me around the hotel, hang out under and table or anything else that I asked her to do. She was perfect during a workshop that I sat in and overall was very comfortable with the conference and people around the hotel. After Cal-Ed I went to the Roseville Galleria to see a friend after he shaved his head for donations for cancer research, for more information check out his site! The mall was very busy and Milano was a little stressed by the amount of people, but it was a stressful environment and she handled it well. After the mall we went to the GRC's Crab Feed to sell raffle tickets. Milano was great again :)

Back to school

Milano had a week at the office, now it's back to school for her. She
loved getting some attention before class started. Such a great puppy!!

Milano's home until August

Just received word today that Milano will be going to Advanced Training in August (there were some thoughts that it could be May). So we get an extra 3 months with her, she would have been ready for AT in May, but it's always nice to give them a little more time to mature. Looks like Milano made the cut by 1 litter letter.

Milano's turn in date is August 13, 2010

BOBBY

Over the weekend CCI's famous breeder Bobby passed away. Bobby was 14 years old and has many graduates and breeders. His legacy and great service dog tempermant will live on in his puppies! Bobby is related to oaver 3,300 CCI dogs!!

Milano is related to Bobby, here's how:

Milano (LAWRENCE II X CHANDRA)
Lawrence II (BAUMANN X KEENA)
Baumann (HANFORD II X QUINTARA II)
Quintara II (BOBBY X OKLAHOMA)

Milano's busy day

Milano had a busy day today. It started out with her going out
rollerblading with me (her 1st time since she just turned a year old).
Milano was so good, still maintained position and didn't pass my knee.
After rollerblading we went to the park and Milano worked on her
commands on the play structure. She did "up", "jump", "under", "stand",
etc all on different surfaces and from different angles. After the park
we went home for awhile before going to school. Milano got to sleep
during my ASL literature class then we had a break where she was able to
sleep more while I hung out with friends before my last class that
started at 5:30. Milano was great all day, no problems, her confidence
level has really grown.

Milano at 13 months

Milano is 13 months old today, it's hard to believe that she's already this old and that she'll be going back to CCI soon (May or August). She is such a sweet, fun and smart puppy! Everyone that meets her falls in love with her.

 

 

Milano's back

Milano is back with me for a few weeks. It was so much fun taking her
back to school today (the first time for this semester). Milano was
happy to see my friends, so cute that she remembers everyone. After
school we went to the gym, the people at Cal Fit needed a little
education on service dogs and puppies in training. Now they know, thanks
to me and my friend informing them. Milano slept the entire time we were
on the bike and then we went to dinner where she was perfect again! Such
a good girl. When we got home I started to do homework and Milano looked
bored, I told her to go and get a toy and she ran to my room and found
her stuffed monkey. She was entertained and I was entertained watching
her have fun. Now she's sleeping at my feet.

Milano is home!!

Milano has been at CCI for the last 3 weeks and she finally was able to
come home today!! She was so excited to see me, it was nice to know she
missed me :) I haven't seen her in about a month. Tomorrow she will go
to her co-puppy raiser and then I'll get her back on the 18th. Milano's
fur seems to be thicker, but other than that she's the same Milano :)
I'm really looking forward to taking her to school, she hasn't been with
me at all this semester! So it'll be really nice to have her with me
again.

Milano's in a photo contest!!

Check out Milano's photo on Snobby Dogs her picture is titled "A Miracle in the Making". I'm not sure what the prize is, but it's great exposure for CCI :)

Happy 1st Birthday Milano!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Milano!!!! What a great year it has been and I'm looking forward to the next year ahead. Milano will turn in to CCI in August on then hopefully graduate next February, as we all know it's up to the dogs, but Milano has a great temperament and would make an awesome Service Dog!!

 

This year we've gone to school, basketball games, sporting events, malls, airport, shopping trips, Lake Tahoe, my sisters sorority events, friends houses, etc. Milano has been exposed to everything possible and we're still working on taking her to more places. So happy birthday Milano, can't wait for the next year ahead!!

 

 

Crab feed for CCI

Annual Crabfeed hosted by CCI Gold Rush Champion Puppy Raisers and the Lions of District 4-C5 benefitting the Canine Companions for Independence program. Features Crab & Shrimp served family style with all the profits given directly to the puppy raising and training program.

$40 per person

DATE
SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2010
6:00 PM - 11:30 PM
$40 PER PERSON

LOCATION
JONES HALL, PLACER CO FAIR GROUNDS
600 LAWTON AVE
ROSEVILLE, CA 95678

"How do you give them up?"

A question we hear a lot as puppy raisers is how do you give them up? I always say that I know what I am getting into when I sign up for a puppy and that getting another puppy is always helpful in the process. But really it is so much more than that, I really don't see how I could not raise a puppy. Not only do these dogs do amazing things, but because of "my" dogs I have met my best friends and had wonderful experiences that I would not have otherwise had if it were not for the dogs. I am so thankful for every dog that I have raised and the opportunity to meet new people and the possibility of giving someone the gift of one of the dogs that I have raised is just so special. I started raising puppies when I was 16 and a Junior in High School, since then I've turned in 5 puppies and am on my 6th. For me turn in isn't as hard as it once was, but the waiting process of seeing what the dogs choose is the hardest. What some people don't understand is that working is completely up to the dog, there is no training that will make a dog something that they are not meant to be. Getting the call that "my" dog was graduating was probably one of the best feelings of my life. So sure, I will cry when I turn them in and I will for sure cry when they graduate, but those tears are so much different, they are tears of joy and of all the hard work, patience, repetition and watching that puppy finally have something click where they understand what you are asking of them. So when I am asked how can you give them up? I know that for me it's much deeper than that, it's not just giving back a dog that I have shared the last 18-20 months with. It's giving back a dog that is ready for it's next journey in life, it's purpose. I don't need the dog, as much as I love them, I don't "need" them. There will be another puppy that I will get to share part of my life with and new opportunities and learning experiences with that puppy that I'll look forward to. Because as much as raising a service dog is about helping others, as CCI's website says "transform someones life by raising a service dog. Yours included". And I know from experience that this is true, my life has changed for the better because of Kedra, Hiltie, Shawn, McKenna, Omeeka & Milano!!



No words needed...

Distraction class on the tennis court

Today we had puppy class on the tennis court for all CCI classes. Milano did really well. She worked off leash on heel and side. We did down stays and recalls from across the court, only calling 2 dogs at a time and the other dogs had to hold their downs.

Milano's back

Here's Milano after my Deaf culture class that I'm taking during winter
session. Milano was so cute using my friend Sydney's bag as a pillow.

Milano's busy day at the Mall

Yesterday my friend and I took Milano to the mall for some training. It
was a great experience for her with all the people doing last minute
shopping. We worked on Lets Go, Heel, Under, Side, Sit, Down, Here,
Jump, Up, Visit, Shake and a few others. Milano was great, she's a very
smart puppy.

Milano is going back to her co-raiser tonight to spend Christmas with
her. I'm going to Tahoe with Shawn and my family.

Milano at the Gym

Milano is a great workout partner, she hangs out in the gym during my 2
hour workouts. Such a great puppy, it's hard to believe that she's only
11 months old.

Thanks Bayer!

Last week at the gym when I had Milano with me I met someone who works for Bayer, and she was very nice and said she would send Milano Advantage for free, such a great help with the cost of the flea and heartguard medication going up. So a big THANK YOU to Bayer!

Milano and the world's largest puzzle!

Here's a picture of Milano in front of the World's largest puzzle!! It's at my friends house and her family is in the Guiness Book of World
Records for completing the puzzle first in the world!! Very cool :)

Milano's play time at school

It was a very long week at school for Milano and I. Last night we had an ASL Club Meeting. After it was over and the buliding was shut down we let Milano get out some energy before leaving for the night. With all the rain we've been having in Sacramento she hasn't been getting a lot of play time, so this was a great opportunity to let her get some energy out and work on recalls (yes, I know the body slamming when she reaches us needs to be toned down A LOT, but she is still young and has time to work on this, other than that her recalls are GREAT!) Milano is so patient and works hard, but she also knows how to play hard :) Such a great puppy, I have very high hopes for her!! Today we went to the gym for about 2 hours and she was perfect!

End of the semester at Sac State

It's the end of the semester at Sac State and I'm one semester away from graduation! Next May I'll be graduating with a Double Major in Deaf Studies and Criminal Justice. Milano has been switching between myself and her co-puppy raiser, it's been so nice having a co-puppy raiser, especially with my busy school schedule. We've had a few long days this week and tomorrow will be another long day, but Milano handles it like a pro! Only at home does she get her energy out, it's pretty cute :) She runs in circles as the video shows, but now she's sleeping at my feet.

Happy 7th Birthday Hiltie!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Hiltie!!!!

Hiltie was my 2nd puppy born to OMSI x Taiko. From the first time I saw her at 4 weeks old I fell in love, she was the BEST puppy to raise and I am so thankful for the time I had with such an amazing dog. Hiltie graduated as a Skilled Companion, there was no doubt she would graduate. LOVE you always Hiltie!