Harriet the Service Dog!

     This picture of me was taken almost two years ago. Yes, I know I was adorable. Lots of dog bones have gone over the bridge since then. But I want to tell you what's happened since my last update - when I went to Puppy College last August.
     Actually, it's called Canine Companions for Independence Professional Training. But I call it Puppy College because, when someone asks my PR mom, "How can you give up your puppy after raising her all these months?" she answers, "It's like sending your child to college. You miss her, but you want her to be there. And you hope she'll graduate and get a job."               
     I don't have many pictures for this update, but I can still tell you about it. (It'll take longer, though.) And I'll give you a link further down the page so you can see something else interesting if you want to.
     Puppy College is different from home. We sleep in kennels. A kennel is a crate, only it's the size of a small bathroom. They give us roommates, so we're never lonely. The music of a dozen and a half dogs all singing together in an acoustically perfect doggy dorm is... lovely! After you get used to it.
     They let us play together - first just the roommates, and then in small groups. I didn't know they were checking us out to see how we acted. I love to play! I like to be the first on the playground, running the fastest, grabbing toys, bouncing around. They thought, "Hmmm... is Harriet too aggressive?" But they gave me a chance.
     They examined me - hips, elbows, eyes, feet, skin, fur, ears, heart, lungs, all the rest. You have to be healthy to be a service dog because it's hard work.
     Our classes were in a big room. We had to share our trainer. We'd be tethered to a place by the wall, and we'd practice our Downs and Quiets while somebody else had a turn. We'd also go on field trips to see how much we'd remember outside the classroom. Did I remember? Well, sometimes!
     Here's a link you can click on to see more of what our college days are like.


http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2876986/600066866/name/NWR 


You won't find me in the pictures.  CCI has five training centers. This one is in California, but farther up the road.
     My PRs received a report card about me every month. They'd read things like:  "Harriet is doing very well with her commands. But she is very excitable with people - she jumps and has trouble settling down. And when she plays with other dogs, she barks and plays roughly. She's immature. We'll have to see if she can grow up enough to be a service dog."
     All I can say is that I didn't know they knew my mind so well. Those are smart people at Oceanside.
     My PRs kept waiting for the call that I was going to be released. But in January's report card they read:  "If all goes well, Harriet will go into Team Training soon." They almost fainted! They love me dearly, but they didn't think I'd get this far.
     Team Training is like this:  Many people want a CCI dog. Each one must fill out an application. Each must go through interviews. CCI wants to be sure that the person has a need the dog can meet; that the person (or person's family) will take good care of the dog; and that the person likes dogs, because you can't do well with an assistant you don't like. Hey, we're not robots - we're living creatures! It isn't like buying a car!
     If the person gets through those hoops, the name goes on a list. When the name comes up again, and if there is a pup who might be a good match, that person gets a call:  "Can you come here to live for two weeks? We may have a dog for you."
     Team training is when a bunch of us dogs meet a bunch of those people. I met this one and that one, and the CCI folks finally said, "Let's try Harriet with this girl and see what happens."
    So I met Siobhan.

     You may pronounce her name "Sha-vohn." I pronounce it "Woof!" with two tailwags. Siobhan (woof, wag, wag) lives in California with her parents, who were at Team Training, too, because they are part of her team.     
     Dogs in Team Training work hard. You have to be nice and polite to everybody - and "everybody" is a lot of people! Instead of listening to your trainer, you have to learn to listen to new people and do as they ask. We have to get used to someone else's voice and personality if we're going to be good assistants.     
     The people work even harder. They have to learn about taking care of a dog. They have to learn the right ways to do things with their dogs. We are pack animals, so we need leaders we respect. So they have to learn to be leaders. Each one has to learn to sound like a boss (not bossy, though). It sometimes got tiring!
     Siobhan didn't have much trouble, though. She's had a CCI Skilled Companion dog before - a black Lab named Gaynor. In fact, if you get the book Love Heels by Patricia Dibsie, you can read all about Siobhan and Gaynor.

And I am Siobhan's next Skilled Companion!

     On February 17th, I graduated and became a CCI dog. My PR mom couldn't be there, but my dad was. He got to be part of the ceremony and present me to Siobhan and her parents.
     Now I get to wear a blue cape instead of the pup-in-training yellow one. Blue goes well with my yellow fur, I think.

Siobhan and I are in our home now, but we're still learning to be a team. We're getting closer, and I'm happy that she's my boss. When I have my, ahem, blue cape on, and we're out and about, I am absolutely perfect. I know my commands and act like a lady. When we are home and my cape is off, I sometimes take a nap.  But most of all I like to race around the back yard and find things to carry in my mouth. I consider that one of my best responsibilities:  comic relief.
     Three cheers for Siobhan (woof, wag, wag)! Three cheers for CCI (row-WOOO)! Three cheers and a couple of big dog biscuits for Harriet III!

     P.S.  For those of you who have read my other blog updates - my nose never did turn pink. Hee hee.