8 Months Old

Biscuit's Notes:  It has been a long and busy month and I look forward to the times when I can just relax.  It has come to the point that I don't even mind the time I spend in my kennel.  First we took a VERY long car ride to the beach (to hear about that adventure, check this out), and then after all that fun we finally get home when we jump in the car again to stay at another house.  I liked that house, it has lots of flowers to run around in and a big yard to play in.   When we jumped in the car again I thought we might be going home, but instead we went to a new place and it was COLD.  It was also very noisy.  I did not like that noise.  I barked when they blew the first whistle to tell them so!  Back in the car again but I was glad to see my home, my yard and my Lia.  It has been a couple of weeks since then and things were settling down, I was content when my human brought home my favorite thing ever, she calls it a Gimli!  I love it!  It is my favorite thing ever.  I chase it, I play with it.  I share all my toys, I show him how to do things.  I help him eat his food and show him how to get treats.  I love this thing.  This is the life!

 

Lia's Notes:  Sigh.  What a crazy busy life.  There is ANOTHER puppy visiting again, plus Biscuit so I went from being exhausted to just done in.  I give up.  I let those puppies run around and I just ignore them.  Actually having two puppies is not a bad idea.  They chase each other, and let me be.  At least that is what I thought would happen.......but, that little one.......he seems to have developed quite the crush on me.  Won't leave me alone.  Follows me like a, well like a, love sick puppy.  I regally ignore him and go about my day.  Sigh.  I have a tough life.

 Gimli's Notes:  I don't know what to think.  I am a brave little guy who lives with a great family with four little kids.  I normally run and play all day, at least I thought I did, until I came here and met Biscuit. And Lia.  Oh, I think I love it here.  Biscuit is not a bad guy.  He is just my speed and will run and play, but you have got to see my favorite game.  The human makes him sit (or my favorite lay) down and 'leave it' and I run around, run around, run around.  I actually like to run in circles around Biscuit and even jump over him!  He is not going to get me!  He will just sit there while I do this.  It is hillarious and I love it!  But you know what I really love?  LIA.  She is wonderful, she is so sweet.  She is the best dog ever.  I would follow her anywhere just to sit there and look at her.  I love it here and hope I never have to leave.

 Susan's Notes:  It has been a long and eventful month.  We started with our trip to Florida where I got to trade dog sitting my sister's 3 pouches with Biscuit's help for staying in her (near the beach) house.  Biscuit was great, but our adventures were just beginning.  We returned to PA to house-sit for my parents where Biscuit and Lia can run through and hopefully not do too much damage to my mother's well tended garden.  Then off to Buffalo NY where Biscuit helped me cheer on my brother at his sled hockey games.  Beyond the exposure to the COLD climate this was great exposure to wheel-chairs, crutches and people of many different abilities.  He did not blink at any of this....what he did blink about were the whistles during the game and the COLD benches.  He also had his first hotel stay and did very well.  Not a single problem.  Finally we have returned home and things were going back to the routine when I offered to pet sit for little Gimli.  I have not had the heart to tell the "boys" that he is going back to his own home in just two days.  During this time, Biscuit has also had the chance to visit Ross Park Mall several times while 'my' boys had Apple Camp.  You can see him here doing a masterful 'under' and 'stay' while we worked hard.  He also did very well with the kids in the play place where he got to practice down, stay and ignoring all the kids as they run around......and sometimes come to visit.  My favorite was the little toddlers.  We had one that thought he was playing tag with Biscuit, even though Biscuit never moved.  Then another who found a book and just wanted to read to Biscuit!  He also finished his obedience classes (finished, not mastered or graduated).  He was the dunce of his novice class, and we still have a lot of work to do, especially concerning STAY but we are having fun learning and every new challenge is more fun.

  


Notes about Sled Hockey:  If you don't know what sled hockey is, you HAVE to check it out.  This site, and the associated film ICE WARRIORS is a great resource to learn more.  My brother Dan (seen above, he is the one that Biscuit is hanging out with and then the one in red in the second photo) has long played sled hockey and this is where I first began thinking about helping with a service dog.  Though Dan does not need a service dog, there are a couple of players that we have seen with their assistance dogs.  It is amazing what these dogs can and will do for their clients, and I am able to give just a little back and help someone like that in the future by raising Biscuit.  The people who think assistance dogs have a rough life and do nothing but work have obviously never seen an assistance dog prancing on the ice or cheering on their human during a game, these dogs LOVE what they do and Biscuit will one day be just like them........though no one knows what climate he will land in.  Isn't it great he has now seen both the hot beach and the cold ice, all in one month!?  What's next?!