Easter "Cousin"

Vinson came along to Easter dinner and spent the afternoon playing with his "cousin", a Shih Tzu named Stewart. Like Vinson and Watson, the two made an odd but happy couple!

Vinson and Stewart

Dog Day Afternoon

Vinson, Watson and I made a visit to Pat and Garcia's house over the weekend. Pat was pet-sitting for two dogs - a chocolate Lab and a cockapoo - and had his own dogs - Garcia, Tye, Minnow, so between us we had a house of seven dogs for the afternoon. What a riot!

Vinson and Watson loved the company and took advantage of the fenced yard to run and play with their new and old pals.

A kitchen full of dogs while Pat cooks

Great New Friends

This morning Vinson had a special opportunity to say hello to the current SESY (Seeing Eye Seminar for Youth) class at The Seeing Eye. A few times a year, The Seeing Eye hosts high school students who are blind or visually impaired for a seminar that includes a chance to experience traveling with a Seeing Eye dog.

Vinson and I entered the meeting room while the students were on break. They immediately noticed the sound of a dog on leash entering the room, and Vinson quickly assumed his spot as the center of attention - petting and lots of kisses ensued.

Another touching Seeing Eye moment...

New Vinson Spring Banner on SeeingEye.org

Vinson's latest banner features a spring theme and is now in rotation on the SeeingEye.org homepage. I used a photo of Vinson and combined it with a shot of two blooming daisies, one of which has a bright red lady bug on it.

and then the Phone Rang

Just got off the phone with Jill, our Puppy Development Area Coordinator. It was the call we knew would be coming soon; Vinson is being summoned back to The Seeing Eye for processing into the training program!

This is a monumental moment in the puppy raising process - the goal we've been shooting for but the bittersweet moment when Vinson's time with us must come to an end.

The Seeing Eye provides raisers with an adequate return window of time to accomodate family planning and allow for flexibility. Vinson must be handed over to Jill between April 23 and May 10.

It should be said that being called back for training does not guarantee Vinson will complete the program. He will go through thorough medical and behavioral evaluations, and then move on to harness training. At any point during this time a problematic issue could eliminate him from guide consideration. But for now, aside from his wild puppy energy, we have no reason to think our little friend won't go on to do big things. And if he doesn't, he's got a permanent home with Sarah, Watson and myself on standby.

Once Vinson goes in, I will no longer be able to interact with him as that can cause distraction and interfere with the need for him to bond with his trainer. This will be difficult for me since I will inevitably see him around campus.

My hope is to have some kennel and training staff share information which I can post on this blog so we can all learn about our pup's experience once they leave us. 

It's just a few weeks now... Stay tuned. The part that people always ask us about is coming.

Airport Video

Here's some video from Vinson's adventures in the airport.

Vinson Goes to the Airport

Newark Airport, a set on Flickr.

If you prefer, you can view all the photos as a slideshow.

In this morning's sunshine many Seeing Eye puppy raising clubs assembled at Newark Liberty Airport for a special outing and new sights and sounds. We had a fantastic turnout with enough raisers and pups to fill four airport buses - I'd guess 90 people and 50+ pups!

This is a very special opportunity to bring these puppies through many experiences in a short time: We circled giant fire and rescue trucks on the tarmac, rode on buses, walked through line queues, experienced slick floor tiles, waited in lines, walked through a tunnel and actually boarded an airliner!

Vinson did very well overall, but in true "Vinny" form, he had a plan to steal the show. While not the only pup to do so, Vinson was the first in the crew to "take care of business" on airport grounds. Despite careful preparation and timing in our morning routine, Vinson pooped on the big sidewalk right out front of the terminal. Not to be outdone, others followed, but Vinson made sure he was the first. A quick cleanup and we were on our way inside.

The above photos show many of the moments from today - I have video clips that I'll post shortly. Special thanks to the club leaders, the raisers, the pups and the good folks at the Port Authority, United Airlines and Newark Airport for a great experience.

Morning Moment

Vinson starts every day like it's going to be the best day yet - smiling, tail wagging and ready to meet and greet the world. Early this morning as we made our way down the long corridor at The Seeing Eye we met up with a large group of students in the new class. The students could hear Vinson's jingling collar and his expressive breathing as he got closer; they asked if they could meet him.

Since the class began yesterday, the students don't have their dogs yet, so interference was not the concern it normally would be for me when working Vinson around class activities. Vinson proudly went directly into the center of the group and made himself comfortable for petting and kisses.

Big smiles were on all faces - including mine and Vinson's - as the students headed out for a morning of training and we headed up to get to work. Another wonderful Vinson moment.

Changing Seasons. Barking Reasons.

With the wildly warm March weather I opened up the windows at home the last few nights and this brought on a new barking behavior. Along with the fresh breeze, the sounds of neighborhood dogs barking also drift in the windows.

Vinson does not bark at other dogs when meeting them or seeing them from a distance, but apparently hearing them without seeing them is a trigger for his bark response. Just goes to show that there are still things to work on regardless of puppy age.

Beyond that, Vinson is visibly maturing and settling down somewhat. Experienced raisers always tell me to expect Vinson to begin to behave really well, just about the time he returns for training. Looks like that may just be the case...

Sharing the Spotlight: Watson Turns Two

Watson loves to squeeze into cozy spots where he shouldn't fit!

Not to be outdone by Vinson's recent birthday, Watson is two years old today and he'll be celebrating with some extra play in the big field on lunch break. Happy birthday, big fella!

On the Ball...

Vinson continues to grow and mature and is starting to look a lot more like his big buddy, Garcia, than the little wild pup he was just a few months ago. Still, hillarity happens.

Vinson had extra energy today since I wasn't able to properly exercise him yesterday, so we headed to The Seeing Eye field this morning. Vinson loved retrieving the ball in the balmy spring air, but at one point he dropped the ball and didn't immediately return to me - a sure sign that he's looking for a place to "park". After he parked I moved in with the bag, but when I got close to the ball I could see why Vinson was staring at it, puzzled. He had somehow managed to poo right on top of the ball.

They sure keep you smiling - somehow even when it's a gross "prank"!

Weigh-In

As of tonight Vinson weighs 56 pounds.

Happy First Birthday, Vinson!

Vinson is one year old today! To celebrate, Sarah made cupcakes for the Seeing Eye staff and took the day off and came to work with Vinson, Watson and myself.

Sarah, Vinson and Ryan

On the table with the cupcakes we posted a collage of photos from the adventurous ten months of Vinson's time with us:

Plenty of great memories

Celebrity Seeing Eye: Two Meet

Vinson had a brush with fame (apart from his own!) today at The Seeing Eye, meeting NBC 4 New York's Janice Huff. Janice was visiting campus in preparation for an upcoming program (I'll post the air dates tomorrow) and took the time to say hello to Vinson and I. While Vinson is not a part of the piece filmed today it will be a great story when it airs.

Show Air Times:

If you are in the NY Metro region, tune in to NBC News Channel 4 on Wednesday, February 29 at 5:30 p.m. or you can catch the repeat airing on Sunday, March 4 during the 7 a.m. news hour.

12 Month Behavioral Assessment

Believe it or not, this was Vinson's official Breeding Station photo!

As a puppy raiser you are required to complete a 6-month and 12-month assessment of the puppy's behavior for The Seeing Eye. I just completed Vinson's 12-month version. The purpose is to let the puppy development team and your area coordinator have very specific information about how the puppy behaves in a variety of situations.

As you all know, Vinson is an incredible dog but he can be quite a challenge and an odd little fellow too. It's super important to be very honest on these assessments so staff from The Seeing Eye can identify patterns, help address particular issues and gauge how the puppy you're raising stacks up against the average.

Topics in the assessment include:

• Training and obedience
• Aggression
• Fear and anxiety
• Separation-related behavior
• Excitability
• Attention-seeking
• Miscellaneous

If you've been following along for the last ten months you probably know which of those topics are and are not issues for Vinson.

Aggression, fear and separation-related are issues we have not had to worry about with Vinson. He loves everyone and every dog he meets and wants to play all the time; and despite being used to being around people nearly 24-hours a day, he also easily quiets down in his crate when we go out to dinner or the like.

Excitability, attention-seeking and miscellaneous on the other hand, well... these are where we've had our struggles. 

The final part of the assessment has a spot for general comments that says "Please describe other bizarre, strange, or repetitive behavior(s)". One only needs to look back through this blog to see examples of these bizarre activities! Here are some highlights from my submitted response:

	Vinson is a wonderful but odd boy! He obsesses over things - paper products are at the top. If you blow your nose and then walk to the garbage with the tissue in your hand he will jump at your hand and try to actually eat the tissue. We recently caught him eating toilet paper directly from the roll, and tissues right out of the box like a self-serve buffet. He would eat a garbage can full of paper towels if uninterrupted. Leaves outside are of little interest until they are scattered by the wind. He begins happily pouncing on them as if they are tiny little toys. Vinson has a fetish for metallic objects and will lick gates, collars, buckles and the like if given the opportunity. Stickers are another paper-based fascination for him. Bar codes on the bottom tray of the crate, price tags on a box - he will lick and chew at them until he has them completely removed if possible.
	Overall, Vinson is one special dog - driven, happy, boisterous, loving and full of personality. He is fearless, non-aggressive and just all around happy. With that said, some of his behaviors are just plain strange and despite our corrections, they continue to occur. He is very high energy and we walk and run him every day, but sometimes even a 3 mile walk is not enough to completely tire him out.

Just like people, every dog is different and unique. Vinson has many more positive than negative qualities and is a wonderful companion. We're hoping we can work through his little oddities so he can be partnered with a student. Time will tell...

Disc Drive

Vinson had a big time a few minutes ago as I introduced him to a new chew-proof Frisbee. He seemed very surprised that if flew so differently from a ball and he was SO proud to bring it back to me, hopping and leaping like a rabbit!

Vinson leaping on his first retrieval of the Frisbee - it looks like he's standing up with his front paws crossed!

Look at me!

Pure joy!

Great success!

Vinson Featured on SeeingEye.org Gift Shop

Vinson seems to pop up everywhere. His latest feature is a new banner on The Seeing Eye's online store homepage. Hard to believe that tiny pup is now 55 pounds of dog!

Vinson at about 5 weeks of age, taken at the Breeding Station

Kicking Up Snow

There is no doubt that Vinson is a particularly high-energy dog, and with the Seeing Eye paths snow-covered this morning it was off to the field instead for some obedience and high energy play. The low angle of the morning sun combined with the fresh dusting of snow made for some great photo moments... and now, all is quiet in the office.

Vinson loves the Planet Dog whistling ball

Full tilt

Flying

Here I come!

Prancer

The return of Dumbo

Here I am!

The investigator

Vinson always sits before the toss

Reflections of a Puppy Raiser

As the days pass, we, like a lot of puppy raisers, have certain thoughts on our mind:

• How will Vinson do in training?
• Will the office be uncomfortably empty when he stops sharing his days with our team?
• Who will his trainer be?
• Who will he be matched with?
• Where will he end up living?
• Will he indeed make it all the way through to the match?

Time will tell...

Come On, Let's Play Ball!

Vinson looking at me as if to say, "Come get the ball from me".

Knowing I had a very busy meeting schedule at work today I wanted to be sure Vinson got some extra exercise this morning, so to the field we went, ball in hand. Vinson had a blast as always and is presently snoring on the office floor in the sunshine.