Hermes and Halette

Today was one of those days where it's good to be a pet. I just slept for hours (on the bed when both of the grandparents were out) and then playing with Rosie a little and then slept some more.

Seeing as today was a lazy day, I thought I'd give you an update on my two siblings still in training. Both Halette and Hermes are in the final phase of their formal training! Yay! I'm really proud of my brother and sister and hope to hear that they will be graduating as Guides soon.

As for me, I'm happy being a pet.

Love and Lab Kisses,
Hilly

My New Job!

Hey guys! I know I haven't been updating all that often. I've been soooo busy. Life as a pet is harder than people let on.

My "grandparents" went out of town last weekend and we had a sitter the whole weekend. This was my first weekend without one of my people so I wasn't sure at first, but Shannon was really, really fun. So they are allowed to go away more often now.

Also! Guess what came finally! My Pet Ambassador Scarf! I'm soooo excited to finally have this. My grandparents surprised me by taking me to a group fundraiser so I was able to wear my scarf and see my friends again! I can't wait for Momma to get back so I can wear it all the time.

Me laying down like a good pet ambassador should.

I also heard that my second raiser Momma (I've had three raiser Mommas) might be coming to visit over the summer. I hope she does!

I'll let you you all know the next time something fun happens!

Love and Lab Kisses,
Hilly

Tricks #3,#4, and #5

I'm doing some more tricks for you guys today. The first one is called "Which One?" Momma says it's an extension of "Shake" and "High Five". All I know is that if I pick the right hand I get the treat! The second one is "Roll Over". I really, really like rolling over, but not as much I like playing dead! That is the best trick ever! Momma says "Bang! Dead Dog!" and I play dead until she says, "Come back to Life!" Unfortunately, I was just so excited to film these tricks for you that I just couldn't wait until she told me to come back to life, but you all know that I'm not really dead so she didn't think it mattered. She thinks this one will be a real big hit if we end up working with children in our future Therapy Work.

Momma is still trying to figure out how to film the other of my trick that involve her body. I'm thinking about creating a page about all my tricks, but it's still a work in progress right now.

Love and Lab Kisses,

Hilly

Tricks #1 and #2

Since I've been released from Guide Dogging my Momma thought it would be cool to teach me some new tricks. I absolutely LOVE doing these because I get food when I do them! What blab doesn't love getting food for pleasing her person? Plus, Momma says these will be fun for kids to do with me once I get into therapy work (we've been talking about it and we've almost decided what we wanna go into).

Anyway! Back to my cool tricks! I thought I would post videos of me doing some of these tricks. I didn't want to do all of the tricks in one post, so today I decided to do "shake" and "high five". Unfortunately since I am a BLAB ( black lab for those of you who don't know) I sometimes don't video or photo all that well, but you still can see me doing all the stuff. The first video is of my doing "shake" and the second is of me doing "high five".

Love and Lab Kisses,

Hilly

First Post and 17 Months

Hey Guys! My Momma let me start this blog so that all of my blogger friends can keep up to date with what's going on with me. For those of you who don't know me yet, let me introduce myself.

My name is Hilly, I'm a black lab, and I'm not really your average dog. I started my life as a Guide Dog Puppy in Training for Guide Dogs for the Blind. I started off with my first Momma and then came to my current home to finish up my training. You see, I really like other dogs and my first Momma needed a little help to get me past that issue. So Guide Dogs sent me to my new Momma because she is experienced in dogs like me. Well, two weeks ago Jim, Jim's the big boss man for us puppies in training, came to take a look at me. He was really, really impressed with how far I had come along since he first saw me. He was all set to send me in for my advanced training when he asked my Momma the "million dollar question." He asked how I was around dogs I didn't know all that good. Well...I'm not perfect around them. I just wanna play so bad that sometimes I whine in hopes that Momma will let me go sniff and say hello (she never does though). It was decided right then and there that I would be dropped from the program. So, now, I'm what my Momma calls "her Career Changed."

I'm a "Career Change" because now I've got another really important job. I'm my Momma's forever girl. This means I have to do a lot of hard things. It's not easy being a pet. She also says that when she's done with her advanced training (she calls it University) that she'll certify me as a Therapy Dog! That means I'd get to go lay around with people and be loved on all the time. That sounds like a pretty good job to me!

Anyway, Momma wanted me to do a 17 Month post. She says it's "a send off from your training life and into your pet life." Whatever that means. I guess it's because she normally wouldn't have me for very long so she counts her time with her puppies in training by month. So, this is my 17 Things at 17 Months post.

17 Things I'm Loving about the Career Change Life

1. Sleeping on the Bed. I like to cuddle with Momma.

2. Playing with Balls. Seriously guys, these things are the best!

3. Flavoured Nylabones. I love my regular ones, but these are so great!

4. Filled Marrow Bones. I though that regular sterilized marrow bone were great until I tried these!

5. Peanut Butter. Might have gotten over my dog issue had they used this stuff.

6. Getting up on the Furniture. I can get away from Rosie and keep my toys all to myself this way.

7. Tricks! I love performing my new tricks. They're so much fun and I get food for them.

8. The Almighty Clicker. Every time the Clicker God clicks my Momma is trained to give me food.

9. Playing out in the yard alone. Ok, Momma still checks up on me a little, but she's doing in less and less.

10. My Hedgehog. My Momma bought me a stuffed hedgehog and I love it. I couldn't have it when I was in training because it was stuffed and it squeaks. Now I love walking around the house squeaking my hedgehog.

11. Cheese. This stuff is almost as good as peanut butter.

12. Sniffing! My Momma wouldn't let me sniff stuff when we were out on walks before. Now I get to sniff everything!

13. Jumping. I'm a hopper and Momma wouldn't let me hop around other people before.

14. Jogging. This is so much fun. I don't know why they never let me do this before.

15. Fetch. This is the most funnest game ever!

16. Not having to walk across the hot parking lot. I loved working. Don't get me wrong. But the nice cool grass in the backyard and the air conditioned house sounds pretty good to me.

17. The Dog Park. I haven't been yet, but we're going tomorrow. And it's called the DOG park. How can that not be fun!?

Love and Lab Kisses,
Hilly