A month update in photos

So I have been horrible about posting for the past month, so to make it up I am posting a ton of pictures of some of the big events that have happened in the life of Rocky. Enjoy!

First Sunday at church

First Sunday at church helping teaching 1st grade (the only reason he was on the bench, was because the kids were playing tag and were coming a little too close to the sleeping Rocky)

One of Rocky's first visitors, Chelsea

First trip to a sit down restaurant

Rocky and Spike after their first puppy meeting

Rocky on the huge bed at 9 weeks

Rocky meeting a few firemen. He was invited to go for a ride in the firetruck.

Rocky's weight at his first vet appointment

Rocky at his vet appointment. He tried to get the puppy in the mirrors to play with him.

At Cracker Barrel

One tired puppy

During his first College class

After a tiring 3 hour class. I could not of asked for a better puppy to take to class with me.

During second puppy meeting.

At the park where the meeting was held

Playtime during the meeting

watching the kids playing a game at church

Play date with Spike and Duchess

Spike and Rocky taking a nap together while we were puppy sitting Spike for a few days

Spike and Rocky on the playground

going for a slide a tired puppy after a hard day of shopping

During his first guide dog program for 4o kids at a camp

Getting lots of love from all the kids

taking a short nap while shopping

not wanting to leave Home Depot

First dip in the pool

sliding into Ely

Sliding down the ramp that we put in for Ely(since he couldn't go up and down stairs after his surgery)

A tired, wet puppy after playing in the pool

Wanting more food

with his pairs of shoes, Rocket dog

He looks so small!

up close with the big bull

taking a break in the pool

helping decorate the 4th of July float

During the July 4th Parade. He rode standing up the entire time, he never tried to get out.

after a tiring ride in the parade

He has so many winkles right now!

"One day I will fit"

During his second guide dog program for a camp (no pictures from his third program)

(LtoR: Duchess, Rocky and Spike)

close up during one of his naps waiting patiently while shopping His weight during the third trip to the vet. Rocky somehow picked up quite a few parasites and was not growing and having an upset stomach. After quite a bit of medicine he is feeling a lot better and is growing like a weed, 6 lbs in less than a week!

He lost his first tooth! so far he has lost his two bottom front teeth. Unfortunately I have not been able to find them yet, but I will get a few of them:)

Taking a nap after a hard day playing, and working

Rocky is such a sweet puppy and is really good about playing with a toy by himself, which can be pretty funny at times. He is starting to act more like a puppy now that he is feeling better and loves to go places and be outside. He has been a ton of places and is always on his best behavior. Everywhere we go everyone has to comment on how cute and well behaved he is. I know that he is going to be so much fun to train and raise, he has been so far.

Happy Birthday Colt!!

I can’t believe that Colt turned 4 years old today! It seems like yesterday when we were driving down to a prison in SC to pick up two black lab puppies for our group. Once we got there it turned out to be one black and one white lab puppy. I got the round belly puppy, named Colt. Colt was sponsored by a gun club and was named after a small hand gun. The white puppy was his sister Tina. I remember Colt looked like a little bear cub when we first got him. Colt made my first baby puppy experience pretty easy. He was such a smart puppy and was completely housebroken in 6 days! His nickname from one of the trainers who worked with our group at the time was bowling ball, because he was a very chubby round puppy. He was one of the easiest puppies to train and was always eager to learn something new. When I had to give up Colt it was a tough weekend. I was able to travel down to Florida with my AC and one of my friends who were returning their puppy as well. It was a long way down there when you know that they are not coming back with you. When I handed the leash to the trainer on that sunny Florida morning in November, Colt trotted of never looking back. When I got the call that Colt had been matched in an in-home-placement I was extremely excited. The man who received Colt got a very special puppy. I was able to talk to him on the phone, since there was no puppy raiser day for in-home-placements, and he had already fallen in love with him. I got to talk to his trainer when I checked him out during walk-a-thon in February. His trainer told me that he was such a sweet heart and she enjoyed finishing his training. She did comment on the fact that he didn’t like water. He never did enjoy going swimming! It is so hard to think that almost 4 years have gone by since I was holding that cute little pup in my arms. I know that Colt is enjoying getting up early every morning and heading to work. He loved going new places, working, and getting up at the crake of dawn (something I didn’t really enjoy at the time). Happy 4th birthday to the S5 litter! (Colt, Tina, Marjo, Googy, Eric, Henry, plus 2 other who I didn’t get to meet)

Colt King of the Rock

Colt at 9 weeks

Colt at 9 weeks

On the way home from picking Colt and Tina up

Colt and Tina at a year old

College Picture

I got a picture of Sherman in harness this week. When I opened the envelope and saw that picture it I could not help but smile. I could not get over how grown up he looks and how big he is. I loved how his ear was turned differently; he always did have expressive ears. He looks so happy and doesn’t seem to be partying too much at college. I still can’t believe that he has been gone for 9 weeks.

When I look at that picture of Sherman in harness, I can’t help but be super proud of him for making it this far in training. Hopefully he will continue on the course to be a great guide dog but if he decides he doesn’t want to be a guide dog I know that he will be great in any job that he is placed in.

As much as I love to look at pictures of Sherman, I can’t look at them too long right now because they somehow become blurry:) They remind me just how special Sherman was to me. Granted all of my puppies have been special in their own way and they each have a special place in my heart. Sherman was just the first of my puppies to truly be a mama’s boy. (The first three were more independent) Sherman always knew how to make me smile. He helped me through my final year in High school and was by my side my first year of College. Somehow it is a lot more fun and easier to take a dog to class with you then trying to go through it alone. You also get to be good friends with the teachers (which can’t hurt anything).

Sherman was special puppy that not only had an impact on my life, but on everyone who met him.

Little Rocky

I got a beautiful picture of Rocky that was taken when he was 6 weeks old in the mail last week. He looks adorable! It is hard to believe that they are ever that small, they grow up so fast.

Introduction

Two weeks ago, May 30, I picked up puppy number 5 to start training to be a guide dog. We were the first ones there and all the puppies where playing under a shady tree when we got there. They were all so cute and none of them looked alike.

I got handed a big old cream color yellow lab named Rocky. I love his name, it was already on my list of names that I was thinking about when I sponsored Ely.

Our group got the whole litter of puppies. There is....

Rocky- male yellow lab

Spike- male black lab, who Rocky will get to play and see a lot! Rocky will be staying with his raiser one day during the week for the fall semester, since I have a super long day. He also will be going to the same church that Rocky will be going to.

Duchess- female black lab, who lives on the street behind us, so he will also get to see her a lot!

Cassidy- female yellow lab

Toby- male yellow lab

Rocky and Spike were extremely happy just laying in the nice cold dirt in the shade while the rest of the puppies wanted to play. I got to be the first to fill out all the paper work and got his information and tiny little puppy coat. Rocky was named by a man in Florida who named him after his dog. We stayed for a little over an hour and took lots of pictures!

Once we got home Ely came out to see who we brought home. Both Ely and Rocky didn’t want anything to do with the other one, which was probably a good thing since Ely can’t be too active since he is still on bed rest and limited activity. Rocky enjoyed exploring the house and yard and he sniffed all the toys. His favorite part was eating dinner. His first night he only had to get up twice, which I was happy with. He didn’t need to go busy, I think he was just lonely.

Rocky in the dirt Rocky and his brothers and sisters Rocky and Ely's first meeting

Spike , Rocky, Cassidy, Toby, and Duchess

Rocky's first meal