little chickadee Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 I think you are rather marvelous for puppy walking Why thankyou! It's a fun way to do charity work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted September 21, 2008 Author Share Posted September 21, 2008 We think Quita is coming into season, which is a new one for us - we've never had an un-neutered female animal before. We've been watching all the signs, and are pretty sure she's in the first stage. This will explain her bizarre behaviour a couple of weeks ago - hormones pinging around all over the place. Just got to keep her away from other dogs now. I'm guessing we'll even need to supervise her in the garden as I've heard that when needs must, dogs can vault 6 ft fences and our gate isn't that high! She is going to be sooooo bored not going out anywhere. At least it's happening now, as we were just wondering what we would do if it happened during our planned trip to the inlaws in a few weeks on the train! Any handy tips from all you "lady dog" owners? How long do you seperate your b**ch from the ourside world from and when do you know it's the all clear? I don't understand why people don't get their animals done if they are not planning to breed from them, but that's just me - seems like a lot of hastle every 6 months! On a non hormone related issue, Quita had a really successful session with her supervisor and her supervisor's supervisor in Town during market day last week. The Supervisor's supervisor spends most of her time working with problem dogs and she said that it was really lovely to be spending some time with one which was exactly where they wanted her to be at this age. She walked past dog distractions and was a complete super star. It's very reassuring, as although we're going to miss her like crazy, and I must admit to shedding a few tears about it, we really want her to make it as a Guide Dog as that's why we started doing this in the first place. There will always be a home here for her if she needs one, but she's such a special girl we want her to do what she's supposed to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted September 21, 2008 Author Share Posted September 21, 2008 (edited) We've just noticed the first blood - so I guess we were right! Our little pup is a lady dog now not a little girl anymore! Edited September 22, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Oh bless her. I kept Cookie under tight control for about 3 weeks in total. There are a lot of un-neutured male dogs that go in the park near us. It was hard work and a bit boring just trudging the streets with her. Some people with small lady dogs would still take them in the park and then pick the girls up if a male dog came sniffing around but unfortunately Cookie is way too big to do that. Cookie was quite unwell with her season though and lost a lot of weight as she didn't want to eat. She also became 'depressed' and then had a phantom pregnancy afterwards! It was an awful few months, we had to wait for her to get fully over the phantom pregnancy before having her neutured. Best thing we ever did though, she is now healthy and happy. Hopefully Quita will sail through her season though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted October 7, 2008 Author Share Posted October 7, 2008 Quita had a lovely day out yesterday even though she's still in season and very bored! We went to the local US airforce base for the day as part of Guide Dog week. It's their charity of choice and they have raised over £30,000 over the last few years so the local Guide Dog owners/ Puppy walkers are very keen to spend a lot of time there when they want to do something in the school ! We had an exhausting but enoyable day and we are going to go back some time during the English holidays and take our daughter with us as she's desperate to see inside the American base Hopefully her season will be over soon and we can get back to taking her out and about with us again. If anyone else is interested in becoming a puppy walker - have a look at http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/puppywalking[/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudgley Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 or look here to find out about caring for Guide Dog breeding stock http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/index.php?id=6382 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted October 8, 2008 Author Share Posted October 8, 2008 or look here to find out about caring for Guide Dog breeding stock http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/index.php?id=6382 We know a lot of people who would love to do this, but just don't live close enough to the breeding centre Smudgley. I'm glad that puppy walking doesn't have those restrictions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Here is a picture the American Teacher from the base just sent me of Quita playing with her Guide dog friend. They gave her the toy, but she has since destroyed it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 I can't believe just how big she is now LC What a gorgeous girl too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Love that their tails are blurred from wagging . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Love that their tails are blurred from wagging . I particularly loved that too The Guide dog is a really big Lab too, so it shows how big she is now. Still quite petite, but she won't have stopped growing yet for a while. She won't be 1 till January and I think that they don't even stop growing then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted October 17, 2008 Author Share Posted October 17, 2008 Here are a couple of new piccies She is sooo huge! (Well not really, but she looks huge to us ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 She looks lovely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 It may just be the perspective LC, but she looks nearly as big as Holly now Does she still fit in the same crate or is that new one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 beautiful photos, I love the tail wagging one too I must admit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted October 31, 2008 Author Share Posted October 31, 2008 It may just be the perspective LC, but she looks nearly as big as Holly now Does she still fit in the same crate or is that new one? I'm not sure which crate she was in when you were here Clare. We had a smaller one at first as Guide dogs had a logistical problem ! She isn't quite as tall as Holly, but she weighs more. We've got to lower her food rations very slightly as she's a bit lardy after not excercising during her season. We had another lovely day at the local American Base Elementary school as they said we could take our daughter in during half term. She had a nice day with one of the classes and there was another puppy walker there with her daughter doing the same thing. Quita's supervisor was round today and we were talking ideal spaying dates and when she would probably be going in for training We are going to book her in for the op ideally on Jan 20th, then she will need about a month to recouperate until she goes in to the centre. We're going to hopefully aim to have an overlap, so the kids will get to know the new pup before Quita goes. Not a good picture of Quita I know, but couldn't resist putting in a picture of my two little monsters in fancy dress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 Wow Quita has grown into a proper darling hasnt she I love the "cross over paws" look for dogs, its sooo when do you find out if she will be a proper guide dog? when do you get the new one? well done, you have done a great job cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Lovely picture of your two horrors LC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted November 20, 2008 Author Share Posted November 20, 2008 Well, Quita has been on her first long distance train journey and she was an angel with a bladder of iron! I really wish that the kids had been that easy to look after. I honestly think we are mad. 2 kids a puppy and me in a mobility scooter (luckily with my husband along with the puppy and the kids!) going from East Anglia to Scotland and back again in a weekend. However it did make my mother in laws birthday and she cried lots (with happiness) so it was worth it even though I'm completely knackered! Today she (Quita) came into town in the dark for the switching on of the Christmas lights, as my daughter was singing in her school choir. Quita coped really well with the situation. There was a horrible fun fair in the town centre with loads of noise and people (plus she's not used to walking around town in the dark) She coped better than I did! I really hate crowds like that especially because I feel so trapped on my scooter - it's much more difficult to get out of a crowd as people don't see you and you can't just squeeze through gaps. Hmm. Anyway Quita was great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Well done, that's quite a journey . I've done the journey by train from Scotland to Suffolk by myself and that was bad enough. We've also driven it a few times for a weekend. Where in Scotland were you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 What a clever girl and well done to all of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted November 22, 2008 Author Share Posted November 22, 2008 Well done, that's quite a journey . I've done the journey by train from Scotland to Suffolk by myself and that was bad enough. We've also driven it a few times for a weekend. Where in Scotland were you? Helensburgh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 Quita and OH had their meeting with her supervisor today and she is still reallly pleased with her. We were a bit worried that she might be having a phantom pregnancy as she's been acting a bit funny in the last week, but the supervisor thinks its just growing hormones! We've told her that we definately want another one and that eventually we'd like a German Sheppard when we've had enough practice! There might be some GS crosses going through the system, so you never know! I'm always so proud when the supervisor is really pleased with how Quita is doing. She's such a great pup and we really really want her to make it as we've put so much love and effort into her training Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted December 24, 2008 Author Share Posted December 24, 2008 We went to Colchester zoo yesterday and left Quita with a puppy walker in Colchester who is just doing boarding at the moment. She took her into town and told OH that she's sure that she will make it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Well, Quita is booked in for her op on Tuesday With a provisional date for her going into training for March 2nd. We will be really sad, but she is soooo ready to go and hopefully the new one will come to us before she goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
