Tashi's Web Photo and Storybook

January 10 - I have some exciting news to tell you about, but first let me explain the pictures above. These are some pictures of Stan giving me a belly rub. Bet you can't guess how happy it makes me. When he gives me belly rubs like that, I get this really big toothy grin on my face. It really makes me feel good.

Now for the news. We've pretty much settled in to our regular routine again after the holidays. Part of that routine is I now wake Stan up every morning when the alarm on his cell phone goes off. Isn't that exciting?!?! Stan chose to use his cell phone since it runs off of battery and it's portable for those few times when we travel away from the house. The sound will be the same for me so I will know what to do. I really like waking Stan up in the morning because I get to jump up onto his bed which isn't allowed normally. After I wake him up and he gives me a quick pet and a bite of kibble, he asks me what and I get to jump down back off the bed and touch his cell phone with my nose. I get more kibble for that, and then Stan spends several minutes just telling me good morning and petting me.

I still tell Stan about all the other sounds, too. Like tonight Becky has to be away from the house so Stan is cooking his own dinner. He sets my timer and when it goes off I tell him about it. It went off a few minutes ago and Stan had to go do something in the kitchen. I think he set the timer again. His dinner isn't ready yet, I know that. If the timer does go off again, I'll be ready for it, just like I always am.

January 21 -- Today after work Stan and I got to go do something really neat. We went to the air cargo terminal at the airport and helped to welcome to Albuquerque a new CCI puppy, Sahara. A facility dog graduate, Jabar, and another puppy Katie was also there. Sahara is a very quiet little girl, or at least she was tonight. Katie got a little impatient waiting for Sahara since her plane was late. Katie is only 13 weeks old so she didn't really know what was going on and why everyone wasn't playing. Jabar was tired from a long day working so I was the first dog to welcome Sahara when her new papa opened her kennel. Poor Sahara was cold and shivered some, and of course the right side of her face was green instead of very light yellow like the rest of her. Stan tells me that next weekend we're going to meet the rest of the CCI puppies growing up around Albuquerque (and their people, too). There is going to be a going away party for Elon who is going to advanced training in February. I'll have to tell you all about meeting everyone after next weekend.

January 29 -- I want to tell you about a kind of funny experience Stan and I had this week on Monday. Stan went to what he called a Faith At Work luncheon, which is sponsored by the Navigator's ministry. They have these on the 4th Monday of every month. This is the first one that Stan and I have been able to attend since I came home with him. We saw a few people Stan knew there, and after we had gone through the serving line together the manager of the place where the luncheon was being held came up to Stan and asked him if I was a guide dog. Stan told him I was and the manager said that was OK and we never saw him again. We're getting kind of used to answering questions like that so that's not really unusual. Stan gave me an under command once we got over to our table. Stan picked a really good spot at the table so that when I did the under and laid down only Stan's feet would be near me, and my nose and front paws could peek out next to his chair from under the tablecloth.

Here's the part that Stan and I liked that we thought was little funny. Some other people came and sat at the same table with us and were talking with Stan some while they were eating before the main part of the meeting started. When the meeting was over, Stan stood up and told me let's go just like he always does. The ladies that had been sitting at the table, including the one that sat right next to Stan were surprised to discover that I had been there the whole time!! It's kind of fun to surprise people like that. I just do my job like Stan tells me and it's funny to watch people's reaction when they finally realize I'm there and most of the time that doesn't happen until Stan gets up and gives me a let's go command. Everyone always comments about how well behaved I am even when we don't surprise them and they just see Stan and I walking together. If Stan stops to talk to them, he often tells me to sit and I park myself right next to his leg. People get really amazed by that and they start telling me how good I am. I usually just look at them and wag my tail a bit. If they are real excited about seeing me and Stan gives me a release command, I'll stand up and walk over to them while they pet me. When they are done, Stan tells me to heel and I just walk back to his side and sit by his leg again. We like showing off for people and letting them see how good us CCI dogs are.

January 31 -- Well like Stan said we went to a party for Elon who is going to advanced training next week. The pictures above were taken at Elon's party. The first one is of all three of us graduate dogs that live in this area and our people. I'm sure you recognize Stan and I on the left. Ellie, and her person, Buddy are in the middle, and Jabar and his person, Mary Ann are on the right. Ellie is obviously a service dog, and Jabar as I mentioned a few days ago in my post is a facility dog. The next picture is all of us grads and the puppies that were able to make it to the party. That's Sahara on the far left, and Elon, the guest of honor at this party, is front and center of all of us. Elon's puppy raiser is standing in between Stan and Buddy.

I had a lot of fun at Elon's party, I even got to eat some "dog cake" together with the other grads and puppies as a special celebration for Elon. It wasn't the same as the cake the people were eating, but I liked it a lot. Stan and I did a demonstration of how I alert Stan. Stan brought my timer along, and we did that a couple of times, and Becky also called me over and we did the "Go get Stan" once. All the puppy raisers and other people at the party really seemed to enjoy getting to see me work and clapped for me. Stan answered some questions from the puppy raisers about how we work together, our team training, and some other stuff. A lady named Gwen who is on the waiting list for a service dog told us about her experience at her personal interview. I wish Elon well as he goes to advanced training. We all hope he will be able to graduate and help someone.