My Fire Hydrant

This is what I posted on Facebook last night:

Stale croissant at the Long Beach Airport, $2.89.

Fast food greasy sandwich at the Denver Airport, $7.94.

Home from the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in time for the Duckie’s turkey wing soup supper, priceless!

OMIDOG!! I was exhausted last night when I finally got home from Long Beach. And the turkey soup my mom had waiting for my supper was absolutely the best meal I’ve had in days. But I’m so glad I got to go to the show, and so happy to have made some new friends!

This trip to the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship has affirmed something I’ve long suspected: Every time my job takes me to an event, I absolutely MUST set aside a couple hours every day to blog about it. If I don’t, I end up with a backlog of blog posts that may never get done. I tried to do that while I was in Long Beach–I’ve got six or seven articles under construction–but I still have several hours of work ahead of me before anything will be fit to post here.

And then there’s the photos. Some of you know about The Adventures of Flat Tyler. Well, he was at the show–he may even turn up on TV when ABC broadcasts the show in January. I took so many photos of all the sights, plus Flat Tyler, that I’m still many hours away from having them all ready to post here. But just to tease you about what I’m working on, here’s a few of the photos I took over the weekend:

It’s Saturday night in Long Beach California, and all the dog lovers are here at the Long Beach Convention Center to see the first half of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.  Tonight, four groups are judged: The Hounds, Non-Sporting, Sporting, and Toy. Also finalists are chosen for the Eukanuba World Challenge. And the ACE Awards! For details/photos, check out the AKC/Eukanuba Facebook page.

I am with four other bloggers and my teammate Jen. We have what is, without argument, some of the best seats in the house!

Best Twitter commentary for what’s happening in the ring is from our new buddy Susi @KnobKnots. More to come!

This weekend I’m at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, California. Eukanuba has sponsored this show for 10 years, but this is the first time I’ve attended. The stars have just never been in proper alignment to allow me to leave home for a long weekend to go to the dog show until this year.

I’ve been excited about attending. I am not the top social media dog for this event—that honor belongs to my teammate Jen who writes/edits the Eukanuba Unleashed blog. My chief duties will be to provide Twitter support and maybe write a blog post for Eukanuba Unleashed. Jen and I are also meeting up with some other bloggers who will be attending the show (Details here).

This trip has not been without its worries—Tyler decided to have some poopy issues on Wednesday. I’m lucky that he had a wellness exam appointment scheduled for Thursday. I do my best to keep our yard leaf-free, but Tyler seems to have no problem in finding old, dry, crumpled up leaves and other bits and pieces to chew up and swallow. I hope he will soon grow out of this need to taste everything he comes into contact with.

Tuesday night he had some horrendous gas, so I knew he had ingested some enticing tidbit from outdoors. Wednesday morning he woke me at 5:30 when he jumped off the bed—I didn’t even have time for my feet to hit the floor before I could smell the malodorous aroma of nasty loose stool. I am so thankful that I opted for higher-end bathroom mats for my bedroom that I could just toss in the washer.

I was feeling sorry for my poor boy—obviously he must have been feeling terrible to have made such a mess on the floor when he’s gotten so good about pottying outside. That was until he went into a play bow as I tried to wipe up the mess. Five thirty in the morning, and Tyler wants to blitz around the bedroom he just littered with numerous puddles of very soft wet poo! I had visions of him running through it and tracking it all over the house!

Lucky for me I was able to snag him before he took off!

So Thursday afternoon we saw our favorite Dogtor B who prescribed some anti-diarrhea medicine. And also some antibiotics because it turns out Tyler has an infected anal gland. Dogtor B told us it’s not uncommon that when a dog has a series of soft stool episodes for one or both of the glands to become infected.

Here’s where I made my mistake: When we got home I immediate started Tyler on his meds, forgetting that his tummy was empty because Tyler seems to be on a 48 hour eating cycle instead of a 24 hour cycle (like the rest of the world). I’m kicking myself over this because I know better. Right after the meds, Tyler ate a meal. And 30 minutes later he threw it up. I gave him his meds again right at bedtime—kicking myself again here—and he woke me at 2:45 AM by vomiting on my bed. HELLO??? STUPID MOM????? Antibiotics on an empty stomach??? Tyler, I’m so sorry I caused you to have an upset tummy!!

Since my alarm was set for 3 AM (plane out to California leaving at the crack of dawn), I got up, cleaned up Tyler’s mess, and got ready to drive to the airport. Tyler went back to sleep in my mom’s room. I called them when I changed planes in Denver—Tyler is doing fine, had eaten some food and kept it down, and was listen to my mom talk on the phone as if he knew it was me calling. I also checked in with the Dogtor—we’re going to get Tyler back on track with his food first and start the meds in a couple of days.

So my worries about Tyler eased, here I am in Long Beach at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship!

There’s more going on here besides confirmation judging. There’s the AKC National Obedience Invitational, and the AKC Agility Invitational. There’s an expo area where I hope to find some breed rescue groups (and do some shopping!). There’s Dock Dogs and detection and criminal apprehension demonstrations by the California Narcotics Canine Association. I can hardly wait to see what trouble I’m going to get into!

One last thing: Since Tyler had to stay home and guard the house, I’ve brought his doppelganger with me–Flat Tyler. You’ll be seeing him popping up in my blog posts this weekend!

Whew! By the time I get this posted, all the tools will be packed up, the paint brushes washed, and everyone will be on their way home after a long day of working to make the Cincinnati SPCA’s Colerain shelter sparkle and shine!

What did we accomplish?

Prior to today, we had some contractors come in and do the stuff that needed professional expertise. The parking lot was resurfaced. Old fencing that was topped with barbwire was replaced with more friendly fencing. Old, rotting railroad ties which used to surround flower beds were removed and replaced with paving stones. And new flower beds and landscaped areas were situated. The design team sketched in the murals. Fixtures for hanging plants and large planting urns were installed. Kennel walls and floors went from battle ship gray to bright beige with several new coats of a special epoxy paint that doggie nails won’t scruff up. Improvements were made to the laundry area by taking down one wall and adding counter top and storage space. And a truck load of Eukanuba was delivered to stock the pantry.

Today we installed all the new plants to the flower beds and landscape areas. Then we mulched them. We filled all the hanging pots and large urns with beautiful plant arrangements. We completed 5 wall murals. We created 2 new meet and greet areas where people will meet orphan pets needing adoption–one area complete with gazebo! A generous layer of wood chips were put down in areas where pets will walk as they make the acquaintanceship of their new families.

Why was this important to do?

For just a moment, let me be a little corporate: Our mission (Iams/Eukanuba) is to enhance the well being of more dogs and cats. Doing this shelter makeover gives us an opportunity to really get in touch with that mission.

And it gets us excited about Iams Home 4 the Holidays–which starts on October 1!

But also, this makeover is important because it gives this 1960′s shelter a more friendly and inviting presence in the community. By making the front of the shelter look pretty with landscaping, by making the kennels look nicer with bright colors, we showcase the value of the pets found here. These dogs and cats are worthy of a beautiful facility, just as they are worthy of forever homes.

Having beautiful packaging (a good looking facility) makes the product (those sweet orphan pets) more desirable in the eyes of the consumer (the new pet parents).

I can feel the energy humming! It’s time to get some pets adopted!

I took these photos around lunch and just after lunch. It’s taken me a little time to download them and prep them for the blog.

We’re just a few weeks away from the start of Iams Home 4 the Holidays, and the excitement has started to build! Our goal this year is 1.5 million orphan pets adopted into furever homes!

And here are some photos of how the day has started.

It’s nearly lunch time–more to come!

Recently, I was doing some work on the Eukanuba Facebook page (remember I work for Eukanuba) and came across a couple of wall posts that mentioned “pink bumpers.” Over some emails I learned that there’s a “Pink Bumper Club” on Facebook who’s members either own or want to own a Eukanuba Pink Hexabumper!

The Eukanuba Pink Hexabumper was a free gift that consumers received when they purchased a 40-pound bag of Eukanuba dry dog food. As with all of our promotions, not every retailer chose to participate, so the pink bumpers are sometimes hard to find. Because of this “exclusivity,” the members of The Pink Bumper Club have been collecting the bumpers so that they can be auctioned off to raise money for breast cancer research. The silent auction happens on July 30, and you can RSVP here.

For fun, I swiped a Pink Bumper from the office and gave it to Tyler for review. His response? Four paws up! He confided to me that it’s an excellent toy that is helping him to build muscle (it weighs nearly as much as he does!), and use up some of that puppy energy in retrieving it each time I toss it. The pink color makes it easy to find in the grass. And he especially enjoys chewing on the cord that’s attached to it.

 Don’t you wish you had a Pink Bumper to play with?

In the USA, July 4 means fireworks, picnics, and a celebration of Independence Day. It seems fitting that on July 4 Canine Companions for Independence will celebrate 35 years of helping people with disabilities achieve independence.

“Exceptional Dogs for Exceptional People”

Canine Companions provides assistance dogs to aid people with disabilities—absolutely free of charge. This is such a wonderful idea that I think it needs repeating: They provide assistance dogs for FREE! (Read more about how to apply for an assistance dog.)

Founded in 1975, Canine Companions is headquartered in Santa Rosa, California with regional training centers located in Delaware, Ohio; Medford, New York; Orlando, Florida; and Oceanside, California. In addition, there are satellite offices in Chicago and Colorado Springs. (Read more about their history.)

Funding

Did you know, it costs over $45,000 for each assistance dog? This covers:

• Birth
• Training (including the human partner)
• Customized follow-up with the graduates
• And the retirement of the dog.

All of this is free of charge to the person with disability thanks to funding provided by contributions, gifts, grants and ongoing fundraising. (Read more about donating.)

“Help is a Four-Legged Word”

Canine Companions trains 4-types of assistance dogs for people with disabilities:

• Service Dogs, for adults
• Skilled Companions, usually for children
• Hearing Dogs, for deaf and hard of hearing
• Facility Dogs, who work in hospitals and similar places

These dogs are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers or crosses of the two. (Read more about the dogs.)

It’s All About the Dog

Not every dog is cut out to be an assistance dog. Regrettably, out of a thousand shelter dogs, you might find one or two who could be trained as effective assistance dogs. To insure the greatest possible success, Canine Companions maintains an extensive and detailed Breeding Program. Dogs chosen are intensively evaluated and carefully selected for:

• Temperament
• Trainability
• Health
• Physical attributes
• Littermate trends
• Dam/sire history

But It’s Also About the People

Partnering with the folks at Canine Companions on the journey to providing extraordinary assistance dogs are the volunteers who act as Breeder Caretakers and Puppy Raisers.

There are approximately 149 Breeder Caretakers, and they must live within 90 miles of the Santa Rosa HQ. These folks provide homes for Canine Companions’ breeder dogs. Breeder Caretakers must live close to Santa Rosa because Canine Companions has its own veterinary clinic, where all their dogs receive veterinary care. Close proximity is also important because of the Breeding Program. (Read more about Breeder Caretakers.)

There are approximately 1013 puppy raisers who live all over the United States. They socialize Canine Companions’ puppies and train them in obedience. (Read more about Puppy Raisers.)

At their Regional Training Centers, Canine Companions employs professional trainers who have completed a required 3-year apprentice trainer program.

Lastly, there are the applicants and graduates—the exceptional people for whom these exceptional dogs are being trained. These folks are all looking for ways to reach their next level of independence and excellence. A Canine Companions’ assistance dog is the partner who will help them to do just that!

Timeline for an Assistance Dog

• Birth to 8-weeks: Puppies live with mom and the Breeder Caretaker family where they are socialized to both canines and humans.
• 8-weeks to 15-months: Each puppy moves from mom to a new (and temporary) home with a Puppy Raiser where they are further socialized and learn basic obedience.
• 15-months to approximately 21/24 months: Puppies return to one of Canine Companions’ Regional Training Centers where they are examined for health and temperament then enter a 6- or 9-month training program with professional trainers.
• The last 2 weeks of training, the young adult dog is matched up with their human partner and both are trained together.
• 6-weeks after graduation: Graduates (human and canine) return to the Training Center for fine-tuning of their skills.
• Working life of the dog: A comprehensive follow-up system ensures the ongoing success of the canine/human team.

At any time, due to a variety of reasons, puppies and dogs might be released from the assistance dog program or retired from their work as assistance dogs. They are then adopted by Puppy Raisers, the person the dog was partnered with, or other people associated with Canine Companions. Some released puppies might also find a career with another service agency like Drug Enforcement or Border Patrol. (Read more about training).

The Wounded Veteran Initiative

I can’t celebrate Independence Day without also remembering and being grateful to the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces (I am an Air Force brat, after all) and whose job it is to protect our nation.

Canine Companions serves our Armed Forces through their Wounded Veteran Initiative, which provides assistance dogs to veterans who have been wounded in combat. (Read more about the Wounded Veteran Initiative)

My Visit to Canine Companions

During the first week of June, I was lucky to be a part of the Eukanuba photo and video shoot which took place at the headquarters of Canine Companions in Santa Rosa, California. I met some incredible people and got to play with some extraordinary (and adorable) puppies! But that’s another blog post……

Happy Birthday U.S.A.

and

Canine Companions for Independence!!

On July 4, Canine Companions for Independence will celebrate 35 years of providing assistance dogs for people with disabilities free of charge. As part of the celebration, they’re hosting an essay contest asking people how their dog has changed their life. Submission deadline is July 4, and the winner will get a free year of Eukanuba Dog Food!

To enter, or for more details, visit the contest page on the Canine Companion’s site.

 And be sure to check back here on July 4 when I will be posting about my recent trip to Santa Rosa, CA—headquarters for Canine Companions!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been in San Francisco this week. I’m leaving this charming city in just a few hours to fly to Phoenix–I feel like such a jet-setter!

To back up a little: We (myself and teammates Julie and Tina) were supposed to fly out of Dayton on Monday night. But storms in Chicago canceled our flight. I ended up flying out at 5:20 AM on Tuesday. Tina was able to get a flight out of Cincinnati–but didn’t get into San Francisco until the very wee hours of the morning. Julie was not able to get into San Francisco until Tuesday evening.

Because we ended up traveling separately, I had to rent a car to get to my final destination (Santa Rosa, north of  San Francisco). Everything in the line of rental cars was either white, silver or taupe–except for one RED car!! Guess which one I picked!

We’ve been here in San Francisco because of a photo shoot at Canine Companions for Independence (more about that in another post coming soon). I spent Tuesday and Wednesday watching a brilliant video team headed by Brandon Jameson shoot videos of these amazing assistance dogs and the people who train them and partner with them.

On Wednesday I was also able to observe a fantastic photographer, Mark Rogers, as he brought out the best side of these extraordinary pups. He and I were able to grab a couple of minutes to talk about how to get the best pet photos–and that will be another post coming soon!

Canine Companions is located in Santa Rosa, about an hour and a half north of San Francisco. I spent yesterday (Thursday) in San Francisco visiting old friends and making new ones–again, more to come in a later post.

As soon as I finish with this post, I’ll be on my way to Phoenix. Look for another post sometime this evening. I’ve got a surprise coming!!!