Christmas Photos 2009

The dogs had their annual Christmas photos. This year, with them being adults, they do much better about taking photos. We went into the backyard and they wore their scarves. I barely had to say anything. They just sit, down, and look at the camera! This was sooo much easier than last year's fiasco with baby Genevieve. Hehe.

Well, DUH!!!

The New York Times published this article that I just thought was great and finally confirmed my beliefs that dog training and working with kids, while not the same, do have some distinct parallels.

Kids are not like dogs. There are some very intrinsic differences. As both a teacher and a dog trainer I can see both sides of the coin. But how you approach working with a child and working with a dog can be the same! Patience, structure, confidence, and most importantly consistency. I thought this article was very good.

To quote:

It’s little wonder, then, that some parents, and even a few child therapists, have found themselves taking mental notes from a television personality known for inspiring discipline, order and devotion: Cesar Millan, otherwise known as the Dog Whisperer.

Cesar Millan is a great dog psychologist. He has some great ideas about how to work with a dog and I really respect him for his overall ability to work with any dog.

“That goes along with the philosophy of the Dog Whisperer,” the host added. Brenna Hicks, a child therapist in Palm Harbor, Fla., who writes an advice blog, The Kid Counselor, adapted Mr. Millan’s central idea, that dogs take their cues from their masters, and misbehave only when the masters fail to carry themselves, in body language and tone of voice, like pack leaders. In a post, “Raising Kids: Wisdom From the Dog Whisperer,” she wrote, “When we present nervous, angry or scared energy in front of our kids, they pick up on those emotions.”

This is exactly what I was told when I first started puppy raising. They always told us that "it travels down the leash." If you're angry or upset they are going to react to this. Kids react in close to the same way. Babies stress if parents are stressed. It's a lot of reacting.

“Unlike modern parents,” she added, “dog trainers don’t think discipline equals being mean. They understand that dogs are happiest when they know their position in the hierarchy.”

So is it “spare the rolled-up newspaper, spoil the child?” Not exactly. Many Dog Whisperer techniques — say, the push on the neck to get a dog’s attention — are best left to the kennel, unless you welcome a visit from Child Protective Services.

I totally agree with that. I wouldn't use a tennis racket to corral my child or student if he or she was biting. LOL. But dog training has a lot of good ideas, that, mixed with common sense, can do a lot of good to parents.

One thing that Millan points out often is that you shouldn't accept beginning behaviours. He doesn't stop the dog when s/he is charging across the lawn to attack another dog. He stops the dog when her/his body language shows s/he is starting to consider attacking the other dog (i.e. perked ears, hackles up, aggressive tail, etc.). Just like you don't get angry at a child when he runs into the street. You stop him/her before you get into the street, remind him/her that s/he needs to look, then you cross together. Stop the behaviour before it gets to that point!

To some parents, however, moving Dog Whisperer theories into the human realm is not so much about changing their child’s attitude as it is about changing their own.

That's what it's all about.

Here is the full article.

To add... I love going to Disneyland and restaurants because I get to see how I DON'T want to parent.

Pismo's Birthday Party

Pismo's birthday was last week and it sounds like he had a great time. A friend of his threw him a birthday party. She made posters for each year of his life and it sounds like he had a lot of friends over.

These are some of Pismo's friends.

This is the map of his party!

It sounds like he had an absolutely great day!

Happy Birthday, Pismo!!!

Four years ago today, little Pismo III entered the world and seven and a half weeks later he entered my home. I just want to wish my little 'Mo, the playboy, a very happy birthday.

This was him at just 10 weeks old... Isn't he possibly, one of the cutest puppies ever? He has those big brown eyes, that perfect lab head, floppy ears, his happy dance... What a guy! He has a great new dad who loves him for who he is and gives him the life he is perfectly suited for as a dog. Pismo, the one I feared would drown, is now an avid swimmer.

Oh, and happy birthday to the rest of the P litter... but I certainly got the pick of the litter.

Pupdate! (Summer 09)

Most puppy raiser's dream is to make sure each of their puppies makes it into a great home, whether it's as a service dog or a happy pet. Most people, upon hearing I give the puppy up, say "I couldn't do that." I won't ever tell them it's easy and it's probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do (each and every time) but they go to wonderful homes.

#1- Yancie was my first puppy and was one of the hardest puppy I have ever had to raise. She was nicknamed "Psycho Puppy" by our contract trainer. It was pretty bad but she graduated as a skilled companion. Her new handler updated me that she is doing well and has been keeping a good weight. I have photos but they take scanning.

#2 Zastrow was my second puppy, a mellow giant dog who was willing to do anything to work. He failed training because of medical problems. He would have been a service dog, he had a drive to please that no other dog has ever shown me. I got to see him at Sunke's turn in and graduation and I hear from him often by e-mail.

#3 Pismo was a sweet little boy that always wanted a cuddle and a hug. Everyone was his friend in his opinion. He embarrassed me horribly at his turnin by doing his trademark "Happy Dance" on stage, causing the crowd to laugh. I was bright red. I always knew he didn't care to work but he ended up in a great home. This is him at the pool this summer. The dog I once feared would drown is now an avid swimmer.

#4 Lacey came to me at 10 months of age as a crazy dog. She bit me in her excitement to steal my treats. I believe my dad, upon seeing this dog yank me down the hall, asked if I could do this (doubting me). So of course I did. Lacey was like nuclear energy, harnassed and used correctly she can do a lot of good. She now works as a facility dog with special needs children. Her handler sent me two videos of her working as well as booklet of pictures about Lacey's summer vacation at a doggy camp. Isn't she gorgeous?

#5 Sunke was another big, handsome giant, who enjoyed working almost as much as Zastrow did. He was a big lug of a dog that loved to sit on my lap and cuddle, he used to get in my lap and fall asleep on his back. He was extremely gentle, I used to let a 3 year old walk him and he always was very good to her, even though he was almost taller than she was! Even though I have yet to meet her, his handler has sent me many pictures and e-mails about him! I feel like I've gotten to know her. These are a few pictures she has sent me!

#6 Genevieve has matured by leaps and bounds this summer. She turned one years old in the Happiest Place on Earth where she was SHOWERED with love by the characters she met there. The dog that was once terrified by these characters played tricks with Goofy. He sat. She sat. He downed. She downed. He shook. She shook. He rolled. She rolled. Goofy kept coming to see her and her amazing skills. Woody, Mickey, the Princesses, and Pluto also came many times.

Rest In Peace Flower

My assistant puppy raiser, Flower, passed away on Wednesday. She was 2 1/2 years old, very old for a rat. She had grown uncomfortable and had lost her sense of balance, unable to walk straight or figure out how to get to her water bottle. She was very cute. Her job was to teach my dogs to be kind to small creatures and also to be entertaining to me. I bought her on my birthday, after losing my last rat, Chaos, that morning. She helped to raise Lacey, Sunke, Belle, and Genevieve. She will be missed. In the photos, is also pictures of her sister, Thumper, who died about two years ago. Now they rest together in the backyard.

Flower as a Baby

Flower and Lacey

Flower and Sunke

At two years old...

Belle and Flower

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Happy Birthday, Diva!!!

My darling Diva (Genevieve) turned the big 1 on September 5th! We celebrated in Disneyland and she had an absolute blast. She got the day off from working. She mostly ran around the hotel room playing with her new toy. I think she had a supremely good day.

The next day she went to Disneyland and wore her button. She had A VERY good time at Goofy's Kitchen. The night before her birthday we went to Premium Seating of Fantasmic, where she got her own front row seat. I briefly considered asking the Cast Members there to sing "Happy Birthday" for her. LOL. There will be more on that in the trip report. There is even some YouTube videos!

Disneyland in August

This August we took ANOTHER trip to the Disneyland Resort for my birthday and my brother's birthday. For the first day we stayed at the Hilton, before moving into the Carousel View Suite. That room is my favorite by far! It has four beds and I get my own room with a TV and a king sized bed. We have an excellent view of the fireworks and the park, even the monorail as it goes by.

Considering the fact that it was August it was fairly mild weather but the crowds were pretty heavy.

This is the Wharf in Disney's California Adventure.

Genevieve outside of the Jungle Cruise.

Genevieve waits for Dumbo to be finished with her Mickey Mouse ears on. Isn't she cute?

So last ride of the night? What does it HAVE to be? Splash Mountain. Sammy can't see. Joey shouldn't speak. And, of course, I can't hear.

Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil. Get it?

I made the idiotic mistake of sitting in the first seat, even if it is my favorite seat. Then we ALL made the mistake of sitting in a clump so that when the log hit the water after the drops it was hitting the water like a bomb. None of our weight was balanced and we slammed into the water like a boulder. The waves coming over the edges were the biggest I have ever seen.

What you don't notice in this photo is how totally SOAKED I am. I was washed. It's really not a good photo of me. My hair, shirt, and pants are soaked. The water that came over the edge of the log was at least a foot and a half high and drenched me. I made the idiotic mistake of sitting in the first seat, even if it is my favorite seat.

So my birthday arrives and my mother has suspiciously been talking about dressing up. My mother doesn't dress up, so for her to be discussing doing it something must have been up. There were many scenarios running through my head. Could we be going to the Blue Bayou? No. She knows I don't like the food and humidity there. Maybe a private tour? But we've already done the private tours and the VIP tours. What could be special?

Then she started saying we would need to go to the portrait area and I began to get a clue. We were going to Club 33. It was confirmed when Joe coolly walked up to the club door and notified them that our party is here. So it was the five of us (Belle, mom, Joe, Sam, and I) with our two Disneyland friends that went to lunch at Club 33!

Joey and I posed with our cake. Isn't the room decor just gorgeous? It truly was like eating in a museum, a very comfortable museum.

This is Sam, Joe, and I piled out on the balcony. We were standing just above the patio near Cafe Orleans. You should have seen the looks of terror on the faces of the people below us! The balcony didn't look very strong. Just kidding!

To eat we had chicken, Chateaubriand, and someone had lamb. It was all very delicious. We also had access to a buffet of various salads, cheese, breads, crackers, and desserts. My mom liked the unlimited crab legs and shrimp that was available. I was in love with the bread bar that had various olive oil dips to use. They also had a good pasta salad with a pesto on it. I love pesto. They had a s'more dessert. How did they know I love s'mores?

This is our "oh-so-delicious" cake from Disney Dining. It is a three-layer chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and a whipped cream frosting. It was EXCELLENT. It was the best cake I have ever had. I had it for dessert and breakfast, and a snack. It tasted great with coffee.

This is my piece of cake! Because?... Well. It says my name on it! Duh!

Belle didn't like the balcony but she came out for her photo-op anyway.

There's the Mark Twain from our vantage point.

You can just make out the door of Club 33 in the background from where I stood on the balcony.

We were allowed to explore the rest of the club and saw the "Trophy Room", which is essentially a bunch of taxidermy animals and other artifacts from abroad. I was a little horrified by some of the dead animals.

After lunch, we rode the Mark Twain around. Then we hit a few more rides before going over to Disney's California Adventure. We stayed there until the park closed at 10. We flew on Soarin' Over California and rode the Tower of Terror, as well as visited the Animation Academy. I experienced Turtle Talk with Crush for the first time and thought it was great. We tried to get our friend, Karen, to go on Tower of Terror but she adamantly refused!!! She said she would go on next trip.

Well... that's the end of my trip. Notice I took the leftover cake with me and had a last minute churro with my brand new Club 33 hat. I did do some serious shopping with my birthday fun card from Disneyland the next day but alas there were no more rides.

Giants Game!

The Giant's Game

On Tuesday my little brother managed to get tickets from my uncles to a Giant's game. This was my first professional baseball game. So my sister, my brother, his girlfriend, and I all piled in the station wagon and left for San Francisco. We stopped off in Livermore to get wings at Wing Stop and they had no wings!!! It's a WING stop! How do you not have wings? So we went to Chili's instead. The food and the company was great, even if our waiter was mediocre. As we got into San Francisco I belatedly realized how chilly the weather is there. As per usual I took photos from the car. This is AT&T park as seen from the bridge.

We got to the park just as they were calling out the Giant's line up.

We had really good seats at the game.

I'm not sure who is up to bat here. I think it may have been my favorite guy, Pablo Sandoval; for a big guy he can really move around the field. I was surprised

It wasn't very crowded in the park and I totally loved it. I hate being wall to wall with people I don't know.

I think the seventh inning stretch is a total necessity. It was freezing and I was so transfixed that I didn't get up and stretch. Those that know me, know that I cannot sit still for long periods of time. If I go again I'm going to convince somebody to dance wildly with me so we can get on the Jumbotron! Wouldn't that be awesome?

Overall, the game was great. It was like a sit down dinner with entertainment. If I had known all the food was going to be that close I would have said let's skip dinner and eat there. It's kind of like Medieval Times but more convenient. I was terrified that the ball would hit us though. I never realized that baseballs went into the crowd that often. They probably hit about twenty balls into the stands. During one trip to the bathroom a ball flew into the stands 5 rows in front of us. If I had been there it would have hit me! I know it!

Gone Disney!

Disneyland's Birthday Trip July 2009

Mickey rolled down the street leading the parade and of course security was there to keep back the screaming masses of fans.

The fire truck carried the performers from down in front of the castle back to the hub.

One thing we did during the four day trip was meet up with some members of an online Disney fan group. We all went to the Celebration Roundup BBQ. The food was great as usual and I met a Disney cast member that gave me a lot of cool decorations I have missed over the years. While I we are always down in Disneyland for Christmas and Halloween, I always miss the few while we are out. Of course we spend two weeks down in Disneyland from Christmas to New Year's we still miss the ones in November and early December. That was probably the highlight of my trip, now I can make a holiday display out of my new souvenirs.

Jessie and Genevieve met again. You can see how "un-friendly" Genevieve is, she was all over Jessie.

Of course the waiter brought Diva a bowl of water, what a pampered pooch.

This is a photo of Diva outside Small World taken before she retired for the day.

Unfortunately on this trip we actually went on Small World too. We climbed on board and didn't notice that they didn't put the white stick in the boat, denoting that the riders on this boat had wheel chairs to get on. So we got stuck on another magically annoying trip through the land of tiny creepy dolls that sing the same song over and over again. We can get rid of Guantanamo now. We should just send them through Small World a few times. How many trips do you think it would take for people to give up their country's secrets? Apparently 2.

Aunt Shirley refused to go on the Tower of Terror but Grandma loves this ride.

Genevieve waits for us to ride Pirates of the Caribbean. She enjoys watching the boats launch.

Diva has her Mickey Mouse ears on in the Court of Angels.

Genevieve: "Ahhh... the wind is blowing my ears back and I can smell the churros from here. The perfect day for Disneyland."

Aunt Shirley and Grandma rode Big Thunder Rail Road with us while my mom waited off with Genevieve. They were so terrified but they loved the ride.

Belle waits for Fantasmic in the Premium seating section.

Grandma, Aunt Shirley, Sam and I all rode the Matterhorn.

Before Photo: This is all of us prepared to ride Space Mountain. You notice how happy and calm they look? Onto the next photo.

After Photo: Sam and I waited until the last moment to pull bunny ears on grandma and Aunt Shirley. I cannot believe they were hanging on that hard!!!