Hi, Everyone! Thanks for stopping by!
I heard that February can be a dreary month, but it hasn’t been for me. For example, just yesterday, there was another huge dump of snow, with even more falling today. So, I have had more chances for snowy practice and romps. That’s not dreary at all!
This month, I continued to work hard on “disengagement.” The Trainers have given us several different ways of building this special skill, and they’re really working for me. Sometimes, I’m still pretending, but more often, I pretend for so long that – POOF! – I’m truly “switched off.”
Also, I went with my Raiser to her dentist for the first time. I didn’t stay for the appointment, but I had a tour, heard all the crazy sounds and met a lot of friendly people. Next time, I get to stay. Other than that, I’ve been a regular at Ikea and Home Depot this month – such great places to practice PADS skills. There sure is a lot of food on the floor at the Ikea cafeteria, and my job is to ignore it completely. Jeez. Oh, and I got a new, fancy harness to wear when I’m on my long leash practicing recalls or walking trails! It sure feels nice and gives me a bit more freedom.
Best of all, I celebrated my 7-month birthday at Coquitlam Legion 263, and it was brilliant! I had never been to such a fun, lively place before. There were so many friendly people there, and I got to walk among the tables and greet them. I even met The Mayor! On Fridays, everyone wears red to honour the Military & First Responders. I wore a red ribbon.
Coquitlam Legion 263 is a great friend of PADS. And it has the best aromas ever! Popcorn and fresh meat for the Meat Auction. PLUS, amazing sounds – the auctioneer, the clapping, the billiard balls… and to top it off: A LIVE BAND! Because it was my birthday, my Raiser and I had a little dance on the dance floor. There were 6 other PADS Puppies there of all ages, AND a real live, professional PADS Working Dog wearing a Blue Cape! Right before I went home, a very special person came by to say hi and showed us photos of his beautiful dogs that he doesn’t get to see anymore. He said that the PADS puppies had really made his night perfect. On my 7-month birthday, I learned what tears of joy look like.
In March, I’m going to a big Dentist Conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre. I’ll tell you all about it next time.
Thanks again for checking up on me. Keep an eye out for tears of joy!
Submitted by: Mikal
