Hi, Everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

I heard that February can be a dreary month, but it hasnโ€™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. Thatโ€™s not dreary at all!

This month, I continued to work hard on โ€œdisengagement.โ€ The Trainers have given us several different ways of building this special skill, and theyโ€™re really working for me. Sometimes, Iโ€™m still pretending, but more often, I pretend for so long that – POOF! – Iโ€™m truly โ€œswitched off.โ€

Also, I went with my Raiser to her dentist for the first time. I didnโ€™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, Iโ€™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 Iโ€™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 ballsโ€ฆ 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 doesnโ€™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, Iโ€™m going to a big Dentist Conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Iโ€™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