Movie Night

The current phase of my internship includes shadowing Miss Rachel, one of the ECAD teachers at another residential facility for at-risk youth.  There are many things I love about this phase of my internship, but the one I love the most is watching Rachel's unbelievable skill with the dogs and the students.  Rachel's gift as a trainer lies in her impeccable timing, her unbelievably high expectations, and her knack for knowing when to let a behavior slide and when to correct it.  Today, I captured the video below, in which Rachel brings her canine students from their outside run into her classroom.  While you can't see this in the video, the dogs are "loose" on an open field, filled with geese (and their poo), people, squirrels, and numerous other temptations.  However, these 8-11 month old dogs are attentive and respectful to their teacher (so much so, that she's stopped needing leashes altogether).  I aspire to be the trainer (and teacher) that Rachel is.



I may not ever achieve Rachel's mastery of training, managing 8 dogs simultaneously, but I think my one and only Mr. Pauly Wog is pretty impressive in his own right.  Here's a video I sloppily put together of Pauly's greatest hits.

Puppies and Piggies

As part of my apprenticeship at ECAD, I will be spending a couple of months at each of the different schools that we work in.  This will give me a chance to learn about training at all the different stages of puppy development, and to learn about the different populations of students that we work with.  I began this rotation at a school called Green Chimneys.  Green Chimneys is located in Brewster, NY and it is a residential or day-school that serves children with emotional, behavioral, social, and learning challenges.  The thing that makes Green Chimneys so amazing is that it has pioneered the use of animal-assisted therapy with the students.  The school takes in abused, mistreated, and unwanted animals and gives them a fresh start on life.  All of the animals that do not have the potential to be rehabilitated remain on the campus for life.  The students work on "the farm", caring for chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, cows, owls, hawks, vultures, eagles, llamas, and, of course, puppies!  That's where I come in.  All of ECAD's puppies start their education at Green Chimneys.  This means that we are working with itty bitty pups ranging from 2 to 6 months old.  Our current class consists of Sevilla, Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid (6-month old labs) and Ace, Bauer, Specht, Hanson, and Boone (3-month old golden retrievers).  Today was a special day because it was also the first day of school for Blondie's pup pups who are just 5 weeks old.  They seemed to enjoy their first day and we look forward to having them back when they're a bit older.

Barcelona, Madrid, Ace, Specht, and ?

In my first two weeks at Green Chimneys, I've learned a lot about training such young puppies.  The first thing that I learned is that they are really, incredibly, unbelievably frustrating.  I have been spoiled for 3 months with the older dogs and it's a real adjustment when you realize that a puppy barely knows how to sit or walk on a leash.  For me, this has been the most challenging thing I've experienced since working for ECAD.  I forgot how much patience and motivation puppies require.  I catch myself saying "no" when they don't even know better.  Working with the puppies makes me feel like a failure about 90% of the time, but then those moments when they truly learn something that I taught them makes it all worth while.

Bella and Jazmine

After a day spent with 9 5-week old labrador puppies and meeting a mini potbellied pig named Bella, how could I not love my job (I've always wanted a pet pig).  If you're in NYC this weekend, be sure to check out the Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.  Green Chimneys animals, staff, and students will be at the service and I can say first-hand that it is something every animal-lover must see.  

Just another day at the office

Yesterday, I went to work ready to train my dogs and have a normal work day.  Upon arriving, I was informed that I would be going to Greenwich, CT, where I would be "soliciting" the rich and famous to sponsor or donate for a huge, fancy benefit we are having in September (if you are rich or know anybody rich and/or famous and/or generous, click here: DENIM, HEELS, BOOTS, TAILS).  I ended up sitting in a 50 million dollar home on the water getting tipsy off $50 bottles of white wine while the maid served fancy sandwiches by the saltwater swimming pool.  The tour of the house included a Matisse, 6 Picassos, and a bathroom the size of my entire apartment. 

Warning: may not be suited for all audiences, particularly those with weak stomachs.

Today, at 8am, one of the volunteers was banging on the door of the cottage I live in.  The breeder dog she cares for was in the car, in labor, and she was unable to reach anybody else.  We brought mama into the office, knowing that labor usually lasts for hours and nothing would be happening anytime soon.  10 minutes later, after a lot of blood and a horrific scream, we had a boy.  40 minutes later, we were covered in placentas and afterbirth and we had a total of 4 puppies (2 girls, 2 boys).  3 hours later, many contractions, and a very miserable mama, we were still waiting for 5 more puppies.  We called the vet, who said we needed to get mama into the office so she could induce heavier contractions.  We loaded the 4 puppies, now almost 4 hours old, into a laundry basket and stuck them in the front seat of the car.  I loaded a contracting, laboring mama dog into the back of a station wagon.  I climbed in the back with her in case she delivered en route.  I rode, 45 minutes to the vet, hunched over, covered in birthing fluids with my hand on a dog's vagina in the trunk of a station wagon.  15 minutes later, the vet was drenched in sweat, forceps in hand, pulling a stuck stillborn puppy out of the birth canal.  The foot broke off in the process.  2 more living, squealing puppies followed within 30 minutes.  According to the x-ray we took weeks ago, there should be 1 more puppy.  We gave mama a shot of oxytocin to keep her pushing, since she was now exhausted and reluctant to continue.  We got another puppy.  We x-rayed again to make sure we got them all.  There was 1 more.  It wouldn't come out.  We discussed a c-section.  We gave more oxytocin.  10 hours after the banging on my door, puppy #10 came out.  We put a catheter in mom to get her fluids.  Suddenly, things were peaceful.  9 puppies (4 boys, 5 girls) were suckling happily.  I realized I was starving, that I hadn't eaten all day amid the chaos, that my back and butt and knees were killing me from hunching over on the floor for the past 10 hours, that I wreaked of placentas and afterbirth and blood and puppy and that I was covered in all of these nasty things.

I absolutely love my job.

Train-the-Trainer: Week 3

Cocoa is a superb shopper!

Yes, I know, I'm a day late with the update on week 3 of train-the-trainer.  It's just that, well, there is so. much. to. do.  We only have one week until the clients arrive for boot camp, so we are working ourselves and our dogs through the final push in preparation of the clients' arrival.  We started week 3 with our first public outing to the Danbury mall.  For many of my classmates, this was their first public outing with a dog and everybody was pretty nervous.  That being said, everybody did great.  Since then, we've been back to two different malls, gone to restaurants for lunch three times, visited the supermarket, and done numerous other public outings.  Having to go to the mall for work is taking a serious toll on my wallet!

Ben and Honey lift onto the bus

This week we also had the opportunity to meet former ECAD clients who were returning to take their public access test.  The public access test is taken every year to ensure that the client and dog are maintaining their training.  Meeting the clients, hearing about their first year with their service dog, and troubleshooting their issues was a phenomenal learning experience.  I think it really brought home Lu's point that every one of our dogs needs to be at 150% when we place them, because the client will only be able to maintain a fraction of that training.  The clients that we met with were mostly kids and their determination, independence, and soaring spirits were remarkable.  Personally, I have also been amazed by the parents of these kids, watching them balance their desires to give their kids independence with their protective instinct.

Wish us luck as we embark on the final week of training before we welcome our clients to ECAD next week! If you're feeling extra generous, wish us some caffeine, too, because our coffee pot quit on us this morning (no doubt from exhaustion).   

Joplin and Cocoa enjoy their Sunday by the pool.  Cocoa enjoyed it a bit more than she should have!

Garrison being gentlemanly as ever.

36-Day Reunion

Got out of the 'burbs last night for dinner with some of my favorite girlies.  Loving that I'm only 30 minutes away, not loving that I couldn't finish my pomegranate margarita because I had to drive. 

36-Day Columbia Reunion

5 Dogs ≠ Relaxing Day Off

While the title of this post is true, 5 dogs does not equal a relaxing day off from my job training dogs, it does equal a fun and exciting and unproductive day spent frolicking outside.

This is how Sophie fell asleep last night

"KK" looking very cerebral in 'her' chair

Sophie being patient with the Pipsqueak

"Whew! Chasing butterflies is tough work"

Migliori Amici

I am selfishly extremely thankful for the downpours yesterday which caused my nearest and dearest friends to cut their camping trip short and come home for the weekend.  I opted out of the camping trip because my parents are celebrating my brilliant little brother's graduation in Chicago (top of his class, phi beta kappa) and I am a single mother of three (dogs) for the weekend.  The thought of being stuck in a tent on a beach with them was not my idea of fun.  Erika made delicious pizza dough, we each did our own toppings, and the gang was back together again (minus Jillian, who we miss(ed) very much).  Apologies for the cell phone-quality.

Erika's beautiful homemade pizza dough

Lauren analyzing the anchovies

How many smart girls does it take to get the pizza onto the cutting board?

Christina and Lauren showing off their masterpiece

Lia and Kristen's (winning) pizza on the left

Aditi and Erika's deep dish

Digesting

Love

They are going to kill me.

Best friends

Boom! Bang! Bake! Bathroom!

If you live in the Northeast, you enjoyed/endured/survived (insert verb, mad libs style) some big house-rattling thunderstorms this evening.  If you live elsewhere, your facebook newsfeed undoubtedly provided you with a suspenseful, edge of your seat, witty and insightful blow-by-blow of the house-rattling thunderstorms.  Either way, we have established that there were, in fact, thunderstorms.  In case you require a visual:

Here is documented proof of the blowing trees and swirling skies

 My helpers and I took advantage of the "indoor weather" and baked oatmeal raisin cookies:

Pauly sticks real close, but no, no he's certainly not afraid.  Just protecting the women-folk.

During the most severe thunder, Pauly excused himself to leave the girls to finish baking.  Apparently the bathroom rug is suddenly the most comfortable bed in the whole house.  No, no, he's not at all afraid.  Not even a little.  The bathroom is just so comfortable... when it's storming.

Speaking of bathrooms, I finished Tina Fey's hilarious, hysterical, totally awesome book today (seriously, I liked it.  Go, read! Not in public, though, because people will think you're crazy laughing to yourself in the corner of Starbucks.  Good way to scare them out of the comfy chairs, though.).  One of my favorite quotes is: "That's the kind of trouble you get when diverse groups of people actually cross paths with one another.  That's why many of the worst things in the world happen in and around Starbucks bathrooms."

It's funny cause it's true, at least when you live in Manhattan.

Pool Party

Five faces of a fun day

Oh Gnomes!

It was a wonderful weekend, starting with the Guide Dog Foundation volunteer party.  It was really fun and I enjoyed getting an opportunity to visit with all the employees, puppy walkers, friends, and pups.  I was sad and moved saying goodbye to everybody since I won't be allowed to volunteer with the Guide Dog Foundation any longer.  My new job is with a "competing" organization, so my parents will continue raising for GDF but I have backed off from my responsibilities with them.  It was lovely hearing how appreciative everybody was of my time and efforts and getting to say goodbye to the wonderful people I have worked with. 

At volunteer day, I met Olivia P who is an area coordinator in Georgia for the GDF.  She was visiting to receive an award and didn't know anybody in NY, so I brought her home to hang out with me and my friends coming out from NYC for a beach weekend.  Olivia P was awesome and it was a pleasure having her and talking puppies with her (and I think she had fun, too). Nupur and Olivia, friends from Columbia, came out and we had a delicious BBQ, margaritas, daiquiris, ice cream, and girl talk.  It was an awesome evening.

Well, the flowers are in focus (Nups, Oli, and Olivia P)

This morning, Nups and Oli and I spent the morning at the beach.  We got a tasty lunch, shopped, and got more ice cream.  It was such a fun weekend!

My Week in (Crappy Cell Phone) Photos

Enjoying my last days in my neighborhood

"No Dogs Aloud" Ok, I'll make sure he pees silently

A couple taking wedding photos at the cathedral

P-wiggle and I enjoying coffee and Newsweek

The awesome/crazy sculpture at the cathedral

Goodbye cathedral

Girls weekend in DC, driving all the way down with Olivia with windows wide open, hair blowing, and Taylor Swift blasting, getting manicures, shopping, eating, reading, relaxing, catching up with my wonderful aunt and cousin

My "baby" cousin relaxing at Red Door Spa

The difference between a quality manicure and a hole-in-the-wall cheap-o manicure

Moving Day

2 years of my life

Making sure nobody steals or tickets the UHaul

Saying goodbye to their friend, Winston

After loading the truck, a dog and his bed remained

Loaded up and driving home

There was a lot of traffic

Tight squeeze on the front floorwell

There was just so much traffic, I had to entertain myself by taking pictures