Breakthrough!

She gets it! She understands that you go outside to potty!

When I came downstairs this morning, I was playing with her and Gummi, when she trots off to the door to go outside. I go to see what she's doing, and she starts pawing at the door. I open up the door, and she trots right down the stairs, to the grass, and goes potty!

Oh my goodness, such a good girl! See what I mean by she learns quickly? It's been two weeks on the day. It took Gummi quite a bit to learn that (granted, Gummi was older, and from a shelter...). I think I'll start the bell trick. My friend has her dog trained to that, and when we took her to the vet on Wednesday, she started talking to us about bell training her. When she told me that she wanted to go out, I started thinking about how hitting a string of bells would be much better than scratching at a door for a potential guide dog. I'm gonna try to get that set up as soon as possible.

I didn't get to blog about her first vet trip - when we got home it was late, and I still had some homework to do.

Lila was very good during her first vet visit. She didn't act scared, was very curious, and didn't make shots or anything into a big dramatic fuss. Vet had us start her on her heart worm medication, which she chewed down on like it was treat (though it was awfully chewy, and took a bit to get down). I felt kinda bad the next day though. I got up early Thursday morning in order to finish some of the previously mentioned homework. Dad got Lila out just as I was coming downstairs and took her out and everything. I got my breakfast and coffee, and went back up to my room. She came running up a few minutes later, and started hoping up on my bed. I told her to get off and sit (I'm not letting her up on any furniture on her own will - only when I allow it), and then went to pick her up by her scruff. I completely forgot that she had her shot there, and it was still a little sore. She started crying, of course, but she quickly forgives. Thank goodness.

I believe we are taking her to visit my Grandmother today, also. She's already getting used to car rides and many visits to new people.

-Kaylyn

ETA:
I found a string of bells and hung them on the door. Throughout the day, I've been ringing them whenever I took Lila out. When I was sitting at dinner just a short while ago, I noticed Lila scamper off to the door. She looks at the bell, a little unsure, and then kinda scratches at the door. She gets a little more confident, sticks her paws on the door (she can't quite reach the bell just yet), and RINGS THE BELL. LESS than a DAY, and she already knows it. Little miss is so darn smart, and I absolutely love her to death.

She's Amazing

It's official - 'Lil Miss is a natural.

On Friday, I took her to my barn, where she had her first contact with horses. No nipping, no barking, no growling, no nothing. She was a little intimidated by Toby, the obnoxious stray that is now the barn dog, because he is overly loud whenever another dog shows up, but she wasn't scared of him. She got a little closer to a couple of the horses' hind ends than I'd like, but that was because I thought the leash was shorter than it was so she got a little close on my part, and because of a little resisting on the leash on her part.

Lila also had her first grooming appointment on Saturday, and it was also our first week together. When we dropped her off, the woman who I spoke to about her grooming needs before we got her recognized me and snatched her up in an instant. When we got her back, she had nothing but praise for her - and a cute little bow in her hair. Of course, I didn't get any pictures with her in it before we left to go to a family dinner, and she had ripped it out by the time we got home. Oh, Lila...

But, I am continually amazed at what a natural she is at what Pilot Dogs consider absolute essentials in a seeing-eye dog. As we've had her at home, I've noticed she's got a very confident attitude. She'll go right up to my seventy five pound, two foot tall mutt and have absolutely no fear at all, but, at the same time, she's not aggressive towards her. Lila's not food or toy posessive either, and you can take them away at any time with no issues at all. And to put it all to boot, the little girl learns quickly. By the second day with us, she had learned sit and come. She's now preforming sit pretty much one hundred percent of the time, come is about eighty percent, and she's learning stay and quiet.

And she's also learning how to walk.

She had her first "walk" today. We really only walked about half a block, but it was her first time out on the leash. "Working position" is to the person's left and slightly ahead of them, but not pulling on the leash. The only adjustment to get her in working position was putting her on my left side. She hardly ever pulled on the leash during our short walk, and she was always slightly ahead of me. We had a few sticky spots where she would just sit down and refuse to move, but those didn't last long and she continued right on as normal.

At night, she's starting to quiet down much faster, along with not barking the minute she gets in her kennel. Like I said, she learns fast and is improving quickly.

Our big event for this next week is her first vet visit with us for her second set of puppy shots on Wednesday. Oh boy. This shall be fun.

-Kaylyn

Eight Weeks Old!

'Lil miss turned eight weeks old today! And she had another bath today.

Potty training makes her stinkeh. Baths are gonna be pretty frequent until she gets that down then, I would suppose. And, on a grooming note, I'm gonna end up moving the PetSmart grooming trip to the weekend - probably Saturday. I need to get tags for her and her own food and water bowls and such forth, so I can shop while she gets groomed.

Lila also climbed the stairs to go upstairs on her own today! She was never confident about them before, and would sit and whine at the bottom to be picked up and carried up them. Then she started to consider, but would only get her front paws on the first step. And then she climbed them today! So that makes things a tad bit easier on me.

Today was also her first time alone for an extended amount of time. She was on her own for about half the day, and was with mom the other half. She's unintentionally getting a somewhat gradual transition from being held all day to being in her kennel. And, speaking of kennels, she's getting a little better about going in hers at night. She's still resistant, but the resistance isn't lasting as long. And she isn't crying as soon as she goes in now, and the crying is also lasting for a shorter amount of time.

Overall, everything's getting gradually easier on us. Now, we've just got to get potty training down and everything will be much easier because then I won't have to be watching her 24/7 to catch accidents about to happen or have to ask my Mom or Dad to hold her while I go do something.

That's about all for now - not a very eventful day today.

-Kaylyn

First Few Days

The past few days haven't been all that eventful. I've had a couple snow days, so Lila's been able to kinda get used to how some things work around here and what not. Next eventful day will be whenever I go back to school, then she's in her kennel the whole time. That'll probably happen tomorrow.

I've been really happy with Lila's progress. She's already learned sit and come, and putting her to bed is getting easier and easier and the crying isn't lasting as long. For sit and come, though, it's just a matter of actually doing the command though. The accidents are becoming less frequent as I'm learning how she works also. She sleeps for about an hour, then wakes up, goes out, and then goes back to sleep for another hour or so. I bumped up outside time from an hour gap to a two or two and a half hour gap about halfway through the day. Hopefully I can get her bladder used to holding by the gradual time increase.

We haven't gone on any walks yet, and considering the fact that she doesn't really know how to walk on a leash yet and the fact there is about eight inches of snow on the ground outside, walks aren't really feasible right now.

Lila will also be eight weeks old tomorrow, and I'm hoping to take her up to PetSmart for her first grooming experience. It'll be a nice little socializing trip, she'll get her first real grooming session (I've just been brushing her daily with a slicker brush, fine tooth comb, and messing around with her feet some), and I can also get tags for her. And a leash and collar for her in this maroon color. I'm not a fan of the pink one they gave us. But, that's just me, I guess.

And, on grooming notes, Lila got her first bath on Sunday. That was fun - she wasn't too fond of it, and kept trying to jump out. We can keep working on that though. In the potty training stage, she's gonna smell pretty frequently, so baths will be pretty frequent too.

That's about all for now, I believe.

But, before I go, I got a picture of Lila that I love. Enjoy!

-Kaylyn

Welcome Home, Lila!

-yawns-

I am exhausted. I got up at seven o' clock today to go get my puppy. After several snow days, that's way too early for me.

Anyway, Dad and I were on the road around eight or eight twenty. And we had a five or ten minute break to collapse the big cage (it rattles in the car, which is quite annoying) and fill up the gas tank.

Cincinnati, Ohio! Halfway there!


We made it though Cincinnati, and were about half an hour out of Columbus when we realized we where ahead of schedule, so we pulled into a rest stop for a quick break and then called Toni at Pilot Dogs to see if she could accomodate the new schedule (we weren't supposed to arrive until twelve - we got there between eleven or eleven thirty I believe), which she could.

Columbus, Ohio! We're there!

We made it to Pilot Dogs where we met our puppy, were briefed on certain procedures and started back to Louisville.

Me and Lila after picking her up!

The puppy was pretty good during the car ride. She was a little climby to try and go see my Dad, but she settled down and slept for most of it.

We all made it home safe and sound, and I finally decided on a name for her. Say hello to Lila. Lila had quit an eventful day - she met my dog (Gummi, being fifty times bigger than Lila, is afraid of her... >.>), met one of our neighbors, met my friend and her family who live down the street, and then she went over to the same neighbor's house later in the day.

And then came time to go to bed. Oh my. We ended up taking a farther step back than I would have liked to today. My goal was to get her kennel ready, put her in it, and leave her alone. I had no clue my mom would be there with me when I did that though. She made me check the heated up pad we put in the kennel to make sure it wasn't too hot, which involved me opening the cage and trying to keep Lila from darting out. Then set the radio to some ambient noise for her, and Mom proceeded to mess with the tuning once I set it down. It was just overall not a great way to put her to bed for the first time.

Lila cried herself to sleep, and all was well... Until Mom decided to vacuum our hardwood floors. Then Lila woke up again. Oh jeez. She fell asleep again pretty quickly, and she's been quite ever since.

I'm debating taking Lila to my small group at church tomorrow. On one hand, I'd like to get her exposed to as much as possible, and the sooner the better. But on the other hand, I'd like for her to be house broken first. But, on the housebreaking note, I've noted that she's VERY good about not going if she's being held. She didn't go once during the entire three hour ride back in which she was in my lap. And when she crashed in my lap for most of the rest of the day, she never went while she was being held - only when she was set down. And since she's so tiny, I'd probably be okay. Plus, the floors aren't carpet there - cleanup would be pretty easy. haha

Oh, and we're giving her a bath tomorrow too, apparently. Oh boy. Eventful day number two, here we come.

Now I'm off to bed while hopefully not waking up Lila again.

Good night, all!
-Kaylyn

PS: Oh, I am also totally moving to Sparta, Kentucky when I grow up. Man, we have weird names for towns in this state. haha

The Eve

Welcome to Piloteer In Training!

Contrary to the title, I am not in training to be a pilot. No, I am training a pilot. And that pilot is a black, female Standard Poodle born on December 23, 2009.

She is owned by Pilot Dogs, Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, and I am her puppy raiser. I will have her for about a year to fourteen months, at which point she will be returned to Pilot Dogs for her formal guide dog training.

As a puppy raiser, it is my job to get her socialized and used to being out and about, along with potty training, and basic commands such as sit, down, stay, etc.

Now, since you all know about the puppy, I assume you would like to know about me. I am a sixteen year old girl in Louisville, Kentucky. My name is Kaylyn, and I have my own personal dog, Gummi (a Greyhound cross from one of the local animal shelters - she's about five to six years old now), and a cat, Katie (She is eleven years old now). I am also interested in horses, but I am currently on a break from them after the death of my own horse. Outside of the animals, I love photography, web and graphic design, and anything with literature (be it writing, reading, editing, etc.).

Tomorrow, I take about a seven hour round trip to get my new puppy.

I invite you to follow the contiuation of that trip into the next year by following this blog.

I hope you enjoy it.

-Kaylyn