Official Jacket!

YAY!  Honeydew is now officially a guide dog puppy in training - she got her jacket tonight at our puppy meeting. 

The meeting was actually a "social" - once a month the club does an outing in public...ride the train or bus, go to the mall, etc.  This was our first such social (as the new pups have been too young to go until now).  Tonight it was an outdoor art show with artists who made garden art from recycled materials....it was a sea of people, totally overwhelming!  We drove around for about 20-minutes just trying to find a place to park, and ended up in a dirt lot a ways away.  

Honeydew did pretty good - but at one point she had a bit of a meltdown.  I think the new jacket (she isn't sure she wants it on), combined with all of the people and the other dogs, was more than she could handle.  She was like a little kid throwing a temper tantrum in the grocery store.  I finally had to drag her behind some bushes where she proceeded to buck like a wild bull and flop around on the ground like a fish.  She has never acted that way before.  After a bit of private time she calmed down and we went back out to join the crowds of people and the other puppy raisers.  She is still just a little pup - so I can imagine it was all just more than she could handle, especially because she is so much more intense about distractions than most of the other pups (who are just chill, sort of with a surfer's attitude or something).  

I (Michele) have been out of town for about 5 days -- Glenn did a great job of taking care of the little dear (along with the other Crim Critter Menagerie).  I can't believe how much bigger she got while I was away...she is starting to look like a little dog instead of a puppy! :( Tomorrow she gets to wear her jacket to work with me - everyone will be so proud!

Anyhow - attached are some updated pics of our big night.

Photo 1) Honeydew in her new jacket.  She is all color coordinated now...people always think she is a boy because of the green halter.  She doesn't seem to care.

Photo 2) Just a few of the pups hanging out at one of the art exhibits (there were a total of 13 guide dogs there).  There are 5 pups in the picture...kinda like "Where's Waldo".  The little one on the left, facing the camera, is Fortune - the pup that is so huge for his age (he is the same as Honeydew).  He has the biggest puppy belly and always seems to be straining under his own weight just to keep his head up.

Photo 3) Another picture of The Dew looking proud in her jacket.  You can see the intelligence in her eyes...that, or she is saying "seriously, if you don't get this thing off of me I am going to pitch another royal fit!"