Tucker gets caught in the Webb

Yesterday I took Tucker to Gardner-Webb for the first time.  We started in Withrow since it was only fitting that Dr. Jones get to meet him first.  For the few of you following the blog who don't know everything about me, Dr. Jones is the director of the honors program at GWU and one of my favorite professors.  Had he not encouraged me to continue trying to get my puppy raising proposal passed, none of this would be happening now. 

After that, Tucker walked from the science building to the English building, though sadly, no one was home.  Next we went to Suttle Hall where he met several members of the residence education staff as well as Teresa Davis, Tyler Davis, and Chief.  As usual, he charmed everyone he met. 

By this time he was really tired, so I carried him across the road to the Elliot house to see my friends from my internship last semester.  As it turned out, most of them were in a meeting, and the few who were in the house simply got to watch Tuck pass out on the floor. ;) 

Shortly thereafter, Hannah Reiner arrived and Tucker walked with us all the way from the music building to the DCC - his longest solo walk yet!  We saw Meredith Garrett and Debra Hintz and then went over to the Simpson's house.  When we decided to head out for lunch, Logan asked where we should go.  I told him the only restaurant I'd ever had a problem with was a Chinese place, so just to play it safe, we should do American food.  We chose Papa's Pizza.

Unfortunately, the girl behind the counter decided that the Leader Dog bandana, Leader Dog bag, and Leader Dog ID were not sufficient.  I explained that he was a Leader Dog for the Blind in training and she said, "Is he working?"  Well, let's see - do I look blind to you?  They wouldn't let him stay, so the Simpson boys made her give them their money back, and we went down to Subway where he slept beside the table the whole time. 

After lunch I went back to the Elliot house and was able to introduce a sleepy Tucker to my friends.  Sadly, they now think sleeping is the only thing he can do. ;)  I promised to bring him back sometime when he's awake. 

Later that night I took him to see Courtney Finocchiaro who had just gotten back from Italy and we ate at El Alcapulco, where he was let in right away and behaved better than the children in the restaurant. :) 

This morning he had to go to work with me for a little while before Mom was able to pick him up.  Mom made him practice wearing his socks. :) 

Hanging out under Leshea's desk at work. 

Trying on a more manly pair of socks... well, two pair :)

Girly Socks

This morning Mom, Mattie, Tucker, and I went to a pet store in Brevard looking for footwear for Tucker.  He'll be going to the beach with us next week, and while I have no intentions of taking him outside in the heat of the day, pavement has a way of holding heat well into the evening.  Due to the size of his feet, we opted for a pair of thick socks with grips on the bottom.  The problem?  They're girly colors! 

Tucker managed to suffer through the pink and yellow nightmare for a few minutes and then we decided he'd had enough.  On a better note, he crossed his first road today!

He hardly noticed the traffic and walked all the way to the pet store from the car!  Hooray for Tucker!  ;)

After the pet store adventure, in which he got two new toys to go along with his new pink socks, we went to see the Gospodinoffs and let him play with Rocky.

  Since they're both extremely jealous of each other, it sometimes felt like I was being pulled in two different directins. ;)  Rocky roughed up one of Tucker's chew toys and Tuck just loved it.  Apparently, everything's cooler with Rocky drool.  They played until they were both worn out and Tucker's been trying to sleep it off the rest of the day. 

He started his recovery nap while we ate lunch at Alley Kat.  They said Tucker is welcome anytime. :)
His name then continued in the car on the way home...

He chooses to sleep in the funniest places. 

Here are a few pictures from last night:
First he tried to smother me while I watched TV on the floor with him....

... then he inspired me to do some relaxing of my own. ;)

Workin' 9-5? Nope, try 8-7.

Tucker had to go to work with me yesterday and was a little less than thrilled.  With it being Monday, the secretaries weren't able to let him out to play, so he spent the majority of his day in the crate.  Once he got used to the idea, he was fine.  Unfortunately for him, it ended up being an 11 hour workday, so even though he was being good, by the end of the day, he was frustrated. 

At lunchtime, which happened to be about 3 o'clock, I just picked up food to go and took him to the Carpet Store.  I didn't have the time or patience to deal with him in a restaurant.  After I was done eating, I tried to offer him some water out of my dixie cup.  He decided this was a great time to practice his America's Got Talent routine - diving head first into a 5 oz cup of water.  As you might imagine - water went everywhere.  :) 

Back at work, Kathy made a sign to go on top of his crate. 

If you can't read the sign, it says, "My name is Tucker.  I am in training to be a Leader Dog for the Blind.  I am on the job!"  Yep... he was on the job alright!

Proof that he watches TV - America's Got Talent
When I got home from work last night, late mind you, I was totally worn out and Tucker, who'd slept all day, wanted to play.  Thankfully, Mom was willing to watch him while I crashed.  At some point, we both ended up falling asleep on the floor. :) 

Okay, soapbox time!  When you're walking your dog(s) on a road (even if it's a small neighborhood road) use a leash!  I came extremely close to giving a neighbor of mine a piece of my mind last night.  Not only were his little dogs and cat in the middle of the road (no leashes of course), but he freaked out when I came over the hill like I was the one in the wrong for having my car on the road!  About six months ago, someone accidently hit one of his dogs because it ran right out in front of her - and yet he still hasn't learned!  I almost pulled over to tell him how stupid he was, but I was tired.  So, at about 2 mph, I crept past them. (At this point the men have still refused to pick up these dogs although they weighed ten pounds max)  About 20 minutes later, Mom tried to take Tucker out in the driveway.  Right as he was trying to go to the bathroom, the "yippy" dogs saw him and started to run up OUR driveway barking at him.  For the first time in his short life, Tucker was scared.  He didn't get to finish his business and Mom had to take him inside, because although the neighbor was calling his dogs, they weren't listening.  Had I not been as tired as I was, I would have marched down to their house to explain a few things to them. 

Do yourself, your dog, and everyone else a favor and keep your dogs on leash when you aren't on your own property.  Okay?  Thanks.

Another Long Day

Tucker slept a glorious nine hours last night.  Apparently, stressing out over my absence 'tuckered' him out.  :)  Once again, he did very well in the car and slept almost all the way home.  '

I decided to take him with me to church tonight.  My bible study group meets at four and goes until six.  Tucker did very well and slept under my chair until about 5:30 when he needed to go out for a break.  Right after we came back inside, the bottom dropped out of the sky.  So, when the bible study ended and church began, I chose to take him straight into the service instead of back outside.  Although the music was loud, Tucker slept through it all.  About five minutes into the actual sermon, he woke up and wouldn't settle back down.  Thinking he was just bored (he'd been at the church in his bandana for almost three hours) I decided to take him out to the lobby to burn off some energy.  He walked on his leash all the way from the sanctuary out to the lobby (across an extremely shiny tile floor) and had almost made it to the seating area when the floodgates let loose and he peed on the floor.  Thankfully, I had a few paper towels in my bag and was able to get it up right away.  After that, I decided he'd probably had enough and was ready for dinner, so we went home. 

After he'd eaten and played with my parents for a while, we decided to go out to Applebee's.  Again, he did a great job and slept under the table for almost the entire meal.  Towards the end, another family was seated next to us and one of the men asked me how many Leader Dogs I had raised.  No one had referred to him as a Leader Dog before -  people usually just call him "puppy" and wait for me to explain his purpose even when he's wearing his bandana.  As it turns out, the man was a member of the Lions Club, which is a huge supporter of Leader Dog.  I think Tucker may have been the first Future Leader Dog he'd ever met. :) 

A new napping spot.

Out to dinner with the grandparents.

Puppy coma face.

Tucker and Grace.

Something tells me walking on grated stairs won't really be a problem...

Out to dinner with the family at Applebee's.

Grabbed by an Angel

Tucker had the privilege of meeting several family members today - my great aunt Patsy, cousin Missy, and Missy's daughter, Grace.  Grace has Angelman Syndrome - a genetic disorder which affects her both mentally and physically.  Although she is non-verbal and cannot walk on her own, she is one of the sweetest, happiest people on the planet.  She smiles almost constantly, and spent quite some time this morning giving me bear hugs. 

Although babysitting Grace ensures both sudden movements and strange noises, Tucker did a pretty good job of ignoring her and playing by himself (or sleeping).  Unfortunately, at one point when Tucker was asleep in my lap, with his tail resting on my arm, Grace decided to reach out and grab my arm.  She accidently grabbed his tail along with my arm, resulting in quite a yelp from Tucker, who was very surprised.  Thankfully, after I got him away from her, he was no worse for wear and not afraid of her at all.  In fact, by the end of the visit, I had to hold him back because he wanted to play with her. :) 

Apparently, Tucker was not as good for my grandparents after I left for the wedding.  They told me he ran all over the house seemingly looking for me and tried to get into and chew everything.  He wouldn't calm down for them, so he ended up in time out.  He was asleep when I got back tonight, so he may be very surprised to see me when he wakes up!      

I hope to post more pictures tomorrow.

Meeting the Grandparents

Tucker and I traveled to my grandparents' house today.  They're puppy sitting so I can go to a wedding tomorrow.  As usual, he was very good in the car and charmed the Wendy's staff when we stopped for lunch.  He even caught the eye of a Sheriff's deputy who just had to take out his phone and snap a picture.  I love watching huge men melt at the sight of a puppy.  ;)

He's done a great job at my grandparents' house so far and has enjoyed following them around.  When they stop to do something, he just sits down behind them and stares at them until they turn around. :)  He even got Grandpa to play out in the yard with him.

For dinner, we went to a seafood restaurant.  When we walked in the door and they saw Tucker, they seemed to panic a little.  I showed them my puppy raiser ID card and explained he was a service dog in training.  Their tune then changed to, "Okay, he can stay if we can hold him."  So, after a short meet and greet with the managers, we sat down and he fell asleep beside the table. 

The best part, however, was after we left.  I parked Tucker in the grass outside the entrance and then put him on the sidewalk.  He's still getting used to the leash, so he doesn't normally walk for more than 5-10 feet before getting frustrated and sitting down.  Tonight he walked all the way to the car by himself!  It doesn't sound like much, but I'm hoping it was a milestone in learning to walk on the leash.

By the time we made it back to the car, Tucker's fatigue had reached the point of no return and he seemed to enter into a puppy coma.  Nothing, not even playing with is feet/ears/lips, could wake him.  Thankfully, the nap in the car on the way home recharged his batteries enough to run wild in the backyard. 

Poor Tucker has had to remind me of some things I seem to have forgotten.  For example, after a puppy runs around like a lunatic outside, don't let him suck down water as fast as possible.  :/  Having spent the last several years with an inactive senior dog, I forgot that this combination of events leads to vomiting.  :(  Thankfully, I caught it all in my hands so it didn't get on Granny's kitchen floor.  ;)  (I'm smiling to myself thinking about how many of you are cringing right now and questioning my sanity. lol)

I have several adorable pictures I'd like to share from today, but the uploader is being too slow.  I'll post them when I have a better connection. 

Workin' Dog

Tucker slept an amazing 6 1/2 hours last night.  That was the first time I've gotten more than 2 hours of sleep at a time in days.  It was AWESOME.  :) 

I had to work today, which meant Tucker had to come with me.  My plan was to put him in the back of the clinic in the kennel, but we had several neurotic dogs in the back today, and they just wouldn't hush.  I moved him to the front where the secretary works and brought in his travel crate.  When he wasn't untying her shoe or rummaging through her purse, they had a great time. :)  Not surprisingly, he charmed everyone he saw today. 

At lunchtime we went to Subway, and although he wasn't quite as still as he's been in restaurants in the past, I thought he still did a great job.  Even though he was good, I still had to put my sandwich down almost every bite to lean down and tell him to sit, stop chewing on his leash, or stop licking the floor.  It keeps things interesting, that's for sure. ;)  Sadly, he had his first accident in his crate today.  Not surprisingly, it was completely my fault.  Things in the back were crazy for a little while, and I didn't get back up front to let him out in time. 

The only real problem today was with dinner.  He always finishes his food in a hurry, but he ate so fast at dinner that he actually choked himself and then got sick.  :(  He was no worse for wear but my nerves were a little shot.  I'm thinking one of those food bowls with different sections specially designed to slow them down may be in order. 

But, all in all, it was a good day.  I was so proud of him for staying quiet up front.  He also sat on command (no food in sight, mind you) several times, which really surprised my co-workers. 

Tomorrow we're headed to my grandparents house for the first time.  They're going to puppy sit while I go to my friend's wedding.  He's good, but I still don't trust him enough to take him to something that important. :) 

Yep, he's a Lab.

Tucker had a busy day today.  This morning I took him to meet Lee, my dad's friend, at his car dealership.  He met the office cat, Frankie, ran around the showroom, and then took a nap on top of my foot.  :)  When we got home, he was still so tired he slept like a log for almost three hours. 

This afternoon I took him on another short walk down the road and he did very well.  Then we drove to Asheville to meet my cousins Anna and Wesley for dinner.  I brough the small traveling crate I borrowed from the clinic, because I knew I couldn't watch him the whole time.  I was worried what he would do being forced to stay in the crate away from all the action, but he took it all in stride and didn't make a sound. 

This is where the fun begins.  About half an hour after I fed him, a storm rolled in.  I took him outside to park, and while we got #1 out of the way, #2 was elusive.  About two hours later, when the storm was in full force, he acted like he needed to go out.  To my knowledge, this was the first time he's really been rained on, and I wasn't sure what he'd think about it.  He loved it - ergo, he's definitely a Lab.  Although Anna and I stayed with him in the rain until we were all soaked, still no luck.  Once inside, I toweled Tucker off and then wrapped him in a towel like a burrito.  This served two purposes: First, it helped dry him off and made sure he was warm.  Second, it ensured that if the urge did indeed hit suddenly, he would mess on the towel or me and not the floor.  He soon fell asleep and when he woke up, we tried again.  It wasn't raining this time, but it was still a no go.  When we got home, I tried again - no luck.  We played until he looked like he would drop, and I tried again - still no luck.  I've put him to bed now, which probably means he'll wake me up in an hour and want to go out ;). 

Although that spell put somewhat of a "damper" on the day - yes, pun intended - he still did very well all day and best of all, when I asked him if he wanted to go to bed and pointed in his crate, he went in all by himself!  Praise the Lord he's a smart little cookie.

*I didn't proof read this ( I know, English major no no) so if there are typos, just attribute them to a lack of sleep.  :)

Day of Discovery

Today's first discovery was that if you push the water bowl with your nose, it makes cool ripples.  That was followed shortly by, if you push it really hard, a wave comes over the side and onto the floor. :) 

This morning he went with me to an agricultural store where he was once again peppered with, "you look like that talking dog from the Advantix commercial!"  :) We then went to Rite Aid and Ingles where he was again a big hit.  He rode in the baby section of the shopping cart for the first time, and although a little unsure at first, he settled in well and did a great job.  While I was trying to get him to "park" before taking him inside, a mailman practically ran up to us to pet him.  I guess he figured if he made friends early it would be better for him in the long run. ;)

He had his first bathroom accident today which was followed by a couple others.  The first was simply me being stupid.  He slept through is normal lunchtime, and being the chow hound he is, I thought he'd probably just like to eat and then go outside.  Wrong - his bladder was already at capacity.  Thankfully, I had decided to feed him on the vinyl today.  The other two, smaller accidents were both in my room on the carpet, but again, were my fault.  I simply underestimated how fast water travels through a playing puppy.   

Once it cooled off, we went on a walk down part of the road, for which he did very well.  Each day the leash becomes less of a foreign object to him.  Best of all, when we stopped to turn around, I decided to try "sit" and it worked!  He sat on command a few other times and several times with a little prompting (touching his hips).  Strangly, after having done so well for "training", a monster then came and possessed my sweet puppy.  Although the biting had been somewhat better today, he suddenly was obsessed with biting my arms, feet, and whatever else he could reach and no toy could distract him.  A time out did wonders for his attitude.  I think he was just tired and cranky. 

My favorite episode of the day, however, would have to be when I turned on the tv after dinner.  I didn't realize until I turned it on that he'd never really been awake for tv before.  He jumped to my side when the tv buzzed on and then sat mesmerized by the sounds and changing colors.  I think he watched a whole round of commercials before finally settling down for a nap.  It was precious.  :)

Well, Tucker didn't have any accidents in his crate last night, but that was probably because he woke me up at 1am, 3am, and 6am to go to the bathroom.  Thankfully, he was very good about "parking" immediately once I got him outside, so we got to go back to bed quickly. :)  I took him to the vet this afternoon and he got a clean bill of health and was told several times, "you look like the advantage commericial puppy!"  In fact, he's so cute that the courier for one of the labratories had to go back to his car to get his phone so he could take a bunch of pictures :)

A mid-morning nap was a must, and Mattie decided to join him. :)

He got to meet Rocky, a chocolate lab owned by family friends.  By the time we left, they were both ready for a nap! 
He also went with me to get the oil changed in the car and was quite the little professional.

Nothing to Fear...

After a very well behaved breakfast at the hotel, we hit the road, in the pouring rain, headed towards Sevierville to meet Roy and Suzie Ferguson - the people who started it all.  Tucker was wonderful in the car, and though the rain was deafening and the radio was turned up, he slept through it all. 

He met (and liked, I might add) his first cat: Search.

And his first big dogs - German Shepherd search and rescue dogs Schatzie and Apache (below). 

What you can't see is that right after this was taken, Tucker actually chased Apache and jumped up in his face.  It never once occured to him that 'pache was 10x his size.  :)

When we finally made it home (about 4:30pm), we were informed of a father's day dinner at my grandfather's house, so we headed out again.  Tucker met several cousins, including Anna, Jenny, and Emily! (below)

Here's to hoping he makes it six hours without an accident again tonight!

Sleeping Upside Down

We picked up Tucker at 10 am this morning and then hit the road.  From Leader Dog to Toledo, Ohio, Tucker slept in many interesting positions, all in my lap - most of them upside down.  After lunch, he spent the majority of the ride on the floor.  One might assume the extra flat space would encourage normal sleeping habits, but not so.  The image you see above is how Tucker spent most of his time from Toledo to the middle of Kentucky.  :) 

We met Caroline Richey, her mother and nephew in Toledo for lunch.  After realizing the first destination had no indoor dining, we stopped at a Chinese restaurant.  I showed the hostess my Leader Dog card and explained to her why I was asking if a puppy could join us.  While she was gone, an older man came up to us wanting to know what we wanted.  As I tried to explain, his expression became more puzzled and he kept saying, "What?"  Finally, I just said "Dog.  I have a dog."  His eyes grew wide. "No, no, no dog."  We thanked him and left, stopping farther down the road at Happy's Pizza, where they were kind enough to let Tucker in. 

He settled down quickly and slept on the floor by the table through the whole meal.  For the rest of the trip, he spent most of his time sleeping on the floorboard, occasionally waking up and trying to chew the Escape to death (though he had plenty of suitable toys).  When we reached Cincinatti, a chewing frenzy ensued and we might have been lost save for a present from Aunt Suzie - a plastic red ball with a flashing light inside. 

We stopped for dinner at Subway, and though he wasn't quite as still as he was at the pizza place, Tucker still did well.  After watching the Subway staff carefully for a few minutes, he settled down and fell asleep under the table. 



We now sit in a hotel somewhere in Kentucky.  The hotel doesn't allow pets, but they were kind enough to let Tucker stay.  His favorite part thus far as been the air conditioning unit.  Not only is it cool and refreshing, but it makes the curtains flutter above his head.  ;) 

Finally!

Tomorrow at 10 am I will be picking up future Leader Dog Tucker! 

I can't believe it's finally here.  After spending two years convincing the Gardner-Webb administration that I wasn't crazy, a year waiting, and several weeks unsure if Leader Dog would come through for me or not, it's incredible to me that I'm currently sitting in a hotel in Rochester, MI., just a few blocks away from the school. 

This blog is meant not only to chronicle Tucker's upcoming adventures, but to keep my friends and family in the loop as I begin what is sure to be one of my craziest years yet.  Please feel free to post as many comments and/or questions as you may have. 

First, I must credit Derek Breakfield for naming the blog and Logan Simpson for submitting the close runner-up and the funniest name - Leaderblog for the Blind. 

Second, fear not!  As soon as I am able, I will fill this blog with pictures of Tucker.  :) 

Last, but certainly not least, thank you to all my friends and family - professors definitely included - who not only supported me for the last several years as I tried to make this dream a reality, but for listening to me whine and vent when I hit bumps in the road.  I couldn't have done it without you.  Oh, and thanks Mom for spending 12 hours in the car with me on the way up here. ;)