Cameron at the beach (ignore the date on the photo)

Friday, January 29, 2010

Home Again

Cameron here,

I am back from my puppy camp. I got back last night at out obedience training class. We met at a library and and changed back to our real puppy raisers. My mom was so happy to see me. I know she missed me. She said I even looked like I had grown a little taller in the almost-three weeks since I have been gone.

The raiser that I went to took me to work every day and I got to meet a lot of kids. She has a really big house and I ran all through it (that's what she told my mom). I was quite a handful for her, but then again, I am for my raiser mom too. I am a wild man (anyone who knows me knows that). She said I was really good in my coat. There was snow up where I got to go. I will miss her house, but I was ready to come home.

At obedience training last night, we practiced meet-and-greet (where we meet with another raiser and dog, chit-chat, and move on), we played a musical obedience game (had music playing and when it stopped, we had to perform the command given). I won second place last night in the obedience training and got a bag of treats as my prize. I kept watching my puppy camp mom the whole time. I really liked her. It was a fun meeting. I am glad I am home now.

Hope all of you enjoyed reading Riley-Jacks' blogs. I bet she had fun in my home.

Puppy love from,
Cameron

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Rainy Day

It has been a rainy day here in Norwood, North Carolina. It has been warm though, which is really nice. It is just a lazy day for us all. Naps are great. Maybe tomorrow it will be nice and we can go outside to play...if it is not too muddy. Oh well if it is. I better enjoy the next few days because I have to go home on Thursday. I will miss this home.

Puppy love from,
Riley-Jack

Monday, January 18, 2010

My First Week

Riley-Jack here again,

My first week here in this home has flown by. It has been full of different things to do. I have helped babysit young kids, look after the raiser's baby, play with their dogs and cats, go outdoors to play with the humans, and travel to different stores with the humans whenever they go out. They love me so much. It has rained the other day and it is still a little muddy outside but today was nice so we got to go out and play. I ran around and watched Bristol catch a frisbee. Boy she loves that toy and she is a good catcher, too! I am a happy girl in this home.

I have become quite attached to Cameron's mom. I look for her whenever she leaves and I follow her throughout the house. She gives me lots of attention. Always smiling and greeting me with an always happy, "hello, Riley-Jack". If she leaves the room, I sit behind the baby gate and wait for her to return. Sometimes she even throws the Kong for me inside the house. When it is time to rest, I will lay at her feet until she is ready to get up. I love this home.

I am having a great time.

Love,
Riley-Jack

Sunday, January 10, 2010

My First Day

Riley-Jack here,

It is my first day here in Cameron's home and I am having a great time. I got to play with their other dog, Bristol (Vizsla), and puppy raiser mom. She loves me, I can tell.

I got to go to a birthday party today for her nephew's birthday. He turned three today. There were a lot of people at the party. The birthday boy led me around the house and I didn't even pull on the leash one bit. :) He would tell me to sit and I would. Everyone loved me and how well-trained I am.

I really enjoyed my first day. Time to go to bed now. I am pooped.

Puppy love from,
Riley-Jack

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Extreme Ice Center Meeting/Puppy Camp

Our January 9th meeting was held at Extreme Ice center in Indian Trail, North Carolina. At this meeting we practiced obedience training before we went inside (sit-stays, forward, dog distractions, left-left, right-right, and right-about). Both the Charlotte group and our group were there so we got to see some old friends. When we got inside, there were lots of people around us. Some wearing skating shoes, some people eating, mingling, and there were even people playing hockey in the rink that was the closest to us (we could see them through the glass).

After everyone got situated, we went into the small ice rink to play. Yes, we got to go out on the ice. Some for our first time and some of the other pups were more experienced. It was a lot of fun. We took some pictures and the really experienced skaters took us for a run on the ice.














After we played for a short time, it was time to leave and go to my new home for the duration of puppy camp. I get to go to the mountains. It sounds like I am going to have a great time playing in the snow and getting to go to work everyday. In my place, Riley-Jack will be blogging for me while she is at my house for puppy camp. She will be telling you all about her adventures. Hope you enjoy. Take it away, Riley-Jack.....


Riley-Jack

Love, Cameron

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Happy New Year!

Wow I cannot believe that it is 2010 already. Where has the time gone?

I am growing so fast. I am going to turn 6 months old on the 5th and that means that I get to graduate from the regular collar (nylon) to a training collar (choke chain). It is really not as bad as it sounds. My mom has already fitted me for one and I really don't mind it. The training collar doesn't hurt. When all puppies in this guide dog program turn 6 months old, they get the training collars. The training collars are only used when we are working and it helps the handlers have more control as we grow and develop those big muscles.

6 months of age for some of us means that we will be getting a spay/neuter letter in the mail and that means we are not breeder evaluates. We don't know yet if I am one or not so we will have to wait and see if my mom gets a letter in the mail. The raisers and Area Coordinators are not told which puppies are evaluates or not so you never know until you either get the letter or not. Surprise, Surprise. Pretty much all Lab litters now are breeder evaluates because they are used so much. Goldadors have been reintroduced into the breeding program so some of them are now breeder evals. The school does not use Collies, Australian Shepherds, and Vizslas as often as the Labs and Goldadors so there are select few litters that are being evaulated. We just have to wait and see if it will be me.

Another thing I wanted to mention was that I will be going on a 2 1/2 week puppy swap starting next Saturday (Jan 9th- Jan 28th), so I will be gone for a little while, but a good friend of mine, Riley-Jack, will be blogging in my place for that time. (See previous post for a picture). I get to go to my other friends house, Riley-Jack's brother Legion. What fun that will be! I am so excited to get to stay with them and am looking forward to the wonderful exposures and adventures they will take me on.

Here are a few pictures of me so that you may see how much I have grown in the short month I did not blog.



Me under the Christmas tree with Magic the cat.


Me and Bristol together. I am almost as big as her now.






Puppy Kisses to all,
Cameron

Photos Of Christmas Party


Our raiser and dog group photo.


Cameron the Gifted Canine and Santa.


Santa and Hope with guide dog, Muffin


Spunky with Santa.


Leo and Dancer with raiser/breeder host, Lori, and Santa.


All of us with Santa.


Legion and Santa.


Sandy and Santa.


Rudy and Santa.


Riley-Jack and Santa.


Dixie and Santa.


Here we are just chilling by the wall.


Dixie, Cameron, and Santa.


Cameron and Santa.

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year.

Love,
Cameron