I ROCKED the joint tonight!!

The big guy (TBG), Deb and I were asked to talk about Canine Companions for Independence tonight at the regular meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Manhattan, Kansas.

WOW, what a great time we had! I got to meet lots of new folks, worked on my commands in a distracting environment and got to show off a little too. Deb gave another great presentation about CCI and me. I was at the top of my game and TBG...well, he just sat there eating (as usual).

I'd really like to thank my new buddies Hunter and Ed. They got the extra special Ansel treatment tonight.

Here's me and Ed practicing my "shake" command. Don't pay any attention to my tongue meeting his hand.



Here's a couple pics of me and Hunter working on "Lap" and "Visit"





And finally, TBG snapped this one while I was napping under the table. TBG was eating...Again!



I just want to thank everyone at the Kiwanis Club for a great evening and being so kind!

A guy's got to stay fit

Went to work with Deb yesterday. It was fun as usual, but later in the day I was bored and thought I'd do some work to keep busy.



What do you mean I can't use the treadmill? I don't want to lose my "studly" physique!

I love road trips!

We drove into town so TBG and Deb could eat dinner (Subway) and then we stopped by the grocery since TBG was still looking a little "light" Ha ha ha

When we walked in, there was this racket going on. Someone was riding a horse INSIDE the store! What will these humans think of next? Anywho, I got to meet 3 very nice boys and we hit it off rather well (see wagging tail).



The rest of the time I practiced walking quietly next to the cart while TBG piled the food in, he's such a p i g.

What Dreams Are Made Of...

I was having this super dream...unbelievable...and no, there were no french poodles in it! Instead, it was this glorious, gorgeous, gargantuan bowl of kibble...all for me! There was no wait command, no sit, no no's even!



And then, I woke up. TO THIS! I mean, seriously? I'm going back to bed!

Training in the rain

Since junior needed to go out, Deb decided that she would work him while outside. Nothing like some good rain training!! I don't think Ansel was quite as happy to participate.

Here's a short video of some of the action!

Who says you can't work and play at the same time?

Here's how we got Ansel to love slippery surfaces. We started it long ago and he loves sliding on a smooth floor!

One year at the Sellers' Home

Well, it was one year ago today that we brought Ansel home from the airport. It's been an interesting, fun, challenging and sometimes frustrating year. Best part is that we wouldn't trade it for anything!

Here's a picture of when we first brought him home




AND


A similar picture now. Just a little difference...OK, maybe a lot of difference. I'd like to see him get his body under that table now!





Can you tell he's just a wee bit tired tonight?

Kansas City Chapter Meeting

We headed to KC tonight to meet up with my fellow CCI buds. As usual, we had a great time. We worked on sits, downs, rolls, laps, visits, recalls and moving through distracting objects. I figured as bad as I was at K-State last week, I'd be on my best behavior and even went WAAAAAAY out of the way to avoid confrontation with certain toys that were on the floor!

We even got some "swap" time after the meeting when all the humans switched dogs and did even more work. Sure was fun seeing my buddies again. I can't wait for the next meeting.

Here are a few pics of the good time.










My apologies to my pal Raj, apparently TBG was unable to get a shot of you that wasn't blurred. I think it's time to hire a "real" photographer!

Spots Not Required...

I had the coolest day! I mean, the coolest day EVER! Did I mention that today was cool?

SWMBO and I went to work today, but NOT on campus! We were 'in the field.' It was so cool! Did I mention that?

Anyway, she was meeting some folks at Fire Station 315, AND I GOT TO GO! SWMBO asked if it would be alright, and they said yes. They even said that it was ok that I didn't have spots!

I was mahvelous (think Billy Crystal...but are you are old enough to get it?). No, I really was mahvelous. SWMBO even said so. I did all my commands, except I didn't want to jump up onto the fire truck's front bumper. It was a little high and a little narrow, so I had some help. And THEN, I got to sit next to a real volunteer fire fighter (VFF)! It was so cool! He and I even climbed into the back part of the truck. I wouldn't do it for SWMBO, but the VFF was so cool, that when HE got back there, well...I just had to! I jumped right up those two stairs, like I was a real VFD (Volunteer Fire Dog).





He showed us all of their gear, too. He said when I graduated, I could move up from Assistant Chief to Chief! Cool!



What a great day. Thanks to my buds out there at 315. This is Ansel signing out. Off. Roger. 10-4. Ah, yea!

KSFA Pictures!

Please note the link for KSFA pictures:

https://picasaweb.google.com/dsellersctrs/KSFA2011#

Enjoy!

The Things A Guy Has To Do

SWMBO and I went out today to run some errands. I got to go everywhere she went today, including the gas station, a book store, and a place to buy human food. Someone should write a book about me!

Yes, it took a long time, so I was able to practice my riding abilities and "car" command quite a bit. She also ran me through a lot of my other commands, including heel, side, here, let's go, under, back, and up...I'm sure there were others, too. However, I will not forget the "hurry" command today, 'cause SWMBO got so excited about it. She "suggested" that I "hurry" on the rocks...geez, the things a guy has got to do to prove himself. Well, I will spare you the details, but I will say that this was not a problem!

I rocked it! (Get it? HA!)

Winslow's Time to Shine!

Check him out on Channel 13!

http://wibw.videogenesis.net/preview?q=dog&station=WIBW&showstring=20110308_2158-138-13_News_at_10&beginminute=7.5&endminute=8.5&btrim=0&etrim=0

We're Stars!

Several peeps are posting pics (say that three times fast) of the K-State for All! event on their blogs! Thanks for all the shoutouts:

http://marysbeagooddogblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/ther-servcie-dogs-are-here-service-dogs.html

http://ksdspuppy.blogspot.com/2011/03/ksu-assistance-dog-forum.html

http://operationpuppyraiser.blogspot.com/2011/03/k-state-ksds-and-cci-presentation.html

Assistance Dog Exhibition at K-State, Ansel’s perspective

Sorry it took so long to post about yesterday. I wanted to wait till we had some pictures. As usual, my good buddy CP delivered with event photos! I should have lots more to post when the full disc arrives…Thanks CP; you’re the best.



What a spectacular day it was. Got to the college around 10am, TBG and I went for a short walk to take care of business and then we went inside the Student Union. Once inside we met up with Deb and TONS of other people. I got to meet all of the staff and helpers before anyone else arrived, lucky me!

All of my CCI buds arrived shortly after and let me tell you, it was good to see them. No little pups left, as we’re all growing up. Good thing, cause the real young pups usually steal the show and that leaves the older dogs wagging in the wind. All of the KSDS pups, trainers and graduates arrived and we had more than enough quality sniffing material floating around in the air. I’ll tell you this; my nose got a workout yesterday!

We all hung out near the main entrance to the Union and got to meet and greet people as the walked by. We all did our best to look smart and behave; I think I did a pretty good job especially when the TV cameras and reporters were around. I got to meet some of my blog fans that traveled all the way from Salina (shoutout to my buddy “E”) and also some from Kansas City. I really enjoyed the time that the young college girl spent petting me. She said she was missing her own dogs, so I obliged my soft fur coat for some therapeutic rubb’n!

After the meet-n-greet, we all headed into Forum Hall for the big presentation. We got to hear from the Associate Dean of the Vet Med School on campus, and then the CCI crowd got up and spoke. After that the KSDS group got to speak and let me tell you, James and Schwan stole the show!! The KSDS folks also had a guide dog there, May, and her handler Dolores-- that’s the first time I’ve seen one of those kind of teams. They are like the Top Dogs of the service world. TBG and I sat next to a young couple that were interested in becoming puppy raisers. TBG gave them all the info so they could look into that. We can always use new puppy raisers.



After the presentation, we all headed over to Salsarita’s for lunch where us pups got to take a little siesta while the humans ate. It was nice just relaxing after such a busy day. The humans finished up lunch and they decided to go upstairs and get some of the world famous Call Hall ice cream that is made on campus. I did my best to sneak a scoop of TBG’s peanut butter and chocolate nut ice cream, but he seemed to be cranky and was having none of that!

We all decided it was time to head home, so we said our goodbyes and headed out to the cars. I napped all the way home and pretty much the rest of the night, waking up only to eat dinner.

All in all, it was a fantastic day, met lots of new people and pups and had loads of fun. Maybe we could make this a monthly event!!

Did I mention that I rocked the day!

Assistance Dog Exhibition at K-State, TBG’s perspective

From what I remember of yesterday, it seemed to go well and there were lots of people.

As far as Ansel, well……he was a WILD BEAST, from the moment we entered the building until we left in the afternoon. Uncontrollable, out of his mind, wild dog are just a few adjectives that come to mind. If Ansel was a fighter jet, yesterday could best be described by 3 words. CRASHED AND BURNED!

Obviously, he was living in an alternate universe. I’m at a loss to describe his meltdown. If you can imagine taking a wild raccoon, tying a firecracker to its tail and lighting the fuse, you might be able to visualize Ansel yesterday.

Now, everything else about the day other than his actions was wonderful. It was a great informal greet in the Union and the presentation went flawlessly and was superb. It was very informative and the speakers were the tops bar none! James and Schwan surely did steal the show!

We did meet a couple that was interested in becoming puppy raisers. I hope they look into it and if it works out for them, great!

All said, the day was great, Ansel was a train wreck and we move on, inching closer to that August turn-in. I sure hope yesterday was a last gasp at mush brains for Ansel. I’d hate to have to paint a blue “P” on his head.


Here's a typical picture from yesterday. What you can't see in the picture is where Ansel breaks his "sit" and turns a pristine shot into a chaotic dog "twirl" that took minutes to untangle and re-shoot. This was typical of his actions, ALL...DAY...LONG!

Assistance Dog Exhibition at K-State, Deb’s perspective

Yesterday was the big event and only one of several during K-State for All! (Disability Awareness) Week. CCI and KSDS shared the stage, with Dr. Elmore, Associate Dean of the Vet Med School providing opening remarks. As a special note, Jeb’s puppy raiser opened and closed the CCI portion of the presentation.

It was a whirlwind of activity for me, hosting both Channel 13 and Channel 49 (check out the 49 coverage here: http://www.ktka.com/news/2011/mar/08/dog-visitors-give-k-state-students-special-lesson/) as well as talking to The Collegian (see the article: http://www.kstatecollegian.com/news/k-state-dog-show-exhibits-talents-of-specially-trained-canines-1.2508857), not to mention coordinating speakers, working through technological glitches, etc. All fun, all the time, and for a very worthwhile activity! I have so many folks I need to thank for making it a success, including Mark and Ansel…I understand that they were there :<) !!

Wallyworld!

SWMBO (She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed) and I went out toolin' without TBG (he says he is working on his Mustang Fastback but it sounds like it is really a practice session for the annunciation of cusswords with a variety of tone, pitch and volume...but I digress).

Anywho, we made a stop at the nursing home this morning and saw quite a few friends. They all want to know how I am "coming along"...what am I, a summer garden? SWMBO's answer, for those of you who are interested (I am not; I know that I am "coming along" just fine, thank you) is that "there are days of brilliance, and then there are days of daftness..." HUH!


After our tour, we got into the blue bomb and headed for a place called "Wallyworld". It was filled to the brim with carts, people, little people, interesting smells, yellow-smiley-faces, and then there was...dog toy heaven!


Yes, I managed to wrangle a new one out of SWMBO. I gave her my best furrowed brow look and it just melted her! (I actually think it was a bribe so that I would have one of my brilliant days on Tuesday and not one of my daft ones...but hey, whatever works, right?)

DON'T FORGET:
Come by or tune in to the Assistance Dog Exhibition on Tuesday!

Went to K-State Today

Went in to the College today for a walk-thru, leading up to the big presentation next week. The Student Union was PACKED and my KSDS buddy, Barstow and I had lots to look at! We walked around the Union and then went to check out the huge theater where the actual presentation will be held. It was cool to walk up on stage!

TBG forgot to take any pics, but afterwards when we went to lunch he did manage to take a shot of me under their table. I was pretty tired by then (we had walked across campus 3 times) and I just wanted a little shuteye.



It was good to see Barstow, but sadly, there was no time for any playing. It was all work today!