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There's Chocolate in the Kennels!

Submitted by Reproductive Coordinator Heather Power and Breeding Program Manager Marina Hall Phillips

Talk about a sweet phone call: "There's chocolate in the whelping kennel!" announced a member of our Kennel staff. Thinking that some generous soul had stopped by with a box of See’s Candies, our initial sugar thrill turned to genuine excitement and curiosity when it became clear that the chocolate in question was referring to the coat color of some new puppies!

A maiden brood, black Lab Arizona, delivered a litter sired by a relatively new stud dog, yellow Lab Forte, on June 8. She brought a healthy litter of seven puppies into the world: five are black and two are chocolate. It is rare to see chocolate-colored dogs in GDB's colony - the last time a chocolate-colored pup was born to yellow or black Lab parents was in 1994. Prior to that, we did have some chocolate puppies produced by chocolate parents. The last active chocolate-colored breeding stock dog was a brood named Darlin, who was born in 1978. In addition, GDB has included chocolate-colored Labradors in our program obtained from outside sources through the years. To date we have had 51 chocolate dogs in our program, 13 of which went on to become working guides or breeder dogs.

As you know, Guide Dogs’ directive is to make breeding selections based on the highest potential that the resulting offspring will succeed as working Guide Dogs. GDB has developed a colony that supports our ability to meet our client demand with specifically selected combinations of black and yellow Labradors (and, if you've seen our colony, you know that the variations among the "yellow" Labs are still pretty vast!).

So how did these two chocolate treats come to be? Here's a quick and simplified lesson in genetics that should shed a little light on the subject:

There are spots on the canine genes called “loci” (or “locus” for a single spot) that deal with different coat colors. There are thousands of these loci, and it gets pretty complicated really quickly. Fortunately for us, in Labradors we really only need to focus on two loci to determine whether a dog will be black, chocolate, or yellow: B and E.

B comes in two varieties: black and brown. Black (B) is dominant, brown (b) is recessive, and the color applies not only to the dog’s fur, but to some extent all of the areas of pigment we see: nose, lips, foot pads, and around the eyes. If the dog in question has even one copy of the dominant (B) gene, s/he will have a black coat and black nose, etc. Only if the dog has two copies of the recessive gene (b) will their coat and nose look brown.

The Forte x Arizona litter's two chocolate pups are b/b on that locus. Their black littermates, however, are either B/B or B/b.

So where do yellow Labradors fit in? For them, we need to go to a different locus: E, which works a little differently. In recessive form (e), it suppresses or prevents the coat color of the B locus from expressing itself. In other words, the black or chocolate color won’t show up in the fur if the dog is carrying e/e. Instead, their coats will be yellow. Recessive (e) doesn’t remove the other areas of pigment however – they should have black noses, or at least a black rim around their noses, if they have B/B or B/b on that first locus. If they have b/b on that first locus, then those other areas of pigment will be liver colored. Couple that with e/e for recessive yellow coat color and we see a yellow coated dog with liver b/b pigment.

In a way, the coat colors are like a ladder. The first rung (or loci) tells you if the dog is black or brown, then the 2nd rung takes that black or brown dog and if double recessive, turns its fur yellow.

Phew! That's your science lesson for the day.

As for this Forte x Arizona litter, we are employing color genotype testing to identify which puppies in this and future litters carry the color genes for chocolate. The test is a simple, non-invasive DNA cheek swab. We will use this information to guide mate selection for color in the future. It's likely that we will not intentionally mate chocolate color carriers with yellow dogs who also carry for chocolate, since our focus is on black and yellow Labs. So while it is unlikely, it is certainly possible that we may see more chocolate-coated Labs in the future (if mate selection factors indicate that an ideal match would be between two parents carrying for the chocolate color). If so, we will embrace the little chocolate kisses with open arms, just as we've done with these two newest pups. The pups are thriving and will enter their puppy raising homes in just a few weeks. We're hoping we have some chocolate Lab Guide Dogs in our future!

Going Full Circle

This past Saturday, for the first time ever at GDB's Oregon campus, the audience at our graduation ceremony saw the complete story of Guide Dogs when we celebrated the accomplishments of six new Guide Dog teams AND delivered three new pups to their Oregon puppy raising families.

Anyone who has attended one of our graduations knows that these ceremonies are always filled with emotion, but this graduation was something extra special. We have been working with a few young pups in some early training tests here on the Oregon campus, so we had the opportunity to have the little guys around for a bit - a great treat! And when it was time for them to be sent to their puppy raising homes, we got the chance to send them off with much fanfare.

With an auditorium filled with visitors, supporters and friends, there were plenty of “ooohs and aaahs” when Zenith, Alden and Art were presented to their new families by campus volunteers. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the stage was swamped with well-wishers, all wanting to welcome these little bundles of fur into their hearts.

So, from beginning their lives as Guide Dog puppies in the arms of their new families, to concluding their training and becoming bona fide Guide Dog teams, we came full circle in the span of the afternoon.

Join us on July 17th at our Oregon campus for another graduation ceremony, once again complete with puppies. The ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m., and is open and free to the public. Check our website for details and directions.

Puppy Invasion!

We received the following photos and update from proud breeder keepers Ken and Nancy Schopp who participate in GDB's Litter Raiser Program. We'll let them tell you a little more about the program, and about Belle....

Hi! This is Belle, a Guide Dog breeder. We bring her litters home from GDB at 1 week old so we can help her raise them, for seven weeks, until they are ready to be sent off to their puppy raising homes. This is her fourth litter. She has seven Guide Dogs out working and four more in final training from her third litter. Did you notice the yellow pup? Even though she has always been bred with black males, she almost always has one yellow pup. Belle is also the Tuesday morning "mentor dog" for the pups in the kennels at GDB during their socialization sessions. She plays with them and chastises them if they are naughty. What a great mom.

Fame Puppies Are Famous!

Feel good moment of the day: a video of the new litter of puppies born to Fame, the GDB breeder dog of Captain Chesley and Lorrie Sullenberger, was featured on today's episode of "The Bonnie Hunt Show." The litter of seven safely arrived in our kennels on January 20th. Here's the link to the segment: http://www.bonniehunt.com/blog/feel_good_moment_of_the_day_38.php

All together now: "Awww....."

F Litter Update: Faulkner's Final Adventures with His Puppy Raiser

Guide Dog puppy Faulkner sends his mom one final dispatch from his puppy raising home. By now, Faulkner is at our Oregon campus, starting his training to be a Guide Dog! Good luck Faulkner!

Mama,

My trip to Seattle was SO much fun!!! I got to meet all kinds of new people and even new dogs. My puppy raiser, Kate, and I even got to see my littermate, Faraja! He's looking great and absolutely loves his puppy raiser, Judy. He has a new buddy that Judy is raising named Magoo. We all got to greet each other and Kate shoved my brother and I together for pictures. She says that we look almost the same and that Faraja is just as sweet as I am. I got to go out to dinner with Kate and her friend and her dad at a really nice restraunt which was tons of fun. They all were really nice to me and, while all of the staff smiled at me, none of them tried to distract me from working. I was just happy to be out and about.

Since we've been home, life has not been too much quieter. We've been keeping really busy. Mostly with getting around to people so that they can say goodbye to me.

Nancy (Kate's mom) arranged it so that I could go to her office today for a very special thing. We gave out dog bone shaped cookies, Faulkner autographs, Faulkner love, and pictures with me for donations to a charity Nancy's office is supporting. We made over $20 in the hour and a half that I was there and Nancy's boss joked that I should be named volunteer of the year!

Can you believe that I'm leaving tomorrow to go back to Guide Dog school? In just about 23 hours I'll be getting on the puppy truck to go to Oregon! Kate has talked to the woman on the truck who's traveling with her husband to come pick me up. I'm going to get to meet all kinds of puppies when we get there! I know that Kate is feeling a little sad about me leaving. We've been through a lot together this past year and we have become very special in each other's lives. Kate wants to make sure that you know just how lucky she feels to have had me in her life, even for this short of a time. She says that everyone I meet thinks that I'm something pretty special and she can't wait to mee the incredibly lucky person that I get to spend the rest of my life working with.

There are pictures of Faraja and me as well as some pictures from my going away party at Nancy's office today. I'm sure that Kate will be sending you more pictures tomorrow or the next day as I embark on my puppy truck adventure. I can't wait to see what has everyone so excited for me at the other end of this jouney! I hear that there will be lots of food....

All my love,

Faulkner

Mama Christine's response:

Hi Faulkner,

Thank you for all your news and pictures, I thought I'd add one of my favorite baby pictures of you as well. Please please Kate take a picture of Faulkner in front of the puppy truck. I hope it is the new truck with the picture Cathy took on the side of it. Since the F litter was the inspiration for that picture it would be so cool to have a picture of you and Kate and Franco and his family all together next to the side of the truck.

I know you are going to do well in training. It is great you got to play with Faraja. I know the bond between Faraja and Judy is very special. It was very hard for her to have Faraja career changed—you know how committed she is to Guide Dogs : )

Love,

Mama Christine

F Litter Update: Faulkner, Ready for a New Adventure

Hey Momma!

I'm on trade this week! I'm staying with a girl named Kylie who is a first time raiser in our club. She's really enjoying having me since I'm so close to the end of my training and a welcome break from her 9 month-old puppy, Kayla. I'm just having fun getting to meet even more new people! Kylie has been taking me to high school and it's a very active life.

My puppy raiser Kate and I have been really close since we found out that I'm going back. This last month of my training is shaping up to be a very special time for us. We do a lot of cuddling and loving these days and Kate has been sharing stories with me of the five dogs that she's raised in the past. Did you know that all of them are working guides? All of the talk is making me even more excited to go back to campus! While this is a fun experience for me, Kate told me about just how much this organization means to her. Here's what she had to say:

"These past few months have confirmed how much a person can get out of an experience such as this. The feeling that you get when you are able to help someone else, while helping yourself in the process, is beyond explanation. I don't know that I'll ever truly be able to express what Guide Dogs means to me and what the organization has done for me. GDB came into my life at a time that I most needed it five years ago, even though I didn't know it at the time. Through all of my medical adventures, and times of not knowing what life would bring day to day, I had at least one constant: a dog. Every morning, no matter how terrible I was feeling, there would be a wriggling ball of fur just waiting for me to wake up. Not because they wanted to ask how I was feeling and not because they needed to take me to another doctor's appointment. They simply wanted me. And even in in my days of not knowing where my life was going or when I would be able to really start living it again, I knew that puppy needed me. And not just that puppy, but, in extension, a person needed me. After the first graduation that I attended all those years ago, I couldn't believe that I was actually a part of what the working team had become. Bob and Yamaha were soul mates and you could tell by just looking at them. To think that I was even a small part of that beauty and freedom still makes me swell with pride. I don't know where I would be now if it wasn't for Guide Dogs coming into my life when it did. But I do know this: This organization is magical. And not just for the blind that get partnered with a guide."

I know full well that becoming a guide isn't for every dog. Kate has told me that if I get to school and don't want to do it, I will not have to. She's assured me that no matter how my formal training goes, she is very, very proud of me. The best part is that she has assured me that even if I come back to her house to live as a pet, I have helped at least one person's life be better - hers. Through all the emotion of the last weeks, I'm ready to keep on going until I just can't go anymore. I'm bursting full with all the love that has been given to me in my raiser home and I can't wait to go on to share it.

Love, 

Faulkner

Momma Christine's Response: 

Dear Faulkner,

This is an absolutely lovely note and makes me cry with delight in your shared vision and in the beautiful way you express it in words. I hope other people will be able to resonate with you as well after they read your dear words. Very very sweet.

I am so proud of you, and I hope I will see you at your graduation, if that is in your future. Take care and enjoy these last weeks together.

Love,

Christine

F Litter: Franco Writes Home

Dear Mama,

Did you hear the good news? Flute is going off to Puppy College. I am so excited! That means that fairly soon, the rest of us will go too. I can hardly wait. I have all my commands down very well and am well behaved, most of the time!

Talking about school, my puppy raiser is back in school and running cross country again. He is pretty fast but the races seem to take a very long time. It also gets really hot during the day when he runs - I’m glad I don’t have to run with him! Speaking of the heat, I hope you’re safe down there in California and far away from all the smoke.

It is hard to believe that I have been writing letters home now for a year it seems like just yesterday we were at Fun Day. Time sure does fly when you are having fun. 

With love and licks,

Franco

F Litter Update: Faulkner Writes Home

Hey Momma!!

This past month has seemed to just fly by! My raiser Kate and I haven't been doing a whole lot because she had surgery. We've been going crazy stuck at home together, but I've really gotten good at being a house dog. I've gone to work with Kate's mom a few times, and I've been to SO many doctor's appointments. While Kate was in the hospital, our whole puppy club (including our friends from Elko, Nevada) showed up for class!! I got to be at the hospital once a day for the three days that Kate was there. It was fun to get "ooh-ed" and "ah-ed" over by all the nurses!

Kate is feeling better and I'm trying to help her get back on her feet. She plays outside with me and whenever she goes out, I get to go too. She says that having me around helps to distract people from the neck brace that she's having to wear. I guess that having a dog in tow does offer a great opportunity to change the subject!

Summer is coming to an end and Kate's brother, Alex, has headed to college. He's promised to take me sometime in the next couple of weeks which would be great fun! I'll let you know how my adventures in the college world go once I get a chance to see how it is. I wonder if it will be anything like the "college" that Kate keeps talking about me going to at Guide Dogs....

Faulkner

Letter From an F Litter Pup: Flute Has Big News!

Dear Mom,

Exciting news! My puppy raiser and I just found that I'm going to COLLEGE ... on Friday! The folks at GDB thought I might have to wait a while longer because there were so many other dogs ahead of me, but something must have changed and now they want me! Everyone around here is really excited, so I guess it must be really special.

I got a bath, toenail clipping, ear cleaning and toothbrushing this weekend so I'm all clean and ready to go. I'm getting lots of extra hugs and whispered messages about working hard and becoming a really good Guide Dog. People seem sort of sad underneath their excitement however. I'm not sure what it all means. But I know I'm ready for something new and interesting. I've done so many things this summer, including going to a Seattle Storm basketball game, swimming in Lake Washington, riding on a new streetcar, and best of all, making a new friend. Donovan says that he was the first one to train with my raiser, Kathi, ten years ago. He lived in California for a while with her sister, but has come back to Washington in his senior years to live with her. We've had great fun getting to know each other, though he moves a bit slowly. He is nice to snuggle with and tells me that college is a lot of fun with great people. He made it all the way through training but was career changed for a medical reas

on. Here is a picture of the two of us.

  

Well, that's all from Seattle. I hope to be sending you word in the coming months of my graduation from college, but I know that whatever the future holds, you got me off to a good start. Kathi says that if I don't make it as a guide there might be another job waiting for me somewhere and I can always come home to live with her. But I want to make you all proud.

Love,

Flute

A look back at Flute as a puppy: 

F Litter Update: Faulkner and Franco

Hey Mom! 

I've got all kinds of fun things to tell you in this update! 

First of all, my puppy raiser, Kate, is doing all kinds of house sitting since it's summer and everyone wants to go on vacation. The past ten days, we've been staying at a house that came complete with chickens and a little 1-year old Welsh Terrier named Reuben. He has a lot of energy, but we were able to play outside a lot and he followed me everywhere! When Kate would put me in my crate, Reuben would often go in with me. It was neat to have a little "brother" for the week. 

While we were at Reuben's house, my littermate Franco also came to visit a couple of times. The three of us boys had so much fun getting to play together and run around!! Franco even got to stay the night and all three of  us curled up in a big puppy pile in the crate. Kate told us that we were too cute to exist. The only problem that we had was that Franco and I were a little too interested in Reuben's food, but Kate made is almost impossible to sneak any because she kept such a close eye on us. 

Next up: Kate is pulling a switcheroo! She's going to take Franco with her to her next housesitting gigs, and I'll be going home to stay with Franco's puppy raiser, Mike! Franco with have a great adventure with Kate - he gets to meet nine new cats and four new dogs! I'm hoping you'll be getting a letter from him because he'll certainly have plenty to write home about. Franco made sure that I wouldn't forget to tell you hi and send you some puppy kisses and a tail wag until you get to hear from him again. 

Love,

Faulkner (and Franco)

P.S. The first picture is of the two of us at Reuben's house. Reuben wouldn't sit still long enough to be in the picture though. There's also a picture of me when Kate and I went to the park.

Another F Litter Pup Writes Home

The latest in our ongoing updates about the F Litter puppies that we've been following over the past year. This is Faulkner's most recent letter home to mom; he is the black Lab pictured above.

Hey Mom!

It's officially summer in Boise, Idaho. It has been SO hot here that my puppy raiser, Kate, slips off her shoe to check how hot the pavement is in the parking lots; she wants to make sure that my paws won't get burned! Luckily, the breeze has been blowing and I've been able to be outside a lot. 

With summer in Boise comes a variety of fun new activities. Yesterday, our club went to an event called Alive After 5. It takes place in a big open area with a fountain in the middle where a live band plays and booths are everywhere selling food and drinks and music and all kinds of stuff. We had seven of us puppies in training show up and we had lots of fun! A yellow lab from Elko, Nevada even showed up for the festivities. Kate and Mike and I even walked around downtown for a long time after we left the crowd because it was so nice. Tomorrow, there  will be a showing of the movie "Hotel For Dogs" on an outside screen in the park. It's a free event and I hope some people and pups from our club show up. 

My favorite part of the summer is spending time outside with Honey. She's a yellow lab mix that lives with Kate and her family. She's 9 years old but still will play outside for hours with me. Eventually, she goes to lie down in the shade and Kate makes me leave the "old dog" alone.

 

Well, it's time for me to get a drink and take a nap.

Love,

Faulkner

And the reply from mama Christine:

Hi Faulkner and Kate,

Great to hear from you. Cathy has been working hard designing a wedding album for a couple of hours so it is just a snore for me today! But now that you piped in, you got her thinking about dogs again. 

It is pretty hot during the day here too, so I tend to start and end my days with nice walks. I also have some buddies who get to stay with us when their owners need some help. 

I can’t believe how handsome you are! I am very proud of you. Keep up the good companionship and diplomacy skills as you walk around all those fun summer activities! Somewhere in your future might be a blind person who loves to be out and about and you can lead him/her to a wonderland of enjoyment.

Love from your mama, 

Christine 

Franco Checks In

The latest in our ongoing updates about the F Litter puppies that we've been following over the past year. This is Franco's most recent letter home to mom; he is the yellow Lab pictured above.

Dear Mama,

To start with now I am a year old and getting big. I am well into my second summer and I have just returned from my second trip to Montana. June was a very busy. We had high school graduations, last days of school, triathlons, travel, training, and busy summer days. I really like to play with my friends. My best friend is Lady, she is a little chocolate lab; the big black Lab is Jedi, and he is the boss - he likes to always be in charge! We play and play in our free time. Speaking of... I need to go play in the sunshine with my pals, so I'll check in with you later!

With love and licks,

Franco

The F Litter Turns 1! Letters From the Pups to Mom Christine

Can you believe the F litter pups that we've been following on this blog are now a year old!? Wow, how time flies! The pups' mom, Christine, got some letters home from most of the youngsters, snippets of which we'll share with you below. As for the three pups that haven't written home, Frolic, Fjord and Finella (now Jolie) - mom wants to hear from you! :) Actually, word is that they're all doing great with their puppy raisers as well. We can't wait to see what the future continues to hold for these pups - and we'll be sure to share it with you!

Letter From Faraja

Hi, Mom!

Faraja here! How are you? It's my birthday! Look how I've grown. As you can see, I like to know what's going on. I'm not sure how we'll celebrate my big day, but I know I'll be happy with whatever Judy and my big "sister" Cobalt have planned. I hope it involves a good romp in my favorite playground!

Love,

Faraja

Letter From Flute

Dear Mom,

I have been REALLY busy! Last weekend I visited the college that I will be going to soon - GDB's campus in Oregon! I got to go to a graduation - I was really excited for such a special day. I also went out to lunch this week with some of the children from my class at school. It was a chance to show off for them how well behaved I am. You'd be really proud of me, I didn't even SNIFF the food on the floor, much less eat it! They walked over to my favorite store where they have all kinds of dog food and treats. They were whispering something about "birthday" and "present" but I'm not exactly sure what that meant!

You know, my people like to show off a lot and I have to help them sometimes. They can drop my leash and I just walk along at their side for as long as they want me to, no matter who or what that is interesting is beside me. They tell me "sit" and I just have to wait there until they walk away and call me and they get soooo excited you'd think I'd done something hard!

I've discovered how much fun the lake can be. Do you know about lakes? There is lots and lots of water and I love to jump in it and get my feet and legs wet. I also like to get sprayed with the hose. What I like to do best is sleep. I'm a really good sleeper, and guess what? I must be a big kid now because I don't have to sleep in the crate at night any more!

That's all from Seattle, Mom (that's a picture of me in front of the space needle with my raiser's nieces!). Love,

Flute

Letter From Franco

Dear Mama,

The month of May was a busy month. We attended several track meets and had the chance to be exposed to large crowds with lots of cheering and excitement. My puppy raiser got 1st in the JV boys district mile race!

I've also been busy helping my raiser give tours and educational classes a Lucky Peak Nursery, a unit of the United States Forest Service located near Boise, Idaho. The nursery began its life in 1959 and has produced seedlings for reforestation after natural disasters and stand management since 1961. They have the seed bank for the south and western United States. The nursery produces more than 2 million seedlings each year. My raiser and I show school kids what happens there, and how the nursery is helping the forest.

I am so glad that I have a busy family. I get to normal stuff like going to the grocery store and the library with my family and then we go and do a little bit more. I have been to a lot of places but sometimes it is really nice to come home and relax.

With love and licks,

Franco

Letter From Faulkner

Hey Mom!!

Now that I'm a year old, I have discovered a few things that I really really like. First of all: outside. Outside is the best place on Earth!! I love all the smells. Another of my favorite things: water. The bathtub, ponds, puddles, anything! The hose, though, is the most magical of all. My favorite toy: a purple jolly ball with a rope through it. I can play tug or just run around with it. My final favorite thing: the cold. I can't stand the heat. I really like laying down on the cool air conditioning vents, but I'll settle for cool hardwood floors in a pinch. Kate has even given me a couple ice cubes which combines my love of water with my love of the cold! They are quite the treat!!

Kate seems to be very proud of my work too. I know all of my commands and will do them flawlessly. Except "stand." Kate and I are working really hard on it, but it's a little awkward for me still. I really do love getting to work in public. Whenever I see Kate bring out my vest I get very excited and have started scooping my head into the straps to make sure she doesn't forget me.

Kate has not been feeling really well for the past few months and we've been staying at home more often than we used to. As long as I'm with her, I'm very happy though. We get to spend hours outside in the sun and it's given us a lot of time to really work on my obedience. I try really hard to stay calm while I'm inside and keep out of the way when there are lots of people around. The only thing that I do that upsets people is knock wine glasses off of the coffee table. I never do it on purpose. My tail just gets out of hand. So far, we've only had one spill though and I'm learning that a tap on the rump means "either sit or move" so that nobody's glass gets upset.

Because of Kate being sick, we're going to doctors a lot. They all love me there and nothing phases me anymore. The smell is a little weird, but I've learned to love the people in the big white coats.

Yesterday, on my birthday, Kate took a long time to cuddle with me and love on me. She told me that she loves me and can't believe what a good dog I am. She told me all about her past five dogs and how they are ALL working with a blind person. There is no question in Kate's mind that I will join her past pups in giving a very important person their freedom. She seems very proud of her dogs who are working and for her to be that proud of me will make having to leave her worth it. Whenever Kate talks to me, I give her unwavering, unblinking eye contact and she has often told me that she can see straight to my soul through my eyes.

I hope that you're doing well and will promise to let you know when I'm going back to school to make you, Kate and everyone else proud.

Love,

Faulkner

A New Letter Home from Franco; Mama Christine's Reply

Awhile back, we followed the trail of a litter of puppies -- the F Litter. One of those pups has been quite the letter writer! Here's his latest letter to his mom, (retired) breeder Christine.

Dear Mama,

Did you know that there are people who run? My puppy raiser boy is one of those people and he runs really fast. I have been learning about bleachers because I get to sit in the bleachers and wait until his race. I find stairs are easier to use than trying to go up in the middle of a row. I am also learning to be really patient, because track meets can take a very long time.

I am starting to get used to wearing my head collar. When I wear my head collar in public, someone always asks if it is a muzzle, and my raiser always tells them that no, it is just a head collar not a muzzle and that when I get to Phase #4 at “puppy college” that I will need to know how to use it and not fight it. Even though I think I look like a geek when I wear it.

My puppy raiser and I gave a presentation to the local Rotary Club about Guide Dogs for the Blind. There were about 30 people there and it went really well and we gave them all sorts of literature on the program. Now 30 more people know a little bit more about Guide Dogs for the Blind.

With love and licks,
Franco

# # #

Dear Franco,

Thanks for your wonderful update.

I love to run! Cathy and I run a lot and we see really beautiful things. The only time I did not run with her was through my pregnancies and then when I was spayed and had to mind Christina’s (my GDB vet who also runs) admonitions to be very careful about my abdomen. I bet you love to run and drink water after.

I heard from your sister Flute last week. She is being raised by four people in Seattle. They love her but also think that she is doing really well in training—one of the co raisers is hoping that after she is a guide dog, she will retire at her house. I think that is a good thought and hopefully it will transpire.

Don’t worry about how you look with the head collar. If you don’t “need” it (I was the same way), it is just one of those check off things your raiser has to do.

I have told you this before, but I will say it again. You are very handsome and I am so happy that you send me pictures so I can see how you are maturing. Have you been to your vet to be “fixed” yet? I think that GDB told Cathy that all the boys were being fixed from this litter. I know that hormones can cause a bunch of weird feelings that sometimes you are at a loss to be able to control. So that trip to the vet might be time that is justified (even tho you feel crummy because of the drugs they give you so the operation doesn’t hurt), in your future.

Love,

Mama Christine

Get along little doggies!

Our puppy truck is hitting the open road today with a cargo of 35 puppies (35!!) destined for Colorado. That's a lot of puppy love! So we wish Puppy Storks Joe and Lee safe travels as they wind their way through the wild, wild West to deliver some sunshine to the Rockies… after all the Spring snow that's been pounding the Centennial State, the boundless energy of 35 pups is bound to bring some warmth!

The “Crumplette” Chronicles: Week Five

By Denise St. Jean and Tommy Cook, GDB Breeder Keepers for Crumpet

This week's video starts where last week's ended--the infamous kennel door that leads to the outside world. The puppies are now five weeks old and more active than the previous weeks.

They play and pounce on one another throughout the video. The puppies are on a regular diet at this time and we see them enjoy bowls of crunchy kibble.

The most memorable scene in this video is when mama Crumpet plays with two of her babies. Tails are a waggin' as Crumpet gracefully plays with her puppies until they latch onto her belly for some nourishment.

By the end of this week the puppies will be completely weaned. Next week the "crumplettes" will move into the puppy kennels and play yard area…to be continued.

See the video on YouTube here.

Special thanks to:
Teri Balestrieri for shooting the video
Janine Rawlins for puppy wrangling
Entire Kennel Staff for taking excellent care of Crumpet and the "crumplettes"

The "Crumplette" Chronicles: Week Four

by Denise St. Jean and Tommy Cook, GDB Breeder Keepers for Crumpet

Catch up on previous Crumplette updates:
Crumplette See, Crumplette Do
Tea and Crumplettes

The furry batch of "crumplettes" are in a time of discovery during the fourth week of their lives. They continue to investigate their environment with their eyes and ears -- and especially their mouths.

This week's video shows the puppies nibbling on one another's ears and shoulders until something more interesting and new comes along to sink their teeth in –- a shoelace!

Next, they enjoy a supervised toy session and prance around with stuffed animals -- a red pig and blue bear, and then learn to set boundaries when they get too feisty with one another.

There is a cameo from momma Crumpet as she sun bathes in the outside kennel run. Is she daydreaming about her favorite sun spot in our backyard?

In the last scene, their kennel run door opens and they see the outside world for the VERY first time. Is this the start of a great new adventure? They're all very curious and tap a paw or two in the outside kennel run, but they then decide the world can wait -- this isn’t the week to take the "big step."

Special thanks to:
Teri Balestrieri for shooting the video, and sacrificing her shoelace
Kathy Fenger for puppy wrangling
Entire Kennel Staff for taking excellent care of Crumpet and the "crumplettes"

Puppies Gallery

Siberian Husky Puppies

Golden Retrievers Puppies

Buldog Puppy

Cutes and Funny Puppies

"Crumplette" See, "Crumplette" Do

By Denise St. Jean and Tommy Cook, GDB Breeder Keepers for Crumpet

This week the "Crumplettes" are 3-1/2 weeks old and they're starting to wean away from mom and beginning the learning process with one another. It's truly amazing to see how much the puppies grow in one week!

The puppies are now walking around, a bit wobbly, but determined to stand their own ground. The video below includes scenes of the "Crumplettes" playing with each other and at times mimicking one another.

In one memorable scene, one of the puppies approaches a happy, tail-wagging Crumpet to try to play with her. Next, you'll see another puppy following the lead of the first puppy, in her quest to play with mom.

Ultimately both puppies get loving nudges from mom. They're no match for Crumpet, who has always been a world-class "nudger."

Although the puppies still nurse on Crumpet, this week they were introduced to mush. Mush is dry dog food that has been soaked until it has the consistency of oatmeal.

You will see the puppies share and enjoy a bowl of mush together. The video wraps with some playful sibling rivalry of the "Crumplettes" and some fancy puppy wrestling moves.

Special thanks to:
Teri Balestrieri for shooting the video
Entire Kennel Staff for taking excellent care of Crumpet and the "Crumplettes"