Day 357 Agility park study

Today is Sunday, and I have no school and no Dajan. Jen needed to study, so compromised on studying at the agility park, so that she could study while I play with other dogs. Except when we got there... It was completely empty!

and we will just HAVE to play fetch!

Absolutely empty!

I guess Jen will have to entertain me on the agility course!

I guess people get the hint when it's freezing temperatures and the sky is grey. I sure don't!
Anyway, after running around for an hour, Jen said we should call it a day and took her bag to go home. Then a dog showed up. Then a few more. In a couple minutes, around 8 dogs were running and playing along.

Jen could finally sit down to study... keeping an eye out on me! 

Day 354 part 2: Snow guide dog

Today Dajan and I found a snow guide dog. He wasn't very obedient though, the only thing he knew was lay/stay (lehni/zustan).

He was like a Swiss Shepherd. But when Jen put his yellow working jacket on (which looked and smelled suspiciously a lot like mine), his ears fell off... very suspicious indeed!

Day 354 Gandalf and the police

Today Dajan went to the police. Actually both her and I have family working there. But she didn't go for family, Jan had stuff he wanted there.

Waiting room

There was a lot of waiting to be done. Contrary to popular belief, the police station was not that fun. On the table there was a brochure saying not to be blind. That looked curious! (But then Jen saw the rest of the text, it was about homeless people and about helping them)

Brochure

Some police dogs are trained to find drugs. Dajan and I find that quite peculiar, as drugs are illegal, we wouldn't think the police would be searching for some. Dajan and I excel in finding food. Now that's more useful (well Dajan also excels at finding poop and removing it. She is quite a hygienic dog if you ask me!)

Poo-sniffer dog! What an awesome title!

On the way home, Dajan met Gandalf, a barely two month old puppy, on his way to become a guide dog too.

Dajan being jealous

Jennifer knows Gandalf's sister, we will go meet them sometime!

Day 352 Ducks

Every night I dream of bones. Then when I wake up in the morning, I lick Jen's face to tell her I'd really like a bone. And Jen answers "ooooh how sweet! Good morning cuddles for you Mety!" Nooooo she doesn't understand anything!

I need a bone. Like now. (cat added to maximize effect)

 By the guide dog school there is a river. Dajan and Jan picked me up from school today, and we went for a walk by the water.

Weee ducks!

We would have hunted them, but they were in the water and we are not allowed. The closest we ever came to them, was when Jan threw a snowball and Jen ducked :)

Finally, for being so good, we got what we deserved, we went to the pet store, and weeee we got huge cow leg bones!

Dajan working on hers effectively

Any duck treats here?

Day 350 Shopping yet again

When Molly moved out, she took some stuff that belonged to her (a few pans, a few towels, etc..) so we went shopping for new ones.

In the bus to Tesco

And to IKEA

Dajan came here a long while back, when she was a wee puppy. When she says wee, she actually means it. Jen took so long to decide what she needed to buy, that she didn't notice that Dajan needed to wee. First and only accident she ever had in a store!

Checking out towels... we need one for our muddy pawsies too!

Jan needed a light. Go figure...

 In IKEA they have a restaurant. Jan ordered meatballs but couldn't eat them all. Jen stole them and used them as dog treats. I was very obedient the next few days (yum!)

Very tired from the shopping

Day 345 New year resolutions

This year started off a bit bad. Jen came back to get me (well that's not the bad part). And I went back to the city with her. And everything I did when I used to be a puppy came back to me. The nervousness around crowds, the inability to focus when other dogs are around, the unsocialized behaviors around other dogs (including growling, bullying and baring teeth), the leash pulling, the everything! I considered it holiday-mode. Jen was disconcerted.

We started a strict regimen. She said she would give me a ton of park hours and a lot of treats, in exchange for good behavior. Oh, and a muzzle.

Made me wear a muzzle! :(

In exchange I had to do my best to gain my good habits back. It wasn't easy, as I had so much pent-up energy, and that the city was quite stressful for me, but I did my best. (mostly I was tired because Jen uses the technique of "a tired dog is a good dog")

On the flipside I got to see Dajan again!

Dajan wagging her tail and butt so much she can barely run!

Luckily, this only lasted a week, and then I became better again. But this was worrying. Jen said my blind person needs to be someone who lives in the city, because I tend to "forget" my city behavior if I don't live there, and won't be able to perform well. The guide dog school said it's worrying indeed, and hope I'll step up my game...

Am I that bad? :(

Day 339 Year 2012

Happy new year!!

Day 331 Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas everyone!

Day 327 At the airport

Today Jennifer left the Czech Republic.

Diane in the tram, ready to walk out.

Diane accompanied her to the airport. She knows that place, because when she was young, she went with Jen to France for Christmas too. There was so much snow that their plane was cancelled and they had to wait in a long line to get a spot on a new plane. Diane had fallen asleep and all of a sudden was woken up by a huge growling german shepherd above her. It turned out it was a sniffer-dog, and was immediately recalled by the patrolling guards. The police went on to having a nice conversation, and Diane got to play with the sniffer-dog. Weeeee!

Article that was published in visionary about the trip

 But today was serious, Diane is now a working dog, and there is no time for fooling around.

Diane knows the way

 Last time Diane came to this airport, Diane was still a 6 months old fluffball baby. Now she's still a baby, just a bit more older one ;)

She was a bit excited to get to go on one of those flying buses, but then Jen said goodbye to Jan, and Diane was disappointed. Jen was disappointed too, she didn't get preferential treatment this time, as she is travelling without a guide dog :(

Day 326 The metronome

In Prague there is a big metronome. Jan, Diane and Jen went there because there is a nice park and a nice view. Well the view was so foggy that it wasn't so nice. The park was still nice and there was quite a few dogs for Diane to play with (except when she had her stick, then she was too busy to play)

Jen watched Jan do a bit of testing training with Diane. It's the same as usual training, but Diane can't cheat because Jen is there to warn Jan.

Dajan in lay/stay (Lehni/Zustan)

Good girl Dajan, you waited until also Jen wasn't looking
to do the mischief and thus weren't caught red-handed

Day 325 Last day before Winter holiday

It's my last day before Jen leaves for her Christmas holidays. Since it was my last day I was expecting something fun! Weeee....!!! But no. Jen has a test so she needs to spend her last day studying. Poor me!

At least we are going to the library to study there, a bit better than old boring home. And Jen said we'd have to stay a long time there, so first she took me to the park so I could burn off a bit of energy.

We met best friend Lily!

Picture of me mocking her with a stick, because she has a muzzle on and can't get it!

 Today was an accurate day for measuring the amount of fun I had, by how wet my fur was.

A LOT!

We managed to roll in the old dirty snow.

We went to school anyway, but Jen was a bit too ashamed of how dirty I was.

On the scale at school. I weigh 27 kilos!

In the elevator

So since I was so dirty, Jen didn't dare take me in the library. Instead, we studied on a table right next to the library!

Before studying (notice it's day)

After studying (notice it's night)

At the end I was so tired I fell asleep. We studied so many hours, by the time she had finished repeating everything, even I could have passed her test!

I deserve more park time pleaaaase!

Day 322 Christmas shopping

Diane slept over. She sleeps in the funniest positions.

Diane's zen yoga position, called "the Diane"

 Although it was cold, we went out. We needed to buy Christmas presents.

This is me hunting Diane in her most vulnerable position
(she is pooping)

 Jen and I looked at dog toys for Diane. It was tough deciding for one. It was hard to figure out which one she would destroy after the most amount of seconds. We got a piggy. Jen was betting 30 seconds. I bet less.

Diane, the toy killer

We also looked at trees. Somehow, Jen thinks it's horrible when I bring a bit of dirt into the house, but she thinks bringing a whole tree inside is great! Jan and Jen also looked at decorations for that tree! Humans are crazy!

Day 316 Winter is coming

A week ago the park was all leafy. Now it's all whity.

Diane and her shadow

In the park I like following whatever Diane is doing. I am like her shadow.
For me, it's because I am learning her ninja-ways. For her, she just says I am annoying.

Me, Diane's real  shadow, and Diane licking her lips

Diane eats a lot of snow. All the flavors. Diane told me the flavor names, but yellow and brown are more politically correct than what Diane said. Or at least naming colors doesn't make Jen as angry as if when we call them by taste.

Shadow's tummy is feeling a bit funny.
Shadow is gonna rest now...