This Week's List

Hi all,

A very quick note about the list of dogs in the previous and this and most likely, one or two preclass posts. I am focused on all the labs. Ther are Goldens and Lab x Goldens but I skipped over them on my list.

Anyone who's known me know how much of a Golden lover I am. I'd love to have another golden but with two toddlers toddeling around and my being a single mom? I'm not saying it "CAN'T" be doneI just, given everything that has happened, don't "WANT" to deal with two active kids, life and all that lovely golden hair. For now... Next time? Who knows? Then again I might just be at the point I am now. I just want a dog, the "wrapper" is more or less not really "THAT" much of a big thing.

Also looking over the previous list. It seems a dog I am very much rooting for was left off.

She is a labbie lady called Nirvana. On the posting as of the 10th she was on phase 6 I think...

This week she has moved on to 7 so maybe? Just maybe? It wuld be lovely to get this dog simply because I like the name. Okay... I'm showing my age, but... Nirvana, the grunge bad from the early 90s? Remember? Plad hoodies, which I'm still partial too, jeens, etc? mumbeled lyrics? And oh that horrid mess in April of 04... When the lead singer of Nirvana killed himself. That was sad... Well that's not the onlhy reason I like th name, it is just a cool name and I bet the dog is cccool that goes with it. Well duh! GDB any dog I've met from GDB was nothing but cool... It is like buying a Apple computer and being shocked that it doen't crash. LOL Not fair right? Anyway, ever sense seeing this dog on the phase reports I took a shine to her.

There is another dog, a sweet labby boy called James who was in the GDB blog. He was graduated earlier, but over the hollidays his handler died, in like Mexico or something? And there was a huge effort on the part of several folks t o bring James, that's teh dog's name, James, home. I saw his story and fell in love with him. My mom said watch me get matched with him.

That would be fine, I have never had anything like any problem or issue with wokring with a slightly older dog, say one who had a few litters for GDB like two friends' of mine dogs have been, or a dog who either was issued in class and then was switched or went hme with someone and was either returned because the person figured out a guide wasn't fitting in their live or became too sick or died and couldn't manage and use the guide anymore.

In both of my previous classes people have received older dogs. I just think you might miss some of the cute "puppy" parts of having a freshly turned out dog, but with the cuteness, especially with Mr. Fleming the Flemboyant who was. A hand full at first but who, in my heart grew to be epic, some of the things that drove me straight up the wall with him at first turned into the things I loved most about him.

If I had another chance to work with a dog just like him, would I? Yes. But not right at this point in my life. I've already got my two two legged children to run after. And yes. Fleming had the very best in his puppy raisers' home and the bery best training at GDB Borring campus, he still took some time to get used to and to "mesh" with, when he was a tad older, maybe a year or so, he was working out to be a fine dog.

IDK if, having received him at the age we finally clicked would of well of corse it would of been different, but would I and Fleming of bonded like we did after all that hard stuff at the start? You know IDK I truly don't, but I honestly wouldn't mind a dog who has been out and back. I think perhaps thee very worst things that could happen. On the graduation end, if the dog was returned by te person because he or she didn't like the guide dog lifestyle upon returning, the puppy's raisers might be kind of reserved? or doubtful about the new partenership? Then again maybe not?

I'm not a puppy raiser so I couldn't tell you. If it were like trusting men after a crap relationship though... You know the ones. Everything starts out soooooo nice and it really looks great, but then. It just doesn't, so for the next person that comes along you think "Okay I'll give you a chance" yet you reserve a part of your self that you might otherwise not of? Well. that can be delt with as can this other.... You'll have to maybe retrain sooner than you'd otherwise have too.

Personally, the only drawback in this I can see is A. I have to leave my babies, and B. somebody else has to care for them. In eight or ten years, gulp! They'll bee. (cue the drastic music) Teenagers! and I'll most likely want t get away from them. LOL Hopefully I can find somebody who will make sure they don't wind up on teens gone wild, cops, AMW or in juvie court whilst I'm gone.

Other than that I love almost everything about going off to guide dog school, save for the flying bit. The rest of it? Bring it!!!

I have only 15 more days until I leave. 16 days before I meet my new dog, my leading labbie, and 17 more days until we have that first walk.

Okay all this blather, here is our list of phase 7/8 dogs

As I may or may not of explained, I put the list together earlier this weekend and lots of stuff has happened... There are some names not on this list that were on the previous list... I can only assume that these are the current dogs in class with their people. Nirvana and James are still on the list. There's also a dog named Dorra" that would be interesting as Skye and Benji love Dorra the explorer and "Doughwha" is one of the words Benji says very clearly.

I think for the most part I'm over my please don't let my dog get a hard name to deal with in saying or spelling. I couldn't spell/say Gerard at first and clearly I overcame that. LOL

So. on with the list. Sorry for all the prelist blather, I can not sleep and my room is hot and stuffy to say nothing of the two toddlers spralled out all over my bed. Okay here's the list. Enjoy. thanks too for reading. *smile*
Adonis 42W0 LAB M 8
Aster 4W28 LAB F 8
Autumn 413V LAB F 8
Bailey 48W1 LAB F 8
Bella 48W3 LAB F 7
Camille 464W LAB F 7
Cassandra 4W36 LAB F 7
Delaware 4W40 LAB M 8
Diablo 4W41 LAB M 8
Don 4W42 LAB M 8
Donner 4W43 LAB M 8
Dora 431W LAB F 8
Dynasty 44W3 LAB F 8
Fallon 45W9 LAB M 8
Flo 457V LAB F 8
Heather 4W21 LAB F 8
James 473T LAB M 8
Jedi 4W48 LAB M 8
Landry 468W LAB M 8
Lawson 411T LAB M 10
Leader 41W5 LAB M 8
Marlin 44W5 LAB M 7
McGee 4W66 LAB M 8
Mercury 454W LAB M 8
Mongo 4W68 LAB M 8
Monica 456W LAB F 7
Mulan 45W1 LAB F 8
Nadine 472W LAB F 7
Newman 4W56 LAB M 8
Nirvana 475W LAB F 7
Pavarotti 47W3 LAB M 8
Penn 48V9 LAB M 8
Penne 47W4 LAB F 8
Petunia 47W5 LAB F 7
Pinot 479W LAB M 8
Rockette 479V LAB F 8
Rolex 49V4 LAB M 8
Shelby 4W99 LAB F 8
Tabby 403V LAB F 8
Teka 405V LAB F 7
Toronto 482V LAB M 8
Torren 40W5 LAB M 8
Turner 40W7 LAB M 8