How old am I?

baby

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

New Exposures and Other Fun Things

Hi!!
Thanks for checking back to see what I have been doing! I have been very busy! On Friday, I went to a place where they teach people that have trouble learning things. What a WONDERFUL time I had!! They all wanted to pet me and have me kiss them. You know that I really enjoyed that! I promised them that I would come back every few months and they could watch me grow and learn. I will watch them learn, too. A few of the people go to my church and they asked my mom where I was. She explained that she doesn't take me on Sunday morning because she is in the choir. I was sorry I missed them.





{Puppy Kisses are the Best}
As soon as we left the center, we met Aunt Barbara at Olive Garden. I slept under her feet while they finished lunch and then we went out of town to their lake house!! I got to go out in the boat and everything. What fun!! I was posing on the bow (I think that's the right word) of the ship and Aunt Barbara was taking my picture while Uncle Scott was getting ready to ski. I moved and fell in the water - yikes!!! My cousin Andrew jumped in to help me out. I was scared and didn't do too well at first, but then I just let my instincts take over and started paddling toward the shore. They kept trying to get me to swim after toys for the rest of the weekend, but I decided that I might wait until I was a little older. We had a really good time together and cried a little bit when we thought about how much Matthew would have enjoyed me. I spent a lot of time with Andrew and he's already very special to me. I know he loves me a bunch!!
{PICTURES COMING SOON}
When we got home from the lake on Sunday, I met Mom & Dad in the McDonald's parking lot to go to a church party at Camp Windy Gap near our house. There was another lake there!! Mom thought I should go swimming so she took me out a couple of times - not too far, but the water was over my head. I showed her that I knew how to swim - and headed right to the shore.



She knew I didn't really like it much, though, so we didn't do it again. The best part of the night was a bunch of the kids that are in our choir were there. They were really happy to see me and they carried me around and loved on me a lot. I really like that!!



Monday was a work day and I was glad to get back and see lots of my good friends there. My buddy, Susan, takes me for several walks a day and that's fun! If she would just let me eat grass, I would really be happy, but she is like my Mom and is always saying, "NO! LEAVE IT!" *sigh* I snuck some today and now I'm making all kinds of wonderful smells, but my mom doesn't appreciate them!

Monday night my friends Midnight, Penny and Neil came to the office for a meeting. I wasn't too happy to see Neil because he is TOO rough with me, but Mom and Georgie kept him from bugging me too much. We worked on lots of hard things - walking in a circle, turning around and going the other direction, sit, stay, come, down, leave. WHEW!! I also took them through the building and for a ride on the elevator. Then we went for a LONG walk down the greenway in front of UNC-A. Coming back we had to go up the BIG, LONG driveway - all uphill! I was tired, but I made it. My mom said I did really well and was proud of me. I thought I was pretty good, too, but I'll be happier when I can do even more stuff. I have SO much to learn!


{Puppy Just gotta have fun!}



{Good "Sit/Stay" everyone}



{Obedience? Aah who needs it??}

{SAM, Midnight and Neil}

{One Tired pup}
Well, it's time for me to go downstairs with my mom while she works out. I will watch her exercise for a little, chew on my bone, and then take a long nap since I will be very tired from all of that exercise going on!


Talk to you later!

*slurp* SAM

Thursday, September 18, 2008

I'm Learning a LOT!

Only one day has passed since I wrote last and I already have more things to say! I forgot to talk about going to see my Thomas' family's homeschool friends. I hope Aunt Barbara will send me some pictures and tell a little about it. It was a lot of fun. I already really love kids and I'm sorry we don't have any in my house - just a bunch of old people!

I also went to the doctor's office with my mom yesterday. There were a lotof interesting smells there, but none that bothered me and I laid down and took a nap - I'm very good at that no matter where we are! I even slept through MOST of the two choir practices last night.My mom let all of the kids love on me - ahhhh, that felt good! I saw the other dog in choir but
we couldn't play. After looking at each other for a while, we both gave up and curled up and went to sleep. Everyone says I was very good!

Here are some things I know how to do already. I'm not 100% reliable, but Mom says I'm VERY good for just a young pup (I am 11 weeks old TODAY!)
Sit when told
Sit at the door and stay until told to go forward
Stay in the floorboard of the car while Mom goes around. I sometimes get up, but not often and only once did I get on the seat. She was gone for at least 10 seconds and I got worried! I like to lie there near her so that she can pet me all the time. I also like to rest my head on the center console, although it's not soft. I guess I like it because it keeps us close.
Come when called. I'm very good at that and Mom gets really excited.
Busy and Big Busy on command. I will go to the bathroom if I need to, but I still have accidents sometimes. Usually it's Mom's fault, though, because she can't read my mind and know I need to busy!
Usually I also do "down" when told, as long as she uses her hand and
reminds me what she means.
I can go up and down the stairs, too. I want to run up them, but Mom makes
me go slowly.
I rode the elevator a couple of times - no big deal!
The only thing I find REALLY hard is not to pick up every leaf, stick,piece of paper, etc., etc. I mean, they are RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF MY NOSE! Something inside tells me to GET it and carry it around and I just can't resist!! I also like to carry my leash around, but Mom is trying to teach me not to do either of those things. *sigh* Sometimes it's tough being a puppy but I'm excited that one day I might get to help a person get around without getting hurt. I'm going to try very hard so I can be a good guide dog.
SAM eating laying down 2
{I like to eat lying down! You can clean the bowl better that way!}
SAM eating laying down
Well, I better go. Mom needs to work and I need to busy and then sleep.
Writing is very exhausting work!!

*slurp*
SAM

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

My First Post

Hi, this is SAM. I was born July 3rd and I’m a beautiful golden retriever. Thanks for checking up with me. I’ll grow SO fast and learn SO much that I’ll try to remember to write often so you can keep up!

I was picked up at the NY airport on Thursday, September 11 by a really nice lady who works for US Airways. She took good care of me while we flew to Charlotte and then caught a smaller plane to Asheville, NC. I was very good on the plane and not afraid at all. I slept most of the time. That’s what I do best right now!

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She carried me from the plane to meet my new families because she was worried that I might have an accident in the airport. I have to admit it might have happened, because I was only 10 weeks old and didn’t really know about where I should busy. Soon I’ll be very good about it, but I’m still learning right now! It’s up to my Mom to make sure I get plenty of chances to busy outside. I’m doing really well at night already and can go all night long without having to go out. That makes her VERY happy!

When we got to the airport I had a big surprise! Not only was my Mom there, but also two members of my special sponsor family – Andrew and Barbara Thomas! I got LOTS of hugs and kisses and I cuddled right up to them. It felt good to get so much loving and I kissed them a lot to let them know that I love them, too!

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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

When we left there, Mom took me to see Uncle Scott Thomas at his dentist office. He sat down with me in his lap and just loved on me, too. I’m so glad they are all part of my family! Thank you for helping to make that possible by giving money to the school in Matthew’s memory!

We drove home and I met my “dad” and Bethany. They seem very nice. I also met Deacon (the 6 year-old vizsla who was supposed to be a guide dog but didn’t make it) and Diablo. Diablo is a 12 year-old lab and he is the king of the dog world at our house. He tells us youngsters to leave him alone and we do – most of the time. Sometimes we can’t help it and we aggravate him, but he puts up with us anyway.

That night I slept in a crate in the bedroom beside my mom’s bed. I didn’t like it at first and kept telling her, “Hey, what’s going on?! I’m in here! Did you forget me?!” She didn’t let me out, though, and told me to be “QUIET!” several times. When I was quiet I would get a small treat. I learned quickly that I am NOT to bark when I’m in the crate and I want them to like me so I do well about that now. Even when they went to church without me on Sunday, I only protested a few times. I don’t understand why Dad won’t take me to church and let me sit with him! I know that Mom is in the choir or she would take me, but she said that one of the other pups barked in church and embarrassed him so he won’t take the pups. I would NEVER do that!

On Friday I went with Mom to work. I was a perfect angel and everyone came by to meet me. They all think I’m very snuggly – which I am! I guess I’ll outgrow that pretty quickly, though. I do hope they will keep wanting to pet me, though, because I’ll always want lots of loving. I slept most of the time at work.



It’s very boring there when no one is visiting but I didn’t cry or bark when Mom would leave me and go to the bathroom. I knew she would be back soon because she has promised to take good care of me. She was very proud of how I acted! We left work early and met Erin and Midnight at the elementary school near my house. Mom and Erin talked to 80 4th graders while I slept.

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After they talked, we got to show them what we could do already and THEN all of the kids came up and took turns petting us. I LOVED that!
Midnight and class 1

Midnight, Sam and class 3



Midnight and Sam "fighting over a bone"
{Midnight and I entertain ourselves while our mommies clean up}
Friday evening we got to go to the Mountain State Fair. WOW!!! I got to meet the other puppies that are working to be guide dogs. We practiced walking around and sitting and stuff. I already know how to sit and down and most of the time I stay when I’m told. I’m VERY smart! We also got to see LOTS of very interesting animals. I wasn’t afraid of any of them, or of the lights, or the rides, or the people, or anything! It was exciting. Everyone there kept coming up to me to pet me and you know that I loved that! After about an hour, I was very tired, so another puppy walker family let me share the stroller with their youngest girl, Charlene. What a relief!
Charlene and Sammy in the Stroller

Puppies Parading

People stopping to pet Sam

After the fair we drove to Charlotte and I got to stay at my Gram’s house. The next day I got to meet my mom’s Grandson, Mahlon. He’s 18 months old and very cute! We had a good time together, although I had to stay on the porch a lot of the time. I understood that he was a little unsure of me and that my mom wanted to spend time with him, so I didn’t complain. We did go for a good walk and played in the park, though. That was fun!

On Sunday I was good while everyone was at church and then I got to play outside for a long time with my mom and Deacon. Most of the time I sat under her chair in the shade because it was VERY hot. I like to pull up grass and eat it and that’s not good for me so she has to watch me very carefully and teach me not to do that. *sigh*

I’ve already been to Sam’s (nice name!) several times.

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I ride in the cart most of the time because I get tired! I’ve also been to the grocery store and the library and the drug store and the hardware store and some other places I can’t remember. I like going everywhere and seeing people and they always want to pet me. Who can resist? I’m just TOO cute! I’ve been to work every day this week and some of my new friends even take me for walks – what fun!

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Today when I was out doing my busy at the office, a guy came by with his golden retriever. They were walking in the woods but when they saw me, Tank came running up to meet me. He looked just like me – only bigger! We enjoyed saying, “Hi!” and we were both very happy to see each other. I hope he comes back someday.

Well, Mom says it’s time to eat supper so we can go to choir practice. I’m looking forward to it. I will get to meet all of the 2nd-6th grade kids in the choir she teaches and then get to go to her adult choir practice. They have drums and guitars so that will be fun! There is also another lady who brings her seizure-alert dog. He’s a cocker spaniel and we will get to be good friends. He can’t play right now, though, because he had surgery on his elbows. *sigh*

I better go now! I’ll try to remember to write again soon!!

*slurp*
SAM

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

More Pictures of Me

Sam Smiling
{I am a very happy puppy}

Sammy
{Being a guide dog puppy is HArrd work}

Photobucket
{Aren't we the cutest?}

Welcome Sam!

Welcome to Sam's blog! This blog is so that our family and friends will be able to follow along, in the progress of this special puppy!



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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books