Puppy Slobber. yum : Week 22 from Lex's View

Hello Everyone,
It's been another fantastic week for me! It finally dawned on me...I think being a guide dog puppy in training is like the Best. Ever. In. The. World. I go many places with my mom...places where pet dogs aren't allowed. I go to special classes and learn how to be a super good boy. I tell people about my wonderful organization. Plus, the rest of the time, I'm totally a regular dog and play, fetch, tug, run, walk, skip...ok, I guess I haven't quite mastered the skipping--but you get the point. Read all about it!

I started out the weekend by having a super cool, extra special playdate. My daddy (named Maestro) came to my area to visit, and he invited all of his pups in this area to come to a playdate. Not all my siblings and half-siblings could attend, but we had 7 of us kids there. This picture is of me and my daddy!

Esme, me, Elora, Epic, Lucky, Maestro, Intrigue, & Idaho
All the "E" puppies are littermates, all the L's are littermates, and the I's are littermates.

My brother, Lucky, runs pretty fast!! I had to put on my fast paws to keep up with him during a game of chase.

...but, I was able to run faster than my half-brother Idaho!

All of us Maestro kids loved these baby pools.

Me, Maestro, and Lucky

I had a blast digging at the water. My "sister" Angelica used to do this, and now I do it!

We also have a common love for food. Really, it was like a doggie buffet because most of the humans had doggie treats. If we sat politely, we were rewarded with treats! Yay! In this picture, our dad Maestro is in the back, then, Lucky in the middle, and then, me!

Another buffet! That's me in the light green collar.

Lucky and I played tug together. We are a good match!

Half-sister Esme and I had a good game of tug, as well!

HA! But I won!

Some of us also agreed that there needed to be a time for a break. Elora, Epic, and me in the background.

Hello!! Is no one joining in at my pool party?!

Me, Maestro, & Lucky

Me, Maestro, and Lucky
Did we break the camera with our good looks??!

I had to give my daddy a kiss, so he'd know how much I love him.

Lucky and me

All the humans love dogs and enjoyed petting us. I'm not going to say no to a massage.

I love chewing bones!

Me and my dad, Maestro

Me and Lucky

Hmm...it was convenient there was this shady spot. Perfect for a little break!

Daddy Maestro and me

Maestro & Me

On our way home from the playdate, we stopped to this super cool lake! I've never been to a lake before, but it's kinda like a pond, except wayyy bigger.

I was able to work on my coordination with rock climbing practice!

Alert! Human in water!

There were these really cool docks to explore.

I almost wanted to jump right into the water.

Umm...birds have been here!

Posing for a picture--you know mom!

Finally-I was able to dip my paws into the lake. Not much different than a pond, but nonetheless, super fun.

Sunday Best!

Sorry--my brain is not fully functioning this early in the morning.

I went to a new part of town and got to practice watching people and cars. Plus, I took a walk.

I've always wanted to be a rock climber!
I climbed a pile of small rocks....

Medium rocks

Large rocks

This is a neat bridge!

I went to McDonald's with mom because she needed to use the WiFi. I don't know what took her so long, but I settled for about 3 hours with hardly a stir.

My classmate, Nia, and I helped at a local blind association's workshop. We made a great team!

Settling while we waited for people to come to our table

IS that ME?????

Sure, mom! I'll pose by that good looking poster. Mom says that this picture was in the newspaper! That's 2x in one week!

This week, I attended my doggie class.

We participated in a Skills Course. Here I am doing my "go place" command..that means that I lay on a mat, dog bed, etc. until mom says one of my favorite words ever (Free!!)

I also practiced my "kennel" command.

People greeting practice.

Practicing our "stay" commands. These are my classmates Nia (black lab) and Ivanka (yellow lab). Both girls are leaving for doggie college in less than 2 weeks. Does that mean I'm now an upper classman?

We also practiced having good manners in a public restroom. Do you have any idea how tiny those bathrooms are??!! However, I'm pleased to say that I did a very good job in the tight space and settled nicely. Mom even flushed the toilet, so I could hear it. That was loud, but I did great with it. Then, we went to the sink, and I had to patiently wait while mom "washed" her hands.