Happy Holidays from Pearl (and Viggo)!

Pearl and Viggo are enjoying the holiday season! This year, they had their picture taken with Santa at Canine Companions for Independence's Santa Paws fundraiser. They were good sports and smiled for the camera.

Pearl's 7th Birthday!

Pearl turned 7 years old on Wednesday! At seven, she's looking like a kid again, having spent the past six months keeping up with her grown son Vico (AKA Viggo). She's lost those extra lbs. and often beats Viggo to the ball at the park (though after the first three balls, she's ready to give him a chance). Although she's fully retired as a breeder, she is only semi-retired as a school 'tutor'. However, she sometimes lets Viggo take her place at her weekly sessions at the elementary school where her person teaches . . . she's a retiree after all, and her son needs to follow up with his education!

[Above, Pearl and Viggo take a break from the ball chasing.]

Congratulations 'A' Pups!

Pearl wants to share her pride in her youngest pups ('A' litter) who are now at CCI college. A few weeks ago, she got to go to the ceremony and see three of her kids for the first time in over a year. They were all grown up and looking great.

How fast they grow! She feels that it was just yesterday that she was blogging about their puppy antics. (See her posts from July, 2008).







Afterwards, she got to share a moment with Avila . . .











. . . and have a chat with Adian . . .











. . . and get sniffed by Atticus.

She hopes that they will all work hard and have fun at school.

Spending time with my pups

Greetings, dear friends. I have been 'busy' enjoying my retirement and spending time with my pups. In the Spring, my daughter Viana came to visit. My people have posted a video of us playing with my toy chipmunk.


Since April, I have had my son Vico to hang out with. He keeps me active. Like his sister, Vico is always up for a game of chipmunk-tug, but ball-chasing and swimming are definitely his favorites. [At right, Vico gets ready to get the ball.]




My son loves the water and is very competitive (he must get it from his dad).




When we go to the local pond, he is always the first in the water and always gets the ball before me.










I am patient though, and I beat him to the second ball.










Since we are Retrievers, we bring our balls back for another round.






Though, we sometimes like to leave our balls at the edge of the water, so that our persons have to 'retrieve' a bit themselves. Really! People can be sooo lazy.








At the end of the day, Vico and I like to relax with a snooze.


He really is a good boy, but could someone tell Vico that he shouldn't use his mom as a pillow?!

Pearl

Empty nest no more!

Mama Pearl is happy to welcome her son Vico back to California. After receiving his education in the Midwest, Vico has returned to his place of birth, where he will enjoy the California sun while bringing excitement to his mom's life and pursuing a career or hobby that makes use of his excellent retrieving skills.

Last weekend, Vico flew to California from Chicago where his human aunt lives. Pearl's human mom had come out to Chicago to pick him up from his Puppy Raisers in Ohio. Pearl's family met up with Vico's Puppy-Raiser Tera, her mom, and his currently in-training 'sister' halfway between Chicago and Ohio. After fond farewells with his Puppy Raiser family (who plan to visit him in California soon), he napped all the way back to Chicago.

Since Vico's auntie's Chicago apartment could not accommodate him, he stayed with his humans for a night at a downtown Chicago hotel where he got the celebrity treatment. [Above, he checks out his digs for the night.] Despite the dog-bed, he was discovered to have snuck onto the people beds in the middle of the night.

In the morning (after coffee for the humans), Vico got to enjoy a spring day at the Chicago lake shore where he received many compliments from joggers, and valiantly resisted the call of the water (he would have loved to go for a dip). He also hung out with a downtown playgroup for whom he showed off his ball-chasing skills (he's quite the retriever!) After a light lunch and before heading off to the airport, Vico dropped by 'Wiggly Field' dog park where he happily mixed with dogs of all shapes and sizes, and charmed other dog-owners into throwing the ball for him. He particularly impressed the crowd with his in-air catch and perfect 'give'.


After seducing airport personnel with his laid-back demeanor and goofy smile (as a kid at the airport put it: 'that dog is laughing!'), Vico settled into his crate for the long trip home. Although flying 'cargo' is always stressful (. . . and humans complain about 'economy class'!), he made the flight to San Francisco in good humor.

Upon arrival, Vico was welcomed home by mama Pearl who immediately found him very entertaining. They have since discovered a shared love of sticks (see above photo) and paper products.

Victor and Viana's Big Day!

Hello all, Pearl here. I just wanted to report on meeting with my kids Victor and Viana before they started school a couple weeks ago. It had been a long time since I'd last seen them, and during that time, they had grown into wonderful young dogs. [ Above, the three of us spend some quality time together.]

I hadn't seen my son Victor since he was just two months old and now he's bigger than me! He is quite the handsome fellow and looks, I think, rather like his dad with his big head and mane (although I can see a bit of myself in him too).


Victor was a bit of a goofball as a pup (he liked to splash around in his water bowl), but is very dignifed now.


Since Viana was raised nearby, I had seen her more recently. She is very lovely, but I could tell already when she was a puppy that she would be a sweetie. I think she looks alot like me when I was her age!



I know that Victor and Viana and their siblings will all work hard, learn alot and have an exciting time at CCI college!

Southwest 'V' pups are off to Advanced Training!

On Feb. 7th, Venezia and her brother Vargas headed off to Advanced Training in Oceanside, CA. Venezia was raised in Arizona, while Vargas (AKA 'Gus') lived in Utah with the same family who raised his half-brother Cusack (now a skilled companion in southern CA).
Above, Vargas gives his sister a congratulatory kiss (or, is he wondering why she has cookie breath?).


Before heading off to college, they got to visit Legoland with their 'grandma' Suzanne (papa Finnegan's human mom). [er, grandma Suzanne is not pictured]

Congratulations to both of them and their Puppy Raisers!



Below are photos of Venzy and Gus as 8 week old puppies!

Happy 2nd Birthday 'D' Pups!

Pearl's 'D' pups are 2 years old today!

Daltry *** Damita
Danea *** Delia
Devika *** Devline
Dharma *** Donali
Dorit *** Dryden
Durrell


Danea (left) is currently back at home with her puppy raiser celebrating turning 2.



Dorit is also now back at home with her puppy raisers helping to raise her half-sister Adian. At right, Pearl's girls lounge together in the grass.

Hopefully, more updates on the 'D's coming soon.

Some 'V' Pups at One Year: My, How They've Grown!

Happy 3rd Birthday, 'M' Pups!

Maddy Mahler Mamet Maxie Mikomi Mira Mocha Morse Mulan and Murrow

Congratulations on turning 3 years old today!

Your mom is very proud of you all!

Happy First Birthday, 'V' Pups!

Pearl's 'V' pups are one year old!
Congratulations

Valor Vargas Vartan Venezia Vermeer Verona Viana Vico and Victor!

Danea and her sisters

Pearl is still recovering from her breeder retirement 'operation' and is not yet up to writing her blog; however, she wanted us (her humans) to express her pride in her newly matriculated 'D' pups and share more great photos.

As of the end of August, Danea and her sister Damita began attending school at the CCI Academy in Southern California.

[Above, the girls are dressed up for the matriculation ceremony.]


Before beginning her Advanced Training, Danea (with help from her human 'mom' Marianne) sent Pearl a lovely e-mail with news about her summer and all her accomplishments.
[At left, Danea composes her e-mail. Pearl thinks that Danea look rather like her.]

Pearl loved hearing all about Danea's summer adventures. Although Danea had to do stuff to get ready for college such as go to the doctor for shots, she also got to have plenty of summer fun with swimming lessons and a trip to a baseball game!




At the end of the summer, Danea flew out to California from Arizona in order to start college.



She was accompanied on the flight by her younger half-sister Venezia (another of Pearl's pups). Both girls got seats on the plane and we are sure they were very well-behaved. [At right, Venzy has a snooze during the flight.]


Finally, before saying their goodbyes, Danea and Venzy hung out on the beach in California. As beautiful blondes, they certainly fit right in.

Pictures of Adian at home

Hello all. Pearl here. I always love to hear how my kids are getting on, so I was thrilled to get pictures of Adian from her new family.

She got to spend her first week away hanging out with her big sister Dorit which they obviously both enjoyed. (I must admit I'm a bit jealous as I miss getting to play with my pups myself). Adian's family sent us a lovely photo of my girls playing (above).

Although Dorit has now left for CCI 'college', Adian looks to be making herself quite at home even without her sister.



I was particularly glad to see that she's got a nice lawn to play on and that she is putting to good use all my advice on how to enjoy it. I also hear that she's a very smart girl and that she's learning all sorts of new things. I'll bet she has hardly any time to miss her old mom !

Pearl's 'D' pups are off to college!

[A note from Pearl's humans]

Just as Pearl's youngest pups (the 'A's) are happily settling in with their new families, her 'D' pups are setting off for college!

At present, the 'D's are all either busy preparing for school or already taking their first classes at Canine Companion's Advanced Training. It seems like just yesterday that the 'D's were eleven tiny little balls of fur!
On Saturday, Pearl was thrilled to get to watch three of her 'D' kids walk across the stage at the Canine Companions matriculation and graduation ceremony. A CCI graduation is always a moving experience, but Pearl was particularly misty eyed. She was thrilled to see what fine dogs her pups grew up to be and appreciative of the wonderful job their Puppy Raisers did with raising them. [Above is a picture that Dorit's Puppy Raisers took of Dorit, Delia and Durrell dressed up for the big day!]

Since each CCI region (North West, South West, North Central, South East and North East) has its own Advanced Training center, the pups start school at different times. In addition to Delia, Dorit and Durrell who matriculated this past Saturday, Devika, Devline, Dharma, and Donali enrolled in May, and Damita, Danea, Daltry, and Dryden will start this month. [At right is a picture that Devline's Puppy Raiser sent us of Devline and Dharma on their first day of college in May.]

The 'D's will now spend several months living in the CCI dorms while learning new skills (and lots of new words). There will be, of course, 'career counseling' as not all of them will graduate as service dogs, but Pearl is proud of her pups whatever they do!