Sheba's Snack Pack

And They're Off!

2009-11-22T08:58:00.002-06:00

The pups went home with their foster folks on Friday, November 13. Their new homes learned which pup they were to receive when they were given the puppies snack as the *birth* announcement.

The pups have now spent 10 days in their new homes. There is always an adjustment period for both the pups and their new folks. The pups miss the constant companionship of their litter-mates, but love the constant attention from their new people. They are all well on their way to learning their first cues; Click means treat, Attention means click means treat, Sit means click means treat - and the one we all love when they finally get it, "Better Go Now".

For one last fix of this fall's puppy photos, I put Bev's portrait photos into a slide show for each pup.

Pringles

Snickers

Payday

Peanut

Pickles

MilkBohn

Gumdrop

Licorice

Taffy (selected for the breeding program)

The Snack Pack Slideshow

2009-11-13T12:02:00.001-06:00

All seven plus weeks of Bev's fantastic pictures of the pups growing fast.

Give To The Max Day

2009-11-12T09:26:00.006-06:00

Bev and Herb have done another stellar job giving Sheba's pups the best start they'll need in their journey to become a Helping Paws service dog. All nine are thriving, healthy, happy pups and tomorrow will go to their new foster homes. In addition to all of the other pup duties she's done so lovingly, Bev has provided all of the fabulous pictures posted in this blog.

Unlike many service dog organizations that require the recipient to raise funds (often more than $10,000) before their service dog can begin training, Helping Paws service dogs are provided to qualified applicants for a minimal ($250) equipment and application fee. All costs of breeding, vetting, fostering and training the dogs are provided by the generous sponsors, donors, fosters, veterinarians and many others that believe in the mission of Helping Paws. If you would like to help support our mission, you can donate to Helping Paws through GiveMN.org. On Tuesday, November 17, 2009 GiveMN.org is sponsoring Give To The Max Day in Minnesota. All donations made that day through GiveMN.org (up to $2,500) will receive a proportionate match from a $500,000 matching grant pool provided by GiveMN partners and sponsors. Thank-you for your support!

And now, we return to our regularly scheduled blog posts of perfect puppies playing perfectly - and demonstrating an early aptitude for some of the cues they will be learning in months to come.

An early start on "Shimmy" (or imitating Dumbo)

Logo Pose

Find It!

Better Go Now!

Get The Phone

Watch

Body Slam (oops - not a Helping Paws cue!)

Get the Keys

Go To Bed

Rise

Drop

More Drop

Stand

Six Week Portraits

2009-11-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

Gumdrop

Licorice

Payday

MilkBohn

Pickles

Peanut

Pringles

Snickers

Taffy

As Seen On TV!

2009-11-06T08:30:00.005-06:00

The puppies were adorable in their first prime time appearance. Fox9 news did a great piece on Helping Paws yesterday and the Snack Pack did its best to wow the viewers. The cuteness ratings were off the charts.

Enjoy!

p.s. My apologies the Fox9 video appears covered in the attached link. The audio, however, can be heard.

Rock, Board, Scissors?

2009-11-04T10:20:00.000-06:00

The pups have discovered a new twist on an old game.

Howling For Help

2009-11-04T10:15:00.001-06:00

Hunter to the rescue - safe at last.

Warning: Pups At Play

2009-11-04T09:54:00.005-06:00

Conformation - confirmed!

Personal foul

with a 2 minute minor assessed

Relay races

Play Bow or Play Ball?

He's A Keeper

2009-11-02T15:46:00.001-06:00

Keeper , Bev and Herb's golden doodle, was the favorite uncle of Sheba's first litter. Bev's latest photos show he is continuing his winning ways with the Snack Pack.

Week 5 Portraits

2009-10-30T15:35:00.000-05:00

Gumdrop

Licorice

Payday

MilkBohn

Pickles

Peanut

Pringles

Snickers

Taffy

Dog Songs

2009-10-29T19:57:00.016-05:00

Rock Around

Moses Supposes His Toeses Are Like Roses

(but Moses supposes erroneously!)

Don't Fence Me In

Mama Tried To Raise Me Better

Love Me Tender

You Put Your Right Paw In, You Put Your Left Paw Out

Pees Release Me

I Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog

Squirrel!
(Ok - that's not a song - but you gotta admit it fits)

Don't Mean To Get A Little Forward With You

Out and About

2009-10-28T09:31:00.010-05:00

Another first for the pups - they're big enough to play outside. Thanks to Bev for the beautiful pictures documenting the moment.

The safety of Herb

The first tentative steps

Soon - they start to strut their stuff

Play with their toys

Ponder life

Check out all the great new smells

and even, belly up to the wet bar

Two by Two

2009-10-25T18:36:00.005-05:00

...or just *two* cute for words. The pups have discovered life is more fun shared with a pal - furry, fuzzy, black, yellow (even pink),or just a real dish.

Plethora of Puppy Pics

2009-10-21T11:42:00.008-05:00

In addition to all her other duties with the pups, Bev is the Chief Photographer for this blog, and she has been very busy this week with the camera. Last night, she filled my inbox with lots of new photos to share. It's clear the pups are much more active now - wrestling, chewing, plotting, and eating. There is clearly never a dull moment with this bunch.

Licked the platter clean! Now where's that drink to wash it down?

Aah, that's the ticket!

Any left?

Thank heavens Mom never runs out.

Ok - I guess we'll let the black pups nurse, too. Don't we arrange ourselves artfully?

I guess this pup needs to learn not to bite the snout of the one that feeds him/her.

Now that we've got the pre-match meal out of the way, it's on to All-Pup Wrestling!

In this corner - the yellow team...

And in this corner - the black team (wait, is that a play bow?)

"Let the wild rumpus start!"

Ferocious Action

The Winner - Bat Dog!

(By a paw)

Dreaming of a rematch

Replaying each raspberry.

Mom pillows are the best of all.

Anything But Routine

2009-10-20T18:01:00.002-05:00

A day in the life of a busy pup pretty much encompasses just three activities; eat, play, sleep, repeat. However, as you can see from the slideshows following, each of the pups put their own spirit into these activities. Enjoy!

Solid Food (Sheba comments: Finally!)

Learning our escape technique!

Finally, rest for weary pups.

Shameless Promotion

2009-10-20T12:49:00.006-05:00

We interrupt the stream of adorable puppy pics for a public service announcement from Pickles for Helping Paws:

I WANT YOU TO BE A HELPING PAWS FOSTER HOME!

Want to know more about becoming a future foster home and other volunteer opportunities? Come on, you know you want to!

A Breed Apart

2009-10-20T11:45:00.008-05:00

Helping Paws maintains a breeding program to ensure a consistent number of dogs in the training pipeline to meet future client needs. There are currently eight dogs in the breeding program although not all are actively producing litters due to either age (too young) or timing. One to two litters are whelped in both the spring and the fall. This timing coincides with graduation cycles which are also held twice a year. To insure the best health and safety for the dog and her pups-to-be, each dog in the breeding program produces no more than three litters, spaced at least one year apart.

Enough can't be said about the selfless caretaker homes that serve as the loving parents to the Helping Paws dogs chosen for the breeding program. Their duties are legion, lifelong and critical to the ongoing success of Helping Paws.

Prior to breeding, all breeding dogs must meet eye, heart, hip and elbow certifications at two years of age. Once these certifications are met, the dog begins her career; that of mother to future generations of Helping Paws service dogs. And the real work begins for the caretaker home partner.

Here are just a few of the duties included in the job description of a HP breeding dog caretaker home:

1) Chauffer (Canine Escort Service?): Someone has to take the dog on her dates. Not just any dog can be a Helping Paws sire - only the best and brightest will do (not to mention an impeccable pedigree and a proven track record of producing phenomenal progeny).

2) Cycle management: We're not talking the two wheeled kind here. Heat cycles can be slightly messy and female dogs in cycle kind of grouchy and restless. Just think of caretaker homes as "season-ed" veterans.

3) Vet Visits: Speed dial is a very good thing. Sid Hartman's "close personal friends" are total strangers compared to the relationship the caretaker home develops with the vet and the staff at Helping Paws when their dog whelps a litter. From pre-breeding progesterone testing, ultrasounds to confirm pregnancies, x-rays to confirm the number of puppies prior to whelping, and the subsequent puppy checks and follow-up there is a plethora of opportunity for vet-caretaker bonding.

Finally, add the intangibles such as providing a stimulating, healthy environment with lots of appropriate activity and socialization to exercise the pups growing minds and bodies. And of course, the volumes of daily laundry and other housekeeping tasks and it's clear these folks really earn what all would say is the most awesome reward of all; the wonder of watching the miracle of birth and life play out in the soft muzzles, silky ears, sweet paws, and wagging tails of the adorable pups as they begin their journey as potential service dogs.

Afterbirth

2009-10-19T17:37:00.000-05:00

Sheba's pups in their first hours of life - awesome!

It Takes A Village

2009-10-19T14:23:00.002-05:00

Even puppies benefit from the global dog village. Uncle Keeper (on left) and a devoted yellow lab (right) take turns checking on the pups.

Three Week Portraits

2009-10-16T08:50:00.002-05:00

The pups are really getting big. They have eyes and ears!

Gumdrop

Licorice

Taffy

MilkBohn

Pickles

Peanut

Pringles

Snickers

Second Week Portraits

2009-10-15T08:19:00.002-05:00

Taffy

Licorice - 2 Weeks and he can already wave!

Gumdrop

MilkBohn

Payday

Peanut

Pickles

Snickers

Pringles

Meet the Pups

2009-09-25T15:22:00.005-05:00

Taffy

Licorice

Gumdrop

Milkbohn

Payday

Peanut

Pickles

Snickers

Pringles

Hot Dog!

2009-09-25T13:53:00.004-05:00

Sheba

And Helping Paws

Are proud to announce the birth

Of the first members of

The Class of 2012

Nine beautiful pups, three female and six male, are growing rapidly under the loving watch of their foster parents, Bev and Herb. The pups will begin their service dog training in November, 2009.