Week #12 and #13 Back in the Waggin' Again....

Back in the Waggin' Again.... (you know "Back in the saddle again...")....
Get it?  Get it?  I love it when I make jokes.... They make me giggle.  

Growing Up....
The last couple of weeks have been very unusual, busy and a little nutty.  Yes, I said nutty.  You know Mrs. Aldridge's sister, Mrs. Goe moved to Oregon?  If you missed THAT adventure go back to Week #11! 

It so happens that Mrs. Goe needed some love and affection moving so far away from her home AT THE SAME TIME I was being somewhat naughty.  Yes, I admit it.  Naughty with a capital N.

I do have an excuse.  A good one.  I was TEETHING!

Boy did that hurt coming out!  And I had a whole mouth full of teeth that decided to fall out.  I do admit to being quite the handful.  Mrs. Aldridge stopped bringing me to work.  I was very sad but I got a vacation!  Mrs. Goe is such a good dog-sitter!

RAGBRAI!!!

Mrs. Aldridge was getting ready for RAGBRAI so I got to go along to Kyle's Bikes!  I love it there.  Eric thinks I'm extra special, but then so do all the guys and ladies!  I can't wait until I get my own bike!  I'm growing so fast now, I think it will happen soon!



4.5 Months old with Eric



2 Months old with Eric

Don't I look right at home with all of this bike gear?



See me in the front row?  I was really bummed when they didn't let me on the bus to start the ride....










DOG HARNESS GRADUATION...
I am finally out of my kennel in the car!  I hated that thing!  Not only was my view restricted (I love to human watch you know....) but it was HOT in there!  Mrs. Aldridge graduated me to a Big Boy Harness.  I have to admit I'm not totally fond of it either, I'd much prefer to roam the car chewing everything in my path.... but I guess I have to have boundaries.  You humans have some very UN-FUN rules.

 

Me and My Buddy - Homer Simpson

My new Car Harness





VACATION
The rest of the week was very lazy and fun sharing my vacation with Mrs. Goe.  I'm back at work next week.  I've missed all my friends.  I hope I can contain my excitement and be a good Service Dog at work.  I do not want to get any written warnings!

That is about all of the excitement for this little dog...  Stay tuned for week #14, I'm sure I will have even more adventures! 

Oh - I almost forgot!  Would you like to meet some of my brothers and my sister?  They are a lot of fun and I know you would love them as much as you love me. 



This is my sister India Hapgood





This is my brother Charlie Banta and my brother Mike Padget.  For a few more, check out my family link below and you can meet a couple others.  This isn't the whole gang of course!  I'm saving more for later!



Photos from Week #12

Photos from Week #13

Photos of Oscar's Family

This has been a very fun week!  See you soon!

Love,

Oscar 







Week #11 Adventures!

What a week this has been!  I rode on my first plane, I met my family from Oregon and I worked very hard moving Mrs. Goe in her very LARGE Moving truck.  I am happy to be home, but not so happy to be back in my kennel.  Read on for more adventure!

Flying High!

I got to ride in a plane!!  I got to ride in a Plane!!! Woohoo!  Mrs. Aldridge was very nervous but I was excited.  She was worried about my manners AND my potty training.  I showed her!  I was the best behaved youngster on the plane.  Yes.  Even the older human kids.... I was the perfect model of how to fly without being a crazy monkey.  We really didn't have monkeys on the plane but some of those human kids were climbing, screeching and acting like monkeys.  Considering I have never seen a monkey (I don't really know what one is....)

I'll take Mrs. Aldridge's word for it.  I like it when she praises me and is proud.  Besides the nice gestures I get treats!  On the plane I had some Lickin' Stick!  Wowie what a nummy treat.  I will do anything for treats.  Mrs. Aldridge's friend and co-puppy raiser, Becky Coady gave her all the tips for flying with a Service Dog.  I love you Becky Coady!!  The bacon flavor was to die for.

I met very nice people on the plane!  Katie took some pictures of me and I think she might have been a little sweet on me.  Katie's pictures:

This is Mount Hood.  Isn't it lovely?

I was a little tired...

Oregon Family!

Did you know I had an Oregon Family?  Well I did not!  Imagine my surprise when I met sooooooo many relatives and doggie friends.  Wow!  The roaming out there is the best a dog could ask for.  Trees, bushes, critters.... boy did I get into trouble a few times for trying to explore.  Mrs. Aldridge called it "wandering off".... but a boy has to explore!

Isn't this grand?

Off to Iowa by way of Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska!

Mrs. Aldridge's sister, Mrs. Goe moved to Iowa from Oregon! Wow!  That is a very long way to move AND she has lived her whole life in Oregon!!  She said "it has been a long ride", but a man's not allowed to tell a lady's age.....

It was a very long drive (14 hour days!) but of course I was famous all the way across the United States!  I was loved by all of the citizens in each state.  I feel like a celebrity!  My manners were excellent and I DID NOT have any accidents along the way.  I did get bored....

 And... I got TIRED.....  (but then if you know me, that isn't anything new!)

What a week it has been!  I flew over 1800 miles to Oregon, met great family and then learned how to drive a truck.  Actually I just helped Mrs. Goe with staying awake and making her laugh.  She loves me as much as everyone!  I'm home now and almost ready to go back to work!

I am very happy to be home.....

To see my adventures, check out all of my photos!

Oscar Rides An Airplane

Oregon Exploring!

Oscar the Working Dog

Just Cute Pictures of me!

Week #10 It's a Beautiful Thing Being A Service Dog

This has been my best week ever!  Mrs. Aldridge keeps telling everyone that I have been PERFECT! (well.... maybe perfect wasn't the exact word.....)  I like to think of myself as perfect!

This week has been incredibly HOT for my little paws so we trained indoors and with water at the pool.  I needed to take a break or two and lay in the garage where it was a little cooler.  I was a little afraid of the lawn tractor so Mrs. Aldridge put me in my kennel in the house.  The truth is I WANTED to be in the air conditioning so I pretended a little fear..... (don't tell!)


   

Training
This week we went to Jordan Creek to work on escalators, elevators and railings.  Can I confess I HATED the escalators?  They made me shiver and shake.  Let me tell you about the railings.  Two words.  NO WAY.  Not even peanut butter would get me next to the upper level railing.  Mrs. Aldridge had to carry me.  HA!  And I weigh almost 30 pounds now.  Of course the elevator was not big deal since I play on them all day at The IMT Group!

I still need to work on my jumping.  Mrs. Aldridge has me trained not to jump on her, but strangers are fair game.  They don't know about my training so I'm excited to share everything with them.  Their ears are so far away from my level that I need to jump up to share.  Problem is it gets my leash stepped on and my collar gets tight.  Not very pleasant, but I'm a persistent dog.  I have so much to share I keep trying.

One thing would help me out, if I could ask a favor.  If you see me in the hallways just ignore me.  Yes it helps me contain my excitement.  Then, when I look like I have some control, if you would calmly talk to me at my level.  Please remind me not to jump and I'll share all my secrets.  I'll even give you a kiss or two.  (I might get scolded, but I have a fast tongue!).

Pools and Poop Patrol
Mrs. Aldridge has a granddaughter - Rain.  She is a task master when it comes to puppies.  She is only two years old!  I thought she'd be the ideal target.... squeeling, jumping and screaming.  Nope, she fooled me by ordering me around and being calm!  I got her back.  She cleaned the yard up with the pooper scooper.  There was a lot to clean!
   
I didn't much care for the pool.  It was hot so I climbed in and took a big long drink.  After that I decided I wasn't much of a swimmer yet.  I do hope I warm up to being a water dog.

Visitors and sleepovers!
My pal Ridgeline came over for a visit and a sleepover!  It was so much fun.  We wrestled non-stop until Mrs. Aldridge put us in our kennels.  I was so sad I barked, whined and carried on for quite a while.  Ridgeline was such a lady, she was cute and quiet.  I heard Mr. Aldridge ask Mr. Coady if he would let Ridgline stay at our house.  I thought that was so excellent until I figured out Mr. Aldridge meant for me to go live with the Coady's!  I decided I should work harder on being quiet in my kennel. 

Ridgeline is older than I am by a good six months but she is almost my same size!  She is wiser and more mature though.... she didn't want to run off into the mud hole like Romey and I did.

Excellent Adventures and IMT
It is so hot out these days!  Dogs left in the heat can be severly injured.  IMT used me in a photo shoot about heat and four-legged friends.  I'm going to be famous!  Dan Mulcahy and Erin Wonsmos took me outside to take pictures and of course give me a break.  I was coming back in when I spotted
Mr. Richard Keith!  He is my favorite person. 

He gives me treats!  I stand politely for him and I am rewarded.  I did make one mistake.... when Mrs. Aldridge wasn't looking I left her office and went into Mr. Keith's office looking for him and the treats!  Darn it.  I wasn't successful.

I had an awesome week!  To see all of my pictures from this week, follow this link:

Oscar's Picures from week #10

Love and Licks,
Oscar

   

Week #8 and 9 It's a Rocky Ride....

You might wonder why I have been delinquent in posting my weekly adventure.  I was in the doghouse.  Yes.  Literally.  Clearly the Aldridge's are forgetful of my age and expect me to be the perfect gentleman all of the time.  I am .... afterall.... just a puppy.

I felt a little energetic a couple of days in the last week or so.  I don't think I was really all that bad, but I did get sent to time-out on a few different occasions.  I've been jumping and diving for my food.  Not very polite I know but have you seen how skinny I am?  I am a growing boy!

I was a Perfect Angel most of the days...  Truthfully.... We had a chat and I agreed to be good.

Training
My training has been going very well.  We have moved on from the foundation tasks to Crate Games.  It is a lot of fun and I get more treats!  I am supposed to be very polite when the crate door is opened and wait for the "ok" to come out.  This will teach me that my crate is a great spot for me and I shouldn't have to be locked in.  The problem is I get so excited to come out I forget my manners and jump all over Mrs. Aldridge.  Have I told you that I'm a quick study?  Truly.  I only got waffle face a couple of times before I figured out the game.  I think I have a lovely face and didn't really want the door closed on me.  I'm the perfect gentleman now.  Well mostly....

Events
Exciting places I have visited in the last two weeks have been the Central Iowa SHRM Board meeting, Jason's Deli (please don't take me back there!), my brother Romey came for a sleep over and I got to go to Ames with Pacey (another service dog) for a wonderful event.

I'm learning that my behavior must be top-notch.  I get praised all the time for how well I do.  I must tell you Jason's Deli was a little too crowded and full of rich smells for me.  I did settle down but it took a bit.  Of course they were fabulous at the Deli.... it was just overwhelming for me.  I worried about when I get bigger... just where will I sit!???

I think I'm off to a great start for this week and I'm getting more grown up all the time.  My mission for this week is to gain a little weight and to tackle the escalators at Scheel's in Jordan Creek.

Photos:
Oscar and Romey Wrestle

Oscar

IMT and Home Sweet Home

Wish me luck!

Love,
Oscar

Week #7 Whew! Smooth Sailing!

Whew... thank goodness I'm out of the doghouse.

Hello!  I'm happy to report this week has gone successfully and I did not get into any trouble.  There was the minor incident with the white carpet and my inability to signal that I needed to go outside... but even Mrs. Aldridge said that was her fault.  (Thank Goodness for that!).

Did you know that I am 3 1/2 months old?  AND.... that I have been living with the Aldridges for nearly 2 of those months?  Wow! Yes it's true!  Our time together has gone by so fast. 

Training
We did not have training this week so I missed my Brothers and Sister.  It is fun to run around and wrestle with them.  We practiced all of our foundation training and I must say I'm doing VERY WELL.  I hear people comment on what a good dog I am.  I may have to throw in some naughty behavior just to keep them guessing!

I like to chase balls and bring them back for treats.  I hope I get to be a mobility dog so that I can help someone pick items up, open doors and assist with a variety of tasks.  I'm so excited about my mission sometimes I forget myself and jump on humans.  I'm so excited to tell them about my adventure.  Of course Mrs. Aldridge continues to remind me that my feet "have to be on the floor".  I so love to jump!

Outings
Have you ever been to Hessen House?  Well they love me there and I would recommend the shaded tables on the patio to the little tables by the door.  Boy is it hot.  The nice lady waitress brought me my very own drink!  It looked a little different than the Aldridge drinks (mine was clear!) and I did not get the German Mug to drink from.  I was happy with the great service!

We went to many stores this week and public places and I have to brag that I did not misbehave one time.  NOPE... not even once.  I didn't even have any bathroom accidents.  Does that mean I'm potty trained?

Doggy Daycare!!!
I continue to go to Canine Craze on Tuesday's and Thursday's.  I TOTALLY love it there and I have heard Mrs. Aldridge say how much she loves dropping me off.  Sometimes she is smiling so much - I think it is her way of saying she will miss me during the day.  I get to play with my siblings AND 15 other new friends.  Amazing.  I'm always the Defensive Tackle.

Here are some pictures from my week and a link to more.  Look how much I have grown!

This was me on my first day of work at IMT in April.  I'm laying on John Bednarz's feet.

This is me almost two months later.  Notice how big I am next to Mrs. Aldridge's feet!

Here are my pictures from the week:
Week #7 - Redeemed

See you next week!
Love and Jumps, 
Oscar 

Week #6 Trouble in Paradise

This week I struggled with jumping, chewing, barking and urinating.  You know, normal puppy stuff.

I want to take a poll:

1. Do humans really dislike me chewing on them? 
   Skin is so tasty and just the right firmness to bite!  What fun I have with fingers and toes.  Mrs. Aldridge tells me it isn't polite.  It just means I like you!

I am allowed to chew my toothbrush.  It cleans my teeth without me knowing it (I really do know it and have noticed my smile is a lot brighter!).  I clean my teeth while she gets ready for work.

POOL TIME!
Maxwell Aldridge got his pool out this week and wanted me to play with him...  I liked it when he was running up and down the hill - but DID NOT like getting into the cold pool with him.  Have you seen that kid?  Crazy.  He is always jumping and barking.  It is exhausting!  We got treats for playing nicely but his treat did something very frightening to his face!  I was a little scared.

          See what I mean?  Yikes.

I sure hope I am not placed with a Navy Seal that likes to swim... we'll have to negotiate that skill.  I wasn't overly fond of that cold water!

DOG DISCOVERIES!
I discovered this week there is another dog living in MY HOUSE.  Fortunately he only lives in the kitchen and doesn't bark.  I have tried to get it to play with me or at the very least see what his name is.... but he just looks back at me.

The dog in the fridge isn't very playful!

The dog on TV is very interesting!

TRAINING!
I continue to learn how to perfect my service dog skill.  I am working on Heal; Your Choice; Backing Up and Return to Spot.  All of these maneuvers will give me a good foundation of service dog skill. 

The Your Choice is particularly challenging!  I have to resist things that fall from the sky.  I AM A DOG!!!  Do they know how hard it is not to run after things that catch my attention?  I'd like to see them try it with falling Hershey Kisses!

Practicing a Heal

Your Choice - Resist Things Falling From the Sky (yeah sure...)

TROUBLE IN PARADISE....
This week we went to see a lot of friends and businesses.  I was as usual - WELL BEHAVED.  I don't understand why I got grounded!!  Laying under the table, minding my own business.... NOT eating anything off the floor at PF Changs.  (You agree with me this sounds like great behavior!).  Well I got bored and chewed my vest off.  Apparently I can't be naked in public.  For me to be allowed I MUST be in my designated working clothes.  I'm now grounded from the fun places.  Even IMT!  I'll be sad on Monday when I have to stay home.  I guess I'll work on not chewing my clothing off.

Check out more photos from Week #6

See you next week!

Love,

Oscar

 

Week #5 Starting to get routine....

Hello Again!

I'm settling in and getting used to my routine.  Honestly it gets kind of boring except when the employees stop in and tickle my tummy.  I also like carrying my own leash when I get to go out to play.

For the most part my days have become very routine (which they tell me is good for my training!).  In the morning Mrs. Aldridge will go to Farrell's - sometimes I even get to go! - then it is off to work at The IMT Group.  After work I have so much energy because I get to SLEEEEEP all day.  What a life.

We practice our "duties" that we learn each Saturday mostly in the evening when I have lots of energy and I'm STARVED for dinner.  Ok, she doesn't really starve me but I pay better attention when I'm hungry.  We did practice a bit at work for the camera.  But first... Mrs. Aldridge and a couple of the employees (ERIN WONSMOS and DAN MULCAHY!!!) put me in an IMT t-shirt to take pictures.  I'm not sure I feel very manly in these photos...

 I'm backing up for a treat.

Treat Delivered!

Do you really think I will drive someday??

Another exciting thing at work this week was the preparation for Memorial Day!  I can't wait to have a picnic and honor those that have served our country.  I'm so proud to be a service dog!

In case you are wondering... these are IMT "blinking" sun glasses.  I like them better in my mouth than on my head.  Is that wrong?




One more thing that was VERY EXCITING this week was my trip to Doggy Daycare!  I was very nervous at first...  but Canine Craze is so wonderful and they do a great job keeping us busy all day.  See me below?  I was exhausted that night!  I wasn't supposed to be on the couch but I snuck up there and the Aldridges thought I was cute.  It is so beneficial being handsome....

My adventures this week were wonderful!  I met a lot of nice people this week and spent time at The Civic Center (I slept through The Golden Dragon Acrobats....) Panera Bread, Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill and various stores.  I was always welcomed and treated like a king.  The life of a service dog is fun!

Here are some pictures from this week:
Photos Week #5

Love you all!
Oscar