Sunday, November 29, 2009

Joy and ah!


Our canine companions are so caring and sharing that they give us photo opportunities like this one.

It truly is one of those precious times that make us love our family, family and most of all, our canine buddies.

They bring us great joy and ah!

(the bed is being shared with our Service Puppy 'Keeper')

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Huntin' Turkey?

Nah, not really. More like lookin' for sticks, runnin' in the leaves and frolicking in the creek in an effort to bring back the big one.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Using Building Blocks for Success.

Ignoring the building blocks around the house is not something a puppy does without some behavioral shaping. This exercise/experiment shows that in a few seconds you can get the behavior you want with a few simple clicks.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

4H-er's

The Story county extension office reached out to put together a workshop for a group of 4H-er's and Paws & Effect obliged. We tailored the material to be more kid centric while still providing the content within Delta standards. Knowing that my attention span is very short early on Saturday mornings we infused lots of experiences and stories. We also gave away dog toys, pupcicle lollipops and candy. Who wouldn't want to participate in a program like that. Might I say we didn' t need the the incentives for this group of kids and parents. They were all willing to participate and provide their insights. Now I can't speak for other groups but it seems to me that others are going to have to come up to the bar to meet the enthusiasm that our Saturday morning group had. We are looking forward to the successful evaluations (the ball is in their court now to pull off the "ready" score). A great big Thank you to Adriana for putting together a great group and keeping it completely organized and you really can't beat the 4H facility on the campus of ISU! Wow. Looking forward to seeing your group grow and share in our passion for making a difference.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The cast of R.E.N.T. enjoyed meeting Tag.



And we've got the photo to prove it! The entire cast autographed a dog bowl for our upcoming One Heart, Four Paws auction.

A huge THANKS goes out for their support.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Iowa Public Radio - Therapy Dogs

Nicole jumped at the opportunity to be heard on Iowa's Public Radio.

Ben Kieffer of The Exchange interviewed David Wroblewsky the author of a New York Times best seller.

The last half hour of the program was devoted to a conversation on Therapy dogs and literacy programs in the Iowa region. Enjoy the interview.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

I make my bed ...

and I can sleep in it too. I am Kurth the star of this video and I am a hoot. Know that I had a blast this lovely Saturday afternoon. It all started in the morning when I had stacked 5 or 6 sticks in my kennel along with a bone and a couple of my toys. Barely room for me to sleep. By the afternoon I had removed all the sticks, all the toys, all the stuffing from my BRAND NEW bed and drug the bed into the sun! Ah, what could be more refreshing then a nap in the sun on a deck on a mild fall day.

That's where the video picks up....and tells the rest of my story. Enjoy.