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<title>Dagbok Dog</title>
<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog</link>
<description>Dogster diary for the dog Iris vom Zauberberg</description>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2013 by Iris vom Zauberberg &amp; Dogster</copyright>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:49:29 PDT</pubDate>
<generator>Dogster Pet-o-matic Gennie - http://www.dogster.com</generator>
<ttl>360</ttl>

	<item>
		<title>Took our Big Buddy to the Dentist</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/830024</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:40:41 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/830024</guid>
		<description>Our big buddy had to go to the dentist and we had to drive him because he would be too woozy to driv ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Our big buddy had to go to the dentist and we had to drive him because he would be too woozy to drive himself home.

I haven't been working since I was skunked, so I was really excited when my person geared me up.  We all got into our red traveling den and took off.

It was a short ride, so I didn't get much of a nap.  Into a building and up some stairs and into an office waiting room, and we were there.  But there were no fans to admire me.  We had the room to ourselves.  

The humans did some talking, so I did some laying down.  Suddenly, my big buddy was called into the depths of the office and he went away.  Instead of going with him, my person and I left the office and drove home.

My person did some chores and walked in circles while I watched her.  Finally, we took a walk and I did my business early.  Good thing, because my person got the call to go pick up my big buddy when we were on our way home.

Back into my gear and into the traveling den!  It took us a while to get there because my person made a wrong turn.  Good thing I was there to help her keep her sense of humor!

When we got to the office, our big buddy was not waiting for us.  After my person paid the bill and the front desk staff admired me, we had to go into the depths of the office to go get him.  The nurse showed us the way.  Of course, she admired me first. I can't help gaining fans! There were so many new smells in the air in the back office.

My big buddy was sitting in a big chair and all the people talk talk talked for a while, so I laid down and pretended to listen.  I made my person laugh.

Finally, all the talk was done, and our big buddy got out of the chair and came with us out of the dentist's office.  We had to take the elevator because he couldn't take the stairs.

Now we're home and my big buddy is sitting on the couch playing a "video game" (whatever that is) while my person takes dictation for my diary.  I can't have couch time with him today, which is our special time.  He seems okay, so maybe tomorrow...]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>It's called a skunk</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/829133</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 5 Jun 2013 07:23:25 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/829133</guid>
		<description>I met a new critter the other day.  Apparently, it's called a skunk.

I was at the park, chasing t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I met a new critter the other day.  Apparently, it's called a skunk.

I was at the park, chasing the tennis ball my person had thrown and there it was.  Mr. Skunk is not a friendly creature, I discovered.  In fact, I'd say he was downright grumpy.

I had three baths that day:  two with a terrible smelling concoction that I hope to never experience again.  

My person says I still smell a bit like a skunk, but I can't tell.

This morning when we went to the park to play, guess who was waiting for us?  Yes!  Mr. Skunk.  I REALLY wanted a rematch, but my person wouldn't let me.  I think I could take him this time.  I really do.

We went to a different field to play ball, and I had a good time.  My person hopes that Mr. Skunk is just passing through and is not going to set up housekeeping in the park.  Me. . . I wouldn't mind seeing Mr. Skunk again.   I don't know why my person runs in the other direction.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Our Traveling Den</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/824347</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:49:43 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/824347</guid>
		<description>The other day, it was time to go play at the ball field, so we got into our red traveling den, but i ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ The other day, it was time to go play at the ball field, so we got into our red traveling den, but it didn't want to start.  

I was worried that I wasn't going to get to chase the tennis ball, but finally, it started and my person made the choice to risk going to the park. I played and played and had a great time, but I could tell that my person was not quite as focused as usual.

When it was time to go home, the traveling den would not start!  I panted happily to set the tone as my person tried again and again and finally, got the traveling den started.  We got home and I had my breakfast.

My person could not let this go on.  The next day, she suited me up, and we drove our den to the car repair place.  This was a huge place where there were many screeching loud noises and new people to admire me.  They took our den away and we waited.

We were there for a long, long, long time.  I took ... a lot of naps.  There were children running around.  Secretly, I wished they could have played with me.  They wished that too, but their parents knew not to let them.

A veteran came over to talk to my person about the dog that was in his unit in Iraq.  He said I reminded him of that dog.  If he had asked, my person would have let him pet me.

Finally, after the sun had made us move across the room to avoid the heat, our traveling den was fixed and ready for us to take home.

The staff took our picture in front of our den before we drove home.  I have new fans!

Now we can go to the park again!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Doctor's appointment</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/821294</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:08:16 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/821294</guid>
		<description>Yesterday was an exciting day.  We went to my human's doctor for a visit!

It was so much fun!  Fi ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Yesterday was an exciting day.  We went to my human's doctor for a visit!

It was so much fun!  First, there was the car ride, which I love, because it means I get to nap.  Then, when we got there, I got to suit up to work!  We haven't been getting out a lot, so I haven't been working much.

My person was disoriented inside the building, but there were a lot of nice people who directed her to the correct floor.  And we took the elevator! It's been a long time and it was fun!

People were commenting on my beauty, which I have missed.  I like having fans.  When we got to the doctor's office, a little boy came running over because he said he wanted a dog just like me!  I wished I could have played with him. 

Then it got boring.  Waiting for our turn, and then waiting while my person was weighed (she was happy about the result though, so that was fun). 

I was really interested in the sound the blood pressure cuff made, though.   That was fun!  I cocked my head and made the nurse laugh.

Then it got boring again.  The doctor came in and she and my person talk, talk, talked.  I dozed.  Then my person put me in a down-stay in the corner and she climbed up on a table.

I watched while the doctor manipulated my person and they talked some more.  When my person laid down on the table, I broke my down-stay.  Yes!  I know it was bad.  I walked over and licked my person's hand.  She reassured me, told me to go lie down, and I went back into my corner and waited like I was supposed to.

Soon, my person was off the table and she called me back to her side.  The rest of the appointment I dozed, because they talked a lot more.  Suddenly, they were saying good-bye and it was time to go.

My person was disoriented again--that building was confusing--but I took us to the elevator and that's where she wanted to go, so we were soon off for home.

As soon as we got home, we went for a walk and that was fun, too!  I like it when we're busy!  We should work more often, I think.  And get some kids, too, to play with.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Long day already</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/812296</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 13 Jan 2013 12:19:59 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/812296</guid>
		<description>It has been a very long day, but the sun is high and I want to play more, so I think there is still  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It has been a very long day, but the sun is high and I want to play more, so I think there is still plenty of time for mischievousness.

We went early to play at the local ball fields, but found that someone else was playing in our special place and did not want us around!  We walked along the horse path until we found a better place to play and saw many rabbits on the way.

Immediately afterwards, we went to the grocery store because my big buddy hasn't been feeling well and needed ginger ale and ice cream immediately.

After my breakfast, which is the highlight of the morning after playing, my big buddy started to feel worse, so I was suited up and we quickly took him to something called Urgent Care, where I did a lot of very boring waiting until he finally came out.

Then it got exciting, because we went to the pharmacy, and then to Walmart to find a reading pillow for him (and didn't find it), and then back to the pharmacy, all in just a few minutes.  Some kids coming out of the pharmacy were scared to see me, which made me sad.   They didn't know that I'm very goofy and friendly on the inside.

Finally, my big buddy had everything he needed to feel better and we headed for home.  I have a nice bully stick to chew which should keep me out of trouble for a while.   However, the day is young.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Saying good-bye to a dog friend</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/805100</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:42:04 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/805100</guid>
		<description>It is a sad day. Grandma's doberman, Kiber, isn't here anymore.

I miss him already. He was my fri ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It is a sad day. Grandma's doberman, Kiber, isn't here anymore.

I miss him already. He was my friend.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Company Picnic and a new best friend</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/793598</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 18 Aug 2012 16:01:13 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/793598</guid>
		<description>Today was the picnic for the company where my big buddy works.  I only know that he goes away in his ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Today was the picnic for the company where my big buddy works.  I only know that he goes away in his traveling den and comes back at the same time every day.

Anyway, it was very fun and exciting.  There were wonderful smells that I had to ignore.  Well, that wasn't fun.  There were chickens walking around that I had to ignore.  Hmmm... that wasn't fun, either.

What WAS fun was the toddlers at the table next to ours.  A little girl named Arabella was fascinated with me and with her parents' permission, spent time playing with me as I lay on my mat next to my human.  She found my ears and identified them properly, as well as my tail and my nails.  Good job, Arabella!

She found my nose, and pointed toward my eyes and she and my person identified them together.

Arabella was gentle for the most part.  At one point, though, she was pulling the hair a bit on the end of my tail.  I didn't really care.  She was like a tiny puppy, just getting into minor trouble.

Her little brother petted me gently with an open hand on my head and on my rear.  These kids were so much fun!  Finally, my person had to stop the fun because I was working, but she told Arabella thanks for playing with me.

I think I'd like a toddler of my own.  I wonder where you get them...]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Busy morning</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/791703</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 3 Aug 2012 08:10:32 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/791703</guid>
		<description>This morning was busier than usual.  We got up and helped our big buddy get ready for work, and then ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ This morning was busier than usual.  We got up and helped our big buddy get ready for work, and then we dashed off in our red traveling den to the ball field to play.

But we did not go home after we finished playing!  We drove to the gas station and I stuck my head out the window to watch my person perform the magic of putting fuel into the traveling den.

Then we went to the grocery store, where I was very good even though I was frisky from our earlier play. 

We got a lot of loot, but nothing for a dog.  Can you believe it?  All that work I do and nothing for me?

Luckily, it was time for my breakfast when we got back.  Hooray!  I love breakfast.  So, I ate and she swallowed her meds and made funny faces.  She says they taste terrible.

It's better to be a dog, I think.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>An unexpected visit to the pdoc</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/791701</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 3 Aug 2012 08:06:35 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/791701</guid>
		<description>My person has been feeling unwell.  She is undergoing a med change.  I think it has something to do  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person has been feeling unwell.  She is undergoing a med change.  I think it has something to do with the things she swallows with water whenever she feeds me my meals.

She's been sleeping a LOT.  We play early in the morning at the ballfield or at the dog park, she feeds me and makes funny faces when swallowing those things with water, then she sleeps for a while.  She wakes up, takes me out, then sleeps some more.  Boring!

Well, day before yesterday, she only slept a little and then she suited me up and off we went to the pdoc's office.  I like the pdoc.  She knows dogs and appreciates me for the work I do.

But that day, my person actually cried!  She NEVER cries.  Oh, I got as close as I could and that helped.  The pdoc changed the meds and now things are going to get better, even though my person is still sleeping a lot.

Boring!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A day at Grandma's</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/791699</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 3 Aug 2012 08:00:01 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/791699</guid>
		<description>We went to my person's mother's den a few days ago.  I was so happy to see my friend Kiber, who is a ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We went to my person's mother's den a few days ago.  I was so happy to see my friend Kiber, who is an old, fat doberman and is my special friend.  I am the only one who can make him frolic like a pup.  Not for long, of course, because he gets tired before I'm ready. 

My person and Grandma eat lunch and Kiber and I have to lie quietly... boring for me.  Kiber snores, even when I sneak over to start mischief.  I wish I knew him when he was newer.

Then the people knit and chat and Kiber naps and I help with the yarn.  I am very helpful in very many ways, you know.

Before long, it's time to go.  I have to go over to Kiber's favorite spot to exchange goodbye sniffs and licks.  Grandma gives me many long pets, and then we're back in our red traveling den, headed to our home den.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Active morning</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/789999</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:33:03 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/789999</guid>
		<description>I had a very active morning, exactly the type of morning I love the best!

First, I went on a pott ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I had a very active morning, exactly the type of morning I love the best!

First, I went on a potty walk around our complex and saw a lot of crows that I'm not allowed to think about...uh, interacting with.  Yeah, that's the word.

Then, my person and I got in the traveling den with our big buddy and went to a dog park down near the beach.  I exchanged butt sniffs with a lot of very nice dogs, some of whom I had sniffed before.  There's this big red terrier who is the most fun to run circles with, and a GSD mix who has even more energy than I do!  

My person also threw the ball for me, so I got truly tired and drank water with a couple of black poodles, a dalmation and a grey pitbull who made space for me.

Then, we got back in the traveling den, and stopped at a place for the humans to eat.  I was tired, so I napped most of the time.  I did hear unusual comments, though.  Usually people just say, "What a beautiful dog," as they should.  This time, people weren't saying such nice things.  I shall block this out starting right now.

Next, we got back in the traveling den and went to a hobby store that carried almost no natural fiber yarn!  Can you believe it?  And no bamboo needles!  Shocking! (Not for me, but I'm being supportive).  I did not shop, myself.

Now we are home and I'm chewing on a bully stick as a reward for a job well done.   Soon we are heading upstairs so my person can bathe.  I'm just glad I'm not the one getting wet.  BOL!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Playing on the job</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/786861</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 1 Jul 2012 11:29:44 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/786861</guid>
		<description>Granted, my person had me working super early in the morning and it was directly after a nice long s ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Granted, my person had me working super early in the morning and it was directly after a nice long session of playing fetch, but. . .

. . . I lost my dignity in Walmart yesterday and started playing tug with my leash in the middle of the women's underwear section.

My person was NOT pleased.  Canine logic dictated that she needed to lighten up, so I did it harder.  

Canine logic failed me, because I ended up in a long down/stay next to rows and rows of what I was told were red and green women's panties.  

Sigh.  Sometimes I think my charms are not fully appreciated.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Adorable, annoying puppy at the Bark Park</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/785377</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:00:35 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/785377</guid>
		<description>It was a Bark Park day, hooray!  

When we got there, a grey four month old pittie (that my person ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It was a Bark Park day, hooray!  

When we got there, a grey four month old pittie (that my person and I could have sworn to dogness was actually only 9-10 weeks old) came galloping over to meet us.  Her name is London and OMD, she is full of energy and mischief! 

She ran after me, sort of, while I ran for the ball.  To be honest, she only went about halfway and then waited for me to return.  When I got tired, she tried to nip at my tongue.  Yeah, I know it sticks out all funny, but to try and bite it?   I looked at my person and sighed, and we gently disengaged with the puppy and moved to another corner of the park.

I am sure *I* was never so annoying in all my days.  Not possible.  Well, I do get into mischief at home once in a while, but I don't try to chew tongues!

I had fun meeting several other dogs who all enjoyed playing with the pittie pup.  

Then we went to the grocery store and I had to nudge my person many times to get her out of her disoriented state at the juice cooler.  I was very proud of myself.  She was proud of me, too.  She knelt down right then and there to pet me and give me the praise I always deserve, being a most fantastic dog, you know.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>We vote.  And then play.</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/783322</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 6 Jun 2012 12:33:43 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/783322</guid>
		<description>Usually, we do our errands after I get a play session or long walk, but yesterday was different.

 ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Usually, we do our errands after I get a play session or long walk, but yesterday was different.

I was suited up and we drove around in our traveling den, looking for red, white and blue so that she could "vote."  I would have helped, but I have some trouble with human colors.

When we found the place with the colors, I was happy.  New, potential fans of the Iris is Fabulous Fan Club!  

We didn't have to stand in line to prepare to vote, but it took a long time.  My person was fielding questions about me while trying to sign in.  She had to go from station to station and I ended up just doing downs each time she stopped.

Finally, we were ready to vote!  It was the most boring thing ever.  Don't even ask me about it, though I'll tell you I was laying down the entire time.

After the voting (aka most-boring-thing-ever), My person and I both got an "I Voted" sticker.  Mine went on the pouch of my harness.  People laughed.  My person thanked my new fans for being volunteers and FINALLY we were on our way to the dog park.

I ran around and met several new, nice dogs.  I even played with a strange human who was throwing the ball for three of us, but only one at a time got to run!  This was new and strange, but I got my turn and sat when it was not my turn (with a bit of help from my person).

It was fun, and I met a Rottie, and an English Setter, and a Lab mix, a Great Dane and a little Springer Spaniel.  I love to play!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>How to successfully interrupt a human's nap for a walk</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/781880</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 27 May 2012 07:19:04 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/781880</guid>
		<description>Find the human's face and orient yourself directly in front.

Stare.  Sigh.

Move in closer.  St ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Find the human's face and orient yourself directly in front.

Stare.  Sigh.

Move in closer.  Stare.  Sigh again.

Lick the face once.

When they grumble and turn their face away, reorient yourself to focus on the face from the other side of the bed.

Stare.  Sigh.

When the human opens her eyes, lick her face.  Walk toward the door.  Don't forget to wear your most winsome aspect on your face as you turn and watch her watch you walking toward the door.

If the human does not follow, begin the process again.  I guarantee that this will work!

Then, enjoy the company of your human however you please.  Congratulations!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Asked for SD ID at BestBuy</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/781090</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 21 May 2012 17:58:56 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/781090</guid>
		<description>We were having a fun day.  I got to chase the ball first thing in the morning, then we went to the D ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We were having a fun day.  I got to chase the ball first thing in the morning, then we went to the Doctor's office with my big buddy, we went to a restaurant where everyone admired me... well, not in an obvious way.  Silently, but a dog can perceive admiration using special canine senses.

We went to Walmart and I almost got run over by a cart pushed by a woman with an infant in a car seat!  I'm sure she admired me too, once she quit growling about us being in her way.

We shopped at BestBuy next.  My person and our big buddy got human things and "paid" for them, whatever that means.

As we left, the guy in yellow at the door stopped us to ask whether I had SD ID.  My person explained the law that ID is not required.  The man rolled his eyes and we left.

My person decided that that would not be the end of it.  While our buddy went to another store, we went to the car and got a card made by PSDS that has National law and CA law and the 800 number for the Americans with Disabilities hotline.

We returned to BestBuy and my person put on a smile and handed the man the card.  She said she knew that there was a lot of mis-information out there and that this might help him and his coworkers.

He looked it over, and thanked her, saying that some people said one thing and others said something entirely different.  My person commiserated, and they parted very pleasantly.

We rejoined our big buddy at the next store over, where I was greatly admired (again, silently).  

My person thinks I've been to too many pet stores lately, because I seem to think that each check-out staff is going to give me a treat.

Well, duh!  That's all part of admiration of Dog.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>New Friends</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/780724</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 19 May 2012 08:29:04 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/780724</guid>
		<description>I met a great pup this morning at the Bark Park.  We stop by there after dropping off my big buddy a ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I met a great pup this morning at the Bark Park.  We stop by there after dropping off my big buddy at work nearby.  Usually, we are the only ones playing!

Today, Penny the Chocolate Lab came, and bow-wow-WOW did we have fun!  I haven't played chase since seeing my little husky friend where we used to live.

Penny is much faster than she looks.  I had to really put paws to the ground to catch up with her.  My person tried to get a photo of us playing, but I happen to know that when she points that thing at me, she really wants me to sit or lie down and pose.

Penny was so much fun, I hope I see her again soon!

We went to the grocery store after playing.  The manager there loves me.  But, of course, right?  BOL!

We walked over to Walmart before getting in the traveling den to go home.

When we drove to pick up my big buddy after work, he brought some of his co-workers out to meet me!  Wow, even more new friends!  I think I am the official dog of the company because I had my picture taken in the lobby with the company logo.  If I'm not, I should be, because I'm just a fabulous dog.  : )]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Updates</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/780525</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 17 May 2012 18:46:24 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/780525</guid>
		<description>My human has not been able to take dictation for a long time, so my diary has been neglected terribl ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My human has not been able to take dictation for a long time, so my diary has been neglected terribly.  She is quite sorry and will do her best to make it up to me.  I foresee many extra play sessions.

I like my new den.  It has two levels and a convenient carpeted hill where I can run up and down as I please.  

Our friend lives here, too!  I love having another pack member.  He's like a litter-mate, being sort of goofy and always ready to play with me and treat me the way a duchess should be treated by her admirers.

Our days weren't very busy, but now we're always doing something, it seems.  I wake my person up before the sun comes up.  After an early morning walk, we drive our friend to work because he hurt his knee going up the carpeted hill.

After breakfast, we trot around the den and take things from one place and put them in machines and then take them out and put somewhere else.

Late morning is when we go to the dog park.  After I meet and greet my friends, new and old, I chase the ball.  I have to rest a while, and then we run our errands, such as visiting the library where there is a peaceful greyhound therapy dog.  Someday, I'm' going to be a therapy dog and have kids read to me and people love on me all day long...

We take a well-earned nap before it is time to get our friend from work.  He is always so happy to see me!

I get my dinner, a long chew session with my latest chew, and then a final potty break before I run up the carpeted hill to my HUGE bed.  I could have lots of friends over and we would all fit on my bed.  BOL!

And that is my usual day.  I'm so glad my person can take dictation again!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A new den</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/747427</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 4 Nov 2011 04:20:08 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/747427</guid>
		<description>That's why my person has not been keeping up with my diary properly.  We packed up all of our things ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ That's why my person has not been keeping up with my diary properly.  We packed up all of our things during the summer and had them brought to the den where our big buddy lives.  It's so far away that we can't see our SD friends any more.  

I got to hang out with Ollie a lot before we left, because his people helped us shovel our things into boxes.   Ollie and I were prepared to help, but there was no time for jumping into boxes or chewing on them.  Our people were moving too quickly!  We never would have finished getting packed without our pack.  My person didn't want to leave our friends, but our big buddy needed us and we need him, too.

The next day, people came and took all of the boxes away and we played fetch in our empty den one last time before hopping into our traveling den for the trip to our new den.

I made a lot of new friends at the hotel where we stayed on the way.   Of course, BOL!   Everybody loves me.

I don't know how my person found our new den.  I couldn't smell our big buddy at all, but when we finally slowed down, I sat up to see him standing in front of our new den.  Yay!!!!

My new den has stairs.  I love to run up and down and up and down as I follow my person around.  I have a new bed, too!  It used to be part of a papa-san chair and it is huge!  All of my friends could fit on it with me if they could visit.  Or if we could take my new bed to visit them, I'm sure we could fit it in our traveling den...

It's almost time for my big buddy to wake up and come downstairs to pet me before heading away in his traveling den to earn our living.  I have to choose a toy and get into position so that I can help him put on his shoes.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>The dreaded cone</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/721353</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 8 May 2011 04:40:23 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/721353</guid>
		<description>I don't know how it happened, but I was rushed into surgery yesterday to remove an infected cyst.
 ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I don't know how it happened, but I was rushed into surgery yesterday to remove an infected cyst.

It was perfectly okay until the vet stuck a needle in it last week and sucked out a bit to test for malignancy.  Benign.  Tiny thing, didn't bother me a bit.  Suddenly, it was growing, though.

So now I wear The Cone and can't play indoors or out and have to lie in my crate and can't chew on my bully sticks without help because I can't use my paws!

Our friend Linda come over yesterday specifically to entertain me.  We had planned on going out to lunch with her, but since I'm stuck here, she brought the fun to us.

I love her so much!  She knows just how to scratch underneath a cone and get to the best places.

Just another 5 or 6 days of this.  Let's see if I can drive my human nuts.  BOL!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A new friend</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/713168</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:13:09 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/713168</guid>
		<description>I have a new friend to play with in the morning at the dog park.  Ace, the little husky who won't ta ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I have a new friend to play with in the morning at the dog park.  Ace, the little husky who won't take no for an answer.   

My person is very picky about whom I get to interact with and after watching Ace from the other side of the dog park, she thought he would be safe to play with.

She was right!  At first, I was sort of annoyed by his shenanigans.  I just wanted to chase my ball.  But then he won me with his sunny personality and invitations to chase him.

He can't run super fast -- he has a couple of pins in a hip from being hit by a car before he was adopted by his person -- so he jumps up on the picnic table whenever he wants some space.

I may not jump up on the picnic table, even when off-duty, so I wait for him to stop teasing me and jump back down so that we can wrestle some more.

My person is not doing the best, but we're getting through our days.  She's still doing that boring thing where she uses a handful of sticks to tangle yarn together into socks (not for ME thank goodness).  We're taking lots of walks, too.  She doesn't bring her sticks and yarn on walks, so she pays a lot of attention to me.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>It's been a difficult time, but we're here still</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/702505</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 8 Dec 2010 06:47:33 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/702505</guid>
		<description>My person hasn't felt up to updating my diary and I didn't whine.  

We have been busy.  We've bee ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person hasn't felt up to updating my diary and I didn't whine.  

We have been busy.  We've been on BART and CalTrain to go run errands and visit others, but we've been staying home a lot, too.  My person has taken up something that involves two sticks and a bunch of string she manipulates into rows of snarls.  

She calls it knitting and I call it boring!  The good thing about it is that I usually get a nice bully stick to chew on while she does this.

An update on my person's father.  After some scary moments, he made an excellent recovery.  Hooray!

My friend Ollie and his people came over to our den the other day, but we didn't get to lie next to each other.  The people knitted or worked on the computer for hours.  A solo down-stay is hard when my friend is just a few feet away, but I got better at it.

Regardless of the weather, my person takes me to the dog park next door every day first thing in the morning for a long game of fetch.  We have glow-in-the-dark balls now, so it is a whole new game.

Tomorrow we take CalTrain to our tdoc appointment and I'm probably going to get a bath before.  I've been running through mud this morning.  Ugh.  I'm going to insist that my person take a bath, too, just to be fair.  Then we can both smell like nothing interesting has been going on.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>I had to work extra hard last night</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/699811</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:07:58 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/699811</guid>
		<description>My person had a very difficult night.  Her father was helicoptered to a hospital last night in Michi ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person had a very difficult night.  Her father was helicoptered to a hospital last night in Michigan because he is having heart attacks.

She wants to rush to be by his side, but cannot because she is too ill herself.  It is too bad, because I am sure I would have a beneficial effect on everyone.  I'm sort of magical, you know.

She had many nightmares and I interrupted every single one and warmed away her fears with my sweet silliness.

Now I'm getting a nap before it's time to go play fetch at the dog park next door.  We have our first session Rally class this evening, so we both need to be rested.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My first Yoga class</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/699810</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:57:11 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/699810</guid>
		<description>One of our SD friends invited us to go to a yoga class.  Neither of our people had been to it, and n ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ One of our SD friends invited us to go to a yoga class.  Neither of our people had been to it, and needed to go together for courage, and of course, us pups went along.

While we were waiting for our friend to arrive, I saw our friend's husband hanging around the entrance and wanted to go say hello, but my person didn't recognize him and didn't let me.  When she finally noticed that I recognized him, she recognized him, too!  She needs to trust me more about people, I think.

And then our friend came!  I was so happy to see my SD pal that I kept trying to lick her snout and sniff her butt, but we were on duty and it was time to go inside.

Off came everyone's shoes.  Now, this was a tempting moment for me.  Shoes and I have a special relationship.  However, I sat as directed and did not retrieve a single shoe.

There were lots and lots of people and chairs being moved and my person was a bit disoriented at first.  We snagged a spot near the exit just in case I was a monster (her words, not mine!).

I had my very own little sticky mat that I tried to play with before settling down.  

We had to leave the class for a moment in the beginning during silent meditation, because I was restless and every little noise was too much.  When we came back, class got started and I settled down between the wall and my person.

How curiously people behave.  Standing and stretching up and then over and then up on toes and switching sides and leaning here and there--all in unison.  Very fascinating.

I observed my person and everyone else until the end when my person lay flat on her back on the floor.   Time to jump into action!  I licked her face and nudged her shoulder, but she didn't get up, so I did it some more.  Eventually, I heard her saying, "ack!  stop trying to rescue me!  I'm okay!"  People laughed.

Well, fine then.  I turned around and began to rescue our SD friend who was next to me.  She giggled.  Finally, I got the clue and just lay next to my person and watched everyone lay on their backs, motionless.  I didn't know humans would do such a thing unless they were in their beds sleeping or needed help.

One woman was making a noise that made me focus on her and want to go rescue her, but my person wouldn't let me.

Suddenly, everyone was getting up and stretching and laughing and coming to pet me and say what a good job I did.  My person allowed the petting to help create a positive association with the class.

We were invited back, so I guess I did pretty good for my first time.  My person needs activity like this, so I'll make sure she goes back again.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>The pdoc and then Playland Not at the Beach on Saturday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/699726</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:43:21 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/699726</guid>
		<description>Saturday was a busy day.  After playing fetch and having breakfast, we jumped into the traveling den ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Saturday was a busy day.  After playing fetch and having breakfast, we jumped into the traveling den to drive West to go see my person's pdoc.   My person did a lot of checking of tires and frowning because of a light that was flashing on the dash.  After airing up all four tires, the light was still flashing merrily, so she took a chance and we got on the road.

In about a mile, the pretty gold light went out and the ride was much more cheerful from that point. 

The pdoc isn't happy with my person's progress.  They had a serious talk about avoiding stress and they upped her meds once again.  That's okay.  I can help her when she's a zombie queen.

He completed more disability paperwork for her because she still can't work and we'll see him again in three weeks.

After a short break for a sniff fest, we jumped back into the traveling den and headed East toward Playland Not at the Beach, a museum of antique arcade cames with a maniacal Laughing Sal.  

Our first stop was Ollie's house, where my person was grateful to have a chance to do a load of laundry.  I liked the way her clothes were smelling, but she didn't.   Perhaps she needs a longer nose to properly enjoy the world as I do.

Ollie and I took a quick walk around the block where I did not bark at two cats (yay me!) and then back into our respective traveling dens to go to Playland!

We met Uncle Brad's friend Brooke in the parking lot.  She seemed like a fantastic person for a dog to play with, but I was in my harness and could not visit with her.  I did sneak in a sniff when we walked past, though.   The weirdest thing was that she did not have a SD...  but she had dogs at home, I could tell.

Wow!  It was bright and busy and noisy in Playland.  Laughing Sal didn't get a second look -- boring!  Our people played games and we pups watched.  I wanted the skee balls to be mine, so my person did some distraction training with me.   They played a bunch of games that we pups couldn't watch, so we napped or just stayed there and enjoyed the chaos.

After lunch at our people's favorite Thai restaurant, we returned to the hugest crowd of children running and having a blast!  Ho-hum, I said.  My person was a bit overwhelmed by the crowd, so the people played a ball game in a quieter section.  Children kept running by and no one stepped on me.

When our people were tallying up their winnings to choose prizes, they didn't notice me becoming more and more focused on the skee ball game.  I sat and watched people throw balls until I just couldn't stop a "hey, I wanna play too" bark, which startled everyone for a second.

My person took me into a quieter corner to make sure my tail had not been stepped on or something else.  Nope, just me having passed my threshold of calm in the face of skee ball.   After a few more minutes of walking around to try to fool me into thinking that we weren't leaving because of my bark, we all got into our cars and drove to a secret place where a bag of yarn was procured for the people.

Then back to Ollie's to pick up our laundry and sift through the magic bag.

Home was a short trip because I slept all the way.  This gave me lots of energy to be mischievous all evening.  I think I fetched every single thing I could reach to give to my person on the couch.  She said thank for each thing I brought to her.  I'm a big help!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A bath</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/699028</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:32:07 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/699028</guid>
		<description>Need I bark more?  

We went to a Michael's before the bath to get some snaps and velcro for the p ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Need I bark more?  

We went to a Michael's before the bath to get some snaps and velcro for the patches on my new vest and on my seatbelt harness, so I was totally not expecting to walk into the pet store and get a bath.

As soon as I saw the towels put on the counter, I knew I was not going to have a good time.  I did my best to show my disappointment all the way back to the bathing room.  I had to pause in this to follow the treats up the steps and into the tub, but then I was all about following her with my doleful glance.

That is, until it was time to get toweled off, because I LOVE towels when I'm wet!  That was fun!   Baths and rain storms have the best endings.

My person needs a nap after working so hard this morning while she's still not feeling well, so I'll play along and take a nap in on my clean towels in my crate.

Now, I just need to give my person a bath...]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My person is leaking and her nose keeps erupting</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/698881</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 9 Nov 2010 07:11:02 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/698881</guid>
		<description>We had a fun day scheduled yesterday but instead we stayed home and did absolutely nothing.   My per ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We had a fun day scheduled yesterday but instead we stayed home and did absolutely nothing.   My person wasn't feeling well.  

Her nose was leaking and it kept erupting with an "Ha-CHOO" that was so loud I had to run to her and make sure nothing was broken or bleeding.

I helped out as best as I could by shredding all of the tissues I could find, used and unused.  This makes them softer, you know.  More comfortable for that tiny human nose.

We went to bed early and I was sleeping back to back with her when she woke us up with a mighty "ha-CHOOOO," followed by another and another.

She had to smooth out the worry lines from my brow before we went back to sleep.  This is not typical behavior and I'm ready for it to be finished so that we can resume our adventures.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Baja Fresh and Ollie at my den on Friday!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/698475</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 6 Nov 2010 08:55:03 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/698475</guid>
		<description>Wow, it was a great day!  It started as usual with our early morning play session of fetch, followed ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Wow, it was a great day!  It started as usual with our early morning play session of fetch, followed by a lazy cool-down walk, and then finally my breakfast and a nap.

After my nap, my person put my gear on me and we were off in our traveling den to Baja Fresh, just down the street.  We had fun practicing Rally moves and weaving through poles and exploring the water fountains (without getting wet, of course!)

Before long, Ollie was prancing on the other side of the parking lot!  Yay!  I was so happy to see him that I kept trying to sneak a lick on his muzzle, but I soon calmed down and we all went into the restaurant.  

We didn't have an access challenge this time.  In fact, our order taker seemed very happy to see us.  Ollie's person gave her a flyer before she ordered.    

I really wish we had sat at the table next to where a family of small children had eaten, because there were precious little surprises everywhere on the floor and I would have been wiling to help clean up.  Alas, my person sat too far away for me to be tempted.  Sigh.  Boring.....

The people talked and ate and I remained in my down on my person's left, despite people running past me to get condiments.  

After lunch, instead of saying good-bye, everyone got into their traveling dens and ended up at my den!  I have NEVER had another dog in my den and it was so much fun I could hardly contain my joy.  

It was Ollie's first time in an apartment, too, so I needed to be a good host and remain calm so that he could become accustomed to the new noises:  the dogs barking next door at the dog park, people walking directly past the patio, the footsteps of the baby and parents above our heads.

And guess what our people did?  Yep, talk talk talked and knitted knitted knitted.

It was so much fun to go outside to potty with a buddy.   Ollie is a good pal.

Before they went home, I spent some time in Ollie's traveling den with Uncle Brad so that Auntie Veronica could help my person unload some stuff from our traveling den.  I hardly noticed that my person was gone!

It was sad to say good-bye.  We hope they'll come back and play sometime soon.  My den is theirs.

I was frisky after I finished moping, and my person had to come up with some new games for me to conquer before I would settle in with my chew for the evening.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Seeing Dr. Teresa the tdoc for the first time since the Spring</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/698471</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 6 Nov 2010 08:42:25 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/698471</guid>
		<description>My person and I have been so busy and scattered that we haven't made time to go see Dr. Teresa.   We ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person and I have been so busy and scattered that we haven't made time to go see Dr. Teresa.   Well, we finally made it on Thursday and just in time.

I was so happy to see her!  We were in a new office with all sorts of fun smelling leaves on tables and tinkling fountains beside chairs.  I was in top form and was able to focus on my person instead of yearning to explore our new surroundings.

My person is functioning at about 60% in life skills sorts of things.   That's not good enough.  Dr. Teresa set some rules, such as not going to S. Cal to rescue anyone.  My person also bundled up all of her knives and gave them to Ollie's people for safekeeping.

If my person feels that dangerous sensation of needing to escape, she is to phone our friend, day or night.   We are considering an intensive outpatient program, but it would be very expensive.

My person was comfortable so I was able to doze while they talk talk talked.  We'll see Dr. Teresa again next week and the week after and the week after, so we are on the right track.

My person was very tired after the meeting, so we didn't visit with friends afterwards.  We went home and took a nap.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Happy Tuesday, Voting Day!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/698169</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 3 Nov 2010 19:50:12 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/698169</guid>
		<description>I had my usual fantastic morning with a session of fetch and a long walk to cool down.  I had my bre ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I had my usual fantastic morning with a session of fetch and a long walk to cool down.  I had my breakfast in my kong and labored over it with love for a long time.

I was game when my person pulled out my working gear from the hall closet.  Hooray!  We were going somewhere!

I was surprised when she put it on me here in the apartment.  Usually, she dresses me when we get to our destination.  Not this time.  

We walked through the complex doing some heeling exercises to keep her on her toes.  Then we kept on walking under the bridge and down the street.  I had a blast prancing up and down the sidewalk.  We ran past the Tennis courts and then we were at the Recreation Center.  It was voting day.  This is the day when humans line up to sign up to push buttons in boothlets while wearing wrinkled brows.

We were welcomed by one of the teen volunteers, who told my person that I was "one sick dog."  (translation: an awesome most fabulous beast).  After the human had checked and double checked that my person was real, we stood in line to approach a boothlet. 

When it was our turn, I automatically went into a down behind her, out of the way of the people coming and going on either side of us to other boothlets.

It took her a long time, but I didn't doze.  She peeked every so often to see my calm gaze as I kept the space behind her safe with my regal GSD vibes.

After she finished pushing the buttons and mumbling to herself, we both got a sticker that said "I voted."  Mine is still on my harness.  The people had questions about SDs and I was complimented for my polite behavior and natural beauty.

Someone came in with a pet dog and we slipped out while the voting staff explained to the woman that pets were not allowed.  

It was a lovely walk to the apartment complex management office, where my person wrote a piece of paper to pay the rent for our den  for another month.  I laid down and watched the landscaping folks while my person chatted with the staff.   Talk talk talking.

Finally, after a million years, we were off once again.  The air was full of new scents because a new family was moving in.  The dragon boats were traveling the canals and the seagulls were taunting me. 

When we got home, it was time for a nap for us both, but my person had some ongoing phone business about getting care for her mother.  It was really bothering her, so I only dozed in case she needed me.

For a while, we dozed together on the bedroom floor.   

My person was up late knitting and watching the election results online.  I have to leave that sort of thing to her because I don't really get it.  Finally, I leaned back on the laptop and it closed.  Oh.  Darn.  Did I do that?  ;)

She got the idea and turned out the lights.  I fit myself to her back and we had a good night.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Sunday fun</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697798</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 1 Nov 2010 08:06:58 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697798</guid>
		<description>My person was doing way too much work on the computer this weekend, so I made her stop and take me t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person was doing way too much work on the computer this weekend, so I made her stop and take me to the East Bay to visit with my friend Ollie.

We were nutty when we saw each other!  Ollie's Mom gave me a Halloween bandana so I was looking ever so cool and Halloweenish and so was Ollie.

We took a walk.  I didn't really have a destination in mind, but I was pulling like a draft horse, so my person and Ollie's Mom did some no-pulling exercises.  Ollie and his Mom would walk away from us and I got treated for paying attention to my person instead of fretting about being left behind.  As soon as I was paying proper attention, Ollie and his person would swing around and come back! 

Then we went to a restaurant where our people sat and knitted.  I stayed on my person's left and poor Ollie was under the table.  

After a million years, we got up and walked back to Ollie's den and had some water.  Then we all piled into our red traveling den to go to Costco.  

It was really crowded!  Many people were not paying attention and bumped into me.  I had a moment of fun when we passed a life-sized stuffed dog.  My person is terribly embarrassed, so I'll just say that Ollie's person had to set it upright after my person made us walk away.

We passed by it a couple of times after that and I had to ignore it.  Sigh.

Did I already mention how crowded it was?  My person was having trouble seeing anything except what was in front of her.  While I was leading her out, I almost got mashed by a guy pushing boxes behind us.  The boxes were too high for the man to see in front of him.  

My person spoke sharply and got everyone's attention EXCEPT for his.  Ollie's person saved the day by tapping him on the shoulder.  He gave my person a glare and she growled on the inside.

We stopped by Ollie's den and I got to get some love from Uncle Brad before we headed home.  

I was frisky all evening!  My person was tired.  Not a great combination, but we compromised with a couple of play sessions and a stay in the crate for me.

This morning, my person hasn't been on the computer much.  Instead, she's been piling things in the living room that she wants to sell or give away.  I've been following her around and giving a good sniff to anything she wants to get rid of.

Sometimes, I don't agree with what she's putting in the pile, so I steal it and run into the bedroom with it.

My person said it's going to be a long day.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Saturday afternoon</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697578</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:58:15 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697578</guid>
		<description>My person has been on the computer all day long doing a project for someone.  Enough!  I decided.   ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person has been on the computer all day long doing a project for someone.  Enough!  I decided.  

I turned on Mischief mode #3 and started retrieving everything she had left on the floor in the apartment.  Pretty soon, she had a pile of shoes and socks and cardboard boxes sitting behind her on the couch.  I had cleared the space!  Ta-dah!

Then she decided that since I had so much energy, I could go to work, so she suited me up and we found a local yarn store.

There was yarn everywhere and much of it I could reach!  I chose a great color for the mat she suddenly decided she should knit for me.  See how things tend to work out?

The people at the store were very nice and relaxed and no one tried to pet me.  We might come back for a knitting or crocheting class.

Now if only I can get my person to take another break to go get more dog treats and chews.  I'm sure I could cause plenty of mischief at the pet-store that will have her calling me her favorite little monster.  That's a term of affection, you know.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Friday blues and confusing sights</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697516</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 30 Oct 2010 07:43:46 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697516</guid>
		<description>I think my person is being affected by the change of the season.  She's struggling to keep bad thoug ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I think my person is being affected by the change of the season.  She's struggling to keep bad thoughts from taking over her attention and to stop seeing things that aren't there.

Too bad she couldn't just blow the thoughts away the way I am blowing my coat!

We didn't do much yesterday... we played fetch in the rain in the morning, and then I napped and napped.  I love my crate, especially when she's super busy around the apartment.  I'm not in the way and things cannot fall on my head!

I slept with my head next to her face for most of the night.  She woke up a few times and petted me and then went back to sleep.

Right now, I'm in Mischief Mode and in no mood to update my diary.  There are too many fun things to get into!  She won't have any time for the blues or to notice things except for me and my wicked, mischievous ways. BOL!  Later, my friends!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Thursday!!!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697356</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 29 Oct 2010 06:03:50 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697356</guid>
		<description>What a long and fun-filled day we had yesterday! 

We started with a long play session at the dog  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ What a long and fun-filled day we had yesterday! 

We started with a long play session at the dog park next door, where my friends Mason and Mischa the huskies popped in and then Jack came in just when I was finishing up my last run.


BART

After my breakfast, my person put on those boring clean clothes and we were off in our traveling den to catch the BART train.  

When the train came in, I frolicked just a bit.  I like working!

There were lots and lots of people on the train and many of them wanted to be my friend... I could tell from their longing glances.

People were literally falling for me, at least one person did was wearing silly pointy shoes.  She was hanging on to a little thing in her hands and not to the bar and fell right on me.  She was wearing black so my fur showed up magnificently when she got up.  I'm sure she wore it to work with pride.


Walking on the Greenway

When we got off the train, Ollie was there to meet me!  Yay!  I gamboled about quite a bit and did a great deal of pulling while we took a walk on the Ohlone Greenway before heading to where Ollie's traveling den is stored.

Auntie Veronica walked me for a while and that was so much fun!  I could hardly contain myself, but I was very good and did what she asked me.  I love Auntie Veronica.


The Ride to the Meetup

It was a bit crowded in the back of Ollie's traveling den, but Ollie, my person and I snuggled happily together while Uncle Brad drove us to our destination.  Ollie napped with his snout near his mom.


Mr. Taco

When we got out of the car, there was Zeus and Kota!!!!!!   Yay!  I really wanted to touch noses with Zeus and to meet Kota, but I was on duty almost immediately so could not.

We walked around a bit and soon a traveling den pulled up and there was Rethy!  I haven't seen Rethy since the Gathering!

Wow!  This was fun and I suddenly had energy to burn so my person walked me around a bit before we all headed into Mr. Taco.

Pedro at Mr. Taco loves us.  Soon we were all seated with us pups on our mats and it got really boring.  Sigh.  Our people were having a great time, though, talk talk talking and laughing.  

The people brought out their crafts to work on.  Knitting and beading and drawing and coloring and crocheting.  Uncle Brad left to go on an errand, but everyone else stayed and talked a long time.

Pedro brought our people a present and we dogs were left out!  How unfair is that?  Working has its drawbacks for sure...

Kota had to leave, and then Rethy.  I was not happy to see the pack split up.  These are excellent dogs.  

The people talked a long time at Mr. Taco.  When Uncle Brad came back, they talked, ate and talked some more.  My person was very relaxed and happy so I took a real nap instead of just dozing.


Going Home

We had to say good-bye to Zeus.  I touched noses with him as he lay in his royal traveling den and then said gave a million good-bye kisses to Auntie Jeanne.

It was a sleepy ride back to the BART station.  My person really enjoys being sandwiched between pups.  

We were just in time to catch our train.  It was very crowded like the morning train and many interesting smells... these people sure spend a lot of time walking on fascinating stuff... but no one fell on us this time and we got home without anything interesting happening to us.  

I was very tired when we got home, but not too tired for my dinner!  

It was a good day with good friends.  My person slept very well and didn't need me to wake her up from any nightmares at all.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Catching up:  busy, but not</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697106</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:49:29 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/697106</guid>
		<description>My person and I have been fairly busy.  We've been to Dixon, CA to meet up with Zeus and Ollie.  We  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person and I have been fairly busy.  We've been to Dixon, CA to meet up with Zeus and Ollie.  We had dinner with Ollie this past weekend, and we met another SD friend for coffee yesterday.

My person is struggling with symptoms and getting out is a good break from the struggle.  However, whenever we return home, it starts again.  Except when our friend phones, of course.  He's magic, you know.

Tomorrow we get to see our pals Zeus and Kota and Rethy and Ollie in Dixon again for a meet-up.  We're going to take BART to El Cerrito and catch a ride with Ollie's people to Dixon.

Before we can do that, though, we have to finish a load of laundry.  My person is so picky about wearing clean clothes when we are going somewhere...  silly person.  If we are just hanging around our town, she'll wear clothes that smell more interesting and complex.  I prefer that.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>We've returned to our own den!  And my first time on duty without my vest</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/695786</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 17 Oct 2010 07:17:24 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/695786</guid>
		<description>We're home, home, home!!!  We left my person's mother's den on Thursday and arrived at our den on Fr ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We're home, home, home!!!  We left my person's mother's den on Thursday and arrived at our den on Friday afternoon.  We stopped overnight in Santa Maria, and I got to play in that most awesome dog park Friday morning before we got in our red traveling den to complete our trip home.

We've been doing a lot of napping.  I have also been busy rediscovering my toys and the chews I forgot I'd hidden throughout our den.

My person hasn't been doing well, so we jumped into the traveling den on Saturday morning to visit the pdoc.  Usually, my person vests me to go into the office, but not this time.  At first, I thought that this meant I could visit and goof off.  Whee!  

She had me heel and do some tight turns in the parking lot before we went in.  When the pdoc come into the waiting room to get us, I was ready to visit with him.  He loves me, you know.  

My person told me to watch her, and I did.  She acted just like we were working and you know... I got it!  She was so pleased!  I heeled into the office and sprawled out at her feet and stayed in a down the entire visit.  I didn't try to visit with the pdoc when we left, nor with the receptionist while we checked out.  

My person's anti-psychotic has been greatly increased as well as one of her other meds.  Ugh. 

We went to the grocery store next, and my person vested me.  She wanted to avoid questions and besides, why take the risk of ruining my fabulous success at the pdoc's office?

The rest of the day was full of napping, chewing and playing tug and fetch with my toys.

Today we are going to see Ollie and his people.  I can't wait!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Visiting my person's people</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/694260</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 6 Oct 2010 11:18:50 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/694260</guid>
		<description>On Monday, my person loaded up my food, a couple of chews, the blanket I sleep on, and a toy into a  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ On Monday, my person loaded up my food, a couple of chews, the blanket I sleep on, and a toy into a bag.  She snapped me into my seatbelt harness (ick) and off we drove in our traveling den.

We went further into the desert and when we stopped, we were at my person's sister's house.  I adore my person's sister.  It is unfortunate that she limits my love by not letting me lick her face, but I do my best to understand human oddities.

There were two new dogs for me to meet: Riley and Reed.  Reed is younger and more exciting, so I barked appropriately.  Riley is older so I rarely barked at him.  We relaxed together and went outside a couple of times together to water the grass.

I got to play with those two most excellent boys I mentioned many many many days ago in my diary.  The ones who are going to create skateboard and scooter tricks to name after me.  I sat in the third seat in the SUV where they could easily pet me after we picked them up from school. 

I got to go to school with them in the morning, too, after I washed their faces properly!  I was sad to see them get out of their traveling den and walk away.  

My person got a nice visit in with her sister and family and some needed rest in the guest room. 

We returned to my person's mother's house after stopping by the pharmacy to pick up yet more meds.  I thought my person took a lot.  Her mother takes more.

Today, we had to modify our morning play because we were short one ball, but it was fun. I've been full of beans all day, as my person's mother calls it.   My person calls it "looking for trouble."  Whatever.  I just have to spread Happy around as much as possible.  It's who I am... it's what I do.

My person is slowly getting worse and plans on returning to our den next week.  I have to stick with her a lot of the time.  When I want to nap, I lie on her foot or where her hand can touch me.  She needs extra fun playing, so I take care of that, too.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Missing my friend _____.</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/693652</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 1 Oct 2010 19:52:30 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/693652</guid>
		<description>I miss my friend _____.  I like to keep up with _____ and his person via _____'s Dogster Diary. I ca ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I miss my friend _____.  I like to keep up with _____ and his person via _____'s Dogster Diary. I can't do that just now.

I might mention that _____'s diary has been diary of the day many many times.

I miss my friend _____.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>A new friend!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/693327</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:35:38 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/693327</guid>
		<description>We have a brand new friend!  Yesterday, my person was disheartened and unhappy.  Today, she is hopef ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We have a brand new friend!  Yesterday, my person was disheartened and unhappy.  Today, she is hopeful, and for once it isn't because of me!   I didn't have to lift a paw.

My person's mother has been regressing and is unable to stand up on her own.   This means my person has been working hard, picking her up and helping her get from one place to another in the house in addition to the other things she's doing.

One time it was really fun because my person sat her mother on the seat of an extra large walker and pushed her here and there.  It's most fun when they came to a doorway, because the walker only fits in sideways.  

Yesterday, my person felt that her mother's care was beyond her abilities to assist.  Also, her own symptoms are really bothering her.  She's hallucinating a lot and the noise in her head is confusing her more than usual.  PLUS she has paperwork she must follow up on.  And she is so, so tired.

My person spoke with her sister (with the fabulous boys) and they made a plan to try to get someone to help.  And they did.

Her name is Bobbie and she's experienced and approved by the Office on Aging to assist with caring for people like my person's mother.  Bobbie is even very experienced with people who have MS!  

She came right over and I loved her.  She obviously appreciates an excellent dog like myself.  My person liked her, and most importantly, my person's mother liked her!  She started immediately.  My person got a brief nap snuggling with me, which renewed her spirit.  I'm a truly magnificent cuddlier.

Bobbie is coming over again today and my person has a list of stuff she wants to work on while Bobbie takes care of her mother.  

It's all the same to me whoever takes care of who.  I know my job and I'm pretty happy, which makes my person smile.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Busy day ahead, and a Dogster Diary Pick of the Day!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/693156</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 28 Sep 2010 06:17:54 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/693156</guid>
		<description>Thanks again, Dogster!  I'm happy to have the chance to meet more pups.

We have a busy day ahead  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thanks again, Dogster!  I'm happy to have the chance to meet more pups.

We have a busy day ahead and need to get lots done before it gets too hot. 

We need to go to the pharmacy and to the dry cleaner's and to the grocery store and somewhere else that my person is forgetting at the moment.  

I'm wishing my person had invested in a service dog in training bandana, because it gets a little hot wearing my working harness.

My person's mother needs her, so this has to be short.  I'll have my person write about today's adventures soon.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>The coyote</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/693012</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:47:42 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/693012</guid>
		<description>We had just gone out to play fetch just before dawn when my person noticed something large slip down ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We had just gone out to play fetch just before dawn when my person noticed something large slip down into the ravine next to us.  

I didn't pay any attention at first, because I was sitting politely, waiting for her to throw the ball... being extremely patient I might add.

When I gave up on having a ball to chase, I looked to find out just what was so interesting that she lost her focus on our priority of playing.  Wow!  A coyote!

We both watched silently as it wove its way through the dry brush.  My person marveled at how its coat was nearly the same color as mine, with just a hint of red to make a difference.

When it stopped and looked back at us, I stood up. It watched us for a long moment and then continued on its way.

After one more glance at us, it disappeared over the hill.  I wagged my tail slightly.  Perhaps I recognized it as a cousin.  My person waved good-bye to it, and then threw the ball.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>A fabulous Saturday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/692901</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 26 Sep 2010 10:17:58 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/692901</guid>
		<description>Yesterday was an exciting day!  My person's sister and her sons came to visit us.

I really love t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Yesterday was an exciting day!  My person's sister and her sons came to visit us.

I really love those boys!  They know exactly how to appreciate such a fabulous dog like me.   I was quite liberal with my special kisses and they didn't tell me to go away.  Wow!

I got over-excited when they were playing with the yoga ball and startled everyone with my intimidating, German Shepherd "hey I wanna play too!" bark.  Uh oh.  

I haven't had a lot of exposure to just a couple of kids playing so close to me without me being able to join in.   I can watch a bunch of kids playing at the playground or skateboarding around the skate park without getting so excited.  

Both boys helped with my training by playing gently with the ball while my person gave me treats for watching them play without getting excited.  Later, they played a little more with the ball and I did great!   My person was so happy to have a chance to have trustworthy kids to work with on this.   Kids like this are not easy to find.  We're so lucky that her nephews are such excellent people!

And guess what?  The boys are both going to create and name a special scooter trick and a special skateboard trick and name them after me!

My person's sister loved on me, too!  Can you believe it?  So many new fans.  (I'm really not surprised, but I'm trying to be modest.  BOL! )

I was very disappointed to see them go.  I moped a bit and then took a nap.  When I woke up, I was ready for mischief and my person had to play with me a lot with my toys.    She needed to lighten up.  I'm very good at helping with that, as you have no doubt already noticed.  

Today, our special friend is coming to visit.  He doesn't know it, but my person and her mother have a list of things for him to help do while he's here.  Good thing he has me to play with in between the tasks they want to him accomplish.  I'm like a mini-vacation.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>The road runner, plus I'm a Dogster Diary Pick of the day!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/692345</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:42:25 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/692345</guid>
		<description>Thanks for giving me the opportunity to make new Diary friends, Dogster!

We are still staying in  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thanks for giving me the opportunity to make new Diary friends, Dogster!

We are still staying in my person's mother's den in Southern California.  I've been pretty good about not chasing rabbits and not barking at the wild burros.  But, there's this road runner...

He taunts me!  Can you believe it?  I think he actually waits for me to come out of the den in the evening so that he can tempt me into chasing him.  I'm a predator!  He's a bird!  

He darts closer and closer and then when I can't resist any longer and begin to stalk him, he comes even closer!

But I still can't catch him!  I thought I heard him laughing at me yesterday.  It's just wrong.

I think I'm going to ignore his silly reindeer games today and see how he likes that!

Silly bird...]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Still on an adventure far from home</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/692115</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:36:34 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/692115</guid>
		<description>My person and I have been on an adventure far, far away for many many many days.  I've been working  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person and I have been on an adventure far, far away for many many many days.  I've been working especially hard.   So has my person.

We're staying at the den of my person's mother, who is slowly recovering from serious illness.   This den is situated on the side of a mountain in Southern California.  Don't ask me to point out the location.  All I know is that it is many many many many many minutes over two days in our traveling den between our home den in the SF Bay area to this den in the mountains.

There are wild burros here and coyotes.  I have yet to see any coyotes, but I listen to them sing every night and early morning.   The burros pretend they don't notice me watching them as they wander past.   I consider barking at them, but have so far settled for staring them down as they graze.

I've been so many new places I cannot remember them all.  I've been to hotels, restaurants, hospitals, the ER, various doctor's offices, grocery stores and pharmacies.  I've welcomed many new people to my person's mother's den: paramedics, visiting nurses, visiting physical therapists, UPS and FedEx delivery folks.

The den across the road is where my new friends Pamela and Jesus live.  When they aren't in school, they help my person's mother water her garden and get her mail.  I love them, especially Pamela.  She's a natural dog person.  

Our day still starts before the sun comes up over the mountains in the East.  My person makes coffee and opens the windows and sliding glass doors to let in the cool air.  I lie next to the door screen and look into the darkness while we listen to the burros and roosters greet the sun.

As soon as there is enough light to see, my person throws the ball for me up and down the dusty ground in the front portion of the property.  Then I get to wander around and sniff the trails the rabbits have left since I last sniffed the place.

I work during the day in whatever capacity my person needs me.  In the evening, she throws the ball for me again before my dinner.  I am on the lookout for mischief after a brief post-dinner nap and have to be encouraged to settle down when it's time for bed.

We've seen our friend many times since we've been staying in this den.  It's amazing how he finds us no matter where we go!

I have to go back to work.  My person's mother isn't feeling well and my person needs me to work my magic for her.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Davis, CA with Ollie and Teagan</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/689442</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 3 Sep 2010 09:09:59 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/689442</guid>
		<description>My person was treated to lunch yesterday by Ollie and Teagan's people. For those who don't already k ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person was treated to lunch yesterday by Ollie and Teagan's people. For those who don't already know, Teagan is Zeus's back-up SDiT.

I met Teagan in Auburn in the Spring, and we really wanted to play, but there was not an enclosed area for a GSD and Mastiff to goof off together, and my recall wasn't solid yet.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  


BART to the East Bay and Ollie's traveling den to Davis:

We missed the train we intended to take because my person seems to mis-estimate the amount of time it takes to get me in and out of my seat-belt in the traveling den, then into my harness.  Plus, the traveling den moved really slowly on the freeway.

I was great on the train and the person who sat next to us didn't even realize I was there until he had sat down.  He was very nice and had lots of good questions about service dogs.  My person didn't feel like disclosing that I was a PSDiT and kept her answers general about my specific jobs.

When we got to the El Cerrito station, Ollie and his person were there waiting for us!  We took a brief walk on the Ohlone Greenway before going to the gas station to meet with Uncle Brad!  Wow!

Ollie and I sat in the back with my person between us. It was very cozy and we both loved on her during the trip to Davis, CA.  


Teagan and the Thai restaurant:

When we got out of the Ollie's traveling den, I was so happy to see Teagan with her person!  Our people were surprised and happy to see her.

I wanted to play with her again, but we were both on duty.  I snuck in a few sniffs and kisses, but did fairly well for working around a new dog.

The people went for lunch to a Thai Restaurant.  It was very comfortable for me because my person has gotten over (for the most part) fussing over how much space I take up.  She likes me to be next to her so she can watch my responses to the environment.

Ollie was near and we got a bit of a snuggle in.  He's my pal.


The Co-op:

After lunch, we walked to the Co-op, which is like a grocery store plus some extra stuff.  Our people needed to use the bathroom, and I did great fitting in a regular sized stall instead of the spacious stall for people with disabilities.

Aunt Jeanne caught me sticking my nose into a trash can and nudged me with her cane.  Oops, busted!  I knew better and rushed to pretend to my person that I had had no such lapse, regardless of that Aunt Jeanne might tell her.

The people in the meat department were curious about us and seemed welcoming, so we posed for a photo in front of the meat counter. Please notice that I'm not sniffing at the meat.  Yay me!

After we left the Co-op, I got to ride with Teagan in her traveling den to the UC Davis Health Center for Uncle Brad's appointment.  Teagan is so friendly and gracious about sharing her space.


UC Davis Health Center:

Our people talk talk talked while we dogs were mostly very good.  Teagan kept stretching toward me and I kept inching toward her, too.  Ollie was so funny.  He was playing jack in the box, popping up and down.

After Uncle Brad had completed receiving inadequate care from Health Center doctor, we got back in the traveling dens and went to Taco Bell.


Taco Bell:

The air and floor were cool, we pups got to snuggle and goof off a bit while the people talk talk talked again over tacos and sodas.  Did you know that Taco Bell does not serve coffee?  

Teagan and I dozed with our front paws touching and exchange a quick kiss, and Ollie snuggled me on the other side.  The people were so amused by us and kept taking pictures and laughing.  Sigh.  People are odd sometimes, but we love them regardless.

After a long time, the people disengaged themselves from their chat and we all got into our traveling dens to return home.


The traveling den ride to El Cerrito:

My person was sandwiched between Ollie and me again and she was in human heaven.  It took me a while to get comfy but before long, she as holding me so I could rest my head on her thigh.  Ollie was resting his head on her other thigh so that he could be near his person in case she needed him.

Before I had had an adequate nap, we were back at the BART station and I had to go back on duty.


BART ride home:

My person didn't know that the Millbrae train wasn't running at that time of the evening, but figured out how to get home by taking a different train, then transferring in Oakland to the train that would take us back to our traveling den.

It was really crowded, and a lady who was afraid of dags sat down next to us, but I was careful and didn't alarm her and she relaxed.  I didn't do a lot of napping because it was so crowded and my person needed me. 

At one point, my person asked one of the nice standing passengers to tuck my tail for me because I forgot to do it myself.  He did and good thing, because the person who took his place kept losing his balance and would have mashed my tail.

Twenty one stops after we got on BART, we were back to our own traveling den, I was off duty. It was a long day, but I was feisty when we back to our den, so my person had to keep me busy so that I'd be calm when it was time to sleep.

It was a great day with good friends and new fans.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>The easy life</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/689233</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 2 Sep 2010 05:38:06 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/689233</guid>
		<description>We haven't been doing much outside the apartment for fun, other than going to the dog park for my da ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We haven't been doing much outside the apartment for fun, other than going to the dog park for my daily fetch session.  

Well, except Tuesday when I had my nails trimmed and got a bath, all in the same day!  That doesn't count.  In fact, I'm trying to forget it.  I hate it when the vet tech comes in and leads me away from my person to go trim my nail.  My person just stands there and smiles!  Can you believe it?

There were three very nice dogs at the dog wash who were also being tortured by being bathed, so we didn't get a chance to do more than sniff from a distance.  This really wasn't adequate for introductions because the horrible soap was ruining our natural scents.  Ugh.

Yesterday during our afternoon walk, we went to the apartment management office.  I wasn't vested, but I acted as if I was.  Yay for me!

My person is preparing for us to go take care of her mother again and our den (aka apartment) needs some repairs, so she scheduled them for while we will be gone.  As far as I'm concerned, that's bad timing, because I really like the maintenance staff.  They pet me and love on me whenever they see me.  I feel bad that they won't have the chance to enjoy me this time.  

Today is going to be great, because we are going to go play with my friends Ollie and Zeus in Davis.  We'll take BART to the East Bay and then catch a ride with Ollie and his people to Davis, where Zeus will be meeting us!  I love Ollie and Zeus, and I love their people.

It's almost time for me and my person to go play at the dog park.  I keep nosing my person's arm to remind her.  Not that my diary isn't important, but chasing the ball has to take its proper priority.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Getting back into our groove</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/688918</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:46:38 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/688918</guid>
		<description>It's so much fun to be able to chase the ball every morning again!  

It isn't as much fun to have ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It's so much fun to be able to chase the ball every morning again!  

It isn't as much fun to have my person on the computer so much, but at least she gets up to go through papers from time to time, muttering about her lack of organization.  Much more entertaining for a dog.  

It's especially fun when she drops a pile of papers and I get to help.  Somehow, I get the feeling she doesn't think it all that helpful when I scatter everything so that she can pick up each individual paper instead of a bunch at a time.  She needs to understand that making the fun last longer is a good thing.

We might have to take the traveling den to S. California again soon.  I did just fine last time, so I'm ready for whatever comes.  I'm always ready to add fans to my collection!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>We're back!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/688490</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:30:40 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/688490</guid>
		<description>My person and I have been gone for many days.  She says it has been just over three weeks.  As long  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person and I have been gone for many days.  She says it has been just over three weeks.  As long as that means many days, I'm in agreement.

First, we went to the PSDS 2010 Gathering in Colorado, and then we had to rush down to S. California to help care for my person's mother, who had collapsed and was hospitalized.

After an 11 hour trip in the traveling den yesterday, we finally returned home to my toys and my crate and my favorite places to lie down and dream.

I love my person's mother.  I got to play with my person's nephews, which was the best!  I made a lot of new friends at the rehabilitation facility we visited every day until my person's mother was discharged on Thursday.  

She gets to stay with my person's nephews and their parents while she continues to heal.  If I wasn't a dog, I would be envious of the chance to play with those excellent boys every day!

We even got to see our friend a couple of days!  I didn't know he could show up in an unfamiliar place!  I adore him.

I had to take good care of my person so she could help take care of her mother.  It was hard work, but she says I did a great job.

Too much has happened to share everything.  We're just happy to be back home!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Sunday -- it hasn't been a good day</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/683494</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:24:14 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/683494</guid>
		<description>We were on our post-fetch cool down walk before dawn when we saw a large GSD coming up behind us.  M ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We were on our post-fetch cool down walk before dawn when we saw a large GSD coming up behind us.  My person moved me several feet off the sidewalk and put me in a sit.

That dog dragged its clueless, cheerful (and obviously, powerless) person over to us and it attacked me!

My person dropped my leash to give me room and ran backwards calling me.  I broke away and followed her.  That dog's person laughed and said that that was how his dog said "hi."

My person bit her lip and we retreated while the dog was growling and the clueless person was smiling happily.  I was okay, but my person was very unhappy about it, especially given my reaction to a GSD yesterday.

My person hasn't been well today, either.  She's seeing people in our apartment who are not there.  Thank goodness she has me so that she knows these people aren't really there.  She knows that if any of these people were real, they'd be lining up to show me their adoration.  That's how lovable I am!

She's going to talk to our friend briefly and then go to bed.  She tells me that tomorrow will bring me a wonderful surprise.  I wonder what it is?]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Long, long, long day:  classes, work and public transportation</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/683393</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 25 Jul 2010 07:38:42 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/683393</guid>
		<description>Our morning seemed ordinary.  We got up early, played fetch at the dog park and took a long, cool do ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Our morning seemed ordinary.  We got up early, played fetch at the dog park and took a long, cool down walk, returning home for breakfast.

But that's where ordinary ended.  My person was suddenly in a bustle and we dashed out the door by 6:45am.  After a short drive, we were at the nearest BART station.  


Public Transportation: BART

We took the train through SF and under the Bay to Oakland.  We were under ground quite a noisy while.  I was a little nervous at first, but as our ride continued, I relaxed.  Finally, we transferred to a northbound train that made less racket and got off in El Cerrito. 

We took a nice long walk on the Ohlone Greenway to get to the park where our agility class is held.  A very long walk.  Eventually, my person began to wonder if she was going the wrong way.  She was.

Auntie Veronica sent Uncle Brad in their traveling den to rescue us.  He got us to class in time to watch Auntie Veronica carrying the tire jump with Ollie heeling beside her.  


Agility class

I was very excited during class.  There were people hitting fetch balls with rackets right next to the agility course.  There were so many dogs and surely they wanted to play with me, if only our silly owners would let us get closer.

I did better on the teeter board, and we are getting better with pacing through jumps together.  My person has to run very fast to keep up with me once I got going.

Our new challenge was the elevated board walk.  It is narrow for a big dog like me.  At least I'm fairly low to the ground.  Ollie had a harder time than me because he is almost all leg like a deer.

I got better.  Then it was raised to three feet off the ground!  I fell off once, but wasn't afraid to hop back and really enjoyed earning a treat on the target at the bottom of the downhill ramp.

I was fabulous in both the open and closed tunnels, and went directly into the weave poles without much hesitation.

I was still wound up at the end of class, but calmed down when I had the opportunity to accept adoration from a woman and her granddaughter, who had stopped to watch the class.


Lunch

Auntie Veronica and Ollie walked with us to a road-house restaurant for lunch.  At first, we were seated next to someone who said they were allergic to dogs.  The waitstaff cleared a different table for us on the other end of the restaurant, but we found someone else sitting there.  

We went stood around and then finally went back to our original spot.  Soon the waitstaff led us over to our occupied table and reseated that party to our previous position.

The lady with the allergies and her two friends kept glaring at my person throughout the meal.  My person annoyed them by smiling angelically each time she saw them staring.

It was the first time my person was exposed to so much sustained unwelcome-ness.  At first, she fussed about my taking up space, but desisted when Auntie Veronica reminded her that big dogs take up space.  Duh!

After lunch, we pups went off-duty for a walk to Target.


Target

Target was crowded and I did well navigating, though I did some pulling.  I didn't even think about shopping for my person, which made her very happy.  My person bought a couple of items.  While we were in line, Ollie got flicked with a wet mop by the person cleaning the aisle.  Poor guy!  

Our people stopped for refreshments at the cafe.  As we were leaving I started barking like crazy!  My person glanced up and saw another sable GSD: a guide dog.  We walked away quickly until I stopped barking, and my person did some training while the dog was still in sight.

My person was really shocked.  She and Auntie Veronica regrouped to discuss what happened. It seemed that the guide dog was giving me the stink eye.  This might help explain what happened, but it does NOT excuse my low threshold response. 

Now my person knows that we have to to train specifically for meeting up unexpectedly with dogs inside stores.  She'll also be discussing this with Miss Nancy, because it was the first time I ever responded in this way.  I've never barked while on duty before, even when meeting up with other dogs.  

When we went outside, the guide dog was in the parking lot, giving me the stink eye some more.  I glimpsed him, but didn't respond this time.  We went around him.  


The bus to Freestyle class:

We walked to the street where the bus would take us to the Berkeley Humane Society for our freestyle class.  There was a homeless man on the corner with a dog that didn't seem to like us dogs.

This man was very polite, though, and kept the dog engaged while we passed, praising his dog for not barking at us.  This made it easy to get around.

The bus was crowded, but people moved to let our people sit down.  We pups were pooped, but our people were kept awake by lively conversation about us.  Sometimes it becomes exhausting to be the center of attention.

The AC Transit bus driver was really nice.  He asked which stop we would need to so that he could remind us.   We were still 5 minutes late to class, thanks to the high volume of traveling dens.


Freestyle:

My person didn't practice any freestyle with me during the week and Ollie's Mom forgot to bring her music for her routine.  We practiced heeling to different rhythm and switching from left heeling to right by each person and dog turning in place and continuing in the new direction.

We also practiced basics, like how to manage treats to reward from off-hand to lead hand only when a treat is needed.  We learned rolling over which was fun, except when I really did roll over the first time.  How could I know what to expect?

Finally, we practiced twirling on command at a distance.  We were all really tired by the end of class and sat for a few minutes to relax and cool down while the people chatted.


The bus again:

Soon, we were back on the street, walking to the bus stop to catch the bus that would take Ollie home and me to the BART station.  Our people had lively conversations again while we pups doze.  

One man really wanted my person to describe her hallucinations to him in a way he could understand. Since they take place in an alternate reality, this was impossible, though she tried.

Too soon, it was Ollie's stop and we had to say good-bye.  I whined a little after he was gone.  People said, "awwwwww."  I don't like it when our pack splits up.


BARTing home:

My person made it to the train platform without much confusion.  I got a lot of practice walking up and down stairs!  When we got on, there was no space for us to sit, so we stood a while until a young man gave us one of the seats for the disabled.  Whew!  I could finally lay down.  I hardly cared about the bumps and screeching of the train and was certainly not ready to get up and exit when we got to our station to make our transfer.

When we got on our second train, I was looking for a comfortable place to relax.  My person sat next to someone near the wheelchair attachment area who didn't mind dogs, so I could lay down.

After that lady left, my person moved over and I was free to lay down next to the wall.  I could hardly stay awake!  She had to shake me to wake me when we got to our station.

I jumped happily into the traveling den and jiggled with impatience while she put on my seat belt harness.  Plop!  I stretched out on the back seat and was back in dreamland before she pulled out of the parking lot.

When we got home, I ran into my crate and looked at her.  Dinnertime!  I got my Kong with soft food inside, and a chew toy.  I was set for the night.  I chewed until my became too sleeping to keep my head up.

After my last potty walk of the evening, I slept with my person on the bed with my head on her calf.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My good deed for the week</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682954</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:27:37 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682954</guid>
		<description>While we were on the cool down portion of my morning exercise, I saw something on the grass under th ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ While we were on the cool down portion of my morning exercise, I saw something on the grass under the picnic table near the boat launch.  It was a wallet, soaked from the sprinklers.

I've been learning to pick up my person's wallet if she drops it, so I knew just what to do.  I picked up it and gave it to my person.  I was very excited and happy to do it.  I love picking things up and giving them to my person.

The police station is next to the library.  After breakfast, my person put her library books into a shopping bag along with my vest and the wallet, and we walked to the police station.

A Sergeant going off duty asked to pet me, and my person said I could "visit."  I'm beginning to learn that that means I can receive love directly from my fans.

My person had to make a fairly detailed report.  It was her first time.  I remained in a down while she and the Desk Sergeant worked through the report.  He complimented me on my good behavior.  I smiled up at him.

After the report was complete, we pawed it over to the library to drop off the books.  Since it was only a quarter mile to the grocery store, we headed over there before going home.  I was perfect!  Yay me!!!  I got to "visit" with one of the checkers.

I was off-duty on the way home.  I was very curious when I found  a dead rat, but my person wouldn't permit a decent sniff.  

The phone rang when we got home. It was the Sergeant reporting that the wallet's owner had reclaimed his property and wanted the Sergeant to forward his thanks.

My person said she was happy it ended well.  She's lost her wallet before and it is a dreadful situation to endure.

We're both ready for a nap, and then my person has some tasks to complete later this afternoon.  Something do to with the secret plans for next month.  I can't wait to find out what it is she's spending all of this time on!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A Diary Pick of the Day</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682789</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:08:22 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682789</guid>
		<description>Thanks Dogster!

It's going to be a lazy day.  I'll have my person complete writing about yesterda ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thanks Dogster!

It's going to be a lazy day.  I'll have my person complete writing about yesterday's public access training adventures after we both have a nap.  It was a rough night.  I had to wake her up three times from nightmares.

******** continued from Tuesday's BART/IKEA adventure

A recap from yesterday: our last scene was the four of us going through the cafeteria line at IKEA. 

This was really challenging for me because it was my first time.  The good smells were so close and we moved through the line so slowly.  The seating area was very crowded with tables and chairs.  Many kind people adjusted their seats to let us through.  I didn't give ANY kisses in payment, which is a drag, though necessary.

I lay next to the table under a wall banner and Ollie curled up  under the table on his mat that Dora's Mom made for him. Ollie's Mom dropped a french fry near his nose and told him to leave it.  He did.  Later, she put down a plate with a few french fries on it near his nose and told him to leave it.  He did.  Is he ready to graduate, or what?

My person tempted me for the very first time ever with a french fry about a foot from my nose.  I did great!  Don't tell her that I spent a moment calculating how fast I would have to be to get it before she could stop me.  The important thing is that I left it as ordered.  I rule!

Our people finished going through the store and we wiggled past the people in long lines to get to the exit.  However, we did not exit.  We went through the grocery section where there are cheeses and meats and chocolate.  I was very interested so my person kept me a few feet away from the best stuff as we walked back and forth.  Ollie went through all the aisles.

Instead of leaving, we went through a door that led us to the very beginning again!  Ollie practiced with the escalator (and I with the elevator).

A woman with a head scarf and her little boy were in the elevator and my person was worried that they would be uncomfortable with me, but the woman was welcoming and the boy was unafraid.  That made up a bit for my most embarrassing training moment posted previously.  

We went through the children's section again and practiced walking past toys on the floor and navigating around children.  Ollie practiced ignoring a child petting him and did great.  I met children and loved on them with permission.

We returned to the restaurant and Ollie practiced navigating through the tables again.  He heeled nicely the entire time.  

Then we were done with IKEA.  I got a potty break and then we walked down the street to await the Emeryville-Go-Round Shuttle back to BART.

The shuttle was really crowded, but it was full of really nice people who were interested in us dogs.  Auntie Veronica answered questions asked by a kind young woman, but everyone listened and when she offered a pamphlet, many people wanted one.

Our BART trip was uneventful and then we were off duty!  Yay!  Auntie Veronica and Ollie walked us to our car and then I napped on the way home.  We stopped at Safeway before heading to the apartment and I was practically perfect, even in the meat and dairy section!

Once home, my nap was interrupted only by dinner, a quick potty break and relocating to the bedroom for the night.  A very good day, I would say.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Tuesday:  BART, Emeryville-Go-Round Shuttle and IKEA</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682735</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:25:56 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682735</guid>
		<description>What a full day!  We started as alaways:  a super-fabulous play session first thing in the morning,  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ What a full day!  We started as alaways:  a super-fabulous play session first thing in the morning, followed by a cool-down walk before breakfast.

Today, my person belted me into the traveling den with my new Champion K9 seat belt harness.  It is easier to put on and to take off, so I guess that should mean that I like it.  I don't like any harness, but as far as restraints go, this has been the best.

We were late, so we hustled over to the BART station and met Auntie Veronica and Ollie.  Yay!  My person bought a ticket and a nice man helped us figure out again how to submit the ticket and get it back.

My person gets embarrassed when she's a ditz.  It happens often, so you think she'd get used to it and go with the dog flow.

I was interested in the trains, but not afraid.  I followed Ollie on and we had a comfy ride, above and below ground.  After we got off and climbed down the stairs, we sat around until a 30 person shuttle arrived that would take us to IKEA.  The stairs were steep to get in, but we pups made it just fine.

I'm an old paw at bus-like vehicles and took the bumping, swaying and jolts in stride.

Once at IKEA, we worked on distractions and such. Ollie took the high road (the escalator) and I took the low (the elevator).  I did a bit of pulling in the beginning, but eventually calmed.  It's been a long time since I was at IKEA.  

At one point, I was having too much fun and began to frolic until my person calmed me by putting me in a down-stay and speaking to me quietly.

There were many children who wanted to pet me, and I was happy to visit!  I never get to have kids love on me when I'm not in vest, because the parents are afraid.  

Our people went through the cafeteria line and that was a challenge all by itself.

My person is falling  asleep, so we are going to bed.  I will dictate to her the rest of your adventure tomorrow.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Sunday with a Friend who has no SD</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682521</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:29:16 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682521</guid>
		<description>It's been a long time since my person hung out with a non-SD handler.  Our friend Auntie Linda phone ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It's been a long time since my person hung out with a non-SD handler.  Our friend Auntie Linda phoned and invited my person out to lunch.  

We went to Max's Opera Cafe.  I did great tucking myself under the booth.  It's easier to make myself smaller when there is something to lean against like a wall.

They talked about me a bit, since I am my person's main focus these days, but then they started talking about stuff that had nothing to do with me, so I took a nap.

After they finished talk talk talking, we walked down the way to a clothes store because my person needed some blouses.  I've never been inside a dressing room before, nor seen so many mirrors at one time, but I was game.

They tried on clothes and asked each other what they thought.  At the end of the day, they each found something they liked.  For me, it was "Sit, let's go, down, wait..." SO boring! 

You know how much I love fabric?  Well, I ignored the hanging and stacked clothes for nearly 45 minutes.  And then I picked out a T-Shirt for my person.  I chose a really ugly color, but it was the right size, thank dogness!

We went to the drug store afterwards and browsed a long time.  It was boring for a dog, but I didn't try to shop for my person.  She got some towelettes to put in my pack and to carry in our traveling den and in her purse.  There were some kids screaming and running around and I watched them when they got close, but didn't try to join them in their games.  I was so good!

Then our people went back to Max's and had dessert.  We were in a different booth, but I had the idea and curled up against the wall and dozed.  They talk talk talked and then finally, we got up to leave.

Auntie Linda wanted to buy an eclair for Uncle Joe, and while I was waiting with my person, a little boy came in and wanted to pet me.  My person warned him that I was a licky dog, but he said that was okay by him!  My person likes to give me as many chances as possible to accept love from kids, so she said "go visit."

That little boy knew just how to pet a dog like me and I tried to kiss him, but he didn't let me.  Oh well.  It was still fun, and his Dad thanked my person for allowing us to make friends.

Finally, we were outside.  My harness came off and I got to really greet Auntie Linda.  After that, we went home.  I didn't nap in the traveling den because we were driving parallel to the CalTrain tracks and I like to watch the trains.

We should have gone to the grocery store, because we were out of milk and chocolate milk, but my person decided that my working day had been long enough.  We went home and dozed and played.

We went to the grocery store this morning after playing fetch in the traveling den instead of walking.  My person walked in without me!  I couldn't believe it! Just because I had splashed through a mud puddle is no reason to deny me my place at her side!

I forgave her immediately and have been napping and chewing on my chews.  I'm not going to be working today.  My person says I get a day off after an intense weekend.  We are playing and training and will take another walk later when it cools off a bit.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>My new, most embarrassing training moment</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682513</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:11:00 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682513</guid>
		<description>So, we were in Costco looking for something called Q-Tips.  Ollie went down one aisle and I went dow ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ So, we were in Costco looking for something called Q-Tips.  Ollie went down one aisle and I went down another (with our people, of course)!  My aisle had some ladies wearing what my person later told me is full hijab, which means that they cover up everything in drapes of cloth except their faces and hands.

My person didn't imagine I couldn't be trusted to continue walking at her side as she passed these women.  You can guess what happened.  I turned my head and sniffed near the feet of one of the women before my person could stop me.

The lady shrieked and jumped away.  My person apologized most fervently and took me far away from the woman I frightened.  My person was really upset and I'm not quite sure why...  I've forgotten and turned my face and sniffed at people before, though I'm doing much better with that now.  

My person said that her negligence had allowed me to be extremely rude.  I guess I'll have to trust her on this one.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Saturday Agility and Freestyle and working in between</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682508</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:53:37 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682508</guid>
		<description>We packed up the car and took a long drive Saturday morning after my play session and breakfast.  Wh ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We packed up the car and took a long drive Saturday morning after my play session and breakfast.  When I got out of the car, we were at a park and there were was Ollie and his Mom!  Yay!  And our trainer Miss Nancy!  And Appletini's Dad!  And dogs I never smelled before in my life.

All the dogs and people walked to a shed where they banged around and loaded a bunch of stuff on a cart.  We dogs had to be tied down while the people did this.  I was not happy, but at least I was next to Ollie and could see my person.  

There was much chaos while Miss Nancy shouted directions and slowly, an agility course emerged from the stuff on the cart.

I don't quite get the idea of a jump yet.  The bar is so low that I just walk over.  The speed bumps was boring.  I loved the open tunnel and had no fear going through the tire.

At first, I wasn't sure about the closed tunnel. Appletini's Dad held me while my person peeked at me through the draped end of the tunnel.  Zip!  No biggie.

After that, I had it down and my person could run on the outside while I ran through it.

There's a little black cocker spaniel with a big attitude that slipped its harness and charged Ollie while Ollie was working on jumps.  It wasn't a very nice dog.  It told Ollie that it was in charge.  Ollie said, "Huh?"  And the little dog said it again louder.  Miss Nancy stopped that nonsense, but got bitten for her trouble when the Cocker redirected its aggression.  And my person calls ME a little monster!  Ha!

The only piece of equipment on which I was not confident was the wobble board, which is the precursor to the teeter totter.  I walked across with three paws maximum.  It is very small and narrow and I am the second largest dog in the class, so I think I might be excused for my hesitation.  I'll get better at it.  

After agility, Ollie and his Mom got in our car (aka the traveling den) and went to get Ollie's Dad.  I love Ollie's people!  Ollie and I sat in the back with Auntie Veronica in between us where we loved her up.

Uncle Brad is walking with some weird sticks, so he sat up front.  First, we went to Costco for some bully sticks for me and some groceries for Ollie's people.  I have a new, most embarrassing training moment.  My person will post about it separately.

Why is it that the dog food aisle in every Costco I have been in has at least one bag that is torn and leaking tasty kibble?  And why am I not allowed to help clean it up?  It's a natural fit!

Our people got excited because there were free bags of dog food.  Yum!  That kibble is tasty!  My person says that it is high quality but I don't care about that.  My mouth and stomach lead my decisions.

After Costco, we jumped back into the traveling den.  This time, my person didn't take off my working harness before she put on my seatbelt harness.  We got out at a restaurant we visited before.  It has metal stairs which are unlike any other stairs I have used.  Good thing Ollie was there to lead the way!

The people got their lunches and we pups took naps.  And would you believe that when we got back in the traveling den my person put on my seatbelt harness over my working harness AGAIN?

We got out at Ikea because the people needed to use the restroom before Freestyle with Miss Nancy.  It was crowded and people were surprised to see me.  I kept getting bumped around by people looking at their faces and hair in the mirror.  Sigh.  I need no mirror to tell me I am gorgeous.  It's just a given.

Finally, the working vest came off and we drove to our freestyle class.  It was HOT!  We had a lot of fun dancing to Ollie's music and doing a routine that Auntie Veronica made up.  But we were tired after a very long day, and class ended early.

We drove to Ollie's house and said good-bye to all.  I got to give Auntie Veronica kisses through the window, and Ollie gave my person kisses outside.

I slept all the way home through very congested freeways and promptly took a nap that lasted all night with a break for dinner and to potty before my person went to bed.  I slept with my head on her calves.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Diary of the Day, and learning to wear my booties</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682042</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:14:24 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/682042</guid>
		<description>Thanks for making my diary one of the featured ones today!  Yay!   I love each and every one of my f ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thanks for making my diary one of the featured ones today!  Yay!   I love each and every one of my fans.

The morning was boring after our session of fetch and my cooldown walk.  Breakfast, napping. My person was working on the computer most of the morning and talk talk talking on the phone.  

This afternoon, we hopped in the car and when I got out, we were at the veterinarian's again.  We were only there last week!

When the nice lady with the purple hair came into the waiting room, I knew what was up.  Nail trimming!

Can you believe my person turned her back while the nice lady led me down hall to the room of doom?  She says I need to be comfortable being handled by professionals without her there.  I vote NO, if it makes any difference.

It was just a few minutes and I was back with my person.  We stopped at a discount pet supply store and got some chews for me.  I picked them out myself!

I was just settling in for a nice nap after a long chew when she called me over and started putting these things on my paws!  It is very confusing to lose direct contact to the floor.  I kept picking my feet up and putting them down and made my person laugh.  Gee, thanks!

I got better at it and was willing to walk for the treats she held beyond my reach.  

The truth is, they make me look silly!  I'm already goofy.  Wearing these booties will make me get all those coos and that squeaky num-num talk and no one will take my seriously!

Dignity!  

My person assures me that I will find a use for these booties.  The canine jury is out on that.  I bark, "prove it."]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Lazing about, Rally, and then lazing about again</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681944</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:43:03 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681944</guid>
		<description>My person has been really busy around the house.  She calls it organizing.  I call it silly.  Why wo ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person has been really busy around the house.  She calls it organizing.  I call it silly.  Why worry about where stuff is when you can just sniff it out wherever it is in one shake of a jack rabbit's tail?

Speaking of which, we've seen none the last couple of days.  If I didn't know that I do not hallucinate, I would wonder if they were real.  However, unlike my person, I do not see things that are not there which means I will meet those jack rabbits again.  Someday.

When she gets busy, I get sleepy, so I have been napping a lot in my crate where it is safe and nothing can fall on my head.

We went to Rally class yesterday and I did pretty darned good.  We got to give Ollie and his Mom a ride home.  I love to have people and dogs in our car!  It makes it smell more den-like.

I enjoyed giving Auntie Veronica kisses when we got to their house.

My person and I slept in this morning until at least 5:30AM!  Wow!  We went to the dog park and waited while a GSD and a Golden came out.  The GSD growled at me.  Can you believe that!  Blood is not thicker than water...

We had been playing a long time when another dog came. A GSD/schipperke mix, or so his person told us.  That must have been an interesting mating experience.  

This dog was really nice. He is smaller than me, but very sturdy. We sniffed butts and then play bowed and then had a bit of chase.  Before I was ready, my person called me to leave the park.  Sigh.  I hope I get to see that pup again to play some more!

We took a slow walk so that I could cool down before we went home to breakfast, and then the organizing started again, and lots of work on the computer.  

It's time for a walk right now, and I'm lying on the floor with my chin on my person's foot.  Every so often, I lick her toes and she squeals and says she's almost done.

And now she finally is!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Dogster Diary pick and how I discovered jackrabbits</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681503</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:33:26 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681503</guid>
		<description>Thank you Dogster for choosing my diary to feature with the others!

This morning during our early ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thank you Dogster for choosing my diary to feature with the others!

This morning during our early morning post-fetch walk, I glanced over at the parking field next to the Jewish Community Center and ... something moved.

Hmmm... this was interesting.  My ears and tail went up, and the suddenly, one - two - three - many somethings moved!  Jack rabbits!  And they wanted me to chase them, I could tell because they would run, and then stop to look at me, and then run a bit further.

I dropped the tennis ball I like to hold during our walk and leapt straight up several times.  I'm not usually a barker, so I just huffed and puffed.  

And then later around the corner, another jack rabbit was ambling in the flowers and shrubbery.  Wow! They must be everywhere!  I can't believe my person hasn't pointed them out to me before this!  I spent the rest of our walk looking for more, but sadly, there weren't any.

I can't wait to walk by there again today when we walk to the library.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Lazy dog day, busy human day</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681468</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:55:46 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681468</guid>
		<description>Except for our early morning fetch and walk hour, and a slow walk this evening, I have done nothing  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Except for our early morning fetch and walk hour, and a slow walk this evening, I have done nothing but sleep and eat and goof off quietly at home.

My person, on the other paw, has been very busy on the computer all day long with only a very brief nap.   Something surrounding a mysterious event that my person tells me I am going really enjoy, once I settle my puppy self down.

Whatever. I think she has forgotten that dogs don't care about the future as long as we are happy and content in the present.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>I'm exhausted!  Very rough night for my person.</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681196</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 11 Jul 2010 06:40:10 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681196</guid>
		<description>I didn't get much sleep last night.  My person had a series of nightmares.  Good thing I was there t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I didn't get much sleep last night.  My person had a series of nightmares.  Good thing I was there to interrupt them.  

I finally got some sleep around 3:30AM because she dreaded going back to sleep and stayed up with a boring book until it was time to get up and start our day.  She said I was the only reason she wasn't a basket case this morning.  I don't know how she could be a basket or a case, but I take praise whenever it is offered.

Our post-fetch walk was shorter than usual.  That's okay.  It just meant that breakfast was all the sooner!

We might walk to the Library this afternoon. The books she got last time were stupid.  I can't perceive a difference between the stupid books and the good ones or else I would help her choose.  

It wasn't that long ago that I learned that books were not chew toys.  They were all tasty to me.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Lazy Saturday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681170</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:53:41 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681170</guid>
		<description>We walked to the grocery store after our long post-fetch walk. It was chocolate milk day, and we got ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We walked to the grocery store after our long post-fetch walk. It was chocolate milk day, and we got carrot's too.  My person didn't take our backpack.  She took my old red vest because it was easier to carry.  

I wasn't quite as well behaved as usual, but this might have partly been because the produce aisle had piles of vegetables on the floor.  Very tempting.

I was great in line though, and the checker was one of my most dedicated fans.  She asks about me every time and my person gives her a quick update on my progress.

Later, I napped while my person led her online support group for people with mood disorders.  Then she napped, too.

A lazy walk in the evening was followed by some Rally moves training and more chews for me to enjoy.  It's nice to have a day at home after a busy week.

We don't know what we're going to do tomorrow.  I'm sure we'll think of something!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>The Library on Thursday and Costco on Friday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681158</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:45:09 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681158</guid>
		<description>We didn't do much on the day after Rally.  Other than our early morning fetch and long walk, we only ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We didn't do much on the day after Rally.  Other than our early morning fetch and long walk, we only ran one errand.  The Library: a labor of love.

We walked.  Again, I was behaving so well that my person could attend to the task of looking for something good to read.  Yay for me!  My person had to get help because her card wasn't working, so this gave the librarians a chance to admire me.  Which they did, of course!

Friday morning, after a brief nap, my person hooked my harness onto the folding cart she uses for laundry and we set off on a new adventure.  It's the first time we've taken the cart with us.

We walked and walked and then we were at Costco.  We've never walked there before.  My person suited me up just in time for a kind, older gentleman to ask questions about me.  When he learned that my person was training me for herself because she had a disability, he offered to help her with her cart.  What a nice man!  

We were there almost an hour.  A lot longer than usual!  It's been quite a while since we last got supplies.  We didn't spend much time practicing.  I was truly on duty.  

We looked for Bully sticks for me, but our Costco doesn't carry them.  Howl!  We got milk and cheese and Cheerios and gum to chew instead of eating sweet things, and bananas and unsweetened applesauce.  The line was long and I was perfect.  People stared but I didn't try to greet them.  I'm getting used to basking in my fans's admiration without attention back.

It was a slower walk home with a full cart.  We stopped at a Baja Fresh restaurant for lunch to go for my person as a treat.  I enjoyed the cool floor while we waited for her cheese quesadilla to be done.

Finally, I got to be off-duty and sniff around on the way home.  We had to stop a couple of times in the shade to let me rest on the grass.  And then we were home.  Yay for us both!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Rally day!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681156</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:14:09 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/681156</guid>
		<description>On Wednesday, my person and I walked to the grocery store after we finished our early morning long w ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ On Wednesday, my person and I walked to the grocery store after we finished our early morning long walk.  I was excellent in the store.  My person is finding that she can focus more on her shopping as I improve.  

We walked through the community center on the way home, just for practice.  I saw many new, tiny fans there because of the day care program.  Unfortunately, I did not have time to greet them properly, so I wagged my tail.  They understood.

My person and I had a nap and then we hopped in the car.  When we got out, we were at the Veterinarian's clinic.  It was time for my nails to be done!  Ick!  I HATE to have my nails done.

This time, my person did not go back with me to the grooming room because she wants me to be comfortable being handled without her presence.

The tech said I did just fine, but I was NOT happy.  I was ready to leave!  Instead of running out the door, my person made herself comfortable in the waiting room and fed me the occasional treat for a bout 15 minutes.  Maybe the Vet's is not such a terrible place to be after all...

We got back in the car and got out at Target for some quick shopping.  Again, I was fabulous.  Then we went to a restaurant to practice me staying under the table in a booth.  At first, I wanted to peek out like an eel in a reef, but soon, I curled up and dozed.

Sound like a busy day?  We weren't done yet!  It was Rally class night!

I did okay on the advanced course.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FttESahqCHs

I didn't consider the treats in the bowl to be a distraction; they were obviously there as a reward for doing so well!  Somehow, my person and I got our signals crossed though, because she made me stop eating them!

The best part of the evening was when Ollie and his Mom got in the front seat of our car and we drove down the street.  I saw my person got some kisses from my pal.  She enjoyed playing with his cranial tuft.  So soft.

After we said good-bye, I dozed and when I woke up, we were home.  A very long day.  I didn't even wait for my dinner.  I stretched out and slept until morning.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Bragging about BART</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/680655</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 7 Jul 2010 04:54:49 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/680655</guid>
		<description>Yep, you guessed it.  On Tuesday, I rode BART with Ollie and his Mom.  We were trotting along the Oh ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Yep, you guessed it.  On Tuesday, I rode BART with Ollie and his Mom.  We were trotting along the Ohlone Greenway just so that I could become more accustomed to the sounds of the train and I did so well that the people changed their plans and decided to take the train.

We walked around a bit on the platform.  There was much to see and sniff.  I kept wanting to get closer to the edge, but this made my person too uncomfortable, even though she should have known I wasn't going to jump down onto the tracks.  Oh well.

A train came and went and then another one came and I followed Ollie onto the train.  It was obviously no big deal to him, which helped me when I was nervous.

We got off the train, and there was much praise from all (thank you, thank you).  The people thought it might be interesting for me to experience going underground, so we got on another train right away.

Ollie's Mom videotaped us.  Don't I look pretty?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMKD1NVxobc

Ollie reassured me about half way through the ride and I was calm enough to lay down.  I did great, especially for it being only second time ever on BART!  Do I not rule?

By then, we were all tired from the excitement and our people were hungry.  We took AC Transit to a Thai restaurant on stilts, where our people had their lunch.  One of the waitstaff was afraid of us dogs and she was brave to set down the dishes.

After lunch, we took another bus and something absolutely unexpected happened.  Two young women ran away from me, screaming.  This has never happened before!  How could I add them to my fan base if they ran away?  

Oh well, maybe I'll catch them another time.  It's possible they didn't see how beautiful Ollie and I are.  My person intends to be taking public transportation to the Humane Society for our classes, so they might still have a chance to admire me properly in the future.

The people wanted to sit and chat, so we went into a local Peet's Coffee.  We curled up under the table/shelf and let the people do what they wanted.

One exciting thing was that I got to ride in Ollie's car!  The people needed it to be moved closer to the cottage, so of course, I offered to help!  I jumped in and made myself comfortable in the back seat and my person followed into the front seat and closed the door.

Ollie watched as I rode in his spot as we backed up the driveway.  It was very comfortable and fun.

After that, the people said good-bye and my person strapped me into my seat-belt harness and we went home.  It was another very successful day.  Tiring yes, but very satisfying.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>The shoe game.</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/680472</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 5 Jul 2010 18:34:20 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/680472</guid>
		<description>I have trained my person to log off the computer by applying a simple distraction task using. . . (i ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I have trained my person to log off the computer by applying a simple distraction task using. . . (it's pure genius)... her own shoes!  It took quite a while to train her, but the result has been worth it!

I stand and look at her for a minute or two to test whether I have to actually go as far as play the shoe game with her to win my objective.

If she ignores me, or just pets me and then goes back to typing, I swoop in and and grab her shoe and run away with it.

"Hey, that's my shoe!" she cries.  I turn around and look at her.

"Bring it here."  I return and give her the shoe, looking as adorable and amusing as possible.

When she returns her attention to the computer, I grab the other shoe and run away. (It almost always takes two sessions of the game to get her full attention.)

I return her shoe when she requests, and she will finally close the laptop and we play.

Sometimes I have to do this a couple times in the same day!  I work so hard...]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>July 4th evening -- the festival and my first fireworks</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/680350</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 5 Jul 2010 07:03:59 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/680350</guid>
		<description>Yesterday evening, we took a short-leash walk and ended up back at the park where the 4th of July fe ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Yesterday evening, we took a short-leash walk and ended up back at the park where the 4th of July festival was in full swing.  What a crowd! There were lots of dogs on flexi-leads. Sigh.  Enough said about that.

We walked through a mini-carnival and watched the kids on rides and listened to them screaming. Toddlers were running around and parents chased them while talking on cell phones.  Chaos.  Perfect training opportunity.

There were bounce houses and we sat and watched the kids careen and laugh and scream. There was a rock concert and kids playing soccer in the street closed off for the festival.

I got really excited about the soccer and leapt up several times, almost barking.  We walked about 20 paces away, but it was still too exciting for me to watch without wanting to join in, so we walked another 20 paces and sat down to watch.  Every time I looked at the game, I got a click and a treat.  Before long, I was anticipating the clicks and looked at my person after looking at the game.

We ambled home.  On the way, we sat on the grass in front of the Jewish Community Center to watch the people arriving to watch the fireworks display.  Lots of dogs and baby carriages and children running around.

Later at home, my person was on the phone with our friend when there was a Boom! followed by pops and crashes.  Whoa!  What the heck was that?  I was unsure what to do about it.  It sounded like someone was hammering on the wall of our patio.  Maybe it was that evil black and white cat that stalks me!

There was another Boom! and suddenly, a piece of cheese fell out of the sky and landed in front of me.  Wow!  Can you believe it? Then a piece of lamb and rice treat fell during a really loud crash.  Before long, I was looking forward to the new noises because they caused really yummy treats to fall out of nowhere.

This morning, we returned to the park after morning fetch, and it was almost empty!  We walked around the empty booths and I had to leave a bunch of food left lying about.  What a waste!  I could have helped clean up.

Later, we'll walk to the grocery store. Yay!  Car rides are so boring.  Walking means there's the possibility for adventure.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Happy July 4th!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/680221</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 4 Jul 2010 10:28:16 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/680221</guid>
		<description>Our local celebration is setting up down the street at one of our favorite parks.  We walked through ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Our local celebration is setting up down the street at one of our favorite parks.  We walked through it during our post-fetch amble this morning.  My person wanted to expose me to changes in a familiar place.

Later, after breakfast, we had some errands.  First, we walked to the library to drop off books, then we walked back through the park to the grocery store for milk and carrots.  On our way, I added a new fan to my growing club.  One of the security personnel staffing a street closure saw my harness hanging on the backpack and had lots of questions.  He got a pamphlet and kiss  (from me, not from my person).

There were lots of dogs in the park (only one of them growled ot me) and people were putting up tents to have shady places to rest during the day while waiting for the fireworks display tonight.  One man was playing with a soccer ball and I really wanted to help with the goofing off!

There was food and flapping banners and people unloading trucks with vendor goods - tee-shirts, pinwheels and flags.

We went first to the pharmacy for gauze to clean out my ear that is infected.  I did great!  No sniffing in the aisles.  This is hard for me, because the carpet holds mysterious and welcoming scents.

At the grocery store, I was great until we came upon a spill in the dairy section.  I snuck a lick from a puddle of milk before my person stopped me.  It wasn't the right thing to do --very, very bad -- but it could have been worse.  Perhaps she should consider my lapse to be a personal service.  If I hadn't been interested in the puddle, she would have walked straight through it.  She might have slipped and broken something that would make it impossible for her to throw my ball in the mornings.  I couldn't have THAT.

After we left the grocery store, I was back off-duty.  We met a police officer on our way back through the park and he let me greet him.  My person explained that I was in training and asked what the officer thought about my person bringing me to the police station some time for exposure to officers in uniform.  He thought it was a great idea and invited her to phone the office and arrange it.

Even though it wasn't even 9:30am yet, it was warm and we rested in the shade a couple of times on the way home.  

Now, I'm ready for a nap.  It's been a busy morning.  My person said that there will be a challenge this evening.  I wonder what it might be...]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Catching up: Another Bus Ride and Rally and the vet and SamTrans office and the Grocery store...</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679905</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 2 Jul 2010 06:47:45 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679905</guid>
		<description>I've been keeping my person so busy that she hasn't had time to update my diary!  

On Wednesday m ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I've been keeping my person so busy that she hasn't had time to update my diary!  

On Wednesday morning, we hustled over to the bus stop to catch the 8:33 to the shopping center.  Some people on the bus remembered my name and were happy to see me.  When we arrived, we ran past the place where the grey cat attacked us on Monday.  Whew!  Safe!

It was a quick trip to Target for nothing special and then back to the bus stop.  Ho hum... shopping is becoming no big deal.  Again, we ran past the territory of the grey kitty.  We did some heeling exercises before the bus came and I did really fabulous.

Wednesday night was Rally class with our friend Ollie.  My person called me a butt-head and a little monster at the beginning of class because I was over-excited and not paying attention.

She was really surprised when I ended the class with an excellent run of the advanced course we'd worked on.  That ought to teach her to be patient with me!

Thursday, we went for a drive and ended up at the vet's office.  I was very suspicious and I was right!  The vet wiped out my ears with gauze and then twirled a Q-tip inside my ear.  I have an ear infection!  My first one and hopefully, my last.

And I got shots!  Three of them.  The vet gave me a really tasty treat to apologize for treating me like a pin cushion.

I was happy to get back in the car.  When we got out, my person suited me up and we went into the SamTrans office to submit paperwork to get a discounted regional transit card.  The lady let us be together for the ID photograph.  I'm looking away from the camera in the photo, but my beauty is still obvious and that's what counts.

We had a lazy day after that, but my person was really tired and had to go to bed early.  I slept with my head on her thigh.

This morning was chocolate milk day!  Hooray!  We took a long walk after playing fetch, and then we took the car to the grocery store.  I was brilliant!  We used a cart and I have never heeled so reliably.  

I am now enjoying a special post-breakfast chew.  We might go to the library later... or we might just goof off at the park.  It is good to have an accomplishment accomplished before 6:30 in the morning!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Another pubilc transportation adventure</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679501</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:57:58 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679501</guid>
		<description>After playing fetch for a while, my person took me on a rambling walk for about an hour.  There was  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ After playing fetch for a while, my person took me on a rambling walk for about an hour.  There was much to sniff and I was delighted.  I had a light breakfast while she packed our backpack, attached my harness to the backpack strap, and away we went to catch the bus to a different mall.

The one of the landscape maintenance folks were walking back and forth on the grass with this big, roaring machine thing.  They were doing it right where we needed to stand and I was a little nervous when it roared close, but I relaxed as they went back and forth several times and never once headed directly for me.

When the bus came, it let out a big PPPPPPPPPPPPHHHHHHHHHHHHTTT! and I jumped back.  Only for a second.  I got on without much fuss and we found a seat in front.

I think everyone was happy to see me!  The people had lots of questions for my person and she gave out a couple of brochures.  One question that comes up a lot is whether I will protect her if someone attacked her.

What people really want to know is whether I'd go into Rin Tin Tin rescue mode and ... we just don't know.  For now, my person protects me so that I can do my work.  For the record, I have been perfectly happy to stand behind her when dogs come at me.  She's a very effective growler.

We went first to a bookstore.  She did a lot of browsing, or as I would put it, sniffing with her eyes.  We went up and down the elevator a couple of times and we spent a lot of time standing at the top and the bottom of the escalator.  My person sniffed out a book she liked.

There was a young man who was unhappy with my person because she asked him not to pet me. She didn't let anyone in the entire store pet me!  Sheesh!  We walked over to the mall proper and spend some time with the escalators. I still haven't gotten curious enough to step on, but I'm wiling to get really close.

My person did let two people pet me.  Two teen-aged girls who were being pushed in wheelchairs wanted to say hello to me.  Of course, I gave them kisses.  Their faces were too far away, so I kissed their hands.  I could tell they liked me even though they could not speak or smile.  Dogs don't need words.

We stopped at a cafe for a quick coffee and then it was time to catch the bus to go home.  But the bus didn't come.  Huh.  Other buses came and went.  Well for barking out loud, it wasn't the correct stop!  And the next bus was in an hour.

Alas.  The best thing to do when stuck like this is to go find something to eat.  And she did.  California Pizza Kitchen wasn't busy yet.  The staff didn't blink and gave my person a nice boothlet.  I had just enough space to lie in the dark under the table.  I quickly began to nap and didn't move until it was time to leave.  The people seated near us had no idea I was there until we left.

After a quick visit to the escalators, we pawed it over to the bus stop.  Some of the people waiting for the bus home had been on our bus earlier.  They were very friendly and still interested in me.  Of course.  My person found one more pamphlet to give away and then the bus came.

As soon as we got off the bus, I was off-duty. Time to make up for all the sniffing I missed out on earlier.  Squirrels!  Crows!  Stinky yucky stuff in the grass!  Hooray!

One thing my person has realized is how much more I can help her now that we are using public transportation and are not separated in the front and back car seats when getting from place to place.

Sometimes people are slow.  That's okay.  I still love her.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Took the local bus this morning, and Cat attack!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679358</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:51:15 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679358</guid>
		<description>My person and I were attacked by a cat!  Can you believe it?

We had taken the bus to the shopping ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person and I were attacked by a cat!  Can you believe it?

We had taken the bus to the shopping center and were at the stop, waiting to catch the bus home.  I was minding my own business, nosing a bit of grass where I proceeded to prepare to pee before our bus came.

And out of the bushes flew a little grey cat!  I jumped back and it backed off a bit, but then it came at me again!  I jumped back again and knocked my person to the ground.  And then that little cat came after both me and my person!

I am embarrassed to admit that the cat made me cry a little.  We escaped by backing up while I was barking at it.

I'm beginning to think that cats are dangerous creatures!  Another one- a little black and white kitty-- attacked me last summer on my patio.  Just walked up and smacked me across the nose.  I was younger then, and ran into the house yelping.

That cat still stalks me around our apartment complex -- ugh.  I don't think it respects me.

The day was supposed to be an adventure in busing.  Just goes to show how fickle fate can be.

We took the bus to the Mall to visit Target first thing this morning.  I didn't want to get on the bus at first because I didn't like the loud poofing of the air brakes.  My person was clumsy paying for our ride and the bus driver was impatient.

But we did it and sat down for the ride.  I was very comfortable on the bus.  I wasn't sure I wanted to get off the bus, for the very same reason I hesitated getting on: those air brakes and the pneumonics for the bus to "kneel" are really loud and kind of scary.

While we were at Target, several employees come up to us to ask if I was a service dog.  After the third time, my person asked what was up.  Seemed a woman had brought in a pet dog and they were trying to locate her.  Well, they weren't in the sock aisle with us...

One of my fans was at check-out register.  She asked about my progress and didn't try to get my attention.  My person likes this.  I like it less, but am becoming resigned.

My person stopped for a coffee at Starbucks and while her Mocha was being built, a man and his small children came to see me.  The man was telling the kids about working dogs.  He was happy to receive a brochure about me me me.

We went next to Staples for some printer cassettes for our old printer.  Then, we headed back to the bus stop.  

THAT's when that cat attacked. I still can't believe the nerve of that grey kitty.  It sure seemed to be defending it's territory.  Maybe the nearby restaurant dumpster was its home.  That would be sad.   Still no reason to attack unassuming, unsuspecting dogs just looking for a little relief, though!  

I boarded the bus without too much hesitation and dozed on the way home.  We got off, walked back a block to the apartment management office to pay our rent for July, and then I was finally off-duty!  Yay!

Since then, I've napped and lounged about in the apartment.  My person has been busy on the computer and on the phone and in the kitchen.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Saturday morning visit to the pdoc</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679120</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 27 Jun 2010 07:08:11 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679120</guid>
		<description>Instead of getting breakfast after playing fetch in the morning, my person dressed me in my seat-bel ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Instead of getting breakfast after playing fetch in the morning, my person dressed me in my seat-belt harness for a long drive to visit her psychiatrist.

I dozed.  Car rides are so boring!

We weren't at the pdoc's when we stopped, though.  My person suited me up and we went into a fast-food restaurant for some coffee.  She gets sleepy in the morning and knew she was going to miss her morning nap.  I was a hit, although everyone knew not to pet me.

Back in the car and a quick drive to the pdoc's.  The door wasn't open yet, so we did some rally moves to keep busy.  I like her pdoc a lot and it was hard not to greet him when he opened the door for us, but I managed after my person had me watch her so that I could refocus.

I did a down on the carpet and only tried twice to nibble at the fringe -- my biggest challenge in the pdoc's office.  The pdoc is impressed with my continual improvement with relaxing during our appointments and grounding my person.  

He mentioned he wanted a dog for the family and really liked the idea of a GSD, but his parents-in-law would be very uncomfortable with a family GSD.  They survived a death-camp in Germany during WWII, and the guards used GSDs as weapons against them.

I don't really understand the concept of history, but it is very sad that dogs were set against vulnerable and defenseless people who were captives of other people who hated them.

The pdoc says that my person is making progress in healing from her last episode.  They discussed the possibility of her returning to part time employment after September.  This is exciting!  I would love to go to work again!

My person took me for a bit of a walk when we got home and then I napped while she co-facilitated her online peer support group for people with mood disorders and other MI.

Then it was time for her nap, which lasted a lot longer than she planned.  I tried to wake her up by licking her face, but she went back to sleep, so I did too.

Today, my person is planning to take the bus to Target to get me some chews.  It isn't far, but she doesn't want to drive.  She gets tired of being in the car and having to be alert.

I'll have her update my diary with any adventures we have today.

**important update**

We have discovered that the local buses don't run on Sundays, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow for that adventure.  

I'm sure we'll think of something else to do...]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Oliver, Ollie and our adventures in San Francisco</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679114</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 27 Jun 2010 06:47:08 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/679114</guid>
		<description>Friday morning, we played fetch a bit longer than usual.  I loved it! My person wanted me to use up  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Friday morning, we played fetch a bit longer than usual.  I loved it! My person wanted me to use up as much energy as possible before our trip to the city.

It was my first time to SF!  My person found parking, but I had to wear my vest to get out of the garage because the exit was through the Hilton Hotel Lobby.

Can you believe that there are pigeons and sea gulls that do not respect dogs?  A couple of times, I tried to remind them that they should make way for carnivores, but they didn't really get the point.  Sheesh.


Musee Mechanique:

Ollie was in the city, too!  Imagine that!  And he was with another SD I'd never met:  Oliver, who was visiting for a few days.

My person kept some distance between me and the new dog because I have a bad habit of trying to entice play.  Even if it wasn't rude, Oliver is an Italian Greyhound and sort of fragile.  I could tell that he would be fun dog to get to know, though.

We went into a huge room with all kinds of antique arcade games and animatronics.  It was a little overwhelming at first, especially with hanging out with a new dog, so we walked off on our own for a while.

We got a lot of attention and many people left with brochures.  Ollie entertained a crowd with some of his cool moves, finishing up with picking up his leash and handing it to his Mom. 

My person gave me breaks by walking outside and letting me look off the pier into the water far below.  I'm fascinated by bodies of water.  Maybe this is because I grew up in Arizona.

Next, some of our people needed to use the restroom.  There was a class of kids hanging out near the building and they needed to make my acquaintance.  I love getting new fans, and I love kids!

It was a long line for the restroom, and I surprised a few people just by being there, but no one ran away screaming.


Lunch for the people:

Then we were all off-duty and walked in search of a grassy place for us dogs to relieve ourselves. We got suited up again and went into a Thai restaurant, where we pups got comfortable while the people ate lunch.

We had another brief walk off-duty with a potty break, and then suited up again for our biggest adventure of the day.  I rode a bus!


Riding the buses to Golden Gate Park:

I've seen buses before, but have never gone inside.  I followed the other teams on the bus and we tramped down the aisle to the back, where there was lots of space to get comfortable.

Then the bus started to move!  I wasn't sure at first that I approved of this, but eventually got used to the swaying, stops and bumps and went into a down.  I made the people laugh at how I slid to and fro as the bus turned, started and stopped.  

The bus started to fill up by the time we got off to wait for the next one.  There were more of those pesky, disrespectful pigeons!  I tried not to respond, but one got really close and I leapt toward it.  My person was not pleased, but understood just how distracting being in a city for the first time could be for a dog.

The next bus we got on was crowded.  Lucky for us, there were many friendly people who didn't mind us doing a bit of leaning on their legs when the bus swayed.  

I think I like bus rides, because at the end was another new adventure:  Golden Gate Park.


Golden Gate Park:

Green, cool, new scents and sounds.  I had trouble keeping the leash loose on our walk on the paths among the trees.  The people relaxed and enjoyed our stroll.  We came into an open area where there were lots of people and buildings and dogs.  We took some tunnels -- another new experience, but which failed to make much of an impression on me -- and then suited up again to go into the Art Museum lobby so that the people to go to the bathroom again.


Another bus ride:

We went off-duty for the walk to the bus stop and then suited up again.  This bus was really crowded.  There was hardly a place for a dog to stand.  Eventually, our people got to sit in the seats for disabled folks, which made room for people getting on and off.

I was admired by many people and a few got pamphlets about me.  One lady was really nice and didn't mind it when I did a down and put my chin on her foot.  We were all pretty tired by our long day.

We changed buses and then ended up back where we started.  


The Lobby of Oliver's Hotel. 

The people needed to relax, so we went into the lobby of the hotel where Oliver and his people were staying.  The Manager smiled so big when he saw us.  He would have been a nice fan to add to my collection, but my person had kept me on-duty and wasn't up to chatting.

The other pups went off duty.  Oliver gets really fun and wriggly when he gets to take off his vest.  He was rolling around on the carpet, having a great time when I started barking at him!

Yikes!  GSD barks are big!  I hope Oliver wasn't startled.  My person told me that Oliver had every right to be enjoying himself and that we are going to be working on staying calm when other dogs are being wriggly and bouncy.


Home again:

Soon, we parted from all of our friends, new and old.  I hope I get to see Oliver again some time.  I stayed on duty as we walked back to the hotel lobby to take the elevator down to the parking lot.

It was a long and very successful day full of adventure.  My person is really jazzed about my comfort with public transportation.  She's going to start taking the bus locally so that she doesn't have to drive all the time.

I'm cool with that.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Sunday shopping:  Costco and Target</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/678361</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:39:19 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/678361</guid>
		<description>On Sunday, we did the two errands that my person had planned on doing Saturday after our San Jose me ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ On Sunday, we did the two errands that my person had planned on doing Saturday after our San Jose meet-up with the other N. Cal teams, but was too tired to accomplish.

First, we went to Costco.  Even though we got there close to first opening, it was crowded.  We spent a little time practicing heeling with the cart in the aisles with the fewest people, then we headed into the grocery section.

I stayed in my sit/stay like a champ while my person stepped in and out of the milk refrigerator.  I had some trouble paying attention in the dog food aisle.  One of the bags had torn and spilled kibble that had been brushed across the aisle.  

I was excellent in line at the cash register and had only one mistake while we were waiting for the exit staff to check our cart.  A young man did a drive by pet and I tried to lick his hand.

I did well in the parking lot on the way to the car except at one section of curb that was so intriguing that I pulled hard enough to make us take a sudden left turn.  

After loading the groceries into the car, we hopped in and drove to Target.  The pavement was hot, so we ran.  This was so much fun that I wanted to keep running and play tug with my leash, but my person made me do a down/stay for a few minutes in the shade on the sidewalk and I returned to work mode.

Target was more crowded than I have ever seen it!  There were many smiles, but more frowns than usual from the people we passed.  I did well, though there was some air-sniffing in the baking aisle.  

At the line, there were several toddlers who wanted to play with me.  I leaned in their direction until my person made me re-focus on her.  We were almost to the cash register when an electric cart eased behind us.  There was a dog in the front basket!  A dusty white Westie.  

I was only mildly interested at first, but that dog was staring at me, so I wanted to get closer.  I pulled on my leash until my person lured me ahead of her so that she was between me and the still-staring dog.

I looked over at it a few more times, but by then, my person had finished paying for our stuff and it was time to leave.

Overall, a successful morning of shopping.  We took a brief walk after returning home and then had our daily naps.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Saturday at the Tech Museum in San Jose with many teams</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/678355</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:00:33 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/678355</guid>
		<description>Here it is Tuesday and my person has still not updated my diary to share our Saturday adventure at t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Here it is Tuesday and my person has still not updated my diary to share our Saturday adventure at the Tech Museum in San Jose.

We stopped first at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription.  I did a great job of creating personal space for her in the crowd.


The Parking Lot:

Next, she put on my seatbelt harness (ick!) and off we went down the freeway.  When we stopped, we were in downtown San Jose.  Parking was easy, but paying for it was a hassle.  There were many people wearing bright costumes crowding around, trying to convince other people standing in line to let them cut in because they were late.

I licked the back of the knee of one person who shoved in front of us.  She jumped and my person pretended she didn't see it, though it was hard to hide her smile.


Monopoly Board at the Children's Museum Park:

We were walking toward the park when I saw my pal Ollie and his people.  Yay!  We all walked together to the park where we were going to wait for the others.

No one was there, so we walked around on the grass.  It was hard to restrain myself from a couple of play leaps toward Ollie, but he forgave me.

Soon, a new team approached us.  It was Becker!  We've been waiting a long time to meet him.  My person said he was beautiful, but all I saw was a new dog to meet and play with.  However, the people didn't allow this.  We walked up and down the park field in parallel so that we could form a pack before we walked over to the Tech Museum.

I made several play leaps at Becker, who was solid as a rock in ignoring my lapses.  On the walk to the museum, I led the way to avoid feeding my habit of pulling to catch up to everyone.


The Tech Museum:

When we got to the museum, Jolanda was there!  I love Jolanda!  Soon, we were joined by a new dog: Hunter.  My person said he's beautiful too, though (again!) all I saw was another potential playmate.

We waited for Muppet and Hambone, two other teams we haven't met before, but they didn't come, so we went into the lobby and then into the museum.

There were so many kids!  I love kids!!!  And Hambone was there and I couldn't resist another play leap.  Hambone is a happy lab, and very politely ignored my repeated lapse in restraint.   

Our people took us through lots of exhibits.  One had a screen showing me in infrared.  Of course, I was just as lovely in infrared as I am in daylight.

We all gathered in the lobby to wait for the Imax movie theatre to open.  Finally, a chance to meet my fans.  A couple of really nice girls came up to pet Ollie and talk to his Mom, and then they came over to me!  They gave me loves and pets and I returned their love by licking the face closest to me.  

One lady came over and asked about us SDs.  My person chatted with her briefly and gave her my pamphlet even though we were supposed to be taking a group photo.  We hurried over and made it into a couple of pictures before going into the theatre.  

Inside the theatre, I fit just fine in the row because no one was sitting beside my person, and everything was great fun until a series of horrible, loud noises erupted around us.

I wasn't frightened by the noises at first, but only a few minutes into the previews, my person perceived that I was beginning to feel trapped and needed to leave.  So we did.

Ollie and his people left, too.  Ollie had to help his Mom because she didn't like the noises either.  My person's brain was a bit scrambled, so Ollie and I grounded our people until they were able to continue enjoying the museum.

We went up to the roof, where our people sat at the tables and ate while Ollie and I rested in the shade.  Planes were going overhead and at first, they were really interesting to me.  Eventually, I became bored with watching them and settled in for a nap.

The best part of the visit was playing with the exhibits downstairs!  There were all sorts of things to do!  There was a tunnel to walk through and blocks to stand on and kids everywhere!  I became accustomed to some new sounds, like the shwooshing of the jet pack simulation.

One exhibit I could have done without was the earthquake simulation.  One minute, I was laying comfortably on the platform and the next, there was a terrible jolt.  I was ready to jump away to a safe place but my person didn't let go of me, so I had to endure the rest of the crazy shaking.

It turned out that the earthquake simulation we were on was the Loma Prieta quake, which was stronger than all the other simulated quakes.  Just my luck.

We stuck around to watch other people get shook up on the platform at a safe distance and I lost my initial discomfort.  I didn't want to get really close to it, though.

Becker came by and my person stopped to chat with Becker's Mom.  I restrained myself and didn't leap to invite play.  I was tired, and so was my person, so we said good-bye and left.  The rest of the day, my person and I napped and played inside.  

Overall, my person said I did very well meeting so many new dogs and braving the new noises and activity and still helping my person handle the crowd.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Forgotten Thursday -- I was a star!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/678101</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:08:59 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/678101</guid>
		<description>My person is even more forgetful than she thought.  She entirely forgot that we had an adventure las ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person is even more forgetful than she thought.  She entirely forgot that we had an adventure last Thursday! 

It was time for the car to get its 40K mile check-up. To beat the traffic on our way to the dealership, she loaded me into the car only a half hour after we finished our post-fetch walk.  Without breakfast!  Outrageous!

We were there just when the maintenance department opened, but we were not the first ones, so we had to wait in the car.  One person startled my person by tapping on the window next to me to get my attention.  I just smiled at them.

The attendant who processed our paperwork said "whoa!" when he saw me.  I took it as a compliment.

It turned out that there was a recall notice for a repair, so we were going to have to wait an extra two hours.  We settled into the tiny waiting area that was only about three times the size of the blaring TV on the wall.

My person had a book, but she watched a congressional committee prepare to question the CEO of BP.  Forty-five minutes later, the CEO had still not been asked a single question.  

One of the auto mechanics asked about me and was surprised to hear that a person had to have a major disability to use a service dog.  When he asked, my person told him that I was being trained as a psychiatric service dog.   Like many, he had never heard of such a thing.  My person gave him one of my brochures.

He was very nice and I could tell he wanted to pet me, but resisted the temptation.  Few can.  I admired his restraint.

The other people in the waiting area looked at my person a bit differently after that, but when she showed no signs of turning into a homicidal monster, returned to their newspapers and coffee.

We zipped out of the waiting area when she got a phone call from our friend and took a bit of a walk outside.  After our friend sent his love to me (which is always the way he ends our calls), we encountered a person waiting for a bus who wanted to know all about me.  She got a pamphlet, too.  

My person wanted to read her book so we went to a different waiting room where some of the cars were displayed.  Another person approached us because I am so very beautiful and I reminded her of her old GSD.  She asked specific questions and got specific answers and a brochure to top it off.  

The other people waiting had been listening in, but did not do anything other than smile and return to whatever they were doing to pass the time.

We took another short walk and returned to the waiting area where more of the staff stopped to ask about us.  One of them was a woman who had diabetes and whose beagle used to make a fuss when her blood sugar changed dangerously.  A PSD made perfect sense to her.

We had some time to ourselves finally, (my person was getting a bit weary with repeating herself) and I had a short nap.  Another very nice lady sat down next to us and asked about me and my person chatted with her a bit before giving her a brochure.

This lady returned later to give my person a brochure about a religious event at the Cow Palace in a few weeks.  The nice lady thought it might be a relatively calm place to train in a very large crowd.  "Thank you so much for inviting me," said my human.

I'm all for it if there is the possibility of picking up more fans!

Finally, when our car was ready, we drove home.  It was only a three and a half hour wait, but we were both tired and napped well upon our return.

Next chapter is our adventure at the Tech Museum in San Jose on Saturday.  Coming soon!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Bad behavior at the grocery store and a bath</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/677869</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:33:38 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/677869</guid>
		<description>Are the two related somehow?

Friday morning was chocolate milk day after we played fetch.  We hee ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Are the two related somehow?

Friday morning was chocolate milk day after we played fetch.  We heeled around in the courtyard of the the shopping center to get me into work mode before we went into the grocery store.

At first, I was going okay although I did some air sniffing in the baking aisle.  I sat when my person stopped walking.  I sat politely while she grabbed the carton from the refrigerator.

But I was rotten at checkout.  A new fan was there.  While my person was trying to pay for the milk, my new fan stood nearby and talked to me.  I jumped up from my down-stay and tried to say hello to my new fan.  Twice.  

We did a lot of heeling practice after we left the store with many automatic sits and some long down-stays before we got in the car to go home.

After a breakfast and a nice, long nap, we hopped in the car and went to the pet food store.  Everyone there loves me and give me treats if I do something silly, like sitting.

Instead of going to the aisle where my kibble waits for me, we stepped into the bathing room!

I got into the tub without too much encouragement, but I don't like baths.  I gave my person the mournful eye the entire time.

When we were finally done, it was towel time. I love getting toweled off!

One the way home, though, I had time to think.  It's been a long time since I've been a true brat.  And then I get a bath.

Coincidence?]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Sweet toddler at the Library and 90% perfect at Target</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/677199</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:31:03 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/677199</guid>
		<description>We haven't been to the library for a long time.  It had new carpeting and furniture and I wanted to  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We haven't been to the library for a long time.  It had new carpeting and furniture and I wanted to sniff it all.  We heeled around the furniture islands and up and down aisles before my person slowed down to look for something to read.

I was in a sit/stay behind her while she browsed New Fiction, so she didn't see the toddler that tottered over to greet me.  By the time she noticed the child, we were face to face and I was touching my nose to her chin, getting ready to give her a big, slurpy lick.

The teeny girl screwed up her face and stepped backwards, and then giggled.  We couldn't see her people, but a voice shouted for her from the other side of the library, and she toddled off.

My person was very pleased with my gentleness and the fact that I didn't approach the child when she stepped back, but stayed in my spot.

She wasn't thrilled that I had touched the toddler at all while on duty, though--that's a situation fraught with potential for misunderstanding.

Overall, my person was very pleased with me and proud of my performance in the library.  My focus has improved a great deal and it showed.

Next, we went to Target for a little training and shopping. We got a package of five large pressed rawhide bones for me to chew for an excellent price.  We'll be buying them from Target from now on.

I did great heeling through the aisles while she shopped.  The thing that kept me from being a model service dog in training (SDiT) was that I became progressively unable to ignore a 9 year old boy whom we kept meeting up with as we strolled up and down the aisles.  

The last time we saw him, he ran by and I strained against my leash to see where he went.  That was a fun kid and probably would appreciate playing with a dog like myself.

I was very good as we waited in line.  I entertained the baby in the cart ahead of us simply by being a dog.  Our checker was marvelous and didn't try to get my attention or even look at me.  Well, my person thinks this is marvelous, but it is making me start to ponder the possibility that I am not the center of everyone's reality.

Nah.  Not possible.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Rally, Safeway, Freestyle and Safeway again</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/676965</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:50:45 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/676965</guid>
		<description>Wednesday:  Rally class

Wednesday night brought back our Rally class.  Yay!  There are only four  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Wednesday:  Rally class

Wednesday night brought back our Rally class.  Yay!  There are only four or five dogs this class, which will be a lot easier to manage.  Ollie was there, and Appletini and a new dog: a miniature Australian Shepard.

My person has trouble navigating left and right.  When she's focusing on the sign that tells us what movement to perform, she can't focus on me.  

Hee hee hee...This essentially gives me free rein to goof off and not pay attention to her until she refocuses on me (shhhh! Don't tell her!)

There were stacks of bagged dog food, cat food and cat litter in the practice area.  These things practically demanded a great deal of sniffing, but I wasn't allowed even one!  At first, I had trouble concentrating at that side of the room, but I got better as the class went on.

I started goofing off about ten minutes before class ended. I didn't want to just pass the signs on the floor.  I wanted to take them with us!  My person said "ack!"  That was fun.  


Thursday morning:  Safeway during rush hour

Thursday morning, we went to Safeway in the very late morning.  It was our first time going when it was super-busy.  I did better than she expected.  My greatest challenge was while we were in a long, slow line and there was a group of small children I just knew wanted to pet me and play with me.  I didn't get up from my down/stay, though I gazed at them longingly until my person sang my name.

I did a great job of keeping the man behind us from standing too close.  He seemed to think I was taking up too much space, but for once, my person didn't care.  I was taking up exactly the amount of space necessary.

We had given our checker a pamphlet earlier in the week, and it was obvious that she had read the SD etiquette portion.  She asked about me without leaning over to look at me.  My person was so pleased that she gave me a scratch behind the ear.  Gooooood.  


Saturday afternoon:  Freestyle

Saturday afternoon brought our first freestyle class.  Ollie was there and his sissy Sabrina.  Sabrina and I aren't friends yet, so we stayed on opposite sides of the room.  My human adores Sabrina and she was sad that she couldn't greet her, but we all need discipline, don't we?

Ollie was the star. His rear work is amazing, the way he can pivot even though he is such a big dog.  I made some progress.

It was really hot and I needed to drink a lot of water.  When there were 10 minutes left for class, I stuck my paws in the water dish and spilled water everywhere!  This made me very happy and my person was also excited about it.  She called me a little monster, which I am sure is a term of endearment.

At one point, the people put up a circle of fence, one for each of us.  My person walked into this fence and closed it so that I could not follow!  I was having NONE of that and I found a way inside.

She put me right back out! Can you believe it?  Then we practiced circles with her inside and me outside the fence.  I got a lot of treats for that, so I forgot to try to get back inside.  We were seeking the best rhythm for each of our natural paces.  There was a lot of noise that people call music, but I wasn't paying attention to that.

I was exhausted at the end of class and slept all the way home.  We took a nap together when we got home.  Our apartment was much cooler than outside.


Sunday morning: Safeway before 6:00AM

After a long, slow walk to cool down after playing fetch this morning, we headed over to Safeway for chocolate milk.  We heeled around outside first to get me into work mode.  That was tail-waggingly fun!  She made happy noises because I was right where I belonged no matter which way she turned.

I was in a very happy mood and we had to walk slowly down the aisle to the milk refrigerator so that I could slow down and pay attention.  

I did a marvelous sit/stay while she opened the fridge to choose a carton.  I heeled like a princess on parade to the check-out stand.

It was a welcome surprise for my person to get another checker who had read my pamphlet and who pretended I wasn't even there. I really like attention from my fans and was just a bit miffed that there was none, so I focused on my person, who gave me a treat for being so good.  That made up for it!

It's supposed to be a hot day, so my person plans on taking for a late morning walk before hunkering down in our apartment to wait out the worst of the heat.

We have lots of new moves to practice for freestyle.  I'm sure we'll have fun inside.  I don't like to brag, but it really isn't possible to not have fun when I'm around.  It's one of my natural talents.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>I rock!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/676388</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 9 Jun 2010 11:29:59 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/676388</guid>
		<description>This morning we went to Costco.  

I. So. Totally. Rule.  I know because my person told me so.

 ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ This morning we went to Costco.  

I. So. Totally. Rule.  I know because my person told me so.

I was fabulous!  She didn't know how I would be, because I was extra frisky this morning.  Well, I put all of my friskiness into my job.

I focused on my human.  I heeled like a champ behind the cart.  We did right turns and left turns and inside U turns and outside U turns.  I held a sit/stay when she climbed into the milk refrigerator.  

I kept pace while she slowly browsed the coffee aisle.  While we were waiting in line, I did my down/stays very close.  I was focused while she was paying for the stuff, and I heeled like the princess I am all the way back to the car. 

Plus, I held a sit/stay while she loaded our groceries into the car AND I heeled properly with my tail wagging when she returned the cart.

Success sure tastes good.  I got an extra treat when we got home.

Yesterday, even though my person didn't want to face the world, she needed to go vote.

I was occasionally unfocused in the hallway of the Community Center where the ballots were being cast.  One of the volunteers would not stop staring at me while he asked my person a lot of questions about me (he didn't want a brochure).  I still have trouble ignoring my fans at times, but I remained in my down/stay.  Yay me!

My person had a hard time attending to his questions, making sure I didn't break my down/stay, and signing in to vote, but she did it.

When we left, one of the volunteers who gave us the whale eye when we came in commented on how well behaved I was, so I couldn't have done too badly, right?]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My job at home</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/676029</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 7 Jun 2010 07:49:04 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/676029</guid>
		<description>These days, my primary job has been to keep my person active and engaged.  What a challenge, even fo ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ These days, my primary job has been to keep my person active and engaged.  What a challenge, even for me!

She doesn't want to do anything except for sleep.  I interrupt her periodically, just on principle.  Sometimes, I have to resort to mischief to get her back in the present.  This makes her get out one of my Nina Ottosson games, or do some training, like opening and closing doors, or some of our Rally moves.

Really, I'm too happy to be ignored for long!  At night, after goofing off with one of my toys on the bed, I've been snuggling with her,  laying my head on her calves until she's asleep.  She has fewer nightmares when I stay in physical contact.  

I think she's finally coming out of her down-stay.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Long time no entry</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/675831</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 6 Jun 2010 07:22:19 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/675831</guid>
		<description>My person has not been up to updating my diary.  She got some unwelcome news last week and has neede ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person has not been up to updating my diary.  She got some unwelcome news last week and has needed me to be especially attentive since.  I've been sticking pretty close to her.

This morning, I sat next to her and put my chin on her knee and looked up at her with my especially imploring gaze.  How could she resist doing my bidding?  It was time to update my diary.

We have been doing some public access training.  The day before yesterday, we ran a series of errands.  We went to the vet's to just hang out in the waiting room so that I learn that going inside doesn't mean I'm going to have unpleasant things done to me, like shots or having my nails trimmed.

Then we went to the pharmacy to pick up my person's meds.  There was a woman there who loved me so much that she kept petting me even though my person tried to tell her not to pet me.  Finally, we walked away from our place in line.

After a bit of heeling practice in other aisles, we returned to the pick-up line.  The woman came back and was making kissing noises and trying to get my attention, but my person had my attention and I ignored my new fan.

We went to the Verizon store next to get my person another bluetooth device.  We had to wait quite a while for help so we walked around and I got more heeling practice in a crowd.

Target wasn't far away so we walked over.  It was warm, so my person stopped in the shade a couple of times.  I was fabulous in Target.  During a long down stay, a little girl asked to pet me, but my person said no.  She usually lets the kids pet me because we don't get much interaction with children, but I've been having trouble ignoring people when they give me attention.  We need to work on my wave.

We went for a short walk before returning home.

This morning, it was a chocolate milk day. After our early morning fetch session, we went to a grocery store we've only visited a couple of times.  I did not so do well.  My person is beginning to understand that I am very bouncy while I'm cooling down after hard exercise.

I did several floor sniffs and then air sniffing in the meat and dairy aisle, so my person got us out of there quickly so that I wasn't tempted any longer.

While my person was trying to use the self-check out to pay for the milk, the manager came by and leaned over me, staring.

I got up really fast from my down stay.  This startled him.  He backed up and commented that I didn't like him.

My person said that my biggest challenge is that I like people a lot.  He obviously did not believe her, so my person did her best to appear confident instead of slinking out.

It is time for me to start my morning mischief.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Apologies for diary lapse</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/675098</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 2 Jun 2010 07:15:20 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/675098</guid>
		<description>My person has not been able to update my diary.  We are still around and working hard, though. ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person has not been able to update my diary.  We are still around and working hard, though.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Just a note</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/674147</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 28 May 2010 15:28:38 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/674147</guid>
		<description>I had my very first and also very successful public transportation experience on Thursday when my pe ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I had my very first and also very successful public transportation experience on Thursday when my person and I went with Ollie and his people to and from Davis via Amtrak.

We had many adventures along the way.  I'll get my person to write them up as soon as she's able.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Diary catch-up</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/673527</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 25 May 2010 08:56:34 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/673527</guid>
		<description>Despite more naps than usual, we have still been working on public access training and Rally moves. ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Despite more naps than usual, we have still been working on public access training and Rally moves.

My person isn't able to remember everything we've done, nor the order in which we did them.  We've been to the grocery store twice since she last updated my diary.  

We have also:

Visited Costco:  I did great!  It was a dense crowd and I keep my friendliness to myself.
Visited a bookstore twice:  I was magnificent once and not so magnificent the other time.
Visited Target:  My heeling was the best it has ever been and my down-stay was superb. 

I did a stellar job when I accompanied my person to the body shop to drop off the car for repair, and then did even better at the auto rental agency where we had to wait nearly 20 minutes in a very cramped and crowded waiting room: standing room only.

After that was when my not-so-great visit to the bookstore was made.  My person thinks I had just had enough new stuff for one morning, including a new car to ride in.  She kept at it for a few minutes, making heeling a really fun game!  After my focus had returned to near-normal, we ended the session on that high note.

We also:

Went on several long walks on the short leash, and a couple on the long leash.  Two of the short leash walks were at unfamiliar parks.

My person has been having more nightmares.  I missed one last night.  She isn't upset.  She's thankful that I interrupt them so often.

I've been having streaks of mischief that have left my person groaning and laughing by turns.  In fact, I'm dictating today's diary entry from my crate, where I am serving a brief time-out for trying to pull place mats off the dining room table.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Excellent training session at Target and long walks</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/673188</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 23 May 2010 06:55:57 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/673188</guid>
		<description>First of all, thanks Dogster for choosing to make my diary one of those featured today!

Our daily ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ First of all, thanks Dogster for choosing to make my diary one of those featured today!

Our daily pattern seems to be working out to be:

Early morning fetch
Grocery Store run (a couple of times a week)
Nap
Short walk/minimal training
Nap
Rally /obedience training
Long walk
Bed
(With variations for public access training or errands.)

After our naps, etc., yesterday, we went to a park on the Bay.  It's taken me a while, but I finally got it through my person's head that I don't really like this park any longer.  I drag my feet and sniff constantly.  Every so often, I lie down and look at her.  She finally got it and we made our slow way back to the car and went instead to do some public access training.

We had a very successful session at Target in the mid-afternoon.  I have been improving with my heeling and wow, was I showing off in the aisles!  Uturns, slow pace, fast pace, turns, 360's...  My person didn't want to do any shopping that might interrupt my fabulous performance and we stopped on a very positive moment. 

Off-duty and then off to another park we like for a walk.  There was an unpleasant woman with an off-leash dog that wouldn't leave us alone.  It was a very playful retriever mix and we would have been best buddies.

But I was on leash and this made playing a bad idea.  The woman would call and call her dog until it finally listened to her. I can understand why it didn't want to go.  We were much more fun!

My person kept trying walk in areas to avoid meeting up with them, but somehow, there they always there or coming closer.  My person started wondering whether she was seeing things, but saw me seeing them each time.  This meant that we were dealing with just an annoying person and not a hallucination.  Yay!

There was some flapping yellow tape around a dumpster in the parking lot. It startled me once, and after I'd crept up on it, I discovered it was harmless and furthermore, was obviously a toy!  

I wasn't tired enough yet, so we went to another park for a quick walk and then home.   I took a nap after my dinner.  When I woke up, it was nearly time for bed, which meant time for mischief!  I was restless and had my nose in everything possible.  

Fortunately, I'm perfectly willing to perform my last bit of mischief after my person has gotten into bed.  She orders me to jump onto the bed and I find toys that are hidden in the covers.  We snuggle a bit while I mouth my toy of the evening and she turns out the light.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Parks, parks, parks</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/673025</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 22 May 2010 06:51:15 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/673025</guid>
		<description>Friday was a day with no public access training.  My person thinks that sometimes, we need a break.  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Friday was a day with no public access training.  My person thinks that sometimes, we need a break.  Besides, she hasn't been doing as well as she'd like and it's hard to get out into public places.

No public access training doesn't mean we didn't do anything.  After two excellent naps, we went to three parks in the afternoon: two of them brand new to me.  My person wants to get me accustomed to new outdoor places in advance of the PSD Gathering in August, which will be held at a camp in the mountains.  

The first park was a disappointment to her.  I liked it just fine for the most part.  My person wisely did not try to make me heel.  Her goal was simply to have a loose leash as much as possible.

We walked on the path around the outskirts so that she could get a feel for the place.  It was really large and had baseball cages for batting practice, where we stopped for a while to watch and listen.  I wasn't really interested, but the sound metal bats hitting balls was new and my person wanted me to be exposed.  Fine... I was exposed!  :-D  There were so many other exciting things to see and smell, I could hardly contain myself.

There were baseball fields and soccer fields with kids playing and they were fun to watch.  There was a playground, but there weren't any children playing, so we didn't stop there.

What bothered my person was that even though dogs are supposedly allowed only on-leash, every dog we met was off-leash!  Some came running at me.  

They were mostly friendly, but one came at me with hackles raised and my person blocked it.  The owner insisted it was friendly.  Ha!  What's that word people use?  Deluded?  Clueless?

Everyone at the park seemed to be familiar with each other, giving the feeling of a club rather than a public park.  It is located at the end of a street, and perhaps it does serve as a common back yard for the surrounding neighborhoods.

Next, we went to a much smaller park where there was very little action.  We walked on the path and I enjoyed smelling stuff along the way.  There was a playground with a sand box and a lot of children and adults.  I wanted to watch, especially the little boy digging a hole.  Love of digging is something that child and I share.  I would have been very happy to help, being a helpful sort of dog.  

We didn't pause long, though.  The parents were giving us the stink eye.  I suppose they were just being protective of their pups.  My person wonders if we look threatening.  Maybe she should wear something different when we go out?  I think she looks fine, but then, I always do!

Finally, we went to our favorite local park for a long walk on the short leash.  I did a lot of heeling and a few Rally moves as we went.  We stopped at the skate park to watch the kids do their skateboard, bike and rollerblade tricks.  There was an exercise class in the field and we watched the humans do amusing things to the music of AC DC.  Our friend would enjoy hearing about that, being an AC DC fan.

We returned home and had a quiet evening and got to bed at a reasonable time.  My person had one nightmare early, but then slept well afterwards.  Thanks to me, of course!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Easy day and sad news</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672828</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 20 May 2010 20:04:56 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672828</guid>
		<description>It was a chocolate milk day so we went to the grocery store after playing fetch this morning.

I d ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It was a chocolate milk day so we went to the grocery store after playing fetch this morning.

I did really well except that there was one man in an aisle that I wanted to be friends with.  The man was staring at me and I wagged my tail and turned my head toward the him as we passed and I startled him.  My person is positive I didn't touch him, but he sure gave us the stink eye afterwards.  Yikes!  Is it possible that I'm not universally adored after all?  I'll have to consider this during my next Zen chew session.

After a morning nap, my person opened her email and discovered that the facility where we take our lessons with Miss Nancy was damaged by fire.  It is very sad.  There were many animal casualties.

I'm going to have fewer new treats and chews this month because we sent the money to the shelter to help.   

After a little bit of Rally training, we both had another nap.  When we got up, we did a bit more training for Rally and then hopped in the car to go to the local park for a short-leash walk.  I heeled part of the time and the rest of the time I was free as long as the leash was slack.  We watched the kids at the skateboard park and the little kids with their scooters.

There were a couple of Italian Greyhounds running off-leash, but I was only interested in them when they met up with a husky-mix and were playing like mad.  Even then, I could still hear my person and I responded to my name exactly as I should.
 
We walked a long time, and then we were back to the car.  I didn't want to go home and took my time jumping into the back seat.  And guess what!  We didn't go home!  We went to a different park down the road.

My person likes this park because there is playground for teeny kids and one for bigger kids right next to one another.  After walking around, she likes to sit on a low wall nearby so that I can lie down and listen to the calming noise of screaming, happy children and watch them dart about.

We went home after that and I got my dinner and then took another nap.  Now, my person is puttering around, waiting for time to talk to our friend before we head to bed and start a new day tomorrow.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Wednesday:  Rally and ?</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672705</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 20 May 2010 06:41:05 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672705</guid>
		<description>Wednesday started normally.  

My person was not at her best.  I had to check on her a lot.  

I ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Wednesday started normally.  

My person was not at her best.  I had to check on her a lot.  

I know we took a couple of naps and my person did some email.  But neither my person nor I remember what else we did until the time approached to go for a walk before Rally class.

If anyone else knows, please let send us a note.

Rally was great, even though the very barky border collie sat next to us.  Our pal Ollie was there and he and his Mom demonstrated the new and complicated course we were going to work on.

And we started using a stool to work on my 'end work,' which is a Rally way to say being able to move my front legs and back legs somewhat independently.  Imagine doing a swing with your front feet moving left and your rear feet moving right at the same time.

The first step was for me to put my front paws up on the stool.  This was very easy for me.  The next was for me to be lured in a way that encouraged me to move my rear foot or feet sideways.  When I moved correctly, even a tiny bit, I got a click and a treat.  I improved pretty fast.  It was fun!

It's really hard, but my friend Ollie has accomplished this!  Very cool.  Now I know what to work for.  It makes it easier for large dogs like me to maneuver through the course and to keep a tight heel.

After Rally class, our people chatted about class and other things.  I didn't listen very closely.  What I was really interested in was the grass just within reach.  Yum!  

My person does not like me to eat grass.  It was so much fun for her to be distracted like that so I had a chance to indulge.

I was awake most of the drive home--Rally energized me--but took a nap as soon as I had a light dinner.  My person talked on the phone a long time--Rally energized her, too--then we went to bed.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Tuesday: the body shop and training</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672565</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 19 May 2010 07:13:41 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672565</guid>
		<description>Our day began as usual.  Yay!  I love to play fetch and run wild first thing in the morning.

My p ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Our day began as usual.  Yay!  I love to play fetch and run wild first thing in the morning.

My person had an appointment at the body shop to repair the damage done by an unidentified flying object last week.   When we got there, she put me in harness and after chatting with the estimator long enough for me to decide to do a down-stay instead of sitting, we went into the waiting room to wait.

The admin gave us the stink eye, but my person just smiled and put me into a down.  I got bored and put down my head and mulled dog sorts of thoughts.  Several people came through and ignored me properly.  My person was pleased because she was not in a mood to defend or to educate.  She just wanted to sit in the waiting room like everyone else and mull human sorts of thoughts.

The estimate was even higher than my person expected, but she has great auto insurance and thus did not need to cringe.  She made an appointment to take the car in next week for them to fix it.

We had been prepared to leave the car with the body shop if necessary.  My person was relieved, because she had not been looking forward to dealing with the car rental staff.  

She was worried that they would challenge our access rights and had been practicing what she would say.  She had also programed the phone number of the local police just in case she needed a report filed from an official entity.  Too bad she left her phone at home!

Since we were already out and about, my person took me to a bookstore for access practice.  I was practically perfect, except I sniffed at the carpeting in one aisle.  I didn't sniff the floor in the cafe, though, where my person bought a small coffee.  

She sat at a small table and she brought out a book she'd bought at the used bookstore and read for a while and sipped her coffee.  I was in a down-stay (out of the way, for a change!)  People looked at me but said nothing.

We went home and took a long nap before going on a long walk at a local park on the short leash.  We got ambushed by a couple of kids on skateboards, but I was only mildly surprised.  

Then it was home for dinner and time to relax.  Our friend sent his love to me during the nightly phone call.  This is proper and good, because it is true that I am most lovable and it is excellent that he recognizes this.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Dogster Daily Diary Pick!  Plus, service dog meet-up Monday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672405</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 18 May 2010 07:13:02 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672405</guid>
		<description>Thank you for choosing my diary to feature among the others!  

Monday was action packed.  Our mor ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thank you for choosing my diary to feature among the others!  

Monday was action packed.  Our morning started as usual, except my person exercised me longer that is typical.  She rushed around and put together a traveling bag for me that contained food, treats, extra water, my rain coat, my service dog-in-training harness and a towel.

We were late, so we ran out to the car and were away to meet our service dog (SD) friends in Grass Valley to visit Empire Mine State Park.

My person was in such a hurry that she forgot to let me pee before we took off, so she stopped as soon as possible to take care of that.  Whew!  She took the opportunity to get a coffee, too, because she was already feeling a bit sleepy.

It was a long drive and I was wearing a different canine seat belt harness.  I don't like the Pet Buckle.  Even when it's snug, it pulls around uncomfortably when I'm trying to get comfortable for a nap.  I kept sighing and moving around.


Empire Mine

Did I mention that it was a really long drive?  We were a bit late.  Many of our friends were already assembled in the parking lot!  Zeus and his person, and Dakota and her person, Rethy and her person, Polar and her person... and a couple of new folks with a service puppy candidate named Chloe. 

Soon, our friend Ollie and his people arrived and after a round of greetings, we headed into the park entrance.  The park is pet-dog friendly-- one of the few States parks that is -- so we didn't have to be on duty in the park.  Hooray!  Good thing, because I was not in any mood to be on duty inside a park.  I was running to and fro and in circles.  It was such an exciting place with exciting smells and lots going on.

There were three busloads of ninth graders there for a field trip and so many of them wanted to pet me.  I loved the attention!  My person was delighted to have the chance to socialize me with so many young people.

Soon everyone headed back to the parking lot to have lunch.  And our other SD friends were there!  Yay!  Jolanda and Josephine with their person and her friend visiting from out of town.

Everyone sat down to eat the sandwiches that Rethy's mom brought.  Dakota's mom brought chocolate, and my person was so tempted!  

We did some heeling exercises in the parking lot because my person thought perhaps I had forgotten, given my performance inside the park. 

It started to rain, so I had to wear my rain coat.  Ugh. I love the rain and puddles and I can't enjoy them all bundled up.  We all went back into the park and went through the small museum, then went back outside to walk through the mining area of the park.  We even went down stairs into a mining shaft!  I had no fear.  I was eager to get down there to explore.

Afterwards, we all ambled around the yard that held large pieces of equipment that had been used during mining operations.  There was a photo op and my person lured me into a ... thing, and someone took my picture with my friend Ollie while I was inside the... thing.

When it was time to get out, my person picked me up and set me down.  The people laughed at the look on my face.  My person doesn't pick me up very often.  I'm nearly 65 lbs., you know.  

Our people led us into more buildings.  One had some narrow, steep stairs that were fun to climb up and down.  Everyone rested on a porch while Ollie and I took another photo op sitting on the short wall surrounding the building.

My person was tired and was happy to hear that it was time to go to the cafe that was next on our agenda.


The bookstore cafe:

My person had to stand out in the rain when we got to the cafe because she had misplaced her car keys.   She knew they were somewhere nearby, because the car would start.  When she finally found them between the seats, she suited me up in my SDiT harness and we trotted inside the bookstore.

My person indulged with a large latte.  I know this only because she had trouble ordering it, not being an experienced coffee orderer.  

There was a nice, large conversation area that we took over so that all of our people and us dogs would fit and still be close enough for the talk talk talking that people do.  We dogs mostly dozed.

Zeus had a scary dream and startled awake and surprised the people in a table next to us.  You might hear a rumor that I bit his tail, but that is NOT what happened.  Zeus was just embarrassed and wanted a more dramatic cause for his actions.  I was getting loves from Jolanda's mom and she can vouch for me that my mouth was nowhere near his tail.


Home again:

After the people had finished talking and drinking and eating things they would not share with us dogs, we said good-bye and hopped into the car once more for the ride home.  My person would call the drive uneventful.  I didn't notice.  I was snoring.

I woke up when we stopped at a favorite neighborhood park to stretch our legs before we went home.   After my light dinner, I got comfortable in my crate for a nap before bedtime while my person talked with our friend on the phone.  We were both wiped out and happy to have seen our friends.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>The end of the weekend and a bath</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672189</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 16 May 2010 20:25:36 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672189</guid>
		<description>I had to wake my person up last night from a nightmare.  It's been a while since she's had one, but  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I had to wake my person up last night from a nightmare.  It's been a while since she's had one, but I still know what to do.  I licked her face to wake her up and then rested my back against her so that she could stroke my fur to calm herself.

We still got up really early, so after breakfast, it was nap time for both of us: my person on the couch and me in my crate.

We both lazed about a bit after we woke up.  My person printed off some more of my pamphlets.  She hasn't been in the mood to educate folks lately, but tomorrow is a special day.   We're meeting with our SD friends tomorrow!

The afternoon brought a long-leash walk at the Bay front park.  I got to meet and play with an off-leash black lab, but only for a few minutes.  My person likes to keep my interactions with strange dogs short and pleasant.  

We got chased by a kite and I barked at it.  The kite wielder laughed and made it dart toward us more.  I didn't realize it until later that my person was not at all pleased with this, but at the time, she laughed and made me think it was all a game, and gave me enough treats to risk me having to skip dinner entirely!  And you know... I think I like kites!  Maybe I can convince my person to enjoy them, too.

After the park, we headed into town to a pet food store where everyone loves me.  I didn't notice her getting towels before we headed toward the back of the store where the pet-wash stations are.

Sheesh.  I was hoping that we would never have to repeat the whole bathing experience.  I love playing in water, but am a reluctant bath taker.  I voluntarily walked up the steps to the platform next to the tub, but had to be lured into the tub itself. 

To my credit, I only whined once.   It didn't work, anyway.  She just ignored me and kept on soaking me with rinse water.  Baths are miserable, but the thrill of getting toweled off was almost worth it!  I. love. towels!

I needed to nap after my traumatic experience and my person puttered around the apartment while I dozed.  Every so often, I'd check on her.  

We did a bit of Rally off-leash this evening inside.  That's fun.  She likes training off-leash because coordinating the leash is too much for her to process while trying to learn something new.

Now, all we have left to do today is for my person to talk with our friend before bed.  I'm chewing on my himalayan yak milk treat and thinking deep thoughts while my person updates my diary.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>A walk above the lagoon and a visit to Fry's</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672066</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 16 May 2010 07:32:23 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/672066</guid>
		<description>We went a bit earlier than usual to the dog park for my daily fetch session.  Afterwards, my person  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We went a bit earlier than usual to the dog park for my daily fetch session.  Afterwards, my person took me for an ambling walk to cool down.  We came to the ramp up to the pedestrian overpass of the lagoon, and I decided to walk up it.

We walked almost halfway over before I decided I wanted to turn around.  We ambled back down.  Yay for me!

Why is this worth mentioning?  Because I was previously hesitant to go over at all!   We worked on this for a while many weeks ago, and then my person forgot to keep it up.  

We had breakfast and then napped until about 2:00PM.  My person loaded me into the car and went to a bay-side park for a long-leash walk.  Most of the time, I was heeling next to my person.  She encouraged me to trot around, and I did a bit.

We worked on recalls and very briefly on a couple of Rally moves.  She thinks I don't notice her sneaking them in over the day.  Ha!  Silly person.

My person brushed me when we got back to the car, and then we were back on the freeway to go to Fry's Electronics.  We had received a cold reception a Fry's in a different location and my person wanted to see if it was the same at the store closest to the park.

There was one of those huge air pressured figures flapping and dancing around at the entrance.  My person thought I might be spooked so we approached slowly.  No biggie for me, though.  I didn't even seem to notice it. 

It was really crowded!  People brushed against me, even when I was very close to my person's leg.  There were a couple of drive-by pets and I turned to thank my public for their affection both times.  I get the feeling I'm supposed to ignore these.  I'll try harder next time.

My person is trying to complete her collection of Jet Li movies and looked for any DVDs she didn't already have.   There were none, so we just walked around the store a bit, and then left.  We were stopped at the exit by a friendly employee who wanted to tell my person all about a guide dog that a neighbor had twenty years ago that looked just like me.  

It was good practice for me to sit among the crowd going in and coming out of the store, so she listened to the entire story.   

Instead of going directly home, my person stopped at a local park for a lazy walk.  We did some heeling work and she thinks she snuck in a couple of Rally moves.  Mostly, we just walked around and watched the people and the children on their scooters and all the dogs. 

It was past time for my dinner when we got home and I ran to my crate while my person prepared my meal.  I've found that my person is trained to give me food whenever I go to my crate.  I love my crate!  

I chewed on my Himalayan Yak Milk chew while my person talked on the phone with her manfriend.  He told her to tell me "hello," which he does every conversation.  He knows how fabulous I am and I'm glad he realizes it.  I'm pretty fond of him, too.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Friday errands</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671867</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 15 May 2010 07:28:51 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671867</guid>
		<description>After Auntie Teresa left, I finally got my person to take a nap.   When we woke up, it was time to g ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ After Auntie Teresa left, I finally got my person to take a nap.   When we woke up, it was time to get ready for our errands.

First, we went to the credit union.  My person was still feeling sleepy, so we ambled over to the Peet's Coffee down the block.

My person felt like she was in Alice's Wonderland.  The man who took her order asked if she wanted her coffee to be iced or hot.  She thought she said hot, but he started to make an iced coffee for her.  

When he asked whether she wanted room for cream, she thought she answered "yes," but there was no room for cream left in the cup.

We stopped near a manufactured stream so that she could get herself together after the confusion.  When she felt confident about driving, we headed to the pdoc's office to complete more short/long term disability paperwork.  

I was my (newly) usual, calm self.  We did some Rally practice in the waiting room while we waited for the excellent office admin to fax the completed forms to the provider.  My person finds it much easier to teach me to return to heel from the right by dropping the leash.  She hopes that by doing it this way, I'll be more likely to do it without being lured by a treat by our next class.

It was a long drive home in commuter traffic.  I was happy to see that we stopped at the local park for a walk before going home.  We walked for about an hour.  Part of the time we practiced heeling.  The rest of the time, I was free to roam as long as the leash was loose.

We sat in the shade a while and watched people pass.  One little girl drove her tricycle past me several times.  My person was happy with this because it is yet another positive experience with a child and child-type activity.

After we returned home, I had my dinner and spent time with my chews.  Even though chewing sends me into a zen sort of state, I still like variety.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Bye, Auntie Teresa.</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671705</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 14 May 2010 10:25:04 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671705</guid>
		<description>Auntie Teresa has left to drive home.  My person and I are so happy she visited us.  She knows how t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Auntie Teresa has left to drive home.  My person and I are so happy she visited us.  She knows how to appreciate dog kisses in the early morning and is very accepting of GSD behavior quirks.   Maybe someday she'll visit with her pup!  That would be so cool!

We're both feeling a bit down now, though.  Soon it will be time to run our errands, including completing more disability paperwork at the pdoc's and taking the car to the body shop to repair the damage from yesterday's collision with an unknown object.

I think a nap is in order for us both.  I just have to figure out how to get my person off the computer and stretched out on the couch.

Any suggestions?]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>More adventures with Auntie Teresa</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671622</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 13 May 2010 19:46:56 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671622</guid>
		<description>We had a full day today and it isn't over yet!

First, we went to Baja Fresh for lunch.  We sat ou ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We had a full day today and it isn't over yet!

First, we went to Baja Fresh for lunch.  We sat outside and I was magnificent.  I'm getting really good at restaurants!  A quick stop for gas and then we were off to visit Sunol Park over in the East Bay.

We were still on the San Mateo bridge when something slammed off the windshield and bounced off the car top.  My person thought it was a seagull.  Auntie Teresa had a better look and thought it looked like a spool, the sort for computer network cables.

Whatever it was made the people pretty excited.  I hardly cared to begin with and returned to my nap.

We drove a long time and I woke up to watch out the open window as we drove into the park lands.  I was in a hurry to start one of my favorite things: sniffing around.  My person was busy taking cell phone pictures of the gash in the roof of the car.

She finally remembered that I am the center of her universe and we started our walk.  My favorite time was when I inched into the stream and then galloped around in the water.  Well, my favorite two times, I should say, because we returned to the creek on our way back to the car.  

I had the people laughing and laughing as they watched me leap out of the water again and again, and while I bit at the water and watched the ripples, and while I raced through the shallows up stream and then back down.  

My person cannot multi-task and she is incapable of worrying about her car AND  appreciating my antics simultaneously.  She chose to appreciate my antics.  Of course!!

It was a hot day and the people sat at a picnic table in the shade and talked.  I did a down and just watched the world.  There were cyclists, and cranky children and squirrels, and birds, and ... so much to watch and listen to and smell.

My person was getting drowsy from the heat and the walking they'd done and declared she needed coffee.  After one last exclamation about the gash in the roof, she loaded and strapped me in and we were off to find coffee.

It was serendipity that led them into Pleasanton to a shopping mall.  They saw a Coffee Co. and Auntie Teresa could not believe her eyes when she saw Mountain Mike's Pizza next door.

She had JUST been thinking about the Mountain Mike's Pizza that used to be in Pismo Beach and how sad she had been years ago when it closed.

And now she had a chance to have a Mountain Mike's Pizza again!! Fabulous!

My person suited me up and Auntie Teresa ordered two small pizzas.  There were some children who wanted to meet me, but they mother wouldn't let them unless they asked.  My person was just too tired to deal with my public and didn't look at the kids who were hovering around me.  They didn't ask to pet me after all.

While the pizzas baked, we headed over to the Peet's Coffee in Raley's so they could get coffee.  There was a customer who was staring at me, but my person didn't offer her energy to answer any questions or to hand out a brochure.   She acted as if no one but Auntie Teresa existed.  And me, of course.

We went back to the pizza place to retrieve the people's dinner and then it was back in the car for the drive home.  It is becoming normal for me to do well in restaurants and stores and hence not something worthy of being included in my adventures.  

Auntie Teresa is working out at the gym while my person updates my diary and I watch her as I chew my bully stick.   My person finished all the talk talk talking on the phone with the auto insurance company earlier.  

We might go far a really short walk before bed.  We're all tired after our long, exciting day.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Dogster Diary Central Pick!  Plus Wednesday Shopping, etc. with Auntie Teresa</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671525</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 13 May 2010 06:35:37 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671525</guid>
		<description>Thanks Dogster for choosing my diary today among the others!

Yesterday was busy.  We started our  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thanks Dogster for choosing my diary today among the others!

Yesterday was busy.  We started our day in the usual way.  Later that morning, after we dropped by a dog park to allow me a bit of a run, we headed over to a nearby town for some second-hand store shopping.  There is a place downtown where three stores are moments on foot from each other.


Lunch:

We went to Le Boulanger for lunch and I did pretty well.  On of my challenges is people who walk by on our left.  I want to greet or acknowledge them and it isn't unusual for me to get drive-by pets.   I had several challenges of this sort.

When my person and Auntie Teresa sat down, I wanted to stay standing.  My person ignored me for a few minutes and I did a down-stay.  I was restless at first, but soon got comfortable and dozed during their meal.


Shopping!

Their first store was the Goodwill Boutique.  People in the surrounding area tend to be very wealthy and the selection at Goodwill reflects this.  My person scored a pair of designer jeans for $20.00.  I was fabulous at ignoring all of the hanging fabrics!  When I got a bit restless after we were there quite a while, I looked at some clothes at my level, but my person cheesed me and I forgot all about them.

The staff was very pleasant and none of them tried to pet me.  My person handed out several brochures.  She was pleasantly surprised when a man stopped her to chat about her hummingbird tattoo and hardly paid attention to me at all!  

We went next the Junior League shop.   My person thought this might be a greater challenge because the clothes are hung much closer together, but I was really good.  The staff was friendly and my person allowed me to visit with them.  

We had one uncomfortable encounter.  A man came in who wasn't interested in shopping.  He focused on me and started a general conversation about how people are better than animals.  My person and the woman shopping next to her didn't pay a lot of attention to him.  My person thought he might be speaking tongue in cheek.

The man asked what sort of service I was being trained for.  When my person told him, he laughed.  He asked specifically how a dog could help with a psychiatric disability.  When my person told him some of the work and tasks that a dog could do to help, he laughed some more.

He stopped laughing when he learned that I was being owner trained to mitigate my person's disability.  He told my person to ask for help from God and repeated several times that she should do that rather than use a service animal.  I held my down-stay, but I was leaning against my person's feet.

Auntie Teresa come out of the changing rooms and intervened without missing a beat and the man went away.  Even better was the fact that she found a jacket she liked!

When we left the store, Auntie Teresa told my person that she had sweat on her brow.  My person was indeed shaken by the encounter and the best way to handle it was to go have coffee.  They agree that there are few situations that cannot be improved by having a cup of coffee with a friend.


Coffee break:

They returned to Le Boulanger and took their coffees outside so that we could enjoy the mild weather.  A couple of other dogs walked by, but I only raised my head to look at them and then put my chin back on the ground.


Dinner in Berkeley:

After a long and relaxing conversation, we headed home to pick up more treats for me and rest a few moments before heading over to Berkeley.  They wanted to pick up dinner before Rally class and stopped at The Bread Factory on University Ave.  I did a long air sniff when we walked by the room where the baking is done.  It's open to the sidewalk and very tempting!

I did much better inside while the people ordered and waited for their food.  We were running late, so they didn't have time to eat there.  They had their meal boxed to go and we were off to Rally class!


Rally:

We trotted in a couple of minutes late and had to dash across the room to take a spot next to Ollie and Auntie Veronica!  I was so happy to see Ollie that I had very little focus.  

There were only seven dogs total and class was not chaotic!  I settled soon and started heeling very nicely.  We're starting to learn some complicated moves.

One move my person cannot coordinate is the return to heal that requires me to go around her clockwise to sit at heel position on her left.  The way the trainer has us learning this move includes my person holding my leash in her right hand with a treat, luring me around behind her, and then transferring the treat to her left hand (but not the leash!) to finish luring me to heel position.

I performed well while we were practicing our moves, but when I was running the course, I got distracted by my audience of dogs lined up on our left.  My person laughed a lot, which made me happy.  I like it when we have fun together!

After class, Auntie Teresa got to meet Auntie Veronica and Uncle Brad properly.  Auntie Veronica asked Auntie Teresa to take some cooked chicken treats and take Ollie for a short stroll around the room.   Ollie is improving his skill in being handled by people other than his immediate family.  He did pretty well.

The people stopped near their cars after class and my person got a cat-scented rag to use in my feline desensitization project, and I got to try on a different seat-belt harness.  Uncle Brad did his magic and got me to step into this new thing and cinched me up.  My person likes this harness much better than the one we're using (my current harness is not crash-tested like the one I tried on).  She'll probably get one for me soon.   She's been worried about my safety in case of a collision.

After all the people finished chatting, I jumped into the car and we were off for home.  I was in my crate for a while to relax while the people ate the dinner they had had no time to eat before Rally.

A brief chat with our friend on the phone, and my person was ready for bed.  So was I! It was a long day.  My person was very pleased with me and gave me many loves before we went to sleep.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Tuesday:  Adventures!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671268</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 11 May 2010 17:29:11 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671268</guid>
		<description>We got up early this morning as usual, but one thing was different.  Auntie Teresa was sleeping in t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We got up early this morning as usual, but one thing was different.  Auntie Teresa was sleeping in the living room.  I woke her with a dog kiss and she was very appreciative.  I know because she said so.

After we finished playing fetch, we went to the grocery store for more... yep, chocolate milk.  The store is usually open 24 hours, but this morning, they were closed until 6am, so we heeled around the mall while we waited for the store to reopen.

I almost made it out of the dairy and meats aisle without air sniffing, but at the last second, something delectable wafted my way.  My eyes glazed over with joy.  My person walked us away  quickly from the scrumptious something so that I could reconnect to my brain again.

That was my only real slip up.  

After breakfast and a quick nap in my crate, we left again, this time to visit REI with Auntie Teresa.  Can you believe that REI doesn't open until 10:00AM?  Half the day was over already!    While we were waiting for REI to open, we went into the neighboring Office Depot.  My person found an ink cartridge for the printer she uses to print my color brochures.  I was fine at the register except that my person had to tell me to lay down.  

Next, we went into REI.  What a trove of marvelous scents to draw in!  Nonetheless, I was pretty darned good in there.  Auntie Teresa was looking for a good deal on a jacket, but there was none to be had.  My person was not looking for a good deal on anything, but found a fantastic backpack on super sale.  It's comfortable and light and has many pockets and places to arrange equipment, such as water bowl, water, harness, treats... plus space for her wallet and other things she carries.  

Two times I made half a try for a sleeve of something we were passing, but my person cheesed me (stuck cheese in front of my nose) and led me in the proper direction.  But this is such an improvement.  Remember that it has not been so long since my person became the reluctant owner of two super-discount baby blankets that flew into my mouth during a visit to Target.

We loaded up our bags into the car, my person strapped me into my seat and we took off for the beach at Half Moon Bay.

We all three took a nice, long walk down the beach and back again.  I was off-leash for about half of the time.   The rest of the time, I was on my 30 ft long lead.

We practiced recalls.   Auntie Teresa laughed when she saw me gallop to my person when called.  The sun was shining, the breeze was cool and there was surf to watch.  What more could a dog want?

After our walk on the beach, my person toweled me well and we went to downtown Half Moon Bay for lunch.  My person and Auntie Teresa found a sandwich place that used bread baked on site.
 
I did a down-stay below the booth table  on the patio and was practically invisible as I napped.  Until there was an incident.

A lady holding the leashes of three GSDs walked through the patio dining area and when they saw me, they started barking at me!

The lady stopped to ask my person if I was a search and rescue dog.  Her dogs were still barking at me but she didn't seem to notice.

Suddenly, I stood up and barked back!  And the lady still didn't go away.  My person didn't know what to do.  Finally the lady commented that my sort of GSD was used for Schutzhund and that was probably why I was barking.  My person was speechless.  After I stopped barking, the lady finally took her dogs away.

My person was very shaken by this experience, but I calmed down very quickly.  She analyzed the incident with Auntie Teresa, and they identified different elements that lead to this lapse, such as being trapped under a booth table with no escape from three large barking dogs.   My person realized that she hadn't protected me properly.  She could have jumped up on the bench and placed herself between the dogs and me.

Not that this made my barking acceptable.  But there was much she could have done to alleviate the stress.   I obviously felt threatened.

She also wonders whether this incident was a case of a SD being interfered with while doing its job.  There was no escape for us.  The dogs were 8 feet away in front of our table.

This incident has bothered her since it happened.  For me, it was a short encounter.  I returned to my nap within five minutes or so.

The rest of the day was very lazy.  Auntie Teresa went to the apartment gym to exercise and my person dozed with me until dinner time.

I slept on my person's bed after we played a bit with my limbless lamb toy.  (My person had to cut all protrusions off to keep me from tearing the entire toy to shreds. Now it is only a very fluffy ball with a an earless, squeaky head.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Monday evening brought a new friend:   Auntie Teresa!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671189</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 11 May 2010 07:39:10 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671189</guid>
		<description>It was a lazy Monday afternoon for me after our Costco visit.  I napped and napped.

My person was ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It was a lazy Monday afternoon for me after our Costco visit.  I napped and napped.

My person was very busy cleaning our apartment.  This was curious to me because she hasn't done such a thing for quite a while.  

We took a short walk and then my person goofed off on the computer as usual.  I gathered my chews into a pile and then got down to having a nice chewing session with much to choose from.

There was a knock at the door and my person didn't put me in my kennel, but held my collar and opened the door.  A new person was there!  It was Auntie Teresa come to visit for the week.  I didn't jump, but my person put me into my kennel because I was so curious that I was forgetting to not pull.

After a few minutes, she let me out and I had a chance to confirm what I had immediately suspected.  Auntie Teresa understands me!  She knows without any explanation what a fabulous dog I really am.

They did a lot that talk talk talking that humans do, and then we went out in the rain to get in the car to go get take-out for dinner.

I stayed in the car with Auntie Teresa while my person went inside the restaurant.  Auntie Teresa told my person that I let out just the smallest whine when she was walking toward the door and a bit of a soft cry when she went inside.

I wanted to crawl into my person's lap when she got back, but she acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened and made me stay in the back seat of the car.  When we got home, she let me give her all the love I had saved up during the 4 minutes she was out of my sight.

I slept up on the bed with my head resting on my person's feet.  She likes this.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Monday morning: pdoc and Costco</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671185</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 11 May 2010 07:12:02 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671185</guid>
		<description>My person shared with a person at the dog park that I'm being trained specifically for her psychiatr ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person shared with a person at the dog park that I'm being trained specifically for her psychiatric disability.  No whale eye from this one!  He had a lot of good questions and asked for more information.  She didn't have one of my brochures on her (note to person:  brochures fit in pockets.  Thank you for your cooperation!) so she promised one for Tuesday.

After my breakfast, we headed off to the pdoc's office to handle more Disability paperwork.  I was excellent in the office.  I wanted to see the admin, because I like her a lot, but I couldn't see her from the lobby floor. 

We stopped at a fast food place to get some coffee and a bit of breakfast for my person.  I heeled well into the store and sat on my person's left as I am supposed to.

After my person paid, the woman at the register said she would bring our order to us outside.  My person blinked and said, no.  I'll wait for it in here.  When the woman looked down at me, my person added.  "She's a service dog.  She's allowed."

The woman hesitated, but my person simply moved us over to the waiting area and smiled at her.  The manager stepped in without missing a beat and handled our order.

My person put me in a down while she put cream into her coffee and noticed the woman at the register looking at me.  The woman smiled and gave us a thumbs up for my performance.   My person gave her a wide smile back.  It's very satisfying for me person to think we might have made it just a bit easier for the next team that might pass through

We needed a lot of things from Costco, so my person took a chance with my training to do a major shopping trip.  It seems to help for me to do some heeling exercises before going inside stores.  Then we grabbed a cart and went inside.  

We kept to the side aisles at first, but then we had to go into the center of the store where the meats and cheese are offered.  Someone stopped us to comment on my beauty and to ask about me  just as my person was selecting the cheeses for my high-value treats.  But I did not take the opportunity to misbehave. 

Not that I didn't want to.  There was something on the floor just out of reach that fascinated me and I was staring at it e until my person shoved a piece of cheese in front of my face and led my eyes back up to hers.  Oh yeah, I'd forgotten what I was supposed to be doing. Oops!

We finished our shopping and made it through waiting in line and then unloading everything at the register.  I had to do a lot of turning and one step heeling and did fairly well, though my person almost tripped over me one time.

On our way out of the store, one of the young employees came up and started talking to me in an excited, happy voice.  Another employee told him that service dogs, especially those in training, needed to not be distracted away from their job like that. Wow!  Someone who knew service dog etiquette and was willing to help protect my training!  My person thanked her for speaking up for us and told her how welcome it was.

I heeling pretty darned well next to the cart out to the car.  I sometimes wander too far to the left, but I'm improving.  My person kept me next to her while she loaded everything into the car and returned the cart to the corral.

A job well done!  We went home and I got to have an unexpected Kong treat with soft dog food inside.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Sunday night: Target</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671182</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 11 May 2010 06:59:38 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/671182</guid>
		<description>Early Sunday evening, my person and I went for a long leash walk at a local park that abuts a dog pa ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Early Sunday evening, my person and I went for a long leash walk at a local park that abuts a dog park.  There were no dog on the little dog side, so my person and I played fetch for a few minutes.  Twice in one day!   Score!

After a cool-down, we headed over to Target for a quick training session.  My person feels a bit remiss if she doesn't take the opportunity for at least one short public access session per day.

It was really crowded with many loud and energetic children.  We haven't done much cart work lately, so even though there was no need for one, we selected a cart and headed off the the side aisles to do a bit of practice before heading into the crowd.

I did really well!  Hooray for me!  My person passed close to pillars on our left to encourage me into the best position and gave me many, many treats.  We went through the TV section because the lights and noise make it chaotic:  perfect for desensitization to such things.

We went into the undergarment section where the socks are available, and my person scored a great deal, which brightened the visit in addition to my excellent performance.

We got in a long line to check-out.  When the lady in front of us turned and saw us, she shrieked and darted away with her overflowing cart.  She wouldn't accept the things she dropped from my person and a kind person took them over to her.  Curious how people behave sometimes, isn't it?  

My person was a bit embarrassed, but did her best to act as if  it was only a vaguely interesting occurrence and nothing really to do with us.

I was great at the checkout counter.  A tall boy reached way over me to take something from the display above me and his shirt brushed my face.   I looked up at him and thought perhaps it was a new game.  Alas, it was not and my person rewarded me for not playing.  Not sure how I feel about that, but as always, treats are welcome.

We had to pass through a crowd of several families to get out.  Some of the children were crying and many were darting about.  I love kids!  My person kept interrupting me when I looked at them and clicking when I focused back on her.

I really think we should get a few children to take home, but I haven't seen any for sale.   Maybe that's at a different store we haven't visited yet.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>The weekend</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670909</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 9 May 2010 16:03:08 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670909</guid>
		<description>My person is having some trouble remembering when we did things.  Between Saturday morning and Sunda ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person is having some trouble remembering when we did things.  Between Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon we:

Went to the grocery store for carrots and bananas (where I did okay, sigh)
Went twice to the dog park for our pre-dawn playing
Took many naps
Had a brief trip into Best Buy  (where I was very nearly perfect!)
Took two long leash walks
More naps.

My person thinks she's taken a couple of steps backward in her recovery from her psychotic episode.   Maybe, maybe not.   

I'm reminding her to remain in the present by laying my chin on her forearm.  Her typing muscles are hopping and make my head bobble a bit as she updates my journal.  

Silly person...]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Lazy Friday afternoon</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670615</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 8 May 2010 07:12:53 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670615</guid>
		<description>After my nearly perfect visit to the grocery store yesterday morning, we didn't do a lot.  We both n ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ After my nearly perfect visit to the grocery store yesterday morning, we didn't do a lot.  We both napped quite a bit and then went for a long leash walk at a local park.

Because I am so fabulous, I attract a lot of attention.  Still, it surprises my person how many toddlers and other children run over to meet me when we are out and about.  I'm so much bigger than the kids!   

We meet a responsible parent with a toddler yesterday.  My person is realizing just now how sad it is that this is unusual. 

Fortunately, I love kids.  If a small child runs over to me and my person can't intervene, I lick his or her  entire face..  My person worries that I might hurt a child because I'm a bouncy dog, so she really tries hard to set up safe situation before the child is allowed to pet me.

This often entails her standing on my leash so that I cannot jump up and so that the child can retreat without me following them to apply more kisses.

Our walk was long and I ran back and forth.  We worked on recalls and I galloped like a goofball to my person whenever she called me. 

It was a good day.  I slept up on the bed with my person and she had no nightmares for me to interrupt.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Thursday AM:  Very nearly perfect at the grocery store.</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670453</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 7 May 2010 08:06:33 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670453</guid>
		<description>It was chocolate milk day and my person took me into the grocery store with her after our early morn ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It was chocolate milk day and my person took me into the grocery store with her after our early morning fetch session at the dog park.

I was perfect going in.  I was perfect at the milk refrigerator, where I sat politely while my person chose one chocolate milk carton, only to find it was leaking, and then exchanged it for one that wasn't.

I was perfect in the meat aisle.  Not even a single air sniff!

I was perfect when my person was stopped by staff who wanted to compliment me on my improvement.  This was in the produce aisle which is nearly as tempting as the meat aisle!

I waited in line perfectly at the check-out register and chose a down-stay while my person paid for the milk.

My only moment of imperfection was when the checker leaned over and said hello to me.  I focused on her and thought about jumping up.

My person asked the checker to do that again while she gave me treats for ignoring her, and the checker was happy to comply.  I was perfect.

My person is savoring this experience to help her get through the times when we struggle.  Personally, I'm not surprised at our success.  I'm a pretty fabulous dog!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Wednesday, continued:  Gordo's restaurant, Target and Rally class</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670449</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 7 May 2010 07:22:27 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670449</guid>
		<description>Gordo's restaurant

After we left the Pugnacious Pug, our people went to Gordo's Restaurant for di ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Gordo's restaurant

After we left the Pugnacious Pug, our people went to Gordo's Restaurant for dinner.  The line of people waiting to order was out the door!

I did a really great job waiting in line with my person and Uncle Brad.  My person, however, was anxious because she felt I was taking up too much space and kept trying to arrange me.  There was a woman behind Uncle Brad who kept glaring at me and at my person and this made my person even more nervous about my behavior.

A toddler came in and was really excited to see me.  He came within several feet of me, shrieking, and I looked at him, and then looked away.  Am I not fabulous?  Auntie Veronica gave the toddler's parents a brochure to help divert their attention (and by default, their toddler's). 

I held a sit while my person was ordering at the counter, even though the excellent smelling food was only a few feet away.  I held a sit while she paid.

I even held a sit when she was filling her cup with soda, and then I walked politely with her to our seats where Ollie was holding my place.

I didn't do a down in my corner at first, and my person was reminded that it really didn't matter what I did as long as I stayed where I belonged.  I did do one air sniff at her food, and then did a down-stay in the corner.  

Eventually, I stretched out for a real nap while the people ate and laughed and chatted and educated other people about PSDs.  Somehow, my head ended up next to Ollie's bum.  This is not the first time this has happened!  Our people find it hilarious and had to hold their laughter while Auntie Veronica photographed us.   

The restaurant was really crowded when we left, and there were some exclamations of surprise when we got up to go.  Apparently, we were being so good that people didn't realize we were there!  Yay us!


Target

We had a little time before Rally class, so our people decided to go to Target so that the humans could use the restrooms and my person could do a little shopping.  Plus, it was yet another training opportunity.  

I did just a tiny bit of peeking under the stall wall, especially when I heard the hand dryer turned on.  I've heard a similar sound at home, but this seemed different.

We went looking for a hooded jacket for my person.  I'm embarrassed to admit that when I first came to live with my person, I had a chewing problem and chewed holes both of her jackets.  I have an attraction to fabrics that we are working hard to control.  Not that she doesn't still wear the jackets, you understand.  She doesn't have much of a choice, thanks to me!

She didn't find one she liked, but the important thing is that I did not once try to grab at hanging items or items on shelves!!!  Hooray for me once again!

It was close to time for our Rally class, so my person loaded me in the car and we were off.


Rally class at Berkeley Humane Society

Nine dogs!  There were nine dogs in the Rally class on Wednesday!  We were broken into two groups.  Ollie was in one and I was in the other.

After reviewing and practicing a couple of new moves, the instructors created a course within a course so that the two groups could stay busy.   It was chaotic and loud (one border collie does a lot of barking), but I did pretty darned good.  Miss Nancy noticed that I do better with a brisk pace and told my person to practice at the same pace to give me lots of success.  Slower paces can come with time.

I am really good at the automatic sit when my person stops and I weave around the cones nicely when I'm not trying to grab them to play with.   My back end work is improving already!

My person was energized by the class, which was a welcome difference from last week, when she wanted to run away screaming.

Ollie, Auntie Veronica and Uncle Brad walked us to our car.  Before we left, Uncle Brad gave me a massage and let me lick his face a lot.  I really like him!

My person was humming along with Chopin and we were on the freeway when I dozed off.  It was a long, and excellent day spent with good friends doing interesting thing!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Wednesday advertures:  BART--&gt; Petco--&gt; Costco--&gt; The Pugnacious Pug</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670305</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 6 May 2010 10:07:10 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670305</guid>
		<description>We had an action packed Wednesday afternoon! 

We woke up early as usual and played fetch at the d ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We had an action packed Wednesday afternoon! 

We woke up early as usual and played fetch at the dog park for about a half hour.  My breakfast portion was significantly smaller than usual.  I was a little whiny about it, but directed my "want more" energy to my braided bully stick.


Ohlone Greenway-- BART

We ran a couple of local errands before heading over to El Cerrito to meet with Ollie and his parents.   The first thing we did was walk over to the Ohlone Greenway where the BART train runs on a elevated track above.  I need to get used to the noise so that my person and I can ride the train eventually.

Well, I say we walked, but Ollie's dad rode his cross-country unicycle.  That was fun!  

The first pass of the train, Auntie Veronica noticed that my human was anxious and looming over me while the train passed.  This is probably why I was a bit wide-eyed about it.

The next few passes, my person just tossed treats in front of me instead of trying to feed me as the train passed.  I did much better with this, even if I didn't always eat the treats.  We walked on a street where I could see the train when it passed, and this helped, too.

While we were on the street, we came across a couple of men working on a house.  They were curious about Ollie and me, and our people took this as a socialization opportunity.  One of the men had raised and trained GSDs in Europe and I really liked him.  I let him hang on to my paw and handle me all over while I licked his face. 

The men were surprised to learn that Poodles were being used often in service work and GSDs were being used less often.  I don't take this fact personally.  One of my best friends is a Poodle!

One our way back down the greenway, I got better and better with the trains coming and going above us.  In fact, I started to get frisky and act like I wanted to play when one went by.  My person is extremely pleased with my progress.


Petco

We wandered around a bit while Ollie's dad caught the crickets he had come for.  A couple of young women saw Ollie and began gushing and had to pet him.  One of them wanted to pet me.  I let her.  It is important to be generous to my fan base.  

I almost snagged a $1.00 feathered thingy that was at mouth level at check-out, but my person rescued it before it even got damp and put it back.  

We walked back to Olie's house, and then we were off to Costco!  


Costco

I have a problem with pulling.  It isn't that I have no concept of heeling.  There were portions of our Costco visit during which I heeled exactly the way I'm supposed to.  Handler and dog were one.  Effortless.  

Other portions, I was pulling like a sled dog, ear back and straining forward.  My person is struggling to figure out the reasons why and when.  She mentioned something that sounded like "head harness."  I wonder what that is...  I hope it's a game!

My person was delighted to find bargains on Bully Sticks and dried Duck Breast strips.  I was delighted she found these bargains!  I was practically perfect during check-out. 

On the way out, the PSDS tee-shirts our people work attracted attention from a lady who didn't notice she was running us over with her cart in her eagerness to find out what "Guide Dogs for the Mind" meant.  

Another lady approached my person to ask about where our people got our vests.  My person wasn't paying attention to anything except the lady and her question, and she totally missed a Chihuahua in the baby-seat of the cart.

Well, I didn't miss it.  In fact, after a moment of intense interest and common longing between us two dogs  (also entirely missed by my person), I jumped up for a better look!   

You'd have thought that this would make her focus on me entirely, but no!  She tried to finish answering the lady's question.    I still wanted a better look at that cute dog, so I jumped up a second time.  Auntie Veronica and Ollie rescued us, talking to the lady and her barking Chihuahua and offering her information and a flyer about PSDs.  

Ollie was completely silent, exactly as he's been trained to be, even in the midst of all the barking.  Yay Ollie!  My person and I think he'll be graduating to full SD status very soon.

The video Uncle Brad took of the interaction has been really helpful for my person so that she can create training scenarios to mimic this sort of thing.  She also saw how she could have managed the situation to maintain my focus on her.  It's embarrassing, but good will come of it.

We loaded our respective cars and then drove back to Ollie's so that they could drop off their refrigerated items before we headed up Solano Avenue to the Pugnacious Pug: soon to be my favorite dog store on the planet.


Pugnacious Pug 

The first thing I noticed about this store was the Ollie was getting fed a treat my the woman behind the cash register.  At first, my person said I shouldn't have a treat (How COULD she?), but when she heard that it was natural protein, she said I could have it.   As it should be!  Sheesh!

Though the treats were very special, we were there for the Himalayan Yak Milk Chews.  You might think it was a long trip from our place on the Peninsula to Berkeley just to get Yak milk chews, but that's only because you haven't tasted them!   They're the best.

Next, Ollie and I and our people go to Gordo's on Solano Ave.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>A visit to the insurance office and the Aisle of Glares</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670078</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 4 May 2010 20:19:51 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/670078</guid>
		<description>After my person finally bathed, we drove south to visit the insurance office to renew our renter's i ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ After my person finally bathed, we drove south to visit the insurance office to renew our renter's insurance.  

They welcomed us both and were delighted to get a brochure about me.  Our agent was really glad that I was so quiet (as usual) because her four year old daughter was nearby and if she knew a D-O-G was in the room, she'd come running out to play and the agent didn't want me to have to navigate that.  Bless her!

German Shepherds are not one of the no-no breeds for renter's insurance. Whew! She don't know what we would have done if GSDs were proscribed.  My person is required to have renter's insurance by her apartment management.  She's never read anything that specifically excuses no-no breed SDiTs from liability and she is definitely not in the mood to fight or litigate.

After our short and successful visit to the insurance company, we headed over to the local Fry's Electronics for some training.  My person likes Fry's because the aisles are so wide and easy to turn around in, and the store is so large.  It even has a cafe in the center.

What she didn't realize is that the world doesn't revolve around her and me.  There are a lot of people out there who find dogs filthy and disgusting.  It just so happened that a number of them work at Fry's.

We had no direct access challenge.  There were some pretty serious glares and then there were words exchanged openly (while my person pretended she did not hear) between several of the employees, probably meant for her to overhear and skedaddle. 

Of course, this made her change her direction.  Instead of continuing down the aisle, she turned and walked us right past them, and then had me do a down-stay while she looked at a laptop she had no intention of buying.  My person can be mean...  and her confidence?  Totally fake.  Academy Award level.  She was shaking, but you didn't hear it from me.

I have to say that I was brilliant in my role as the horrible filthy creature that shouldn't be allowed in stores.  I relaxed there with my tongue lolling until she decided she'd made her point, and we moved on. 

Not everyone was glaring at us.  Some people smiled.  We stayed longer at Fry's than we had intended to be sure it didn't look like we were intimidated by the glares.  

We found a Jet Li movie on sale and will watch it tomorrow.  The ladies at the check-out counter #17 liked me very much.  I made it hard for them to admire me, though, because I was sitting behind my person . . . making space for her.   Sheesh!  She didn't realize until this very moment that that was why I wasn't sitting on her left as she had tried to make me.

I have a suspicion that I'm going to get a very special treat this evening.  My person wishes she had noticed what I was doing when I did it so that she could reinforce it, but hey.  The truth is that I take care of her a lot better and far more often than she realizes.  We've heard from friends that when my person gets spacey, I get seriously focused.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Getting back on track with public access training</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669938</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 4 May 2010 08:06:50 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669938</guid>
		<description>Yesterday morning, after a brief nap for me, my person and I went into her office to fax more docume ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Yesterday morning, after a brief nap for me, my person and I went into her office to fax more documentation necessary for disability through her company.  

She finds it rather creepy, faxing off private medical records to a faceless person at an insurance company.  It is legal and necessary for them to have a minimum of information to process her eligibility for disability, though.  Her pdoc helps with keeping the invasion minimal.  He's really skilled with ways to fulfill the requirements without supplying more information than is necessary.  This helps.

My person is really thankful to have the option of Disability at all.  Her company has been very accommodating and helpful.  They allowed her to bring me to work with her without any conflict.  They also made it possible for her to work from home when I was recovering from my soft tissue injury back in Nov 09 - Jan 2010.

She misses her coworkers a great deal: those here in CA and those in Ohio, too.  Sometimes she has to fight feeling worthless because she's unable to work.  Most of the time, she remembers that she's doing her best and that limitations are just a fact of her life. 

After we left the office, we stopped by the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, but apparently we had already picked it up the week before.   It's sort of scary for her to have problems with memory.  Good thing she has me to help her weather weirdnesses like this!

After a long nap for us both, my person took me to a park by the Bay.  When we go to the top of the hill, we can see SF, the Bay Bridge, and Oakland to the North, and the San Mateo Bridge to the South.  

On our way back to the parking lot, she let me go into the dog park for a few minutes where I played with a lab mix.   

We stopped at the chain pet food store for more chews for me.  The staff there was happy to see me!   I have fans everywhere, you know.  There was a little girl buying a budgie to keep her other bird company and she wanted to pet me while I was in a down-stay at the cash register.  Her mother thought it wasn't a good idea, so I just give the little girl my happy dog-grin.

After that, we went home.  I got to chew and my person got to try to catch up on chores that have piled up while she was having her more serious symptoms.

This morning after playing fetch early, we went to Lucky's. She suited me up and we walked around the shopping center until the store opened at 6AM.   I did a lot of air-sniffing when we came close to the meat and dairy section, so after we picked up chocolate milk, we sped away so that I wasn't challenged unfairly.

I got a lot of looks while my person did the self-checkout with me in a down-stay near the register, but we had no access challenges.  

Later today, we have to drive South to sign our renter's insurance renewal.  My person inquired into possibly insuring me against accidental loss, but our insurance company doesn't provide such policies.   Ah well.  I'm not going anywhere and I'm certainly not going to get lost!  Silly person...

BTW -- her lip is healing quickly.  Not that I feel guilty, because dogs don't waste time with such useless emotions.   If only humans could follow our lead, you know?]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Early morning collision -- my snout vs. my person's lip</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669752</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 3 May 2010 06:35:48 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669752</guid>
		<description>Really, neither of us is to blame.  It was serendipity, but without the positive association.

I h ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Really, neither of us is to blame.  It was serendipity, but without the positive association.

I had awakened her before 5am, which is our regular routine.  I had jumped up on the bed to give her kisses and make her laugh, because she's grumpy by nature in the morning without my intervention.

She was reaching over me to turn on the light and I swung my head up as she turned her head down and WHAM!  My snout and her top lip hit.

"Oh," she said.   I jumped off the bed.

"Uh oh," she said when she saw the blood.

It took several minutes of direct pressure to stop the bleeding, but she assures me that it looks worse than it actually is and hardly hurts at all.

She must be telling the truth because we went to the dog park as usual, and then to the grocery store to get some coffee beans so that she can get her morning caffeine. 

Not a good way to start our day, but the sun is coming up and the day will be beautiful.  I'm sure we'll figure out something fun to do.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Sunday morning -- a visit to our  favorite used book store</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669668</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 2 May 2010 14:44:47 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669668</guid>
		<description>My person got up on time this morning, no thanks to me, because I was stuck in my crate for playing  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person got up on time this morning, no thanks to me, because I was stuck in my crate for playing tug with the bed linen last night.

She seemed to not hold it against me, though.  We were out the door on time to go play fetch at the dog park next door.  We played longer than usual, giving me more opportunities to flip the water bowl with my paws.  

After my breakfast and a brief nap, we headed to Mountain View to visit her favorite used book store:  Book Buyers

Before we went into the store, my person and I (unvested) walked all the way up and down the street so that I could have a chance to explore.  After a stop for water, she suited me up and we went inside.  

I did really well.  The aisles are cramped and there are little plastic dividers that extend a few inches past the books on the shelves.  I hit some of these at first because of the way the pouch on my harness extends, but I figured it out. 

We spent time in the science fiction hardbacks and then in SF paperbacks before we wandered around looking for the DVDs, just in case there was a Stephen Chow or Jet Li movie available that my person did not already own.

We had to wait at the check-out counter while the person running the cash register did something that took quite a while.  By the time she was ready to let us buy our books, there was a line behind us.  My person gets very clumsy when there are people waiting on her.  It didn't help that the woman running the cash register wanted my person to find a bill smaller than a twenty. 

She looked everywhere and started dropping things and finally told the woman that a twenty was all she had.   The sigh the lady gave in response was impressive, even by canine standards.

At least the lady liked me, so she can't be all bad.  She looked over the counter and smiled at me.

After we got out of the store, my person sat down on the curb and stowed her change and put her books into the reusable bag she keeps in her purse for such things.  Then she just sat there a while and scratched me behind the ears and under my chin.  

My person took me off duty for most of the return walk to the car.  As a reward for a job well done, we stopped at the park on the marsh for a long-leash walk before we went home.  There was so much to sniff!  (As usual...)

I think the rest of the day will be lazy.  Maybe a walk after the sun goes down.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Saturday morning pdoc appointment and then much laziness</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669662</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 2 May 2010 13:34:47 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669662</guid>
		<description>Not long after we finished our early morning exercise session, my person loaded me in the car and we ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Not long after we finished our early morning exercise session, my person loaded me in the car and we drove an hour south to meet with her pdoc.

We practiced some Rally moves in the empty waiting room before he was ready to see us: Front and Swing.

I behaved well during the appointment, which pleased my person greatly because her pdoc is the one who made my role as her PSDiT possible and she wants nothing to interfere with him maintaining a positive mindset about PSDs.

My person seems to be doing better.  Hooray!  Less paranoia.  Fewer hallucinations.  Fewer nightmares.  To be fair, she always has fewer nightmares when we're visiting with our friend, so this might account for this lower statistic.

We came straight home after the appointment because my person had her online peer support group to co-facilitate.

I didn't nap in my crate during the meeting the way I usually do. It was a very difficult meeting.  Her stress went off the charts, and this made me stay close to her.  

She took me on a brief walk after the meeting, and then I finally got to start my Saturday nap.

I slept all afternoon while my person watched a Stephen Chow movie:  The Royal Tramp.  And while she napped.  And while she did dishes, and spoke to our friend on the phone.

She had wanted to take me to a Polynesian festival at a nearby park, but I wasn't interested in doing anything more strenuous than a long stretch and making myself comfortable again.

I finally woke up around 8:00pm and immediately began to make up for all the mischief I'd missed making while I slept.  It's all about balance, you know.  

I spent the night in my crate because I wouldn't stop pulling the covers off my person and off the bed.  Poor me!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Friday:  the office, the beach and the nail trim at the Vet's.</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669391</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:30:39 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669391</guid>
		<description>My person woke up late.  Again.  This time, I had no chance to wake her up because I was in my kenne ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person woke up late.  Again.  This time, I had no chance to wake her up because I was in my kennel with the door closed.  SOMEone thought I was getting into too much mischief while she was trying to get to sleep last night.  Hmph!

She didn't even pause to start the coffee. (Don't you just love her?) She jumped into her pants and we were out the door.  The only dogs at the dog park next door were the two huskies that arrive every day around 6:00am.  One of them likes me a lot.  The other likes to be left alone.

After they left, we had the park to ourselves, and I ran up and down the astro-turf until I was exhausted, and then I did it some more.  

I had a bit of a nap after breakfast, which worked out well for my person, because all she wanted to do this morning was to drink coffee and update my journal as I had requested.

My nap was cut short, though, because we needed to fax documents for disability stuff.  This meant we had to go in to the office.

I did well.  There were people next to me on the way up and on the way down in the elevator, but I didn't try to greet them.  I sat quietly in my corner and pretended that I was a fully trained SD.    My person encourages me to pretend because she thinks eventually that what I pretend will stick and become the default reality.

It only took a few minutes to fax the documents.  I followed the sounds of the fax machine with my eyes.  It's a big machine and noises come from all over the place!

I had to do a long down-stay while she exchanged news with her coworkers, Pam and Diana.  Ugh.  Boring!  They commented that I seem to be growing into my body.  I'm still goofy, though,  even if I do appear to be regal and self-possessed.  

We stopped over at the other side of the building to see Jeanette, the vice president's admin, who gave my person a hug.  Need I actually say that I stayed in my sit and did not try to hound in on the love?  Ha!   Points for me!

They chatted and I watched the pigeons fly past and strut on the overhang next to the window.  Another hug, and we were out the door an hour after we got there.

We didn't go home, though.  My person hooked me into my seatbelt harness (ick!) and we headed to Poplar Beach at Half Moon Bay. 

I have my dread of having my toenails clipped to thank for this side-trip.  My person knows that it helps me to remain calm if I've been drained of all energy beforehand.  What better way to get rid of all that energy than to go to the beach?

It was almost deserted!  She let me off-leash for most of our walk.  I ran after the tennis balls and played chicken with the surf.  There wasn't any freshwater runoff, so my person had to stop and give me water a few times.   

There were horse droppings on the sand. Wow! My person rolled her eyes and groaned when I discovered just how tasty they are. 

On our way back, we passed a couple of ladies accompanied by a little white terrier off leash.  My person had put me on my long lead, and one of the ladies asked whether I was friendly.  My person answered that I was very friendly, but that I had a rough playing style.

The ladies smiled and told their terrier he could come visit.  Oh, I wanted to play chase with that little dog!  He was a perfect sort of playmate for me.  Fearless and fast.   He was running circles around me.  We played a moment before heading in our respective directions with our people.

I lagged behind when we approached the walk-up to the bluff above the beach.  I didn't want the fun to end.  Surely my person didn't want to leave already!

I got to meet a Shih-tzu near the car.  Another perfect playmate!   That was a fun way to end our beach adventure.   

I dozed and when the car stopped, we were at the vet's.  I had no idea that I was going in to have my nails done.  I thought we would just go in the waiting room and sit around and then leave, which is what we've been doing lately so that I don't associate the waiting room with bad things.

Well, consider the association re-made!  I do not like to have my nails ground down.  My person came with me to the grooming room and fed me treats and held my head so that I could not escape.  I did pretty good up until the very last paw.  By then, I had had enough.

My person is thinking about breaking it down to getting the rear nails done one week, and the front nails done the week after.  We'll see if she is organized enough to arrange this.

She tells me that I'll be able to run faster now that my nails are trimmed.  That might be, but I have to say I had no complaints about my speed.  I was perfectly happy with my nails exactly as they were.

To reward me for my bravery in the face of the groomer and the grinder, my person took me to our favorite local park for a long-leash walk before we headed home.  

I've been chewing on a braided bully since we returned.  Now it is time for a nap.   It was a good day.  Mostly.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Thursday -- A different dog park and CostCo</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669314</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:33:23 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669314</guid>
		<description>We got up late.  It wasn't my fault!  I stared and stared at her, but she kept ignoring me.  We need ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We got up late.  It wasn't my fault!  I stared and stared at her, but she kept ignoring me.  We need to get to bed earlier, I think.  

By the time she had had some coffee and gotten dressed, it was too late to go to the dog park next door -- we could hear other dogs barking already -- so we went to another dog park a few miles away.

I like this park a lot, but because other people don't clean up after their dogs very well, my person doesn't like it so much.  

There was a little yellow Lab waiting for us at the gate and we got to play a while until I remembered that I like for my person to throw the ball for me.    We stayed on the sand path to avoid exposure to dog waste.

We hadn't been there long when a new dog arrived.  It was a brown-grey pit bull type that seemed friendly enough at first.  It wasn't interested in my tennis balls, which made me very happy. 

I was taking a break, panting in my person's shadow, when that pittie charged me.  We don't know if it wanted to play or was up to mischief.  My person blocked it from reaching me.  It tried to get around her, but she is really tough when it comes to protecting me and it couldn't get by.

There weren't any dogs on the small dog side, so we backed up until we could get in the gate and then the pittie finally listened to its person and returned to him.

My person wore me out!  I was very tired and happy when we were through.

We had a nap after my breakfast even though we had gotten up late.  My person has been sleeping a lot for some reason.  It isn't like she's busy doing stuff, so I'm not sure what's up with that.

In the afternoon, we got back in the car and went to a park for a long-leash walk.  It was really windy and my person's hat flew off her head.  I chased it and brought it back.  I'm getting pretty good at retrieving, I must say.  

My person was thinking and forgot that she was also walking.  She stepped on the edge of a deep crack in the soil and fell, hitting her knee's funny bone.  We didn't know there was such a thing!  It was a painful lesson for her.

I helped by staying right next to her and licking her face a lot.  When she was finally able to try to get up, I braced her.  Pretty good for a dog who was eager to run, eh?

After our walk in the wind, we went to CostCo.  I was absolutely fabulous!  We practiced some of our Rally moves in the side aisles and I was attentive and spot-on with my moves.  

We bought some washcloths and some sugarless gum because my person has a sweet tooth and is trying to get off sugar.  I was perfect while we were in line and ignored a man who was trying to get my attention. Well, I mostly ignored him.  When I looked in his direction, my person called my name and I refocused on her.  The man didn't realize that I was working and stopped on his own after he read the notice on my harness.  

I was prancing in the parking lot because my person was praising me so much for being good.  I made her smile.

It was a good day.  I ended it by chewing on my chews and then getting into several sorts of mischief until lights out.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Rally -- out of control!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669313</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:32:18 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669313</guid>
		<description>It was Rally class on Wednesday.  We hadn't done a lot of preparation (bad us!) because we were lazy ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It was Rally class on Wednesday.  We hadn't done a lot of preparation (bad us!) because we were lazy on vacation, but my person had no clue that I would be so excited and hard to control.

Ollie and his mom were there!  Yay!  If they hadn't been there, my person might have run away screaming, because class was crazy!

Most of the dogs were unfocused and Ollie's mom heard more than one handler mutter insincere threats.  My person told me that she was ready to trade me in for the puppy down the street.  Can you believe it?  Just because I kept jumping around and not paying much attention.

I really didn't do as bad as the thinks.  I actually paid her plenty of attention during our course runs.   She just has higher expectations of me because I'm an SDiT.  She promised to work on her attitude this week so that she can remember that Rally is supposed to be fun!  We should be laughing at our mistakes and celebrating our hard earned victories!

On the way home, the moon was full and beautiful.  We could see for miles. 

I chewed on my rawhide while she talked to our friend on the phone.   We both miss him.  At leash she gets to talk to him.  Phones are a mystery to me.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Monday -- The last day of our vacation</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669312</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:31:35 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669312</guid>
		<description>We started with another long-leash walk on the beach.  I was smiling all the way back to the hotel.  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ We started with another long-leash walk on the beach.  I was smiling all the way back to the hotel.  We both love mornings and like to be out and about by the time the sun comes up.

Our friend woke up earlier than usual and started getting ready to leave, so we did, too.  My person was sad for a variety of reasons.  This made her very efficient and we had packed and made several elevator trips down to the underground garage to load our stuff into the car long before our friend had finished.

Saying goodbye to our friend is very hard for my person.  She doesn't like to cry and usually doesn't.  This time, she did.  Humans shouldn't worry about this sort of thing or be embarrassed. 

We had to make a stop only an hour into our drive home because my person had had so much coffee before we left.  She wasn't about to leave me in the car in a strange place, so I had to get suited up and go with her into the bathroom.  I was very interested in some parked motorcycles on the way in to the building.

When we came out, the scruffy motorcycle drivers were suiting up.  My person approached and asked them if they would help with my training by giving me treats.  She wanted me to be comfortable with people wearing helmets, and with strange men in specific.

They were happy to help and asked a lot of questions about me and SDs.  They said I was a super-cool dog.  Of course I am, but I was modest and pretended to be only interested in the treats and their motorcycles.

I slept all the way home.  My person was exhausted and sad and didn't unload the car right away.  

It was a good trip, especially since it was my first time with our friend away from home.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Even more on our beach vacation:  Sunday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669223</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:40:04 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669223</guid>
		<description>Sunday morning we did not go to the inhospitable dog park.  Instead, my person put me on the long le ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sunday morning we did not go to the inhospitable dog park.  Instead, my person put me on the long leash and we walked a half mile along the beach to the north.  There weren't any other dogs and only one person who sat on a rock holding a notebook and pen and stared into the distance.  We tip-toed past this person so that their thoughts would not be broken.

People on the CA central coast seem to like dogs a lot.  There was a dog-friendly water fountain along the coast path that ran along the bluff above the beach.  I drank a lot and then started splashing the water all over with my paws.  I was a wet, sandy mess.  I loved it!  It was towel time!

My people decided to order brunch for room service.  This gave the hotel staff a chance to admire me while they brought in the dishes and set everything up for my people to have a nice brunch at the dining room table.   

I had already had my breakfast, so I chewed on a braided bully stick chew.  You know, my person has never told our friend just what bully sticks are made of.  Guys are sort of sensitive about stuff like that, for all their macho posturing.

My person used to travel to the central coast to meet with our friend with the pet dog she rehomed before she got me last year.   Our friend had found a fantastic dog park in Santa Maria where Hildegard had her very first dog park visit ever.

We went to that park early Sunday afternoon.  I had a blast!  I chased balls, and then I panted in the shade, and then I ran with a small pack until my person got nervous with a puppy that simply did not seem to understand signals from any of the dogs about rude behavior.

Soon, there was a ruckus at the gate and a large German Shepherd came in and immediately got into a noisy fight.  True to form, my person hustled me out a different gate and didn't even let me try to get to know this dog.  We might have been related, you know?

It was a lovely, sunny day and there were lots of families gathering to play and eat together.  I watched a couple of little girls learn to fly their new kites.  We wandered a bit in the shade with our friend until they were ready to go.  

Instead of going anywhere for dinner, they picked up some sandwiches at their favorite deli and we returned to our suite to relax the rest of the day.

An important thing I learned during our vacation is that dogs on the path below the balcony won't notice me unless I bark.  For some odd reason, my person didn't want me to be noticed up there on the fourth floor by other dogs.  She had to mop up the coffee off her new book when I tried to announce my presence to a  a pretty, black standard poodle playing with a retriever on the path below.  

I mostly stayed off the balcony after that when my people couldn't pay close attention to me.

I fell asleep on the bed with my person after an excellent day.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Even more adventure on our beach vacation-- after lunch on Saturday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669217</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:15:17 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669217</guid>
		<description>After lunch at Marie Callender's, my people took me to a bookstore.  Sadly, their favorite used book ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ After lunch at Marie Callender's, my people took me to a bookstore.  Sadly, their favorite used bookstore in San Luis Obispo was no longer open, so we all went to the local Borders.  

Everyone there loved me!   My person gave out several of my new brochures and one of the staff used his phone to take a picture.  That sort of thing has never happened to me!  My person is used to having people photograph our friend Zeus and his mom.  Not when it's just us.

The store was really crowded and I was full of energy.  We walked around and found a book to complete a series my person likes.  Our friend was hiding in the history section, so we walked around so that we wouldn't be a stationary target for interested people.  I mean, I love my public.  I really do!  I want people to know about dogs like me and what we can do for our people.  Sometimes my person and I just want to be ordinary citizens, though.  

While we were wandering around, we happened upon a Jet Li movie we didn't own and snapped it up before someone else found it.  That make the trip very worthwhile, and my person was ready to relax afterwards with a coffee from the cafe.

When our friend finally emerged from the history section, he bought a book for my person.  Isn't he a love?  The only thing she loves more than me (and him) is books.

I lay in the shade of the table while they chatted outside in the sun and finished their coffees.   Our friend made a trip to the grocery store for dinner sorts of snacks, and then we went back to the resort to relax for the rest of the day.  My person couldn't wait to start reading the book our friend bought for her.

Again, I went to bed when my person did.  Our friend stays up until all hours, silly person.  As it was, my person went to bed much too late!  She had a hard time noticing me when it was time to wake up and we didn't get up until 40 minutes later than usual on Sunday morning!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Adventure condensed: more catching up</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669125</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:43:13 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669125</guid>
		<description>Friday night our friend went out to pick up Chinese take-out for dinner.  My person and her friend u ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Friday night our friend went out to pick up Chinese take-out for dinner.  My person and her friend usually go to a favorite restaurant for Friday dinner, but it's a very loud, cramped and busy place. They agreed that it might be too much for me at my stage.

It was a very lazy evening.  I dozed a lot while they caught up.  I don't know what they had to talk about, since they talk every night on the phone.

I went to bed when my person did.  First, I jumped up on the bed to snuggle a bit, but mostly slept in my Pup Tent.

We got up early as usual on Saturday and goofed off a bit until it was time to return to the dog park we visited the day before.  

We were the only ones there, and my person thought we had hit the jackpot of luck, until we were kicked out because it was 7:45am and the park didn't open until 8:00am.  Sheesh.  No flexibility in Arroyo Grande.

We did some long leash work in the park grounds next to the dog park until 8:00am.  But by then, we were not alone.  A black dog with its person walked in just before we did.   That dog did not seem at all friendly, because his hackles were up from neck to tail, and my person didn't want me near it.  His human assured my person that the dog was very friendly and always greeted other dogs with hackles raised.

My human made a comment that that must be confusing for other people and dogs.  The black dog's human snapped that no one had ever had a problem with it ... BEFORE.

sigh.

We tried to stay in a corner of the park so that my person could throw the ball for me as is our habit first thing in the mornings, but that dog would not leave me alone even thought its person kept calling it and calling it.

Then it growled and jumped me.  So much for Mr. Hackles being friendly!  

On our way out, the other person berated mine for having an aggressive dog because her dog had never done that before.  Oh?  The person who had earlier kicked us out of the park asked at that moment whether Mr. Hackles was up to his usual tricks...   Ha!  Apparently so.  

In any case, it put an end to our dog park fun.  We went back home so that my person could facilitate her weekly online peer support group, and then waited for our friend to wake up so that we could get breakfast.   Well, so they could get breakfast, only it turned out to be lunch.  Our friend really likes to sleep in when he's on vacation.

We went to Marie Callender's.  I was very good after I finally got settled under the table. I need more practice sitting under tables among human feet space. I take a lot more space than I should. I guess you could call me an encroacher.

Nonetheless, I dozed while my people ate and talked and talked. I wasn't thrilled to wake up when it was time to leave, but it was an opportunity for people to have a chance to admire me, and I like to be generous that way.

Next stop, the bookstore.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Much adventure condensed.</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669037</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:59:36 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/669037</guid>
		<description>I have finally gotten my person to get online to update my diary.  Sheesh!   I've been doing all sor ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I have finally gotten my person to get online to update my diary.  Sheesh!   I've been doing all sorts of new things!  So many that I can't remember it all!

We started Rally at Berkeley Humane Society with Miss Nancy last week.  And guess who else is there?  Ollie and his mom!!!!  Ollie showed me his moves.  He can literally make his front feet go in one direction and his back feet in another to pivot in place.  

This isn't easy like chasing your tail.  This is seriously hard (but fun) stuff and I want to learn how to do it!  Tonight is our second class.

Last Friday, my person hooked me into my seatbelt harness (ick!),  loaded my Pup Tent and small suitcase of food, toys and chews into the car and we drove a long time.  Rather, she drove and I slept.  We stopped at a place that smelled new. 

I didn't need a potty break, but my person did AND she needed coffee, too, so she suited me up and we went into a fast food restaurant.  There were some friendly children who ran up to us in the parking lot.  They got to pet me after they practiced asking nicely while my person fed me treats for ignoring them.

I was very good in the ladies room.  I even sat nicely behind my person while she washed her hands WITHOUT trying to greet the lady who came in and was really surprised to see me.

The children were in line to order when we got there and my person smiled while they told their parents that my name was Iris and did they know that dogs that are working can't play?

Soon we were on the road again.  Another couple of hours driving for my person, another nice nap for me.

When we stopped, we were at a dog park, which was excellent timing.  I really had to go!  We didn't stay long.  I chased the ball a few times, but the other dogs kept cutting me off so my person quit.  I wasn't tired when she hooked me back up in my seatbelt harness, but I was happy.

Finally, we arrived at our destination and parked in an underground garage.  We took the elevator to the 4th floor and rang the doorbell for #433.  Guess who answered the door?!?!  It was our friend!  In a huge apartment with new smells and sights and sounds and a balcony!

I trotted around to get my bearings while they greeted each other and started all that talking that humans are so fond of.

I have more adventures to share later when my person has the energy to take dictation  while simultaneously handling my propensity to get into mischief.  I'm a multi-tasker.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Early morning work-out getting earlier and earlier</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/667277</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:37:27 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/667277</guid>
		<description>The day has started out on a disagreeable note for my person and me.  We go to the dog park next doo ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ The day has started out on a disagreeable note for my person and me.  We go to the dog park next door every morning before it opens so that she can throw the ball for me without any interference from other dogs.   I love morning! 

For the past few days, another German Shepherd and his man have been coming before the park opens, too.   This dog is not aggressive, but he chases me when I chase the ball and steals it!  His person just laughs and thinks it's cute.  

My person moves us over to the small dog side whenever this dog arrives, but the small dog space is really too small for me to be able to get into a full out gallop without taking the chance of running into the iron benches at the edges.

We've been going earlier and earlier, and this dog and his man have been coming earlier and earlier, too!  What can we do?  My person says that this dog's man is entitled to break the law exactly the way we do.

Yesterday morning, my person was not thinking clearly and mistook the car that that dog rides in for the car we ride in.  The man yelled at us and we really want nothing to do with him.

I'm sure we'll be spending time in our tent fort again today, and going super-early to the dog park tomorrow.

I got her out of the apartment yesterday for a long walk.  I'll make sure we get out again today, even though she says she'd much rather hide.  I have my wise, canine magic and will prevail!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Sunday afternoon, we think</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/667197</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:31:23 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/667197</guid>
		<description>My person isn't doing well today.  We got up and went to the dog park to play this morning as usual. ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person isn't doing well today.  We got up and went to the dog park to play this morning as usual.   When it was time to get in the car and return home, she went to the wrong car in the parking lot and opened the unlocked door for me.  She couldn't laugh at her mistake the way she usually does when she does something silly.  The owner of the wrong car didn't laugh, either.

We spent some time today in our fort, which I liked.  I hope we never take it down!  I hung my head outside my crate and licked her face every so often while she dozed and watched a Jet Li comedy/drama.

I want her to go with me for a walk, but she doesn't want to leave our apartment.  It's a gorgeous day, but I think she hasn't noticed.  

If I can get her out of the apartment for a long leash walk, she'll probably have the momentum to go to the cell phone store to get a replacement charger and maybe a BlueTooth thingy to replace those she lost recently.

I don't understand why it is so difficult for her, but maybe it's sort of like me dreading getting my nails trimmed.  

I'm resting my chin on her arm while she tries to finish this diary entry for me.  That way, she can't miss me.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>To Auburn and Beyond!  Plus a tent fort in our living room.</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/667062</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:40:22 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/667062</guid>
		<description>On Thursday, my person and I went to Auburn for another hotel overnight practice before we meet our  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ On Thursday, my person and I went to Auburn for another hotel overnight practice before we meet our friend at our favorite resort in Pismo Beach next weekend.

Auntie Jeanne drove us from place to place in Zeus's chariot.  Zeus had all the space in the back so that my person and I could fit in the middle seat.  Sometimes he would stick his face over the seat and we would touch noses.

Jolanda and her person were in the front seat of the chariot, but Jolanda joined me once in the in-between seat and I got to give her a friendly sniff before going back to my nap.

We met the lovely Dakota of the long petticoats at this really cool park.  We haven't seen Dakota in a very long time!

There were flying disks everywhere at this park!  I really wanted to help the groups of people throwing them by getting their discs for them.  For some reason, the people didn't want me to do that.  They just threw the disc, walked up to it and threw it again.  Weird!

We got in the way a lot so we went back to the playground area and spent some time in the shade.

We went here and there in Auburn and I pottyed in quite a few new spots.  We went to our favorite bookstore, we went to dinner (for the people, not for the we dogs).  My person and I were worn out when we got back to the hotel and crashed without much ado.

We went to the Auburn Memorial Dog park the next morning and there was no one there.  I galloped after the tennis balls for quite a while before breakfast.

Soon, we loaded ourselves onto the chariot and were off to Grass Valley to meet with Rethy and her mom.

Rethy has recently graduated from SDiT to fully trained SD.  Yay Rethy!!!!!

We went to a restaurant where the wait-staff were not quite sure how to manage with so many dogs.  My person was very anxious about my rear extending past the table. 

After breakfast. we went to a place where there were a lot of machines and machine shapes I wasn't familiar with.  My person and I walked down cool cement stairs to more machinery and looked down a long, deep hole.

We also took a look around the gardens.  I saw a little garter snake peeping its head out of the reflecting pool, but my person wouldn't let me take a closer look.   It was very pretty with its stripes.

We went to a grocery store where my person could get something to eat and some strong coffee before we headed for home.  I was fabulous waiting while a talkative man made her sandwich.  A polite man came up and asked about me, and my person let me visit with him.  She wants to maintain my enjoyment of strangers.

The people did a lot of talking.  Again.  No surprise there.  I slept most of the time and didn't notice crumbs falling on me.  

When I woke up, I was trying to grab something under my person's chair.  "Iris, leave it!" she said.  I didn't.  It was her epi-pen. It made me happy to give it to her even though she had assumed I had been floor surfing.  I forgive her for this because I have been known to show interest in crumbs once in a very great while...

We got home late, spoke with our friend and then tucked ourselves into bed without dinner.  We were too tired.

Today we spent a lot of time napping. My person felt the need for a little extra privacy and protection, so I helped her build a tent fort in the living room.  I helped pull the blankets off the bed.  I was really good at that!

I helped her arrange it appropriately -- we had to start over a few times --I have high standards.  Finally we were done.  We let down the front flap and curled up inside and napped there for a bit.  

And now my human is discovering the things she left behind in her rushing about during our  trip.  She needs to spend some time in the tent with me after she talks with our friend.  After she calms down a bit, I'll remind her that she can buy a new phone charger and bluetooth device tomorrow.  It will be fun!  All I have to do is get her out of the apartment.   

I think some time with me in the tent fort will help her get her bearings.  Maybe we'll spend the night in there, which would make sense because all of our bedding went into building materials.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Lost opportunities</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/666057</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:52:37 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/666057</guid>
		<description>Today we were going to meet my person's coworkers (or former co-workers since she can't work any mor ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Today we were going to meet my person's coworkers (or former co-workers since she can't work any more) for lunch in San Jose.

She brushed and brushed me before we went.  When I got out of the car, she brushed me some more.  This would be my first restaurant experience with all of these folks and I was ordered not to shed.  Then she put on my harness.  

Armed with a purse, a bag with a towel for me (and... you guessed it! a brush!) and wielding an umbrella, we set out from the parking garage to find the restaurant.

Santana Row in San Jose is a mall spread over several blocks.  However, it seems to be too fancy a place to have maps.  We were pretty wet by the time we found the restaurant.  Whew!

I love getting dried off with a towel.  It is one of my very favorite things.  Perhaps this is why I find fuzzy fabrics so hard to resist...

After I was dry, my person and I sat in the foyer.  Our friends didn't come.  We sat longer.  I was very good.  The only person I did not ignore was a young girl who was staring at me.  A "watch" got my attention back where it belonged, though.

It was warm in the restaurant.  And our friends didn't come.

My person started to fidget.  Was it Sunday?  Yes.  Was this the Pasta Promoro Restaurant?  Yes.  Was it 1:00 pm?  No, by then it was nearly 1:30 pm.

She flipped open her phone to call one of them, but their numbers were not stored in the new phone!  Did I mention that she lost her purple phone a month or two ago?

Finally, we got tired of people glaring at us.  It wasn't like we were blocking anyone's way, for dogness' sake!  Once again, wielding the umbrella, we headed into the storm toward the car.

But, where was the car?  My person wrote down we were parked on level B, row 3 in the parking garage.

Great!  But...  um, where was the parking garage?  sigh.

We were both soaked by the time we found the entrance.  Once again, I had the joy of being toweled off!  Yay!  I love the rain!

My person found out a while ago that we had been sitting in the wrong restaurant.  Our friends were waiting for us at the Pasta Promoro on The Alameda.

It's been a difficult day for my person.  I've been cheering her up by taking my sweet time finding a place to potty because then she has to dry me and it makes her laugh.

Later, we are going to watch Shaolin Soccer.  I hear that there might be towels involved...]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>It was an uncomfortable Friday night</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665765</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:02:19 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665765</guid>
		<description>It was a broken night.  I had to wake up my person from two nightmares in which I was lost and she w ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It was a broken night.  I had to wake up my person from two nightmares in which I was lost and she was frantically looking for me.  She got up and stayed up after the second one.  I moved to the living room to keep an eye on her while I dozed.

My person has been having trouble remembering to take her medicine in the morning and in the evening even though she has a pill organizer.  She couldn't believe it when she looked at it and saw she'd missed doses over several days.

She used to take her meds whenever she fed me, but she doesn't like to take her evening meds so early in the evening because they make her very dopey.  She's asked our friend to resume reminding her in the AM and PM when they talk on the phone.  This will help.  She really prefers to be able to handle it on her own, but that doesn't seem to be working well enough at the moment.

Today we are going to take it easy.  My person has to co-facilitate her online peer support group for people with mood disorders later this morning, but we have no other obligations.  We will probably do a lot of napping and take a long leash walk in the afternoon.

My person hasn't completed her taxes yet.  How silly, because our friend already did the hard part and sent us the file we have to import AND specific instructions on how do to so... with screen shots even!

If we want to go visit Zeus, Rethy and Dakota next week, she has to finish this by Sunday.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Full Friday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665705</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 9 Apr 2010 19:32:42 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665705</guid>
		<description>My person and I had a much busier day than either of us anticipated.    We went to our final obedien ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My person and I had a much busier day than either of us anticipated.    We went to our final obedience class with Miss Nancy.  I am officially cleared to join the next Rally class (yay!).

My person offered me to Miss Nancy for a SAFER assessment (Safety Assessment For Evaluating Rehoming).  BHS is working on obtaining SAFER certification and must complete quite a number of assessments to qualify.

Miss Nancy wouldn't need me until around 4:00pm.  Class got out at 12:30pm.  It's a 34 mile drive home.  What to do?   When in doubt, go shopping. 

We went to the Bay Street Mall in Emeryville.  First, we hung out at the escalators, watching people go up and down.  When there wasn't anyone to inconvenience, we would walk up to the ascending or descending steps and I got mucho treats as reward for my curiosity.  

Vested, we went into Border's.  The day called for fun-- that means science fiction --but the science fiction section was difficult to navigate because there were two kids sitting on the aisle floor.  I like kids so much.  It was a true challenge not to sneak a kiss or other love as we passed.  My person watched me carefully and I am proud that there was nothing for her to see except me in work mode.

She bought a couple of books I was not permitted to sniff properly, and then we stood in line for a coffee.  There was a lot of stuff on the floor in the area where people get their orders.  Most of it was food, but that didn't interest me.  The thing I wanted in my mouth was a tiny piece of yellow, folded paper.   If I could just stretch far enough...  but she caught me.  

We sat at an indoor table and I took a nap on the nice, cool floor while she read one of her books and sipped her latte.

We still had a lot of time to spend before the SAFER, so my person did what she had planned on doing anyway:  go to El Cerrito where BART runs on an elevated track and expose me to the thing that makes the horrible noise.

Instead of walking on the path under the tracks, we walked on city streets parallel to the tracks.  This way, I could see thing that was making the horrible noise as it came and went.  Finally, we stopped at a little park near the tracks and relaxed.  The noise wasn't quite so horrible any longer.  

I noticed though that I can hear BART before my person can, but must wait until she hears the train for me to get my treats.  I tried to inform her by perking my ears in the right direction, but she insisted on waiting until she could hear it herself.

Even though we took city streets back to the BHS, we were a bit early, so we took a walk on the shady side of the street.  I was tired and heeled nicely.

I have to say I was not pleased to find out that the SAFER wasn't a test for us, it was a test for me.  I whimpered when my person handed my leash over to Miss Nancy and walked away without a glance.   I went through the SAFER twice, each time with a different person assessing me.

In between, my person came back to hold my leash while results were discussed and tallied.  I couldn't believe it when she walked away from me a second time!  I cried that time and instead of it making her run back to me, it made her walk away faster!  When she returned the second time, I gently jumped up and kissed her before she could kneel next to me.  She didn't tell anyone, but it was very challenging for her to be away from me.

The results of the SAFER:  I am anxious when I am not with my person, but I can be handled by others without signs of aggression or of fear.

We've been advised to do some out-of-sight down / stays at home to help me with my anxiety.   

Before we left, a group of people came in and a little girl had the chance to help us work on ignoring friendly strangers.  After that, I got to sneak in a bit of a snuggle with her.    She said I was nice!  She liked me!  

My person give me the chance to potty before we got in the car, and potty I did.  I had the runs from my stressful experience and it was justice that the person who walked away from me (twice!) was the one to clean up the result.  Fair enough, she said.

I jumped right into the car and got into position to have my seatbelt harness attached.  When I woke up an hour and a half later, we were home.   My friend Taffy was off-leash in the courtyard and I got to play with her briefly before we went inside and closed the door on a very long day.  I got a bit of dinner in my crate and then it was time for some serious sleep recovery.  For us both.  It's hard being separated!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>AM training, PM napping</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665610</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 9 Apr 2010 08:59:27 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665610</guid>
		<description>Yesterday, my person took us to Target at 8:00AM to shop and to train.  I'm having trouble ignoring  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Yesterday, my person took us to Target at 8:00AM to shop and to train.  I'm having trouble ignoring people who talk to me or stare at me.  My person said she's going to work more on our flyer so that people can learn about me and learn how to treat SD teams courteously without delaying us so much in our training or errands.

I love people so much and understand why they are enamored of me on sight.  Still, I must learn better focus so that their attention doesn't distract me from my job.  

After Target, we stopped by the office.  Our coworker was on the phone, so we practiced "wait," and "leave it" with the toy my person stored at the office for me.  My person would toss the toy and I would have to wait until she told me I could go get it.  I'm pretty good at this game!  We play it a lot with food, toys and chews.

She had planned on taking me to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast (not MY breakfast, you understand...), but she decided not to chance it because I seemed too playful to work properly.  The way I behaved at Target made her suspect I would flirt with other diners and waitstaff.  

We spent the rest of the day at home.  We did some training and a lot of playing, but she just didn't feel up to getting out and about.  

Today we have our last obedience class with Miss Nancy at the Berkeley Humane Society.  We hope to get into the Rally class starting next week or the week after.  She'll let us know if we're ready.  If we aren't, we'll just take the next level obedience.  The Public Access class orientation is coming up soon, too.

My human has been working with me so that I don't stress being left alone for a few hours, but she is cringing at the thought of leaving me at home while she goes to the Public Access orientation.  She would be without me for about 4.5 hours, and she would have to travel alone to and from Berkeley.

She'll speak with Miss Nancy about other arrangements.  Someone smart suggested the possibility that a shelter worker might be prevailed upon to dog sit me on site during the orientation.  We'll see.  This class is too important to miss.]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>A Zinger in the morning and Ace, Office Depot and tdoc office in the afternoon</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665347</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 7 Apr 2010 19:33:44 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665347</guid>
		<description>Many many many many days ago, my human had disclosed to some of my fans at the dog park that I was b ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Many many many many days ago, my human had disclosed to some of my fans at the dog park that I was being trained as her PSD.  One woman in the group gave us the whale eye and walked off.

We were at the dog park a bit later than usual this morning -- NOT my fault!  I woke her up two times, or maybe it was seventeen times.  I don't know.  I can't count.

The woman who gave us the whale eye was there and she came up to my person and said she had seen us training at Target.  To see me is to adore me, yes?  Of course this woman wanted to know all about me and the kind of devotion I am worthy of.

This part of the conversation took a long time. (Of course, because it was about me and I am my person's favorite subject!)  She wanted to know about SD training, and PSD training.  Now she knows a bit of what it takes and she also knows how to help a team being denied access.   

She didn't give us the whale eye at all this time.  My person hopes she won't ever give the whale eye again to a person with MI.

After breakfast, my person took a shower.  She was smelling just fine until then.  Now she smells like soap.    Oh well.  It won't last, thank dogness.  We went to the Credit Union, where I was perfect, of course,  then to a discount pet food store where we get the Himalayan Chews I love so much.  

I was not perfect in the pet store, but no one knew I was supposed to know better because I wasn't in harness.   Treats and chews were everywhere I turned and the lady at the check-out counter kept crooning to me and waving a treat up where I could not reach it to see if I would jump up at the counter.

We were both glad to get away from the temptation.  Me, of the chews and treats, and my person from saying something less than kind to the checker.

Then we were on the freeway for an hour (or so I'm told, because I was napping).  We stopped at Ace Hardware for a Dremel bit.  We also had a chance to practice ignoring friendly strangers with one of the managers and an employee.  They invited us back!

We went over to Office Depot just to practice heeling and we walked around in figure eights and underneath ladders and through narrow spaces in the office furniture section.

Finally, it was time for my human's tdoc appointment.  A quick chance to potty and then there was Dr. Teresa!  I love Dr. Teresa, but I was in harness and could not give her kisses.

I did NOT try to play with the rug or to snatch Mr. Teddy Bear from the shelf!  I was tired from our earlier training, so after chewing on a bully stick for a few minutes, I stretched out for a nap.  I know that when we go to see Dr. Teresa, there's going to be a lot of talking.  This is, of course, quite boring.

I let them chat until they were done, and wagged my tail at Dr. Teresa to say good bye.  I was unharnessed and buckled into the car just in time for a proper nap.

In fact, after a quick training session at home, I had another nap.  Being out in the world is hard work, you know.  For both of us.]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>MUCH better.  See how easy that was?</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665165</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 6 Apr 2010 19:11:09 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665165</guid>
		<description>At 8:00AM, we actually left the house to do some training!

We went to Target, where we practiced  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ At 8:00AM, we actually left the house to do some training!

We went to Target, where we practiced heeling and practiced ignoring friendly strangers with one of the store managers.  

We also practiced leaving fuzzy fabric things alone, and I was doing marvelously until ... well, until a baby blanket flew off the shelf into my mouth!  As soon as my human helped me get it out (and put it aside to buy), another one flew in!

We now have two baby blankets my person does not need.  Fortunately, they were on super-sale and didn't put us back much.   I needed more practice going through the check-out lane anyway.

Then we walked down the sidewalk to Staples, where we did heeling exercises.  My human had to ask one of the clerks to help her find the "Easy" button.  Miss Nancy uses the Staples' Easy button for training in the Service Tasks and Tricks class.  Whenever one of us dogs pawed it properly, it would say "That was easy" which was loads of fun.  Now we have one of our own!

Finally, we stopped by the office for a quick chat with our coworkers.  I was in a down/stay for about 20 minutes and only fidgeted once.  

Our last stop was the apartment management office to pick up a package that FedEx had tried to deliver on Saturday.  I was perfect.   I held my sit while we waited our turn and when my person was talking to the manager.  I didn't respond to the people who were staring at me and whispering.   I think they were afraid of dogs and didn't understand what an SDiT is.  

Maybe they'll be a bit less afraid of dogs now that I provided such a shining example!  One can hope, as my person says.

We just got back from a long walk on the short leash.  We walked down to the local recreation center to watch the kids do tricks on their skateboards at the skate park, and to do more heeling exercises between sniff fests.  

Tomorrow we are driving to see my person's tdoc.  We are going to leave early and then take a few minutes to do some public access training at one of the stores near the office before our appointment.  She thinks this will help tire me out so that I'll settle more easily during the appointment.

This is probably a good idea.  The tdoc's office is full of tempting goodies, such as stuffed bears and puppets and doll hause with yummy... I mean with interesting furniture.

It was a good day after all!  She is learning to trust me, I think.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>My dear person...</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665045</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 6 Apr 2010 06:22:48 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/665045</guid>
		<description>My dear person,

We need to get back out into the world!  Trust me to let you know what you need t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My dear person,

We need to get back out into the world!  Trust me to let you know what you need to pay attention to:  I'm getting fairly good at it.

Let's go to Target, or Staples or both!  What about CostCo just for fun?  We haven't been the library in ages.

Lean on me.  We can do this.

Love,

Iris, your Service Werewolf in Training.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Sunday sleepies and the thing that isn't there</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/664844</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 5 Apr 2010 06:35:27 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/664844</guid>
		<description>Other than our scheduled wild and crazy ball chasing session in the early morning, we didn't go out  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Other than our scheduled wild and crazy ball chasing session in the early morning, we didn't go out yesterday.  We did a lot of napping -- one of our favorite things.

My human thought she was doing a bit better, but last night, she kept seeing a black, cat-sized creature scurrying around the apartment.   Thanks to my sharp, canine senses, it was immediately obvious to her that it wasn't real.  It was still difficult for her  not to be startled by seeing it.

She assured me that it doesn't seem to be a malicious creature.  It looked at her once with electric migraine colored eyes, but didn't seem to be trying to frighten her.  

I wish I could see it so that I could chase it away, even if it does mean well.  I'll just have to be content to be available for reality checks as needed.  And cuddles, too.

I had to wake her up from two nightmares last night.  We got up after the second one and played a bit before it was finally time to go chase the tennis ball this morning.

We got caught in a rain shower at the dog park this morning and got soaked.  It was so much fun!  My human laughed at the rain.  I don't mind getting wet.  In fact, it reminds me of my excellent romp in the creek the other day...  ah, good times.  

I was too wet to go into the grocery store afterwards, so I stayed in the car and fogged up the windows while she shopped for more chocolate milk.   She's drinking a bit too much coffee these days, I think.  But I like that chocolate milk usually gets me into my vest and into the grocery store!

We probably need to drive to the pdoc's office to pick up documentation for disability today.  Other than that, I think my person is going to want to stay home and nap.  

That's okay with me as long as we're together.  She needs me, you know.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Hello BART, a run with Ollie, and galloping in the creek</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/664608</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 4 Apr 2010 07:14:04 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/664608</guid>
		<description>Yesterday was fabulous!  We drove over the bridge to meet with Ollie and his mom for a training sess ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Yesterday was fabulous!  We drove over the bridge to meet with Ollie and his mom for a training session.  The first thing we did was greet Uncle Brad (whom we adore), who held my leash while my human went inside to meet Ollie's sis, Sabrina.  I whined a little, but didn't cry.  It helped that Uncle Brad is such a good person to hang out with.

My human told me that Sabrina was a love.  I won't meet Sabrina personally, so I like to get news about her.

We walked through El Cerrito to a path that runs below the elevated BART track.   I was happily walking along when the most horrible noise came and went.  I looked around and couldn't see whatever it was.  Very strange.  Whatever it was, I got treats while it was there.

We met some other dogs on the path.  I was surprised by an Aussie hiding in the bushes with its human.  An off-leash dog came trotting near us, but did not come close enough to greet.  

And that horrible thing kept coming and going.  I grew a bit more accustomed to it and was able to enjoy the treats my human was feeding me.  My human said she was very proud of how quickly I recovered each time.

Finally, I figured out that the horrible thing was above us, even though I could not see it.  I wasn't able to completely relax while it was near, but I was less startled by it by the time we left the path and walked away from the thing that was coming and going.

We walked until we came to a creek.  I sort of jumped over it and my human sort of kept her feet on the stepping stones and then climbed up the hill to an open space.  Ollie and I got to play together for the first time! We ran and chased each other.  It was great! 

Our humans recalled us occasionally and I mostly did okay, but it was really hard to hear past the excitement.  At one point we both got so excited that we both were put on leash for a break.

On our way back, I was pulling my human so strongly down the slippery path that she almost fell.  She dropped my leash, expecting me to cross the stream to get to Ollie.

Ha!  Silly human!  I adore Ollie, but why would I cross a creek when I could gallop down it?   I turned around when my human called me, but I didn't stop.  Rather, I galloped up stream until I heard my human call me.  I galloped down stream past her again until I heard her call me once again.  When I turned around, she was running away from me!

That did it.  I came running and returned to her.  I was soaked and happy.  My human needs to take me to a place where I can swim and play in the water. 

I shook water all over her and she had to laugh because I was so happy.  We walked back to Ollie's house and my human told me NOT to heel, because I was so wet.

Uncle Brad met us with towels.  I love getting toweled off.  It's like a game with my favorite toy: fuzzy fabric.  My human buckled me into my seat belt harness and Auntie Veronica helped her set the guidance system to find an address of a restaurant where we were going for lunch.

When we got there, Ollie was already waiting and vested.   My human was struggling to put on my harness when an off-leash dog approached and started barking.  I didn't pay a lot of attention to it.  Its person leashed it and then kept telling it not to bark.  Silly human!  Finally, it went away and we went into the restaurant.

I did great.  I was pretty tired after our long walk and romp.  Ollie and I napped while the people ate and talked.   At one point, I noticed a lonely bit of food on the floor under the table and stretched to pick it up.  My human noticed and told me to leave it, so I did.  Sigh.  What a waste!

Before we said good-bye to our friends, I got to practice ignoring a friendly person.  Uncle Brad came up and petted and stroked me while my human gave me treats.  We discovered that I'm ticklish on my belly and cannot currently ignore someone touching me there.  Good to know, my human says.  Otherwise, once again, I did fabulously.  

I slept all the way home and then slept another few hours until it was time for dinner.  

It was a great day and I'm so happy I got to spend it with Ollie and his Mom!  We love training with them.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>What can I say?  I'm a genius!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/664393</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 3 Apr 2010 06:45:26 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/664393</guid>
		<description>I was a star at our obedience class yesterday with Miss Nancy.  We did down/stays, sit/stays leave i ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I was a star at our obedience class yesterday with Miss Nancy.  We did down/stays, sit/stays leave its, heeling, and recall exercises and I aced them all with enthusiasm and flair.  

As scheduled, my mat suddenly turned into a toy ten minutes before the end of class.   However, this time, it was easy for me to leave it when my human told me to.  She still took it away, of course, but this was an improvement and I got much praise for listening.

Another thing I'm doing well is picking up my leash and giving to my human when she drops it.  We only started doing this yesterday and I'm already 90% with no distractions.  What can I say?  I love to learn new things.

Today my human and I are heading over the bridge to the East Bay to have a training session with Ollie and his mom.  We're going to work on heeling with distractions near a BART underpass so that I can begin to become accustomed to the sound of the trains.  I might also start working on ignoring friendly strangers if we can find people who will ignore me if I try to interact with them.

We love training with Ollie and his mom.  We get good advice and a chance to set-up challenging situations.  It is relaxing to be around people and pups who understand that we sometimes have to stop and work on something challenging.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Hooray for Chocolate Milk!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/664212</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 2 Apr 2010 06:55:11 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/664212</guid>
		<description>If my human hadn't been out of chocolate milk for her coffee yesterday morning, we probably would no ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ If my human hadn't been out of chocolate milk for her coffee yesterday morning, we probably would not have done any public access training.  But she was and we did.  She took me into the grocery store after our early morning exercise session.  

We should do this more often!  I did really well.  I did some air-sniffs because the dairy fridge is right next to the meat section, but I didn't sniff the floor.  The people there really appreciate me, so I think we should go there every day!  Our checker did much better ignoring me this time and I didn't break my sit at the cash register.

After breakfast and a quick nap, we went to CostCo.  This was not as successful as our grocery store section.  My human has decided to limit our access training to training only instead of training while running errands.

The assistant manager stopped us near the entrance.  Not to challenge access, but to tell my human all about his GSD and to ask questions about me and issues specific to training a GSD.  My human wants to maintain a positive relationship with CostCo staff, so she chatted with him for a few minutes.  I was in a Down the entire time and just watched people streaming past.

I did pretty well heeling in the peripheral aisles when we were practicing, but when we stopped in the cheese department, I kept breaking my sit.  It was very crowded and my human needed to reach past a cart to get my favorite cheese.  She started to get flustered at that point from all the attention I was getting and the way I was responding to it while she was trying to do her shopping.

In the check-out line, we were trapped between a talkative woman who directed half of her conversation to me instead of my human and a woman with a 4 year old boy who was fascinated by being so close to me and kept wandering closer even though his mom told him not to disturb me.

My human needed to manage me, but was disoriented from the non-stop chatting of the woman in front of us.   When the little boy stepped on my tail, I jumped a bit and then moved away.  My human apologized for my bad manners in leaving my tail out where it could be stepped on.

And when it was our turn to check-out, there was a pair of fuzzy sweat pants sticking out of a box under the counter.  Fuzzy fabric things are my greatest challenge, and this one was at perfect mouth level in a place my human had to stand to finish our transaction.

My human's stress went up.  What was she worried about?  I didn't grab at it, even though I thought about it.  Silly human... 

This experience has convinced my human that our next few CostCo visits will be training only.  No cheese, no milk or bananas.  Just walking around the warehouse, doing heeling, sits, downs, stays, touches and watches.  

When we got to the car, my human unvested me and buckled me in for our freeway drive to the pet food store where we get my special kibble.  We practiced walking with a cart while we shopped.  We picked up a lot of chews for me, too. 

The check-out clerk adored me, and offered me treats in exchange for a sit and a down.  After we unloaded our treasures into the car, we practiced a bit more with cart work before returning it to the store and then driving home.

My human was exhausted by our trip.  I, on the other paw, was ready for more action!  Public access work is fun!

Today we have our obedience class with Miss Nancy at the BHS.  My human might take me to the library afterwards because she's desperate for something engaging to read to help her detach from her current episode.   I'm ready any time for more fun!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Too many lazy days</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/663922</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:13:35 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/663922</guid>
		<description>I'm all for having a break, but this is getting to be too much.   Tomorrow, my human needs to take m ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I'm all for having a break, but this is getting to be too much.   Tomorrow, my human needs to take me out for some public access training!

The alarm didn't go off this morning so I had to wake her up without that cue.  We were a bit late getting to the dog park, but it was still raining a bit and no one was there except for our husky acquaintances Mason and Jessica.  We exchanged sniffs and a play bow or two.  Mason likes me and he loves my human.  Jessica likes to be left alone. 

We bounded through a full play session and then went home for breakfast.   I chose to nap in my crate after my post-breakfast potty break.  This time, my human closed the crate's door and starting moving furniture around.  

I wasn't sure I approved at first -- my world had been perfectly fine just the way it was!  Soon, though I got bored and dozed between her sneezing fits while she moved tables and chairs and bookcases.

She likes our living room and dining area much better now.  There's more space to play.  She's planning on rearranging the bedroom tomorrow.  Fine with me, but let's go to CostCo or the library first, shall we?  I'm not getting any younger!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Another relaxing Monday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/663542</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:28:14 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/663542</guid>
		<description>I know my human wants to be grumpy when I wake her up, but she can't keep it up for more than a lick ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I know my human wants to be grumpy when I wake her up, but she can't keep it up for more than a lick or two to I apply most expertly to her face.  

We didn't do any public access training.  My human wasn't feeling well enough to be in public.  Something to do with things she was hearing.  She tells me that this is getting tiresome, but there is no choice but to do her best.

After our morning ball games and breakfast, we napped.  My human woke up and started doing household chores, I dozed in my crate.  When I woke up, she was on the computer. Again.

I ask you, fellow pups, what is it with humans and computers?  Sheesh.  I spend half the time I work at home getting her to take a break and do something constructive, like play with me.

She took me to a local park in the afternoon for a long leash walk.  We worked on the long lead heeling exercise Miss Nancy taught us, but mostly we just walked or trotted up and down hills

On our way home, she got a phone call that made her get busy as soon as we got home.   She's going to help with an event.  She says "there is so much to do!" and wonders if she is going to fail, but I can tell she's pleased to be useful.  

After her evening call to our friend (who happens to adore me too, by the way), she played a Nina Ottosson game with me and then we went to bed.  She woke up a few times in the night when it was raining really hard, but she didn't need me to stop any nightmares.  After checking in with her to make sure she was okay, I stayed on the bed while she... you guessed it!  got back on the computer.

Humans and their machines.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Sleepy Sunday</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/663395</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:09:41 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/663395</guid>
		<description>Sunday began as usual, playing at the dog park followed by breakfast.  I napped until I decided that ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sunday began as usual, playing at the dog park followed by breakfast.  I napped until I decided that my human had been on the computer long enough.  After I got her attention, she settled in for her nap and we both slept a few hours.

We did some training at home:  the one step heel, stay, and variations of touch.  My human gave me something wonderful to chew and I was content to let her use her computer again.

There was another nap, and then we went out to an open space in a local park to work on recall on the long line.  We also did a couple of heeling exercises that Miss Nancy taught us.  And finally, we just ran around and played.  I chased her, she chased me.  I got the zoomies and she laughed and laughed.  

After dinner, my human talked a lot on the phone.  I spent my time far more industriously gnawing on one of my chews.   

There was a final trip outside before we went to bed, where she read for a while until she dropped the book.  I slept in my crate for a couple of hours, and then jumped up on the bed to snuggle.  I like to sleep in contact with part of her body and she likes it too.

We have nothing scheduled for today, so I wonder what we'll do.  It's going to rain the rest of the week, so we'll probably need to take a long walk at one of the parks, just to hold us over.

My human is feeling very boring.  Most people she knows aren't interested in details about SD training and that is pretty much all she does.  Thank goodness for our SD friends who understand the fascination!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Our final Walking class with Miss Nancy</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/663221</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 28 Mar 2010 06:40:59 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/663221</guid>
		<description>I had to wake my human twice last night.  I licked her face until she opened her eyes, and then I li ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I had to wake my human twice last night.  I licked her face until she opened her eyes, and then I licked her face some more until she said "stop, stop... help!"   She needs me to be close to her heart after the dreams, so I stretch out beside her and get loves for a while.  I don't know how to turn on the light yet, so she's been leaving it on all night.   Good thing I'm a champion sleeper!

My human is becoming more confident that my soft tissue injury to my back legs has healed, and Saturday was a boost for her.  I chased the ball longer than usual with a burst of especial enthusiasm at the end.  No pain!

I hope she'll stop worrying about me soon.   I'll find a way to tell her if something is wrong. 

We napped a couple of hours after breakfast before my human had to get back on the computer.  She co-facilitates an online peer support group for people with mood disorders.  Sometimes this is stressful and she needs my help to stay centered and present for the others.

Fortunately, we had time for another nap before we had to get ready for our final Walking class with Miss Nancy at the Berkeley Humane Society.  I have trouble walking on a loose leash when interesting things are going on around me.   With few distractions, I heel like nobody's business!  No hands needed!

My human has struggled to be consistent when there are distractions, but sometimes, we just have to get from point A to point B.  She Releases me at those times, but it doesn't make sense to me, because that cue is for when I'm doing recall exercises, or taking a walk on the long line, or after my human has taken off my leash.  

My human mixed up the time when class started and we got there a half hour early.  We did some recall exercises in the class room and some heeling and stays.  I was perfect.

And I did really well during class.  My human learned another way to teach me to stay at her side and we did figure eights while I started to understand.  

Then we did exercises approaching other dogs and then turning and heeling back with our humans.  We also did a double circle exercise where several teams were walking in the center in one direction, while the other teams were walking around them in the other direction.

I did great with this!  Of course, I know these dogs by now, so that helped, but I really wanted to play with Appletini, who is an occasional guest.  (That isn't the way to spell that name, but please remember that I am a dog and such silly things as spelling are below my notice).  

For our graduation, we all went outside and did curb work, then we walked in pairs down the long sidewalk, and finally, we crossed the street after waiting at each curb.  We were all walking out in the real world together!

And I got a certificate!   Now I have two from Miss Nancy to prove what a fabulous girl I am and how much I love to learn new things.

We are hoping that Miss Nancy will agree to be our official trainer.  Miss Nancy said we could schedule a private session if we wanted, but that we're doing just fine.  My human really feels that she needs coaching because her memory problems make it difficult to perform the exercises properly after learning them in class.  

It was a good day.  We did a lot of lounging, but also worked hard with training.   Balance.  This is easy for dogs, of course.  Our people don't always get it, though.  Silly humans.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Chocolate milk, training with Miss Nancy, and a trip to Target with Ollie</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/662988</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:04:03 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/662988</guid>
		<description>My human was already awake when the alarm went off, so I didn't have to wake her up.  I did, however ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My human was already awake when the alarm went off, so I didn't have to wake her up.  I did, however, have to jump up on the bed and snuggle for a few minutes so that she could start the day with a smile.

She made coffee, and opened the fridge:  "Hey!" She said.  "Who drank all the chocolate milk?"  She looked at me.

Even though I am a whiz at learning to open and close doors, I've never tried to open the fridge. (Although, now that I think of it...)   Anyway, I did not take her chocolate milk.  And there was no one for me to accuse because it's just us.

After she took me to the empty dog park to play chase, drop, and drool with the tennis balls, she suited me up and we went to Safeway.   I frolicked a bit in the parking lot, to be honest.  She NEVER takes me into the grocery store.  I'm always left behind to fog up the windows.

We got some double takes, but we walked straight to the milk cooler and then straight to the cash register with our carton of Organic 1% Chocolate Milk.  It was too much work to try to sniff anything.

The lady at the register forgot that she wasn't supposed to notice me.  I'm so pretty that it makes it hard to remember.  The lady called to me and I broke my sit because it is only polite to acknowledge one's fans.  My human says we'll be working on dealing with friendly strangers sooner rather than later, whatever that means.

I had a bit of a nap after breakfast and then we got in the car (I had to wear my seatbelt harness... ick!) and drove to Berkeley for our Friday morning obedience class with Miss Nancy.  

We got there early, so my human took me for a twenty minute jog to help me get the ants out of my pants (?).  It helped, but when it was my turn to show my recall, I nearly knocked her over in my enthusiasm.  I forget sometimes that she has a different relationship to gravity than I do because of the lateral bipedal whatchamacallit of humans.  Miss Nancy said that my human should consider doing agility with me.  

After class, we walked around the area and then she suited me up and we went into a neighborhood cafe for some much needed caffeine.  For her, not for me. 

She unvested me, and we sat outside the Berkeley Humane Society for a while and just watched people and dogs and cars and bicycles go by.  And then I saw our friend Veronica!  And Brad!!!!   I got wiggly because I rarely get to greet them and had trouble sitting politely.

We got back in the car (and me into my seatbelt harness, ick!) and went to Target in Albany.  Ollie showed his confidence in having shoppers walk over him while holding a down/stay and having friendly strangers pet him.  I'm not doing that stuff yet.  My challenge was to not pursue familiarity with any of the textiles within reach.  I did great!!  

There were escalators there, and my human kept going near them, but made no move to try to make me go on them, so I was examining them and kept getting closer and closer to the ascending steps.

As Uncle Brad said, it's a huge improvement that I had to be coaxed away from the escalators so that people could use them.

We went into the food corner and both Ollie and I tried to back under tables.  I backed up a few steps until I realized that this was much different than doing it at home, and therefore not to be done at this time.  Oh well.

We ended our Target visit with a recall exercise outside.  First Ollie, and then I had our leashes held by Uncle Brad and then we ran to our people when they called us.   We were both fabulous at this.

We said good-bye in the parking lot and I slept all the way home.    It was a busy day.   I think I'll go take another nap.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Lazy days</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/662804</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:03:46 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/662804</guid>
		<description>Is there anything better than a sunny spot and time to snooze?  

My human and I have not done any ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Is there anything better than a sunny spot and time to snooze?  

My human and I have not done anything lately other than the basics: chase tennis balls--> eat--> nap--> walk--> nap--> eat--> nap-->walk--> eat--> got to bed.

Well, we've been doing some work with "touch" and "watch," and opening and closing doors.

Lazy days.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>My Discovery Park / Sacramento Airport / Coffee House  adventure</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/662642</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:39:11 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/662642</guid>
		<description>Yesterday started in the usual way.  I woke my human up so that she could throw the tennis balls for ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Yesterday started in the usual way.  I woke my human up so that she could throw the tennis balls for me.  I got an abbreviated breakfast, though.  Only a tiny bit of kibble and a little soft food.

My human was rushing around and I was so glad when she got my leash.  She dressed me in my seatbelt harness (ick) and we drove away.  It was pretty boring, so I was napping until we stopped and Jolanda and her mom got in!   I was so happy to see them that I was at the end of my tether giving kisses and interfering with stowing of gear.

Jolanda stayed in the footspace of the front seat, but I could smell her and see her mom, so I was content.  We almost never have people in the car with us.  Something big was afoot.


Discovery Park

I dozed and when we stopped, we were at Discovery Park in Sacramento.  Polar and his mom was already there.  We recognized Polar from his photo in his Dogster account.  Just when I was jumping out of the car, Zeus's mom drove up.   I could hardly wait to greet her, and then there was Zeus!  

Rethy and Ollie and their people arrived soon and while we were greeting and exchanging sniffs / news, a bus pulled up and the Sheriff driving stepped out.  I liked him.  He have me treats that tasted just like the ones my human gives me when I do something well.

And can you believe it?  All of my friends lined up and got into that bus!  I didn't like it that my human wanted me to follow her up into the bus.  I refused a couple of times, but then let myself be coaxed up.  Those steps were deep, and narrow from my perspective.    I was a bit more willing to get back off than I was to get on.  But only a bit!

We went for a walk with the others to help expend some of my nearly unlimited energy.  Then it was back into the seatbelt harness (ick) and on the road. 


Sacramento International Airport

I wasn't surprised to get out of the car into a parking lot, nor to go inside a place that had automatic doors and lots of people, but I was surprised when my human walked toward escalators.  I wasn't certain I wanted to climb the stairs that were sandwiched between escalators, but they turned out to just be ordinary steps.

We dogs had to work extra hard to keep our people stable while we waited around one of the baggage claim areas.  Then we trotted over to get in a line of people and bags.  It was Security.  My human was flustered and disoriented.  She leaned on me to take off her shoes and put them in a bin with her purse.   

Finally, it was our turn to go through this gate thing.  There was a nice young man  on the other side telling my human what to do.  She got really flustered when she heard she needed to send my treat bag through the same place as her shoes went.   I didn't know what was going on.  She asked Aunt Nicole to hold my leash and stepped through the gate thingy.  Nothing happened, and she called me through.  

The nice young man needed to check my pack for explosives.  I don't know what explosives are, but my human was happy to comply.   I wanted to kiss the young man, but my human reminded me where my focus belonged.

I just followed my human while she collected her shoes and purse and someone reminded her about my treat bag (thank goodness!!!)  and we moved past the confusion and found the others.  My human had to sit for a moment to put on her shoes, but she needed to stay sitting to get her bearings.  

When they were able to walk again, we headed down the terminal to the end where "our" plane would be arriving.  We squished together in facing seats in the waiting area.  I kept infringing on Rethy's space a bit at a time, so my human took me to an empty area to wait a while.  

Suddenly, everyone was up!  Our time to get on a plane had come and we had to hurry because time was short.  My human and I ran down the hallway thing and stepped on the plane.  

I don't know what the big deal was.  The plane never took off.  We moved around a bit and sat in different places.  My human wanted me to curl up in a small foot space.  Instead, I tucked my head under the seat in front of us to sneak a sniff of one of the other dogs.

The people were nice and happy to see us. Of course!  Who isn't?  They learned how service dogs can be of any size and the difference between an ESA and a PSD.  Ollie and Jolanda's moms passed out fliers about service dogs like us.  

And then, just as suddenly as we got on, we lined up to get off the plane.  I was last as usual, because I have this problem with pulling and my human has stop to help me remember I'm supposed to be heeling politely.

Then it was a sprint to the parking lot!  I wouldn't potty on the grass nearby, and made everyone wait while my human loaded me into the car.  On the road again.


The Coffee House

We met Rethy and her Mom at a coffee house and squashed together with our people on a sofa and chairs.  Finally, a chance for a proper nap!   My human needed the coffee because there wasn't any room for her to take a nap with me.

My human woke me and this time when we got to the car, she took off my harness.  She was not thinking clearly and almost left it lying on the grass next to the car!  

I slept and slept during the drive.  We diverted to SF to drop off Jolanda and her mom to meet with Jolanda's dad.  The smells were different and I had to stay awake to examine them.  We said good-bye to Jolanda and her mom, then it was back on the freeway for home.

It was a successful event!  I had to work more than ever before for my human and she kissed me and said "thank you, my little monster," so I must have done okay.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Hanging out with Zeus, plus my first hotel visit, Part Three (Thursday)</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/662619</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:13:19 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/662619</guid>
		<description>I don't know how I missed, it, but she had a nightmare and I didn't wake her up!  I must have been e ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I don't know how I missed, it, but she had a nightmare and I didn't wake her up!  I must have been exhausted.  However, I did wake her up in the morning like I'm supposed to and we went out in the dark to play on the hotel long.  I was on my long leash and we ran around a bit, and then played tug with my favorite tug toy.

My human had been wearing her pajamas, so she changed into regular clothes before we trotted over to the breakfast room.  I did pretty well heeling while she got coffee and a danish, but got distracted by the men who thought I was the coolest dog. 

I wanted to play tug with the curtain when we sat down at a table in the corner, but my human sat on my leash again and I had to just lie down and think dog thoughts.

My human fed me via my Busy Buddy and Kong again and then we took a nap.  We almost didn't get up in time to pack up and check out before Zeus's mom arrived to lead us to Roseville, where we were going to have cheesecake and caffeine at The Cheesecake Factory.

And I got a happy surprise! Zeus was not alone!  I was so excited that I jumped up on the driver side door to check out the new pup.  And so it happened that I met Teagan.  

Zeus and Teagan's mom let Teagan out and we realized quickly that we needed to play together.  Unfortunately, my off-leash recall is not absolute, so we couldn't play off-leash on the grounds of the Best Western, but we did our best with our play bows and jumping.

Teagan had to go back in the van, and off we drove for the shopping mall in Roseville?  Marysville?  Susanville?  My human doesn't remember, but it isn't really important, because it was a mall and that meant I was back on duty.

We walked around a bit on the second floor where we saw something that made us want to go downstairs:  a man playing with a hover toy.

By the time we got downstairs, he was playing with a radio controlled car that could flip over and still go.  He made it come to us.  I really wanted a closer look, but alas, our humans would not let us even think of chasing it.

Our humans got lost and had to ask directions to the Cheesecake Factory, so we did some more walking around while people admired us in our wake.  

The people at the restaurant really liked us.  First, they put is in a booth, but my human didn't think I would be comfortable, so they moved us to a table without any fuss.  

Zeus's mom helped me figure out where to lie down by luring me under the table toward her with a piece of cheese.  After that, it was humans talk talk talking, with other people coming over to talk, and then bringing stuff I knew I would never have a chance to even sniff.

My human got Banana Cream Cheesecake with bananas and whipped cream.  Zeus's mom got a chocolate cake that was so good it made them stop both talking for a bit.

Zeus was snoring.

My human needed to make a relief stop, so I went with her and was interested in all the comings and goings in that little room with the stalls.  I didn't peak under the partitions, though.  My human had me sit and I wouldn't have been able to reach under anyway.

We walked back to the cars and the humans talked more and then we were off again.  This time, we stopped at a place with a lot of grass where I had my own relief stop.  Zeus and his mom went inside to talk to someone.

My human buckled me into the car again, and when I woke up, we were home!  I was ready to play, but my human didn't seem to be interested, so we took a nap together.

And that is the end of my two day adventure visting Zeus.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Hanging out with Zeus, plus my first hotel visit, Part Two (Wednesday Evening)</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/661936</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 21 Mar 2010 06:47:39 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/661936</guid>
		<description>Wednesday evening:  Zeus's mom swung by the hotel to lead us to the Taco Tree where we were to meet  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Wednesday evening:  Zeus's mom swung by the hotel to lead us to the Taco Tree where we were to meet with her sons for dinner.

We got a table for four after we ordered.  Zeus's mom's sons did all of the extra running around- getting napkins, filling soda cups, picking up the humans' orders.  Zeus was a calming influence as usual, and I did well in my corner for most of the meal.  

After a long time of sitting in the corner, I kept getting up.  Surely it was time to do something else?   All my fun was over when Zeus's mom suggested that my human sit on my leash with just enough length free to let me lie down.  That put an end to my jack-in-the-box fun.

The humans talked and talked and talked until it got dark outside.  I could tell they were having a great time, so I didn't bother them.  Much.  

After we left the restaurant, Zeus's mom led us back to the hotel.  I was tired, but excited and trotted around the room looking for mischief until my human filled up my Busy Buddy with kibble and put it in my crate.

When I'd finish that, we played with one of my Nina Ottosson puzzles.  Then she filled up my Kong with soft food and I spent a relaxing time working on it while she got ready for bed.  

I dozed on the bed with her while she was looking at this thing she calls TV.  We don't have one at home and at first, I was interested in the sounds that came out of it.   I waited until she was almost asleep before I jumped off and went into my crate to sleep.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Hanging out with Zeus, plus my first hotel visit, Part One. (Wednesday)</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/661622</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:54:16 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/661622</guid>
		<description>Wednesday:  It has been an exciting and exhausting couple of days.  We went on an overnight trip to  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Wednesday:  It has been an exciting and exhausting couple of days.  We went on an overnight trip to Auburn, CA to visit with Zeus and his mom and to give me experience staying in a strange place.

On Wednesday, my human buckled me into the car for the long ride.   We took a short walk after we got out of the car.  It smelled a little different, so I had my nose to the ground.

When we returned to the parking lot, I got a huge surprise.  Zeus's mom was there!  I adore her.  She really appreciates exceptional kissers and I am a champion.  And then, wow!  Zeus was there too!  Ta dah!  

We exchanged proper canine greetings, and then I was ready to play.  Alas, it was time to work.  My human put on my harness and we accompanied Zeus and his mom to a physical therapy session.  It was my first time in a clinic setting.

The place was full of interesting noises and people coming and going.  Zeus gets the greater share of attention, being a true charmer, but people noticed me, too.  I was a bit restless, having just had a long nap, but I did fairly well.   I sat in the treatment room with my human while Zeus's mom had several different treatments.  Zeus was napping and stretching out toward me, and I sneaked a few sniffs of his paws and face as they inched nearer and nearer.  

Then we left Zeus in the room and went out into the open equipment area.  Then I was really on the spot!  No massive mastiff to deflect attention from the (relatively) little SDiT.

One of the other patients took a keen interest in me and we heard about his dogs and how they were a focal point in his life.   He was so curious about me and interested in sharing about his dogs that he kept forgetting to continue his exercises.  

My mom had me laying down and I would pop up every few minutes.  Finally, she sat next to me on the floor and we chatted with the staff, patients and Zeus's mom.

After our visit to the clinic, we headed to downtown Auburn for a visit Winston Smith Books.  My human has a real weakness for books, and for some reason, used books make her go wild.   I remembered when I first came to live with my human and how she didn't like me eating her books, so I was very kind to all of the books even though they were at just the right height for a taste.

The aisles were wide and there was a energetic calm about the place that made it possible to relax.  Zeus and his mom headed upstairs and I wanted to go with them, but my human needed to check out the science fiction offerings, where she soon discovered a couple of hardback copies of titles she wanted to add to her library.  

FINALLY, we went upstairs to the loft.  The human talked a bit (sigh) and then we looked at more books.  I peeked between the slats of the barrier between up and down and watched people walk past.  Heights are fascinating.  I think I like being way up and watching people way down who don't know I'm there.  Probably a species memory, but whatever it was, it was mesmerizing.

Book people tend to take service dogs in stride, it seems.  People looked up, noted our beauty and charm, and then went back to looking at books.  While we were in line, a man approached and asked about me.  My human got to see an iPhone photo of his mixed breed Husky/GSD.  She didn't show it to me, not that I'm used to examining other dogs in two dimensional format.  She told me later that it was lovely, but could not hold a candle to me.  Well, of course not.  I am a three dimensional being.

Then we took a bit of a walk up and down Old Auburn.  We stopped in a different bookstore, the Book Haven, but it was an unhappy place to see books waiting for new people.  Dead end aisles where all four of us had to back up to escape, and kids sitting in the middle of the store on a couch in front of a game console and TV.   There wasn't a single place to sit.  Our humans left pretty quickly even though the books looked just as tasty there as at Winston Smith's.

By the time we got to the car, I was tired and thirsty, and my human was ready to rest.  Zeus's mom led us to our Best Western so that we could check in and freshen up for dinner at the Taco Tree.  

The check-in clerk did not challenge us for access.  She didn't quite understand that it mattered that I was not a pet, but without any interference from my human, she said she would not charge the pet fee.

She also said that she would mark our check-in card to note that there was a pet in the room so that housekeeping would not be surprised if the dog was there alone when they dropped by, but my human told her that I would not ever be left in the room because I accompanied her everywhere she went so that I could mitigate her disability.

The clerk marked the card to note that there was a service dog checked-in for that room and my human was comfortable with that because in case of emergency, it would be good for others to know I was there.

I stayed on leash while my human unloaded all of our stuff. She brought a separate bag with my equipment (toys, food, treats) and my Pup Tent soft crate.  I was very excited when I saw her putting it up and I kept walking all over it in anticipation until she told me very firmly to go lay down.  As soon as it was up, I was inside, looking very pleased with myself.

She gave me a Kong filled with soft dog food so I was busy while she changed her clothes and lay down on the bed for a few minutes.  Soon, the phone rang and it was time to go to dinner.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Sleepy day</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/661022</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:14:32 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/661022</guid>
		<description>I had to wake my human up yesterday because she didn't seem to respond to the alarm.  I'm happy to d ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I had to wake my human up yesterday because she didn't seem to respond to the alarm.  I'm happy to do it, because I love mornings!  My human gives me loves and we goof around before we get out of bed.    She says she can't stay early-morning grumpy with me around.  

After my early morning exercise, we drove over to the local grocery store for some chocolate milk for my human's coffee.  

I'm still too much of a sniffer to go into grocery stores, so I had to wait in the car.  Good thing I had my bully stick to keep me busy.

My human was reluctant to leave the apartment yesterday.  She does a lot of sleeping lately, which is generally fine with me because I happen to enjoy naps myself.   When she was awake, we played and I practiced opening the door using the cord my human crocheted out of macrame cord.  I also practiced my retrieves.   I love it when she lets me pick up the weight!  

When it was time for our evening walk, instead of heading out the door in search of adventure, she opened the door several times and looked out.

I reminded her that it was time and she finally wrote to the PSDS list and asked for a boot in the seat of her pants to get her out the door.   The boot was promptly provided and we finally headed out.  

We walked around our neighborhood, and then jumped in the car to visit the local pet store for a supply of stuff for me to chew.  I need to have lots of chews, and I like a variety.  It's expensive, but what can I say?  I'm a German Shepherd.  I get bored with same old, same old.

After our visit to the pet store, we walked up and down the mall sidewalk playing "return the cart."  We take carts that have been left on the sidewalk back to the correct store.  I get rewarded for staying next to my human and can't help but prance a bit when she tells me how fabulous I am.

We returned home and I settled in for a long, relaxing chew session while my human talked on the phone with the man who is our friend.   That's how we typically end our day.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>First time inside CostCo</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/660825</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:47:34 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/660825</guid>
		<description>My human and I have walked back and forth in front of CostCo before, but we've never gone inside.  I ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My human and I have walked back and forth in front of CostCo before, but we've never gone inside.  I have no idea why she waited so long, because everyone in there loved me!

It wasn't only a practice trip: we needed supplies.  My human hasn't been up to shopping much and we needed a lot of stuff (more than half for me, of course).

I walked fairly well beside the cart, though I took up too much space a few times and my human had to call me back to her side. 

My most challenging moment was when she climbed into this huge refrigerator to get a box of milk cartons -- there had been a rush on organic 1% and there were none within reach from the door.

I was puzzled because she didn't take me in there with her.  I kept my eyes on her every nanosecond, even though she was only three feet away.  I was so happy when she came out that I kissed her and people laughed.

My human was able to talk to several people about PSDs and hand out two fliers about SDs.  She didn't say that she was training me for herself.  She said she was training me for a person with BP and PTSD -- which is true -- and then went on to say what sorts of things PSDs can do for their people.

There were several people who mentioned that they wanted to pet me but would not because they knew that petting wasn't allowed.   I think my human needs to work with me more on my wave so that I can interact with my fans without losing focus.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Friday, March 12th</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/660399</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:52:13 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/660399</guid>
		<description>My human had a nightmare last night, so I woke her up by licking her face.  Then I curled up next to ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My human had a nightmare last night, so I woke her up by licking her face.  Then I curled up next to her so that she could stroke my fur while she went back to sleep.

We were still up early as usual so that I could get some exercise without being interrupted by other dogs.  My human and I have a system for ball throwing and chasing.

We use two tennis balls. (To encourage me to take care of business, she throws one ball for me after I pee, and then the other after I poop.)

My human stands in the middle of the large dog area.  I have to give her a solid down before she throws the ball.

After I've captured my prize and am running back to her, she says "drop!"  I drop the ball while I'm running and she throws the other ball and I'm off again!

The ball I dropped usually rolls right to her.  Then we repeat.  When I get tired and lay down, she steps over me a few times.  She does that at home, too.  She says it's for practice. 

We do this until the 5:50 AM bus rolls by.  I'm usually still cooling down by the time my Husky acquaintances arrive.  We sniff butts a bit and wag our tails, and then it's time to go home.

Today was Basic Obedience at Berkeley Humane Society with Nancy Frensley.  We both love Nancy!  

My human had a lot of phone calls to make -- what is it with humans and all the talk talk talking?   She took a shower, which is a shame, because she was just beginning to smell interesting.  We got in the car (I had to wear my seatbelt harness-- ick!) and drove to a park near the Dumbarton Bridge for a long leash walk before heading over to class.

Today there was a new puppy in class.  A Scottish Deerhound.  It's taller than me, but gangly.  I'm sure I was never so uncoordinated...

I really wanted to play with that puppy and he wanted to play with me, too.  My human kept distracting me just before I went into a play bow.  Very annoying.  She has very bad timing quite often.

Our major accomplishments during this lesson were practicing an informal down-stay next to my human's chair, and learning a new way to figure out what I should leave alone and what I can take.  Nancy says I have a very soft mouth.  That puppy I wanted to play with kept chewing on his human when she would feed him a treat.    

I started wrestling with my mat when class was almost over, so Nancy took it away.  I had to lie on the concrete for the rest of the class!

I slept all the way home.  The drive home took a lot longer than usual because of the rain. 

My human doesn't have any energy at the end of the day, so we'll probably just nap and putter around the apartment.  We might practice the one-step heel, and Leave it.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Busy Thursday morning</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/660101</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:03:15 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/660101</guid>
		<description>Wow!  It isn't even 8:00 AM and we've already done a lot of training.

First, we went to the dog p ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Wow!  It isn't even 8:00 AM and we've already done a lot of training.

First, we went to the dog park next door for my early morning exercise.  After that, instead of going home, my human put on my harness and took me into the local IHOP at 6:00 AM.  

It was my first time under the table in a booth and I tried a few times to peek out, but my human had a good hold on my leash and I settled down for a nap while she ate breakfast.

Then we dropped by the office for some paperwork and we had coffee with Pam, our OCLC compadre.  I am very comfortable in the office and relaxed while the humans chatted.

After we said good bye to Pam, we drove to OSH Hardware for a quick training session and to pick up some duct tape.  My human doesn't have any projects that need duct tape, but she likes to have some on hand just in case.

I love walking up and down the aisles because my human is a very silly person and makes it like a game. 

I wonder what else we'll do today?]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Yesterday, The Bay Street Mall, IKEA and Starbucks, today... nothing</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/659994</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:03:52 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/659994</guid>
		<description>It was an exciting day yesterday.  I met up with Ollie and his Mom at the Bay Street Mall in Emeryvi ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ It was an exciting day yesterday.  I met up with Ollie and his Mom at the Bay Street Mall in Emeryville for some public access training.  

We were, um, exploring the landscaping when caught sight of Ollie and his Mom.  One thing that surprised me was that Ollie's Dad was balancing on a one-wheeled sort of something I had never seen before.  I wasn't sure I like it at first, but then it become obvious that it was a game and I wanted to play!

Ollie and his Mom went up and down the escalator several times while I watched and got treated with cheese.  That was great!

Then my human tried to lure me with cheese to follow them onto that scary thing and I refused!  What was she thinking?

She tried another couple of times, but finally, we compromised with me eating treats as close as possible to the escalators while we watched Ollie and his Mom go up and down. 

We walked next door to IKEA and after a quick potty break, entered the store with Ollie's Dad video recording us.

There were hardly any people!  My human and Ollies Mom were amazed at the all the furniture and displays they had never seen before because of the crowds.  For me, the most interesting thing was a really BIG Giant Schnauzer that snuck up behind us on the ground level.

It really shook my human, who for a second wasn't sure she was actually seeing something real  -- it was so unlikely!

The Giganta-Schnauzer's handler said it was a Service Dog, but even a Service Dog in training like me knows that service dogs don't wander around at the end of a 15 foot extendable leash without their handler's attention, sneaking up on law abiding SDiTs.

The Giganta-Schnauzer actually seemed like a nice dog.   Those humans should not have put that friendly giganta-schnauzer in a position to pretend to be a service dog, though.

After we settled down from the excitement, we finished walking through IKEA.   I lost focus a few times, especially in the beginning, but I think I did okay.   Ollie heels beautifully, especially when his Mom pushes a cart.  My human wants us to learn to do that!

We walked back to the Bay Street Mall and had refreshments at Starbucks.  I did great waiting in line and then I was patient and well-behaved when it was our turn to order and get our parking validated.    Yay me!

Ollie and I stayed under the table while the humans talked.  Well, except for once when there was a person standing behind my human's chair at the trash bin.  I snuck over to say "Hi."  My human was so embarrassed!

Ollie's dad took some photos of us under there.  At one point while we were sleeping, our front paws touched.  We're good companions.  We don't have to play together to be companionable.

I slept all the way home, and then all evening.  

Today, my human isn't feeling well.  We visited the dog park next door at our usual early hour for some fetch before sunrise, but we've spent the rest of the day inside napping and doing a little training and playing a few games.

Tomorrow, my human hopes to take us to a breakfast restaurant after our game of fetch and then later take a ride on a bus.  We'll see.   She's taking some really strong medicines these days.  I have to keep her from getting discouraged.  She says I do a good job!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Fast forward to 2010</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/659547</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 8 Mar 2010 17:21:43 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/659547</guid>
		<description>My human is unable to work any longer, so we're spending a lot more time training.  In the past coup ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My human is unable to work any longer, so we're spending a lot more time training.  In the past couple of weeks, we've gone many times to Target, where I am really popular with the staff, and Orchard Supply Hardware, and the local library.

Today we did our usual early morning ball-throwing at the dog park next door, and then we went in to the office, where I have to sit and wait for her to use her badge to open many doors.

I like riding the elevator to the 5th floor.  But instead of going to our cube, I had to sit or lie down while she talked and talked to strangers and friends.  She did a lot of talking.

I'd never been in the fax machine room before, and was mildly curious with the new sounds and lights as my human completed the paperwork for disability.

After we left the office, we dropped by Target.  Instead of just walking around the store like we ordinarily do, my human got a shopping cart and I practiced walking alongside. 

The register clerks called my name to say Hi! but I wasn't paying a lot of attention to them.  They weren't insulted.  My human told them that it is good practice for me to have distractions.

We called it a day after our visit to Target.  My human was very tired and I had the satisfaction of a session well done.  We've been napping and doing short bursts of training for service tasks.  

I'm learning to open doors and turn on lights for my human.  She doesn't need me to retrieve things, but we're playing a clicker game where I have to figure out what object my human wants to me pick up and give to her.  I love this game!  I get so excited when I figure it out.

Right now, I'm practicing lying quietly at my human's feet while she writes my diary entry.  Every so often, I get a click and a piece of cheese.  Sharp cheddar, my favorite!

Tomorrow will be a big day!  My human and I are going to go meet Ollie and his mom in Emeryville to do some public access training at a dog-friendly outdoor mall.  There's an escalator there that I once watched Ollie and Jolanda go up and down and up and down with their people.  Maybe tomorrow I'll try it out.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Iris will be here on Monday!!!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/604212</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:52:13 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Iris vom Zauberberg ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1001734/diary/Dagbok_dog/604212</guid>
		<description>Her preliminary training is complete and the trainers are shipping her to me on Monday! ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Her preliminary training is complete and the trainers are shipping her to me on Monday!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

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