January 15

My most recent picture of Beale. On the way to our Sunday morning coffee-and-the-paper ritual.

Beale and I just reached our year-iversary. I picked her up on the foggiest day I had ever experienced in Kansas on January 15. You might remember that it was also a pretty sad day for me, because I was leaving Miss Trego at KSDS, Inc. (At that point, I thought Trego would go on to be a guide dog. She had cataracts in both eyes, though, and is now a pet in Olathe, Kan.)

One of my last photos of Trego. With Lee J. at Trego's "going away dinner."

About four hours after I said goodbye to Trego, though, I was handed a new black lab puppy (I had really wanted yellow!). I immediately fell in love with Beale’s white eyeliner face and her tiny paws. She was much prettier than Trego had ever been!

Trego on her first day with me.

Beale and Mom on our first day together.

Now we’ve been together for just over a year. In this time, Beale has learned how to:

Come when called! (Trego never learned that one! : ) )

Sit

Stay (for a very long time!)

Down

Down and under

Leave it

Heel

Left and right (when Mom doesn’t mix them up!)

Kennel (EVERY TIME.)

Stay in her kennel quietly when asked (even if there are other dogs out of their kennels in the house!)

Buckle up (Get in the car and find her spot on the floorboards.)

Here-up

Weigh yourself (get on the scale at the vet and sit quietly)

High five

Go outside

Hurry up

And she will potty on virtually any surface!

Beale is comfortable around children, adults and other animals. She is curious and kind and she knows that little people and little dogs want her to be calm so that they can play together.

She is not thrown by wheelchairs or walkers or pacers or other equipment. And I think she prefers children with disabilities to the “typical” ones. They have smells and tastes and sounds that interest her and she likes making them smile and being a “therapy” dog when teachers let her visit their classes.

And she likes computers, the Internet and Cisco WebEx. At least, she likes the people at Cisco WebEx. No one lets her use the program by herself!

Beale has also overcome her fears very well. She was a very submissive dog who was afraid of all new dogs for a while (probably because she was traumatized by Mr. Wiggles at my parents’ house!). Now, though, she is a big brave dog who loves everyone but will wait for them to love on her!

And she can travel. Beale has been to California! (OK, we live in California!) She has also been to Kansas and Missouri and Delaware and Washington, D.C., and to Denver and to a bunch of other places. She takes all of this in stride. Airplanes are no big deal. And TSA regulations don’t phase my pup. Oh, and she is roughly the size of the space under one seat on a United flight. She’ll fit. Don’t worry.

I feel very lucky that Beale has grown into such a wonderful dog. She has adjusted to my changes of schedule (job changes, school changes, etc.) and has only destroyed a few of our nice things (a wall, a bookcase…….)

Now we have between six and ten (or so) months left. I can’t wait to see what she’ll learn next!

 

Love from Sacramento at our year-iversary,

Becka and Beale

Dad, Beale and Lamp. My cute, cute family.