Boone's Diary- Table of contents

Boone's Diary

(Click on a small picture to see the full-size version.)

November 18, 1995
The litter, numbering nine, is whelped in North Carolina. The mother is Denim and the father is Chadwick.

[Boone's mother and his litter at five weeks] December 13, 1995
I get to go see the new litter. I help trim their nails. Their nails are so tiny, we cut them with human nail clippers. In helping to trim nails I pick up all of the puppies. Each one of the puppies is sweet and cuddly but there is one little male puppy who I feel a special connection to. My area coordinator warns me that I shouldn't get my heart set on one particular puppy. They all have to be tested and she'll make sure we get just the right puppy for our household, but I can't help myself. That little male has already started claiming a piece of my heart!

December 16, 1995
We go over to handle the litter--a little early socializing. I again feel a special bond with "My Puppy." When I hold him he snuggles into my arms in a funny way. He parks his rear on one arm and his head on the other and promptly falls asleep. All of the puppies are adorable. They are already individuals, with their personalities asserting themselves. It is a very enjoyable afternoon watching them tussle and tumble inside of their whelping box.

January 6, 1996
Puppy testing day! At 49 days old the puppies are tested for temperament and suitability as a guide dog. I wait all day to hear from the area coordinator as to which of the puppies we will get. I'm crossing my fingers that it is my special little male puppy, but I am excited at the prospect of any puppy at this point. Finally the call comes. My special little puppy is the right one for Steve and me. He is named Boone. Unfortunately we have had snow and freezing rain all day and the roads are impassable. The meteorologist say this is the worst storm in our area of North Carolina in eight years! Figures! We have to wait to pick up our new family member.

January 9, 1996
Finally the roads are clear enough to pick up Boone! We go and pick him up. Steve comments that the puppy smells like a guinea pig because it has been living in a run floored with cedar chips. After completing the paper work we wrap Boone in a pink towel to help keep him warm and we come home. When we arrive we introduce Boone to his new big brother, Argus, our Golden Retriever. Argus is very excited about the puppy at first. He greets Boone with a play bow and wants Boone to chase him. The novelty quickly wears off, however, when Argus learns that Boone has sharp little puppy teeth that like to nip tender Golden Retriever ears!

That evening we learn that Boone is a screamer! We put him into his new crate and the poor little puppy howls in outrage! It is very hard not to run over and let him out of the crate and smother him with attention, but we know in the long run it will be easier to let him cry now and learn to get used to his crate. After a while Boone quiets down and goes to sleep. We eventually discover that leaving the radio on the classical music station keeps Boone quiet and puts him right to sleep.

January 16, 1996
Boone is such a good little puppy! He is very happy and confident soul. Boone has decided that he likes his crate and now goes in without a fuss. I think he likes to go into his own little space to sleep. He has also dragged a large selection of toys in with him to keep him company.

[Boone at 10 weeks] January 30, 1996
Boone started Puppy Kindergarten. He really enjoyed playing with all of the puppies. He wasn't timid or shy at all, but jumped right in. He is attending class with four of his siblings, and they all seemed excited to see each other again. They all seem to have a special affinity for one another.

February 3, 1996
This was to be the quarterly evaluation from Guiding Eyes for the Blind. But this has been an awful winter and the evaluation was iced out! I think this is the first time in the NC program's history that this has happened. It is too bad, because I was looking forward to showing little Boone off!

[Boone at 13 weeks] February 21, 1996
The pace at which Boone is learning is wonderful! He is already sitting on command and learning to stay. He seems very eager to please. We are practicing the "umbilical" method of training with Boone, which Jane Russenburger, our evaluator from GEB recommends. We basically have Boone tethered to us during his waking time. This way we are able to correct misbehavior immediately and also the puppy is always being supervised. Boone has a natural tendency to follow me from room to room, so this is working out really well. I do let him off the leash to play and sleep. I think using this method has made me more in tune with Boone and his needs. We have had fewer accidents and Boone was housebroken sooner because I learned to read him pretty well. We have also had fewer mishaps that are so dangerous with a puppy, like chewing on electrical cords!

March 16, 1996
Boone graduated from Puppy Kindergarten. He really learned a lot and really enjoyed playing with all of his little friends. He has pretty much nailed down most of the basic obedience commands except for coming off lead which we really haven't worked on.

[Boone at 20 weeks] April 4, 1996
Boone has had all of his final shots today, and we are now free to roam the highways and bi-ways of North Carolina! Up until this point we were careful to avoid coming into contact with animals that we didn't know. We didn't want to risk Boone getting parvo. Boone really enjoys his walks and he walks well on a leash. He doesn't pull at all! Boone is still too young to start basic obedience classes, so we have been meeting every two weeks with our area coordinator to have a mini-class with all of the local guide dog puppies. This gives him a chance to work on the skills he already has, and to socialize with other dogs of all ages. Steve will also start taking him over to a local shopping center that will provide a variety of experiences for Boone-- such as kids roller skating past, people walking, and a large stair-way, -- to start getting Boone used to other people and places.

May 4, 1996
Boone had his evaluation from GEB today. Every three months GEB sends down a puppy evaluator to test the puppies. He did very well. The evaluation consisted of walking in a controlled manner, being tested on how sensitive he was to sudden noises, walking on a grate, up and down stairs, and testing to see how easily distracted he was. I was particularly impressed at how well he walked up and down the steps. He didn't pull and walked up them in a very calm manner, like he was an old hand at this! Our homework assignment for the next three months is to continue socializing him and expose him to new experiences. We are also going to work on "food refusal." A guide dog can't be distracted by food, and although Boone has never been given human food, he did show some interest when they showed him a donut. We will work with him, teaching him to resist the temptation of eating anything he finds on the ground. We will also teach him to refuse any food people offer him by hand. This will be accomplished by giving him lots of praise when he ignores offered foods and things like tissues laying on the ground.

[Boone swimming][Boone swimming] June 3, 1996
The life of a Guide Dog in Pre-Training isn't all work! Boone went swimming for the first time today! Steve, Argus, Boone, and I went with Karen Johnson (another local puppy raiser), Karen's GEB puppy Nikki, and Karen's two daughters Kristina and Nyssa. Boone took to the water like, well, a Labrador Retriever! He was on a long 50-foot line so we could keep him with us. We went to the beach and Boone became very excited by the water. He jumped right in and began swimming immediately. He wasn't very smooth at first--he kept his head way out of the water and splashed his front paws a lot--but after a while he looked like an old pro! He also seemed to realize that he was gifted with another strong suit in the water--retrieving. We took a floating throwing dummy and threw it for the dogs. They all enjoyed racing out to it and trying to be the first one to reach it and bring it back.

June 25, 1996
Graduation Day! For the last eight weeks Boone has been attending basic obedience class. He graduated today. We were pretty proud of him. In this class the dogs learn how to walk on leash without pulling, sit, stay, leave it (not pick up objects laying on the ground), and in general how to be good house dogs. Another important part of the class is socialization. Boone was exposed to a lot of different dogs and people. He liked them all. This isn't the end of our training with Boone, though. We will continue to work at home on the things that we learned in class and will make occasional visits back to class to sharpen our skills and meet new dogs and people.

July 4, 1996
We took Boone to the annual Fourth of July celebration at the state fair grounds in Raleigh. Boone was very well behaved and enjoyed people watching. We sat far enough away from the fire works display so Boone wouldn't be startled by the noise. He seemed to enjoy the whole outing. When they started shooting off the fire works the people around us started to laugh. Both Boone and our dog Argus sat and watched the fireworks. Their heads would move up and down when they followed the trajectory of the fireworks. After about ten minutes Boone got bored and spent the rest of the evening sitting in Steve's lap chewing on a bone.

[Boone in Coat] August 16, 1996
Today was our third evaluation with Boone and we were awarded our coat! The coat (or jacket) is a blue vest that the dog wears when he is out in public and identifies him as a guide dog in pre-training. Only dogs that show enough maturity and good manners to be allowed in public places such as libraries, shops, and restaurants are allowed in jacket. At this point we will start slowly exposing Boone to these new environments. Before we take him into an establishment we approach the manager, explain what we are doing, show the manager a picture of Boone in coat, and ask permission. Public response is usually positive. This is a big step in Boone's young life!

September 5-6, 1996
Our area was hit by Hurricane Fran! We were in Ohio due to a death in the family and Boone was staying with another raiser family. He did well in the storm and all the noise didn't seem to bother him a bit.

September 14, 1996
We took Boone out with his new coat today. He was welcomed into our local Ace Hardware store and did a very good job looking nonchalant about the whole experience. Besides giving Boone the exposure to new places the coat always attracts public attention and gives us a chance to talk about what we are doing .

October, 1996
Just a general note for the month of October. We just did our usual routine of working and playing together. Boone is maturing into a beautiful dog both physically and mentally. He is a pleasure to be around.

November 15, 1996
Boone's fourth evaluation was today. Our assignment is to keep giving Boone more new experiences.

November 18, 1996
Today is Boone's first birthday! He received some new toys and chewies. He seems pretty mature for a one year old Labrador puppy. He is still playful but he also seems to understand that sometimes we are in places where he needs to be on his best behavior. He almost seems to realize that he is special when he puts on his coat. I think he is pretty special all the time. Happy Birthday Boone!

January 14, 1997
I spoke with our area coordinator today. She said that Boone will be going "In For Training" at Guiding Eyes sometime in February. This is the time that every puppy raiser looks forward to with mixed feelings. I will miss my little Boone (not so little, I guess, at 75 pounds) but we feel such a sense of accomplishment that we have made it this far! I hope he does well on his in-for-training test .

February 26, 1997
This is the big day! We drove Boone to Yorktown Heights, NY. Guiding Eyes could have arranged transportation via Midway Airlines, which supports the North Carolina Puppy Raising Program, but we decided to see the in-for-training test for ourselves.

We handed Boone over to one of the Guiding Eyes trainers, and waited for his group of dogs to be tested. Boone did well on the obedience portion of the test. He had trouble, though, with the Umbrella Test, where one trainer walks the dog towards a second trainer, who opens a big beach umbrella in front of the dog. This tests the dogs' innate ability to recover from surprises. Most dogs are startled, which is acceptable, but when the dogs approach the Umbrella Man again, they should be confident and not shy away. Boone is startled ... and he does shy away from Umbrella Man. During another portion of the test a starter's pistol is fired twenty feet or so from the dogs while the dogs are on a sit-stay. After the pistol is fired, Boone gets up and wanders around a little -- almost as if he is looking for a duck to fall from the sky! Guide dogs, though, must not lose their focus, even when there are loud noises. In a few minutes we learn the news -- Boone's temperament is not compatible with being a guide dog. Even with further training he probably would not have the confidence needed to guide someone along busy city streets.

After a year of preparing Boone to be a guide dog the outcome was disappointing, but we knew that even with Guiding Eyes' careful breeding not every puppy will become a guide. This cloud did have a silver lining, though. As Boone's raisers, we were given the option of keeping him as a pet. He will make a most welcome addition to our family!

[Boone with a food dish in his mouth] [Boone enjoys a lazy morning reading the paper] November 18, 1999
Happy Birthday, Boone! Today is Boone's 4th birthday. It hardly seems like 4 years have passed since the day I got a phone call telling me that the puppy that would become mine was born. Boone has matured into a very handsome Labrador who is a delight to be around. He weighs about 73 pounds. He has a very expressive face which he will use shamelessly to get a treat! Boone is a boy with a lot of personality. He is very curious about everything and wants to look over and sniff any new item that comes into the house. Boone is also very loving and every day he will crawl into my arms for a few minutes of snuggle time. Since he is no longer a guide puppy he is allowed privileges like getting up on the bed. The rule is supposed to be that the boys can be on the bed as long as the old comforter is in place, but Boone must get cold because several times I have found that he has peeled back the covers and is laying on my pillow with the blankets up to his neck!!

Boone is also funny in other ways: He loves to swim and take baths but he cannot stand to get his feet wet in the yard or walk on wet grass. He is the only dog I know that voluntarily wipes his feet on a welcome mat. I didn't teach him that! He also loves peanut butter but hates peanuts. Give him a peanut and he will spit it out at you! Boone also has a fascination with the phone. When he was younger he called my Mom several times (long distance) and I caught him standing over the phone cocking his head back and forth as she was saying "Hello? Hello?" Somehow he consistently hit the right sequence to re-dial her number not once, not twice, but three times! Just last year he managed to dial the Cary police on my cell phone!

All the early socialization we did in preparation for Boone to become a guide dog has paid off for us. Boone has a very calm demeanor and does well in a variety of situations. We've taken him to hotels with us where he is a quiet and mannerly guest, he visits our friends' and families' homes and is always invited back, and he calmly greets both old and new friends. He has very nice manners and is very obedient although it has only been in the last year that he has been solid on coming when called.

We do sometimes see evidence of the lack of confidence that kept Boone from becoming a guide. He is sensitive to noise and recently has become afraid of thunder. We are working on this with him by playing ball every time there is a storm. When the last big storm came through instead of getting scared like he had been Boone ran for his ball and played happily. The fact that it was 2:00 AM didn't daunt him!

Boone still hangs out with Nikki Johnson (see June 3, 1996) and they love to romp and play together. You can see in the way they treat each other that there is a genuine affection at work. He is also very loving and affectionate with his big brother Argus, our Golden Retriever. He loves to snuggle up to him and I often find the two of them sharing Argus's crate.

Boone still loves to run and play and has the making of a great Frisbee champion if only we would work with him a little more. We were never impressed with Boone's ability to retrieve on land (we'd throw something and if it hit the ground he would ignore it) but found out that is because Boone loves to CATCH. We now throw a rubber ball for him an he leaps up and snatches it in the air and brings it right back and lays it at our feet. I guess Boone didn't see the challenge of picking something up off the ground but to be skilled enough to get it BEFORE it hits the ground...ahhh, now that is retrieving!

Sometimes we still feel a little sad for Boone and some unnamed blind person that Boone isn't out guiding. He is so smart and has such a joy of being out and about that I sometimes feel like I am not letting him reach his full potential. But then I see how he reacts to some noise or something out of the ordinary and I know that he wouldn't have the confidence to do his job correctly. I conclude that it is for the best that he didn't make it as a guide and I think about all the love and joy he brings to my life and realize that he has a job and he is doing it well.

Happy Birthday, Boone!!

[Oliver pestering Boone] [Boone and Oliver lying together] September, 2001

Boone is almost six years old now and is a happy healthy dog. Like most dogs he has a great capacity to love. I know he loves his family. He also has lots of human friends that he loves and several doggy friends that he adores. If I were to pick one animal I thought Boone didn't love, it would have to be cats. Ever since he was a young puppy he would bark when he saw a cat. He could quietly watch the squirrels play in our yard for hours but if a cat comes any where near he barks up a storm. In some ways he almost seemed afraid of cats. That is why I was surprised on August 2, 2001 when Boone would not only help rescue a cat but adopt it for his very own.

My husband Steve walked both dogs together that evening. He was a little surprised when both dogs pulled on the leash and insisted they walk along the busy street several blocks from our house instead of their regular route. About half a mile into their walk, a small black and white kitten appeared from the bushes by the road, almost as if he had been waiting for them. The kitten greeted the dogs as if they were long lost friends and insisted on rubbing against them. Boone accepted this and actually seemed pleased to see the kitten! Steve was in a quandary since he clearly could not leave the little kitten alongside a very busy road but also couldn't carry the kitten and walk the dogs. He called me on the cell phone and his first words were "Now we can't keep it..." and explained the situation. Severe cat allergies had kept Steve cat-less for years. I picked everyone up in the car. We hastily borrowed some cat food and litter from a friend and decided if we couldn't find the little kitten's owner we'd give him to a "no kill" rescue group. That was on a Thursday night. By the next Monday we had tried hard to find the kitten's owners with no luck. We were also enthralled with the kitten and decided that there was no way that we could give it up. Fortunately, Steve didn’t seem to be allergic to this kitten. We named the kitten Oliver, after Dickens' orphan, Oliver Twist

No one was happier with this decision to keep the kitten than Boone. He had completely adopted Oliver a few hours after we brought him into the house. He would thoroughly clean Oliver, play with him, and curl up with him at naptime. Oliver was starving when we found him and would actually try to nurse from Boone. Ever patient and loving, Boone would get a pained, almost embarrassed look on his expressive face but put up with the behavior for a week until he decided to "wean" Oliver by grunting at him and moving whenever Oliver tried to nurse. The two animals are great friends now and play together all the time. Boone is always very gentle (Boone weighs about 80 lb. and Oliver weighs 4.6 lb.) and will play tug of war with Oliver by gently pulling on a piece of cloth while Oliver pulls with all of his might. Boone could easily take whatever he wanted from Oliver, but he seems aware of their size difference and gives only the slightest tug. Boone also allows Oliver to sleep on him and lets the kitten stalk him and play with his tail. We are teaching Oliver to walk on a leash and harness, and both dogs encourage Oliver with a friendly nudge when we are out on our walks.

Today I think I saw a true expression of love from Boone to Oliver. Boone cut his paw on a piece of broken glass on one of our walks. I had to clean the wound with an antiseptic cleaner and it hurts when I do this. I gave Boone several dog biscuits as a distraction and he gobbled them down all down except one piece. Boone actually gave Oliver the piece of dog biscuit. He happily shared his bounty with his little buddy, and after they ate their treat they curled up together and had a nap in the sun. I don't care what any one says about anthropomorphizing, what I see when Boone interacts with his kitten is love and affection. Apparently Boone's capacity to love includes cats, too!

[Boone in crate after returning home from surgery. Incision, staples, and pain-killing patch are visible] [Boone resting in the woods] November 18, 2002

Today is Boone's 7th birthday! It hardly seems possible that the little puppy who fit so nicely in my arms is now 80 pounds and has a gray beard.

2002 has not been a good year for Boone. Early in the year we noticed Boone limping intermittently on his left leg. Several trips to the vet and several x-rays were inconclusive. Then in March Boone was outside in our back yard when he suddenly screamed in pain, flopped down on the ground, and couldn't get up. Boone was literally writhing on the ground in pain. An emergency trip to the vet still produced no diagnosis so we were sent to an orthopedic specialist. The orthopedic specialist did tests but couldn't find anything so we were sent to a neurologist at the NC State School of Veterinary Medicine. After several more episodes of the severe pain (which was terrible to watch) Boone was finally diagnosed as having a prolapsed lumbar disc and would need surgery. The diagnosis was complicated by the fact that on x-ray Boone's spine looked completely normal. It was only by palpating certain areas that we finally figured out what was wrong. Boone had surgery on May 5th.

Boone's recovery from the surgery was long and painful. The day Boone came home from the hospital both Argus and Oliver seemed to be waiting anxiously to check Boone over. The minute we got in the door Oliver sniffed Boone's face and ears and licked him and then walked around to Boone's incision which was stapled. Oliver carefully sniffed each of the staples. We then moved Boone into his crate. For almost that whole day Oliver stretched out by the door of Boone's crate and occasionally stuck his paw in and would gently pat Boone on the nose. Our Golden Retriever, Argus, stretched out by the side of the crate. It is like both he and Oliver realized how serious the situation was and would do everything they could to comfort Boone. A few days later we let Boone rest in a blocked off area of the living room. We could tell that Boone was still in pain. Oliver, who normally wrestles with Boone at least once a day, treated Boone very gently. As Boone curled up on a orthopedic mat Oliver wrapped himself around Boone and purred loudly. He would lay with Boone for hours as Boone slept. Boone would even use Oliver as a pillow and Oliver never moved away. Pretty impressive when you think about it since Boone's head is about the same size as Oliver's whole body. I had to check to make sure that Oliver wasn't trapped under there and Oliver was annoyed that I had disturbed them so I just let them go after that. When Boone was awake Oliver would wash Boone's face and ears. I have the feeling that he'd have liked to wash the whole dog but 80 pounds of Labrador is a big job for one 8 pound cat! Boone seemed to appreciate all of the concern and would seem less agitated when Oliver would lay against him. Argus was also concerned and would get angry with me for locking Boone in his crate. When I would leave the room Argus would sneak over to Boone's crate and unlock the latches. Luckily he had trouble with the bottom latch so I would hear him when he was trying to open it with his paw and could go in and stop him from freeing Boone. When Boone was given a little more freedom I would often find the three of them curled up together, sleeping.

For the first month after surgery Boone had to be crated or confined so he wouldn't hurt his back. He needed time to heal. After about 6 weeks we were able to give him very short walks. About 10 weeks after surgery Boone was finally able to resume his normal activities. It wasn't until October, 2002 that Boone seemed to be completely healed and had started to jump up on our bed again.

The other traumatic event that 2002 held for Boone was the death of Argus. Argus passed away on September 18, 2002 after a short illness. Boone had known Argus all of life and they were very rarely separated from each other. We wrestled with how to make Boone understand that Argus was not coming back. Steve suggested that the best way to let him know would be to take down Argus's crate. Argus loved his crate and would nap in there every day. The week leading up to Argus's death was a hard one for us. He was going down hill rapidly and both Boone and Oliver seemed to know that he was very sick. When we got back from Argus's final trip to the vet we walked in and took down the crate. Boone actually cringed and looked depressed. We left the spot where the crate stood empty for a while. Boone seemed depressed for a few weeks after that. He wouldn't play, wouldn't eat, and would generally act like a dog who was in mourning. Slowly we were able to coax him back to his old self. You can tell he misses his life long companion.

Hopefully things are looking up for Boone. He seems to be feeling better both mentally and physically and is enjoying life again. He and Oliver are back to wrestling and chasing each other around ever day. Just last week Boone went on a long hike in the woods with us and seemed to relish the experience. Apparently what they say is true. You can't keep a good Lab down.

[Boone on the beach in Marquette] April 25, 2006

Boone's last several years were some of his busiest. In 2003, he moved with the family from a suburban house in North Carolina to an apartment close to Washington, DC. As with almost everything, Boone took it in stride. He quickly adapted to all of the noises outside of the apartment. He seemed to like that when he had to "get busy" he now got a little walk and a chance to socialize instead of going into the back yard alone. The apartment building where we lived was one of the few in the area that accepted large dogs, so many of the residents had dogs. Boone quickly developed a number of human and canine friends, some of whom he'd see several times a day.

There were a number of new places to walk to. Walking became a mode of transportation in addition to a form of exercise. Many times Boone and my husband Steve waited for me outside a store while I shopped. I usually came out with a treat or a dog biscuit I had carried from home. Why shouldn't Boone also get something from the store? We were a few blocks from a PetSmart and Boone loved walking there and shopping. In fact, several times I would let him decide where we would go on our walks and he would lead me right to PetSmart!

Boone also started traveling more. This was partly because there were more places to visit that were close enough for a day trip, such as Shenandoah National Park. Also, more family was close enough for a comfortable drive, so Boone saw much more of his human and canine extended family. In addition, we never found pet care in the DC area that suited Boone as much as his kennel in North Carolina, so we eventually stopped traveling places we couldn't take him.

In 2005, Boone went to Marquette, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Boone spent a lot of time on a Lake Superior beach. He wasn't very happy walking on the sand, but he loved retrieving in the water. He was always ready to go back in the cold water, even when you could tell that he was exhausted.

In early 2006, the family moved from an apartment to a condo in the Washington area. Each time he went out, Boone rode the elevator. One of the residents had a bad experience with a dog when she was young, and now was frightened of dogs. At first she didn't want to get on the elevator with Boone, but eventually his gentleness made her comfortable being close to him. She even made a point of talking to him every time she saw him.

Unfortunately, Boone's health started to decline. He never complained, but his appetite and enthusiasm for walking diminished. In April, 2006 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and the vet said there was no hope for recovery. We made the difficult but necessary decision to end his pain. We took him for his last short walk--stopping underneath a tree in a field behind the vet's. Steve and I sat with him as he closed his eyes for the last time.

It's not clear what Oliver thought when Boone didn't return. However, a couple of weeks later we heard a dog barking outside, and Oliver's body stiffened and he excitedly ran to the window and looked outside as if he was thinking "Is that Boone out there?"

Shortly afterward the neighbor who was afraid of dogs, mentioned that she hadn't seen Boone in a while. When I told her that he was gone, she became teary and said that even though she didn't like dogs, she had liked Boone--he was a great dog.

I couldn't agree more.

 

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