My name is Sarah and I am sixteen years old. I'm the reason we got involved with the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and now have Hector. Hector is our 4th Guide Dog puppy. I had always wanted a dog, however my parent couldn't commit to getting a dog for life, by having a Guide Dog puppy it means that you can have a dog for a year and then take a break or if that's too long you can help look after other people's Guide Dog puppies while they are away or if they need a break for personal reasons.
I thoroughly enjoy having the guide dog puppies, they are great company and funny at certain moments. Hector also protects me, for example, if someone he doesn't know or someone he gets a bad vibe off tries to come near me he will stand beside me and put his heckles up (hairs on the back of his neck.)
In my opinion, the most interesting thing about the Guide Dog puppy has to be the individual personalities that they have. They all have different personality traits, for example, Neff was friendly and calm, Gill was easily excited and liked to take food from the kitchen counter when nobody was looking, Ike was the perfect one and Hector, well Hector is Hector... we haven't been able to put our finger on his personality trait as of yet.
 At the weekends, I bring Hector for a walks with my friend, Ysabel and Hector's friend, Nikita. We go to the beach for a free run. Everyone has fun, the puppies and the people! I get into trouble sometimes, when I bring Hector home and he is all sandy, wet and smelly. However, the thing that matters the most is he had fun and got to let off some steam. Hector is a first dog that we haven't had to give treats to for every few steps deeper he goes into the water, instead one day on the beach he ran straight into the sea, he got a bit sad though when Nikita said she didn't like it too much =(.
It all sounds like fun and laughs, but in the end you do have to give him back. Every time I meet someone when we are on a walk with Hector the same question is always asked "How do you give them back?" The fact is that from the beginning you are told and every time the question is asked you are reminded of the fateful day. Although you are prepared and know it is coming, when the day comes it's heartbreaking. You have had the puppy since it was approximately 8weeks old and have watched him/her grow day by day, you could say it's similar to when a mother's child moves away from home and yes I have had a cry when they leave. With our last dog Ike, we were told that he would be going to Cork when Alice got back from the Gaeltacht, however unfortunately he had to leave while Alice was still away so she never got to say goodbye. Yet, she knew that Ike was going on to help somebody and was not dead or ill and that he would be happy in his new home and have a loving and caring owner.
I hope by writing this weeks blog, I have given you a perspective of what living with Hector and other Guide Dog puppies is like for a teenager and that you will want to get involved too , even if the end is difficult, it's worth a few tears!
Hi guys, can you believe it, Hector is 5 months old already. The time is absolutely flying by. I can hardly keep up with the weeks let alone Hector. We made a bit of a fuss over his 5 month birthday and because he wasn't feeling very well he got rice and chicken for his breakfast lunch and dinner. yum,yum!!!
Photos got deleted by accident so no photo-documentary of that moment.
Well, have you all checked out the new screensaver the Irish Guide Dogs created last week for you to download from their web-site at www.guidedogs.ie. It is of Hector at 6 weeks and 4 months old. It is is the cutest thing, so don't miss this opportunity!!!  Cianna, Declan, Debbie, Sarah and Clara (Hector in front, Missy in the background) This year we were going to go to the Parade but Hector was not the best. He was a little listless and off his food, so instead myself, Sarah and Hector went to St Annes Park for a walk with friends of ours Declan, Debbie, Clara, Cianna and their dog "Missy", a Cavalier King Charles. It was a really nice afternoon and the dogs had a great walk. The girls were insistent that we did not cover him in green stuff, so to please them I withheld
the shamrock and hats etc. Not very patriotic but we quietly acknowledged the day!!!
Hector: I wasn't that miserable, think they must have been fussing a little too much. Anyway, all said, we did have a really nice time in the park and even though Missy is much older than me we had some fun together. It was like being out with your big sister, she was really good to me.
 Patiently waiting for the lift.  Hector must think there is something nice in Sarah's bag! He did sit down in the back corner when I got in and was not phased by the lift.  In the main part of this very big store Hector was okay but for some reason he did not like the non-food section, surprise, surprise!  Hector and Aidan in the supermarket with Sarah in the background, meant to be pushing the trolley but looking for goodies instead. Work with a Guide Dog Pup is always ongoing. As I said before, Hector comes most places with us, the supermarket, garden centers, shopping malls etc. Like most families the shopping has to be done and if its not too big a shop I will bring Hector along with me. So on Saturday we popped in to Tescos to pick up some food for our dinner. Hector had plenty to think about, like how to negotiate an elevator, as you can see in picture above. He did not seem to mind being in the elevator. We are told to put them towards the back of the elevator and get them to sit before it moves. We then went around a number of aisles, ensuring he stayed out of the food shelves and not to be sniffing the floor or the food on display. Hector was quite good about this. There are so many things to experience while in a supermarket, noisy trolleys, smells, intercom systems, people, children and just the general busyness that comes with a supermarket. I wouldn't say he loves supermarkets but he copes well with it.
Hector: I did see a really nice piece of meat in the fridge section but thought I had better be on my best behavior or they would never bring me anywhere again and despite their opinion, I do actually like the supermarket, there are always lots of nice people to say hello to at the shops and people who fuss over me. Who wouldn't enjoy all that positive attention.
 Sarah with one of the many raspberry and strawberry plants that we bought. I hope they all grow well and we have a bumper crop of fruit!!! On Sunday we hopped into the car and drove to Naas to a garden centre to get some fruit plants to grow this summer, some nice strawberry plants and raspberry bushes. Hector I am sure will give us a helping paw in planting and growing them and I think he might even do a bit of self service picking when the fruits are ripe.
The garden centre was fairly busy and he was intrigued by all the smells and plants.
Hector: I hope they know what they are doing because I look forward to the "fruits" of their labour!!!!
 Just chilling and observing.  Next week Sarah is going to tell you all what its like from a teenagers perspective to have a guide dog pup. It was all because of Sarah that we got involved with the Irish Guide Dogs. Sarah is a big fan of all animals especially dogs. Sarah is the one who keeps saying when one dog is about to go, "when are we getting the next dog?" and up to now saying no to that has not been an option!!!
 Hector meets Stephen our new Dublin (Northside) supervisor at the Red Stables cafe.  Hector, Nikita and Chenna waiting for a treat while Suzi and Stephen look on during our walk in St. Annes Park last Friday. Welcome back to our blog. Unfortunately this is going to be short and sweet this week as I have not had much time to get out and about and we have been very busy doing jobs that just needed doing which has left me very little time to prepare for the blog i.e. blocked sewerage drains, broken fridge and doctors appointments just to mention a few!!! All in all though, as far as Hector is concerned, it has been a good week!
Hector got to meet Stephen our new Puppy Supervisor, who is going to take over from Suzi. Sadly, Suzi is leaving the organisation to pursue her career further with dogs and dog training. Suzi has a wonderful passion for the care and welfare of all dogs, actually probably all animals. She will be greatly missed but I am sure Stephen will do a wonderful job as our new supervisor. Like Suzi, he has a great love of animals and has a background in animal rescue. He has also personally fostered and adopted dogs that have been rescued. We had a lovely afternoon at the Red Stables cafe, sheltering from the rain initially but then we got out for a lovely walk while Hector, Nikita and Chenna had a great play. Marguerite, Miranda and myself really enjoyed meeting Suzi and our new supervisor Stephen.
Hector: I deserve the most treats because I am sure I was the best boy, don't you think!!!!
 Hector, Nikita and Chenna posing for a nice group photo with Suzi and Stephen.  Hector looking for someone to play with at Mount Temple Hockey grounds while the rest of us looked on at the match. Hector was at a school semi-final Leinster league hockey match last Wednesday offering his support. Unfortunately our team didn't make it, we were all really gutted!! Hector was an excellent supporter though and enjoyed the atmosphere and he got to meet lots of new people. He was very calm and relaxed even with all the shouting and cheering.
Hector: It was really noisy there but great fun, all the supporters were petting me and chatting to me. There were some young children there also and they played with me for ages.
 The hockey match in full swing! Hector would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a Happy Saint Patricks Day. Also, Hector turns 5 months old on Patricks day!!! What a big day for him. Not sure yet what our plans are for the holiday weekend but i am sure Hector will have some fun!
Hector: Happy 5 month-old birthday to me, happy 5 month-old birthday to me, happy 5 month-old birthday dear me, happy birthday to me!!!! Hip-hip hooray!!
Last Tuesday a good friend and past puppy-walker, Carolyn O'Neill took Hector for the morning. Sometimes dogs can have issues with separation from their puppy-walker and Golden-Shepherds are not exempt to separation anxiety. Therefore I thought it would be a good time to introduce someone else into the equation. Fortunately Hector got on very well and only whined the once when he was with Carolyn.
Hector cries a lot when I leave the room, if he is left on his own or when some one gets out of the car. He doesn't even have to know the person who he is crying after.
Hector: I did miss Michele a little but I kept up a brave face, Carolyn was really nice to me and brought me to her friends house for a charity coffee morning. There were loads of crumbs for me to lick up that people had dropped from their plates. Yummy, yummy!!
 Nikita and Hector having a quiet play together. On Thursday Nikita and Hector had a play date. These two will not let the grass grow under them when they are together for some reason. They won't go and have a snooze. I am not sure what this is about, they run and play non-stop, chasing each other. When their play time is over, the two of them get into their respective beds and sleep for the rest of the day. They are like two sticks of dynamite together.
As you can imagine, there is something new to learn everyday. Last Friday was no exception. We had our Northside puppy class in St Anthony's church hall in Clontarf. As usual the classes are divided into two sessions. The early one for pups under 6 months and the next class for the older dogs. There is a 15 minute overlap for all the pups to meet and play which is great fun but it is also part of their training, they learn how to socialise with other dogs.
Hector, Nikita, Picasso and Peggy were at the early class. Hector was wondering where his sister Orrin was, I think he missed her not being there. When we arrived Suzi had set up obstacles. Now what was this class going to be about? Well we weren't long in finding out. Suzi had set up the obstacles to simulate obstructions in a pathway and the dogs were to learn how to negotiate these obstacles so they could continue on their journey. Could these little pups work it out?
Hector: I searched and searched behind all those obstacles, but no, Orrin was not there, I thought she might have been playing hide and seek. I even got Picasso and Peggy to help me look for her!  Hector, Picassa and Peggy checking out one of the obstacles we used at class or was Hector really looking for his sister. Suzi our supervisor is to the left and the other 2 ladies are Picasso and Peggy's mammies.
Well not surprising I suppose, these pups are bright and they all managed to understand the concept. We were to say "find the way" to the pups when they realised there was an obstruction in front of them, initially encouraging them to go around the obstacle. By the time we had done a the circuit of 5 obstacles a number of times the dogs were well into the swing of it. I really enjoyed this lesson because it related to a real life situation that these dogs are going to come up against in their working life.
Next on the agenda was to teach the dogs the command "stand". The commands we tend to use the most are probably "sit" and "wait". The "stand" command is a very helpful command for a number of reasons but primarily it would be used so that you can fix the jackets/harnesses onto the dog. It is a lot harder to fix their jackets on them when they are sitting down. I have always found this a kind of tricky one to teach to the dog but Suzi explained it really well and gave very clear and concise instructions. Hector sort of got the idea but I will have to work with him on this a lot more.
Our repertoire of commands are growing steadily. We now have "sit", "wait", "eat-up", "steady" (used when you want them to slow down when walking), "busy-busy", "up-sit", "off"(if they jump up on you or onto something), "down" (when you want them to lie down but they must be in the sit position first) "stay" and lastly "find the way" I think this is pretty impressive , these pups are less than 19 weeks old and they understand all of these instructions.
Hector: Yes, your right, that is a whole lot of words I have had to learn, my doggy dictionary is getting so big now I don't think I am going to be able to carry it around for much longer!!!
 That big blue divider acted as another obstacle. This is the interlude between the 2 classes. Here are some puppy walkers grabbing a coffee and catching up while others (in the background) play and talk to the dogs.
 Nikita is just checking out if anyone has anything nice to say about her!!! Most people enjoy meeting up. This is a time where we pass on tips or get ideas from each other or just offer compliments as to how big or smart or clever our dogs are becoming.
 The young pups are getting ready to go so the older dogs can have their class.  On Saturday Aidan and I went up to Petmania to buy him a larger crate with the voucher we got from Petmania the day we did the broadcast in Galway on the Breakfast with Hector Show. Now he has a deluxe sized crate that even Hector and my two girls can fit into. We gave Nikita the one we had because she had outgrown hers. Thank you so much Petmania, we are really appreciate your generosity, we are very grateful.
 This is not where a guide dog pup is meant to be, he should be asleep on the floor. Hector took himself off to the TV room quietly for a little nap!!! Hector has had a long week and was obviously tired so off he went for a little rest on his own to the TV room. We were wondering where he had disappeared to, when Aidan found him ensconced on the sofa.
Hector: Its all very well slagging me but I am working really hard and I think I deserve some down time and where better than a nice cosy sofa. Whats wrong with that?
 Hector checking out Simons tools! This has been a particularly quiet week with Hector. We were getting some work done on the house so we really didn't get out much. We were getting rid of warped draughty doors so we don't freeze next winter!!
Hector was really good when the carpenter was here. At first I dropped him to Nikita's house because I thought he would be a nuisance but I had him here all Thursday afternoon and Friday and he was very good. There was a lot of noise from the industrial sander, drill and other machinery but he was not phased by it at all. He did help to empty Simon's tool box every now and again robbing some nice chewy rawlplugs or pieces of wood but other than that he just rummaged about or slept.
Hector: Simon's toolbox was like a treasure trove! It was very exciting, pity they wouldn't let me play with it for a bit longer.
 When Hector got to see Nikita on Wednesday he discovered that he likes the water and is a natural water baby. He jumped in and out of the water puddles and plunged into some deep spots but never got nervous or afraid of the water.
Hector: This is myself and Nikita having some fun at the beach! We love to chase around after each other!
 Roundstone, a quiet fishing village in Connemara. This will be good for us because all going well he will come on holidays with us to Roundstone in the Summer where we will be on the beach every day weather permitting.
Hector: "I can't wait for Roundstone. From what i've heard it sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun. Apparently there are loads and loads of beaches for me to play on as well. I really do love to swim and play in the water."
 Getting in-touch with his feminine side Myself and Alice had a night in during mid-term break watching a movie. Hector came running in with a pink bow from a flower wrapper which he thought he could chew on. I took it off of him and within a few minutes he fell asleep. Alice thought it would be cute if we tied it to his collar for a giggle. Here is Hector having a pink moment!
Hector: Hey who put this on me when I was asleep, that was a bit cheeky!
Aidan brought him to vote on Friday evening. Not sure whether Hector had any influence over Aidan's decisions or not, who knows. Can you believe I forgot to go with them for a photo opportunity. He got a fair bit of attention while he was there. People came over to talk to him and to joke about who was going to be voting, Aidan or Hector!!
Hector: I know my politics and I won't be telling anybody who would I would have voted for if I was given a chance to put my mark on the ballot paper. This morning we popped out for a while and took a bus trip to the chemist for some medicine we needed. Hector does not mind going on the bus at all, I think he actually enjoys getting on and off the bus. most people are very curious and often stop to have a chat and ask all about puppy-walking. I am always happy to tell them about what I do and the different stages the dog goes through in their training.  A trip on the bus to go to the chemist this morning.  Hector minding the medicine bag while I paid the pharmacist. Well goodbye for this week. I wonder what we will get up to in this coming week, I promise I will try and keep my camera with me and have plenty of pictures of his trips and adventures!
Do pups look like their owners? That is a good question, maybe more to the point could Puppy's look like their Godfathers!!! If we were to take off puppy Hectors little jacket I think there is a real resemblance. Who looks like who?
Check out the link below for some that really do look alike.
The blog this week is about having more fun and not too many paparazzi moments. Therefore, last week, Hector had time to have more fun than previous weeks gone by. Well there was a little exception, we had a video photographer who was creating footage for a screensaver. We had great fun trying to get him to lick a window on the outside, while the photographer filmed him on the inside. We tried, two types of honey(he preferred the wild flower honey), golden syrup and marmalade. It took a good hour to get enough footage! We had to keep cleaning the window every few minutes, so it would not look smudged. We are waiting to hear back to see if it was successful or not. Keep your fingers crossed that it worked!
Hector: Oh boy, my tongue was worn out by the end of that filming session, but I did enjoy all the sweet goodies especially that wild flower honey, it was definitely my favourite!
Hector loves time with other dogs to play and run around in the park etc. The beginning of the week didn't fair out so well, due to the poor weather, but after a while you really have no choice but to get out and get wet because Hector needs his walk.  We got to the park and the beach this week and boy did he enjoy it, Nikita and himself had a ball. The two dogs had plenty of freedom, running through water on the beach or up and down mucky mounds in the park. They were filthy by the end of our trip to the park.
Please click on the photo gallery tab at top of page to view more photos of Hector at the beach and the park.
 Now who is chasing who?  Hector running through St Annes Park. Nikita had just got away from him and he was in hot pursuit.
 Here are the two beauties waiting patiently for a treat when we were at the pond in Saint Annes Park, last week.
 Nikita and Hector after their run in the park with their leads on, ready to go home. See how wet and mucky the two of them got, it is harder to see it on Hector as his coat is dark in colour.
 Hector trying to sneek up onto the front seat. As you can imagine, Hector travels in the car a lot with me, as I said before Hector is like my side kick so he comes most places with me. I am a fairly busy mum doing the usual running around on errands, shopping, dropping the girls to activities etc. Hector got used to traveling in the car with very few hitches, but he is inclined to try chancing his arm at sitting on the seats. Unfortunately, that is not allowed and anyway after a morning in the park running through mud you would not want him on the seats.
 This is Hector acting as my navigator!! Not sure I could trust him but he thought he was doing a good job.
Hector: What do you mean "he thought he was doing a good job", I was doing a great job, we would have been heading to Belfast had I not barked when you were about to take the wrong exit off the motorway!
Well, we are now into week three of the blog and I hope it's starting to read a little better. Not that I am looking for the Booker Prize, but my family have told me that my grammar and paragraph structure is appalling!
 Look at those quirky ears!! As you can imagine, Hector is growing in front of our eyes; he is getting taller and has at last started to fill out. He was really scrawny a few weeks ago, his ribs and hipbones were sticking out. Now, you would say he is a lean dog, but not a skinny dog. He has a really nice glossy and shiny coat, which makes him look even more handsome. His ears do this funny 'sticky out' thing. I am not sure if that’s to do with teething (apparently dogs ears can do funny things when they are teething) or his German Shepherd instinct, which would make them naturally stick up. Anyway, I think it looks cute and quirky!
 Can I get in there and help myself? Did you know, that at four months of age, puppies are right in the middle of teething and chewing can become a big issue? Around this age, puppies often have moments of hyper activity and as a result of the hyperness, they sometimes tear around the house, running on top of the furniture, practically bouncing off the walls. This is a release of their natural energy and is to be expected. It has also been observed, that puppies tend to show an immature sense of 'braveness' and may get up to things that they wouldn't have done when younger. This may be described, as the pre-adolescent stage when some puppies show more independence. Hector is guilty on both counts!
Hector: Now hang on a minute; I haven’t chewed any furniture or shoes. I chew on the things you give me for my teething. Don’t try and make me out to be a bad boy and the hyper moments, they have been rare. As pups go, I am not too bad, just look at my sweet face!
 On Wednesday, we had a really good Puppy Class. The Puppy Class included a walk in Phoenix Park, near the American Ambassadors Residence. There were 10 pups ranging from 4-10 months of age. We started out doing some exercises on dog and human distraction. The idea was, that Suzie (our Puppy Walking Supervisor) held Hector in the middle of the circle of puppies and their puppy walkers; I walked away from the circle and when she let Hector go he was to come to me, without being called or getting distracted by the other dogs and people, if possible! Suzie let Hector go and much to my surprise and pride of course, Hector came straight to me. What a good boy! Each owner and pup had a turn. All of the dogs did very well at this exercise.
After our Class, we went for a lovely walk and a free run around the back of the American Ambassadors Residence. We walked through some wooded area where there were some very young nettles. Unfortunately, Hector and Nikita’s paws are young and sensitive and they got stung on their pads. Ouch! They both whimpered and licked their paws on the way home in the car, but once home and much to our relief, they were fine.
Hector: Oh poor us, those nettles were so stingy, but Michele rubbed some nice soothing gel on which helped.
The park was so much fun!!! It was great to hang out with some of the older dogs. Big dogs are so cool! Hpwever, sometimes they get fed up with us little guys and say we are a bit of a nuisance. They just don’t remember how much fun it is to be really young and learning new tricks and stuff! Older pups can be too big for their own boots from time to time. However, it was good being with them!
 Here is Nikita posing for the camera at the end of our walk, isn't she sweet?  Friday, was Hector's moment to try out Politics. I'm not sure that he is going to pursue that line of work, but it was a great experience. Hector and 8 month old Chenna (Puppy Walked by Marguerite) met up with Eamon Gilmore, Head of the Labour Party, at Paddy Powers Bookmakers on Baggot Street. Paddy Powers have chosen the Irish Guide Dogs as their charity for 2011. They hope to raise a few thousand euros from the Election Campaign alone!
It was quite an ordeal for the puppies because they were caught between the politician, his handlers, journalists and photographers. There was lots of photos taken and instructions being given to Eamon Gilmore, about what was the best pose with the dogs, from the photographers, and questions from the journalists. The best comments were: “Well Eamon, is this a three-way debate we have here” and “Who are the other dogs?”
Needless to say, after that session Hector curled up in his bed, banished all thoughts of a Political career and had a big snooze dreaming of running free in the fields!
Hector: Oh my Goodness, who would have thought that all this paparazzi stuff was such hard work? I think I'd like to just have a quiet afternoon now, thanks very much.
 Chenna and Hector with Eamon Gilmore at Paddy Powers On Sunday, we went to my nephew's baptism. Hector came to the church, where he tried to upstage the baby, by doing small little whimpers and noisy yawns. I don’t think anyone really noticed us, well I hope not! Fortunately, he was not that loud and the baby got to be the center of attention for the day. After the church, we went for a celebratory drink and lunch. Hector also had his lunch (his dog food that is) and afterwards he relaxed amongst the guests in front of the fire for most of the afternoon. It truly is a dog’s life!
Hector: Last week was so busy, I hope we can chill out this week. I am only 16 weeks old and I do need some down time. I wouldn’t mind a nice walk/play on the beach or go see Nikita. Hope your catching all this Michele!
 Hector 7th February 2011 Welcome back to Hector's blog. We got really good feedback from the first blog. Thank you so much for following it!
This week Hector is 16 weeks old and almost 20kgs in weight. He just went down from 4 feeds a day to 3 feeds a day. As he is getting older, he is getting longer walks which he is happy to go on, he actually enjoys the walks now! He is teething at the moment, you can see the new teeth coming through. This is causing him to chew a lot, so we give him plenty of things to chew on like hard chew toys and chew sticks. If we didn't he would eat the furniture and shoes etc. All in all he is making good progress.  This is Hector sitting and waiting. I wrote a lot last week so I didn’t get a chance to tell you about the Puppy Class from the week before. So let me tell you about it now:
Classes are normally divided into 2 sessions. The first group is for pups up to 5 months. The second is a group for pups between 5 and 12 months. There is an overlap to allow the younger dogs to greet, meet and play with the older dogs.
At our Puppy Class, we had 5 pups - Hector, Nikita, Hector's sister and two more Golden Retriever‐German Shepherd cross pups that were 9 weeks old; who are adorable, big balls of black fur.
In the Class, we worked on getting the pups to sit and wait while we walked away and then back to them. We always reward their patience when done. The next thing we worked on was recall. Suzie, our Irish Guide Dogs Puppy Walking Supervisor, held a pup at one end of the room while the owner walked to the other end. Then our pups had to follow us and ignore all the other dogs who were gathered together.
Hector: Well, I hope you are all suitably impressed. See I am not even looking at all the other pups. I will do anything for a treat!
 After that exercise, the older boy and girl pups arrived and there was time for us to have a cup of coffee and chat, swap information and tips.
 Here is Hector meeting his sister at Puppy class Hector: I have to admit my sister is very clever and really well behaved.
See how she is sitting and waiting and how impatient I am, because I just wanted to go and play.
 Oh my poor tummy!!!! At lunchtime on Thursday, Hector would not eat his food and was drinking excessively. He walked away from his lunch and got into his bed. It was then that I noticed his stomach was really distended. I brought him to our vet Denis Shannon to have him checked out.
Denis said he looked like he had gorged on something, what? I don’t know. He advised me to observe him closely, give him small amounts to eat and to call anytime if he became distressed. What a great vet!
Fortunately for us after 24 hours, he was ok but I had plenty of 'you know what' to pick up in the garden the next day. The joys of Puppy Walking!!!
Hector: Oh my goodness, I really and truly felt awful. I won't tell you what I ate , but I certainly will never do that again. It was definitely not worth it.
Due to Hector's tummy incident on Thursday we decided to take it easy on Friday. We had a very relaxing morning and then Suzie, our P.W. Supervisor, called at lunch time to give us some more special diet food. This is not that much different to the other food we were on but it is what they call raw food. Apparently, this is also very good for dogs with sensitive stomachs which we now know Hector has.
Tuesday, 8 February:
Today I brought Hector into town. We went and visited the restaurant staff upstairs in Avoca on Suffolk Street. The staff in Avoca have always had time for my Guide Dog pups, they are really nice and very welcoming. He sat under the table and sniffed at all the crumbs for the first few minutes and then he just settled down and slept, while I had a quick cup of tea.
We walked up and down all the stairs in Avoca. Hector took some of the stairs a bit cautiously, but didn't try to go too quickly. He was also very well behaved in the restaurant. These are all big achievements for a young pup like Hector.
I then walked up Grafton Street and went in to the bank to do a lodgment. There were a couple of Managers, who were so nice and really curious about Hector and his training. After the bank, we headed back to the car park and used the elevator, which was another new experience for him. He sat calmly in the lift and did not get distressed when the doors closed or the lift moved. This was a successful day out!
Hector: For such a young guy I found this all a little difficult, but nothing to be too scared about. It is tiring, so as soon as we got home and after my lunch I caught up on some beauty sleep.
Well goodbye till next week. I plan to get some photos at Molly Malone statue at the bottom of Grafton Street and The Spire on O'Connell Street to send to Hector's 'Godfather' Hector Ó hEochagáin in Galway.
I keep forgetting to bring my camera with me. I will remedy this as soon as possible.
Take care, Michele
 Hector, 27th January 2011 Welcome to my very 1st blog! I hope you will follow us to see what we get up to, track our progress and check out all the people we meet and places we go.
Hector arrived on the 14th of December. He was just 8 weeks old and weighed just under 6kgs. His mother is a German Shepherd named Pippa and his father is a Golden Retriever named Lewis. They call this mix 'Golden-Shepherd'. He travelled up from Cork with some of his other siblings and a few other pups from a different litter. Along with Hector I also received a bag of collars, leads, grooming materials, his medical card with instructions for his vaccines and his flea and worm treatments. Along with all of that was his dog crate and puppy food. We were all set up and ready to go.
 We have had a very busy few weeks with Hector since he arrived. He is cute, adorable, fun and energetic and quite a smart fellow too. We have been to Galway in that snow blizzard the Friday before Christmas Eve to do a radio interview with the very popular Hector O'hEochagain. We had a blast there, meeting all the crew from the station, we did the interview, which was a whirlwind to me. It all happened so fast! I was a little nervous leading up to the interview, but in the end, it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was over in a matter of seconds and the 2FM Crew are a great bunch of people. Of course, young Hector who was only 8 weeks old at the time I think he did really well. He did have a few whimpers but held it together really well. There were then what seemed like hundreds of photos taken at the studio and down by the Spanish Arch in the freezing cold. He was a bit overwhelmed but with lots of cuddles and a nice warm blanket he was fine. Hector and Hector made the National papers the next day.
Hector: I thought I was really photogenic and the girls from AA Road watch really fancied me. Not sure about that fellow Hector though he just might get in my way with the ladies!!
After that it was straight into Christmas and basic training. We taught Hector some basic commands like sit, wait, come, busy-busy for toilet training, and got him used to the sound of the whistle at feeding time (the whistle is an essential tool in further training).
Hector: I have to say I thought I was a bit of a wizard at that toilet training, even though I say so myself, only 2 night time accidents since I arrived and and not one pooh accident, how amazing is that. I know your all jealous now and want me instead of your own dog.
Two weeks after Christmas Hector got a tummy bug and had to go on a special food and antibiotics. Since then he has been okay but he has to stay on what looks like rabbit food for a bit longer. Fortunately he loves his grub and he gobbles down the lot, he is obviously not too fussy.
Hector: Thats what they think, the food, it's just okay, a nice juicy steak would go down a whole lot better.
He has also learned to walk on the lead. In the beginning he was not great, sitting down and looking to go back home. Patience, some treats and perseverance have paid off. He doesn't stop quite so much now. This morning we went for a walk and a ride on a bus. That was really tiring so he went for a snooze.
 Hector having a snooze in his cosy dog crate after our walk and bus ride this morning
 Nikita and Hector chilling out. Just after Christmas Hector got a new friend, Nikita. She is a week younger than Hector and is a labrador-retriever cross. She also is a guide dog pup. She like most women has the upper hand and is now the "boss".
They have met a number of times and have had great fun together.
 On Friday the 21st of January we got an invitation for volunteers to go into the Mansion House to meet the Lord Mayor. This was really nice with lots of well known faces and some new. Everyone had their pups or working dogs with them.
There were photos taken with Clive the Assistance dog and Hector with the LOrd Mayor as seen here. We also got to meet one of the very first Assistance Dogs "Bibo"in the country.
Hector was really well behaved but I know it was because he was exhausted having spent the whole afternoon with Nikita.
Hector: What! Do you think I am not a good dog all the time. I really loved the Mayors big chains, I sooo wanted to grab them and run. Look at me I look like butter wouldn't melt in my mouth!!!
Tomorrow we are going to puppy class. This is normally good fun and very tiring. So many pups to play with plus some work to get done, I am not sure what we will be doing but it is always interesting. You also get to meet other P.W.'s and swap information and get to sort out problems you might be having with your pup. Then we just might go for a coffee in the local coffee shop with Nikita and her Mummy.
Hector: I am going to meet my sister at puppy class, she was at the last one and I am sure the infamous Nikita will be here also to boss me around!!
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