What Do YOU Think?

I want suggestions! Suggestions for "Miraculous Journey!
What kind of things to you want to hear? What type of posts do you like? More photos? Anything that I'm missing? More about Dembre or more about puppy raising in general? Are there any ways you think I can touch up my blog?
I'm asking because I know that when people read blogs most of the time they have opinions! Though this blog is my blog about puppy raising I want it to be a blog made exciting by our readers. If you can think of any improvements please comment on this post so I can hear your thoughts and make Miraculous Journey better! 
There are a lot of aspects to puppy raising and the life of a puppy raiser. This blog will remain mainly focused on puppy raising and related topics, but I still like to add in a little glimpse of my everyday life and more thoughts and questions about the deeper aspects of puppy raising. To some puppy raising might just be training a dog, but to me it's serving others by doing something that I love and learning about giving your heart to something and then letting go!

~Elijah & Dembre

ONE YEAR of Puppy Raising

Really? Truly? Is it possible?
Yep, I've been puppy raising for ONE YEAR!!! On May 28th, 2010 at 3:30 PM I went to Canine Companions for Independence to pick up my very first puppy.
I remember waking up a year ago with my heart pounding and my joy overflowing. I was getting my new puppy. On that day my grandfather and dad were working with a backhoe to get some work done around the house. I helped some just to keep myself from dying with excitement. We went out to lunch and I could hardly sit still. I was waiting to leave! Before going to CCI my mom, brother, and I went shopping. I was on the edge of my seat! I WAS GETTING MY DREAM! It had been a few weeks since we had put in our application and six days since we had been approved. For the week before getting Dembre I imagined, and prayed, and read the CCI manual, and thought about what I was about to start! I'm happy I had some time to think, because now I realize that, though puppy raising isn't my life, it's a big part of it and it's now a part of me. I get to serve others by raising dogs. I get to take my puppy with me everywhere. I get to train and I get to meet new people!!!! I walked into CCI and met Suzanne, the lady in charge of the puppy program. We signed a contract, looked through some other papers, asked some questions and then we got to meet Dembre!!!! It was one of the best days of my life!!! Even long after Dembre is gone I will remember MAY 28th as a day of joy!!!

one year ago today :D

Dembre and I few weeks ago

Now a year later I only have a few more precious months with Dembre and then I'll start this miraculous journey all over again with puppy number two! How can one little puppy make such an impact? I think it's the fact that putting all the love and energy that you have into something that isn't yours really makes you think. It makes you think about someone other than yourself and think about doing something to benefit someone other than yourself! It's pretty AMAZING!
I hope to do it again and again and again!!!!!
As some people say puppy raising isn't something you do, it's a lifestyle. I pretty much agree with that. My first and foremost lifestyle is being a follower of Jesus Christ, but there are other things God has given me to put my life in to. Puppy raising is one of them!

~Elijah & Dembre

Puppy Raiser Blogs {please read}

I just got home from a wonderful vacation in beautiful South Carolina! We spent lots of time at the beach! We got to visit a plantation and experience downtown Charleston! Dembre went to my friend, Marty. My pet dog went to another friend to hang out with their Golden. It was great after having so much rain here in Ohio! We arrived home today and just got Dembre a few hours ago! He got a good report :)

Now to the subject. I was thinking about PR blogs! I'll say one thing, there are quite a few of them. I'm always finding more! I love it! Even though, most of you I've never met and probably won't meet, it's still really awesome, because we all have something in common. I often find more than one thing in common with other puppy raisers. Sometimes they're Christians, sometimes they're home schooled, sometimes they like the same music, or know some of the same people. It's really cool! I know a lot of people in person. Lots of them, but it's really amazing to expand your horizons by talking with people across the world about things that you have in common with them :D. I also love other blogs. I read friend's blogs and I read other everyday life blogs.

Before I actually asked my parent's if they would let me puppy raise I researched. I googled CCI. I got on CCI websites, articles, and then I found it... my first PR blog.The Tails of a CCI Puppy. When I started reading Lauren (CCI PR) had a Golden Retriever named Nuri! I read the blog, eating up everything that Lauren wrote about puppy raising. Nuri turned-in and then got released. Lauren got a pup named Bright II. I kept reading. I highly suggest that you stop by and follow this wonderful blog that inspired me as I put in my application, and waited for a puppy. Through that blog I found another wonderful blog. At that time it was called Raising Miracles .(now called New Miracles) I was excited to find out that Madison, a fellow CCI puppy raiser, was raising in my region of CCI! I read both of those blogs. Then I got Dembre. I decided to start my own blog. Somewhere in there I discovered about 100 other puppy raisers blogs and I still read them as often as I can. Madison is now going to college and isn't currently raising a pup, but I'd still suggest that you all stop by and follow her wonderful blog. (also Madison designed my blog header). I haven't met either of these puppy raisers, but they have inspired me very much! If you're not a dog person it really doesn't always matter. PUPPY RAISER BLOGS ARE NEVER ONLY ABOUT DOGS. THEY'RE ABOUT DOGS AND THE LIVES THEY CHANGE. I KNOW THAT ANIMALS ISN'T EVERYBODY'S PASSION, BUT HELPING OTHER PEOPLE SHOULD BE! Some puppy blogs talk about their dogs almost all the time, but many of them let you see into the life of someone who wants to help other people. I encourage you to follow a puppy blog if you don't already and see if, even though dogs and dog talk might not be your thing, you can still relate to the puppy raiser.

~Sorry for the length
Elijah & Dembre
P.S. you can see more puppy raiser blogs on the side of my blog. If you click on my profile you should see the other blogs that I follow :)

The Emotions of a Puppy Raiser

I know that for some people the close bond between man and animal is hard to comprehend. To some a dog is a dog and there's nothing special about them. Someone asked why people need service dogs when there's so much technology. I responded by saying that its having a helping hand that cares that makes the difference. Dogs are very special and humans are able to bond with them.

As a puppy raiser there's a whole lot of great joy. There's getting your puppy, watching your puppy grow, funny moments, moments of pure bliss. With the joy comes pain. There's giving the puppy up, and many times seeing them released. There's always adventure. You explore the world through new eyes. Every time you go to the grocery store you begin to think of what you can do to make picking up food into a training session. It's really amazing. Sometimes there's difficulty and there are always memories made.

Some people don't understand the pain of giving up the dog you raised. After all it's only a dog. Dog people will be dog people. I'm sure that God has given us animals for friends, because they don't see as much of our faults and dedicate themselves to us fully!

~Elijah & Dembre

May Graduation

A pic of my little sister with Dembre :D

I enjoyed my time at the CCI graduation on Friday! I got to watch my good PR friend turn-in one of my favorite dogs. I also got to see quite a few of my friend's dogs graduate. I also got to go back to the center to watch all the dogs actually turn-in! It was sad and happy! It prepares me for August. I was surprised about how laid back it was. Of course it was hard to give them back, but it was much more casual than I thought. You take a couple of goodbye pictures, talk to your dogs trainer, hand over your dogs info, and put your pup in the kennel. I doesn't make it unemotional, but it makes it less stressful.

A Message from Dembre (forward by Elijah)

Forward: Dembre has written on his blog once before to make sure that his fans know that he approves of me talking about him. He has decided to write you another letter to all of you.

Dear Friends,
I was, of course, thrilled to know that people from all over read what I'm doing. I love to play, and work, and cuddle, and play. Usually Elijah (My raiser) is very nice and pets me, but sometimes I'm chewing on something or running around having fun and he tells me to stop. That makes me upset. I like to make people happy. I really do listen well. I know sit, down, roll, shake, let's go, kennel, dress, up, jump, turn, heel, side, and lots of other tricks. Elijah says that they'll help me help someone else, but for now I just need to learn my manners. I get to go to restaurants, stores, and I even get to go to the movies. Lots of people think I'm a baby or something and talk to me like I'm cute, but I'm really quite handsome. Elijah made a fun video of me doing some commands. I like to show off.

lots of licks,
Dembre
P.S. We'll post the video soon

13 Months Photoshoot :D

13 things for 13 months

Dembre is turning 13 months tomorrow. Can you believe it? He's grown up so fast and I still don't know where the time has gone. Soon we are going on vacation and after we get back I'll only have about 3 months left with him. It hurts to think that in August Dembre leaves and then there will be about 6 months of waiting to find out if he's going to become a service dog. If he passes every test and learns every command then comes graduation :D In the midst of turn-in and training there will be another puppy in my home and another chance at handing over an amazing dog to an amazing man, woman, or child with a disability.

you've got to admit that he's a handsome boy :D

1. Dembre is so grown up. We went shopping this morning and he trotted along like a perfect dog. He got a little nervous once, but I am so proud to see him progressing
2. I only have 2 more commands that need to be fully installed in his mind. He isn't very good at stand so I need to really work on that. And I just introduced "Out", which tells Dembre to go out of a door. It feels weird. He knows way more than he doesn't know
3. No matter how I try to not admit it. I only have 3 more months with my wonderful puppy. During the next 3 months we have a lot of work to do. Places to visit; sights to see, commands to work on, all this to make a well rounded dog.
4. Dembre has learned to communicate very well. He listens well. He reads me like a book.
5. We have been enjoying a lot of time outside in the nice Spring weather.  It has been really fun taking him out on long line
6. Dembre loves playing with Pepin (pet dog). They get along great. He also likes the baby goats.
7. I think that with his personality Dembre has a good chance of passing, but a lot of puppy raisers think that their puppies will make it and they don't. I know that there's a large chance that he won't pass, but I hope he does
8. Even though he is over a year old Dembre still likes to be goofy when he's not in public or sleeping or in a training session. I hope that doesn't get him released.
9. I think that Dembre will be ready to turn-in in August. He needs me right now, but by the time August comes around he'll be ready for AT.
10. In public Dembre is still impressive. My PR friends and I have noticed that he gets a little nervous and stressed in public sometimes, but he still responds to commands quickly and doesn't try to avoid things directly.
11. When we first got Dembre my mom thought that he was calm. That is partially true. He is not usually a goof ball, but he can be. 
12. Dembre loves his life. He doesn't let much of anything get him down. I love that about him.
13. Now that Dembre is 13 months I expect a lot of him, but he still is given room for fun and games. He spends a lot of his life in a "down" and doesn't always no what to do with himself when he's not in a command. He's come a long way from when he was a little puppy, but I still have work cut out for me :D

~Elijah & Dembre