Rest, Relaxation, & Let the Fur Fly!

Dad,

,

Well, it's been a busy few weeks here in southern California but now that things have settled down a bit I thought I'd catch up with you.Christmas was good and I got a Nylabone that I'm sharing with Sayer. It's almost destroyed already but I know I'll get another one if I just ask. I did have a bit of excitement on Christmas eve when some guy tried sneaknig into the house about midnight. I gave him a dirty look, a couple of sniffs and a licking and that scared him off.

You should have seen the soot fly as he scampered back up the chimney. Last I saw was a bunch of reindeer with a sleigh moving on to try to burglarize somebody elses house. I'm sure he won't try to come back. What a jerk.I just sent a couple pictures of an airplane ride we took last week. It sure is fun to get to go places again. We landed at a nearby airport called Cable airport and had lunch, then went to full up the airplane with gas and then flew back home.

Gary is back to teaching college classes again so I am in charge of the house a few hours in the morning till him and Sayer get home. Then I get to play hard for a while and boy does the fur fly! Vicki gets mad when she comes home and has to vacuum it all up but she doesn't really blame me because she knows I can't help it. It seems to me that with all that hair they could just add water and start growning another lab with it....what do you think? It would be a clone of me.I also sent a picture of me guarding their bed. The house rule here is that no dogs are supposed to be on the bed so I figured I'd be ready to chase any dogs away should they try to jump up. So far I've done pretty well and it sure is soft up there.

Gary has been planting lots of stuff in his back yard. So far he's brought in several heads of lettuce, and some broccoli. He has some zuccini, carrots, strawberries, okra, tomato, and beans growing but their not ready to pick. Besides that he's got some sunflowers, daffodils, iris, and other stuff I don't know growing. It's going to be about 83 degrees this weekend so he is excited to see his efforts multiply and grow. Say, has the snow melted there in Denver yet?Well, Sayer needs some attention so I'll sign off and go give him some. It's almost time for Vicki to come home and there isn't enough hair on the floor yet for her to vacuum up. I'll fix that problem for sure, even though Gary combed about a quart of black fur out of me this morning! He says I have about as much black hair as that Governor from Illinois that they impeached this morning.Would you send me some more pictures of Parka?

Maybe some frontal views and a few wide shots showing her entire side. Only please don't let Princess Coral know you're sending them....I think she gets jealous of me but I am handsome and I want to keep my black book up to date.Say hi to YOM and Grandma and of course Cuzzie and Parka.Till later,

Love, licks and belly rubs from Zane

Zane Train Goes Home!

Attention All Supporters of the Zane Train,

Zane has been retired from guide work, but God's blessings have created a return to his puppy raiser home. There is much love and affection for him there and Zane will make a powerful difference for all the people that he is going to meet and cheer up and spread his puppy love. See below.

Richard and Claudia,

I just got the call from Rick Wilcox, our southern California advisor for GDB asking if we want Zane back or if we'd want him to go into the "Buddy" program where he would be adopted by a person less than 18 years old that will eventually need a guide. I told him that it was your wish and our desire to have him back with us as soon as possible and that's what was decided. Now we need to figure out transportation for him....we could either drive up and get him this weekend or wait till the 24th when the Puppy Truck makes a regular run to Arizona via our city. We could pick him up then. I'll talk to the girls and decide.

We're so excited to see him again. His future is now set and there will be no more major change of scenery for him. He will have a safe, stable and enriching environment with us although he won't have the social status he once had!

We'll let you know what we decide to do as far as his transportation back to his "first family".

PS: Rick knows the trainer that worked with Zane and spoke highly of him. He had no more insight into his condition than you already gave me..in fact less. Rick's job is mainly to decide placement for Zane and he is coordinating his efforts with the puppy placement office at GDB.

Gary


That's great! I know he will love being back with all the LOVE that you
guys will give him.
I couldn't be happier for him.

Thanks for the best wishes. Onward and upward. Richards! www.RacetoCureBlindness.org

I'm sure you'll get a retrain approval. I don't envy you having
to go through another physical but I'm sure you'll do well at that too.
And we know you feel comforted that Zane will be back with us. It's the
next-best-place for him for sure. How he can settle down to a life of
relaxation.... and plenty of food for little work (is he a registered
Democrat?). He won't have to worry about any more significant life style
changes, new people to get used to, the stress of working, and all the
expectations one has of a guide dog. He has certainly changed our lives and
yours too, so he has made a good mark on this world. Without him we
wouldn't have been introduced to the Faubions and the Foundation for
Fighting Blindness. We'll do our best to put him to useful service as he
again gets used to the sunny Southern California climate and lifestyle. He
will get to go with me on most of my job-site investigations and all the
drillers, geologists, neighbors and clients I work with already know and love
him too. I hope he won't miss the snow too much! I've alerted the
girls to hide all their socks and Vicki has the vacuum cleaner all shined up and
ready to go (black hair)!

We certainly will keep you posted on each and every development as it pertains
to Zane's return to us. And clear out your inbox to make way for numerous
photos of him!

Gary

What a great sequence of events. Zane will be home soon!

Hugs and kisses all around, Richard

Zane returns to San Rafael

Good morning fellow handlers,

Zane is not here to write about this new development in his life. Therefore, this is Richard, with a very heavy heart and a very SAD disposition, bringing Zane's fans up to date.

I flew with Zane on Tuesday, 9/16, to San Francisco to return Zane to GDB so he could be rehabilitated. Zane has not been working in harness, in fact, flat refusing to work. Therefore, I had to use my white cane as I healed Zane through the airport to meet the volunteer for his return to San Rafael.

It was a very difficult moment when I finally had to turn the leash over to the volunteer. I cried my eyes out as Zane gave me BIG LICKS and hugs, but this had to be done so that he could be restored to his normal self and returned to me ASAP.

What happened? On 9/3, while visiting the park where the Colorado VisionWalk will be held on Sept. 27, Zane and I were startled by a big dog. I'm not sure if that is exactly when it happened, but I noticed that he started working faster than normal and not responding to commands as he normally does. He worked erratically after that moment, in fact, sitting down and not wanting to work at all.

A former GDB instructor who lives in the Denver area, came out the next week to work with us and Zane would not work in harness. Therefore, it was decided that he had to be returned to San Rafael for rehabilitation.

Master Instructor, Brenda Schafer, is now in charge of rehabilitating him. Paolo will be giving me weekly updates on Fridays and this past Friday only had a short report because Brenda had worked with him for only one time. Zane was nervous and lacked confidence in harness. There are many factors that they could attribute to this, but let's pray that it is the change of scenery and handler.

Next Friday will be a critical report to see how well he has recovered. I ask everyone to pray for a quick recovery and restoration to his normal self and be returned right away to Denver and ME. His entire family mises him, including Claudia, Grandma and Cuzzie!

I know yesterday that I wanted to call Zane on my cell phone to see how he is doing. It's tough not being able to communicate, hug, kiss and love up Zane.

Wishing Zane much positive energy and restoration,

Love, Richard

ZTC1: From Puppy Days to College Daze!

Fellow Freshmen Collegiates,

As I sat inside that cage, I was really perplexed. I had been having the time of my life. Now, I was sitting inside a truck, feeling like a caged lion whose freedom had just been taken away.

Where was I going? Why did Gary and Vicki put me on this truck? I did not want to leave them. Have I done something wrong? All of these questions and no answers.

Gary was crying. Why was he sad? I was the one that was sad. Was I never to return? Oh, the pain I felt in my heart. I just laid my head down in the cage and cried myself to sleep. Gary called it the "puppy truck" and said we were heading back to San Rafael, where I was born.

San Rafael, where is that? Will I be going to stay with a new family? Why did Gary and Vicki get rid of me?

That was certainly the saddest day of my life.

As we approached San Rafael, I started hearing the sounds of lots of dogs barking. I seemed to remember this sound. Could I have been here before?

My heart started pounding, my tail started wagging, and I was feeling a sense of exhilaration and excitement.

Oh gosh, is this where I was born? Maybe Zippy and Zeus would be here.

Then we turned into the campus and I knew what Gary had been talking about. This must be college!

I saw the sign at the entrance, "Guide Dogs for the Blind." It was then I realized that I would be starting a whole new adventure in my life.

As we unloaded from the truck, the person who put a leash on me was a "Canine Welfare Technician (CWT)." Welfare? Is this some government program?

I found out later as I listened inside my kennel cage that it was the job of the CWT to help make sure all the returning dogs get what they need: attention, kennel enrichment, play time, etc.

How could anyone give me as much attention as Gary did? Gary took me everywhere in his Jeep. I felt like I was part of the upholstery.

The CWTs were actually a lot of fun and took us into a big area to play, to run and chase Kongs and rubber rings. It seemed like we were playing all the time!

My eyes lit up as I thought about all the other dogs that were there to play with. I really enjoyed stealing things from Marcel, but now I could fight for the dog toys with all my fellow freshman. This was really going to be fun and maybe not such a bad change after all.

I knew that I would never forget the great time that I had with the Johnpeers, but now I was at college, enjoying my freshman days of getting to know the campus, all the instructors and CWTs that had been making such a fuss over me. I was really feeling special.

My new kennel home was a very stimulating environment, with lots of noise and dogs everywhere. Zippy and Zeus were there, too, and I got to play with them!

But I kept wondering: what's next for me? My mind was all a whirl. Oh well, it was time to eat. Yummy.

Rah! Rah! Sis Boom Bah! Hey, do I get a freshman beanie?!

Zane

"Sense-Abilities" From White Cane to The Zane Train!

Good morning all,

This will be kinda fun and different. I have heard a lot of stories about Dad and his vision loss that I want to tell you about.

Dad was sharing about what it's been like going blind slowly and all the adjustments he has had to make in his life over the years.

It brought a tear to my eyes as I listened, but guess what? He would not need me if these things had not been happening to him. I get to brighten up his life and bring him independence and freedom. That makes me pretty special!

This series of stories are what I head him say about his changing "senses," what it's been like learning about vision loss . . . going from his old way of getting around with a white cane to what it's been like now that he has the Zane Train . . . about his ability to cope and experience these changes . . . about his "sense-abilities."

I’m starting to feel like I am really making a contribution to my partner. As chief engineer of the Zane Train, I am always watching out for bumps along the road including cars, trucks and buses.

Richard now gets to enjoy the scenery, what little of it he can still see. He gets to enjoy the sounds of the city, the smells of the roses and - is able to be more present to the world around him . . . not worrying about bumping into things or getting hurt.

Wow! I provide that! It gives me such a sense of pride to know that all of the extensive training I got at college was for this!

Dad says, “Walking has become an entirely new experience. While on board the Zane Train, I can just sit back and enjoy the ride.”

He also says that he now has much less stress than he had when walking with his white cane. (See the picture above of Dad walking to work before I arrived.)

He says that he has much less concern about what is going on around him. Though he still needs to stay alert, the ride is so much smoother.

The Zane Train pretty much put the white cane into moth balls. Dad says it's a whole new world using a guide dog versus using a white cane, which he did for 15 years.

What was a really big deal was for him to make the choice to give up the cane and get a guide dog. Boy, is he glad he did!

So hop on board the Zane Train as we learn more about Dad's loss of vision, all the challenges he faced and how he has coped with it.

If you have had similar experiences, please share them!

Revving up the engine and toot, toot - Zane Train is one the move!

Lots of Licks,

Zane

Zane Train Part 7: One Year Under My Fur

Happy Birthday!

On February 23, 2007, I became one year old. I was getting very used to my routine. I had grown a lot and now, as a 60-pound dog, I had outgrown a couple of Gary’s old cars. I weigh 65 1/2 pounds today, at 2-1/2 years old, so I'm still a lean and mean loving machine!

I could no longer fit into Gary's 1928 Model A Ford. Dad even got to drive that old car around the neighborhood. Amazing!

Even the front floor of the old Jeep that Gary uses so much was getting hard for me to get into but with some wiggling and adjusting, I still could. Today Mom's Subaru, she put a nice pillow on the floor that really gives me a comfy ride for long trips.

On weekends, I usually road around in the old Cadillac. In early Spring, I got to go to a “Fun Day” at Disney Adventure in Anaheim. There were about 75 other guide dog puppies there and it was a time for me to be compared to them. Can you believe people get so nutzo over a Mouse?! I know a cat that would love that mouse.

Overall, I did well, but I did eat some scraps off the floor at a restaurant where we were being observed by a dog trainer. There were a number of other exercises that day and I did well at most. Gary’s greatest wish was that I succeed in my training after I am recalled sometime in the summer of 2007.

I'm one year old now and really getting my wheels under me. It won't be long before I will be going to "college." I now know that all the training and exercises that Gary put me through was well worth it.

I really want to thank the Johnpeers for their dedication and support. Everyone who does puppy raising knows how important it is. But do you understand HOW important?

Maintaining the tough discipline that really kept me, a wild Black Lab, under control and well-behaved, was extremely important. Some people may have thought they were being TOO TOUGH, but that's not true.

I need to listen to my partner when he barks out a command and respond appropriately. I may even have to "disobey" them to keep my partner safe. I can do that because I am SO well trained by my puppy raisers.

Thanks again Gary and Vicki for providing insights from the days I spent with you. Thanks for making me such a well-disciplined and effective guide dog.

Now back to the birthday cake. Yum, banana cake, don't tell anyone!

Zane,

Chief Engineer of the Zane Train

Zane Train Part 6: Career Change in the Air

Good morning canines,

It is summer in Colorado right now and the cool nights are just great. Back in the Fall of 2006, I was adjusting to a time of change.

The leaves were starting to change colors and by then I was in a regular pattern of socialization and began to realize I was somehow different than the other “pet” dogs at the house.

That's when I found out that Marcel, my black lab buddy, was a “career change” dog. Does this mean that there is a “career” for me?

I began to sense that there was something else being planned for me. My puppy raiser family, even though clearly in love with me, seems to be preparing me for something other than living with them for the rest of my life.

In late autumn, while leaving a department store with Vicki and Gary, we met a man and lady in the parking lot. The man had a large black Lab dog with him and he could not see at all. His name was Alex. His dog's was named Rocca, and he was a working guide dog for the blind.

Alex was very friendly to me and a half-hour-long conversation followed. During that conversation, I observed that Rocca was more interested in Alex than in playing with me.

I couldn’t understand that at first. How could another dog prefer a person to a fellow puppy?! Rocca’s interest was totally focused on the needs of Alex. Was this the plan for me?

Gary later told Gwenn, the puppy raiser group leader, about his meeting with Alex and Rocca. Gwenn knew Alex from her work with the Guide Dogs for the Blind school many years before and asked Gary to see if Alex would attend one of our bi-weekly puppy club meetings.

Alex agreed and one day, we picked up Alex and Rocca at their house in Berea. Gary took the old Cadillac convertible that day. (I LOVE that car! Lots of puppy room on the floor and such a pretty shade of blue.)

Alex enjoyed looking at it, but I noticed that his way of looking was different than mine. He ran his hand all along the side of the car, along the front where he saw the headlights and large bumper.

He than felt the interior fabric and finally got inside with his dog. I let Alex and Rocca sit in the front that day, where I usually ride. Alex reminded Gary of his mother, Nanny, who is also blind. I could tell right away that he liked and respected Alex a lot.

We had a great meeting that day at a park, where the sun was warm, and Alex gave stories about his life with his guide dog, Rocca.

That day, I learned more about my new career of being a guide dog like Rocca. Gosh, that looks like a lot of work!

It is a lot of work, but that's what I do - provide vision for Dad and show him the way. And hey, I do get time off and Dad plays with me a LOT!

It's great to know that my eyes can make such a difference.

Big licks and belly rubs,

Zane

Zane Train Part 4: Field Trips & College Classes

Happy 4th of July weekend,

I know I'm a little late with this wish, but Mom & Dad took me out of town to the mountains and with no internet, I could not share any more of my puppy raising experiences.

But I'm back now, so Happy 4th of July weekend! I even attended a fireworks extravaganza in Idaho Springs and it was awesome! I slept through most of it, but everyone else was yelling and screaming, ooohing and ahhhhing, so it must have been good.

Mom says the MOST exciting part was when they set the woods on fire - we never heard any more about that on the news, so we think that the Idaho Springs Fire Company was able to put it out before the forest went up in smoke.

When I was about 5 months old, Gary took me to his work for the first time. His work is a strange mix of what he calls “geologic investigation” mixed with a bunch of office work that he does right at home. He also takes me to classes that he teaches at several nearby colleges. But I really enjoyed the field work the best.

It was fun to ride in his Jeep (one of his five cars) on the freeways and back roads. I feel pretty special because none of the other dogs get to go with us. The equipment operators in the field liked me a lot and took time now and then to pet me. Gary won’t let them give me any treats, but he did let them love me up.(See the picture above - Gary & I are on site and on the job! "Macho, Macho Men!")

At the college classes, I must lie quietly while he lectures. I'm not saying he was boring, but I did get plenty of sleep. . . . zzzzzzzzzz.

Fortunately, Gary brought me a throw-rug to sleep on since most of the campus floors are hard and cold and his classes last about three hours.

I liked being with Gary while he taught, but I must admit this geologic stuff is boring to a dog! He gave me short walks during breaks in the class so I could go outside, check some p-mail, and do my business. He was so proud that I never had an “accident” in class.

Oops, I just remembered a story. One time, I threw up a bunch of food under a student’s chair, the night Gary showed a video, shot from an airplane, about the Grand Canyon. Well, can you blame me? That’s a mighty big rut in the road and that plane ride made me sick!

I soon settled into a routine of getting fed and walked each morning and getting a ride either to a college or to a field location where Gary would study lots of dirt and rocks. I thought only dogs liked checking p-mail?

Days are sometimes long with plenty of visits to drive through restaurants, car parts stores (got to keep his old cars running), grocery stores and more. I go everywhere with him.

I got to go to Cal Poly Pomona one day with the youngest daughter, Kim. Her professor had a guide dog that experienced a career change. That means they will lead a different path than being a guide dog. The professor still brings the dog to his class and he looked forward to meeting me. It was a fun day for me and Kim.

As you can see, I have had many adventures as I grew up in Berea, CA. This taught me a lot about being around noisy equipment, large crowds of people and being still for long periods of time. I really enjoyed these adventures and thank Gary so much for sharing them with me.

Here's wishing firewords in all your lives!

Big licks,
Zane

Zane Train Part 2: Cage - Home Depot

Good morning puppy lovers,

As you recall from my story yesterday, I was trying to get my little feet up some stairs. The Johnpeer home has two levels, which means it has a set of stairs that lead to the upper level, where Step Dad and Mom and I sleep.

With my short little eight-week-old legs, I couldn’t even get up to the first stair. Gary tried to get me to walk upstairs on my own, but I kept falling down.

I made one stair only because that’s as far as I could climb. It made Gary happy that, after the second day, I actually made it up one stair on my own. Gary would carry me the rest of the way. After about 10 days, I found I could get all the way to the first landing, but he took sympathy on me and carried me the rest of the way up.

It was about two weeks before I made it all the way up and it seemed to make everybody in the house happy and they all took note of my achievement. Dad (Richard) said that must have been what Erik Weihenmeyer must have felt when he reached the top of Mt. Everest. I sure was proud of myself.

Dad tells me that Erik lives in Boulder and has a guide dog. Dad met both of them a couple of years ago at a Swing for Sight event when Erik spoke about his Everest climb. I can't wait to meet both of them and take a hike up a mountain. Heh, I made it to the second level, why not the top of Mt. Evans?!

Back at my first depot, when not working with me, they kept me in a cage which was both good and bad. I really wanted to get my teeth on some of the good stuff I could see through the bars. You know the feeling, right? You are in your yard and you see others playing next door and you long to be able to get over there!

That dirty, smelly sock that they didn’t know was under the couch that I could see . . . yum!

I was shocked to see that they had not one, but two cages. One for me and one for Marcel, my new buddy. Ane they had one upstairs, too.

Seems like they really want to control me. Am I in jail? Am I a criminal?

Well, yes I guess I am a little bit of a sock criminal. I LOVE SOCKS! I steal them from Mom's laundry basket all the time. I even took a pair off her bathroom sink counter the other day.

I learned from watching the pet dogs that, at meal time, scraps would sometimes drop to the floor and the other dogs would eat them.

To me, it seemed it would just be a matter of time until I, too, could sit by their table and eat table scraps. To my surprise, I have never been allowed to eat those scraps, although I have chewed my fair share of dirty socks when they weren’t looking.

Seems that the other dogs have a whole different set of rules than I have. Even my buddy, Marcel, seems to get special treatment.

Is there a doggie lawyer in the house? I need to check out my canine rights!

My cage has become my friend in a lot of ways. I can go there whenever I want and I feel very secure in there. Sometimes Harvey likes to sleep in my cage and, because he is getting old, I just let him. But I kick Marcel out when he gets near it. He has his own cage!

At night, the cage is mine alone and everybody knows it, even the other dogs, except Marcel. He seems to get special treatment and had a piece of carpet in his cage. I kept picking it up and dragging it to my cage.

Gary and Vicki got an old piece of scrap carpet to put inside my cage. It was soft and warm on my bald pink belly. I just love my cage, my little "home depot."

Lots of puppy love to all,
Zane

PS Mom posted a new photo album of pictures of (mostly!) me. Click the link, "My complete profile," then click the link marked "My Web Page." Enjoy!!