Fall Updates

Wow, I have so much to talk about in this post. I can't believe it is already October; my last post was mid-August, and time has flown by since then. Since my last post, I have handed Penny off, gotten a new puppy, started my final semester on campus, and started working with a new ADEPT dog.

After spending the summer working at the desk with me, Penny went back to the training center at the end of August to participate in Jump Start training with the new interns. I won't lie, Penny was my toughest trade-off yet. She has definitely been the dog I've worked with during my time as an ADEPT intern that I bonded with the most, so it was a challenging moment to hand the leash off. Penny remains on campus for now though, so I am happy I still get to see her around. She is doing great, and I have high hopes for that goofy girl! I think her nose will really take her places.

​Then, on Monday, August 30th, I picked up my new border collie puppy; her name is Yuki which means "snow" in Japanese. I have been wanting a border collie for years, and I finally decided it was time to add one to the family. She is from Contact Point Border Collies in California, and I couldn't be happier with her so far. She was almost nine weeks old when I picked her up, and in just a month, she has grown so much already. I have been taking weekly pictures of her to mark her growth, and it has been cool to note the small changes that happen every week.

Now, she is 14 weeks old and is such a fun pup; I can't wait to start some dog sports with her when she get a bit older. So far, we have mostly been working on some basic manners, house/crate training, and some free shaping (like laying down in a box and goofy stuff like that). I also just bought the supplies for a scentwork kit since that is an enriching activity that puppies can do. I think I might see if Theo likes scentwork too, and the three of us can maybe enter some trials at some point in the nearish future. In the future, I am most interested in agility and dock diving, but I'd love to try lots of other dog sports with Yuki and see what we like best.

A few days after I picked up Yuki, classes for fall semester started, and I also got assigned my ADEPT dog for the semester. I am working with Oliver this fall who some of you may remember from last summer when he came to stay with me for a couple weeks. I chose not to house full-time this semester since I have Theo and Yuki already at my apartment, but Oliver does get to come hang out at home with me during the day. He has so much fun playing with my two pups, and it gives Theo a break from Yuki's endless puppy playfulness!

Even though this semester is my lowest course load ever, I have been more stressed than ever. With lots of different things pulling me in different directions, I have definitely been all over the place, but I am trying to take everything with a grain of salt and enjoy my  final semester on campus. I had hoped to be more active on YouTube, Instagram, and my blog this fall, but here I am, not posting anything until almost the middle of October! I will be real with you all, finding the motivation and inspiration to make content has been a challenge lately, but I am still here and will hopefully get back on track with regular uploads and blog posts soon :) Until next time, stay pawsome!