Growing Up Guide Pup - Week 16 - Mass Transit

This week was really fun for me. In fact the most fun i have had filming the show in a long time. It is because we got to film with our puppy raising group for the first time. It is so much cooler having 12 dogs to film as opposed to one. So many more shots and things to show always occur. Ricki did really good this week. i can't believe how lucky we are to have her for this show. This whole thing could of just as well been a big disaster. So many dogs just don't have what it takes to be a guide, but it seems like she is destined for greatness. She just continues to kick ass.

Growing Up Guide Pup - Week 13 - Bad Dog Eli

Eli got into trouble once again. We filmed at in the in-laws house which included letting the dogs roam around in the garden. We actually caught him wanting to eat cilantro on camera. He also ate all the ripe strawberries, and ate something that made him ill this week. Amie thinks that it was fertilizer.

Be sure to tune in next week cause we are in LA right now. Our next episode should be fun.

Growing Up Guide Pup - Week 12 - Nylabones

This episode snuck up on us. We had no time to shoot and prep. Luckily we were able to address some questions from last week which gave us something to work with. We really appreciate questions and urge everyone to keep them coming on youtube.

Our channel on youtube: GuideDogManiac
Subscribe to us, comment on the vids.

Matt

Growing Up Guide Pup - Week 11 - Snow

Ricki is growing like a weed. I think I can officially say that she is just as much a big dog now as she is a cute little puppy. It happens so fast! This week we took the dogs to Lake Tahoe for a trip to the snow. Spring is quickly approaching and we just decided it would be a great idea. We live in the San Francisco Bay area, so it took us about 3 1/2 hours to get to Tahoe. Not bad, considering the week before we were shooting footage on the sunny beaches of Moss Landing. Only in California!

This video blog is so cool because now we have so much of her locked into video immortality. This show is just as much a video diary for ourselves as it is a show to entertain and educate others out there. I look forward to seeing what adventures Ricki and the show take us on next.

Thanks for watching.
Matt

Growing Up Guide Pup - Week 10 - Beach

For those who are unaware, or have not tuned into our weekly video diary, my wife and I raise guide dogs for the blind. We have been doing it for a long time now. As I bang away on my mac pro laptop (love this thing), our current dog in training is nuzzled up against my feet. Her name is Ricki and she is now 18 weeks old. Last time we weighed her, she was 28 pounds. But I can bet she passed the 30 pound barrier this week like a sprinter.

This week was my favorite video to produce so far. For many reasons this is my feeling, but mostly because Ricki is now fully vaccinated, and ready to discover the world. Our once quarantined life style, or at least very cautious for Ricki's safety, has been hit with a sledge hammer. Now we can have fun. The opportunities to what we can create with the show our endless, and a lot is to come.

Please check out our show. If you like it, subscribe on youtube, become our friend, leave comments in the video forum below the videos, favorite the videos you like, even send them to your friends.

Thanks,
Matt

Growing Up Guide Pup- Week 8 - Macklin Reunion

This week we had a very special guest; our first puppy Macklin. Macklin has been a guide for almost six years now living with his partner Jeannie. We are very fortunate in that we have stayed in contact with Jeannie, and jumped at the opportunity to babysit Macklin for two weeks while she is in Europe.

Raising guide dogs can be very straining emotionally, and having Macklin back stirred up feelings that have been hibernating for a long time. Please forgive us for breaking our regular show format. It was very had for us to film this week, but i am very happy with our candid motif that resulted.

Matt

Growing Up Guide Pup- Week 6 - Head Collar

Ricki didn't put on any weight this week. However, it looks like someone put her in a vice and stretched her legs a few inches. It is pretty weird how this happens. Ricki is already growing up so fast. I can't believe the difference in six weeks.

So this week was a challenging one for Ricki. She and Amie have been training with a head collar. Amie really tries to give all the dogs a chance to work without it, but if the head collar is necessary, she won't hesitate to use it for the dogs benefit. Ricki has shown that she needs it because she is trying to eat everything in sight right now. I know, typical retriever behavior.

Please enjoy our latest episode.

Matt

Growing Up Guide Pup - Week 5 - Leash Training

We just got through our first month of raising Ricki. It is amazing how fast time flies by. I can't believe it.

Ricki is improving with leaps and bounds. She is growing like crazy too. You can see the size change by watching this episode. During our leash walking part of the video diary you can see the four pounds Ricki put on pretty clearly.
We really appreciate the people who rate, comment and subscribe on youtube. This is the best way for us to build an audience. See ya next week.

Growing Up Guide Pup - Week 4 - Co-raiser Elizabeth

So our adventures with little Ricki the guide dog in training continue. We are finishing up on our first month raising Ricki and making this series at the same time. It has been crazy.

This week was really hectic cause i also was finishing up on some other video projects. I had Ricki with me a lot of the time. Ricki has started to become my little buddy when i am banging away up in the studio which has been nice. She is getting much better about having accidents in the house which is a relief. Her personality continues to develop.

This week marked the beginning of Amie turning on the training. She has been working hard at getting Ricki to walk on a leash. Ricki is making good progress, but still has a long way to go.

Be sure to rate, and comment our video series on youtube. Leave us questions below the videos so we can answer them on the show. Also, please hit that subscribe button.

cheers,
Matt

Growing Up Guide Pup - Week 3 - Potty Training

Our adventures with our new guide dog pup Ricki continue. After a couple of weeks of simple filming and working out the vlog format, we decided to start getting more serious. This week we talked about how to potty train a guide dog puppy, and how to train them to chew on approved toys. Filming was crazy as usual, and we got some candid moments in there. If you like the web show, please rate, favorite, and comment on youtube. Feel free to subscribe on there too. We plan on doing this vlog until Ricki either graduates as a guide dog, or she is career changed.

Growing Up Guide Pup- Week 2 - Adjustments

We survived another week with our new guide dog puppy Ricki. She is starting to learn how to sleep throughout the night and adjusting well to living with us. Our other dog Eli on the other hand had a bit of a struggle this week. He acted out and ate half of a cake Amie was making for valentines day. 24 hours later he was at the ER clinic.....crazy Eli.

Here is week 2 of our web show. Enjoy!

Growing Up Guide Pup - Week 1 - Premiere Episode

My wife Amie and I have been raising Guide Dogs for the Blind for eight years. We just picked up our tenth dog and the cycle starts all over again. Our new dog is a Golden Retriever and Labrador cross named Ricki. She is 8 weeks old and very cute.

If you have watched any of my videos, the one thing you might find is that they are all over the place. No genre is safe with me, but the problem with that is my audience is very undefined.

In a effort to hit two birds with one stone we have decided to make a Web Show about our Guide Dog Puppy. A show where I can practice working a video series format, and a show where Amie can share what guide dog puppy raising is all about.

Please check out our new series below. If you like it, please show it some love by telling your friends and family all about it. We will be putting a new episode up once a week for the next 16 months so it should be interesting.