Farmer's Market

Lake Bluff has a farmer's market every friday over the summer.  Today I took Serena to check it out.  It was a really good place to work on training with her.  It is crowded, there is food, people, strollers, bikes, wagons and other dogs.  She did good.  Not perfect as she kept thinking it was playtime with the other dogs but overall I was pleased with her.  We will just go again next week and hopefully she will be better!  Now she is snoring stretched out on my floor :-)

hot hot hot!!

Serena does not like the hot weather at all!!!  Today was the first real hot day of summer and she panted all day long.  That didn't stop her from barking at my dad and I in the garden until he took her for a bike ride.  She really likes to be vocal when she wants something! 


She goes almost everywhere with me still and is doing better and better!  She has become a pro at shopping with me and doesn't mind when I go back and forth a thousand times making up my mind.  She has also had experiences with new restaurants.  One was Stir Crazy which is an asian style place with an open grill that people can see.  One point during the dinner they clean the grill and put the whole thing on fire.  Serena just watched and didn't care at all!  Another one was Jason's Deli which is a sandwich shop.  This brought back memories of when I used to have to shove her under the table at Jimmy John's and constantly tell her to lay down.  All I have to do now is say "get in" and she walks in turns around and goes to sleep until I am finished.  I absolutely love this dog!


Since I haven't posted a video in awhile I decided to make on tonight of Serena getting the phone.  Awhile ago I taught Serena to get an old phone off the table in the living room. Recently we have been working on going and getting the phone from different places in the house. Today was the first time I tried going upstairs and doing it and she was perfect! We did it 4 times to give you guys different camera angles and each time she did it wonderfully.   When she is placed with a person with disabilities, they can train her where they keep an emergency phone and apply "go get the phone" to that. That way if they need help and can't reach a phone, Serena can go get one for them.

Serena Turned ONE Today!!!!

My little baby girl is growing up!  Serena is officially 1 year old today.  She has come so far from being an abused skinny little scared puppy to the dog she is now.   I am ever so proud of her! She, of course, was spoiled a little bit today and got a bone from the butcher from her grandmother and a cow hoof and huge tug toy from me.  She also got a little extra wet food in her dinner.  I don't think she has a clue what is going on but she is very happy with it all :-).  Pictures from Serena's Birthday:

She was very surprised that the package was actually for her...

With her hat and cow hoof:

Round 2 of Reggie and Serena birthday hat photos:

Yup they are still wondering why I make them do this:

Serena was bored with all the photos:

With her brand new huge tug toy:

Happy Birthday Girl:

Way too much timed has passed!

I haven't updated since we got back from the cruise ship... bad me!  For awhile a lot of the stuff we did was no where near as interesting as going on a cruise.  Serena recovered nicely.  I think she was very happy too be home and get back into the routine.  She has been accompanying me shopping, eating and just hanging out.  She has gotten really good at "get in" which is going under the table and lying down and staying there until we leave.  We have also been working on "step," "hold it" and "side."  She does "step" and "side" pretty perfectly but "hold it" is still a major work in progress.

She and Reggie still love each other.  The other day I let her lead him down the aisle for the first time in awhile and she was so excited to do it again!  It is so charming how he will actually follow her and then stop and wait when she drops the rope and gets distracted.  

Pretending she is a poodle...