Meet the family!

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This blog is all about CCI puppy Orianna II and our journey to raise her for Canine Companions for Independence. First, a little info about CCI if you aren't famliar: CCI is a non-profit organization that raises highly trained assistance dogs for people with disablities. What do we have to do with that? Well, I'm a puppy raiser for CCI, which means I am responsible for raising the puppy from age 8 wks. until about 15-18 months. While the pup is with me, I'll teach her about 20 commands, manners, and socialize her in public as well as getting to do all the fun puppy things like walks, playtime, bathtime, feeding, grooming, etc. When she's old enough, she'll turn back into CCI for advanced training!

So, who will be along for this journey? My whole family (including the furry famiuly members!) So, here's a little introduction to us all (I'll have the full intro of Orianna herself up tomorrow!):

Colby -- puppy raiser in chief-- I'm 22 years old and I started raising puppies for CCI when I was, hmm...eighteen! I've raised two pups for CCI, Rogue, who was released for alert barking and now lives with my mom, and Kekah, who was released for prey drive and separation anxiety and now lives back at home with me, but more on her later! When I'm not working with puppies, I'm a full-time author. I write adult fiction, and I don't think I'll ever stop! I love to scrapbook in my spare time and read other author's material, particularly mysteries and fantasy since it is a vacation from the type of material I myself write.

Brian-- unofficial puppy raiser-- Brian is 23 and we've been married for one year. Brian was my high school sweetheart :-) He graduated from UGA with a degree in Finance and Sport Studies and is currently on the lookout for the right job for him. In his spare time you can usually find him watching anything (or everything) on ESPN or playing golf! He may not be an official PR, but he's certainly in the know about all things CCI and the techniques of puppy raising, and he is so wonderfully helpful with the CCI pups!

Kekah-- the Boo dog-- Hi I'm Kekah, AKA Boo, and I'm three years old.
I was born in April '04 to Neelia and Quester II. I was the runt of a litter of 7, and I topped out at 45 lbs. People sometimes call me a miniature lab. I love my stuffed Ducky and peanut butter. I love car rides and to ham it up for the camera, which my mom pulls out a lot.


Roxie--the diva cat-- I'm Roxie, and I'm the boss around
here. I'm a 5 lb., 2 year old himalayan mix, but don't let my size fool you...I'm a pistol! I survived Hurricane Katrina as a kitten when someone pulled me out of a sewer, so I hate the rain. But what I do like is to try to climb the curtains and knock things over, because hey, I'm punishing those humans...that hurricane was their doing, I am sure of it! A clever ruse under which to capture me and force me into captivity...


Sawyer-- the lion cat-- My name is Garfield, erm, I mean Sawyer and I'm 4 years old, 13 pounds. Yeah, yeah, I know...I look like a lion. I've heard. I spend my days sleeping on the chair, but sometimes I'll move over to the couch. If I feel like it. And if I was a football player (which I wouldn't be, because who wants to use up that much of your nap time doing something athletic?) I'd be a lineman. Haha, get it...Lion-man?

So, that's the family! We're all excited about Orianna II arriving tomorrow! Yes! Another dog in the house, finally I'm not outnumbered! Ugh, another one??? Ok, so some more excited than others...Anyhow, I'll be going to pick up Orianna tomorrow at the Atlanta airport at o'dark thirty. Hopefully tomorrow night we'll get some pictures up and post again! Cheers!