So meet Curly (we are already referring to him as Charley)! Curly/Charley, Ellen’s new hearing dog, is an 18-pound Bichon mix, and my trainer Brian reports that Curly/Charley will be an excellent hearing dog. Ellen will go to NEADS in April for a week of training with Curly/Charley, and then he will come home to our Berkshires inn.

Since Curly/Charlie is white, I’d better not teach him to roll in the dirt as I love to do when Ellen’s not looking!

Hi! I'm Curly aka Charley!

Our Inn in Lenox, MA offers 12 accommodations enjoy Berkshires, Bed & Breakfast,Inn in Lenox MA featuring private baths, cozy fireplaces and more. You can read the original blog post here Meet the New Family Member at our Berkshires Inn.

You may recall that although I’m as fit as a puppy, at age 12 1/2, I am losing my hearing. For a hearing service dog, this is like Beethoven losing his hearing. And so I am looking forward to retiring.

But in the meantime, NEADS, the organization that trains service dogs for the deaf, requests that we raise $9,500 (it costs $25,000 to raise and train each dog).

When Ellen and I arrived at the annual innkeeping conference in Little Rock in January, innkeepers, vendors and guests had raised about half of our goal. We never anticipated meeting and surpassing our goal so quickly. Innkeepers and vendors at the conference stuffed checks and cash in our pockets, including several checks for $1,000!

Ellen and Quinn at the Innkeeping Conference

On the last morning of the conference, an innkeeper we had never met asked how much more was needed to hit the $9,500 target. $250.00? No sooner said than done, and we had a check for $250.00!

Since then more innkeepers, vendors, and guests have added contributions, putting us over $10,000. And we still have a raffle for a deluxe weekend for two at our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast.

This whole experience has been both exhilarating and humbling. It’s so incredible to realize that we have so many caring friends.

Innkeepers, vendors, and guests: Thank you for your generosity and caring.

So when does the new dog arrive? Anytime between now and Labor Day. We have no idea what breed the new dog is going to be, but you’ll be the first to know.

PS Re: Occupy Westminster, Goldens have moved up to fourth place from fifth as the most popular dogs in the US. We’ve got a lot going for us!

Our Inn in Lenox, MA offers 12 accommodations enjoy Berkshires, Bed & Breakfast,Inn in Lenox MA featuring private baths, cozy fireplaces and more. You can read the original blog post here It Takes A Community.

Earlier this week I had a similar experience.

When I was a puppy, my brother Dakota and I went to NEADS, the National Education for Assistive Dog Service, based in West Boylston, MA. From there we went to the prison in Portland, ME, as the first puppies in Maine’s Prison Pup Program to be trained as service dogs. Once a week a trainer came to train the inmate who would then train us.

When I was nearly a year old, I went back to NEADS for further training to be Ellen’s Hearing Ear Dog. My trainer was Brian, and I love him but he worked me hard!

My trainer Brian and me

After several weeks of learning to respond to the alarm clock, stove timer, smoke and fire alarms, doorbells, and the name “Ellen” so I could alert Ellen. Then Ellen came to NEADS to train and bond with me.

That was 11 years ago. Ellen and I have been the best team.

Over the past 11 years, I’ve done a lot of traveling all over the US and Canada, made hundreds of friends, enjoyed concerts, festivals, theater, movies, and baseball games, and scomped up some gourmet food people happened to drop on the floor. (Sitting under the cheese table at cocktail parties is the best spot for this!)

I’m in really great shape, if I do say so myself. My hearing, however, isn’t what it used to be. So soon, Ellen is going to need a new Hearing Ear Dog and I get to stay with Ellen at Birchwood Inn and become her pet.

This week we drove to NEADS to talk about the new dog. I recognized NEADS right away and jumped up and ran to the door when I heard Brian’s voice for the first time in 11 years.

So I am going to retire. Oh, not yet! It will most likely take 9 to 12 months to find the perfect dog for Ellen. And when the new dog arrives at our Lenox Bed and Breakfast, I’ll get to sleep in, roll in the snow and lie in the sun. I’ve had a good run.

Our Inn in Lenox, MA offers 12 accommodations enjoy Berkshires, Bed & Breakfast,Inn in Lenox MA featuring private baths, cozy fireplaces and more. You can read the original blog post here Daisy Hill Puppy Farm.