• Two large cans of Mild Hatch's Green Chiles (27oz cans for 54oz total) - During the summer, I use freshly roasted green chiles, but that just isn't an option in the Winter months.
• Two medium onions.
• 4-5 good size cloves of garlic. Please understand the difference between a bulb and a clove.
• One large can (28oz) of stewed and diced tomatoes. You can use two smaller cans (12-14 oz) instead.
• 3-4 lbs of lean pork cut into small cubes.
• One small can (4oz) of diced hot jalepenos.
• One Cup flour.
• Salt.

1. Dice the onions into nice small pieces.
2. Grind up the garlic and add it to the onions.
3. Brown the pork in a extremely large pot or pan and then add the onions and garlic to the pork. Cook it to about 3/4 done.
4. Dice the green chile and then add it to the pork mix. 
5. Squish the tomatoes so they resemble small crushed pieces and add them to the mix.
6. Add the diced jalepenos. You may want to ony add half the can and see how hot it is before you add the rest.
7. Add about two quarts of water and simmer the mixture. I usually let is simmer on medium until it starts to boil then turn it down a bit and let it continue simmering for about 2 hours because I like the pork to reach the stage where it is falling apart.
8. Mix one cup of flour with 2-3 cups of water, blend well, and add to the mixture. Let simmer for another 30-45 minutes.
9. Add salt to taste.
10. Add more jalepenos to taste.

This recipe makes a huge pot of green chile, so you might want to halve everything.

1. You apply to be a puppy raiser here.
2. If your application looks good, you will have a couple of phone interviews and then a visit by a current puppy raiser and a puppy. During the visit, they will check out the home life and check out arrangements for the puppy like where they will be kenneled and what kind of play area is available for them.
3. If all goes well, you will be approved.
4. Then, it is time to wait. Depending upon the number of puppies and the number of current raisers, it could be a few months or it could be a few days and then you get the call. Your puppy can be shipped to you, or you can go to CCI and get your puppy.
5. The joys of the cute little guy will overwelm your heart until you lose a couple of nights sleep while the puppy settles in. Also, for the first couple of months, you will be getting up on a regular basis in the middle of the night to let the puppy hurry (CCI command to toilet). The puppy will learn to hold it soon enough and will learn to go on command before bedtime every night.
6. Pretty much from day one, you will start taking your new little bundle of love to training classes and will learn how to train your puppy.
7. You will pay for the food and vet bills (keep track, they are wonderful write offs) as well as mileage for trips to the vet and trips for training.
8. When your puppy hits the magical 5 month age, that is when life is wonderful because the puppy is now allowed to go every where with you in public.
9. From 5 months until the time of turn-in, you will take the puppy to classes, to work, to the grocery store, and so on. People will start getting mad at you if you show up at their store without your puppy. People will remember your puppy's name, but not remember yours. You will no longer be able to make quick trips to the store because you will be stopped by all sorts of people wanting to know about your puppy and they will ask questions like "How can you do that?"
10. Turn-in is the worst time of all. You now have to give CCI its puppy back. The best way to handle it is to fly out to CCI with your puppy and attend the graduation ceremony to see how much love your puppy will get if it is placed and how much love your puppy will give if it is placed. It makes it so much easier to let the puppy go when you see the great connection of these guys and gals have with the puppies. You will cry at the graduation ceremony, you will cry when you give up the puppy, and you will cry over drinks with other puppy raisers that also turned in their puppies.
11. The next 6-9 months will be spent waiting to hear if your puppy will be released (several reasons exist) or whether your puppy will graduate. "The call" is very stressful. Only about 30% of the puppies make it through to graduation. A few more are selected to be used for breeding stock. The rest are the ones that make it difficult. You, as the puppy raiser, get first choice as to whether you want to take the puppy back as a pet, or you can help adopt him out to one of the many families out there looking for a well trained and loving dog.

• Carla, one of the neighbors - "You suck. You get all of the cool stuff."
• Brynne, my favorite neice - "You suck. You get all of the cool stuff."
• Leonard, my brother - "Great, now Brynn is going to ask for one again. Last time I blew her off and she went away, but this time she is going to pester me for months."
• Mom, my mother (yeah, for those of you that are slow...) - "Did you really need a scooter, don't you already have multiple cars?"
• Rod, my business partner - "I want a picture of your fat butt on one."

• They are specially bred for temperment
• They are required to go through training regimens
• You are required to track their growth and track their training
• You must follow many rules that you would never follow with a pet
• You can take them to work (in most places) and work with them on lunch breaks and other break times
• If all goes well, they will provide great help to somebody for many years

Anyways, my first puppy that I raised was Creole II (they reuse the names until one of them graduates the program). He was the best puppy that I have ever seen and to this day, fellow puppy raisers ask how he is because they loved him, too. Creole II was released after about 2/3 rds of his Advanced Training (that means he went through about 18 months with me, then 4 more months with a professional trainer that worked on specific skills and tested him thoroughly). When Creole decided that he had enough, I brought him back home to me and decided to keep him. I am glad that he is home. The main reason is that I love him so much. A second reason is that he developed a rare skill, all on his own, of being able to predict my seizures (which are rare) and to make sure that I am safe before they happen. This special skill has been a life saver for me. Creole II lives in my house, takes care of me, and is the official assistant puppy raiser in the house. He currently is a bit over 3 years and 4 months old.

My second puppy, Emile II, just completed his Advanced Training and is about to enter Team Training. This is a two week session where they will see if they can match him up with a person. If all goes well, Emile II will get his person, and will begin his life as a full-time service animal. Emile II was a fantastic puppy. People in my office would ask on a regular basis about him and what would happen if he didn't graduate. They all want him for their personal pet because he is such a great guy. Emile is now 2 years and a little over a month old.

My current puppy, Griffen II, has really just gotten started. He is now old enough 7 months) to go places without getting to excited, and he is fully house trained. Griffen II, unlike my first two puppies, is a stubborn pup. He doesn't cooperate. I am hoping his attitude changes soon (it is like he is a rebellious pre-teen). Puppies, like people, go through changes, too. I think Griffen is feeling a little pressure because of his famous sister, Gerda. Dean Koontz gave CCI half a million to name a dog after his wife to honor her. Gerda was in the same litter as Griffen, and for a bit, it looked like we might get her instead of him. I think Griffen knows the deal and that he is being compared to her every day. He isn't famous, though. Dean Koontz, by the way, owns Trixie Koontz. Trixie is a retired CCI graduate. Now, she works with Dean Koontz and helps him write.

So what is happening? Well Emile is happening. The puppy raisers for CCI are a fairly close group. We talk to each other via email lists and we meet at training sessions, and we meet when we turn in our puppies and get new ones. We all share our joys and pains with each other. Well, now, Emile is making me hold my breath waiting to see what happens these next two weeks, and my puppy raiser friends are doing their best to help me cope. Team Training is the end. He will match up with somebody or he won't. If he doesn't match up, they might hold him over for three more months and try again with another batch of people, or they might decide to let him go. Emile, I am sure, will find a person. OK, I am not sure, but I am pretty sure.

It sounds crazy, but now that I am on my third puppy, I can finally say with some conviction, it really is all about the pups. Yes, we raise them and teach them. However, when they go off to college (Advanced Training), they have to decide what kind of student they want to be. They have to decide what kind of life they want to live. They do decide. Emile II decided a long time ago that he wants to work. He loves working. He loves getting dressed, getting in the car, and spending time working every day. One way or another, he will be working. If he doesn't match up with a person, he will move on and become a speech therapy dog. He loves kids and he loves for them to read to him and talk to him. He never corrects them, and he always listens. So, Emile II will soon be on to his next stage in life.

I believe that Creole also decided his role fairly early. I think he decided that he wanted to be my best friend and to be there to help me when I need him. I think he worried about me so much that he asked to come home. OK, maybe that is a bit far fetched, but Creole never barked (maybe twice in his life) before going to AT, but he started barking all the time there.

Griffen? I am wondering about him. Is he just acting out as a pre-teen? Actually, many puppies do that. Maybe he has already made up his mind that he just wants to be a pet. We shall see in the next year or so what is in his future. Whatever it is, though, it is up to him.

I wonder what my fourth puppy will be like.

Update: Emile graduated and is now working in the UCLA IT department. I am so happy for him.