Outings

Taking a pup into a public facility is an adventure.  First, you're praying you relieved him properly so no accidents occur.  The horror of a turd on the grocery floor.  Once, I was watching a 4 month old puppy.  I did all I could to get him to relieve before entering the store.  Confident we were good to go I stepped in the store and the puppy went instantly into a squat.  He was testing my ability and resolve.  In a blink of an eye I whisked him out.  I was thankful he was small enough to carry.  So a raiser is always aware of relieving signs.  Another is keeping his nose off the floor and not eating things unseen to us.  We can't have dogs behaving badly.  They must have good manners.  Grocery stores are very stimulating to a dog.  So many smells and distractions.  Meanwhile, your trying to make eye contact with people and act cool, calm and assertive.  The best part is getting to talk to people interested in what you are doing.  Then its out of the store and lots of praise to your dog and you for a job well done.

The Public

 Going out in public was at once exciting and nerve racking.  I wanted to do it right.  Say the right things, do the right things.  A lot had to be taken into consideration when being in public. Perception is everything.  The public was interested in these dogs and why they were admitted into certain places other dogs couldn't be.  Our main focus when out and about is on our dog.  So sometimes being greeted by well meaning people had to be gently discouraged.  It was always and educational process.  We had to inform people to ask permission to approach the dog. Since technically he was learning to work as a guide.  He's attention was to be on me.  If the pup was overly excitable or stressed we had to say no.  Hard to do especially to kids.  But we have to put the puppy first.  Just as parents have to protect their children, we have to look out for these young apprentices.  One bad situation could potentially set this pup back or prevent them from graduating all together.  So a lot is invested.

Out and about

One of the wonderful benefits of raising a Guide Dog is being able to take it on public outings.  Its quite a privilege and a necessary component to exposing the pups to situations they would naturally be in with their sight impaired handler.  For a newbie, it was intimidating.  One wants to be at ease and not be worried about your pup having an accident inside a public facility or mishandling a situation.  So this was a challenge for me as much for the dog.  These dogs are so perceptive that your state of mind has to be calm and assertive as Cesar Milan would say.  If you're uneasy the dog is too.  So little by little we would make our way into grocery stores for short, short visits and then libraries and restaurants.

Puppy sitting

 Once our home was approved for puppy sitting, we were quickly assigned our club leaders dog.  A beautiful  lab named Boogie.  At 13 months of age this fellow was a joy to have in our home.  So well behaved and easy to handle.  This was going to be a piece of cake.  Hold the cake!  It wasn't always the case.  Over the next 6 months we watched many dogs.  They all loved coming for a visit.  Some were quite excitable and full of energy, others low key.  One particular dog didn't enjoy her crate and whined and barked.  We were out of our element but one phone call and detailed instructions and we soon had it under control.  Each puppy gave us ample opportunity to practice.  Every puppy meeting we learned something new and over time we were beginning to feel pretty competent.  I also was working on my public schtick.  I wanted to be able to convey information easy to those I met in public.  We were now ambassadors for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  What we did in public truly mattered.  So stepping out in public with the dogs was the next step.

The Manual

So I eagerly shared this information with my family.   My husband, Terry saw my commitment and was supportive.  He liked the idea but wanted to be sure we would follow through.  So I began to attend Puppy Raiser Club meetings.  My daughter attended with me.  The meetings teach proper obedience and handling,  raisers share their ups and downs with their puppy and get great support.  It was intimidating seeing all these competent dog handlers.  Some folks had raised 5 or more Guide Dogs.  So I was in the right place to get my feet wet.  My daughter and I got involved with training from get go.  I was also handed a large Puppy Raising manual to study.  The manual was substantial but full of information. Time to study up.  I would also need a house and fence evaluation to make sure it was safe for a puppy.  And I would begin puppy sitting the club puppies over night.  Here we go!

Making a committment

Naturally,  I went home and shared my Guide Dog discovery with my family.  My daughter was sold, my son was willing, my husband needed more information.  I discovered that first I would have to attend a Guide Dog graduation out at the campus in Boring, Oregon.   Off I went to attend a graduation.  I didn't quite know what it was all about.  Typically, a Puppy Raiser receives a puppy at 8 weeks of age and again exposes the puppy to the world through socialization and obedience.  At around 15 months of age the puppy is recalled back to the campus for formal training or finishing school.  The pups go through 10 phases of training, which is roughly 5 months.  If the dog is physically healthy and passes all phases, he/she will be matched with a sight impaired person.  The dog and their sight imparied partner spend 3 weeks at the campus bonding and training together.  If all goes well there is a  graduation.  Raisers then get to formerly hand the dog over to their new owners with stories of their past adventures.  Its a real heart tug of a ceremony.  Tears flow and hearts soar.  This was going to be a truly amazing gift to give someone.

A Puppy with a purpose.

So along with contemplating a dog, I was looking for purpose.  I wanted to make a difference in this wacky world and demonstrate to our kids that giving back was meaningful and rewarding.  The Universe was conspiring with me because one day while shopping at the grocery store I spotted a women with a young puppy sporting a green vest.  A puppy in a grocery store was unusual at the time so I made my way over to her and asked her about her puppy.  Turns out she is a Puppy Raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  I was intrigued.  That puppy with his green vest had his own sense of purpose and this sparked my curiosity.  I immediately went home and explored Guide Dogs For the Blind on the internet.  Turns out Puppy Raisers play a significant role in training and socializing these dogs for their life with sight impaired people.  The raisers primary role is raising a puppy from about 8 weeks of age until they are 14 to 15 months of age.  Raisers teach basic obedience and socialization.  They take them on outings with their Guide Dog Club and raise a well-behaved pup. This could fit my quest.