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.

Searching for Information

So I'm happy to report that there is no shortage of great dog information out there. From The Monks of New Skete, Karen Pryor, Cesar Milan and all the other dog behavorist who contribute their great knowledge of canines so that newbie dog owners/lovers can get off on the right footing. At least,  I felt that I was better informed now.   Of course, when one decides to make a decision such as to purchase a particular car, say that cute VW bug. Well all of a sudden VW's appear everywhere, or so it seems.  So now that I was into dogs then poof everyone had a dog.  Not your run of the mill mutts but breeds of all shape and sizes.  Portland, Oregon was dog crazy.  I believe it rated number one for dog lovers.  Doggie Day Cares were the fastest store fronts popping up in every city and dog bakeries were not unusual.  Mans best friend was finally getting the love it deserved.  How many animals can you name that when spelled backwards is GOD.  I believe God loves us so much he created the loving, faithful dog and of course beer.  Dogs, lets face it love us no matter what.  That is one tall order and dogs do it everyday.  They are the true ambassadors of love.  Long live dogs!

The Quest

What If?  That one thought set me on my quest for information.  I set off for the library and began to steep myself in all things dog.  At the time Cesar Milan was the most talked about new dog whisperer so I started with him.  His videos working with ordinary people who's dogs had acquired some horrible habits over time were fascinating.  I was hooked.  This all triggered many memories from childhood.  I recall growing up on Disney's Wild Kingdom and of course, Lassie and Benji.  Lassie was magnificent and a hero to this small girl. How was it that she was so well trained. She was so intuitive and so much smarter than everyone on the show. Everyone always discounted poor Lassie.   Growing up in Los Angeles  afforded me many opportunities to meet dogs.  On any one day, dogs would regularly escaped their yards and would wander down our street looking for food, comfort or more likely a female in heat.  At 8 years of a age,  I'd happily share, our dog, Lucky's food and grab the Lost and Found eager for a chance at a reward or to reunite dog with owner.  Oh, the glory in that.  I was also quite fond of a lonely St. Bernard  down the street.  I'd sneak him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches hoping to bring a moment of joy to this poor fellow sad life. Dogs had a special place in this young girls heart.  Rekindling that passion was on!

Seaching for Meaning continued.

So the search was on.  I was on a mission to recover my smile.  I needed to reconnect to life and to recover that lost spark.  At the  time, my daughter Jaime was pleading for a puppy.  My husband Terry and I contemplated this request.  Molly, our sweet mutt of fourteen years had passed two years prior and the idea of having another dog for 2 decades caused us to pause.  Lets just say when it came to raising animals we were typical.  Molly did whatever she wanted and she didn't exactly listen to us.  Our bad, but we neglected to follow through in training which one eventually pays a price for.  So dog ownership wasn't high on my husbands list.  But Jaime and I were not going to give up on the idea.  What if we could learn to be better dog owners.  What if!

Searching for Meaning

Have you ever seen the movie "City Slickers" with Billy Crystal?  He's having a mid-life crisis and goes on a cattle adventure to recover his smile.  I identified with this character because like me he was searching for meaning.  The movie took place in 1991 and I recall the character searching for that one thing that will set him free or least he would be able to find peace with his life.   I was eager to find out what it was, this one thing,  because I think we are all searching for meaning in our lives.  My so called mid-life crisis began to rear its head in 2006.  My kids were becoming more and more independent and my role at 24/7 mothering had left me time to consider other endeavors.  I needed something meaningful to aspire to.  I needed purpose.