Guide Dog training YAY

[Sunchaser]

OKay so when i was in high school the Area Corridinator of Jacksonville for SouthEastern Guide dogs came to our class. I twas in the 10th grade i believe and i was so interested in being a puppy raiser i decided to ask my mom and dad and they said yes. (cause if your under 18 i think you have to have a parent sign for you). Basicly what i would do is have this pupp from 8 weeks of age till about 14 months.

Well there was a waiting period, however it was really small. I ended up going to the meetings each time we had one and then the next month after having signed up for the puppy i ended up recieving a beautiful golden retriver named Woolfie. I took him everywhere like i was supposed to and he was magnificent. However at the age of i believe 6 months they ended up having to take him back early because my sister was thinking of breeding her husky and Woolfie was a breeding prospect and yeah. Sister was with us with her dog at the time and they didnt want to risk it.

So since then i kinda got focused on school work and then i ended up getting cancer and now im married. I just havnt thought about doing anything with them agian.

Well i talked to my husband and was like i needed to do somthing agian that is like a job but isnt. Meaning i want somthing to do while he is gone that will get me out of the house but is volunteer work because i cant get a job. (for many reasons lol). While thinking of what i could do i ended up getting in contact with a friend of mine who raised James who is Woolfies brother. We started talking agian and found she is moving near me and found out that SEDGI has cut back on what they are breeding. Meaning they went from i think 8 breeds to 3.

After checking the website agian i talked to hubby about it and he said if thats what i want to do sure. So i put in my repeat puppy raiser application and got a call from theresa. She was still the AC of this area. So at least i would know one person at the meeting. I went this past monday and ended up working with a yellow lab named Charlie. I just worked him for the obedience class and it felt like i was home agian basicly. Well i met the other dogs, and people and three of the 7 i believe i knew and i knew i wouldnt be alone especially since i started to click with one of the newer puppy raisers.

Well i just got a cal Yesterday from Theresa asking if i would mind finishing a puppy. One of the puppy raisers (one i hadnt met) had to stop being a puppy raiser and gave the dog back to Theresa.Right now she is currently already raising two guide dogs and this would be a third. So she called me and asked if i could take this 6 month old black lab named Patience. She will end up going back ot hte school in/around november. I will have her the whole time hubby is gone on deployment!!!!!!!!! And she is already house trained which is great lol I always hated that part. But she is also the slowest walker of the group which is Great for me cause i cant walk a lot/fast anyways. So i think me and her will get along really well.

Sorry for the long post didnt think it would be this long <.< and FYI hubby leaves the 31st... so ill need lots of hugs lol

[Sinister Pink]

Congratualtions, I am really pleased for you!!!, you must be tickled pink!
I always think that people who train guide dogs are very worthy people, and deserve a lot of praise!!!

Well done for following your dreams, way too few people do these days!

Sarah

[Kahlira]

That is so awesome, my sunny <3 ^_^ I am very pleased for you. Bleh hubby will be gone though. I'll be here for ya. *noms* ILU!