A New Face

So I have an announcement to make… There’s a puppy here.

I know, I know, it’s really soon. Really soon. And, that’s a retriever face. But stay with me for just a moment.

I’d been thinking about raising a service puppy for months, actually. Guide Dogs for the Blind has opened a puppy program for KPA CTPs specifically, and I’d been kicking around the idea. I had finally decided against it, though, with my dogs being ill and not particularly retriever fans.

When Laev died so very suddenly, though, I faced a totally dog-less household. A totally empty household, actually: my husband works out of state much of the time, and it was often just me and the dogs. And then me and the dog. And then me. I was comfortable home alone, but it made the void even more stark.

I am certainly open to both rescue dogs and puppies from a dedicated and careful breeder, but usually either I happen upon a dog I didn’t plan on (Chaucer was put in my yard by family after they’d found her abandoned in a parking lot for three days) or I research the heck out of them (I looked at Doberman breeders for nearly two years before bringing Laevatein home). So I would be without a dog for a while, and I’m just not comfortable acquiring a dog in a hurry to fill a void.

But the Guide Dog puppy was something I’d already been thinking about. Not a kneejerk response. Husband and I had already discussed it, even.

So we determined that a Guide Dog puppy would be a good “interim” dog. She can’t stay forever, but we know that from the start. I can be doing some good with a dog who will change someone’s life while I think about the next dog who will stay forever.

So I contacted Guide Dogs for the Blind, explained my eleventh hour decision, and asked about picking up a puppy while at Clicker Expo in Long Beach, just days away. They had one puppy left.

So, meet Mindy.

She has many tasks and behaviors to learn, of course, but her number one priority is socialization. She needs to learn to be calm and focused in any situation. She starts with the plane ride home. (Yipes!)

I’m excited about the training ahead of us. It’s going to be an interesting (in the good way!) year. Stay tuned for Mindy’s updates!