Sterling

I know there are many sayings out there for puppy raisers about how you can only raise a guide if they want to be a guide....but at what point do you know that?  Sterling is not even 7 months yet, and sometimes I just cannot figure out what he wants!  On Monday, after our club meeting, we stopped at the grocery store on the way home.  It is a store Sterling has been in, successfully many times. (Well, he does try to lick the floor every now and then...).

When we went in, about half way into the store, he started crying.  I stopped right away, thinking something was in his paw.  I checked all his pads, in-between his pads, and didn't find anything.  I checked his collar and his jacket to make sure nothing was out of place or pinching him.  I didn't find anything, and so said "lets go" and started walking.  He walked next to me, with his body turned out, crying every so often.  Anytime I stopped, or really even paused in my step, he would sit right away.  I could not figure out what was wrong.  I decided to take him outside, thinking he needed a potty break.  When we got out there, he was not interested in pottying, rather he bolted right to the car.

This continued on Tues as we walked to my class, and then even outside when we walked to my car he whined.

On Wed he only went into Smiths with me for a couple of minutes, and when I went to walk back down an isle to grab something else, he sat down and would not move.

Thursday, same thing with the not moving.  Once we were out of the coffee shop, I just wanted to grab a napkin, but there was no way he was going to let me take him back inside.

Now my leader has him, to see if it is behavioral, or could possibly have an underlying medical cause.  It just came on so suddenly that we are kinda stumped.  He has always disliked his jacket, wanting to rub it off, but he has always liked going places.  I just do not know.