Well, I have just 8 weeks left with my wonderful girl. Millie will be heading back to Guide Dogs at the end of October for her breeder evals. I know she will be amazing whatever she decides to do. She has turned into such a fantastic dog who is just a dream and joy to take anywhere!!!
Miss Paris has an eval for the school program in two weeks, but as there are twice the number of starter puppies for the school program as there are kids, it looks like I may be finishing her training. I have told my CFR that if there is another raiser who needs an older transfer dog that I would let her go and start a new pup. Whatever helps GDB out the most : )
If I do finish raising her it will be so nice to not have to house train in snow! She is a great pup who is very enthusiastic to learn new things, though her personality can be a little challenging for some. I think once she matures and focuses her energy into working that she will make a fantastic guide. Part of her problem has been her entropium: she had surgery at just 14 wks the first time, with one eye turning back in as she grew (chance you take when you do surgery on a growing puppy.). This left her with one perfect eye, and one that she would squint and close on a regular basis. This made her uncoordinated and unwilling to do some things such as jump in vehicles and go down stairs. Now that her other eye has been corrected I have already seen a huge improvement in her confidence moving about. She does love to pick things up off the ground and play a little rough with other dogs, but I am working on focusing this energy into more appropriate activities and hopefully shaping behavior that will leave her well prepared for guide work.
If I finish her or had her off to another raiser, I know this little girl will give her whole heart to whatever we ask her to do!
Both pups are off to sitters this weekend as I am heading to MN with my family. Hopefully good reports will come upon my return, though Paris is in a cone and on leash/crate activity only as her spay and eye surgeries continue to heal.
Have a great Labor day weekend!
1 comment:
Good luck to Millie! Is sounds like she is really ready for the next step! And I will be interested in hearing where Paris will go, if anywhere. I'm so glad her eyes are all fixed and she is doing better! She sounds a lot like Angel was growing up... I knew she had lots of potential, but we definitely butted heads a bit. And we still butt heads some, but nowhere near as much! I really wish she had had more of a chance to become a guide, but that wasn't how the cookie crumbled for her.
Anyway, good luck to both your girls!
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