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Raising Puppies with a Purpose

By Gail Patterson

I have always loved dogs. We had two different dogs while I was young, and we have had dogs all the time our kids were growing up. They have brought so much warmth and companionship, not to mention the life lessons of responsibility, love, and eventual parting. I cannot imagine living without at least one canine companion in my life.

A few months after our beloved black lab, Misty, died at age 12, my third grade son brought up the idea of raising Seeing Eye pups as a 4-H project. What a sales clerk he was! “You know, Mom, if we raise puppies for the Seeing Eye, we will never have to see a dog die again.” That was true…however, he had not considered how hard it might be to say Good-bye after raising a pup for over a year, once it was time for it to be trained for the dog guide work! I resisted the notion for a while, but my son persisted. When he was nine, in the fourth grade, and we were settled in our new home in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, I made the phone call to start the process.

At our first 4-H Seeing Eye puppy club meeting, we were greeted by kids, adults, and dogs ranging in age from tiny puppies to those at 16 to 18 months almost ready to go in for training. There were German shepherds, in a variety of coat patterns and hair lengths; Labradors in all three colors; black, yellow, and chocolate; a couple of golden retrievers, and one boxer. What a noisy, chaotic meeting it seemed to be at first! Dogs were barking and whining, wrestling and playing, and the kids and adults were milling around all over the church parish hall. The leader assured me that after the initial excitement, the dogs would settle down and the training circle would start to work. She was right. Soon enough, the dogs and puppy raisers were marching around in a large circle and following the leader’s instructions to have the pups sit, lie down, rest in place, etc. We ended up filling out the paperwork, and enrolling in the program. Then we waited for our first Seeing Eye pup.

A few weeks later, Lydia, an eight-week-old female black Lab was delivered to our home by the Seeing Eye Puppy Placement Coordinator. She seemed like the reincarnation of our dear Misty! My son soon learned what it was like to have a brand new puppy in his life. There were the frequent mad dashes outside to give her the idea of where to relieve herself. And there were the all too frequent clean-ups of mistakes on the floor! She was also very afraid to sleep alone on the floor by Sean’s bed, and many mornings I found him sleeping on the floor next to her, to keep her from crying the whole night. Every day was a new experience for both boy and pup. Good habits were instilled, commands were learned by Lydia, and the never-ending responsibility of puppy raising and discipline were learned by Sean. They were growing up together.

The year with Lydia seemed to pass quickly. She was a high-energy dog, and kept our household buzzing. Even though we knew that she was only on loan to us, and would be returning to the Seeing Eye to prepare for her life’s mission, it was impossible not to become very fond of her. Lydia had so many endearing qualities…despite the mysterious disappearance of food from the counter or tabletop when she was the only one in the room! The day came when I got the call that she was due to go in for training. Yes, that was a tough day, and I spent a large part of the previous evening consoling my son as he cried over having to part with her. People always ask about that part of the puppy-raising project…the Good-bye. No, it does not get easier.

My son is now 27 years old, and moved out of our home many years and many dogs ago. We often calculate our family history in terms of which dog we were raising at a given time. Somehow, this project of raising dogs that will serve the blind is in our blood, and my husband and I have continued to do it long after our kids moved out. We trade the notion of having nice carpets for the fun of frequent new pups that are all wiggles and non-stop entertainment. Yes, our woodwork and some chair legs are the worse for wear thanks to teething puppies, but the pride of knowing that many of “our” dogs have gone to live out their purpose of giving independence to a blind person makes it all worthwhile. We are getting ready for Winnie, our seventeenth pup, to go back soon. She has been one more happy, temporary, addition to our family history. As that time is drawing near, my husband and I are giving each other sidelong glances, and feeling each other out about going for it again. “What do you want to do?” “Oh, I don’t know…what do you want to do?” This conversation sounds very familiar!! Yes, it looks like were may be at it again soon!
 

Gail Patterson, CEC (www.wisewomansway.com) is a personal development coach who delights in guiding Baby Boomer women through Life transitions. Using her skills as a coach and corporate trainer, she conducts seminars, teleclasses, online coaching, as well as group and individual coaching sessions. You may contact her at gail@wisewomansway.com.
 

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