My puppy keeps barking!

Barking is a natural behavior for dogs, and some dogs bark more than others. Some bark at certain things, some bark at everything. Sometimes it is an alert bark, sometimes a happy bark, or sometimes a protective bark. But for a service dog, barking is almost always a no-no. Nobody wants to be seated in a restaurant at a table next to a dog that barks because they heard a noise or someone that looks weird to them walks by. Or be in a hotel room next to another room that has a dog staying in it that barks at every bump or noise. One of the worst is walking with your own dog and having someone else walk by with a crazy reactive dog that goes nuts when it sees your dog. Unfortunately, I seem to be the poor person walking by with the crazy dog-reactive dog.

Patrick barking at other dogs has been an issue since we got him as a baby puppy. He is great with dogs he knows but very reactive when he sees dogs he doesn’t know. Around 14-16 weeks of age he was making pretty good progress and doing better and we were very excited by his progress. And then while on a hike (on a trail where dogs are supposed to be leashed) an off-leash Golden came running up to Patrick, Ricki, and me. It stood in front of us and stared. Well, Patrick really didn’t like that and went into a huge barking fit that went on even after the owner of the dog came and took it away from us. That one moment set Patrick’s progress back—all the hard work and training seemed to just disappear. After that day, Patrick was very reactive with almost every dog he saw on a walk or out in public. We had to start our training all over again.

How can you fix this issue? Every dog is different and will respond to training differently. This is our first time working a puppy through this specific issue. I have raised puppies in the past that were very fearful of different situations and the best thing for them was to take a break for a few weeks and not expose them to what was bothering them. Patrick, on the other hand, does better the more stimuli you give him. As an experiment I decided to take him to a pet expo a few months ago where we knew lots of dogs would be there. He barked a little bit with excitement when I got him out of the car, but then no more while we were there. Although I had a hard time keeping him from pulling at times while walking, to my surprise he was quiet despite being around over 100 strange dogs. Now this hasn’t fixed the problem but it was definitely a step in the right direction. 

Since then I have been working Patrick to walk quietly around dog parks—not in them, just around them. There are multiple dog parks close to where we live, so it is easy to work him at many different locations. My goal is to be able to walk Patrick up to the fence and have him watch the other dogs inside running and playing, all while being able to remain calm and quiet. We aren’t there yet but making baby steps. 

We are also making trips to pet store, where the goal is to be able to walk calmly and quietly through the store even if he sees another dog. Once again, he isn’t perfect at this yet, but making progress. For me, it is a lot less embarrassing to be in a store that allows dogs if Patrick lets out a bark or two, than in a store where we may run into a pet dressed as a service dog and he lets out a couple of barks (and yes, this has happened). 

Patrick can smell if there is a dog close by him and his body language does change. One time, we were shopping in Target and I noticed his body language change. Sure enough, someone was passing by with a small dog in the shopping cart. I got lucky that Patrick didn’t see it in the cart and we were able to continue without any outbursts. 

We are also now attending dog training classes to get Patrick around other dogs in a controlled setting. I purposely put him in a class called “dogs with attitudes” so that he would at times be “set up” to be around other dogs that bark at things, because he will often bark if another dog by him barks first. After attending two classes I already see some improvement. I did have to laugh a little bit when I first joined that out of the seven dogs in attendance five of them were German Shepherds.

I will admit that I do get a little anxiety when working Patrick in public. I never know when we will come across another dog. While Patrick is doing much better when multiple dogs are around him, it seems to be the surprise appearance of a single dog that sets him off the most. His barking is embarrassing at times.One time we were walking in a mall and he saw another dog across they way and barked. He completely frightened the people walking in front of us, who had no idea that Patrick was behind them. Not to mention that a 65-pound Shepherd barking can be a little scary to some people. 

Another time we were having lunch with a friend and were seated outside on the sidewalk because Ricki and Ozzy were there as well. Along came a person walking down the sidewalk with their dog. That dog barked at us and then everyone was barking. That was probably our most embarrassing moment.

Patrick’s barking issue isn’t going to away overnight. Issues like this take a lot of time, work, guidance, and patience to get through. Despite this issue being frustrating and embarrassing at times, I still have high hopes for Patrick. He has been making progress in the right direction and he is so solid on almost every other aspect a working service dog needs. He settles nicely, has great relieving habits, is very confident, super smart, loves to learn new things, and most of all seems to love to work. I hope that by sharing some of my struggles with Patrick’s training I can help other people who are raising not feel so alone with their struggles. Puppy raising is a journey with good days and, well, let’s just say not so good days. I have learned with past puppies not to give up when things are hard—sometimes they will really surprise you. Some puppies take a little longer to mature and learn, so give them a chance to grow and learn at their pace.

Amie

Time flies!

Where does the time go? It seems like just last month Patrick was a little puppy—now my little brother is bigger than I am! He hasn’t just grown in size but in knowledge as well. He has been a pretty good boy and I have been trying to teach him as much as I can. He knows all his basic commands pretty well now, and is getting really good at posing for photographs. I often look unhappy in my photos because doing obedience skills makes me nervous. I don’t like messing up and being wrong. Mom and Dad are really nice to me if I make a mistake, but I hate disappointing them. 

Patrick doesn’t pester me nearly as much as he used to. We can now go outside and play as a family in the yard. Mom and Dad used to have to take Patrick out by himself instead of with Ozzy and me. Patrick was really bad about chasing me and trying to herd me. I didn’t like it very much and got a little nervous about running after my ball when he was out with us. Now that he knows to play with his own toys instead of nipping at me while I run, it’s so much better. I run after my ball and he runs after his own toys. We still play tug a lot, and now that he is bigger and stronger Ozzy comes and helps me—we double team him. 

Ozzy seems to have finally accepted him as part of the family and is playing with Patrick a lot more these days. Ozzy playing with him has helped take some of the responsibility of teaching Patrick manners and have more time to myself to enjoy chewing on my bones. Mom has been trying to do special outings with me as well so I don’t feel left out. She spends a lot of time with Patrick, since he is even more needy than I am! 

But I have to say Patrick is doing pretty well. Now if I can just get through to him that we aren’t supposed to bark at other dogs, and to stop trying to pull when walking he would be pawesome. I try to show him by example, but he is having a hard time paying attention when other dogs are around or if he is really excited to be going out. Oh well, I guess I will keep trying. 

This boy has even more energy than I do! But he is also doing much better about being calm and quiet in the house. He finds toys by himself now rather than trying to steal mine. Patrick has also being going out more by himself in his blue jacket. This makes me happy that he is out working and learning about his future job, but I don’t like being left home. At least I have Ozzy with me. I’m so happy that we kept him. He is my best friend. Well, it looks like it’s about bed time here, so I better go claim my spot next to Mommy before Ozzy or one my kitty siblings takes it. She’s my mommy! Just kidding—I will share her.

Wags and kisses,

Ricki

Patrick is growing!

Hi everybody! Sorry if my last blog was a little sad, I promise this one won’t be. Patrick has been with us for two and half months now, and boy has he grown! I can’t believe it—he is as tall as I am now! None of the other puppies I have helped raise have grown this fast.

He is doing pretty well, but can still be an annoying little brother at times. He is always moving! If Patrick wore pants, I would say he acts like he has ants in his pants. I thought that I had a lot of energy, but Patrick even wears me out sometimes. When he does finally tire out he likes to lay really close to me. He’s actually pretty sweet when he is tired.

Patrick is learning a lot. He finally knows to go potty outside like me and Ozzy, which is nice. I don’t like potty inside the house—it makes Mommy upset. He also know how to walk with us much better now, but sometimes likes to hold either my leash or his own leash in his mouth as we walk.

He can still be very loud at times, especially if another dog barks or if he sees another dog, Mommy is spending a lot of time trying to help him with that.

Patrick has also earned a little more freedom in the house and he is constantly trying to get someone to play with him. He likes to take toys to Mom or Dad and drop them at their feet or in their laps and stare at them.

He will also bring toys to me and ask to play tug. I love playing tug! But don’t tell that to Patrick. I like to be cool and say, “ I guess I will play with you—if no one else will.” I don’t want him to know that I actually like playing with him, it may go to his head. Sometimes I let him win ... just to be nice. I do worry though that he is going to get so big that I won’t be able to win if I want to. Ozzy is also starting to play with him a little and Patrick likes to try to play keep away with toys with him. Patrick is pretty smart and tries to outwit Ozzy, but Ozzy is pretty smart too.

Now that Patrick is getting a little bigger, Mom and Dad have been taking him out on his own more often. I don't like this as much. I don’t like being left out. But Mom has made a little special time for me too. We recently went to the pet store, just the two of us. She let me see all the little animals there, which was fun. I tried to convince her to let me get a pet rat because they were so cool to watch, but no luck.

I did guilt her into buying me a new toy and a special treat, hehehe. I have great sad puppy eyes. I learned this trick from Eli—he was the master of the sad puppy dog eyes. When we would go to the store when he was still with us, the people at the checkout would just keep giving him treats! His eyes had special powers on people, I’m good, but not Eli good.

Ricki attempts to channel Eli in order to get a bite of that yummy sandwich.

Oh my Dawg! I almost forgot to tell you about Sebastian! Mommy brought home a super tiny kitty last week. We had a naming contest and Sebastian was the winning name. l really wanted his name to be Koda, just like the bear I met at Disneyland.

I was a little frightened of him at first, but he was calm and nice. Anyway, I love kittens! They are really fun to lick and clean. Ozzy really likes him a lot too, I think he misses his kitty, Fidget.

I’m trying to be as helpful as possible with Sebastian because Mom’s pretty busy with so many other things. The first week we had him Mom had to get up in the middle of the night to feed him and I would always get up with her to see if she needed any help. Ozzy just kept sleeping and wasn’t very helpful. He prefers to just play with him rather than help with the hard stuff.

Patrick is very interested in our older kitties and wasn’t sure what to make of Sebastian when he first arrived. I think Patrick thought Sebastian was a toy at first and tried to grab him from Mommy’s hand. Mom and I have taken some time to show Patrick how to be calm around a baby kitten.

I have to say I’m really proud of Patrick. He actually took the time to slow down and listen to what we were trying to teach him. He can now sit quietly next to Mommy and me while Sebastian gets fed. Anyway that’s all the update that I have for now. I think I hear Sebastian crying so I better go help Mommy get him fed and clean.

Wags and kisses,
Ricki

Saying Goodbye

Many people think that dogs don’t have feelings, but we are actually very sensitive creatures. We feel emotions just like people. I get really excited every time I see a tennis ball. Happy when my mom and dad get home from being gone or when I see my friends. Upset if I make a mistake and displease my family. Annoyed when my new little brother, Patrick, tries to take my toys or pesters me to play when I’m tired or not in the mood. Worried and anxious when I’m left alone somewhere I don't know well. Sad when someone close to me leaves.

I have gotten used to new friends and foster siblings coming into our lives and leaving, I never know what or when my mom will bring home. In my five years on this earth, we have had a few foster kittens and puppies stay with us, and I've helped raise four other guide dog puppies in training.

In fact, just before Patrick came we had a two foster chihuahua puppies that stayed with us for a couple of weeks.

I know that these fosters are usually temporary, but some stay longer than others. The guide dog puppies usually stay the longest. Every once in awhile a foster will stay with us permanently like my little brother Ozzy—and me, I guess. But often we say goodbye and these friends go off to live with others. These goodbyes aren’t too difficult because we know that they are happy, loved and well taken care of. We even get visits sometimes like from my previous little sister, Pilaf, who didn’t make it as a guide dog. She is over for a visit right now and is keeping me company as I write this. Sometimes our goodbyes are not happy ones, and I get very sad.

I have had to say goodbye to three family members over the years. The first was my kitty sister, Faith.

She got sick one day and went to the vet and never came back. I was confused at first but Mom explained that she went to heaven and I felt a little better. I still miss her—she was always so nice to me ... but she did like to hog Mom’s lap.

The second family member was my big brother Eli, my best friend. We did almost everything together. We went for walks, played tug, got yummy treats and snuggled. He was sick for awhile but was really brave for all his doctor appointments and medicine. I did my very best to help take care of him.

When he went to heaven, Ozzy and I got to say a final goodbye. We both miss him so much. Our house isn’t the same without him.

The third was our little special kitten, Fidget.

I helped Mom raise him. He was an orphan when he was just a tiny newborn. He was more bonded to Ozzy than me, but I still miss him snuggling up against me for comfort.

The other day my mom came home from work and sat me down and gave me the news that my oldest and best friend, Lucy, joined Faith, Eli, and Fidget in heaven. This made me very sad. But my mom was there to comfort me and we spent a lot of time talking about the fun times we had together.

Lucy lived with one of the veterinarians my mom works with. When I went to work with my mom, I often saw Lucy there. We sometimes would hang out in the same kennel together, and if our parents weren’t too busy, we would have play time.

Lucy also came for sleepovers when her dad went out of town and couldn’t take her with him. It was always so much fun when she came to stay. Eli, Lucy, and I were the three amigos, the best of friends. We would have fetch contests to see who could get to the ball first. She was amazing at fetch and my best competitor.

We often went for walks and off leash adventures together and had fun tearing up toys together.

We even took trips to the snow with Lucy and her dad—those were awesome trips!

Lucy was also always a great help with raising me and all the other guide dog puppies. She was very patient with puppies but also firm with them if they got too pushy. I was really looking forward to her helping me out with Patrick—he can be really pushy sometimes and I think he thinks it is fun to annoy me. Puppies always listened to her, and Patrick laughs at me and doesn’t take me seriously when I try to tell him to knock it off. I could have used her advice.

Lucy with guide dog puppy Chanel.

Having to say goodbye to one of my best friends this week is what inspired me to write about this topic instead of giving an update on how things are going with Patrick. I just wanted humans to know that we dogs do mourn and need time to get over the loss of our friends and family members. Thanks for listening to me talk about my feelings. It has made me feel better sharing some of my favorite memories.

Wags and kisses,
Ricki

Finding Growing Up Guide Pup

Sometimes, YouTube knows what's best for you.

In August of 2011, I was owner-training my first service dog, Juno. Issues that had been simmering for years had finally developed into a full-blown disability. My doctors supported my plan to train my four-year-old Doberman mix to help me. To help myself, I constantly watched various training and service dog videos on YouTube.

Soon, every time I opened the page, this big shades-of-green pawprint logo would dominate the "suggested channels" section. I ignored it for weeks (bad decision). Finally, I clicked on Growing Up Guide Pup's channel.

For the next several days, I was glued to my computer and my phone. I had to know what each week held for adorable little Ricki. I loved seeing her adventures, especially when she got to tag along on an outing with working guide dog Bamboo. You wouldn't believe how few good videos of working guides are out there. I adopted Juno when she was 18 months old, so seeing a puppy being raised from day one as a service dog candidate was fascinating. I was sad when Ricki was career changed, but glad that she came home to Amie and Matt.

Training with Juno continued apace, and by September—nine months after beginning focused service dog training—she had graduated. Our partnership was unbelievable. She was unflappably professional, and we rarely had a miscommunication.

Then in February of 2012, I found out that Juno had Sudden Acquired Retinal Degenerative Syndrome, or SARDS. Basically, it meant that unless she responded to an experimental treatment, she would rapidly go blind. Of course, I retired her from work—and my world seemed to shrink instantly to a confining bubble. I began contacting the Doberman breeders I'd already researched on the assumption that I wouldn't be getting a puppy until summer 2013.

Soon, I knew that barring a lack of male puppies, I would be getting my new service dog prospect in June. I commenced binge-watching Growing Up Guide Pup again, this time looking at it with new eyes. In a few months I'd have a tiny little puppy just like that, and if I failed at raising him, two years later I'd still be without a service dog. I tried to absorb every extra bit of knowledge, even going so far as to download the Guide Dogs for the Blind Puppy Raiser Manual to see what tips I could glean from it. (The potty training section: Pure gold.)

At the end of February, I was walking a pack of dogs along Alameda de las Pulgas. I saw another group of dogs heading toward us, and was about to cross the street to give them more space when I suddenly had to take a second look. One of those dogs looked really familiar ...

In super cool and very dignified fashion, I blurted, "Is that RICKI?!" Then I recognized Eli next to her, and realized that Matt was walking them. I practically died—I may have a few hero-worship issues. I babbled to Matt about how I had watched Ricki's whole season within a few days—sometimes while walking the dogs—and he seemed almost as excited that I was such a fan of the show.

Despite my little performance, I became friends with Amie and Matt. Juno responded very well to the experimental treatment and regained her vision, taking the pressure off the mind-blowingly adorable puppy who arrived right on schedule in June—Kaline.

Thanks to Amie and Matt, Juno and I got to accompany a guide dog puppy group to a San Jose Giants game. Later, I brought Juno and little Kaline to meet Amie, Matt, and Pilaf at a local Mutt Strut. And Kaline, now three years old, grew into a confident and capable service dog, following in Juno's pawprints.

Having been such an ardent fan of the show, I was elated when Matt and Amie asked me to get more involved with Growing Up Guide Pup in preparation for Patrick's arrival. I love advocating for service dogs and educating people on the amazing things these dogs can do, from guiding blind handlers to alerting to impending seizures to stopping panic attacks.

I can't wait to see Patrick grow up!

Colt

Raising German Shepherd Puppies

Wow! German Shepherd puppies! They are awesome little critters that arrive with a bundle of challenges that might not be seen in a puppy of another breed. That being said, each puppy, whatever his or her breed, is still an individual. Each one can offer distinctive challenges.

There's nothing more fun and exciting than a new and cuddly, fuzzy and sweet little pup starting life with an eagerness that is truly catching. These puppies are so ready for words of encouragement and direction from us, their daily teachers. Raising a puppy is truly a gift as we lead them through those early months of schooling, setting the stage for their life's work.

The learning possibilities that any puppy presents when they first arrive in their new home are endless. Each pup is an amazing little love-bug with a clean slate going forward and so very ready to learn. Maybe the German Shepherd (GSD) pup is a little slower to mature, but their intelligence may, at times, trump the other breeds.

Robin

I remember the first little GSD that entered our family's life in preparation for a life as a guide dog for the blind. Robin was 10 weeks old when our young daughter encouraged her to take that first step into our house. Any house full of new and unfamiliar objects and sounds can be overwhelming for a young pup just out of life in a kennel. So started a new chapter for both Robin and our family.

Robin began as our nine-year-old daughter's 4-H project. Because it was our daughter's special project, the rest of the family stepped back as she amazingly handled 90% of the work with Robin. Each morning began no later than 6:00 a.m. with the routine of potty training outside, rain or shine. Teaching Robin to sit and wait before munching down her meals also became part of that daily routine.

Robin's biggest challenge was that she was a chatterbox, very vocal like many GSDs. So one of her early lessons was to control her desire to vocalize. The ability to be quiet is required behavior for eventual work as a guide or any service dog. Robin would soon learn that she would be showered with wonderful praise when she was quiet as well as when she exhibited good and calm behavior out and about in public and in our home. Great behavior in the home is a high priority for a service dog.

Another challenge for Robin was her prey drive, or desire to chase moving things. At the time that Robin was in our home, we had several sheep. Robin thought those sheep were her personal property and seemed to believe that she must keep them under her control. Robin's growing maturity, coupled with patience and persistence on our part along with positive reinforcement, helped her to settle down and understand that such behavior was unacceptable. Robin had to learn that our family members were her leaders and her teachers. Prey drive is a natural instinct because dogs are predators and hunters. But is that a good instinct to encourage in any dog, particularly a future service dog? Of course not! Disastrous is a word that quickly comes to mind.

Such prey behavior in any service dog would be reason for dismissal from the program. It could be life-threatening for the partner of a guide or other service dog. Prey drive can be redirected into play activity for appropriate situations. Playing hide and seek with treats or something that encourages the dog to focus that prey drive in a positive direction is a goal for the puppy raiser. Patience and the need for the teacher to be calm and assertive was extremely important. 

For Robin, redirecting her focus and showering her with praise for the appropriate behavior was successful. Again, each pup is an individual and may need different approaches and rewards to help them succeed. It was critical, however, that Robin knew that we were the teachers, her leaders, and that we presented ourselves in a calm and confident manner. We also always remembered to include patience, persistence, praise, and abundant love in our daily routine.

Robin was our family's first experience at raising a guide dog puppy, and our first time with a GSD. The biggest lesson we learned was the importance of sharing the responsibility of handling the puppy, including feeding, training, and socializing. Why would that be important? Read on!

Robin's eventual training in harness at the guide dog facility was very successful except for one very significant and negative element. Her separation from our daughter proved to be too much for Robin and eventually that led to her career change and release from harness training. The strong bond that Robin developed with our daughter over the 16 months she was in our home proved to be too strong in the final analysis. This experience changed our approach with other GSD pups, as well as all the breeds we raised in the future.

Over the years we raised five GSD pups, four female and one male. Each one was very much an individual but all showed similar shepherd characteristics, including the love of vocalizing, a high degree of intelligence and independence, and varying degrees of stubbornness. Our daughter continued as the primary puppy raiser for a few years, but we had learned the importance of "all hands on deck." We all took our turns at feeding, relieving, training, and socializing. Of course, it was always easy to share in loving the pup. That was natural for all of us from day one with Robin and all the pups.

Bev

Bev was GSD puppy No. 2. She struggled with allergies, but was a very outgoing and loving dog who was better adjusted to accept separation from our daughter. A fun story about Bev is how she could entertain herself. At that time, we were allowed to play fetch games with the pup, including playing with tennis balls. Bev would take a tennis ball, lie down at the top of our basement stairs, and drop it down the stairs. She would continue to lie there and watch it bounce, step by step, to the bottom. Then she would jump up and race down the stairs to retrieve it when it reached the bottom. She would then promptly return to the top of the stairs with the ball in her mouth, lie down, and drop it again, repeating the same activity over and over again. It was comical to watch. Since that time it has been shown that regularly sized tennis balls can actually get caught in a large dog's throat and now, no tennis balls are allowed as part of the toy box. Bev was career changed due to health concerns.

Apple

Apple was GSD puppy No. 3, and what a love she was. She was our fluffy double-coated girl, appearing like a little teddy bear with that long hairy coat of fuzz. She never outgrew it, just enjoyed the glory it brought to her as people raved over her beauty and classy appearance. She was a fun-loving dog, immature for longer than the others and a rather nosy busybody of a girl, always checking out everything going on around her. That would prove very beneficial to her new partner.

Apple graduated as a guide for a gentleman who was both blind and hard of hearing. This man would use Apple's constant curiosity to locate the direction of people he was talking to. He would place his left hand on the top of her head and determine a person's location by the direction of Apple's head. His hearing loss made it difficult for him to determine direction of sound on his own.

One of Apple's more memorable activities as a pup was as an escape artist. She learned how to use her nose to open the gates from the backyard. Luckily, she only did that when we were working in the front yard. Once we caught her in the act, we quickly added locks to the gates. No doubt, she was highly intelligent. We learned we needed to be several steps ahead of her, or she could easily outsmart us.

Asia

The fourth GSD pup to join our family was Asia. Asia grew to be a spectacular and stately shepherd who carried herself like a champion. Affectionate, calm, and obedient, she could also play with the best of them. She, like all our GSD pups, was a little slow to mature. Asia loved to be outside more than any other pup we had raised and showed an unusual love of the water, more like what you might expect of a Labrador or Golden Retriever. It was fun to watch her play in the water of our little wading pool. Her love of the outdoors was year-round, including the cold of winter and the piles of snow during and after a big snowstore.

Asia went on to graduate as a guide for a wonderful woman from Utah. Her life as a guide was extensive and continued into a wonderful life of retirement with her partner.

Jad

The fifth and last GSD pup that graced our home was a most special guy, Jad. Jad was the only boy of all the GSDs we raised. Jad's notable characteristic was his large size and love of hard play. Not all our dogs were excited about playing with Jad. He played to win, while not ever being an aggressive or mean dog. He just never knew his own power and strength. 

Jad's strong bond with his trainer at Guide Dogs for the Blind eventually led to his career change, due to separation anxiety after his trainer had to move to another group of dogs in training. Jad was designated to wait for his new partner's arrival on campus in order to train together before graduation, but Jad never made it to that graduation. He was career changed and we welcomed him home to become a well-behaved and deeply loved family pet.

Several common elements were present with each GSD pup that we raised. They were vocal to one degree or another; slow to mature; and formed a very strong bond with the family and their special person. They were highly intelligent, social, cooperative, quick to learn, very responsive to verbal praise, confident, eager to please, and had a high but controllable energy level. 

I know Amie and Matt are very much up to the task of raising a GSD pup. It appears that little Patrick is already showing that intelligence, confidence, and love of socializing. Time will tell how quickly he matures, but in time, he too will hopefully mature as needed to become a great guide dog at Guide Dogs of the Desert.

Go Patrick,

Alice

Ricki's Welcome

I’m so excited—this is my first official blog! Let me introduce myself. My name is Ricki and I was the very first star of Growing Up Guide Pup. But I have had a new job since I decided that I would rather chase squirrels than be a guide dog. I am a mentor dog to all the new puppies that come into our house, no matter how annoying those puppies can sometimes be.

We just brought home a new puppy last week and he is going to be the next co-star of Growing Up Guide Pup, after me of course. We took a very long drive to get him because he came from a different Guide Dog school than I did. We turned the trip into a little vacation and it was so much fun.

After many long hours of driving, we arrived at this amazing house that had a fenced-in backyard and a pool! I love to swim, especially jumping in the water after tennis balls. My little brother Ozzy doesn’t like it as much as I do, but he did give it a try. It was really hot where we were, so swimming every day was a great way to stay cool.

On the third day of our trip, my parents arrived back at the house after being away for a little bit with our new temporary little brother. His name is Patrick and he is a little German Shepherd. He hopes to be a guide dog one day. Back when I was a puppy I thought I wanted to be a guide dog too, but I also like to chase squirrels and I was told that I could not do both. Be a guide dog and chase squirrels, that is. So I chose to chase squirrels—best decision ever!

Anyway, back to Patrick (sorry, dog brains get distracted easily sometimes). So far, he’s a good puppy, but boy, can he be loud sometimes. He doesn’t like his crate too much. He told me it’s because he has a hard time seeing us in it and that he doesn’t like to be alone. I’m not much for the crate either and my mom and dad say that I used to cry a lot in the crate too when I was a puppy. I would try to deny it, but there is video evidence to back it up.

Patrick likes to think that he is older than he is and tries to be in charge with some of our dog friends, but so far he seems to understand that Ozzy and I are the big brother and sister and he listens well to us. He has been really good at not pulling on my ears or tail like previous puppies I have helped raise, so I like that about him. He is a very slow eater and that makes Ozzy and me a little annoyed. Seriously, if you don’t want your food we are happy to help you finish it. Patrick is also really good about not stealing our toys. A puppy that comes up to you when you are enjoying a really good chew and tries to take your toy from you is not my favorite thing.

So far, Patrick is doing well with us. Ozzy may think a little differently than me though—he makes the puppies wait awhile before he will start playing with them. But as for me, I don’t mind him too much. That’s about it for now as I just heard the letters F-E-T-C-H come out of Daddy’s mouth and I don’t want to miss out on that! I will keep you posted on how my new little brother is doing soon.

Wags and kisses,
Ricki