I’m now 4.5 months old, growing fast and learning a lot. There’s a lot I need to experience while I’m still a pup, so I’ll be a confident service dog. I’ve been busy checking out tons of things I’ve never seen before, so I’m not afraid of them when I have a job helping someone who needs me.
For example, Cathy asked me to sit right next to a Harley Davidson while the nice man who was driving it revved the engine. It was so loud the ground shook. I just gave Cathy a “what’s the big deal?” look, and they both laughed. She scratched that one off the list of new things they need to expose me to.
My humans often marvel at how I fearlessly walk over any surface. Metal grates, manhole covers, weird floors, metal decks on the ferry…nothing seemed to bother me until I was faced with…walking through a puddle! I don’t know why that puddle scared me – but I put on the brakes and refused to go any further. Cathy was patient and worked with me until I was no longer afraid to walk through it. She got HER feet really wet, but she didn’t seem to mind too much.
I went on a ferry trip! Chris asked me to sit quietly at his feet for most of the 2-hour trip. It was spring break, and the ferry was packed with kids. Kids love puppies, and I love kids – so I wanted to say hello to them all. But service dogs can’t do that, can they? Chris said I behaved like a champ.
We spent a few days at a really nice lake. It was too cold for me to try out my swimming style, but since I’m at that age where I want to put everything new directly into my mouth, I did try eating the sand. Nah…wasn’t for me.
Another highlight was my first trip to a restaurant. It was called the “Dog House.” (No, I’m not making that up!) I’m not very good at quietly lying under the table in restaurants yet, but Chris thought I did pretty well for my first time. At least I didn’t jump up at the server when the food arrived. That’s a win.
I’m learning to walk nicely on my leash without pulling. I have to admit – that’s a hard one to master. One of my favorite places to practice is our local mall. Well, it’s actually one of Cathy’s favorite places to train me. The aisles are nice and wide, the floors are mostly free of distracting items, there are no other dogs that grab my attention, and it’s warm and dry. Personally, I like the food court the best – the smells there are great!
I can hardly wait to see what April has in store for me.
Submitted by: Cathy Demers & Chris Wright
