Hello world!
I’m Gaffer, I’m now 13 weeks old and this is my first pupdate! I started off the month of May with my mom PADS Athena, my littermates of the Whitecaps litter, and my breeder caretakers. Then, only two days into the month, I embarked on the biggest adventure I had ever experienced. I moved to a new place without my littermates and with new people. I spent my first couple of days with a sitter, then met my raiser! My new home came with lots of fun things, like tons of toys, lots of which were nicely pre-chewed for me, and I even got a new doggy friend! His name is Casper and he’s a lot bigger than me, but that does not stop me from wanting to wrestle with him!
For the first little while, I was just getting used to my new environment and bonding with my new human. I went on some short outings to experience lots of new things. It’s so fun to see strange things or hear loud noises because afterwards, I end up getting some food, or pets, or praise, or even all of the above! I am a very brave puppy and I’ve been so confident exploring everything.
Along with socialization, I’ve been learning some important foundation skills this month. I had my first puppy classes that were super fun, and also very tiring for my little brain. I’ve been working on responding to my name, following a lure, recall, engagement, loose leash walking, sitting, going to my bed, settling in my kennel/x pen, and more! I’m a busy guy with lots to learn!
I had some fun outings with my roomie, Casper, and other puppy friends this month. Casper and I went to a lighthouse, during which I was unfortunately confined to a bag… something about being unvaccinated, but I think that was pretty rude of the humans. I also reunited with my brother Blanco to go to a PADS booth at a Whitecaps game, where we watched the other PADS dogs and the crowds. Later in the month, some of my littermates (Max, Blanco, and Goaldie) and I got to visit the Whitecaps team during their training! I got to meet my namesake, Jesper, the head coach of the team, and some of the players.
There are too many firsts to name from my first month with my raiser! First public outing, first puppy class, first time at a restaurant, first time at the beach, and so many more! I’m loving my life as an assistance dog in training!
– Gaffer
Submitted by:Β Sophie Pantel
