Hi everyone!
My name is Hudson, and this month I started my journey as a PADS dog! For the first three weeks of January, I was still hanging out with my 4 siblings and my mama, NSD Turbo, at National Service Dogs in Ontario. Once I turned 8 weeks old, I was ready to say goodbye to my littermates and go out on my own. And that’s when I went on a big adventure on an airplane and flew all the way to Vancouver! There, I was given my first-ever yellow PADS vest! I met my puppy sitter (I’m told I don’t have a permanent raiser yet), and started settling in with her.
At my sitter’s house, I got to meet my dad, PADS Casper! I get to hang out with him for a little while, which is so much fun. I was a little intimidated by how big and excited he was at first, but since then, I have become very brave and absolutely love to play with him! He has taught me the important lessons of how to play bitey-face, chew bones, and play tug (though he always seems to win that one). He also keeps me company at night as we sleep in our bunk bed kennels!
In my short time as a puppy in training, I have already been on many adventures! At this stage of my training, socialization is the priority, so I’ve been to lots of new places, observed lots of people and new things. I have been accompanying my sitter to medical school – I guess I’m learning to be a dogtor? I caught on to settling very quickly. My morning routine in classes includes a little calm play with my chew toys, occasionally some shenanigans like chomping my human’s pants, and finally a good, long nap for the majority of class. I’m a pro student already.
On top of school, I have been on a few fun outings! I went to puppy class at UBC, where I started learning lots of new skills! I saw lots of puppy friends and did a great job ignoring them. I also went to a toy-making event with the UBC Campus Canines, where I took a nap, got a new chew toy, and said hi to a few people! My last outing of the month was attending a club fair with my dad. I was a very well-behaved boy even among the crowds and all sorts of noises. I just took a nap on my blanket and watched the world around me.
In terms of training, I have been very busy! I have learned that new sounds, textures, and sights aren’t scary and that I can always turn to my human for encouragement or some nice kibbles! My world has gotten so much bigger in the past week, and it’s a lot to take in, so I make sure to get tons of good sleep between my adventures. I have also caught onto the idea that when someone says “Hudson,” I should quickly look at them to get some food! I’ve also learned that “puppy puppy” is so much fun, and running to my human in response to this cue gets me a whole lot of kibble. A very important skill I’m learning is that my cape is a valuable, fun thing to see and put on. Whenever my human shows me my cape, a kibble appears in front of my nose. When I chase my cape, I get even more praise and kibbles. I’m loving wearing my cape to go on outings, though it’s still quite big on me. I have somehow managed to wiggle out of it in my sleep on several occasions! But I’m sure I’ll fill out the vest in no time, as I’m growing super fast.
That’s all for this month. I can’t wait to see what awaits me in February!
– Hudson
Submitted by: Sophie Pantel, PADS Puppy in Training Long Term Sitter
