My Ode to Puppy Raisers

I set out two years ago to do something I'd never done before- take an adorable puppy into my home and raise it as my own for a year and a half. Seems easy enough, but here's the catch- I was raising the puppy for someone I didn't even know, a complete stranger. After I spent a year and a half training, loving, and bonding with the puppy, I would give it up for them. When you put it like that, it seems crazy. Who would take on this huge endeavor, fully knowing it would lead to heart break in the end? Puppy Raisers, that's who.

I've learned that it take the right person- a combination of loving, nurturing, steadfast determination, and selflessness- to be a Puppy Raiser. To want to take home an eight week old puppy, get it through the awful stages of housebreaking and teething, devote countless hours to training it, and spend everyday loving it, only to give it up once it has become a solid, dependable adult, certainly takes a special kind of person. I feel honored, for the first time, to be able to say I am one of those people and to now be among the ranks of all of you who do this time and time again. Without you, the magical matching of dog and person would not be possible.

Months ago, I would have said that I was dreading the date of Natalie's Team Training. Back then, it signified our final goodbye. Now, however, I look forward to the second week when I can go watch Natalie and her partner become a true team. Like many of you, I know the initial feeling of sadness and regret when you get that call that your dog has been matched. You know you shouldn't feel that way, yet for that one moment, you get caught up in yourself. But, I also know that in the days after the news, you'll realize that this was your dogs' calling all along. That life as a pet would be mundane compared to the things they'll do with their partners. And that if changing someone's life by giving them the independence they've always hoped for means your heart has to break a little, then that's OK.

I garuntee the day Natalie graduates with her partner I will be a mess. I'll probably go through an entire box of tissues. But now I know that it will be because I am so very proud of her. I was lucky enough to get to meet her partner and his family at the fundraiser. It didn't take long after talking with them for me to realize that this is the perfect match for Natalie. In fact, I'm not sure I could have found a better match for her myself.

The number one question I was asked while raising Natalie was whether I would do it again after I gave her up. I always said yes without really putting any thought into it. Though one would think that the closer I go to having to say goodbye to Natalie, the less I would want to do it all over again, the opposite is actually true. I cannot think of a more rewarding experience than being a Puppy Raiser. Yes, it has its downsides, but when you see that dog who once ate your socks and chewed your mouse cord standing next to the person they were destined to help, that all vanishes.

So, I'd like to congratulate all of the Raisers, Sitters, and countless volunteers who make Team Trainings and graduations possible every year. All of your hard work truly pays off.

To the lucky partners who will receive these fantastic dogs, I wish them to experience the endless love and devotion all of the dogs have to offer. It will change your life as it has mine, and all of ours.

To the dogs themselves, I wish them many carefree days spent working side-by-side with your partner. And I hope you never look back, but you never forget, all the ones who love you in the place you left.

Snow Day

Natalie had fun playing in the snow with her big "brother" Koal today. I took them out in it again a couple hours ago and at this point the snow is so high she has to bound over it (very cute)! She really enjoyed fetching the tennis ball in the snow. I'd throw it and she would race across the yard, dive head first into the spot she saw the ball disappear, and then come up shaking with it in her mouth. I had a good laugh the first time I witnessed this. Amazingly, she actually found the ball most of the time. Sometimes she would have to search for it a little (frantic digging and nosing would ensue) and we did lose 3 balls out there, but she was surprisingly successful for how deep the snow is.

Natalie's home for two weeks for her Winter holiday break. It's good to have her back. I don't always notice how much I miss having her around until she's hear again. We went to the mall last night and she was on her best behavior. Her trainer, Cindi, gave me the handle that her boy will use for us to practice with over the break. I haven't put it on her harness yet, but I'm planning on working with her on some other things tomorrow so we can add that in as well. I've noticed that she now seems to think "sit" means she should sit for a second and then she's free to stand again so I want to work on that with her tomorrow. Also, we'll work on her out-of-sight down/stays as Cindi suggested. I think she probably just needs a refresher on that because I know she used to be pretty good with them.

Here are some pictures from today:

Happy 2nd Birthday Small Wonders!

Natalie on her first birthday

Today the Small Wonders litter turned two, so Happy Birthday to SSDs Gnat, Lil, Midge, Mitey, Peanut, Penny (now the UN's Jade), and Natalie (formerly Barely)!!!

Wise beyond her years

It used to take a lot to make me cry, but it seems to happen more and more frequently the closer Natalie gets to being placed with her partner. I feel like a parent who's watched her child grow up, graduate from college and now has to say goodbye as she watches them move on with their life- to bigger & better things. On one hand, it's sad.... Natalie has been a big part of my life for the last (nearly) two years. I can't deny that I've become quite attached to her. But, there's still that other hand...

As Natalie grew and matured from a fuzzy, little puppy to a sleek, mature adult, I was aware that she was something special, something different. When other dogs her age would have ignored their natural instinct and let loose, she often surpised me by embracing it. She comforted people when they most needed it- even if it meant she had to spend time away from me (which was generally unheard of). She walked next to a wheelchair, with little guidance, like she'd been doing it her entire life. She learned new cues with a great determination to figure out exactly what was being asked of her. Walking amongst 42,000 students on campus at Penn State, she amazed me by ignoring every single one of them and focusing solely on her job. It was after all of this that I realized what I had unconsciously known for quite some time- that Natalie was born to be someone's Service Dog.

Last Winter, I took Nattie to the dog park in State College to burn off some energy. Natalie loves to run and especially loves being chased by other dogs, so I was happy to see a large group of dogs there that day for her to play with. But, as I stood at one end of the enclosed field talking to the owners, I couldn't find her playing amongst the other dogs. My eyes scanned the field and finally stopped at the far side where someone's little boy was wandering. Tears sprang to my eyes as I took in the sight; there right by his side was my Natalie. As the boy walked aimlessly around she followed him step-for-step, completely glued to him. The other dogs ran wildly around, but Nat ignored them all to instead listen to the boy chatter nonsense in her ear. Until then, I hadn't considered the possibility of her being placed with a child. It seemed to me that most of the dogs went to people in wheelchairs. But as I watched the pair of them trek through their own imagined world, I realized how magical that could be.

I thought I knew how much getting a Service Dog meant to the people who need them, but when I read the blog created for Natalie's partner, I was completely blindsided. I read how they had been on the waiting list for 2 years and tears welled in my eyes, already threatening to fall with that one thought. Two years....Natalie was born almost exactly two years ago. Was this who she was destined for all along? As I got to the most recent posts, where they had first met Natalie and then been informed by SSD that she had been matched with them, with him- "her" boy, I could tell how much this meant to the family. It was then that I knew I would be able to do this, to give this gift of Natalie to someone I don't even know. I always known it would be hard to say the final goodbye to her, but I am now certain that she is doing what she was always meant to do. And I look forward to that day at graduation when I can officially hand SSD Natalie over to her partner.

Halloween 2009
"Baaaaahhhh"

Natalie's very special birthday dinner

I've been trying to think of something meaningful to do for Natalie's 2nd birthday (and last with me) for a while now. Finally, I realized the answer was right in front of me the whole time- Natalie herself! So, I decided I wanted to figure out a way to celebrate Nattie's successful journey to becoming a service dog, her birthday, AND her new partnership all together.

The answer was Isaac's. Isaac's allows you to host "community nights" where 25% of supporters' food and drink bills go to your cause. The total cost to raise and train service dogs from puppies to adults is $20,000. Through SSD's personal grants and fundraising, this is reduced to about $5,000 per partner. That's still a pretty hefty price, though well worth it, therefore I decided to raise the money at Isaac's for Natalie's new family. It may not end up being much, but I hope it helps some.

Below are the emails between me and the coordinator of the community nights at Isaac's. I'm very excited to get this all set up!

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Hi Debra,

I'm hoping to be able to team up with Isaac's in order to fundraise for a cause that's very dear to me. I am a volunteer Puppy Raiser for Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD), located in Harrisburg, PA. For the past year and a half I have been raising SSD Natalie for them. Natalie has been a special part of my life. I brought her home at 8 weeks old, when "home" at the time was an apartment off-campus at Penn State, University Park. Natalie grew up as a true Penn Stater; she accompanied me to classes, visited friends' dorms, rode the jam-packed campus buses, showed her Penn State pride on football weekends by donning a jersey, and even walked in my graduation with me. She was well-received by faculty and students alike as a much-needed doggie stress reliever and a welcomed break from the almost dog-less campus. In July, Natalie entered Advanced Training at SSD, meaning she went on to the SSD kennel to learn the tasks she would need to know in order to help her future partner. Natalie comes home to stay with me each weekend, part of SSD's kennel stress-relieving program, and though I've missed having her by my side all the time, I've known for a while now that she is ready to become a full-fledged Service Dog for someone in need. Happily, a few weeks ago Natalie was matched with a little boy who has Autism. As his certified Service Dog, she will accompany and support him through his life. In February, Natalie and her boy will go through "Team Training," a rigorous two-week training period that readies both the human and dog partners for their future working life together. I know this is the perfect match for Natalie as she has always loved children and will be ecstatic to have her "very own" little boy.

Natalie turns two on December 1st and in thinking of a special way to celebrate her birthday, I thought of what I could do for her new family. The total cost of raising and training a puppy to become a Service Dog is $20,000. Through SSD's personal fundraising and grants, the price is reduced to about $5,000 per client. Although this reduction is significant, the cost is still a lot for many families. I would like to host a night at Isaac's in honor of Natalie's birthday, her successful journey to becoming a Service Dog, and her little boy in which the money raised will go to the boy's family to help with the cost they will have to pay for her. I would like to do it on or near December 1st and at a location in the Harrisburg area. If possible, I was thinking of potentially hosting another night at your West Chester (where I'm from) location so that friends and family in that area could attend as well.

Please let me know if any of this is possible and if you have any questions for me. Feel free to check out SSD's website at http://www.keystonehumanservices.org/ssd/ssd.php for more information on them. I've attached a couple pictures of Natalie as well. :)

Thank you,
Alicia Gautille
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Hi Alicia,

Thank you for your email. I have organized thousands (literally) of fundraisers and your email brought tears to my ears! We would be delighted to partner with you and what a wonderful way to celebrate Natalie’s birthday and new life.

In a nutshell, here is how our fun and easy Community Night fundraiser works:

1. Isaac's donates 25% of food and beverage sales, from 5:00 p.m. through 9:00 p.m., on a Sunday through Thursday night, at the one Isaac's restaurant of your choice. (Our Granite Run, West York, Lionville, and Lemoyne Isaac’s do not do fundraisers on Mondays.) We send the check to your charitable organization within 2-3 weeks of your fundraiser.

2. Each participant hands in a flyer that indicates to our server they are part of your fundraiser. (I am attaching a sample flyer. You can revise this one or make up a new one...either way, I need to approve it before distribution.)

3. You do not receive credit from our regular diners (customers dining without your flyer) and you may not hand out your flyer in our parking lot or in our restaurant to customers not associated with your fundraiser.

4. Please follow this link to our fundraising calendar to pick your date and restaurant: http://www.isaacsdeli.com/fundraising_calendar.asp and then let me know.

5. The more participants you bring into our restaurant, the bigger our 25% donation is to you. YOU are responsible for promoting this event (posters, flyers, emails, contacting local news media, if desired, etc. etc.)....we do not do it for you. So, the harder you work, the more money you will make. How much you make is really up to you!

This entire fundraiser is really quite simple and lots of fun for your organization...and everyone needs to eat! I look forward to your reply and the privilege of working with your organization.

Sincerely,

Debra M.
Community Care Coordinator
Isaac's Restaurant & Deli




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Praise from her sitters

Service Dogs don't only need to learn how to work for their partner, they also need to learn how to relax and be as well-behaved at home as they are in public. For this reason, the trainers at SSD like to send the dogs in-training to a different sitter other than the dog's regular one (usually its Puppy Raiser) for 2 weekends in a row. This allows them to see how the dog behaves around someone it doesn't know. Does the dog still have good house manners and will it respond to someone it hasn't previously trained with? These are things they like to find out before the dog is placed with its partner.

Recently Natalie went to a family for two weekends in a row, who happen to own her uncle discharged SSD Steele. I was fortunate enough to receive from them the report they handed in to SSD after the two weekends were up. The following is that report and it sounds like Natalie had a great time! :)

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Natalie is a delight. She is well behaved, attentive and very affectionate. She loves (needs) to be with you, touching you, on your lap, pasted up against you at night,etc. She is a cuddler at night in bed.

She did very well at work. She never barked, would lay down at my feet if I stopped to talk to someone and spent the day in my office chewing on bones or resting on the big dog bed.

She left us know when she needed to go out. We could leave her alone in the house without being crated and she didn’t get into anything.

She immediately bonded with Steel and us and showed no signs of stress even that first weekend we had her. No panting, excessive drinking, whining, chewing, loose bowels, nothing.

She is very playful and likes to chase balls. She loved the dog park (we went 3 times) and got along with everyone.

She did not chase our cat or eat cat poop.

She loves to train and learns fast. I was working with Steel on the Easy button and unless someone else has done this with her she picked it up faster than Steel when I added the cue.

She does hump Steel. I have not seen her do it to any other dog and it is probably a dominance thing. He could care less.

We worked on elevators, stairs, entering and exiting doors without pulling and loose leash walking. I used her head halter in public but spent a little time each evening at home going in and out of our front door without it. I also worked her without it going into the dog park. It took us a very long time to get from the car to the park because of it. This is hard for her. We also took one walk a night without it. She actually is doing 100% better on our evening walk then the first time we had her. She generally pulls only when she has to go to the bathroom and then walks fairly nicely the rest of the way. We usually walk about 2 miles.

We worked her on both sides but she prefers the left and does better on the left. I have to admit we worked left more than right because that is what I am use to with most of the other dogs.

I only had her bark once coming out of the car when she saw the neighbors on their bikes. She also barked at me when we were working on getting to the dog park entrance and because of her pulling it was taking a long time.

She showed no signs of fear at the office, church, traffic or PA Ren Faire. We went to the Ren faire on 10/10 and she was great. She was not bothered by the greyhounds, elephant, noise or costumes. She laid at our feet when we watched shows or ate. For one show, she laid in Aaron’s lap while he sat on the ground. with people all around them. The only two spots that were a little challenging was the area where they were shooting marshmallows at people. However, she had her head collar on and it wasn’t really a problem. Then a man ask to pet her and unfortunately he was wearing a rabbit skin (real) codpiece which she found very interesting and sniffed him. We had to end the greeting. She did very nice greetings. We were there about 4 ½ hours.

On Sunday we took her to church and she stayed with Steel in the pew while we took communion up front. We ate at Isaac’s and she laid by my feet and then we took her swimming at the indoor pool in Dillsburg. She loved that. Both dogs swam and retrieved for about an hour.

She still has a lot of puppy in her but as I said, she is a delight. She loves people and loves being with them.

Updates!

About a month ago, Barely was matched with a little boy who has Autism. Due to circumstances relating to his disability, her name was changed to Natalie. Natalie, fondly referred to as "Bratalie" by myself and those aware of her bratty tendencies, will be placed with her partner in February. She has been in Advanced Training at the SSD kennel since July and will continue learning her Service Dog tasks until she is placed.

I am very proud of little Nattie and know the team of her and a little boy will be a perfect fit. She's always loved kids and will be in Heaven to have her very own boy! :-)