Sarasota Puppy Raiser Meeting

Hi Puppy world,
I just attended my first Puppy Raiser meeting in my new position as a Field Representative for the Puppy Services Department. I attended a meeting with the Sarasota Puppy Raisers. They held their meeting in Venice at the Jacaranda Trace Retirement Center. I have been told they just love having the puppies and the raisers. The meeting started outside with the arrival of the 4 new puppies. Who could not love that? So cute! After some camaraderie the meeting moved inside.

First everyone had to file in to the elevator making sure every ones tail was inside before the door could catch them. Happy to say no incidences. Once upstairs there was a nice big room great for conducting an obedience class but not before they had the pleasure of having a Guide Dog user, Steve and his Guide Dexter say a few words. He talked about how much he appreciates working with a Guide Dog. You could see the loving bond they shared. He could not say enough nice things about Dexter. He also let all the puppy raisers know that he understood we could not have success with Guide Dogs without the raisers and the wonderful job you all do. It is always nice to see a Guide Dog doing the work we all contribute to.

It was also very nice to see so many potential puppy raisers attending the meeting and taking everything in. Hopefully it won’t be long before they will be joining the group with their own puppy.
After introductions and some good information Donna conducted a very productive obedience class.

I was very happy to see how hard everyone worked. The puppies and the raisers all did very good. Hope you enjoy the pictures and there will be more to follow in the coming weeks.

Measures of Success

I think we can all agree that everyone’s goal at Southeastern is to produce guide dogs. From the breeding deparment to the puppy kennel to the puppy raisers to the trainers, we would prefer a world where every puppy becomes somebody’s guide dog. But reality is different. For reasons we’ve previously discussed on these pages, not every dog can be a guide dog. But even career changed dogs can make a big impact on people’s lives. This is the story of 3 of those dogs.

The National Naval Medical Center is located in Bethesda, Maryland, in the suburbs of Washington, DC. It is the third largest naval health care facility in the US and the designated hospital for wounded sailors and Marines returning to the US from Iraq and Afghanistan. The facility has recently begun to integrate with Army and Air Force personnel. It serves the health care needs for military personnel and their families and it is huge: 257 beds, over 4500 staff, and almost 8,000 admissions a year.

Two years ago, when NNMC decided that they wanted to use therapy dogs at their facility, they contacted Southeastern. The first dog we sent them was Laura Lee, a Golden Retriever. She was so successful that the facility asked for two more dogs. German Shepherd Dog Archie reported for duty this past June and in early September, I had the honor and pleasure of escorting Goldadore Bobbie to Bethesda.

To say that these dogs are appreciated is to understate it. I met Bobbie, Archie, Laura and their handlers at the main door. We literally didn’t even get inside before people were calling out to the dogs, by name, and stopping us. What should have been a 2 minute walk to an office took 20 minutes because every 10 feet someone knew the dogs and had to stop for a quick pet and some dog lovin’. These dogs are the rock stars of NNMC.

Laura Lee is the grand dame of the therapy trio. She has developed an uncanny knack for knowing which people need some Golden love. Her handler said that several times Laura has stubbornly pulled her towards someone who had not made an indication of wanting to see the dog. But Laura’s intuition is impecable and in each case a visit from a big fuzzy dog was exactly what the person needed.


Archie, with his German Shepherd looks and “I’m such a stud” demeanor has become a favorite with the Marines. In fact, he is known as Corporal Archie and has his own version of the Marines’ cammie shirt with his name and rank on it. One patient on the oncology ward became particularly fond of Archie. When the gentleman passed away, Archie attended his funeral at Arlington National Cemetary and the man requested that a photo of Archie be placed in his casket.

Bobbie is the rookie, but she was a natural from the start. She very politely and patiently sat for visits with staff members, but saved her tail-wagging, “hey how ya doin”?” smile for the patients. She would cruise right up to their bedside, no matter how many machines they were hooked up to.
And that, I think, is the beauty of dogs. They take everyone as they come. Dogs could care less that you are missing your legs or that a tramatic brain injury prevents you from forming words properly. No pity, no discomfort, no unease. All they care about is whether you might possibly be up for an ear scratch.

The handlers have many anecdotes about how the dogs help the staff and patients through very difficult recoveries and even more difficult loses. But one look tells you the impact these dogs have on the staff and patients at NNMC. Their vests tell the story. They are covered with rank insignias and service ribbons. Some patients even pin their Purple Heart medals to the vests. These are not just trinkets – these represent hard-won achievements or debilitating injuries in service to the United States.


Sometimes we get so focused on our goal of making guide dogs, we convince ourselves that “guide dog” is the only measure of success. But I like to think that every single one of our dogs ends up where they need to be. Sometimes, it’s in a harness guiding someone down the street. Sometimes, it’s with a badge, helping to catch an arsonist. Sometimes, it’s in a vest, giving comfort as only dogs can. And sometimes, it’s in a backyard somewhere, sharing companionship and joy and unconditional love. How can we say that any of these dogs have failed?

I.F.T. Part I

If you have been to the school you might have noticed the building that sits off by itself behind the Administration building. The building that has no tours, no dog walkers and no puppy hugging for them. This is the RECEIVING KENNEL - the Kennel that is off limits. This is where the dogs begin their next phase of formal training.
This is where the dogs come after the puppy raisers have raised them and put all the hard work into them only to turn them over never to be seen again. Or so it seems. If you ask me the saddest day for a Puppy Raiser is I.F.T. day. Some puppy raisers experience this day every 14-18 months. It never seems to get easier. It is hard for me to fathom that some of our dedicated puppy raisers have experienced this as many as 18 times.
For you first time puppy raisers don’t panic. You will get through it. If you are lucky when you drop your dog off you can pick up another one. You can never replace Rover, but it sure softens the blow. That cute little puppy will keep you so busy you won’t have time to cry over Rover. This will help you to focus easier on what you have done, what a great thing you have accomplished. The satisfaction you feel when you have done something good for someone else. The anticipation of seeing this dog that you have put your heart and soul into making it as the ultimate, a Guide Dog. A dog that changes someones life, brightens their future, and helps them to expand their world.
This day as it may be the saddest for you, the puppy raiser. It is an exciting day for the Kennel staff. New dogs, cute dogs, big dogs, funny dogs... and yes crazy dogs. Or I guess I can put it more politically correct, challenging dogs. Trainers can’t wait to see what dogs they will be getting in their string. They will start claiming them before they even get here. That is if they are crafty enough to get a hold of the I.F.T. list. Some get picked because of the breed, some get picked because of the name, some get picked for their size, some get picked for their color and some get picked because the trainer loves a challenge. If you can see through your tears you might notice trainers lurking from afar, trying to size up their new dogs, discussing among themselves and claiming them before the other gets a chance.
If you are a first time puppy raiser the day will get here before you know it. You will bring your College bound Puppy to the Administration building sometimes not even making it inside. You will be greeted by a person from the Kennel Staff. A K.A., short for Kennel Assistant. They will have a smile on their face to reassure you your puppy will be taken care of. They will try to give you ample time for you to say your goodbyes then they will whisk your dog off not looking back. Some raisers will watch to see if they get that heart wrenching look back from their puppy. We all feel your pain. Believe me it is short lived for your puppy. They get around the corner and all they are thinking about is hmmm, where are we going? What are those smells, look at all those cats.










Here is where the process for I.F.T. dogs begins. First thing is to find them a buddy that they can go out in the yard with to run and play. Shortly after arriving, the medical teem will look them over and make sure they are up to date on all of their shots. They also weigh each dog and put it in a log so the trainers will have a target weight to assure the dogs stay at a healthy weight. They also begin the process of getting the dog’s hips and elbows x-rayed. This is now done here on campus in our new medical clinic. The breeding department also gets involved. They begin evaluating them and determining which dogs will fulfill their breeding needs.
The first couple of weeks are just fun, fun, fun, play, play, play for the pups. The T.A. (trainer assistant) will take them for walks around the grounds letting them sniff and check everything out, stopping to love on them every so often. They have ample play time in the play yard with their buddies. This is when the K.A.’s start to get to know them and love on them. They start to learn their unique personalities. They begin trying to differentiate who is who. This is not an easy task especially when litter mates come in together and they look like octoplets. Sometimes they can figure who a dog is because the color of their hair is a little darker or it might have a slight wave, or a cowlick. Sometimes it is the way the tail curls or their hair has a different texture. Each K.A. has their own technique to figure out the names of each dog. Yes, we have scanners and yes they get used, but it is fun to see how fast you can learn their names and tell them apart, if by no other way than how they play in the yard or romp over to you while running past everyone else because they have picked you as there favorite. There is nothing better than that.
The last step is when the dogs get introduced to their trainers. The dividing of the dogs is complete and the formal training begins. It does not take long before the dogs know what a training van is and they start vying for position in their runs when the trainers approach. Pick me, pick me, they seem to say as they try to convince the trainer it is their turn.
So this is what the Receiving Kennel is all about. A smaller place for the new I.F.T. dogs to come. Here is where we help make it easier for them to become more comfortable with their new environment and learn what they will be doing so that they can live up to their full potential and hopefully become one of the elite: a Southeastern Guide Dog.