Chandler, the guide-dog-to-be

by June
(Clearwater, Florida)

Chandler's first romp in the grass at his new home.

When we offered to be puppy raisers for the Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc. (SEGDI), we never imagined what these first few weeks would be like. Chandler landed in our busy lives like a toddler in a china shop! He was just nine weeks old when we picked him up, an all-black Labrador/Golden mix, which SEGDI calls a "Goldadore." We had no idea that such a little pup could take up so much of our time! But his sweet face, soft puppy ears, and the way he rolls over every time we pet him, refilled our well of patience for the times he woke us every hour overnight for the first week in his new home.

He's now almost 12 weeks old, and we have seen such incredible growth in that short time. He now lets us know when he has to "busy", as SEGDI calls it, and has only had a few accidents in the house. He already knows a few commands, such as "sit" and "down." I'm amazed how such a little being can already know how to do some of the simple things that are the foundation to the guide dog training that will come in about 18 months.

We decided to become puppy raisers for several reasons. One, we wanted to know if we would like to have a dog of our own someday, so having one short-term gives us the opportunity to see if a dog fits into our lives. But more importantly, we wanted to help a blind person gain a companion that could help give him or her more independence in their day-to-day lives. My sister, Jean, is blind and is now with her second guide dog, Sarah. We are so grateful for all the people who helped her get Sarah, and feel so lucky to have the chance to do the same for someone else's sister, or brother, or friend.

Chandler sleeps through the night now, but thinks that 5:30am is morning play time. It's been a few years since our youngest awoke at that same time, so we're a bit spoiled with a 6:45 wake-up. He's getting used to our daytime schedule, so soon enough maybe he'll sleep until 6:30. (Maybe we could even teach him to sleep a little later on the weekends!)