Puppies Puppies Puppies

I have had the pleasure of working with what feels like dozens of new puppies lately. Spring is segueing into summer vacation for kids and a lot of couples, families and single folk are taking advantage and taking that puppy plunge this glorious time of year. I know I have no temptation to acquire a puppy anytime soon, so I get my puppy fix teaching others how to gently mold pups into stellar canine citizens. Although I do think and store in some deep recess of my gray matter that IF and WHEN I next acquire a pup -- whether for me or as a service dog in training, that I do it this time of year, not in the usual dark and dreary and cold, not to mention often very snowy winter time which seems to have been my lot in life for the last umpteen puppies I've had underfoot!

Since I have had this rush of pups and somehow the intricate network of them has allowed one of those six degrees of separation situations where they all seem to know at least one of the others, I agreed to hold a private by invitation only puppy class. A client who just acquired the 8 week old full biological sibling to her 3 year old amazing black lab asked if I was planning on it. I answered that I would if I didn't have to worry about the space or registration and lo and behold, she offered me her amazing yard -- 1+ acres of lawn, pool, more lawn, some woods and lo and behold a pond! -- to hold it in AND, bless her, to handle the registration process. She will be the one who will have to explain how the class will work, take registrations and fees, organize the class list, and all that other administrative stuff that I really wish I could hire someone to take over -- and I'm only allowing in those who have seen me privately, will see me privately, are biologically related to people who have seen me privately, or who get to me at a vulnerable moment and I say yes even if they don't qualify for the above requirements. I even have one person who wants to be on the list who doesn't even have a puppy yet -- but I'm working on it for her!

It should be a rousing fun time and I have to admit, I'm looking forward to a summer filled with observing growing pups -- both in size, coordination and, if I do my job right, cooperation and bliss. I'll keep the blog posted and hope to have some video and photos to share on this summertime journey.