It takes a Village...

Before we picked up Bucky many friends were excited and curious about our new adventure to raise Bucky from a Guide Dog Puppy to a Guide Dog Candidate.

Through "Bucky's Blog" I was able to capture our adventures for ourselves and at the same time it gave me the ability to share with interested friends. It was also a bigger impetus to explore with Bucky.

I know many of you enjoyed our simple adventures and watching Bucky grow into a smart, good looking well behaved and well trained dog.

I know many people's hearts ached when we had to take him back to his school, and they were just as anxious as we were while we waited for his medical results.

I have to say though, that I have been very overwhelmed by the interest and support from so many people - and surprisingly, so many from around the world. His blog has been viewed close to 5,000 times! His following came from the United States, Canada, Australia, the UK, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Ukraine and Poland!

It has been fun seeing so many people interested in our simple life. It goes to show that so often the things that make us the happiest are merely uncomplicated events and relationships that create joy in our lives.

I thank you all for being so supportive of Bucky, John and me. It has been very humbling. I appreciate it very much.

Thank you!

And...... we will do it again.

Forever Family

After going through a long waiting list, the school has matched Bucky with his perfect Forever Family and home.

John and I are thrilled that Mark, someone who knows what a wonderful breed Golden's are, and someone that has been patiently waiting, has finally found Bucky. The school has not had many goldens over the last couple of years, so Mark has had to be very patient to find his way to Bucky.

I am confident that Mark has already recognized and appreciates what a smart, well behaved, well trained and loving dog Bucky is.

SEGD's protocol is that we now have to wait 3 months, to allow Bucky and Mark to bond, before we can connect with Mark. I look forward to reaching out to Mark in the new year.

Hopefully we will keep in touch over the years and he will keep us up to date on his and Bucky's adventures as they travel through life together.

It has been our pleasure to raise Bucky to be a confident, loving, well behaved and well trained dog. We did the best we could, despite our imperfections. We know that Bucky is an awesome dog.

We wish Bucky and Mark a great time together exploring life and all that it has to offer.

Lotsa love, 

Bucky's Puppy Raising Mom and Dad

Career Change

SEGDI has determined that the demands of a Guide Dog career could be too difficult for Bucky because of his mild hip dysplacia.

Therefore, Bucky has been Medically Career Changed.

They deemed that he would be better suited to be an adored family pet. Backyard Bucky. Lucky Bucky.

As Bucky's Puppy Raisers, he has been offered back to us for adoption. But because we are currently living in London, England, sadly it is not possible for us to adopt Bucky.

SEGD is now looking for the perfect person/family that has been patiently waiting to adopt Bucky and change their lives.

The school has a long list of people waiting to adopt a Career Changed dog. That wait can be one to two years! With so many applicants, the school is blessed with the ability to make the best match.

It will take SEGD about 1 to 2 months to choose the perfect person/family for Bucky.

After his forever person/family has found him, we then wait for another 3 months so that Bucky and his new forever family can bond. Then we can connect with them through e-mail.

I sincerely hope that they will want to know about Bucky's first year with us. I am sure they will be thrilled to know that Bucky had a team cheering for him throughout his training journey with us.

I hope that they will want to keep us posted about Bucky's life with them.

Maybe they will read Bucky's Blog and have fun seeing his adventures with us. And with a little luck, maybe they will provide updates for Bucky's Blog.

So now, our job is to wait patiently while the perfect person/family ends their search and finds their way to Bucky. I know he will charm them with his love, energy and devotion and they will cherish the day he entered their life. I truly believe that Bucky will impact their lives in a special way.

In the meantime, Bucky is in the Training Kennels, playing with other Career Changed dogs, maybe visiting with staff, maybe having sleepovers with volunteers, and probably going for walks on campus with volunteer dog walkers. Basically, I am sure he is loving life on campus. Hopefully the other dogs are not tooooo much of a bad influence on him and getting him into trouble.

I am also confident that little Bucky is oblivious to the plans being made for him.

I am envious of Bucky, because he has the ability to live in the present, not worry about the future and find the goodness in life and people.

We love you and are proud of you little Bucky.

BTW - I'll let you know as soon as we know who's life Bucky will change.

Official Harness Portrait

At 6 weeks old, all the puppies get their photo taken in a Guide Dog harness.

When they come back a year  later for IFT, and the harness actually fits, they begin their formal harness training with Certified Guide Dog Trainers. This is where the hard yards begin.

I might be biased, but I do think that Bucky is very handsome in his harness. He looks very professional.

But, I also think since he is so handsome everyone will want to pat him - which is not safe for a Guide Dog to be distracted by hordes of fans and paparazzi.

You look so proud Bucky.... and we are proud of you.

Job Shadowing in the Training Kennel

Below is a an edited excerpt from a newsletter we received earlier in the year. I have saved it for when Bucky goes into the Training Kennels - which is where he is now.

It was written by a Puppy Services staff member that participated in a "Job Shadow". She chose the opportunity to experience what happens in the Training Kennel.

In it she explains a bit about a day in the Training Kennels.

Life of a Dog in Training

by Katherine McDonough, Development Coordinator

When I was part of a winning team at a staff meeting and we got to pick a department we would like to shadow for a morning, I picked the Training Kennel (TK).....

The dogs come to Guide Dog U and stay in the AK (Assessment Kennel) for about four weeks .  

There are four teams of trainers and each team is assigned a "string" of dogs. A string is the entire group of dogs turned in at a Guide Dog U, and is comprised of 29-34 dogs. 

After 4 weeks in the AK they move to the Training Kennel (TK). 

The "freshmen" dogs are in the runs to the left in the Training Kennel and the "seniors" are in the runs to the right of the Training Kennel. So, as new strings come into the Training Kennel, the dogs' runs are moved along.   

The dogs might be in a community (dorm) with several dogs, or with only one roommate. There are two runs and they can go back and forth between either one. 

The day starts at 6 a.m. for the TK (Training Kennel) staff with the Canine Care Technicians (CCTs) arrival; the trainers arrive at 6:30 a.m. and join in the morning cleaning. The dogs get fed and are let out. In between this process, the runs inside and out are sanitized, squeegee-dried and then towel-dried.

All dogs in the TK get a physical once a month.

If the dogs are not out being trained, they are in the kennel. All the dogs go out in the yard four times a day, which is quite a process for the kennel staff. Some dogs might go to the Administration building and visit for some days, too.

When there is dog walking available for visitors, they use numbers, like at the deli counter. When it's high season in Florida, it gets very busy and people are eager to walk a dog. A dog needs to have a green sticker by his name on the kennel door to signify he can be walked. The trainers decide when a dog is ready for this activity; they often see how the dog interacts with children and if they are interested in squirrels or easily distracted. The dogs are very excited when they are taken out of the run for a walk and are remarkably calmer and relaxed when they return. Walkers often brush the dogs after the walk and the dogs happily lay down for this treat.

  

If a dog is going home for a weekend:

Staff members from Southeastern will visit the invitee's home and ask that people, for example, remove photos off of low tables (tails can knock them over), or put trash in a place the dog cannot access it. The dog is bathed before going to the home. Basic obedience is expected to be provided while at the home, but no training. The trainers ask for information about how the dog behaved in the home. This is helpful as the dog has been away from that environment for awhile.

Kennel Enrichment:

Trainers decide which dogs will participate on certain days. Volunteers for this enrichment program must complete regular volunteer training as well as specialized training by the TK staff to work with the dogs on the puzzle or activity.

Knowing how well-liked the dogs are by staff and visitors and how happy they are in their behavior, when I hear their barking I will now think they are laughing and having a great time--like in a college dorm.

What Happens Next?

Bucky has moved from the Assessment Kennels to the Training Kennels with his "string". The "string" refers to his classmates, which are the 28 dogs that went IFT (In For Training) on August 9th. They are joining the other dogs that are already in the Training Kennels. There are always about 100 dogs at a time in the Training Kennels. (That's a lot of dog food!)

At this point Bucky is still in the program to be a Guide Dog and he is still in training. He has not had a Career Change.

He is probably also in the Dog Walking program. In addition to their training with Certified Guide Dog Trainers, the dogs are walked on campus by volunteers from the community. So, if you are in the area, Palmetto, Florida, and are looking for something to do, stop by the campus and sign up to grab a leash. Or, sacrifice yourself and do some Puppy Hugging.

On Thursdays the dogs get a bath. Can you imagine - around 100 dogs getting a bath every Thursday? That's a lot of "wet dog" smell! Bllllggghhhhh.

To whomever is giving Bucky his shampoo.... he loves to be massaged during his bath.... just saying...

He also gets a lot of play time with the other dogs. Bucky will be in Doggy Heaven!

In due time, the College will make the decision whether Bucky will have a Career Change (CC).

I will admit, when I first read the news about his mild hip dysplacia I was devastated. The wind was taken out of my sails. I wasn't just choked up, I cried. Which is very rare for me.


I was so disappointed, sad and worried.

I wanted Bucky to be be given a chance to be able to strut his stuff and give it a try. I wanted him to train with a professional Guide Dog Trainer, who can teach him so much more than I can teach him. I wanted him to try training with the harness. I wanted Bucky to be able to make the decision that being a Guide Dog is, or isn't, the perfect career for him.

And then I was worried about his future. What will happen next? What does this mean medically?

I guess these are just things that all mothers go through, whether their children have two legs or four legs.

FEELINGS: Recovering from feeling sad, disappointed and worried. Trying to trust that everything will work out just fine. Practicing p-a-t-i-e-n-c-e (basically).

Bucky's Medical Results

We have been anxiously waiting to get Bucky's medical results back.

As part of the medical tests, X-rays are taken of the hips and elbows. These are then sent to the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.)

We have received Bucky's results.

Elbows: Normal
Hips: Mild hip dysplasia

We are so disappointed and sad.

SEGD (Southeastern Guide Dogs) will determine the next steps.

So we must patiently wait.

Patience

Patience is a virtue.

Or so they say.

No word yet about Bucky's medical results.

Bucky will have undergone extensive medical tests to ensure he is in tip top shape and be medically capable for the rigorous demands of a Guide Dog.

He will have CAT scans, MRI's, heart tests, vision tests, hearing tests and every other test known to the veterinary world. Because it costs $60K to train a Guide Dog, they need to be able to have a long career and can't be de-railed by potential medical issues.

When Bucky went IFT on August 9th there were 27 dogs that went in with him. Medicals on 19 have been posted, and Bucky is one of the 9 that they haven't been posted yet.

I am anxious.

Sigh.

As a teaser, I have these pictures of him in the Assessment Kennels with his roomate. They both look tired and happy.

If Bucky has been getting into trouble, it is because Zak has been leading him astray....

On Twitter today!

I've been missing little Bucky the last couple of days.... and low and behold.... on Twitter today!

Bucky does turtle dog position on the cool kennel floor after the afternoon yard time.

He looks tired and happy - and well brushed and well taken care of.

I can see his "golden smile".

Thank you so much!

Oh crikey, now I'm all choked up..... 

Social Media.... helping to bridge the gap

This week has been a busy week for little Bucky with posts on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you little Bucky for taking the time out of your busy schedule to post the "selfie" on Twitter!

I knew Bucky, (AKA: Buckaroni,  and Buckmonster, and Buckmiester, and Sweet Little Bucky,) was a quick study!

I also give many thanks to whomever on the "inside" has been teaching him how to use Facebook and Twitter.

Apparently he really enjoyed a good chew after training.

Smoooooooch.

Update: Photo and Posting on SEGDI Facebook Page

Gotta love Facebook.

It looks like Bucky is doing well and making new friends.

So happy to see this on SEGDI's Facebook page today - thanks so much Jen for posting:

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Bucky and Rugby making new friends in college!

A Call from the College Today

I have been thinking about little Bucky a bunch the last couple of days and have been really missing him.

And perfect timing, today I got a call from the Director of Puppy Raising Services at the College.

I just about fell off my chair, my mouth dropped and my heart missed a beat or two. YIKES!

She called to tell me that she knows its always hard to give up our puppies.....

Yesssss......

Soooooo..... she just wanted to let me know that Bucky is doing really well!!!

She said the CCT's love him and they said he is the snuggliest dog that just melts into them. (Let me tell you.... snuggling is the most efficient way to transfer the maximum amount of dog hair in the shortest time - he's like that!)

That really choked me up. I was so pleased to get the call, and just tickled with the news.

To be honest, I am not surprised he loves it. When we walked around campus with him he was so interested in everything and so intent - he didn't even notice that we existed. He especially loved the geckos - different than the ones in Houston.

Do you think that little BUCKY could take a few moments out of his busy schedule to give me a call, send me an email, text message me or send me a picture on twitter??? Perhaps, after he has wolfed down his food, before everyone else has even started to eat, he could take a moment to remember his dear Puppy Raiser Mom.

Geeeesh, dogs these days!

FEELING: Relief!!!! Happiness!!!! Pride!!! And a big goofy grin on my face.... with little tears hiding in my eyes and a lump in my throat.

Rejects.... Failures..... Career Changes....

Not every puppy that is born and raised as a Guide Dog Puppy becomes a Guide Dog. As a matter of fact, only about 37% of Guide Dog Puppies become a Guide Dog.

I have heard people refer to the dogs that do not become Guide Dogs as "rejects" or "failures".  To be quite honest, I find those terms "offensive". But I guess the people that use them are just "misguided" (pun intended) and uninformed to the intricacies, nuances and demands involved with training and working as a Guide Dog.

There are many reasons that a Guide Dog Puppy can have a "Career Change". (NOTE: the correct term is a "Career Change"! NOT "reject" and NOT "failure"!)

At 14 to 16 months old the puppies leave their Puppy Raising families and go IFT (in for training). They spend their first month at College in the Assessment Kennels with about 30 other Freshman puppies.

A Guide Dog is highly skilled and trained, at a cost of approximately $60,000 each, so the Guide Dogs need to have as long a career as possible. In Assessment they undergo rigorous medical tests and observations. The puppies have CAT scans, MRI's, and health checks that most dogs, and people, are never subjected to. They are looking for any health issues, including minute issues. These issues can be things that will have no effect on another Service Dog's career or a regular dog that is a pet, but that MAY have the possibility, in the future, of derailing a Guide Dog's rigorous and demanding career.

The kennel staff and trainers are also observing to see many other things. They look to see how the dogs adjust to life in a kennel, with 30 other dogs that have all left their loving Puppy Raising home, family and friends. They are watching to see what the dog's natural skills are, how do they react to meeting new people, situations, stress, abrupt and loud noises, are they keen to learn.... etc. etc.

There are numerous reasons a dog can be Career Changed after the first month at College in the Assessment Kennels. Reasons that are not important in the life of another service dog career or a regular family pet, but reasons that are not conducive to an elite career as a Guide Dog. And they may be reasons that make the dog a perfect Candidate for ANOTHER service dog career.  Or that make them the perfect family pet. All of those careers are valuable, they just may not be Guide Dog careers.

If the Guide Dog Candidate can make it through the first month of rigorous tests and observations they can proceed to the Training Kennels for another 4 to 6 months. Here is where the elite training begins, and the demands and expectations rise to extremely high levels.

The Guide Dog Candidate will learn the super tough stuff and be able to guide a Vision Impaired person to safely use escalators, enter revolving doors, move around obstacles, look UP for obstacles (i.e. tree branches) and countless other skills to aid a vision impaired person's ability to be mobile.

The Vision Impaired person and the Guide Dog have a strong partnership. A vision impaired person's responsibility is to know and give the commands to the Guide Dog, and the Guide Dog's responsibility is to follow the commands and keep the vision impaired person safe in the process.  Because lives are literally entrusted to  the Guide Dog there is zero room for mistakes - which makes them the elite of Service Dogs.

The final test for a Guide Dog Candidate is "Intelligent Disobedience". That is when a Guide Dog will consciously DISOBEY a command because the command will put the vision impaired partner into a harmful situation. This is an incredible feat considering the dogs are taught to OBEY commands! They need the intelligence and confidence to recognize and reject an unsafe command and then chose an alternative and safe action.

Passing all these demanding criteria, the Guide Dog Candidate then has to wait to be matched with a vision impaired partner to make a perfect and compatible partnership. Compatible in size, gait, pull, lifestyle, energy level, personalities, etc.

Sometimes a Guide Dog Candidate has perfectly passed the rigorous tests and would make a fantastic Guide Dog, BUT, will have a Career Change ONLY because there is not an available vision impaired person to make a perfect match with, at that time. (The College residence can only accommodate and graduate a maximum of 9 people per month. Generally 30 dogs return to College for IFT per month. You don't have to be Einstein to do the math.)

So please, do not refer to a Guide Dog Puppy or a Guide Dog Candidate that has had a Career Change as a "reject" or "failure" without understanding what all is involved to become an elite Guide Dog.

FEELING: a bit sensitive about calling a Guide Dog Puppy or Candidate that has a Career Change a "reject" or "failure".

And missing little Bucky.

Being Blind

While on campus we listened to a Graduate Guest Speaker - Suzy Wilburn with her Guide Dog, Carson.

They have been partners for 3 years.

Suzy very kindly shared her story with us.

She had been a very athletic teen and grew into a fiercely independent woman. At the age of 27 her vision started to decline due to a recessive genetic disease. She denied it as long as she could, but eventually had to succumb to the reality of being blind. It lead to 8 years of isolation and depression. 

Finally she reached out for help and eventually landed a job at Guide Dogs for the Blind. She is currently the Director of Admissions and Graduate Services. She loves it - because she is the Gate Keeper and closely screens the applicants. As a Puppy Raiser, that makes me happy to know that she ensures our Guide Dogs go to the best candidates that will take care of our puppies. 

A couple of things hit home for me. One was that she had worried about meeting her Puppy Raiser at Graduation... What if her Puppy Raiser was disappointed in her - that she was not the person that her Puppy Raiser wanted the puppy to go to. WOW! I had looked at it as being nervous if Bucky gets a match - would Bucky remember ME. Not that his Vision Impaired/Blind partner would be nervous meeting me. So it was an interesting perspective I had never thought about. 

The other thing I found interesting was that as good as Carson is, he was not perfect while she stood and spoke to us. But she accepted his occasional fussing and fidgeting with great humour. There is gentleness and clearly love and devotion from both dog and handler, both accepting the small foibles that each of them brings to the partnership.

She said something that I found very touching - she said Carson's Puppy Raiser was a 17 year old girl. She credits that 17 year old girl with saving her life. Suzy said she could not have continued on her life as she was going before she met Carson. Her Guide Dog has given her so much independence and helped her regain her self esteem and self confidence. Not only does she have more independence, it has given her family more freedom too. 

As a Puppy Raiser that had just handed over Bucky's leash to the school, it made me happy to know that if he becomes a Guide Dog, Bucky will dramatically change someone's life..... perhaps even save someone's life... in many different ways.

And that is why Puppy Raisers are able to give their puppies back to the school. It still leaves a sadness in our hearts, but it gives us optimism and pride to have a small role in changing the life of someone we have never met.

There but for the Grace of God go I..... 

Bucky's Name

Friday night before Bucky went to College he met his "Sponsor". 

Carol named him "Bucky" after her father - a strong, kind, giving and generous man.

I am confident that Bucky will make both him and Carol PROUD!

Blindfold Walks

Part of the Guide Dog U inductions was the opportunity to have a Blindfold Walk.  I jumped at the chance to understand what it feels like to be blind/vision impaired and how the Guide Dog is trained to lead a blind person safely on their route.

I put completely blackened glasses on and took the handle of the Guide Dog, Cash.

The trainer walked with me and explained what was happening and how to hold the handle in my hand and relax my arm. It wasn't easy to not be able to see anything and just move forward - trusting that the dog (and trainer) would keep me walking on the straight and narrow.

As I was walking I know I kept leaning and pulling Cash to the right. Now that I look at the pictures I realize why - I was trying to walk straight, but the path was NOT straight. Cash was doing the right thing by following the path. But I now realize I wasn't following him and allowing him to take the lead. I needed to learn to trust Cash.

 After what seemed like a LONG (and unnerving) walk, Cash just - stopped!

As a "blind person", it was MY responsibility to figure out why he stopped.

I was then instructed to feel the pavement with my foot and/or sweep the air.

Sure enough, with my foot I found we were at the curb and we had stopped before we crossed the street into traffic.

Just as I had taught Bucky - to stop and sit at street corners!

Then to turn around and go back I said "RIGHT ABOUT" - and around we went.

Just like I had taught Bucky to do!

The walk back to our starting point was much easier, because I knew Cash had got me there safe and sound, and I felt more confident he could get me back safe and sound.

Plus I wanted to get back and take off those black glasses!

The walk gave me insight and helped me understood and put together why we taught some of the commands that we had. Now I was using them on my Blindfold Walk.


At the end of my short walk, I was thrilled to be able to take the glasses off and see again - a luxury that a blind or vision impaired person does not have. But with faith in their Guide Dog, a vision impaired person can trust that they will get to their destination safely.

That is why we Puppy Raised Bucky.

And that is why John and I are so proud of Bucky and his future career - wherever it will lead him.

Puppy Hugging

The school knows how to help ease the Puppy Raiser's pain of returning their puppy to the College.....

 ........with a good dose of PUPPY HUGGING!!!!

 And then there is the potential of a Puppy Raiser taking home another puppy to raise....

........this is just NOT fair!

And away they go...

Many thanks to John for standing back and taking photos..... I know he would have loved to get into the fray and snuggle a puppy or two.