Blessings

"What you are doing is a good thing, bless you." "Piper is going to make a difference in the world, blessings to you and her." "If everyone did just one thing like you are doing, the world would be a better place." And, the words I received from the proud owner of her fourth lab, "What you do is so appreciated, God bless you."

I have never been blessed by so many people in such a short period of time. Blessings were not something I was expecting to receive when I filled out my application for this particular job. Lots of puppy kisses, visits to the outdoors on cold winter nights, and walks, maybe, but not blessings. I never actually thought I would receive a puppy to raise for I was sure I was in no way qualified to do the job. Four months after filling out my application I can definitely say I can use all the blessings I receive and I am in no way qualified to do this job. Piper is no ordinary puppy. She is headstrong and nippy and also very loud when she has an opinion about something. Now it's my job to teach her proper puppy manners and put her on the right path to being a very good dog. She is very smart and learned to sit within just a few tries on the very first day I had her. She was not quite seven weeks old. She is very curious and into everything imaginable, including electrical wires. I can't leave her alone for one second, and even sometimes right under my nose she is up to something. This morning was an example of that. Applying my makeup, looking in the mirror and not paying attention to Piper, I finally look down at the floor and realize that she has decided that the toilet paper roll is the perfect puppy toy of the moment. Of course I am running late for work, but I cannot resist taking a photo to capture the moment. I know that this puppyhood of Piper's will be fleeting and I will look back in a year when she is gone and have only my memories and photographs.

I get lots of questions every day. "Why do you have your dog with you at work?" "What kind of dog is she?" "Is she a puppy?" "Is she a Lab?" "How much did you pay for her?" "Where did you get her from?" "What if you decide that you don't want to give her back?" "How much are you getting paid to do this job?" "Will she be big?" "What if she fails her training, can you keep her?" "Will they take my dog too?" "Is this a contractual agreement?" "Can I buy her from you?" Answer to last question would be, that's negotiable. Depends on how much havoc she wreaks on my house and my life in the coming weeks.

Piper's life was planned out for her even before she was born. She was born with a purpose and that purpose was to be trained as a "Leader Dog for the Blind". She will start her career in about a year. In the meantime, Piper is a puppy, and as such deserves a really quality puppyhood with lots of learning experiences, discipline, boundaries, and play time. Piper is nine and a half weeks old now and can walk perfectly on her leash. Actually she came to me from the breeder already familiar with her collar and her leash so I didn't even have to transition her into it. We have had such fun romping through the snow on the golf course close to our house. I want it to snow more and more. It makes everything look so gorgeous and puppy paws stay nice and clean.