UNITED STATES: When Dog-Sitting Duty Calls

We used to Puppy Raise Guide Dogs for the blind.

That means we would get purpose-bred puppies when they were about 8 weeks old and give them preliminary training and experiences until they were 18 months to 2 years old.

Then they would go to "college" for advanced training from Certified Guide Dog Trainers. 

From 2019 to 2020 we shared Puppy Raising duty, or should I say "privilege", with 2 other Puppy Raisers with a dog named B-Mac.

Allow me the nostalgia of walking down Memory Lane. 

Being a Guide Dog requires a specialized skill set and only 1 in 3 of these purpose-bred puppies become Guide Dogs for the blind. 

B-Mac was a very cute puppy.

B-Mac was a pleasure to raise and train. 

He loved to learn and please. He went almost everywhere I went. Everyone loved him and was so impressed with how good he was.

Waiting while I was in the dentist's chair.

Patiently waiting at the hairdresser's.

Snoozing through a movie at the MFAH Theatre.

Hanging out at a coffee shop.

John enjoyed having a bromance with him.

The last time we saw B-Mac was May of 2020 before he headed off to College in Florida. 

In December 2020 he graduated from the program and became one of the elite dogs to be certified as a Guide Dog for the blind.

I have kept in touch with his partner Chris, through, you guessed it, "The Power of Facebook".

When "The Village" SOS call came that Chris needed a sitter for him, we gladly stepped up to the plate to take care of him in Asheville, North Carolina. 

We hadn't seen him in over 5 years so we weren't sure if he'd remember us. I was prepared to be heartbroken, but confident he'd fall in love with us again. 

When we reunited, it turned out my worries were all for naught.

The "bromance" continued.

The adventures continued.

And his ability to "chill" still came easily. 

We still love him.

And we're thrilled that Chris, his partner, calls him her "hero". 

We're proud of him and know that he is where he needs to be.