Although I am not currently raising a puppy, we are frequently reminded of the two creatures that graced us with their puppyhoods.
Last night Promise graduated, and it was a wonderful evening at the Great Dane. As her puppy raiser, I will, of course, miss her, but she looks great with Darrell. I had the advantage of seeing from the get-go that she was cut out to be a working dog, which makes letting her go a little easier. She looks to be very happy and loves her job.
I got a chance to take the "Cadillac" (aka Promise) for a test drive today...more like stepping up into the saddle of a race horse, if you ask me! We did a little Juno work (using the harness minus the dog), then it was time to "saddle up" Promise and give me the reins--have you have ever seen a cartoon where the horse takes off with its rider flying out of the saddle leaving the rider holding on for dear life with his feet flying wildly in the air behind him?--that's pretty much how it initially felt when Promise took off "out of the gates" like she was charging for the Triple Crown. My 2 awkward, blindfolded feet were no match for her 4 feet and good eyes! I managed to stay on my feet, but thank goodness Caroline works out and could keep up with Promise and then showed me how to slow her down a bit, once I caught my breath. 
It takes a while to put enough trust in her to follow her when she makes a slight change in course, let her step off the curb first and if she slows down, you slow down. It is a continual partnership, though. She takes her verbal and body language cues from her partner, and it is ever so easy to get disoriented. As we took a break in the hospital lobby, I actually assumed Doug was standing beside me as we talked. It wasn't until Caroline sent me this picture that I realized he was in front of me! At one point when my shoulders were not facing the way I had asked Promise to go, I confused her, and we got a bit off course. Thank goodness Doug and Caroline were there to correct that situation, too. 
For those of us who have had "not so perfect" dogs, you will be happy to hear Promise did run me into some low-hanging branches, but in her defense, she's a bit lower to the ground than some dogs, and she must have thought if she could clear them, I could clear them, or maybe she's smart enough to do it and secretly laugh about it to herself. I wouldn't put it past her. When we were done and I was able to take the blindfold off and love her up a bit, Promise did have a very distinct, somewhat sly smile on her face. Oh yeah, and there was a near miss with a ladder, but I think I was lagging behind on that one & I guess Promise mistakenly thought I could clear it (my 40-something hips are just a "bit" wider than hers!).
Doug was telling me how sometimes as he walks with Promise, they hit a rhythm and everything just seems to flow and it's easy and fun. I have to say I had some moments like that as we made our way back to the final destination and Promise and I had come to an understanding of what a reasonable pace should be for her and I. I felt myself standing taller, relieving my death grip on the harness, letting Promise pull just enough to allow me to feel confident she would keep me on a safe path, and you understand for just an instant, how these dogs we raise who love what they are doing as much as Promise does may give someone a whole new feeling of independence, and may even change a life. Pretty cool.
I was glad that Caroline and Doug remembered to bring our booties, and even though I don’t really like wearing them, it’s better than burning your pads. When we finally arrived at our destination, I was surprised at how many people were there – moms and dads, brothers and sisters and cousins. There were even some KIDS for us to play with - YAY!!! Oh and there also were 2 other black labs like us, except they were just pets, not service dogs like Promise and me. 
I also had a few problems at the lake at first. Apparently, everyone was supposed to stay together which I didn’t understand right away. I mean, come on, there is a whole huge beach – why couldn’t I just take off and do as I pleased?????? To make a long story short, I had quite a few “time outs” the first couple of days. Promise of course had to be the “goody two shoes” and never got in any trouble, thinking back on it now, I probably should have followed her example. Oh well, on to the exciting part! 
We got to take a trip down the Truckee River in these big rafts! It was so much fun (well until the rafts filled up with water and Promise and I had to sit in them). The trip took most of the day because we kept stopping to swim and fetch bumpers and play in the river. I was really tired after that and was a good boy for the whole rest of the trip! Promise and I got to work in Tahoe city a bunch too – there was a lot of stuff and pedestrians on the sidewalks, so we got lots of practice on our clearances. 
This is G-man signing off for now!
My Foster Puppy
I gave my puppy up today
with unwanted tears of sorrow.
There is a job that he must learn.
We Won't play ball tomorrow.
I knew this day would have to come
While he was yet a pup.
And though I know his useful need.
It's hard to give him up.
I must keep thinking everyday
What he will soon become:
The eyes of one who cannot see,
A partnership begun.
He isn't just a dog, you see.
He's meant to be a guide,
To walk with one who needs him more,
Now I must step aside.
~Unknown
I graduated today, with Promise alongside me. We saw the Dalai Lama on our way to graduation; we were walking along University got to watch a brigade of seven motorcycles, five police and sheriff's cars, the Dalai Lama, and a van carrying his entourage. Once we got to graduation, we all had to wait outside for our class picture, while staring into the sun on Bascom hill. Then we turned around to see the schematic diagrams of where we were to march, and then off to the ceremony.
First, Promise was a good pup and went to vote last week. The polling place was getting ready to close, so no excitement there.
