Whew, thanks alot, Erin!

You started a new trend!! Have to go along with the crowd, now don't I??

1.How many puppies have you raised? I'm on my second. Jaylie, then Blitz

2.Why did you start raising? A long time ago I saw a documentary on a puppy raiser, and I sort of put that in the back of my head. When I moved down to California I was really lonely, and finally decided I wanted to get a dog. I researched breeds for about a year, and decided on a lab. I started looking for a good breeder, and found one who donated puppies to a guide dog program, and had put a link on their website. After checking out the website, I decided I wanted to puppy raise. So I researched schools closer to here, and sent my application to GDA! About two months later, I got Jaylie, the Female Black Lab.

3.How Long have you been a puppy raiser? A little over a year and a half. Since Jaylie was dropped early, I haven't yet had a puppy the full year and a half.

4.What is one thing you have learned in raising? Keep trying, no matter what, and do not hesitate to ask for help!

5.What have your puppies taught you? Jaylie taught me to love life, and live it to the fullest, while Blitz is teaching me to take things slowly, enjoying the sun and flowers.

6.What is the strangest thing someone has asked/said to you about your puppy? Ya, I hear this alot, but it's still pretty strange..."Is that one of those blind dogs?" "Is that a guard dog?"

7.Do you give your puppies real name out in public? Of course!

8.What is the most embarrassing incident that you've had with your puppy? Well...I wasn't so good at potty training with Jaylie. (Actually, I was NO good.) So, we went to a museum when she was about five months old, and she had three accidents while we were there!!! I was new and completely unprepared, and it was most definately my fault.

9.What is the most proud moment you've had with your puppy? Hmm...I'm pretty proud every time I go out with Blitz...And towards the end of my time with Jaylie I was always proud of her...Pretty much every minute after alot of training is my proudest moments, because they are the product of my training...It feels SO good!

10.What advice do you have for newbie puppy raisers/owners? Do not let skeptics who think that JUST because your dog is a "guide dog" that they should be perfect get you down. Remember that it is IN TRAINING, and if it was perfect it wouldn't need to be in training. Keep trying. At the same time though, don't get a closed mind and think your dog is so perfect that they have nothing to work on.