This is Campbell...from Australia!!
 
I want you to meet my new friend...in Australia! Dad and I received an e-mail from Ramona...Campbell’s Mom. Campbell’s a 9-week old black lab being trained to be a guide dog too...but for the Royal Society for the Blind in Australia. Dad sent Ramona an e-mail back and asked if we could post her note on my blog and include a few pictures. Thank you for contacting us Ramona and give Campbell and your family our best! PS: If Campbell needs any pointers on how to use those puppy eyes to get away with anything...have him drop me a line...but from the pictures, it looks like he’s already got that taken care of :) Ramon’a E-Mail (February 8, 2008) I found your blog while looking at some Guide Dogs videos on you tube and I noticed your comment and the blog address on one of them... We are in Adelaide, South Australia. We have a puppy too that we are looking after...Campbell, he will hopefully be a Royal Society for the Blind guide dog one day !! He's black, too. I must say that during the first week of having Campbell with us I found great consolation in reading your blog in the middle of the night ! I was looking for other perspectives on how to best approach this somewhat daunting task. We are at the end of the second week and today Campbell and Greg (hubby) went into town to meet his sponsors..and he charmed the pants off them !! I am gobsmacked that you have taken on Woody alone !! I think the only way we have survived is because there have been two of us ... I take my hat off to you !! We have not had the destruction at home because we are two... not one and he does not get the opportunity !!! and he hasn't cranked up yet apparently !! On the internet I've found your blog, the information regarding Bite inhibition and asking for the dog to 'give' when it has something it shouldn't rather than saying 'no' or 'leave it' are the 3 things that have saved my sanity during these two weeks... but it's early days and I hope dogs born in the southern hemisphere are not susceptible to the condition you alluded to where the dogs 'forget' everything at eight months ... and we have to re-learn/re-teach it all again!! Any way.. must go and take Campbell out. All the very best with Woody and I am very glad you wrote the blog!! Ramona PICTURES: Left/Top: Campbell with Ben Left/Bottom: Does this look familiar? I lay like this too! Right/Top: Campbell with Greg (Ramona’s husband)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008