'Emmit' arrives

Two sleepy, eight-week-old Golden Retrievers staggered out of the transport kennel at Frankton Airport (Queenstown) on Saturday, 16 February. A quick look under told us which one of these gorgeous, fluffy white pups was ‘Emmit’ - our charge for the next 12-18 months. Coincidentally, his sister, who will be a family pet, will be living only a few blocks away.

We took ‘Emmit’ directly to our home in Arrowtown and thus, began his noble journey to becoming a Mobility Assistance Dog, the first to be raised in the South Island. We set him down and let him explore the puppy proofed, gated off dining room/lounge area watching him carefully as he waddled around, slip sliding away on the timber floor checking out every nook and cranny of his designated territory for the next several weeks. If there was the slightest hint of a squat, we stood at the ready to quickly scoop him up and carry him outside. Then came the introduction to his crate decked out with baby blanket, a big, fluffy teddy bear, and a Nylabone puppy bone and teething keys. He likes his cosy crate and will often go in of his own accord.

The first few nights were interrupted several times by whimpering escalating into urgent yelps which sprung us out of bed to rush him outside - sometimes not quite soon enough. (needless to say, a full-on cleaning kit was placed near the crate) From past experience, we were prepared for these initial rough nights knowing that a puppy this young needs some time to adjust to a new environment without the security of his mum and litter mates.

Brief obedience lessons began the day we got ‘Emmit’. These are done frequently throughout the day and are interspersed with plenty of play time. Within 24 hours ‘Emmit’ was responding to “come” preceded by his name and had a vague idea about the meaning of “bizzy-bizzy.” What a smart puppy!

Puppy Prep

From Mobility Dogs:

• Collar (very tiny)
• Leash
• Working vest (very tiny)
• ‘Working Dog Do Not Pat’ patch
• ‘L’ plate (to be attached to vest)
• 17 kg bag of Royal Canin Large Breed, Junior Puppy Food

From the pet store:

• Small crate (for sleeping and transporting the first few months)
• Large crate (for daytime use and partitioned down to a smaller size)
• Nylabone chew toys (puppy size and baby blue!)
• Tug toy Kong toy
• Holy Roller ball
• Pet Stain and Odour Remover
• Bed
• Treat pouch

From the Salvation Army:

• Baby blankets
• Old towels
• Fluffy teddy bear

From the supermarket:

• Pick-up bags
• Paper towels (lots!)

Check back in a few weeks for the next installment of ‘Emmit’s’ journal.

Judy and Grant
Puppy-raisers Arrowtown, Southern Lakes District, New Zealand

Posted: Thu 21 Feb 2008

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