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****JANUARY
2006****
KC update.pdf
K.C.
The Wonder Puppy
Sponsor
Report
It is hard to believe
that it has been almost a year since the lazy bundle of black lab came into our
lives. She has matured into an
intelligent, active, and pleasant candidate to successfully serve someone as a
guide dog. She has obtained her
certification as a Canine Good Citizen, is always eager to work, and I haven’t
found anything she won’t at least attempt if you ask her.
K.C’s day begins at about
5:00 am
with a trip to the local
gym after her breakfast. She sleeps
and naps while I work out, so it is pretty clear she has mastered the
“down-stay.” She will then spend her days on a college campus or in local
schools, and two evenings a week in a wood shop at the local
Technical
College
helping me make sawdust.
She is patient, loving, and willing to wait for long periods of time for
10-20 minutes of play and pleasure walking.
She is really quite bored with the computer classes I teach, as she is in
her third semester and I’ve taught the same courses all three semesters.
She sometimes looks at the students as if to say “I get it, why don’t
you?” She will sometimes work 10-12 hours, and is willing to hit the road the
next day. As long as she gets to eat
twice a day, she will work hard, play hard, and curl up at your feet.
She particularly liked the evenings we built a fire and sat around the
stove. She would snore contentedly
until bedtime, and then sleep the night away.
Her exposures include just about anything you can imagine.
We have traveled with her (car, bus and train), so she is familiar with
hotel life and can “find the room” after a quick orientation.
She has accompanied me during presentations at major conferences and
works crowds quite nicely. She has
attended several major events, including the Camping and RV show, the Home Show,
the Remodeling Show, various festivals, street fairs and parades, and has
performed flawlessly on each occasion. She
shops weekly, knows the home improvement stores intimately, and has even
“supervised” yard work, gardening, and other similar activities.
With baseball season upon us, we’ll see if we can interest her in a
professional game or two.
 Now I wouldn’t want you to think this puppy is
perfect. She does have a few flaws.
She will steal firewood or lumber and take it to her favorite spot in the yard
(under a park bench) and attempt to turn it to sawdust.
She also will take the clippings from hedges and trees and dash madly
about the yard with them in her mouth, hoping the other dogs will attempt to
take her prize from her. She
absolutely loves the Nylabone and Kong toys and will wear out a rope-tug toy in
about two days. Even with all that
oral activity, she doesn’t chew shoes, clothes or other inappropriate items.
Although late last summer when she was very tempted with the tomatoes on
the vine, and managed to pinch more than one.
She has attended meetings with her sponsor organization, and she seems
pretty happy to represent them. I
know it has been a pleasure for us to work with them and raise K. C.
We certainly hope she does well and becomes a great resource for someone
who needs her assistance.
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