So proud of Sadie

[Ritz459]

As you all know, we took Sadie back up to Michigan earlier this week (wow, has it really only been a week? Seems like forever). Anyways, we got a call from our puppy counseler tonight.
Now, before I go on, I must say how much I detest this lady. She would always call us the night before (around 10:00pm) a puppy outing, and then expect us to not have plans and show up there! I hated her attitude (I know everything, you don't know jack squat), and how she trained dogs. She just rubs me the wrong way, and this was only meeting her once. We were only able to make one puppy outing (we were supposed to meet every month) and that was too a smoke house visit that *gasp* she actually told us two weeks before hand!
Anyways, so she called tonight to tell us that, suprise, we had a puppy outing tomorrow at the Children's Museum (here she goes again...telling us at 8:00pm to be at a puppy outing tomorrow...). The conversation was like this:
My mom told her, "Um, we don't have Sadie anymore."
Mary (the PC), said, "Really? Was it time for her to go back up?" (No, we just got rid of her )
"Ya, today was actually the very last day we could have had her. Actually, on her initail exam she got greats on everything."
"Really?! It is extreamly rare for a dog to do that well! She must have been a very special dog indeed."

This made me feel so proud of Sadie. For a dog to get a 100% on their very first exam is apparently very rare. And it also gave me some satisfaction thinking, "Ha, and we didn't even need your stuck up advice to train Sadie (I don't know how many times we asked her for advice on Sadie jumping up and she never responded....) and she still did better than tons of dogs!"
I'm just so proud of my little baby girl that she is doing that well and that she probably really will make some blind person extreamly happy. I'm also a little sad now, because without realizing it, I have been hanging onto that little hope that she would fail and we'd get her back. But now I don't really have that hope anymore because apparently she is one of the top dogs going in.
When I came home today, I walked in through the garage and I turned to my mom who was right behind me and I said, "Mom, I don't have a big black blob coming to see me at the door, its tail going 100mph. No more, 'Hey Sadie pup!!!' while she runs around the room rampade and grabs a toy to throw at me." I still miss her, but at least now I have that pride that my baby is one of the best.

Good luck Sadie, with the rest of your career.

[IceyBlueSibes]

Wow, that's really great to hear. I'm sure it made you very proud when you heard her tell you that. You've done an awesome job with her. It speaks a lot for you and your family as far as raising dogs

Do you think you guys will ever do this again? Or are you going to stick with something else? I had actually considered doing it at once, but never got back around to looking into it.

Thank you for sharing that with us.

[Rivsky]

That's just the biggest compliment to you and your family that she's doing so well.

[Cassiepeia]

That's wonderful Ritz!! I'm so proud of you for raising such an exceptional service dog. You've done Sadie proud, as she has you. You should feel like a parent who's raised their child only to see them become a great success at their chosen career.
Sadie couldn't have done it without you and your family.

Cass.

[TinyAlbinoDancer]

Wonderful news, Ritz! As hard as it is to know she won't fail (hehe), it is awesome that she's excelling at what she's going to do! I completely agree with Icey, it really shows how well you and your family have done. Many congratulations!!

[Ritz459]

Originally Posted by IceyBlueSibes

Do you think you guys will ever do this again? Or are you going to stick with something else? I had actually considered doing it at once, but never got back around to looking into it.

We probably aren't going to do it again any time soon. It was a wonderful experience and everything, but having a seven week old puppy in the house right now....not so good. lol An older pup (like, around four months) wouldn't be bad, but not one that young.
And then also, I know that if we got another one right now, I'd want to keep it. I don't know if I could go through letting one of "my" dogs go again.
But my mom is thinking about doing it again once us older kids are out of the house, because even though she complained a lot, she enjoyed doing it.

For me personally, I might look into it again someday, but I think I'd rather foster for a rescue or animal shelter. So then when it comes time to give the dog up, I could just adopt it! (Just kidding....lol)

Thank you all for your encouragment. It really means a lot to me.

[Cassiepeia]

For me personally, I might look into it again someday, but I think I'd rather foster for a rescue or animal shelter. So then when it comes time to give the dog up, I could just adopt it! (Just kidding....lol)

Your house is gonna be full of 'failed' fosters, Ritz.

Cass.

[calgal]

Congratulations to you both. The world is certainly a better place with folks like you in it. You would make a great foster parent too.

[Ritz459]

Originally Posted by Cassiepeia

Your house is gonna be full of 'failed' fosters, Ritz.

Cass.

Hehehe...and you wonder whey I want to be a vet and live out in the country with 200 acres (Ok....maybe fifty ) , plus a very big house. And then all of the floors will be wooden and the furniture will be leather so dog hair will be easy to contain! lol (And drool, since I love Mastiffs so much, can just be wiped up. )