Dublin Is Graduating Guide Dog College!
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Mark your calendars everyone! Dublin is graduating guide dog college this Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 at 10:00am. I’m so excited for this graduation! I’ve been raising guide dog puppies for nearly 6 years now and Dublin is my first graduate…YAY FOR DUBLIN!!!!
I hope everyone who’s been following along here on the Puppy In Training Blog will join us at this Sunday’s ceremony which is open to the public. Here are the details:
Guide Dogs of America Graduation
The details for Dublin’s graduation:
WHAT: Guide Dogs of America Graduation Class #373
WHEN: Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 at 10:00am (usually lasts about an hour)
WHERE: Guide Dogs of America
13445 Glenoaks Blvd.
Sylmar, CA 91342
Graduation usually lasts only about an hour and I get to arrive a little bit early for an orientation and to meet Dublin and his new partner before the ceremonies begin.
If you decide to come to the GDA graduation please stop by and say hello. I might be a bit distracted on graduation day, but I’d love to meet all the people who have been following Dublin’s adventure.
Here’s a picture of all the graduates:
I had originally heard that there were 10 graduates in this class so I’m not too sure all of these dogs will be at the ceremony (there were 12 dogs on the GDA bulletin board). Just in case you can’t see the names here they are:
- Deco -Raised by Linda Barber, Sylmar Group
- Gentry – Raised by Denise Brown, Sylmar Group
- Eclipse – Raised by Bridget and Jim Winnett, Sylmar Group
- Gareth – Raised by Kaitlyn and Carl Peterson, WA Group
- Daisy – Raised by The Metcalf Family, Sylmar Group
- Gideon – Raised by Rachel Conway and The Carlton Family WA and Sylmar Group
- Winzy – Raised by Yasmine Khali, Sylmar Group
- Gracy – Raisd by Karlen English, Sylmar Group
- Dublin – Raised by Colby Morita, Irvine Group (OCGDA)
- Trooper – Raised by The Oppenheim Family, Sylmar Group
- Troy – Raised by Crystal and Annette Jackson, South Bay Group
- Champ – Raised by The Cain Family, SLO Group
Some of these names might look a little familiar to you. Gentry was in Puppy In Training TV Ep17 Dogs At Disneyland. Deco and Daisy are Dublin’s litter mates and may have appeared in Episode 1 – Picking Up Your Puppy (I’m not too sure which puppies were in Episode 1 besides Dublin). Daisy made an appearance in Episode 15 Guide Dogs of America Open House.
I have a lot of emotions going through me right now. I’m excited, nervous, happy, sad…probably just about every emotion in the book, but mostly I’m excited and happy for Dublin and his new partner. I can’t wait to meet her and see Dublin again.
As I mentioned Dublin is my first graduate from Guide Dog College and I know there are a lot of seasoned veterans (those of you who have already had puppy graduates) out there. I’ve attended many GDA graduations and also a few CCI graduations down in Oceanside, but now that I’m on the stage I’d like to get any idea of what to expect. Do you have any tips for me? What should I do to prepare before graduation? What should I do during graduation? And what should I do after graduation?
Please let me know your thoughts because even though I’ve been raising for nearly 6 years I’m a total newbie in this situation. Tell me your tips and hints in the comment section below.
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@Marilyn, yes it is very tough, but you know going in that you will not be keeping the dog and it’s very comforting knowing that you are doing something amazing for another person. I know I’ll be sad to see Dublin leave on Sunday, but I also feel very proud that he will be changing someone’s life with the gift of sight. I’ll do my best to hold it together at graduation.
Oh, I do feel for you! I don’t know how you manage to go through those difficult early years of puppy raising and then have to give up the puppy at the end of it all. I can’t imagine going through all that bonding and then have to go separate ways. How do you do it? And why do you do it?
Good luck for graduation!