Life, at times, may throw any of us an unexpected curve. It happens when we least expect it. An abrupt detour appears! Ready or not, major decisions must be made.
And so it has happened for Cam’O, our service dog in training. In June we received the official word that Cam’O was to be released from the Paw Pals Assistance Dogs puppy-raising program due to his medical condition. We were caught off guard. We did not expect that news at this time—perhaps in the fall after his next scheduled evaluation by the neurologist, but not now.
It was tough news to receive at this time. Intellectual and emotional reactions differ widely. Cam’O had been doing fantastically well in his training since January and had continued to gain strength and present as a healthy and typical puppy of his age.
“After raising several puppies for various service organizations, we understand that there are no guarantees for placement of any dog in that organization’s field of service. ”
It’s important to note here that when we raise a service dog puppy we attempt to be prepared for just about anything. Every puppy is different. Every puppy presents varying challenges. There’s no question that Cam’O has presented different challenges for us in the area of health, with his apparently rare physical affliction. It has meant a schedule of daily medications.
After raising several puppies for various service organizations, we understand that there are no guarantees for placement of any dog in that organization’s field of service. Dogs can be released due to temperament as well as health. In Cam’O’s case, it is his health issue, as described in the previous Cam’O blog (“Cam’O’s Challenge”). Going forward, our hope, and the reason for continuing his training after the initial diagnosis, was that this condition could and would be overcome.
We have always heard comments and questions regarding the difficulty in raising a service dog puppy and knowing that in time we must return the puppy for formal training and placement. It’s not easy to say our good-byes to any of these dogs after 12-14 months or more of bonding with them. We train, love, and care for these puppies 24/7, and they do, indeed, become solid fixtures in our homes and lives. However, we raise these puppies for a special reason. We raise them with the hope that they will move on to make a positive difference in service to a member of our communities. We do all this knowing that their time in our home is limited and we accept that 100%. This is a volunteer job we accepted, as there is a great need in society for a large variety of service dogs.
How do we accept the news that this wonderfully maturing dog, raised from a rambunctious tiny ball of fluff, will not get the chance to fulfill the life of a service dog for someone in need? It has been hard to now realize that the dog we spent countless hours loving, teaching, training, socializing and more, for nearly 18 months, cannot continue into advanced training for service work because of this physical condition. The prognosis suggests, that even though Cam’O is now in remission, there are no guarantees that a relapse could not occur at sometime in the future. It is an unknown. As a service organization Paw Pals Assistance Dogs cannot take a risk when placing a service dog. We understand their concerns. We would never want to see a dog placed, with an individual in need, that might have a chance for physical failure at any time in the future.
For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at service dog education, puppies, sdit, service dog in training, medical alert dog