I came back inside from riding horses yesterday, to find THIS EMAIL from my Area Coordinator...
Email's title: "Our big pups are ready for their next stage in their training - yes - it's IFT time".
Email:
"Good Morning everyone
It’s an exciting time as we prepare to send our puppies back to school. The letters are on the way to you to explain all the details. For now, please mark on your calendars that your pups will need to go back to school between the 12th and 15th April.
Please let me know if you have any questions. This is an exciting time for the puppies and a tough time for you as we make this transition. Please know that I understand the emotion of this time – and that telling me you have left the country with the dog won’t work :)
Thank you for every minute you have invested in your puppy – that investment is getting ready to pay huge dividends down the track".
It’s an exciting time as we prepare to send our puppies back to school. The letters are on the way to you to explain all the details. For now, please mark on your calendars that your pups will need to go back to school between the 12th and 15th April.
Please let me know if you have any questions. This is an exciting time for the puppies and a tough time for you as we make this transition. Please know that I understand the emotion of this time – and that telling me you have left the country with the dog won’t work :)
Thank you for every minute you have invested in your puppy – that investment is getting ready to pay huge dividends down the track".
Wow, this was WAY sooner than I was planning for. He will only be 12 1/2 months when he returns, normally it's not till AFTER 14 months. This means I will only have him for TEN MONTHS!
He won't be returning back to me from puppy camp for another 1 1/2 weeks, I can't wait to get him back.
Toby will definitely be missed, and I will definitely be getting a new puppy... as soon as possible!
We have asked to see when new puppies will be available, but we won't know for a little while.
I do hope you guys will continue to follow Toby's blog while he's gone, even though we may not have another pup for a month or so.
(Yes my first thought when reading this email was I'M MOVING TO CHINA, Until I saw the part about not leaving the country) :(
Oh well, Toby's ready, and he will have a blast.
P.S. To my newer followers who are not guide/service dog raisers, IFT (In For Training) is a date that is set for our dogs to return back to school for further training with paid SEGDI trainers. It is very possible that we will never see our dogs again, it all depends on the career they choose.
Duchess's handler, Toby's Raiser
The human that has a dog with a blog
16 comments:
Aww! Poor you guys, though it may seem young, I'm sure Toby and other going back will do just fine!! CAn't wait to hear about the next pup! You are catching up too me! :))
We've been getting all our information through your blog. We sure didn't know what IFT or some other information you gave us, but we hung in there because this is fascinating to someone who is not involved with the training of these fabulous dogs.
Twinkie and family
The bittersweet part of the great work you get to do -
You are as special as Toby -
Don't evFUR furget that!
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra & Khousin Merdie
Aww. Sorry to hear that he's going back so soon, but I'm sure Toby is ready for the next step in his training. He sounds like a really great dog. You've done such a good job with him and I've really enjoyed reading about him since the early months of puppyhood. Good luck to Toby (I'm sure he will be AMAZING). Enjoy your last month with the boy, and of course I will keep reading while he's off learning how to be the guide that'll change someone's life!
How great that you will be getting another puppy! So exciting. I can't wait to read more about this new dog.
~Lauren and Don
Oh dear! Most vexing, but I suppose this is what Toby has been training for. Keep us posted.
Slobbers,
Mango
What a wonderful gift you are giving someone by training and showing love to Toby for his first year.
Hang in there!! You are truly special!
awww booo :( Make sure to feed him all his treats before he leaves!
Oh my goodness. You know, Jayden was young when he went for training too. So with your school, you'll get him back again? How does that work?
Thank you so much for being a puppy raiser. It really means the world to us.
Hang in there and keep us posted. *hugs*
"So with your school, you'll get him back again? How does that work?"
The only way I can get him back, is if he gets "put out" of training. (Due to medical issues, or scared of the harness, doesn't want to work, something like that).
I would LOVE to adopt him, but at the moment we have too many dogs in the house, and I want to continue to puppy raise. My last dog was "put out" (adopted out), due to allergies, and I had to turn down adopting her (which was REALLY HARD!). The family she was placed with doesn't want anything to do with her puppy raiser, (which I have no idea why), so I haven't seen her since she went back to school.
I will always miss her, but I know she is enjoying her life, and Toby will too.
Toby's Raiser
It's Turn in time already
Good luck Toby make your trainer proud
a precious gift!
I think we're all going to miss Toby too! He's so cuddly looking!
Sonic
Good luck Toby!
We wish Toby the best of luck and you peace of mind! We're finding this blog too late, it seems, but we can't wait to hear about your adventures with your new puppy!
I don't think I could do it! I know it's the whole point of training a guide dog-you have to give them up, but still it would kill me. I can't wait to see when you get a new pup-good luck to Toby!
Early turn-in is especially hard, but you've prepared him so well. You have so much to be proud of! We're cheering for both of you and wish you the best of luck as you continue the journey.
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