It was a windy, overcast Wednesday morning鈥攂ut warm enough to wear short sleeves. I rode with my mom to the Little Rock airport, buzzing with excitement the entire drive. I had to skip my classes to make the trip, but I wasn鈥檛 even thinking about what I鈥檇 have to make up later. I was given his flight tracking number and I anxiously watched as the plane departed California and approached the Clinton National Airport. I was told his name beforehand, but nothing else鈥攏ot even a picture. The plane landed and we made our way inside to get my 鈥減ackage.鈥 I peered over the cargo loading zone to see a crate that looked empty, until suddenly, a sweet little puppy head popped up with wide, brown eyes. And that was the moment Gibson changed my life.
聽I鈥檓 a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), which is a nonprofit organization that provides highly trained companion dogs to people with disabilities. CCI raises and trains service, assistance, hearing, and facility dogs, each with their own role in a person鈥檚 life. I found CCI when I was seeking an opportunity to integrate working dogs into a thesis project, and I鈥檓 so glad that I did. I鈥檝e seen firsthand the impact that a CCI dog can have on someone鈥檚 life and I鈥檓 proud to be a small part of this organization.
My job as a puppy raiser is to love, raise, train, and socialize Gibson so that he will have the best chance possible at becoming a service dog. The quality of my work will directly influence whether he鈥檚 able to change the life someone else. Besides the usual puppy care and potty training, I also trim his nails, brush his teeth, and clean his ears every week. I attend regular training sessions with a professional dog trainer, who helps me teach Gibson his 30 commands. I spend time each day reinforcing those commands so that they鈥檙e nearly perfect when he returns to CCI. I also take him on public outings to practice his behavior in various settings, which I would say is the most important part of my job.
Gibson is a little over a year old now and his outings are increasingly becoming a regular part of my life. I bring Gibson with me every chance that I get鈥攖o the grocery store, restaurants, classes, movie theaters, and even to the voting booth last week. People in public usually respond well and understand that he鈥檚 training, but of course I鈥檝e had lots of staring, rude remarks, and even people turning me away from their business. However, he gets a little better each time I take him with me because he becomes more and more familiar with different situations. Sometimes we鈥檒l stand up to leave from a restaurant and I鈥檒l hear people say they didn鈥檛 even realize a dog was under our table鈥攚hich is the biggest compliment somebody could give us, since it took a ton of work to get him to that point.
Raising Gibson for my thesis project has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, but not without hard work. Because my 鈥渨ork鈥 with Gibson is mostly fun, I forget how much time and energy I put into this project. I track the time I鈥檝e spent using an app on my phone, and as of last week, I鈥檝e spent a little over 815 hours on my thesis鈥攁nd it continues to grow each day. However, I鈥檝e been lucky that my role as puppy raiser doesn鈥檛 ever feel like real work.
Next August, I鈥檒l return to California with Gibson to participate in his puppy graduation ceremony. From there, CCI analyzes his behavior in order to place him in the program that best fits his personality. Finally, they will pair Gibson with a person with a disability and they will complete formal training together, tailoring commands to the individual鈥檚 needs.
Although the thought of letting him go hurts deeply, knowing that he鈥檒l have a positive impact on someone else鈥檚 life makes it worth the heartbreak. I love watching him grow up and seeing the progress for which we鈥檝e both worked so hard. He鈥檚 unbelievably smart, patient, sweet, and playful鈥攁nd I love him like my own. Gibson has brought so much joy and laughter in the short twelve months he鈥檚 been in my life; he鈥檚 the best kind of study break and it鈥檚 impossible to feel stressed when I鈥檓 around him. Even though he isn鈥檛 mine to keep, I鈥檒l never forget the impact he鈥檚 had on my life鈥攁ll this time I thought I was raising him to change someone else鈥檚 life and it turns out he鈥檚 changed mine along the way.
If you would like to keep up with our adventures, I post weekly on mydogismyhomework.tumblr.com.