Tioga's afternoon

Cuddle time

This afternoon we took our five month old black lab puppy Tioga to town. She accompanied us to our local feed store and the local library.
      At the feed store, she met an energetic ten month old puppy, a wary cat, a rabbit, and a host of new smells.  All of this was very new to her. She had never been to the feed store before. Most young pups would find this very frightening. Tioga, however, has had quite a few socialization experiences in her short life. These outings and her laid back temperament have worked in her favor as an up-and-coming service dog. She stayed by our side the entire time, never acting up, (although, she did get a bit nervous around the cat.:)We are very proud of her.

Reading

 These outings are critical in a service dog's beginning. There are many things that will come up in a service dog's life. If she is not prepared, for them they will come as quite a challenge for her. She MUST be prepared for anything that might come her way, and be ready to face it with grace and composure.

Waiting