A New Member of the Household: Clancy

I have gained a heightened appreciation of the 500 or more families who take on the task of raising puppies for the Seeing Eye each year. It takes a lot of focus, attention and work just to get them housetrained, let alone all the other things that a new puppy needs to learn.

And the reason for my renewed appreciation is a new puppy on Owl Acres. We picked him up at the beginning of March. Life hasn’t been the same since.

Meet Clancy. He’s a golden retriever puppy who weighed 16 and a half pounds when we got him at eight weeks old. He weighs over 25 pounds now and is growing fast. He has big feet and legs, which portends a big dog. Probably in the 80-pound range when all said and done. His color is at the light end of the spectrum for golden retrievers but will probably darken a little as he grows.

The first effort has been housetraining him. No, it has not been a snap. Tempers flared. Words were spoken. It still isn’t a snap, but careful management seems to maintain the house in fairly good order. Actually, I think we are the ones being trained. I’m not complaining though. And vinyl, tile and hard wood floors are a definite must. The first couple of weeks were a trial for us all, but once we understood what worked with the crate training, play time and rest periods, things got better. And he’s actually sleeping through the night and having fewer accidents.

The reason that I wanted Clancy is for Dave. Dave, the big yellow lab working dog,  gets a morning walk most days, but not a lot of intense work except on travel. He seemed lonesome and lethargic. I hoped that a puppy would liven him up and encourage him to play. Dogs are pack animals after all, and having humans in the pack is all well and good, but it’s like being an only child. Dave grew up with another dog and a couple cats, and I think he was lonesome. Clancy is a playmate for him. And he’s loving it. He lets Clancy hang on his face, steal his toys, and cuddle up with him to nap. They roll and tumble around the living room, squeak their favorite toys, and even share a bone once in a while. They both vie for my attention though. Reminds me of years gone by! So does all the toys all over the floor. It’s definitely startling to step on one of those squeaky ones.

There are a lot of “no’s” in a puppy’s life. It reminds me of raising children. No, don’t jump on me. No, don’t chew on the rug. No, get out from behind that chair No biting. No peeing in the house. No chewing on your leash. No chewing on my hand. So far he has turned off the internet a couple of times, which is definitely a no-no! All he did was step on a rocker switch—gotta change that configuration!

But it’s not all “no.” There’s a lot of “good Clancy” and treats when he comes and sits and goes in his crate. He doesn’t seem to be timid at this point, and is super willing to please. He knows he’s supposed to sit when he gets fed, but he gets so excited that he pops around on his rear end, unable to contain his joy. Definitely a retriever!

Clancy is here to stay, and Owl Acres welcomes him. We’ll have a lot of work to do teaching him to be a good citizen, but he’s smart and quick to learn. He’ll add a whole new dimension to the household at Owl Acres.

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