Puppy Swap

"My, how Mason has changed. Wait, that's not Mason. That's a different dog. Have you swapped Mason?" We've had many questions over the last few weeks about our latest puppy. As part of the puppy raising program we swap puppies for about 4 weeks. This gives the puppies a new environment and new exposures. We have enjoyed having Oliver, a golden retriever, with us. He is a joy to work with. He is very mellow and generally obedient; a very sweet personality.
Oliver is being raised by Phil and Sharon Schermerhour in Austin. He goes to work with Sharon at a verterinarian's office. They have many pets at home to keep him company. It's very different at our home with no pets.
Maybe that's why Oliver whined the first few days, especially when put into his crate. We found this sign at a store in the mall. Oliver must have gotten the message because there was no more whining from him.
It was obvious that Phil and Sharon had spent a lot of time working with Oliver. He knew the commands appropriate for his age. Sometimes he needed some reminders to put his front paws on a step going up and wait for a command to continue. But with a little reminder he did just as he was supposed to do. It was nice having Oliver . We'll miss his calm, mellow presence. It will also be nice to have Mason back, at least for another few months. We just received word that he may go back to Guide Dogs of Texas on July 7th to get more intensive training. But we won't think about that just yet.