Our Black Pumpkin
We got our second puppy January 14, 2010. Like Venita, she was a Lab/Golden mix, but had a velvety black
coat. The litter was born on Thanksgiving and all the puppy names began with "P". Our black dog was named
Pumpkin and her yellow brother was named Pilgrim! It was probably the same person who named another golden
retriever Angus. Because the dog's future owners are blind, it won't matter!
Besides the monthly meeting of puppy raisers, there are many activities designed to help get dogs accustomed
to circumstances they will face as guide dogs. They go shopping, attend parades, walk the Boardwalk and learn
not to chase cats or squirrels. Taking two 40-minute walks every day keeps three of us healthy!
Verna and Pumpkin with three blind students at the Christmas parade in Pitman.
Pumpkin gets a train ride with a steam loc in Delaware.
Christmas visit to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. We enjoyed the scenery more
than the dogs, but it was a good experience for them and they all behaved well!
On June 1, 2011, Pumpkin returned to The Seeing Eye headquarters in Morristown, NJ for
four months of formal training.
We watched her graduation -- the so-called "Town Walk" on November 7
Pumpkin with her trainer at The Seeing Eye
Pumpkin is a beautiful and intelligent dog and is now making a wonderful guide and companion
for a blind man in upper New York State.
While waiting for a puppy, we do "puppy-sitting" for other raisers. Here are Adona, a sweet German Shepherd, and a very athletic yellow
lab named Ernest.
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