Renna will live with her puppy raiser for a little over a year. Then she will go to advanced training for about 6 months, and hopefully she will graduate as an assistance dog.
While with her puppy raiser, Renna will learn basic obedience and how to behave in public, including going to many stores, restaurants, theaters, etc., so she will be calm and easy to manage in any environment. Renna also gets to be a regular puppy, playing with toys and snuggling with people.
Renna also needs to get along with other dogs, so she gets to play with other dogs on a regular basis. This photo shows Renna with release dog Ocean.
getting a lot more socilization out in public now that she is old enough. She goes to restaurants, grocery stores, the post office, the junior college, and much more. She also accompanies her puppy raiser to work sometimes.
Renna is going to classes twice a month to continue learning her obedience skills, and to keep up on what she needs to be doing to prepare for advanced training in November 2001. She can do many commands already, like sit, down, shake, speak, and roll, but will need a few more like back, bed, lap, and up for an extra challenge before going to "college".
Renna was released from the program early as this temperment is not suitable for an assistance dog. Renna did not go to advanced training as scheduled, and is instead living as a beloved pet where she feels confident and happy with her daily routine.
Renna is doing very well as a beloved family pet. She is two years old this month! At just 51 pounds she is often mistaken for a puppy, so Renna is quite happy to have retained her puppyish looks.
Renna loves playing with our cat, Sophie, and butt-tucking around the backyard. She really enjoys hiking, camping, and most of all swimming. Renna has no regrets about not making it as a service dog, in fact it was quite a relief to this fearful pup that hanging out in crowded new environments would not be a regular activity.
Renna will be able to assist with her mom's (Oslo) next litter of puppies. I think she will have a great time with the new pups, who should arrive in late August. Renna will get to meet a whole litter of new siblings, so that should be exciting, and I'm sure she will enjoy playing with the new puppies once they are old enough.
