We started our journey with Canine Companions for Independence in August, 2015, after meeting Vicki Simons and her puppy in training, Nike, who represented Canine Companions at an event in Sharon, Pennsylvania. It was like we kept getting pulled back to ask Vicki “one more question.” She mentioned that we could see what Canine Companions was about at a graduation ceremony, and we attended one that November, in Dublin, Ohio. We met so many wonderful people and learned quite a bit about Canine Companions in those few hours, but didn’t know enough to bring Kleenex. That December, we participated in our first volunteer event--a gift wrap fundraiser at Barnes and Noble.
We continued to be “Volunteers Without a Puppy” until
June of 2017, when we received from Canine Companions an eight-week-old black Labrador
Retriever/Golden Retriever cross puppy named Piazza. From that point on, we
became “Volunteer Puppy Raisers,” and what a journey it has been!
We’ve always enjoyed spending time and working with
our pets, but this was a full court press! In raising a Canine Companions puppy,
you have the puppy with you as much as possible. You attend obedience classes
and workshops, work, train, and socialize the dog in all aspects of everyday
life, and train in some quite unusual locations, as well.
We were welcomed into the Canine Companions for
Independence family by our Northern Ohio Chapter Members! Working with your dog
alongside a group of like-minded people is very rewarding. So is watching the
little light bulb come on above the puppy’s head that says “I Get It!” as they give
you the behavior(s) that you had asked for.
After spending almost seventeen months with us, Piazza went
into Professional Training at the North Central Regional Training Center in
Delaware, Ohio. We had chosen to wait to see Piazza’s Journey go full cycle
before we considered raising another puppy. That was an extremely long six-month wait
with bated breath, but what an explosion of emotions when we received word that
he was going to Team Training, and hopefully on to match with a person that
needed him for more independence in their life.
Anyone who knows Wendy, knows she now comes to
Graduations “packing”—i.e. pockets lined with Kleenex. Seeing Piazza again was such an emotional
roller coaster day. Our serious boy looked into our eyes. He had become even
more astute.
The day was wonderful. We met Matthew, Piazza’s
Forever Person, shared Piazza’s upbringing and his puppy pictures, and listened
as Matthew shared what this experience meant to him. We are so very blessed and
pleased to know that Team Piazza can enhance Matthew’s everyday life, and we
know that Piazza will bring not only skills, but lots of love and companionship.
Matthew and Piazza’s journey has just begun. As time
goes on, we hope to hear how they are doing. Who knows if there is another
nameless Canine Companions puppy out there for the Setterberg’s to try their
hand at raising and molding?? One that will enrich our lives as we see the
puppy grow into an adult dog with our help and that of our Canine Companions Family.
Hopefully, that puppy would also go on to be a partner for someone who will
love him as much as we do--but need him more to bring help, independence, joy,
and a smile to their life.
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