Guide Dogs for the Blind - Los Angeles - North, CA Puppy Raisers

Phase Update: 9/13/24

Wrangler: Phase 6
Hallmark: Phase 7

Phase 6: Urban challenges. Intro to revolving doors. Platform edge intro and exposure work. Advanced guidework training.
Phase 7: Advanced training includes work in both suburban and urban areas and requires forward-looking decision making (initiative).

PD: r to l - YML Wrangler lying in the sun and FBrL Hallmark sitting slightly in shade are in front of a bank of pink and white flowers in full bloom.

Phase Update: 9/6/24 🐾

Wrangler: Phase 5
Genie: Career changed (being placed by one of the raisers)
Hallmark: Phase 7

Phase 5: Continued traffic training and city work. Dogs are taught responsibility in making emergency decisions with traffic problems. Advanced obedience and distraction training, advanced guidework training, city routes, and intensive indoor mall and store training.
Phase 7: Advanced training. Working on routes which can include surface issues, rounded corners, difficult clearance situations. Advanced overhead training both on campus and around town.

PD: top to bottom - MYL Wrangler wearing his booties and holding a red retrieving toy in his mouth in community run. FBrL Genie lying down in front of green foliage with a soulful look. FBrL Hallmark resting under a play structure in community run with a red jolly egg in her mouth.

All the feels. Club outing to the beautiful El Capitan Theatre.

PD:
1: Feelings such as joy (and yes, even a little anxiety) are emotions puppy raisers are familiar with. Club members with our puppies, Doppler, Cobbler, and Paddington posing next to movie characters Joy and Anxiety.
2: Club members standing outside the theatre while puppies Paddington, Doppler, and Cobbler sit looking at the camera
3. Organ player performing on stage prior to the movie. Stage curtain behind him reads Inside Out 2

Phase Update: 8/30/24:

Genie: K9 buddy Partnership prep
Wrangler: Phase 4
Hallmark: Phase 7

Partnership prep includes additional behavior training and exposure to equipment/environmental situations specific to candidates on wait list.
Phase 4: Building work and traffic intro. Dogs are worked past open parking lot areas and difficult travel lines to further establish responsible line stability. Traffic safety problems are introduced and how to respond to them.
Phase 7: Advanced training in suburban and urban areas. Routes can include difficult street crossings, pedestrian islands, crowded sidewalks, curb approach challenges.

PD: top to bottom - FBrL Genie with a thoughtful expression on her face sits in front of green foliage in dappled light. MYL Wrangler sits in harness in front of a colorful mural of a sun and mountains. FBrL Hallmark sits in harness in front of a mural of the Golden Gate bridge.

We have a floofy! Meet our newest puppy in the club, Timbal (Swenson x Kendra)! Timbal is being raised by the Brickner family. We couldn't be more excited.

PD: MLGXX Timbal looks at the camera while resting in the arms of a club member.

Phase Update: 8/23/24

Wrangler: Phase 2
Hallmark: Phase 7
Genie: K9 Buddy - Partnership Prep

PD: Top to Bottom: FBrL Hallmark sitting on a bright blue play structure smiling at the camera. FBrL Genie sitting in front of a colorful mini carousel. MYL Wrangler in booties running across a play yard with a toy in his mouth.

Phase Update: 8/16/24

Genie: K9 buddy eval - partnership preparation
Wrangler: Phase 2
Hallmark: Phase 7

K9 buddy: Partnership prep: Building upon foundational behaviors developed in the puppy raiser home. Additional behavior training and exposure to equipment/environmental situations specific to candidates on wait list.
Phase 2: In town and responsible lead. Dogs at this point are working on obedience and distraction training, body handling acceptance, wearing the harness, pattern training progression, up curb, and planned dog distraction route.
Phase 7: Advanced training includes obedience and distraction training, guidework training, overhead obstacle clearance training, and continuation of escalator and platform work

PD: From Top to Bottom: MYL Wrangler in harness sitting in front of a colorful mural of the sun and mountains. FBrL Genie faces the camera with a background of white flowers and foliage. FBrL Hallmark in harness sitting in front of a mural of the Golden Gate bridge

August PUPDATES are here! 🐾

pupdates.guidedogs.com

PD: MYL Wrangler sits wearing his harness in front of a colorful wall mural.

Phase Update: 8/9/24

Wrangler: Phase 2
Hallmark: Phase 7

Phase 2: In town and responsible lead. Continue to develop general collar responses and formal obedience responses. Body handling acceptance continues. Planned dog distractions and guiding through a clearance course.
Phase 7: Advanced training can include both urban and suburban areas and requires forward-looking decision making. Advanced overhead obstacle clearance training on campus and in town. Dogs can now independently board, ride, and exit escalators.



PD: Pictures of FBrL Hallmark and MYL Wrangler showing them posed in front of colorful backgrounds.

Phase Update: 8/2/24:

Wrangler: Phase 1
Hallmark: Phase 6

Phase 1: Formal training begins on campus and around town.Clicker training along with food rewards are used as part of a positive reinforcement based system. Intro to the harness, collar cue responses, socialization, and body handling are all part of phase 1.
Phase 6: Urban challenges, advanced guide work in residential areas w/o sidewalks and urban areas with challenging environments. Intro to platform edge to avoid significant drop-offs. Intro to revolving doors as well as continued work with obedience and distraction training.



PD: L to R - FBrL Hallmark and MYL Wrangler both wearing their puppy jackets and resting in front of a bank of colorful flowers while gazing at the camera.

Phase Update: 7/26/24

Wrangler: Phase 0
Hallmark: Phase 5

Phase 0: Arrival period. Each dog receives a physical exam, are introduced to the GDB kennels, enjoys walks on campus, and receives care and enrichment from staff. After exams are completed, each dog is assigned to a guide dog mobility instructor.
Phase 5: Continued traffic training and city work. Dogs are taught responsibility in making emergency decisions with traffic problems. Advanced obedience and distraction training where new animal and common dog interest distractions are sought out and responses evaluated.



PD: Collage of 2 photos. Top photo shows MYL Wrangler sitting in front of the GDB wood logo wall. Bottom photo shows FBrL Hallmark sitting in harness in front of a display of white papers hung on strings.

Val is BAAACCK!!!!

Our confident, outspoken Val transferred back to our club with her original raiser as her current raiser is relocating out of state. We're so grateful for the opportunity. ♥️



PC: Janette Fu
PD: FYL Val sitting while wearing a puppy jacket and colorful booties on her front feet, smiles at the camera

Phase Update: 7/19/24 🐾

Wrangler: Phase 0
Hallmark: Phase 4

Phase 0: Arrival period before formal guide work begins. Dogs are introduced to GDB's kennels, enjoy walks on campus, and receive lots of care and enrichment from the Training staff.
Phase 4: Building work and traffic intro where the dogs have full freedom to make decisions and some mistakes with normal guide work responses. Dogs are worked past open parking lot areas and difficult travel lines. Working past challenging animal and food distractions continues.



PD: College of MYL Wrangler and FBrL Hallmark both sitting in front of the wood GDB logo wall.

JULY PUPDATES!

https://pupdates.guidedogs.com/




PD:
1. FBrL Hallmark sitting in harness in front of a wall decorate with white and blue paper hung on strings
2. Hallmark lying under a play structure with a red jolly ball in her mouth while she stares at the camera

GDB Fun Day -CA!

Always a blast hanging out with other raisers and their amazing puppies on this special day.



PD:
1. Theme picture for this year's fun day. Colorful drawing of a happy puppy with snorkel gear on sitting on a red and white tube float with the words, " Under the Sea, Fun Day 2024" under the drawing
2. FYL Cobbler wearing her puppy jacket lying on the grass next to MYL Doppler who is wearing a yellow and blue Flounder fish outfit
3. A school(?) of puppies dressed up with this year's theme, "Under the Sea". From top to bottom: FBL Juana dresses as Flounder the fish, MYL Searcher came in style wearing board shorts and swim googles, FYL Soju as a pretty mermaid with pink and blue sequin sparkles, MYL Doppler completing the quad group with another blue and yellow Flounder fish outfit
4. Littermate meeting! L to R: MYL Danby, Draeger, and Doppler standing next to their respective raisers looking at and smiling towards the camera
5. A photo cutout board with a swashbuckling pirate and sea creature at the foot. MYL Doppler has his head where the head of the sea creature would be and his raiser subs in for the pirate's face
6. An attempt to capture 2 Flounders and a mermaid. L to R: FBL Juana dresses as Flounder, FYL Soju dresses as a pretty mermaid, MYL Doppler dressed as the other Flounder
7.MYL Doppler sitting with his raiser in front of the pictures of his parents, MYL Jace and FYL Osaka
8. A photo cut out board with a scene with a mermaid, a shark, and a fish. MYL Doppler has his head out as the fish, his handlers have their heads at the mermaid and the shark.

And off he goes! ♥️
We want to wish the very best to Wrangler as he starts his next adventures up at GDB. Thanks to Janette for all her love and dedication in raising this boy to be the happy, goofy, sweet, good boy he is today. We're rooting for you Wrangler! You've already made us proud. We're so excited to see what's in store for you!



PC: Janette Fu
PD:
1: MYL Wrangler sits in front of the wooden GDB logo wall with his tongue out and looking towards the camera.
2: Wrangler and his raiser smiling in front of a kennel run with cute drawings of the pups coming back to campus for recall.

Phase Update 6/28/24

Hallmark: Phase 2

Phase 2: Focuses on obedience and distraction training with general collar responses and more challenging distractions, body handling acceptance, wearing the harness, pattern training progression, and obstacle course progression

PD: FBrL Hallmark sitting in front of GDB's wooden logo wall while looking at the camera

June Pupdates are out!

https://pupdates.guidedogs.com/dogs/hallmark-6m18

PD: FBrL Hallmark sitting in front of a landscape of bright green ivy and smiling at the camera

6/14/24 Phase Update:

Hallmark: Phase 0

Phase Zero: Arrival period

Before formal guide work training begins, the dog is introduced to GDB's kennels, enjoys walks on campus, and receives oodles of care and enrichment from the training staff.

This is also when they receive their physical exams and are then assigned to their guide dog mobility instructors.

Some Week Zero activities:
Weekly grooming
Kennel enrichment activities
Intro to community run playtime
Human and dog interactive play or cuddle sessions



PD: FBrL Hallmark sits in front of GDB's wooden logo wall with notation of what phase she's currently in.

Big news!

Our club is joining together with our Santa Clarita club and changing our name to GDBLosAngelesNorth. We're so excited to see new faces, both human and furry. We hope you continue to follow our journey.



PC: Josey Block
PD: collage of pups and people

05/17/24 Phase Report Update:

Hallmark: Phase T

Phase T: A decision to alter a dog can occur at any time during the breeder evaluation process. The Veterinary staff will schedule the alter surgery as soon as time is available. The Training team will schedule the dog for the next available training string following the alter procedure and the dog will begin receiving guide dog training phase numbers.



PD: FBrL Hallmark sits in front of a wooden wall with the GDB logo on the wall.

Phase Report: 5/10/24

Hallmark: Phase A

Happy 12th birthday to Moki and the rest of his M litter!! (Picasso/Neva, 5/6/12) 🎈🎂♥️



PD:
1. MYLX Moki lying on bright green grass with a sparkly birthday hat with the number 12 on the top of his head and wearing a blue bandana with Birthday boy printed on it around his neck.
2. Moki showing the young pups the ropes. L to R: FBrL Hallmark, MYLX Moki, MYL Doppler all sitting closely together on the grass. Moki has a big smile as he looks at the camera.

Playtime with puppies! Puppies of all ages and sizes gathered to enjoy a good romp with each other. We're so appreciative of the Diamond Bar club for hosting and providing such a great venue to let the puppies have some fun!



PD under each photo.

A great opportunity for our baby pups to experience their first Meet and Greet . Many thanks to the Diamond Bar club for inviting us to take part.



PC: Mary Clarke
PD:
1. People and pups sitting against a wall with dogs alternating between yellow and black pups.
2. FYL Cobbler sitting calmly while students kneel down to pet her. Her raiser answers questions from the students
3. MYL Doppler sitting on the lap of his raiser while two students flank them. Everyone is looking at the camera

Phase Report for 4/26/24
Hallmark: Phase A

Phase A: Arrival period. Dogs are introduced to the GDB kennels, campus walks, and begin breeder assessment. Each dog is assigned a Canine Welfare Training Technician for specialized attention and training.

Hallmark was recalled back to campus this weekend. She was joined by one of her littermates, Heiress, who will be her roommate. We wish the very best for them. Wherever their next adventure leads them, we know it'll be amazing. 🦮♥️♥️

Such a glorious day to bring the pups out to experience Downtown Disney. Thanks to for always putting together a great event to allow service dogs in training to ride their buses and providing transport to and from Downtown Disney. The pups wandered in and out of stores, into the hotel, and had a chance to practice settling while the people enjoyed a delicious lunch.



PD:
1. L to R: FBrL Hallmark, MYL Wrangler, and MYL Vortex in front of a mass of colorful flowers
2: FBrL Hallmark sitting with her face in profile while a young boy pets and looks at her
3: YUM! One of our raisers holding up a massive ice cream shake while smiling at the camera
4. Connections made. MYL Rollo from the HB club and MYL Wrangler touching paws across the bus aisle on the way back from Downtown Disney
5. Friends sitting close together and smiling at the camera. FBrL Hallmark on the floor next to her handler looking up at the camera
6. A group of raisers and puppies in training walking around Downtown Disney

Our resident baby jackalope wishes everyone a Happy Easter! 🐰



PD: MYL Doppler wearing furry bunny ears

Happy National Puppy Day! Go out and hug your favorite puppy.



PD:
1. MYL Doppler in his puppy jacket trotting towards the camera
2. MYL Doppler wearing his puppy jacket looks towards the camera while FBrL Hallmark and cc'd MLGX Moki play in the background