Gotcha Date: June 16th 2012 Birthday: May 24th 2010 Likes: Belly rubs and tennis balls Pet-Peeves: Not a fan of the force dryer, or other dogs stealing her spot on the sofa Favorite Toy: Tennis ball! Frisbee! Favorite Food: Acana Favorite Walk: Loves hiking in the mountains Best Tricks: High five, march!, spin Arrival Story: "Sonya" and I met on August 25th, 2010 as a 3 month old silver bundle of joy. She was in training to be a guide dog, and I was her puppy raiser. After 14 short months together, and with many, many tears, I said goodbye and sent my sweet girl away to formal guide dog training. For 8 months I followed her progress with conflicting emotions. I was so proud of her accomplishments, but at the same time, my heart really felt like she belonged with me. Now, I had raised several guide dogs prior to Sonya. You become a puppy raiser to make guide dogs, not get pets, but there was something so very special about Sonya and it pained me to know that I would probably never see her again.
On May 31, 2012, I received an email that literally knocked me off my feet. Sonya had been released from guide dog training. It came as such a shock, I was sure I was dreaming. She had been doing so well, there was no way she was released. Kennel stress was the culprit, she just couldn't handle the stress of working. So on June 16th, after the longest 2 weeks of my life, she was returned to me. It was one of the happiest days I have the pleasure of remembering, and now my heart dog is forever home. Bio: "Sonya" got the nickname "Sookie" the day I brought her home, and it stuck. Since that's what I called her anyway, and I liked it a lot better than Sonya for a dog, once her adoption was official, her name was permanently changed. Forums Motto: anything for a tennis ball The Last Forum I Posted In: Dog Trainers that Help OT's train service dogs: Lots of Q I've Been On Dogster Since:
Dogster Obsessions: The Starter Kit for Dogs by Wildebeest
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