For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: service dog law, service dog etiquette, service dog puppy raiser, guide dog, puppy in training.

1. Decade of Growth – Growing up Guide
pups - Part 1
It’sthat time of year againwhenpeople reflectonthe yearthathas passedand new aspirationsand
goalsare made for the upcomingnewyear.Matt and I are no differentandwe are doingthisfor
ourselvesandforGrowingUp Guide Pup.
Nextmonthisour 10 yearanniversaryof the creationof GrowingUp Guide Pup,and whata wildride
the last 10 yearshas been.We have helpedraised11 puppies,Ricki,Chanel,Pilaf,Spring,Gabrielle,
Patrick,Arturo,Penny,Oscar,Scarlett,andPixie.We hadfourof them graduate,one become a K9
officer,five careerchanged,andone isstill training.We includedourfollowersonthe discovery,
treatment,andlossof our personal dog(ourthirdpuppyEli whowas careerchangedfrom Guide Dogs
for the Blind) tocancer.We raisedforthree differentorganizationsandourcurrentpuppyon our own.
For more detailson our products and services,please feel free tovisitus at: service doglaw, service
dog etiquette, service dogpuppy raiser, guide dog, puppy in training.
For more details,please visitus at: http://www.growingupguidepup.org/

2. We fosteredalitterof three orphanpuppiesanddonatedthemto BrigadoonService Dogs.We
whelped alitterof nine poodlepuppiesandhelpedprepare themforgoingintopuppyraisershomes.
We were acceptedinwebseriesfestivalsaroundthe worldandwonmanyawardsas well.We shared
our excitement,challenges,triumphs,disappointments,andheartbreaksforthe wholeworldtosee.
WhenMatt and I firststartedthisjourneywe hadnoideaof whatwouldcome or where the journey
wouldtake us.We startedfroman ideato take my love of puppyraisingandcombiningMatt’slove of
filmmakerandthe result wasavideoblogthatbecame our non-profitorganization.
Everyweekwe putout a newepisode documentingwhatwe were goingthroughasa guide dogpuppy
raiserand sharingthe experience withthe publiconYouTube.Everyonegottowatch our puppyRicki
grow upas we navigatedthe challengesandaccomplishmentsfromthe daywe gother until the dayshe
was returned.
The response wasmore than I anticipated.Sure Ithoughtpeoplewouldenjoywatchingacute puppy
grow up,but I wasnot expectingtomake an impactlike we did.Afterafew shortmonthswe started
gettingmessagesfrompeople thatbecause of watchingourvideostheydecidedtoraise a guide dog
puppy.Othermessageswere frompeople whowereonthe fence aboutgettingaguide dog,butafter
watchinghowone was raisedithelpedthemdecide thataguide dogmightbe for them.The response
frompeople watchingusraise Ricki wassopositive thatitfueledustodo itagain withthe nextpuppy.
It was veryclearthat we had builtafollowingandthatwe were makinganimpactand afterour second
seasonof the webserieswe decidedtotake whatwe hadbuiltto the nextlevel andcreate anon profit
organization.
We learnedhowtofile the paperworkneeded,recruitedsome well respectedfriendstoforma boardof
directorsanddecidedona missionstatement,toeducate the publiconservice dogetiquette,law,and
puppyraising.Iwill admitthatwe were notexactlysure whatwe were doing,butwe were learningas
we grewand we were makinganimpact. We builta website,andrebuiltitafew times,builtupabrand
on a fewsocial mediasites,didsome talkswiththe community,createdaservice dogquizforpublic
eventstohelpeducate peopleinafunway,createdothereducationmaterialstohandoutto the public,
and continuedtocreate videoswhile enhancingthe qualityandinformation.
For more detailson our products and services,please feel free tovisitus at: service doglaw, service
dog etiquette, service dogpuppy raiser, guide dog, puppy in training.