The Process

Dear Readers,

There's been a bit of a side conversation going on in the Comments, so I thought I might make a post about The Process so all of my dear readers would be up-to-date about what will soon happen in my life.

Puppies wear yellow capes with blue trim. They live with their volunteer puppy raisers for about 16 months. The VPR is responsible for giving that puppy a happy, healthy upbringing, teaching 30 commands, and socializing.

CCI assigns the turn-in date for that puppy, based upon things like the puppy's age and the amount of dogs they have ready for turn-in at certain times of the year. Turn-in happens four times a year, and coincides with actual graduation ceremonies in Ohio (August, November, February, May).

At the graduation ceremony, these turn-in puppies wear a special cape and ribbon, signifying that they are about to go off to college. Two things happen at the actual ceremony itself: the pups that are being turned in are called to the stage with their VPRs, they are introduced, and a slideshow of their journeys is shown to the crowd. Then the actual graduate teams are highlighted, and the VPRs that have graduating dogs get to go onto stage with the pup they raised and hand the leash over to the new handler--the graduate human.

Turn-In Attire!


After the ceremony, the graduate humans leave with their graduated dogs, and it may be that the VPR will never hear from, or see their puppy ever again. Other graduates do stay in touch with the VPR, but the choice is the graduate's.

Also after the ceremony, the VPRs with turn-in dogs take their pup to the CCI kennel and leave them there for Canine College--typically 6 months (sometimes 9) of what we call Advanced Training. During this time, the pups are constantly evaluated and may be released at any time. VPRs receive only a monthly progress report on how their pup is doing during this time. If they "make it", the pups will then go into what we call a Team Training, where potential human graduates are invited. Team Training takes two weeks. On the third day, what we call "a match" is made, and the human is assigned their forever companion. The rest of the time in Team Training is spent on bonding and forging the relationship, as well as teaching the human how to correctly "operate" the dog. Team Training ends with a graduation ceremony.

Graduate dogs wear blue capes with yellow trim. Only about 40% of all of the dogs that CCI breeds, raises and trains "make it" to graduation. Dogs that don't are offered to their puppy raisers, or their friends and family for adoption. If that VPR doesn't have a place for that puppy, then you can imagine that there is a long line of people who would love a "Released Dog" from CCI. In case you are wondering, SWMBO's sister has already sent in the application to adopt me (I am not sure what that says about their confidence level in me, but that is another post).

So, in August, I will be "turned-in" and off to Advanced Training. If I make it far enough, I will also go through Team Training and potentially be placed with a human. If I am, you will then be invited to come and see me graduate with my new human! If I don't "make it" then I will go to a very loving home as a wonderful pet. I hope that explains it better! Send me your questions!

Love,

Ansel III