All about Rosie

It was with great excitement and anticipation we greeted the morning of November 23, 2010, for that was the day we would welcome Rosie into our home. Yes, we have now expanded our home by 4 feet with an adorable yellow lab puppy-in-training for Guide Dogs of America. Rosie has pretty brown eyes, the cutest floppy ears that look like the edges were dipped in carmel, a cute pinkish brown nose and even though she is called a yellow lab, she looks like a little white bear.

We enjoyed the orientation that Guide Dogs of America gives to the puppy raisers, and were reminded of the many responsibilities that go along with taking care of and raising a puppy to be a future guide dog. After the orientation the group of expectant puppy raisers walked to the nursery. Oooohs and Ahhhs filled the air as each puppy was brought out one at a time. As luck would have it Rosie was one of the last to be brought out, but well worth the short, yet interminable wait! Rosie is from a litter of 8 and of course we think she is the cutest!!

Rosie was also welcomed home by three labs, whom we lovingly refer to as her sisters. Bailey, Natalie and Josie. When we arrived home her sisters were very curious about this little ball of fur. They of course smelled her, and licked her to show their approval, and have been playing with her ever since.

Now that we have been trying to establish a routine we all agreed that we have forgotten the demands of a new puppy but, Rosie has quickly reminded us of the necessity of watching her every move. Rosie has been excellent at sleeping through the night. We have found that she loves to go exploring in the back yard and taste every leaf, twig and plant she can find.

One of the most important responsibilites we have in raising Rosie is exposing her to situations and places that will prepare her to be a guide dog. Socialization is key to her success. We do this by taking her everywhere we go in our daily lives.

Some of the things we have done with Rosie and places we have gone to help her on the road to becoming a guide dog are:

• Puppy Kindergarten classes--basic obedience and basic commands are introduced. Rosie was the youngest dog in the class and the most well behaved! She was in fact the teacher's pet!
• Beginning Obedience Class--she is currently enrolled in this 8 week course.
• Rosie goes to various stores - Costco-grocery - Home Depot etc. and to restaurants on a regular basis.
• Rosie goes to church with us on Sunday for 3 hours!! Everyone loves her.
• She has been to the beach, and loved digging in the sand, and watching (not chasing) the seagulls.

We have enjoyed raising Rosie these past few months, and getting to know her little personality. We can't wait to see how she progresses, and hopefully one day we will see her graduate and change someone's life forever! We hope this gives you an insight to some of Rosie's activities. We so appreciate your support to make this possible for our family to raise Rosie. We know without your support we could not do this. We hope you enjoy the pictures!

Thanks again,

The Niesen Family

From Daryl Lasky, Development Coordinator, Guide Dogs of America:

“...Murphy has career changed. She found it difficult to wear her training jacket. This jacket is an important part of a dog’s socialization, as it sets the stage for the harness they must wear to guide their visually impaired companion. Her Puppy Raisers will be keeping her. Without the demands of a training jacket or harness, she will make a wonderful pet.

Because Murphy’s career changed at such a young age, we have transferred your sponsorship to Grayson. He is a Yellow Labrador Retriever and was born on March 28, 2011.”