Zodiac in the kennel kitchen

We got to see Zodiac today! He has grown-up so much that he recognized us before we recognized him. He was very excited of course. The last three months of training have added lots of muscle to his chest and his back legs. Bill commented that he now moves like a panther. It is easy to imagine him pulling in harness with the way he moves. His body is starting to fill out to match his over-sized feet.

We had lots of fun walking around campus, taking photos and hanging out in the paddock where Zodiac and Dune got to play. That was my favorite part, just hanging out together on the grass enjoying being together for a little while. Too soon we had to make the move to return home, but we are secure in the fact that Zodiac is doing great. I can see improvement in his impulse control and paying attention to collar cues in just the little time that we spent together. I think he is going to make a great guide dog for his new partner.

We brought home a young retired guide named Santini to her puppy raiser in Utah. Dune enjoyed having another dog in the car for the long trip home.

Zodiac like most labs has his wild moments when he dashes around the house. Some times I’ve heard this called labby loops. With Zodiac it is more of a zigzag than loops. He runs full speed one direction then abruptly changes direction and then changes direction again. He does this for just a couple of minutes and then he is back to normal.