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.

As I prepared myself for Zodiac to be listed in phase 6 again this week. I was hoping for phase 7. Chances are next week he will be in phase 8. Zenith is in phase 8 and my friend’s puppy who was on the June recall has caught up to phase 6. Way to go Nairobi! We didn’t have good cell service at girls camp and so I didn’t get the news on the phase report until we came down from the mountain.

Though Zodiac has always been cute with maturing he now has a certain presence when he wants to, maybe even a little Zeus like in his demeanor. Zodiac started to show signs of maturing at the year mark but it really started to accelerate when he turned 14 months old.

Since he was about 9 months old we have been going to the local grade school a couple of times a week to listen to kids read. Zodiac has always been attracted to kids and their happy energy. But with his maturing he can now sit calmly in the hall and watch hundreds of kids walk by. I’m so proud of him. He is really grown-up.

Zodiac is now 3/4 of the way through his formal harness training to become a guide dog! This week’s phase report has him in phase 6 of 8 phases. The next class in Oregon starts on August 5th. It is unlikely that he will be “class ready” by then but the following class he probably will be. Then the challenge becomes finding the right partner for Zodiac. He needs just the right kind of handler, one that can appreciate his love of life and exuberance and being jumped on occasionally. I’m expecting it to take a while for him to graduate.

Zodiac has always had a zest for life. He is a fun-loving boy and loves to be out doing things, going new places and making new friends. Zodiac is sure that everyone he meets is just as happy to meet him. He is ever the optimist that something fun is just around the corner. I love the happy light that is typically in Zodiac’s eyes and his exuberance for life.

Today marks two months exactly since we put Zodiac on the truck for his formal harness training. He was still listed in phase 4 on the report this week. Though it is most likely that is his trainer not updated his records just like happened with phase 1. I was expecting it this week so it wasn’t so disappointing. In the past two months we have gotten used to Zodiac not being around but we think about him and pray for his future every single day. Go Zodiac!

The day started out dark and rainy but by the time we got there the sky was blue and the sun was shining. What a beautiful day! Zodiac got to meet his brother Zenith. They are so much a like in temperament, but Zenith has a leaner build than Zodiac. We took one last walk with Zodiac and Dune and then put Zodiac on the puppy truck to return to GDB to start is harness training. Though we already miss him it was a day we have been working toward for over a year. Now we wait and watch the phase reports to see what Zodiac decides to do with his life.