Pick of the Litter (2018) - full transcript

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It was a very bright
and sunny day.

We were just walking
along on the sidewalk.

I was crossin' an intersection.

This flash of something
came within three feet of me.

He wouldn't budge.

And I said, "Bryson, let's go."

Satchel pulled me back.

Donovan pulled me back.

I was literally
right at the edge

of a very dark stairway.



This car just overshot
the intersection.

And the car never stopped

never had any idea
that we had been there.

Bryson disobeyed me
to protect me.

When the airplane
first struck the tower

I felt as much as heard
a big explosion.

Roselle helped guide him down

seventy-eight floors
to safety.

No way I would have been able
to run successfully

if it hadn't been for Roselle.

If they're given a command

that might put
their person in harm's way

they have to make the decision
not to take that command.

Every other service dog
is trained to take commands



no matter what.

After I realized
what had happened

I had to collect myself.

And I walked
out of the building

went and sat down
on the bench and..

And I knelt down in front of him

and I gave him the biggest hug
and thanked him.

Because he saved my life.

I truly believe that.

- It's a girl?
- Yes.

Nice job.

Good girl.

One more push?

There we go.

Good job.

Okay. Just a minute,
we'll go see mama in a second.

Good job.

Look at that.

It's a little boy.

Yeah.

Look at you.

Another boy.

This is number four.

And it's another little boy.

Okay.

Okay. Okay.

You're the little girl.

Let's go see your mama.

Everybody in there's
looking good.

Which make it all the way

through to guide,
you never know.

It could be one,
it could be none.

So, we're gonna name
the Ojai litter.

- What's their letter again?
- Oh, it's P.

There's three boys
and two girls.

Okay.

Pegasus is
on two different lists.

And then, let's see,
Patriot?

P- A-T-R-I-O-T.

Percy and Perry,
those are all working guides

so we can't use those.

We had Phil on the list.

I like Phil. Phil's like,
a down-to-earth name.

That's like,
"Phil's the guy's guy.

"Phil's your buddy, Phil's
the guy who's gonna be okay

with you borrowing his car."

Put Potomac up there.
And that's on two lists, too.

I forgot that one.

- P-O-T-O-M-A-C?
- P-O-T-O-M-A-C.

I really like Potomac.

Good dog. Good dog.

- Can we pick it?
- Yeah, we..

Okay, okay. Patriot we like.

- Patriot. Winner.
- Yeah.

- And Phil. Alright. Phil it is.
- Okay.

I think you're a little bit
of a celebrity already.

So, we have to name the girls.

Primrose?

And then another one is Poppet.

P- O-P-P-E-T?

That's cute. I like that.

So, what do we think?
Patriot?

- Potomac? And Poppet.
- Potomac, Primrose, and Poppet.

And then we have Phil

which is
the sentimental favorite.

- Obviously.
- Alright. Yeah, so?

- There you go.
- Excellent.

It's hard to tell at this age

but they're all looking
very comfortable

with new things in their
environment, exploring.

Those are the things we want
to look for at this age

is that they're outgoing

that they're not
shy of anything.

They're not showing any,
any uneasiness

with things in the environment.

Poppet. Look at her!

Come on, little girl.

Yes! Come on, sweetheart.

Potomac.

Come.

Um, not too thrilled.

Patriot.

Oh, so I do all this
all by myself.

Oh-ho-ho, what a good boy.

Yes. Come on.
There you go.

Good job.

Patriot, you get A plus.

And we're getting tired.

Oh, I got to read my e-mails.

Message. View this message
in your browser.

911. Call 911..

The first guide dog I got

I could hear the collar

coming down the hallway.

And I actually started cryin'

um, because..

...he was gonna make
a difference in my life

and I knew it.

And he did.

Velour just turned ten.

She's the third guide dog
I've had

and she was retired when
she was about nine and a half

because she'd been attacked.

So I had to go back to a cane.

I try not to let it limit me,
but it -- it has.

I keep hearing that every day

you know, is an adventure
with your dog

and I really look forward
to that, because I -- I love

I love the whole idea
of exploration

and going places
I've never been before.

There's only so much
that I can do at this point.

I would love to go hiking
by myself.

I'm not looking
to necessarily navigate

uh, the Pacific Crest Trail
in the first few weeks

but it would definitely open up
the world for me.

Primrose.

Hi, little puppy.

You gonna go for a ride?

It's a big day.

Here you go! Good job.

- Good job.
- Potomac.

Potomac.

Once they leave campus

they actually go out
to our puppy raisers.

They're with
their puppy raisers

up until 14 to 16 months

and then they come back
to campus

for the full guide training,
which is about ten weeks.

Linda Owen.

Now, I know the dad is Laughlin.

- Okay.
- And the mom is Ojai.

A male black lab,
this is Potomac.

- Po-tomac.
- Little baby.

Alright, so here's
the little black lab..

Rebecca Minelga.

- What's your name?
- O -- Oliver.

- Oliver.
- Oliver. This is Oliver.

Alright, and how many
puppies for you guys?

Number seven.

Number seven!
Lucky number seven!

This is Primrose.

Yay! She's a doll.

She's a doll. Thank you.

Alright, folks..

We've been really looking
forward to having her

since number six
went back in May.

Number one was a breeder.

Number two was career changed

for food allergies.

Number three, Roxanne,
is a working guide.

Her handler is the man
who developed and built

the Olympic athletes' village.

Number four, Star,
is in Santa Barbara.

Number five, Rubina,
is partnered in Nevada.

And, then, Joy, number six

we're hoping for end of August

early September graduation
from her.

Come on. Come on.

Come see your new home.

In 2008,
my husband passed away

and so I was left
with seven dogs.

When the final one passed away

I thought I was done,
but I really missed it.

So it's nice having dogs
back in my life again.

You go into the..

...the training experience
with the mindset

that this is not your dog.

So you can love them

and play with them
and encourage them

but you also know

that you are not keeping them
as a pet.

You're sad to see them go

but you're so pleased
and blessed

that they are doing
what they were trained to do.

What they were bred
and raised to do.

Ow!

Yeah, I don't like it
when you nip me.

Hello there.

You are getting
a lovely little boy

by the name of Patriot.

- You'll be raising the puppy?
- Yeah.

Awesome, and so, will the puppy

be going to school
with you, then?

- Yes.
- Fantastic.

So does that make you, like,
the most popular guy at school?

- It's a small school, so yeah.
- Yeah.

Aw.

- Here we go.
- Oh, my God, you are so cute.

You won't break him, I promise.

- Mmm..
- There you go.

Mm-hmm.

It's okay, little guy.

Patriot, sweetie pie,
you're okay.

Patriot.

I'm not sure he's gonna make
it all the way home

in the kennel.

- Hi, Patriot.
- Aw.

What are you crying about?

Hi, Poppet. How are..
Oh, my goodness.

- She's a sweetie.
- Of course..

- She looks so big already.
- They're always sweeties.

You've got high standards
to live up to.

That's right.

We haven't co-raised with Lisa

and her husband Chris before.

We're thinking we'll just do
a week on and a week off.

Do I get to see Poppet?

Aw, she's so cute.
Hi, Popp..

Does she look like
she did in the --

No. She looks
much smaller than the picture.

Yeah. Look at that.
I brought you a present.

I've never seen 'em this small.

I just don't wanna cry.

- You can't cry.
- I know.

Oh, my goodness.

- Here's Phil.
- Hi, little..

Hi, little man.

- First car ride?
- Yeah.

What do you
think of that? Huh?

Alright.

No longer empty nesters.

- Right.
- I know.

Not for another year
and a...half, maybe?

I would be lying if I said

I wasn't worried
about making mistakes.

But when this is all...
said and done

I want him to be
in the best shape possible

in terms of being ready

for the formal
guide dog training..

...so that he makes it

and makes a big difference
in somebody's life.

We're here, Phil.

Here we go, little man.

So, I'm just
gonna pass the leash

across to you.

And then you
can just say his name

and just bring him on over,
very gently

we're not forcing him
to do anything.

It's willing cooperation.

- So --
- Phil?

Don't click.
Don't click your fingers.

Make sure he's on
the left-hand side, Patti.

We don't say "Nice" right now.

We're not gonna give him
any kibble out of the crate.

So when he whines, we're just
gonna move out of the room.

And we're not
at the "Come" stage right now.

It's best to actually
not have shoes that have laces.

You do have to stay
off the floor

sweetheart,
I'm sorry about that.

Are you sleeping downstairs
or upstairs?

- Upstairs.
- Ooh, ooh.

- I would think about the sofa.
- Oh, really? Oh, okay.

And then, visitors,
keep to the bare minimum.

- Okay.
- Put him to bed at 10:00.

And you need to go to bed then
as well.

- Alright.
- We're good?

You're good.
You'll be fine.

There's all these things
that I need to do

and remember to do

and it's kind of like a baby

where you come home and it's
kind of, okay, now what?

Puppy raisers, uh,
do the awesome job

of bringing a puppy
into the family

making them part of the family.

It's the puppy's first chance

to build a partnership.

They teach them manners

they teach them
foundation exercises

and they take 'em
and expose them to the world.

Patriot has been
very rowdy lately.

Can you please just be good?

It's not easy.

It's definitely not easy.

His main problem
is he's very mouthy

and he likes to, uh,
he likes to bite a lot.

Be gentle.

He loves to bi..

Oh, no, that's my clothing.
That's my clothing.

Unh-unh.

Shh.

Anybody who, like,
will pet him here

he'll, like, bite them,
and that's not okay

'cause he can't bite.

And even if it's just,
like, playing

it's still not acceptable.

I don't know if...
I exactly trained him right

and it may have led to this.

I don't want to lose him.

Even if he does that.
I don't care.

Primrose.

You ready to go work?

Yeah, you are. Mwah!

Let's go.

We're at SeaTac.

We're gonna do
a really big outing

today with the puppies.

Nice!

They're gonna take us
through security.

All the way
to boarding an aircraft.

She's been doing really well.

She's probably
one of the better pups

we've had at this age.

Tends to be very responsive

to the training and whatnot.

A little bit distracted
by people.

Likes getting interaction
and seeks out people too much

but we'll work through that.

This is so much.

She's really overwhelmed.

We're gonna go find
a quiet corner

and I'm actually gonna sit
and cuddle with her.

We're just gonna do a little
bit of tactile grounding.

There.

Good girl.

We don't ever want
to coddle them

but we do wanna just take
the time to recognize

that she is overwhelmed.

And if we can kind of
take this moment to recharge

she'll be more successful.

Shh.

Hi.

That might be our airplane.

Oh, we made it!
What a good girl!

- That's..
- Come on.

I got my window closed.

- Down.
- Okay.

High five. Whoo!

Sit.

A lot of the time

the very first outing

after graduation
is they have to fly home.

So when she's partnered
with someone

who is visually disabled,
she has to be comfortable

moving through airports and
going on and off of aircraft.

And many of the puppies
go on to fly regularly

throughout their careers.

I'm 32, and I lost my sight
completely

when I was 18 months old.

I lost my first eye
when I was nine months

and then, uh, the second
when I was 18 months

and the cause of it
was retinoblastoma

which is a hereditary
form of cancer

that I got
from my father's side.

Um, it tends
to skip generations

but...kind of didn't
on this one.

I was diagnosed with a disease

called retinitis pigmentosa

which takes all
of your peripheral vision.

From shoulder to shoulder,
you should have

a hundred and eighty degrees
of vision

so I should be able
to see my hands, you know.

I -- I can't see my hands
until they get..

Let's see.
I think I kind of see..

That's a little better.

Yeah.

I can kind of see
the tips of my finger.

I was worried
about having grandchildren

and not being able
to see their faces.

My daughter-in-law
was pregnant

and she had the baby,
like, way too early

but I was able to see her face.

And since then I can't see

their faces anymore,
the detail.

I can tell they're there,
but I can't see detail anymore.

But I did get to see the faces
of my grandchildren.

Patriot, let's go.

- Hmm.
- Hi, Patriot.

- Oh, don't get so excited.
- He doesn't..

I know. He doesn't know
what's happening.

Come here.

I'm gonna miss you.

Bye, Patriot.

He just needs to
grow up a little bit.

Don't you kind of want him
to become a guide dog?

Me too.

He's very sweet.
You did a good job.

You did a good job,
he just wasn't quite ready

to go to high school.

- I know.
- Yeah.

But you did a good job.

- Hello?
- Hi. Is this Patti?

- Yeah.
- Hey, Patti.

This is Ally Burnham
and Tami Shankle

we've got you on speakerphone.

I said, that is so devastating

it was a blindside.

Let's go, Phil.

I was in it for the long haul.

I was going full bore in the
attachment and the whole bit.

I am so angry.

There's always that point of,
do I really need

to give him back, whenever that
happens in the chain of events.

You know, whether
it's when the puppy's, um

five months old or when
the puppy is 15 months old

and returning to the school,
it's like, can I have

a little bit more time,
can I do a little bit more?

So I think
that's part of the gift

the raisers give, they want to
do the best thing they can do.

Um, so sometimes
it's hard to let go.

I wanted to do it perfectly

and I wanted him to be the one

that's gonna make it.

When there were these
conflicting instructions

on what to do
and what not to do

it would bring up the fear
of failing for me

and failing Phil.

Say, "Thank you for everything
you did for me, mama."

You behave, okay?
Alright. Bye.

Hey, there you go.
Good picture.

Good boy.

Sit.

Sit. Good boy.

Today we're picking up

a new guide dog for the blind.

I already saw
the size of his jacket.

It's just tiny, so we were just
teasing each other about how

little tiny
the little jacket is!

You know, it's gonna be a baby!

This is gonna be so much fun.

I love this.

We only get to do this
every so often

so, you know,
getting a new dog

is just definitely
a special day.

We are here to pick up Patriot.

What a great name that is.

Oh, yeah.

I'm a veteran.

Been in the military.
You know, I did all my time.

I actually have
a service-connected disability

and everything, so this guy is
gonna be my best friend.

- He was made for you.
- He was.

- Absolutely.
- That's so cool.

It just happened
to work out like that.

It just happened to,
happened to work out.

I said, "Yeah, I -- I'd like,
I'd like to take a look at him."

And they said,
"His name's Patriot."

I was an infantryman.

I did two tours of duty
in Iraq.

Traumatic events unfolded

so I am disabled now,
I'm not working.

This is something
that I have been battling

for four years now.

It has taken me
through depressive stages

it's taken me
through hypervigilant stages.

And the one thing
that this dog does

is keep me in an even keel.

I wake up in the morning

and I know the dog needs
to be taken care of

and that's what motivates me

and gets me going.

Left by myself, um,
my mind goes to bad places

and I think about bad things.

- Aw. Ha-ha-ha.
- Mr. Wiggle Worm.

The dogs so far have really
saved me from myself.

I'm able to channel my love

and give them everything
that I have

and I don't have to worry
about doing stuff for me.

I -- I take care of the dog,
and everything else

kind of falls into place.

Oh, look at him.

He is better than I expected.

I can wake up in the morning
and I have a purpose

and I know
that I'm doing something

for somebody else,
which makes me feel good.

Hi, Phil.
Oh, yeah!

- Hi, buddy!
- Hi.

- Hi! Hi!
- Hey, little guy. Come here. Hi.

We're kind of the fixers

so usually they transfer
puppies to us

and they're like, "Hey, can
you help out with this habit?"

Or, you know, just kind of see
what's going on with the dogs.

Let me say hi. Hi.
Oh, yes, oh, yes, oh.

Oh, yes, oh, good boy.

Good boy!

I was looking for something
to get involved

with volunteerin' and they
always say pick something

you'll be passionate about
otherwise you won't stick with it.

And my dad actually is blind

and when I started to learn
about guide dogs

I was like,
"Perfect, I love dogs"

but then meeting people

who had gotten a guide dog

and how much independence
they had gotten..

Good boy!

It's something
that obviously I always wanted

for my dad,
to be very independent

and to go out and be able to do
whatever he wanted to do

and so guide dogs
gave that to people

and it's kind of
just what started it.

What do you think?
This is it.

Oh.

That's a bit rough, bud.
Have to work on that.

Actually drew blood.

- Oh, did he?
- Yeah.

Off to a stellar start, Phil.

You bite me on the nose
the first time we meet.

Ah-ah.

The major challenge
with Potomac

has been loose-leash walking.

So guide dogs wants the dogs

to remain at the exact spot,
on your left-hand side

with their collar
even with your pant seam

with the leash loose.

We'll be walking
across a parking lot

and all of a sudden
he'll jerk forward

and if I'm not paying attention

he can really jerk me
off balance.

Or if he decides that he sees
something over here

that he really is interested in

then he'll lunge
in that direction.

It could be
a deal breaker with him.

Every month, when we fill out
the reports online

and those go
into his permanent record

I have flagged that,
every single month.

Incredibly frustrating.

To the point
where I'm thinking

"He's not gonna make it."

I don't know
if he's being stubborn

or if it's me

that I'm not doing
a good enough job.

But we'll see what she says
when she sees him today.

So, let's just go ahead and cover
some ground with him real quick.

I know that he's had
some challenging areas.

He's very people
and other animal

specifically dogs,
distracted.

If I am walking him and he sees
something on the sidewalk

that is attractive,
he will lunge toward it.

Can you give me an example
of some of the things

that he might try to pick up?

- Uh, cigarette butt.
- Okay.

Food, pine cones.

How often
do you think that's happening?

Oh, it happens every day.

There you go. Perfect.

I think you're frustrated
with him

but I think
he's actually coming along.

So the work
that you're putting into him

is actually paying off.

So he's better than I expected.

Yes, he does look like

he's pretty much
where he needs to be.

I think just following through
with, you know

especially the stuff
on the ground

that's gonna be
really important.

Because the dog would take
advantage of a blind handler.

I really didn't have
any red flags

that went up today at all,
which was great

'cause I was concerned
about his viability.

Right here.

Yeah? Are we gonna have
a rough start?

Hey. Excuse me.

Hey.

Primrose, let's go.

So she's really struggling
to hold position right now.

Oh, I'm a little nervous
about your eval today.

Alright, let's go.

She'll be looking for things

like distractedness,
confidence.

Is there any anxiety?

If the dog makes a mistake

do they recover quickly?

All of those things
that would show

that they're resilient,
that they would be

a good working guide
for a partner.

Primrose, let's go.

We're starting
to get pretty serious

about this process.

We're looking for any traits

that we really need
to get a handle on

that would make the dog
unsuccessful in the long run.

She's pretty distractible.

- Um, missed the turn, sweetie.
- Excuse me.

That's one of those things

that we need
to get a handle on

because it'll be
a make-it-or-break-it issue

at 12 months.

Okay, Poppet.

- Sit. Down.
- Okay.

Ms. Poppet, now,
she's nine months old.

- Yes.
- Right?

Her general confidence went out
and about.

Do you notice her
being fearful or reactive

to any unusual
or novel objects?

- No. Nope.
- Statues?

When you're home with her,
what's her normal routine?

Is she off leash?

- Yes.
- Mm-hmm.

- Does she sleep in a crate?
- Uh, no.

- Sleep..
- On -- on a bed.

Sleeps loose on a tie-down?

- No. Just loose.
- Does she.. No.

That's good.

Poppet showed good confidence
around traffic

different surfaces.

Some doggy interest, but..

she can do the work.

For her age, I'm very pleased.

She's doing very well.

Good kid.

Here's my man!

Every single area of this dog

has made progress.

He's going one way,
and that's up.

He's got more energy,
and if we can channel that

in the right direction, I mean
this dog has unlimited potential.

Okay, let's go.

Can you stay with me?

Stay with me.

- He's a energetic little boy.
- Yeah.

He's taking advantage
of you doing all the work

so we need to get him
on board and doing a little

more of the work himself.

Hey. That's enough of that.

And let me just take him,
and go ahead and let go.

Go ahead and let go.
That's okay, you can let go.

- I got him.
- Okay.

Hey, buddy. Hey.

Dude.

Lots of things
to work on with him.

He's being a big, goofy puppy.

We still have
a pretty long way to go for him

in terms of his understanding
of what he needs to do.

He likes to pull.

He wants to be first place
in everything.

Blind people don't care
about first place.

They need their dog
right next to 'em.

It'll be a lot of working on

but it's something
that we can fix.

I think he's still a candidate.

We certainly have
some catch-up work to do.

You know,
he's fairly out of control

and we need to fix that.

Phil's coming along, much
calmer dog, not as animated.

He's not as calm and collected
as Phil is at this point.

Today we just decided to do
some wine tasting in Sonoma.

Phil, do you want to go?
Hey, wake up, bud.

Let's go. Oh. Let's go.

Both of us live busy lives

and we're, like, we just
need you to know that role

and he has adapted
really quickly.

Did he get you?

He got you with a kiss.

- Kennel.
- Come on, Phil.

For his age,
he's acting really well.

He's really appropriate
in all situations

and we're actually really
pleased with his progress.

Kennel.

You, you're a spaz, mister.

Why don't you tell me
what's been going on.

He still is not where
I think he needs to be

as far as the pulling
and the lunging.

If he sees something..

We talked the last time
we trained about

how maybe throwing some
pieces of paper out ahead of us

and kind of getting that
as a distraction

and he goes for 'em every time.

He just lunges for them

and it's like, "Oh, my gosh."

I'll tell you what,
how about if I, I..

I'd like to kind of just get
a -- a visual in terms of

like, what he's doing,
so I'm gonna get some paper

and we're just gonna do

what you've been practicing
yourself.

Come here.

- Nice! Good job.
- Okay.

So, I'm just gonna start
throwing things around.

And we'll just kind of see
what he does.

And you can just start
walking over it.

Potomac, let's go.

Yeah. Okay,
I think I've seen enough.

Alright, so if you want to just
go ahead and have a seat again.

Come on.

With the amount of effort

that you've put
into working with this

you really would hope that
you would have more carryover.

I think it's probably
fair to say

that being a guide dog
is not in Potomac's future.

He's told us himself, right?

- He's choosing.
- Yeah, I think so.

He probably just wouldn't
thrive in that capacity, I think.

Alright, mister,
civilian life for you.

This is Potomac.

It's a mixture
of disappointment and relief

because I know that he was
struggling and so have I.

- So, which one is this?
- This is Phil.

Hi, Phil. How are you?

- Oh, hi, Phil.
- Hi, Phil.

You are big, buddy.

Mama, papa, here!

- This one is Primrose?
- Primrose.

So this is the only other girl.

- Yes.
- Sisters! It's so cute!

Now I notice she's a little
more apprehensive to things.

Oh, she's the opposite,
she's gotten really confident.

We took her through the airport
and onto the airplane today

and she just was rock solid.

How many have you guys had?

- This is our eighth.
- This is our eighth. Yeah.

Well, if she makes it,
it'll put us back to 50-50.

There you go.

Oh, my gosh, now, look-it.

- That's Patriot?
- That's Patriot.

- Look at the long legs.
- Yeah, he's -- he's..

- That's Patriot Pumpkin Pie.
- Oh.

Good boy.

These are your
brothers and sisters.

You've got
some brothers and sisters.

I taught him to shake,
and now I wish I wouldn't have.

Hey, paws down, buddy.

Alright.

So we got four out of..

- Five.
- Five.

We have a little news.

Potomac has been cut.

- Oh..
- Aw.

- Oh. Okay.
- Oh.

I'm not terribly surprised

because they make
these cuts a lot

but I'm, you know,
I like that they do that

that they're
really thorough, so..

I feel bad
for the raisers, though.

- It's always a.. It's a blow.
- Yeah.

I think maybe
it just brings home a reality

that we're at that point,
where we're starting to look

at some of the behaviors,
and really think about

is this a make-it-or-break-it
kind of thing?

A lot of dogs don't make it.

It's -- it's part of
the process.

This is our third dog,
and I -- I really would like

to do my part and contribute

and part of that process,
for me

is having a successful dog.

- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah. And I've..

I've put a lot into this dog

and I know that,
that it is heartbreaking

to have a dog cut.

We very adamantly say

"Nothing is done
until it's done."

Your dog is not official

until they walk
across the graduation stage

and even then,
we've had dogs last two weeks

and be shipped back to campus.

I would love to have seen

all five of them
successful guides.

Four out of five still actively
moving toward that goal

I think,
is absolutely phenomenal.

Mm-hmm.

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.

Good boy.

Yes, you are a handsome devil.

Good boy.

Right now, Patriot is

apparently come as far with me

as they claim
that he can make progress.

They just want him to be
with somebody else.

Come on. Okay.

Shake it out. I know.

Kennel.

Guide dogs
is pretty impersonal

when it comes
to decisions like this.

What they see is that we signed
on the dotted line

and this is a transfer
of another puppy.

Ultimately, I -- I am a stickler
for the rules.

I -- I do.. I agree with having
that set of rules

and I agree with them
evaluating the situation

and saying,
this is what we need to do

to get the dog
to be successful.

Hate to see him go, though.

He's done a lot for me.

- Nice to meet you, Maureen.
- Nice to meet you.

- This is Mr. Patriot.
- Oh, hi, handsome boy.

The lady that's taking him

said that she'll meet with me

any time I want
to see him and stuff

but I'll just let her do
what she needs to do, and..

It's a kind gesture, because
she knows how difficult it is

to turn the dogs over.

You are officially Maureen's.

He's gonna make it, yeah.

He's gonna make it.

I'm excited for him.

But..

It doesn't make
the empty house any easier.

I always get sad around it.

Just know that he's going to go
back and it's gonna be okay

and then keep moving forward.

Come here, bud.

Good boy. Okay.

You hear all the other puppies.

Phil is here for recall.
Phil is here.

- Good boy.
- Come here, buddy. Come here.

I always have to
have those couple days

just to kind of mourn it
a little bit

and to know that, like,
this is the process

and that's kind of how it goes.

We both gave him
a little pep talk

about how he's gonna,
like, be great

and just, like,
"Go get 'em," so..

Hopefully all that
will rub off on him

and he'll take it to heart
and he'll do really well.

We have a history,
don't we, Patriot?

We know.
I'm -- I'm watching you, dude.

Some of the things that he did

in the last home, I want to kind
of see if they've resolved.

- Okay.
- So, like..

Whining in the crate.
How is he in a crate?

- No, he doesn't whine.
- Okay.

- And good on tie-down?
- Yes.

- No vocalization at all?
- He's never barked.

And he doesn't jump
on the furniture

he doesn't counter surf,
he doesn't

pick up things inappropriately.

- And how about the pulling?
- He doesn't pull.

Okay. That is
just wonderful news.

Hi, buddy.

It's about time
we got to say hi.

Hey, don't..
Don't-don't get my string.

Ch-ch-ch-ch.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch.

You gonna get mouthy?

You're still
a strong fellow, huh?

I think he's ready,
as ready as he's gonna be.

You know when they go back

that the people are
so experienced

that they've seen everything,
and they're gonna see

who he truly is, and hopefully
they see what I see.

Hi.

Hi, Primrose.

I always tell people
the best way to put it is

we get 'em to high school,
and then

after high school graduation,
they go off to college.

- Work hard.
- Say, "Of course I will."

"I will have new friends
to play with."

Yeah.

Yep.

Open kennel run time. Ooh..

She's like..

- "That's my favorite."
- Ooh..

Do you think
they have a Jolly Ball?

- I bet they do.
- I bet they do.

Back, back, back, back, back.

Some of the fun things
about Primrose

have been how much
she wants to work.

Let's go.

We've had challenges

but we've worked through them.

The unknowns just keep piling
at this point.

Is she gonna be a breeder?
Is she not?

Is she gonna go
to training string? Is she not?

Is she gonna make it
through training? Is she not?

You have to really make
your peace with that.

I'm really hoping she ends up
going into training.

Well, we have a puppy
to take to campus.

You would think it
would be easier after a while

but no, it's not.

Let's go.

Yeah, you get
a lot of mixed emotions.

You're anxious
'cause you want them to pass.

You're happy because you know
what they're supposed to go do

and what their purpose is.

You're kind of sad because
you've become attached to 'em.

We have to say our goodbyes.

Can I get a sniff?

Is that what's that's for?

What? Yeah.

I love you. You do
good things at school, okay?

You make us proud, okay?

You be the best little girl.

Okay? You enjoy getting to be
with your siblings.

That's kind of special.

Not everybody gets to do that.

I love you.

Oliver, do you want
to give Primrose a hug?

Bye, Primrose. Goodbye.

- Ready.
- Ready? We're up.

- Hello.
- Who do we have here?

- Primrose.
- Primrose?

- Beautiful.
- Good girl.

Hi, Poppet. Your turn.

These are the first two in.

We have two boys
that are still out

and then we did have
one of the males

that was career-changed

for some scavenging behavior
and avoiding control.

Hi, Poppet.
How are you, beautiful?

The dogs that we're considering

for the breeding colony

are really
the best of the best.

We have pretty much
all of our information

on Primrose and Poppet,
so let's go over those.

I'm looking at Primrose now.

She scored three-four
on her hips.

Her patellas are good.

Eyes are clear.

She's a little higher energy
and seems pretty excitable.

Oh! Good girl!

- Just another day.
- Okay, grab ahold of the dog.

So Poppet,
she has three-three hips.

Good patellas.

Passed her eye exams.

Passed her heart exam.

It seems like Poppet's
a little bit calmer

not as energetic
and as excitable.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- So we're thinking Primrose?
- Yeah.

Huh. Hello.

This is Megan calling from

the breeding department
at Guide Dogs.

We're excited to find out, uh,
if it's a yes or a no.

Well, it's definitely a yes.

Primrose is gonna be a breeder
for us for sure.

Okay!

Thank you for raising her.

That's good, it's good.

It is good.
Th -- they're happy tears.

Here's our girl.

Hey, Poppet.

I'm Adam Silverman.

I'm gonna be training
Phil and Poppet.

Hi, buddy.

My name is Melanie Harris.

Hi!

I will be working with Patriot.

Sounds like he has
a lot of energy

a lot of personality,
and I'm looking forward to

seeing if we can't channel
that for the greater good.

Baby.. Oh! Don't do that.

If there's anybody
that can handle

the more difficult types,
it's -- it's her.

- So, looks good for Patriot.
- Good.

Yes, good girl, Poppet!

She's kind of ferocious.

This is definitely
my type of dog.

Very physical.
Likes to play kind of rough.

Good boy! Yeah!

Good job, Phil. That's it!

I really liked how he responded
to the harness being on.

He was just like,
"I was born for this."

Stay.

There's always
that understanding

that you need to do a good job

training the behaviors,
because someone's

putting their trust and faith
in this animal.

If you talk
to very many cane users

they'll tell you that sometimes
it gets stuck in a crack

it'll come back out of your
hand and hit you in the gut.

You..

You learn to
not have your cane so stiff

and down on the ground
where it will do that.

Oh, yeah.

It's not a pleasant
experience, either.

Um...'cause I..

I've had it go lower, too.

'Cause it, like, it..
It hurts.

Yeah, and back home.

Safe and sou..

Oh! It happened.

It hit the, the thing
and came right back at me.

That's why I don't like canes.

You've got
five guide work commands.

Forward.

That is just what it
sounds like

go forward,
in a straight line.

Halt.

Which means stop.

Hop up.

Which is basically
keep going

when the dogs
have slowed or stopped.

And then you've got
your turn commands.

Poppet, left.

Patriot, right.

And also, maintaining a line

down the sidewalk, not fading
into driveways or openings.

Because when you're blind,
you need the dog

to just bring you
to the down curb

and you're not gonna know
when the dog's

veering dramatically off line.

Good job. Yeah!

Usually, I start seeing

curb awareness,
starting to stop on their own.

Patriot, forward.

There's definitely
some general impulse control

self-control immaturity that
needs to continue to develop.

I'm overseeing his progression,
and I want to make sure

each dog progresses
with each exercise.

Good.

I'm on the fence with Patriot.

I'm not like,
"Oh, he's a guide dog."

He's intense, so not all the
time we want that in our dogs.

But there are some blind people
that love that type.

- I'm gonna go under.
- Okay.

It is week three,
so we've got

testing on Friday.

Hop up.

It sets the groundwork for

if they're ready to move on

to everything yet to come.

Just got to come back to
the right..

Poppet, hop up.

A little bit nervous,
but, um

I've been doing this for
enough time where, hopefully

I have a pretty accurate read
on the dog.

I think they're gonna,
both gonna do fine, but..

Knock on wood, right?
Where's the wood?

Knock on wood.

Alright. Let's see.

Poppet, forward.

Good girl.

Usually, when there's
nothing written means

it's either really bad
or really good

and in her case,
it's really good.

Okay.

- She's ready for the next step for sure.
- Yeah.

Phil, forward.

Good boy.

- Phil, hop up.
- You have to go to the left.

- Right there.
- Phil, hop up.

Phil, hop up.

Phil, curb.

He did not meet
our expectations

for preliminary guide work
to move on to the next step.

Perhaps we need to build up
his mental stamina.

Phil, hop up.

It's a bummer, you know?
I really had..

He was on track and,
you know

I was
training him correctly, but..

It -- it sucks,
he's not, so..

Patriot, forward.

Good job, buddy.

Patriot, halt.

Patriot met expectations.

He showed a nice,
basic understanding

of the fundamentals
of guide work.

Good.

I'm very happy with any dog
with how that route went

but especially with him.

Patriot, forward.

Poppet, heel.

Good girl.

- Good girl. Good. Good job.
- Very good.

- Good! Good girl. Very good.
- Good! Look how still she is.

Alright, beautiful.

You did it! Good job.
I'm so proud of you.

Good. Good girl.

Guide work and obedience?
Rock star.

Alright, buddy,
looks like you're up.

Patriot, sit.

Good.

Good boy.

Patriot, down.

Mm, that's good.

Patriot, heel.

Very good!

Nice job, buddy.

Good boy, Patriot.

- He passed!
- Good job, buddy, you did it!

Yeah!

He's all warmed up.

Ready to start the test.

Phil, heel.

That wasn't very good.

Phil, heel.

Okay.

Heel. No.

- Doesn't have it.
- Yeah.

That's two f..
Two fails for Phil today.

Okay.

It is frustrating.

You know, you put in
a lot of time and effort

to try to get the dog to pass

and if they don't,
then it sucks.

Phil, hop up.

Phil's gonna stay in
phase three

until he's ready for his
preliminary guide work retest.

Good boy, Patriot.

Yeah. Good.

Good girl.

We're gonna do a platform intro

to try to teach them
that when you say "Forward"

in the direction
of a platform edge

which would be dangerous if
a dog went in that direction

when you give them that command

they should not only refuse it

but, ideally, pull you away.

Forward.

Left. Left.

Patriot, forward.

Good.

Ready, ready, ready?
Patriot, forward.

He did really, really well

for any dog,
but especially for him

where standing still has been
something we're working on.

Thank you very much.
Thank -- thank you.

Thank you. Yeah.

It's a little bit like
Groundhog's Day with this dog.

He's definitely made
improvement

but we'll see how it goes.

Phil, hop up.

Phil, sit.

There we go.

Phil, heel.

Good. Good boy.

He passed.
That's the important part.

You got this, Philly.

Phil, forward.

Good boy, Phil.

Alright! Whoo!

Today we're doing
traffic training.

It's exposing the dogs
to different types

of traffic encounters
that are potentially dangerous

that they should be wary of.

Oh!

Good, good, good,
good, good, good!

In a lot of ways,
this traffic route

is a demarcation for the dog

to learn the responsibilities

involved in being a guide dog.

Good.

Traffic training
is teaching the dog

to either back up..

Good, good, good, good, good!
Forward.

Hold their position
or speed up

based on
what the car's presenting.

This next check, I'm gonna be

pulling into a driveway
and cutting off the team.

The dog should stop
and then, of course, hold.

Good.

And look at that buffer. Wow.

He says, "No way."

He's like, "I recognize that
car anywhere."

We'll also do
intelligent disobedience.

Patriot, hop up.

We're teaching to disobey
when the situation's unsafe

meaning the car's still
present.

Good girl.

Good! Hop up.

Good girl, Poppet!
That's it! Good girl!

I was, like, insistent she go,
and she's just looking at me

like, "No, there's a car there."

Patriot, forward.

Something I've seen off and on

since the beginning of training

it's him being
a little uncomfortable

around other dogs.

He has started hackling,
which is not great.

You can see just the beginnings
of it right here

along his back.

The hackles going up,
that's a visual cue to me

that he's feeling something.

See that hair going up again
right there.

I look at Patriot

and I just see
this really intense dog

and we're trying
to get that out of him

and calm him down so he can be
an appropriate guide dog.

And is that gonna happen?

Is he gonna be a dog
that can be a guide

or is he gonna just be
too much for the program?

What the next steps would be

is to bring this
to the rest of the sup group

and just talk about it.

We got together
as a supervisor group today

and we all collaborated
on, uh, Patriot.

We've come to the conclusion
we're going

to career-change him.

I think some other organization

will snap him up.

He has come so far
in the last six weeks --

- I totally agree.
- But with more education..

- Somebody's gonna really benefit from him.
- Yeah.

- Hi, Tami. It's Adam.
- Hi, Tami.

I am, you know, sorry to pass
along some disappointing news.

- I'm just gonna jump right in there.
- Okay.

Patriot has been career-changed

and it's due
to his impulsive nature.

That just didn't work
with our program.

- Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
- So that's the bummer.

There is a little bit
of a silver lining.

Um, we would like to offer him
back to you, if you'd like

but if that, um, isn't
gonna work with your situation

um, there is some interest
in him

from Dogs for Diabetics.

So that is, you know

something
they'd like to assess

um, if you decide you're not

in a situation
to take him back.

- So, um..
- Okay..

Do you want to have some time
to think about that

'cause I know that's a lot.

- Mm-hmm.
- Um, but, um..

Well,
I've -- I've thought about it.

Um, I needed about five seconds.

I really want Patriot back.

I would really love
to have him back.

He -- he just is my,
my handsome, sweet boy.

What did they say?
He's just an immature..

- Immature boy.
- Little jerk-wad.

He's a little jerk-wad.

Oh, but he's just..
Yeah, he's my little jerk-wad.

I've never bonded or connected

with a dog like Patriot before.

I'm not just one person
anymore, I'm gonna be two.

It's gonna be me and him
from now on.

Oh, my gosh, like,
my heart's pounding.

Patriot!

That's my boy!

That's my boy!

Hi! That's my boy!

Hi, young man, hi.

Hi. Hi.

I know. Good boy.

That's my boy.

Good boy.

Yes, I love you.

I know, I know, happy boy.

Good boy. Good boy.

Poppet, forward.

I'm ready. Whenever you are, you
can move in the forward direction.

Poppet, heel.

- Left about turn.
- Poppet, heel.

- Oh, gorgeous.
- Good girl. Show-off.

- Call your dog.
- Poppet! Come!

Oh, good job. Good girl.

That's it. Good job.

Good girl. Yay!

Whoo!

Follow your dog.

- She likes to work.
- She does.

Great job, Adam.

Woof!

Right. Right.

Good job, P. Good girl.

Find the escalator.

Targeted it beautiful.

Wow! Look at you.

Okay, forward. Good job.

Halt.

What we're looking for
is the dog

to have finished responses
around cars.

Careful.

She went right up
to the traffic checks

and didn't show a buffer
between the team and the car.

Left. Left. Left.

Sidewalkless training
is training the dogs

to work in a neighborhood
that doesn't have sidewalks.

Good girl. Poppet, right.

The dogs are taught to stay
close to the left curb edge.

Stop. Reorient.

Poppet, right. Left.

Left.

Left. Left.

Left.

Poppet, hop up.

Left.

Stop. Tell her hop up.

So, Adam, I -- I'd like to see
her again in sidewalkless

since she didn't pick it up.

Don't beat yourself up.

Alright, Mr. Phil.

Good job, Phil.

That's it.

Good boy.

He's got it.

That was textbook.

Alright. Nice.

So, I'm gonna throw this,
and you can play with it

but when I call you, you've
got to come back to me.

Okay.

Phil! Come!

- Good boy. Good job.
- Whoo! Good boy!

Good boy, buddy.

- Okay, we're clear.
- Phil, forward.

Good boy.

- Good boy. Good.
- He wants to come back.

- Good boy.
- Good Phil.

Good.

Phil, forward.

Good boy. Halt.

And really nice buffer.

Very good.

Good boy.

Good Philly. Good boy.

Phil, forward.

Good boy, buddy!

That's a good boy! Good!

Coming in today

I think Adam and I both

were holding our breath
a little bit.

He's a little bit
of a wild card.

Halt.

Alright, Phil!

- Whoo-hoo!
- High five.

- Great! He did it!
- How's that!

- Yeah, he did it, right?
- He's awesome!

- He pulled it together!
- Yay! He, uh --

He was just messing with us
the whole time.

He was totally messing
with us the whole time.

He was a straight-arrow
worker today.

He presented me
with some challenges

and I wasn't always sure

if he was gonna be able
to do the job.

I am proud that we got there.

I have been waiting
eight months

and then I get a call from
Guide Dogs For The Blind saying

"Hey, we have an opening
in our class coming up"

and I jumped at the chance.

Being chosen for this is in my
mind, like winning the lottery.

Because you don't know
if you're gonna make it.

You don't know if you're
gonna be considered good enough

to work with the dogs.

I've got major butterflies.

Okay, bud, forward.

Good boy.

Today he's going up to Oregon

to be matched with a client.

This is the end for me,
but for him

it's just the beginning.

He's still got plenty to learn,
working with a blind person.

And you also just hope
that they do everything

you taught them to do,
you know, and they

become a good guide dog.

Poppy.

- She's got to finish up her testing.
- Oh, wow.

She's got
a difficult combination.

The first test is sidewalkless,
which is going up to cars.

Then the second test
is traffic

which is not going up to cars.

So it's gonna be, uh,
interesting

uh, morning for her.

You can do it!

I'm ready.

Okay, let's do this, Poppet.

Poppet, right.

Left. Left.

Left.

Left. Left.

Hop up.

Left. Left.

Left.

Left. Good.

- There she goes.
- Good girl.

- She nailed it.
- Good job, Poppet! Good girl!

Just needed one more, huh?
One more.

- Good girl.
- Good girl.

Good job.

Okay, Poppet, you only need
one more "Meets expectations"

and then we're done.

Alright, remember,
don't go up to the cars.

Good girl. Good job, Poppet.

Good. Good girl. Nice!

Good. Good girl.

Hop up.

- Good. Good girl!
- Oh!

- Nice job.
- Excellent.

- Super proud of her.
- Meets expectations.

Good job.

- You go, girl.
- Excellent.

- Good girl.
- Okay..

Okay, you're going to class.

- Yes, you are.
- You're done.

- Yes, you are. Good girl.
- Good girl.

The last couple of nights

there's been a couple of times
where I can't sleep

'cause I'm so excited
about meeting her.

I was laying in bed,
thinking, "I wonder

what my dog is doing
right now."

Is she out there
playing with someone?

She doesn't even know
she's going to meet me.

You know, "Will she like me?"

It's like going out on a date
with someone, you know.

You haven't met 'em before,
it's a blind date.

Will they like me?
What are they like?

Okay.

You be a good girl
while I'm gone?

Oh, yes.

I know you will.

Alright.

I am Ron's instructor.

I'm gonna be working with him

and helping him
into his transition with Phil

which he doesn't know
the name yet.

It's your big day, Phil.

Hello.

Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

I have butterflies
the size of foxes.

Um, like,
ridiculous butterflies.

I'm so nervous.

Alright.

You're so excited. I know.

Alright, Phil.

It's like having
a kid, you know?

It's that nervous
expectation and..

He's so excited.

Oh, boy.

- Ron?
- Yes.

I have a present for you.

Oh, my gosh.

Alright. This is Phil.

Hey, buddy.

Aw, geez, Phil.

Oh, my goodness.

Sit.

Phil, sit.

Come here. Good boy.

Good b.. Ha-ha-ha!

Good boy.

Good boy.
You want a tummy rub?

Good boy.

I'm getting a bath.

Hi, girl.

Oh, you look so nice.

Your coat's so shiny. Yes.

They're always so soft
when they get groomed.

They come back
from the groomers

and they smell so good
and they're so soft.

It's your last day
in the kennel.

This is it. You made it.

You are the pick of the litter.

Oh, the anticipation.

Think the dogs feel
the excitement, the energy.

They know something
big is happening.

Sit.

Good girl.

Sit.

This is it. This is it.

This is it.

- Hello. Do you mind if I come in?
- Hello.

- No. Come on in.
- Alright.

It's not just me this time.

I've got your new friend
for you.

Do you wanna grab your leash?
I'll bring her over..

- I've got my leash right here.
- Alright.

Alright, here she comes.

Oh, my gosh. Down.
Oh, my gosh.

She's happy to see you for sure.

Oh, oh, you love me.

If you want to put your leash
on -- on her

and I'll take mine off,
and then she'll be your dog.

- Poppet, forward.
- Good.

Good girl.

That's a good girl.
Oh, yeah.

Feeling good? Pace is good?

Yeah, it's great.

Looks like you've been
working together for a while.

I know. She's so perfect.

What a good girl.

And now back to the left.

And she's like, "Route's over."
Alright, so you can say "Halt."

- We're back where we started.
- Halt. Good girl.

- Good job. How'd that feel?
- It felt terrific.

I haven't had..

I -- I, I haven't had a walk
like that in a long, long time.

- Poppet, how'd I do?
- "You did good!"

- Am I almost trained?
- She said, "That was fun."

- "I like you."
- Yeah.

Okay.

Arr, ruff!

Big smiles, everybody.
Poppet, over here.

Poppet, arr! Poppet.

It took so much restraint

to not just run away
with her in training.

I'll be a fugitive,
but at least I'll be happy.

We have Mrs. Janet Gearheart.
Whoo!

Sometimes it's not easy

to be blind
or visually impaired.

It, it can shake
one's confidence.

And it sometimes
makes our world rather small.

Navigatin' our environment
can be difficult

and, yes, a cane can help

but it's not as great

as a fuzzy face and a wet nose.

Poppet is here
because many people

touched her in some way

whether it was the veterinary
staff that whelped her

volunteers in the kennel

the puppy raisers

who gave her
the foundation she needed

the basic skills
to be socialized

and behave herself in public.

And then they had to return
her to the school

and she went to Adam,
and now I have her here.

So I wanna thank you all
for everything you've done.

And I am so thankful
to be graduating with Poppet.

Everybody's got a..

...sense of anticipation
going on.

You know, after today
it's gonna be me and him

and the big, wide world.

Well, well, well.

Hi, Philly!

- Hi, buddy.
- Hi, Ron. I'm Kristin.

- It's a pleasure to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

- Hi, Philly!
- I'm Kenny.

- It's a pleasure to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, Ron.

I'm Patti.

Hi. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Can I give you a hug?

It's so good to meet you.

So how has it been, Ron?

It has been intense
and amazing.

Yeah?

And working with Phil
was just...freakin' awesome.

- Oh, good.
- I love this guy.

Yeah, he's great.

What was it like for you

when you first met him?

Not to be cliche about it

but it was kind of
love at first sight.

He came bounding over
and just licked me in the face.

- Aw.
- And it was like, "Yes!"

Is there anything
that you're looking forward

to the most when you get home?

Honestly, being able to..

...to walk without restrictions
on where I go.

So do you guys have any, uh..

...stories about Phil
growing up?

The very first time I met Phil

he came to our house and he
immediately jumped in my face

and bit me on the nose
and I started..

And I started bleeding.
Remember that, buddy?

I hope you don't relive that.

It makes
the heartache worth it.

Alright.
Next is Mr. Ronald Strother.

He lives in Kansas City,
Missouri.

Today Ron is receiving
his first guide dog, Phil

raised by Al and Patti White
of San Ramon, California

and Kristin
and Kenneth Sheppard

of San Francisco, California.

This is the most amazing gift
that I've been given.

To say that I'm grateful
is an understatement.

You've given me..

...a new life.

Phil is amazing.

He's like
my little crazy brother..

Um..

...who is gonna be with me..

...always.

He has allowed me
to move faster

to move more confidently.

My life is never gonna be
the same, and I'm glad.

I'm grateful for that.

Wait. Okay. Inside.

Find a seat.

You did good, girl.

Get your tug toy!

Get your tug toy!

Oh, you won. You won.

Get 'em, Patriot! Get 'em!

Go get 'em!