Alas, after 10 days of bonding with Nicholas, real life set in and I had to go back to work. Due to the nature of my job and the hours that I work, I can't have Nicholas all to myself to raise. The ideal situation would be to have Nicholas come to work with me but there are several problems with that.
First: I work nights. My shift is Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6pm to 6am. Not a problem, any dog would be able to adjust his schedule or just sleep at my desk like they are supposed to.
Second: My job is highly unpredictable. It could be a slow night with not a lot going on, or it could be extremely busy with hardly any time to take a break or eat dinner. Or even worse, it could go from slow to extremely busy in the space of a phone call. Not really conducive to having an active puppy around.
Third: Due to where I work, I would need approval from my supervisor, her boss, her boss's boss all the way up the chain of command.
Fourth: Well, you get the idea...
So you may be wondering, with my crazy schedule and unpredictable work environment, how am I supposed to raise a puppy? Well, it wouldn't be fair to Nicholas to leave him home on the days that I work. With the commute to and from work that would be almost 14 hours by himself. I can't leave him out alone and unattended, so that means he would have to remain in the crate. Not only is Nicholas really young and can't hold his bladder that long, but he would be alone the entire time without the benefits of the essential socialization. So, what is the solution? Co-raising!
Lucky for me, there is a great support system in the Orange County Puppy Raising group. I have met so many people willing to help me out with my work schedule and puppy sitting. So when I mentioned to my group leader Tammy that I wasn't so sure I'd be able to bring a dog to work, she mentioned that there was a family near my house that was raising their 3rd puppy and would possibly be interested in co-raising a puppy after he went In For Training (IFT). I didn't get my hopes too high since I had already waited 18 months to get my puppy. I just thought I would be one of those people who would always puppy sit and not raise one of my own. Little did I know, not only were they willing to co-raise with me, they thought it would be a fantastic arrangement.
Raising a puppy is a BIG commitment. Not only are there certain rules that we puppy raisers have to follow to raise the dogs, but there are outings, obedience classes, trips to the school for evaluations and boarding to go along with the daily hustle and bustle of daily life. For an active family with children, that is a lot of extra stress. So what better way to stay involved with the program and raise another dog and not have to worry about driving all over the place. It was a match made in Heaven.
So now when I have to go to work, I drop Nicholas off at his other house and he stays there the weekend while I'm working and I pick him up Sunday after lunch. It is an ideal situation, not only does it work for the both of us, but Nicholas is getting the socialization he needs. His second home has a nice yard he can play in and another dog to play with and teach him how to behave. There are children in the house so he can become accustomed to them and learn how to behave around them.
Sure I miss my little guy on the days he's not with me, but it works for us. I get to go to work without having to worry about what he's missing out on or getting into. It also gives me a much needed break. I am not ashamed to say that being a solo person raising a puppy is HARD WORK. The days when Nicholas is not with me are days where I can relax and not worry. I know he is in GREAT HANDS!
My sincere thanks go to the Lockman Family in Riverside, CA for helping me raise Nicholas. They have raised 3 puppies for GDA. Their first 2 dogs, Wendy and Persia are now working as guides and their 3rd dog, Rusty, has passed training and is currently waiting for a partner.
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