Category Archives: GDApupXander
Yellow Lab Xander stayed with us while his Puppy Raiser parents worked overseas for a while. Xander is a “Jelly baby” with 5 siblings – Xena, Zeke, Zak, Zara, and Zorro – born on 7 November 2015. He’s a big boy, with his mommy’s droopy eyes and long ears, and he’s a real sweetheart! Sadly he was withdrawn during formal training, and he now lives with his original Puppy Raiser parents.
Happy Birthday Xander!
Puppy-in-training Xander turned one today!
His puppy raiser daddy sent him a box full of delicious liver bread, and we had a photo shoot in the garden to mark the day.
A Guide Dog Puppy’s first birthday is both eagerly anticipated and dreaded by us puppy raisers. It’s a big milestone for your puppy, and happily celebrated, but it also means your puppy will soon be leaving you to begin formal instruction as a Guide Dog or a Service Dog.
Tomorrow morning we will take Xander to SA Guide-Dogs to meet with his new trainer, and have a chat about his puppyhood, his likes and quirks and things he’s good at.
Xander’s size – he’s a big boy – his quiet, calm nature, and his love of carrying things around, means he will start his training as a Service Dog, for someone who is physically disabled and possibly wheelchair-bound.
His trainer will keep us informed every month as to how his training is going, and he will spend weekends at home. Just like going to boarding school. 😀
You can find SA Guide-Dogs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram,
and you can check out A Pup’s Life for regular puppy updates!
Precious Xander-pants
We have just one week left with Xander at home with us, he starts his formal Service Dog training next week at GDA.
Xander got a new toy last weekend, to keep him and the other dogs entertained during Diwali’s fireworks. When they were all done playing, Xander took his new toy to bed with him! 🙂
And Xander has a new game – carrying and throwing the stainless steel food bowls around! He loves to shove it off the step so it goes upside down, then he chases it around trying to flip it over again! 😀
We’re certainly going to miss this big, sweet, softie, but we know he is going to enjoy his training very much!
You can find SA Guide-Dogs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram,
and you can check out A Pup’s Life for regular puppy updates!
Meet Guide Dog Puppy Xander!
Xander is a beautiful big yellow Lab, born at SA Guide-Dogs on November 7th 2015.
His puppy raiser unexpectedly got the chance to work overseas for a few months, so when Xander was almost 39 weeks old, he came to stay with us to continue his puppy raising.
He’s an absolute sweetheart! He looks just like his mommy, Jelly, with the same droopy eyes and looong ears, and he’s actually half-brother to our Lennox, also a “Jelly baby”! He walks beautifully on-lead, and he’s very clever! He loves carrying things around, although he isn’t always keen to bring it back to you, so we’re working on that. 😛 And like our other puppies, he loves to be close.
He loves to be close! When I am working on my laptop, he lies with his head on the foot-ledge!
He’s so chilled and relaxed compared to our other high-energy puppies, its quite strange for us. 😀 He LOVES his sleep! He puts himself to bed at about 9pm, and he sleeps right through to at least 6am, even of the other dogs wake up in the wee hours of the morning!
As with all our Guide Dog puppies, Xander goes everywhere with us. He even went with us to the SA Guide-Dogs Wine & Dine Dinner, as he was the official “Hot Dog” for the Hot 91.9fm sponsored event!
Conradie Zoo 