Lessons Learned from PAWS Puppies

Author: Natalie Syrba, PAWS Puppy Raiser

 

My first PAWS puppy came home with me in June 2001, and they have been a constant in my life ever since. Twenty-one puppies in almost 25 years have taught me a lot, so this “Lessons Learned” is dedicated to all the four-legged teachers that began their journeys in my home.

 

From DICKENS I learned bravery—because starting something so new at a very crazy time in my life took a LOT of it. Taking the leap and raising a PAWS dog was nothing like what I had imagined it to be (it was so much harder!).

 

OAKLEY taught me resilience. While I felt more confident raising her, she entered what PAWS called at the time, a “career change.” At first, I was disappointed OAKLEY didn’t become an assistance dog, and I thought I failed as her raiser. But OAKLEY went on to be a U.S. Customs dog, which showed me that learning to switch gears and bounce back is a lesson we all should learn.  

PIPER showed me the importance of being friendly, because he (like all Goldens) never met a stranger, just a friend they didn’t know yet. PIPER showed me that you could change someone’s mood with nothing more than a smile—or in his case, a tail wag.

 

From EMBER, I learned about ingenuity. Curious about everything, EMBER had the potential to get into massive amounts of mischief, so it was up to me to figure out how to keep her safe before she understood what to do and what NOT to do (duct tape… it takes a lot of duct tape).

 

DANCER showed me the significance of being observant. Watching everything, paying attention to the people around her, DANCER showed me that if you just keep your eyes open, you can really see what people are feeling, how the world works, and where you could be in it.

 

MERLIN embodied joy. He was always SO happy to be wherever he was and to be with whomever was there. Raising MERLIN showed me that finding joy in the small, everyday moments in your life truly does improve your outlook and wellbeing.

 

ZELDA reminded me to be gentle. She was always so careful and gentle when meeting people, especially children. Being gentle with others is not a weakness; it shows empathy and caring.

 

SHERMAN brought the importance of familyinto focus. SHERMAN showed me that even though family may drive you crazy or make you want to wrestle them to the ground, it’s all forgotten when you’re sleepy and there’s a puppy waiting for a warm, cozy nap.

 

ECHO taught me how to cope with frustration. I had a rough start with ECHO, but learning to deal with that frustration and taking one step at a time with her was a hard lesson to learn, but it was so important. And I probably wouldn’t have done it without her.

 

I learned about overcoming fears from RAVEN. Going from a shy, timid puppy to a dog ready to take on the world, RAVEN taught me that with patience and understanding (and a lot of treats), you can learn to overcome fears and trust that the people around you will always have your back.

 

RYDER demonstrated unconditional love. RYDER never let a day go by without showing that he was happiest when with me, even when we did nothing more than sit side by side. Unconditional love means accepting someone, faults and all, and adoring them anyway.

 

Fearlessness came from PIPPA. Nothing frightened her, and nothing stopped her from exploring the world around her. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the “what ifs” —what if I fail, what if I’m not good enough. PIPPA taught me that ignoring those “what ifs” and being fearless often brings joys you otherwise might have missed.

 

SAWYER taught me how to be magnificent. Always kind, always gentle, always loving, SAWYER was happy to do whatever needed to be done. He was dubbed “SAWYER the Magnificent” when still a pup and lived up to that title every day of his life… we should all strive to be like him.

 

Patience came in the form of RORY. I can’t even begin to explain RORY; imagine the happiest dog you know, mix it with ten thousand espressos and add Independence Day fireworks—that might get you close. Patience was the key to doing anything with RORY. Learning to work with him and accept RORY for who he was is the greatest lesson in patience I’ve ever known.

 

RUMOR made me learn the art of letting go. Up to this point, I had primarily done all puppy raising myself, but this time, I worked with a teacher and puppy raiser who hosted RUMOR in her classroom during the week. I learned that not everyone trained dogs the way I did, that every puppy raiser does it differently, and that is okay.

 

LOKE reminded me to speak up. LOKE wasn’t shy about announcing when things weren’t to his liking: the water bowl was empty, the food dish was empty, no one was petting him, etc. Learning to speak up can be a hard lesson; we generally want to get along with everyone, but it’s okay to say how you feel and that you’d like a change.

 

MILO taught me to appreciate surprises. His arrival was a secret from our college daughters for a week, then we visited them with a new puppy in tow. A surprise, especially a puppy, can make a tough day good, change a frown into a smile, and turn college kids into preschoolers.

 

From SEAMUS, I learned understanding. Going out into the world was overwhelming and uncomfortable for SEAMUS, and he was SO much happier just being at home. Understanding what SEAMUS’ personality really was, and not masking it with what I was hoping his personality would be, was a hard—yet important—lesson to learn.

 

BISHOP challenged my assumptions. As a Standard Poodle, I thought BISHOP would be different from the puppies I’d had before. Sure, he was curly and didn’t shed, but that was the only true difference. BISHOP was nothing like what my assumption of poodles had been, and I learned not to assume.

 

SCOUT sparked creativity. With both daughters now college graduates, my go-to training places of school and sports events are over. I learned to find new places to go and new things to do with SCOUT. He made it necessary to think outside the box, and it was a valuable lesson for me.

 

EZRA taught me to be unique. Though there were 20 foster pups that came before him, EZRA was quick to show he was unique. Each puppy is an individual, and we can’t expect them to be just like the last one. We can use the lessons we’ve learned, but at the end of the day, each puppy is unique and has its own unique characteristics.

To all of the working dogs who started their journey with me, in my home, thank you. I may not have appreciated the value of the lessons I learned while I was learning them, but I sure do now. When I think about these dogs, I’ll always see them as the puppies that played so joyfully in my home. Every one of these puppies will forever have a place in my heart and an impact on the next puppy I raise.

 

Take these lessons I’ve learned and build upon them. When you open your heart and home to a PAWS puppy, you’ll discover lessons of your own — lessons in patience, laughter, love, and purpose. Raise a PAWS Puppy and know that you’re helping give someone independence they otherwise couldn’t have.