Casey Lougheed
Puppy Raiser
In continuing to celebrate our puppies by recognizing some of our AMAZING Puppy Raisers! Engraining the all-important “first experiences” for our future Assistance Dogs, our Puppy Raisers are integral to what we do.
Today we’re spotlighting Puppy Raiser Casey with puppy Atticus:
1. Why did you choose to become a Puppy Raiser? I became a puppy raiser for quite a few reasons. I very much have wanted to bring a puppy into my life but have had concerns about being able to maintain a long-term commitment to that pup. Also, being a puppy raiser provides a very unique opportunity to make a positive impact in someone else’s life. This has also been a tremendous learning experience in the world of puppy training/raising.
2. What is the biggest challenge? Being patient! Working through different training challenges requires a lot of patience…for example – about a month after Atticus came to stay with me, I switched to a later work shift and no longer was needing to wake up at 4am but Atticus didn’t know that. We spent about a week complaining to each other in the wee hours of the morning until he figured out that he didn’t need to wake me up, my alarm clock would! (Ask me again in about 10-12 months and I’m sure my answer to this question will be giving him up to the next chapter of his life).
3. What is the greatest reward? I am so proud of how well Atti boy has responded to training in the short amount of time he’s been with me. He is such a happy pup, and it is so fun to expose him to new and exciting things.
4. What kind of experience did you have before becoming a Puppy Raiser? I’ve had family dogs growing up, but they were outdoor dogs, and I wasn’t involved in any of their training.
5. Why did you choose to raise a puppy through DBL? Prior to finding out about DBL, I was taking some deep dives into the world of positive reinforcement training. I was pleased to see that DBL dogs were trained in the same manner and I was excited to put what I was learning into practice. I also was very impressed with the organization’s values and the massive impact they’ve made in other’s lives.
DBL is just as committed to our Puppy Raisers as they are to our organization, and together we create a community dedicated to helping others. As we continue to grow as an organization, so does the need for Puppy Raisers. The more dogs we rescue or puppies that are raised, the more people we can serve.
Find out more about becoming a Puppy Raiser and other ways to get involved with DBL here.
