Bringing Up Omari

Listen to this delightful story, as read by the author:

Raising a puppy with Guiding Eyes

Written and recorded by: A.R.W.

I am a nine year old volunteer puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes who is just days away from saying, “Goodbye,” to the first dog I have raised. As I look back on these 14+ months spent with her, a tinge of sadness stops me from wanting her to go…

She came to us two or three days before Christmas, just an eight week old puppy with so much extra skin that I could barely hold her without her slipping out of my arms. I fell in love with her even more while she dreamt: she growled, wagged her tail, whimpered, and made other various sounds during her sleep. It was ADORABLE. Oh yes, and there’s the puppy breath, the puppy eyes, paws, tail – I could go on forever!

I had many responsibilities that any dog owner would have including feeding, walking, cleaning up after her,and sometimes my mom and I had to take her to the vet for shots. More regularly I took her to “puppy school” to learn how to train her. I was responsible for teaching Omari basic house manners (not to go on furniture); appropriate social manners (not to jump on people); and getting her comfortable with the outside world’s noises and distractions (anytime I left the house she came with me).

The key to her coming with me was her earning her official “Puppy in Training” jacket which indicated she was ready to explore the public world. My parents and I got her used to crowds, traffic, heights, walking over different and unusual surfaces, and meeting all kinds of people. We had special events for the puppies in training like a BBQ and a puppy parade where all the puppies dressed up in costumes. We also went to the zoo, a baseball game, and played miniature golf together with fellow raisers and Omari’s fellow puppy friends. We took her to concerts, to the White House, museums, and to meet Santa Clause. She also came with my mom to watch me ice skate during my lessons.

The hardest challenge is yet to come. Omari is a key figure in our house and in our hearts. Despite how much I love Omari, I know I must say goodbye. Through reading about Helen Keller’s life and her life struggles, she has helped me see that challenges are part of life. She said, ”Life is either a daring adventure or nothing,” and I cannot stop Omari from fulfilling her destiny. I don’t think Helen Keller is the only person who feels that “[they] would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” Omari is that friend whose destiny is to bring the light into a blind person’s life.

If participating in bringing light into another’s life through the joys of puppy raising intrigues you, please consider getting involved with Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

(Visit the Guiding Eyes Puppy Raising pages to learn more!)

Update:  Omari impressed during her In-For-Training assessment and was thoughtfully evaluated for our breeding program. She’s now on her next big adventure—training to become a guide dog!