By Sarah Hallberg
This is the second time within the past year that the Tepper's received a new addition to their family. So, once again, they are house training and teaching basic commands to a puppy that, hopefully, one day, will serve a very special role in a person's life.
The Tepper's are one of many people who have become known as puppy walkers, people who volunteer for the Guide Dog Foundation, which trains puppies to become seeing eye dogs for the blind.
The foundation was founded in 1946 to provide guide dogs for visually impaired or blind persons free of charge. The puppies spends their first seven weeks at the puppy nursery in Smithtown and then are sent to volunteers all over the United States. Michelle Lavitt, the communication coordinator at the Guide Dog Foundation said there are currently puppy walkers in 15 states.
The puppies are placed in volunteers' homes and spend their first year in a loving environment so they will hopefully grow up to become gentle, loving creatures and eyes for a human being.
Puppy walkers are essential to the success of a guide dog, Lavitt said.
She said the dogs are eventually going to go into a home, so it is important for them to spend their first year in one, rather than a kennel where they are only around other dogs.
Carol got the idea to become a puppy walker from an uncle who volunteered as well. It was only recently that she decided to go through with it because she did not want to upset her children by bringing a puppy into the home only to have to give it up a year later. But now that her children are older, her daughter is in college, and her son, David, is 15, she decided to volunteer in memory of her uncle.
Almost a year ago, on Dec. 16, the Tepper's received Willie, a golden retriever. The Tepper's taught Willie basic commands, walked him, and took him out to public places to teach him good social skills.
Even Ben, the Tepper's 15-year-old golden retriever, got into the action. He and Willie became pals and played together.
Willie loved Ben, Carol said, I think for a while he thought that Ben was his mommy.
When Willie was 11 months old, it was time for him to go on to his next phase of training at the foundation.
Puppies like Willie then spend three-six months in training, depending on the dog. It is at the foundation that they are taught more rigorous training like going in elevators and on escalators.
Saying good-bye is not an easy thing to do.
David said he misses Willie a lot. But Carol said volunteers know going into this that the puppy is not theirs to keep and it will serve an important role in someone's life someday.
You know when you go into this that your just borrowing the puppy, Carol said.
The hardest part is giving them up, David said, I still wish we had Willie.
So when Willie was ready to go to training, the Tepper's decided to wait a little while before they welcomed another new puppy into their home
