Meet SSD Lagoon

Meet SSD Lagoon, a playful, curious puppy in training from the Water litter. At three and a half months old, Lagoon is like a sponge, soaking up all kinds of skills, behaviors, and experiences.

Right now, she and her puppy raisers are working on play retrieves and recalls. They often go to the dog park to practice, which also gives Lagoon the chance to meet other dogs. Between practicing recalls and retrieves, meeting other dogs, and just generally playing, Lagoon is one sleepy dog afterward!

They are also working on the cue “go to bed.” When Lagoon fully learns this skill, she’ll go to a designated bed or blanket, lie down, and stay there for an extended time. This is an extremely useful cue for the dogs to learn. Among other things, it can be used to anchor the dog when visitors arrive, or to keep the dog from getting underfoot while someone is preparing food in the kitchen.

In addition to going to the dog park, Lagoon has also gone Christmas shopping with her puppy raisers, and this past weekend, they went to the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Lagoon met a donkey, saw cows, sheep, and other animals, and got lots of practice walking calmly through crowds and interesting smells. 

 

Monday to Friday, Lagoon goes to work with her puppy raiser. She’s getting lots of experience relaxing in an office setting. One day, she may need to accompany her partner to work every day, and she’ll need to know how to spend the whole day sleeping, or at least relaxing, under a desk or in an office. Constant practice means that she’ll fit seamlessly into her new partner’s life.

Until that day, though, she’s learning as much as she can, and her puppy raisers are having fun watching her grow and learn every single day!