A Clean Slate

As a veteran puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence, I constantly have to remind myself of one of the most important lessons we learn: Each puppy is very different from the last and it's a slippery slope to try to compare one to the other.

So it is as I start anew with my fifth puppy, Sergi, a remarkably handsome yellow male Labrador Retriever. Sergi shares the same mother as my last two pups – Toddy – and was born in Carmichael, California, on September 15, 2007. Sergi is second born (blue collar) in Toddy's fifth and last litter and spent his first eight weeks of life under the care, love and supervision of Breeder-Caretaker Extraordinaire Pam Flanagan. He was named in recognition of Ken Sergi, an amazing professional photographer, who is a familiar face at CCI graduations, events and fundraisers.

And thus we start our training and life challenges with a clean slate, trying not to compare this to the last or the one before that. And just as this pup greets each new experience with no preconceptions or notions, I strive to train him according to his specific needs and capabilities. And our journey begins....