The Puppy Project-A Morning with Zion
- Feb 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 27
Once more I’m in puppy heaven as I sit with Zion, one of the puppies from the National Park litter at Champs newest space. Beside me is Christina, trainer extraordinaire. She is showing me how to rub Zion’s pillow-soft ears and how to massage his head. “It’s like us getting our heads massaged,” she says. I follow her lead and Zion looks at me with giant puppy-dog eyes of thanks.
In February after Champ Assistance Dogs had moved offices I am in a training session with Zion and his puppy raiser Andy who are the only team who have shown up this morning. I feel lucky as I will get to concentrate on Zion and Andee’s work. Christina is demonstrating how to train Zion so that he is on the correct side, paying attention to her signals and when she stops, he stops as well. And when given the signal for “down” his rear is in the correct place. Not wrapped around her legs.
He’s a puppy so at one point he rolls over and starts wiggling. I stifle my smile.
It is intense work. The puppies depend on their puppy raisers for everything. Their learning, their training, loving them and socializing them. The puppies depend on their puppy raisers to get them ready for placement with their forever person.
Christina hands the lead to Andee and she follows Christina’s lead and suggestions. Christina is patient and supportive as she guides Andee and Zion responds. Andee compliments Zion and Zion gets excited. Christina gently says, “Use a lower voice. When you get excited, he gets excited.”
I can’t help myself, even though I promised myself not to ask a million questions. “Christina, are you using different levels of your voice while training?”
Christina is as patient with me as she is with the puppies and the puppy raisers. “Yes, it’s important to stay calm, and use an unexcited voice when you are letting your puppy know he did what was asked.”
Zion continues to work hard, focusing on Christina and Andee and working through the requests; he is keeping his eyes on his puppy raiser and following both her lead and Christina’s.
Raising puppies to be service dogs is a long-term commitment and requires time, energy, and patience. Andee told me Zion is her second puppy. And it turns out, her first puppy, now a service dog was with his forever person attending a board meeting this morning. Andy said it was bittersweet to see him.
After Christina and Andee have worked with Zion, Christina asks me if I would like, “puppy time”? You don’t have to ask me twice!
“Yes!”
She brings Zion over and I sit on the floor with Zion and Christina. She shows me how to rub his ears the way he likes and how to massage his head. I might be in puppy heaven, but I can tell Zion is also in puppy heaven as we both rub those soft ears and I talk to him. He is beyond sweet with huge paws and gorgeous brown eyes. He decides I’m worth kissing and talking with.
Puppy heaven.
I sit with Zion and Christina asking questions about his training, the training of all the puppies and she obliges by answering me at length. She reminds me not to let Zion nibble on me.
I ask specific questions about puppy behavior and smile when I realize that this training could be used with just about anyone! She smiles when I say this and tells me she realized years ago based on her training and experience that yes, this training works well on humans, too. We all laugh. (My exact comment was: I could use this with men I’m dating.)
Christina takes one of her own dogs outside and I have a chance to chat with Andee as the puppies play together. So much energy. I ask for the command to indicate no jumping. The puppies race around and then Zion and Andee head home.
Christina gives me a tour of the new building. She explains what happens in each room, including the possibility of having a litter at some point. She also shares her background and her years of puppy training. Along with co-training the puppies, Christina is the staff person who places the puppies when they finish their two years of training sharing that she works hard to match a puppy’s personality with their person so that both the puppy and the human feel success.
I am drawn in by what Champ Assistance Dogs are doing each and every day. And the demanding work that goes into every puppy, dog, and puppy raiser. Unsure who is luckier: the puppies or the humans.
I am beyond impressed with the work Champ, their puppies and their humans are doing for our community. And I am once more thankful that Pam Budke, Executive Director is supporting this endeavor.
Thank you to Christina, Andee, and Zion for the morning of puppy heaven.
Thanks to Pam Budke, Executive Director CHAMP Assistance Dogs.
For more information: https://www.champdogs.org/
Expect Good. Defy Gravity. Sparkle ON! More puppies please! Puppy ears!
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