Interview #2

Lisa, an area Rep of CCI, came to our house this morning for a meet and great Interview #2. She was a very nice lady that basically answered all of our questions and shared first hand about the ins and outs of raising a CCI puppy. It was a fun discussion as we were able to get in-depth, and we felt like nothing was left out.

The highlight was that she brought her twelve month old, black lab-retriever mix dog in training named Docker. He was adorably tall and lanky for his adolescent age. I shared upon welcoming them to our foyer that our dog, Cora, was in her kennel, but it would be a great test to see her reaction with another dog in the house. Cora has always been the solo animal in our house. Any visiting dogs, such as my parent's Portuguese Water Dog, have always been greeted outside for walks.

So the moment of truth. I told the kids leading up to the doorbell ring to just stay calm, and Cora would be calm. Lisa and Docker came into the kitchen and sat down. Cora had a peek-a-boo view from across the family room, as her kennel is positioned against the back wall. So far, so good. Cora was silent for a good five minutes until she figured out that something was just a little off. And then the barking ensued.

We ignored her and with in 10 minutes she was completely silent for the remaining two hours. Granted, those 10 minutes felt like the longest in history but it eventually paid off. In fact, at one point we could hear her snoring from across the room. We had plans of letting her out of the kennel, but then that did not transpire. I think leaving the situation on a positive note was the better choice for this first time experience.

But when Docker left, and Cora was released - she was all sniffs to the kitchen floor where Docker had stayed. I left his dropped fur bits on the floor for awhile to give her time to investigate, and to process that another dog's scent was okay in the house. As soon as the hair was vacuumed up, she ignored the area and life went back to usual.

Lisa was very thorough and let us ask as many questions as we wished. She became emotional when she told the detailed stories of Turning In your puppy, and the day of Graduation if your puppy is placed. It sounds like a very caring, compassionate, and professional organization with all the details they put forth in their program, training, and completion. We are happy to have found this fit.

When my children were asked "What do you guys think about returning the puppy back to CCI?", my son replied, "Well, I won't let the dog drag me down the hallway, but it will be hard."  Well said, Buddy. It will be hard, but we know the big picture and the benefit of stepping in fully to this program to benefit those who desperately need this service.