Puppy Park: No end to the excitement when new trainees are on ‘paw-trol’
It happened in late spring. It was the end of my workday and my mind was a little tired. So it didn’t quite click when I saw in the distance what looked like little bear cubs stumbling and jumping around, making dust clouds.
But after a few seconds of confusion, I realized that the newest group from the Puppies Uplifting Prisoner’s Spirits (PUPS) training program had arrived! I had seen pictures of them and was not so patiently awaiting their arrival. My fatigue turned into excitement as I picked up my pace and tried to count them—one, two, wait… is that the same one? Okay, three, four, oh my gosh they’re moving so fast!
I usually consider the walk to and from my job to my yard the longest chore of my day, but in this moment, the 50 yards to my housing unit seemed impossibly long. Have you watched a movie where one of the characters is trying frantically to reach the end of a hallway, but the hallway keeps getting longer and longer?
That’s how I felt trying to cover the ground to “Puppy Park”— the small triangular area in front of the housing unit 506 where the dogs play, socialize with each other and receive some of their training.
There were so many people looking through and over the fence to see the new arrivals. All I could hear were high pitched voices sounding like someone cooing to a baby and giggles of joy. It is one of the few times I have seen so many people gathered in front of the unit —probably about 20— and so many freely expressing their excitement, love and pleasure at seeing the new arrivals.
Many people at CCWF tend to carry themselves with a neutral, cautious, stoic, or angry facial expression that closes them off. Not that day though. I even heard one person remark that they can’t stand dogs, but these puppies were cute.
There’s just something about puppies that can make anyone a little goofy and giggly, myself particularly. I kept gasping and saying, “Oh you are such a cutie pie!”, “ I love dirty puppies!” and “Who is this pretty little thing?!”
I live in 506 and know all of the resident trainers. I jokingly asked them, “Why didn’t I get a call at work when they arrived?” Another person said, “Yeah they shoulda’ made an announcement in the units. I would’ve had my ass out here way sooner to see them.”
The PUPS program began at CCWF in 2017. Since its start, more than 100 have received training to become service and companion dogs. There are 24 to 32 trainers at any given time, all of whom volunteer for the program and are chosen via application. They should all be commended for their commitment to the program in addition to their regular job assignments, groups and school.
Most times, the puppies arrive at 10 to 12 weeks old and are barely potty trained. Working in pairs, trainers learn how to teach the puppies basic commands: sit, stand, stay, heel, wait, potty, and their names, among other things. This is the foundation for all of the training they will continue to receive until they are placed with a recipient or “their person.”
Living in the same unit as the training program has its perks. I already knew all of the puppies’ names. They are sent with pictures prior to arrival from Little Angels Service Dogs in San Diego, where the puppies are born. The litter that arrived on May 29 are Tootsie, Razzle, Kit Kat, Heath, York, Reese and Hershey (sense a theme?).
Now all that was left to do was figure out who was who. This proved to be a bit harder than it has been in the past. These cuties are a mix of Bernese Mountain dogs and Poodles, known as Bernadoodles. They all have semi-long black fur with small areas of white fur on their chests. Some of them have white tips on their tails, some with it on their feet, a couple have white patches or white streaks on their head. One of them—Razzle— has almost no white fur at all. When they look up at you from under their bushy eyebrows, they do so with the most loving look, as if they would say “oh l love you so much, go ahead and love me back!”
By the time late summer rolled around, a new picture went up in 506 showing one of the PUPS program’s graduated dogs. Her name is Dakota, a black Labrador. The photo showed her nursing her new litter! These puppies would be arriving soon. I knew I would be checking daily to see if the names had been chosen, and looking forward to seeing people’s high spirits and cheerful reactions when the newest furballs arrive and play in the Puppy Park for the first time.
September 11, 2001 is a very important day in American history. Twenty-three years later, I am still reminded of how impactful that day was, despite already being incarcerated. This year, though, I was also able to find some joy, as Dakota’s litter arrived. There are nine of them: three girls and six boys, all of which have been named after athletes: Serena (Williams), Scottie (Scheffler) and Billy (Walton) for the female puppies. The male ones are Peyton (Manning), James (LeBron), Jordan (Michael), Rory (McElroy), Clyde (Drexler) and Brady (Tom). One of the females and two of the males are pale yellow labs, believed to take after the father, while the rest are black like Dakota.
Within the next few weeks, they will have received all of their shots and begin regular socializing with residents. Until that time, many of us will be around the Puppy Park, smiling, laughing, cooing and just simply finding some light in the darkness.
