All of us at Service Dogs of Virginia were very excited to welcome a new crop of Labrador puppies over Labor Day weekend. Sandpiper, Raven, Finch and Magpie are all from breeder Kim Maddox at Ravenwood Farm Labradors in Keswick,Virginia.  They are five months old, and have made huge progress in the short time they have been in training. They sure grow up fast!

Finch attends Baker-Butler Elementary School with puppy mom Carol Baber. Carol, along with her husband Rick and their daughter Anna, raised both Petunia and Banjo. Finch is learning the ropes at school, enjoys interacting with kids, and loves to play with his doggy friends.

Sandpiper (Piper) is Nancy Avery’s fourth pup.  He’s working hard to learn to walk, sit and lie down on the left side, and has amazing focus on his handler. He has lots of energy and stays busy playing with the cats in his house. Piper and Nancy read with schoolchildren in local elementary schools and visit Mountainside Senior Center twice a month. Piper desperately wanted someone to play with, so Nancy took on another pup—Raven.  He is a sweet, black Lab who is learning quickly from both Piper and Nancy.

Magpie is living with Janet and Rich Trauger. Janet is one of our trainers. Magpie has only been in the program for a few weeks, but is quickly catching up to brother Sandpiper with her cues and leash walking. She is a sweet, calm puppy who loves people and petting, but also enjoys a good romp with her brother or housemates.

Gryphon, now eight months old and 100 lbs., doesn’t look much like a puppy anymore. He is being raised by Peggy Law and is learning to be a balance dog for clients who need assistance with walking.

Telos, Gryphon’s brother, weighs in at 120 lbs. He is being puppy raised by Laurie Luck in Maryland. You can read all about his adventures on Laurie’s blog.

Jasper, now almost a year old, lives with puppy raiser Jan Walker and her parents. Jan is a Monticello High School junior, and takes Jasper to class with her every day. Her mom, Joann, has been a huge part of raising Jasper, and takes him with her when he isn’t in school. Jasper sleeps through class and trips to the gym, and then goes home to run on the farm and swim in the lake for exercise.

Zeus, our Golden Retriever, is eight months old and lives with veteran puppy raiser Cynthia Simpson and her family. Zeus is working hard to learn the basic cues he will need as a service dog, and is practicing his new skills in public. He is a mellow, happy puppy who loves people and being petted.