Week 48 - Liz receives some good news!

Quella's training is progressing really well, she copes with most things now, however, we have had a few hiccups during her growing up, but she has overcome all the hiccups. She will sit patiently at a door, until I open it, and tell her to 'come', she will 'find the button' at a pelican crossing, even though she sneaks a quick sniff of the bottom of the post, where little boy dogs have lifted their leg, mucky pup Quella.
Quella walks really nicely on the lead, she walks with a slack lead, most of my previous pups have had a tendency to pull, with Quella it is a pleasure to take her out on the lead, I could walk for miles with her. We had very icy pavements last week, and Quella kept me upright.
I have had a lovely surprise this weekend. On Friday I received a Christmas card and letter, from the Guide Dog owner of Maple, my pup that qualified last year, she too is a black Labrador. Then on Saturday I received another Christmas card and letter, from the Guide Dog owner of my pup Rea that qualified last month, this letter also contained a photograph of Rea in white harness, with her new Guide Dog owner, Rea is also a black Labrador, have you guessed by now, that I have a passion for black Labradors. I was so thrilled with the photograph, I have always wanted a photograph of my pup in white harness, with the Guide Dog owner. I have framed it, and put it on my 'gallery wall' along with the other framed photographs that Guide Dogs send to puppy walkers, as a thank you for puppy walking, if our pup qualifies, the dog is wearing a white harness, if they are withdrawn the dog is 'naked' no harness.
I do try to tell myself to 'move on' she belongs to somebody else now, and I must respect the Guide Dog owners privacy, however I do get such a buzz, when I am contacted by the Guide Dog owner. If I have the Guide Dog owner’s address, as I do with several, I then always send the dog a birthday card - that is how soppy I am over my pups. I only have their address if they have given it to me themselves. Because of data protection Guide Dogs cannot give out those sorts of details.