BA for Zeeke the (guide dog) puppy-in-training!

Beautiful guide dogs. They help disabled people to gain independence and dignity by performing tasks such as opening doors, picking up dropped objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning light switches on or off. Guide dogs start their training when they are just puppies from the age of eight weeks to sixteen months but few if any of them ever go to university.

Not so Zeeke!… a puppy-in-training that belongs to JJ Coat, a Pre-Vet major and honors student of Ohio Northern University. Zeeke has become part of the alumni.  JJ has chosen to prepare Zeeke to become a service dog, as her Honors Project. Zeeke’s training period is 16 months and JJ has been given special permission by the university administration to bring Zeeke onto the campus where he has become an instant celebrity. This has also given the university much-needed celebrity as well. We’re thinking there may be more Zeekes in future classes… ;-)

Whether he’s taking in a geology class, observing the bustling campus squirrels, or watching the Polar Bears score, Zeeke is always a big hit. He has even made friends with ONU mascot, Klondike, although it took a little prodding from Coate to get him to pose for a photo. “I think the mighty Polar Bear scared him a little,” she joked.

Zeeke came from the national non-profit volunteer-supported organization called Canine Companions for Independence. He accompanies JJ to all her classes and when he finds the trek too much he curls up and sleeps through the class. ;-) Each morning he has his own special doggy-training class. He does twenty minutes of serious training to become stronger and more obedient.

Whoever ends up having Zeeke as their guide dog will get a very sociable assistant… and one with a BA!

 We wish them both well in their studies and new careers… they are both stars!

Speaking of stars… we’ve registered the month of June as the official Make Your Pet  A Star month and will be holding a pet photo contest and looking for your pet pix of your one-in-a-million pet. We will be charging an admin fee for this and part of each fee will go to support a number of different guide and therapy dog charities. Stay tuned for the details which we will have for you next week. We’ll have some great prizes!

In the meantime you can make your pet a star in the 10-year PetPix Time Capsuleat MillionDollarPetPix.com and get a star for your special pet. Check it out!