Lonestar wishes brother Kaz good luck in next steps to becoming a service dog
IRVING - Lonestar isn't the only puppy Larry Nelson has volunteered to raise on his journey to becoming a service dog.
While Lonestar is the most recent family member, at No. 5., Kaz is Nelson's fourth puppy. Nelson has been raising Kaz, who he refers to as Lonestar's brother, for the last year and a half with the help of Canine Companions.
A puppy in the organization's service dog training program starts with puppy training at home alongside a volunteer puppy raiser for about a year and a half. Then, in the matriculation phase, they go through professional training for about six months at the Kinkeade Campus, where they learn advanced, task-based skills. Finally, they graduate to become a service dog and are specifically matched with a person enrolled in the Canine Companions program.
Nelson says he's enjoyed having Kaz, and so has Lonestar! He says they play together a lot and Kaz teaches Lonestar valuable behavior skills.
"Kaz is starting his next level of his journey. He's finished puppy raising and now he's going to professional training, where he's gonna learn to be a task-based service dog," Nelson shared. "He'll be here for six to nine months, and then hopefully he'll be with his person for years."
On Thursday, Canine Companions celebrated 212 future service dogs, as well as the loving puppy raisers, in its program across the country. Lonestar went to the celebration at the Irving facility to see his brother move on to the next phase. He also got to see nine other dogs graduate the program.
"Lonestar will be here in another year—next February. It'll be the same process and Lonestar will be ready to matriculate to the puppy college, they call it," Nelson said. "And Kaz is right where he belongs. This is what his destiny is."
Usually, puppies don't attend the matriculation and graduation ceremonies because they're so young, but Nelson said Lonestar behaved well.
"He's doing a great job. For a four-and-a-half month old puppy, he did just wonderful. It's been a busy day for him and he's really doing good," Nelson said.
With his other puppies, Nelson recalls the bittersweet moment of handing them over to the trainers at the facility. He said going home alone after being with them for so long, it's really hard.
"It was easier [this time] because I knew I had Lonestar to go home with me," Nelson shared. "He's learned from Kaz. He'll miss Kaz, too, but he's on the right path."
