DENVER -- August 20, 2008

We were driving to work this morning when this song came on the radio:

Smile, though your heart is aching. Smile, even though it's breaking.

Though there are clouds in the sky,

You get by...If you smile through your tears and sorrows.

Smile and maybe tomorrow you'll see the sun come shining through.

If you just light up your face with gladness, hide every trace of sadness.

Although a tear may be ever, ever so near, that's the time you must keep on trying.

Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find life is worthwhile if you'll just smile.

We pulled into the parking lot as the song ended. I sat up. "Jeez, that was a sappy song," I commented. Marianne sat in front seat, not moving. "Hey, let's go." I said. "We're gonna be late to the morning meeting." I heard a funny noise so I peered over the seat at her. "Are you crying?" I asked. "You are, you're crying! Why? What's wrong?"

"I am not crying," Marianne said as she snatched up a Kleenex and blew her nose. "Nope, not me, huh-uh. You must be mistaken. I have allergies."

"Yeah, allergies, sure" I scoffed. We got out of the car and headed into the station to our office. "Really, tell me the truth -- why are you sad today?"

She sighed loudly, closed the door to the office and sat down. "OK, you're right, I am a little sad today because this is your last day at work. We fly to California tomorrow to take you to CCI College, remember?"

"Well, sure," I said, puzzled. "You told me all about Advanced Training. You said that I'll be at the Dean, Gerda and Trixie Koontz Campus in Oceanside, and some of my classmates from Denver will be there. We'll work with professional trainers who will teach us cool stuff like opening and closing doors, turning on lights, fetching a soda from the frig and handing a credit card to a cashier. Sounds like fun to me."

"That's right," Marianne said, pulling me into her lap in my favorite cradle position. She hugged me. "Oh Parker, you are going to have such a good time. The trainers and kennel staff will love you to pieces and you'll get to play with the other dogs a couple of times a day, and go on field trips and learn to do amazing things."

I craned my head around and eyed her suspiciously. "So if going to CCI College is such a great thing for me, why are you all teary again?"

She gave me a watery smile. "Some humans cry when we're happy or sad, and "turn in" is always a bit of both for me. I'm so proud of you and I am going to miss you." She put me down and grabbed another Kleenex. "I'm just having my usual epiphany. See, with each CCI puppy there's one moment when I suddenly realize that CCI really and truly expects me to hand over the leash and say goodbye. You're not going to be my puppy any longer. That realization always makes me feel like I've been punched in the stomach."

I stared at her. "What do you mean, I WON'T BE YOUR PUPPY ANY LONGER?" I put my head in her lap and gave her my most doleful look. "Won't you still love me?"

"Of course I will, goofy boy," she said as she rubbed my ears. "What I mean is that you were my puppy, but you're all grown up now and it's time for you to be someone else's dog." She thought for a minute. "Look, you know how we go to the library and I take a stack of books home?" I nodded. "But later I take them back, right? I'm just borrowing them from the library; I don't get to keep them. Well, puppy raising is like that. CCI let us borrow you for 16 months, but now it's time to take you back."

"So you’re saying I've hit my due date?” A thought occurred to me, "Hey, you don't always take your books back on time. Maybe you could keep me a little longer."

Marianne laughed and gave me one last pat. "Nope, it doesn't work like that with CCI. It really is time for you to go on to Advanced Training, which I think you will enjoy. But if you decide AT isn't for you, that's OK too. We will always love you, no matter what you decide to do." She looked at the clock. "Hey, we really are going to be late for the meeting." She picked up my leash and smiled. "Let's go, puppy of mine. You have a whole lot of people upstairs who want to give you a last hug."

"OK, but let's take that box of tissues with us," I said. "I have a feeling it's going to be a soggy day."

Chow for now! I’m handing over the DogBlog to Ross, but I’ll let him know how I’m doing at College. Thanks for taking this journey with me.

Love, Parker

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Would you like more information about Canine Companions for Independence or perhaps be a puppy raiser? Call 1-800-572-BARK or go to CCI for details.