William Walz & Kenny: A Puppy Raiser Story

While we could continue to share information about puppy raising and what the experience is like… sometimes it’s just better directly from the source. One of those sources is William Walz. This was written when he was an early teenager, and his family had just finished raising their first guide dog puppy- a black lab named Kenny. Since then William and his family have gone on to raise a few more guide dog puppies, and pup-sit several others! William continues to make a difference at Guide Dogs of the Desert offering his talents in photography and video, while his family is a breeder host to a wonderful female black lab!

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Friends Always Make You Smile
“Sometimes you have to give up the thing you love most for someone else”

My favorite story of friendship may be in the past, but I am here to tell it again. I had known him for only 17 months, but from the beginning, I knew someone needed him more than me. My best friend, Kenny, is a dog, specifically a Guide Dog. Guide Dogs are specifically trained to lead a blind person. It began when my family and I went to an event with these dogs and their blind clients. We were in awe seeing the change that a dog could make in someone’s life. We were truly touched and we volunteered to raise a puppy named Kenny. We did basic obedience training with Kenny and were thanked for raising Kenny, but I thanked Guide Dogs of the Desert for giving me my best friend.

Writing this, I was stuck on how I wanted to describe Kenny. It’s like trying to describe your best friend to someone else in only 30 seconds. You know you’re going to leave things out and not show the true bond between each other, but this is what I can describe. He is a purebred black labrador with soft as velvet fur, a large black nose, and a blue-collar. He was a fast learner from the beginning. He always had the “OK… what’s next” look. It was honestly exhausting trying to get this dog tired. Once we eventually got him tired, he would be so sleepy that we would have to carry him to his kennel. It was not an easy task to carry him though he was almost 100 pounds, and yet he was a gentle giant. If Kenny was a person, he would be trustworthy, confident, and very energetic.

He always seemed aware of others and their emotions, making him a great companion. He was good at listening and equally as great at tug-of-war! Sadly, the day came, and our family knew it would happen from the day we picked him up. The phone rang, my mom walked over and answered. “Hello…OK…Oh….when can we bring him in? OK, see you soon.” She turned and looked at Kenny sleeping on the floor. The idea of not having Kenny in our home was hard for my whole family. We put so much of our time into teaching and loving this dog and he left a special mark on our hearts. The next day we drove to Guide Dogs of the Desert and said our goodbyes.

It has been two years since we gave Kenny back to Guide Dogs of the Desert for advanced training, and since then, he graduated. Presently, he is paired with a woman named Danielle. We had the privilege of meeting her and seeing Kenny recently, and it brought our family to tears, happy, of course. She described her everyday life to us and how big of an impact Kenny has had on her life. I remember her telling us about her travels, “Soon we are heading home to New Jersey…but we have three layovers and it is going to be a long day!” As she was saying this, I wondered to myself if even I could make it to New Jersey with three layovers, and I am not blind! Kenny was lying down calmly by her side while she was sipping her coffee and petting him on the head. They obviously had created a beautiful bond and after seeing them as a team, it was like I just witnessed the last piece of the puzzle being added to Danielle’s life. That day, I learned that it does not take eyes to see the overflowing love from Kenny and that the warmth of his heart was enough to know that he was there by her side. The whole experience of having Kenny, from picking up his poop to snuggling on the couch with him has changed me as a human in many aspects. For instance, I’ve learned how to become a better friend and learned many of the ways to train a dog, but most importantly, how to smile at something that changes people’s lives. Our family knew Kenny had a place to fill in this world, and yet we were not prepared for all the hearts that he filled on the way.

As I am writing this, I know that I never let Kenny go; I just adopted the people he lives and works with. Even though Kenny is no longer sitting at the door waiting for me after school every day, I feel his love every day. Knowing all of that is why my loving, active, and most importantly, friend, Kenny, makes me smile.

–William Walz