Puppy Meeting - The Mall

Today was Beacon’s first puppy meeting.  We met at the mall where a journalist and a photographer from the local newspaper were scheduled to meet us to write a piece about Southeastern Guide Dogs. The headline sounded interesting enough "Mall's Holiday Frenzy Tests Pups' Potential As Guide Dogs" but the 'article' was a disappointment.  I would love to provide a link but the article is not available online.  But all was not lost, this was a puppy meeting after all, and Beacon experienced some really great exposures!

Beacon met Clifford and Frenchie (two of the Famous Miss Faye goldador pups being raised in our Nashville group)

Beacon, in an oversized
puppy-in-training jacket,
goes nose to nose with Clifford.
Clifford is 10 months old.

Clifford (front), Beacon (center)
and Frenchie (rear) train in
the mall.

We worked on walking on different surfaces

Beacon, in jacket, walks
across the tile floor.

Beacon, from behind, walks
on carpet in the mall.

Scents in the food court

Beacon lunging for an errant
piece of food
in the food court.
I am giving him a
collar correction.

Walking along the glass wall overlooking the first floor

Beacon walking along a
glass wall on the
second floor of the mall.
Beacon is peering down
through the glass at
the first floor.

Beacon walking along the glass
wall but he is no longer
looking down.  I am
giving the thumbs up
since Beacon is not
being distracted.

Store exposures

Beacon is sitting in front of a
rack of girls bracelets.  He is sniffing
the items on the rack.

I am giving Beacon a collar correction
for trying to eat the items
on the shelf.

Watching the escalator

Beacon sitting at the top of the escalator
watching people as they
 mysteriously appear.

Beacon looking to his right as people
walk off the escalator.

Beacon asleep in front of the escalator.

Being such a little guy, Beacon tuckered out on the long walk to the elevator and was scooped up and carried to the elevator.

Scotty, looking into the camera, is holding
Beacon.

Once on the elevator, though, he quickly perked up to see all that was going on around him. 

Beacon is in the glass elevator with
Frenchie in harness behind him
and Clifford in front of him.
All three of the dogs are
looking out the glass to the
floor below.

A picture taken from above Beacon's head.
Beacon, in jacket, is looking out
the glass elevator window as it moves.

Beacon also took some time out to show off his cuteness...

Beacon and Scotty looking into the camera.
Scotty is kneeling down and Beacon
is in a sit.

A close up shot of Beacon looking into the camera.

Of course, training also meant Beacon needed to continue learning how to walk on the leash, stay on our left side, and how to greet people.  

Beacon did not seemed phased by the professional photographer following him around, Amy (our photographer of the day) constantly snapping pictures of him,  scents of any type, the escalator, the elevator, the glass wall, or anything else we encountered on that busy pre-Christmas Saturday in the mall.

Beacon in the foreground, sleeps near
Clifford, in the background.

Saying we were excited by Beacon's confidence and abilities would be an understatement.   Way to go Beacon!