Dusty Burgmans

Volunteer Puppy Raiser since 2005
Southwest Region, Canine Companions for Independence

Proud Puppy Raiser of:
Nailah, Joni, Inoki, Novia, Kerni, Mekenna, and Pendra

I started raising puppies for Canine Companions for Independence in 2005 and I am currently raising puppy #7, Pendra. My husband passed away early 2005 and I was beside myself with grief. I needed something to focus on besides myself. Raising a puppy to help somebody else be more independent can certainly get you outside yourself. Having a puppy that you are responsible to give the best start possible to, is rewarding and fulfilling and a sizeable commitment. Puppy raisers are all volunteers, we do not get paid and we do pay for all of their needs during our time with them. We start with these little ones at 8 weeks old and we have them for about 16-18 months. They are Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever or Lab-Golden mix. They are owned and bred by Canine Companions, they also name them. During our time with the puppies we teach them about 30 commands and get them socialized to all types of settings, noises, distractions, and events. We teach them to be comfortable crated, climbing stairs, using elevators, walking properly, behaving appropriately in restaurants, grocery shopping, malls, on boats, planes, trains, busses, at banquets, movie theaters, theme parks, and even baseball games. We take them pretty much everywhere we go as they grow and mature. We get them through all the puppy stuff and ready to go to "college", Advanced Training (AT). For 6 more months they are put through a daily routine learning additional commands and functions. They learn to do such things as turning on lights, opening doors, drawers and cabinets, pushing buttons, picking up dropped items and many other tasks for people with limited mobility. They truly are exceptional dogs for exceptional people. These dogs are highly skilled when they reach graduation and are placed with an individual, free of charge, to change their lives. I invite you to attend a graduation and you will see why it's not a difficult decision to raise a puppy and, more importantly, to give them up after having them for so long. My current puppy, Miss Pendra, will be matriculating into AT on May 13, 2016 at the Canine Companions for Independence Southwest Region Graduation Ceremony.

I invite all my Ocean Hills friends and neighbors to come and see what CCI is all about. These ceremonies occur 4 times a year, they are open to the public, right here in Oceanside. Please check out the website at www.cci.org. There are many volunteer opportunities in addition to puppy raiser. Check out this great organization and see if you can help. And, if you're a golfer, think about playing in our fund raising tournament in July to supporting CCI. Look into www.ccigolf.org.