Christina Armeni Final


The Working Pup 


Meet the Pups!
In 1946 the Guide Dog Foundation was created to improve the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired. In 2016, a chapter of GDF was brought to the University of Maryland Campus called Terps Raising Pups. Students volunteer their time to raise and train the pups. Students can choose to raise a pup or be a sitter. Sitter's take care of the pup when the handler is busy.


The Guide Dog Foundation has classes weekly for students to train their pups and interact with others. Here the pups are practicing puppy pushups. The handler has the pup stand and then lay down on command. Command's are always followed by lots of encouragement and kibble. Handler Adalia is pictured praising puppy Eva for completing her trick.
The pups also played a game of puppy in the middle. One pup sits in the middle while the other pups walk around in a circle. The goal is for the pups to stay focused and not get distracted. Puppy Sadie got to be in the middle during this round.


The pups were taken to a construction site where there are a lot of weird sounds and smells. The pups were supposed to remain calm and not get scared of the sounds. 
Puppy Eva walks behind Puppy Eagle during the puppy in the middle game. 
Crossing pups was the last activity they did. The handlers and their pups stand in two parallel lines. When the instructor says go,  the lines cross paths and the pups are supposed to stay focused on their handler. It was tricky for the pups to not greet their furry friends.

Meet Eva!


Eva is a 9-month-old black lab. She is a part of the Spanish litter. Her full name is Eva Longoria.  Her sister is a pup named Frida Kahlo .



This is Eva's handler Adalia Jimenez, a junior English major. She has had Eva for 6 months. Adalia says training a pup is a 24/hour job.

When Eva is 14 months old she will have a test to find out if she is ready to be a full service dog. 


All of of the Guide Dog Foundation pups wear these vests so people know that these pups are working and are not to be petted or distracted. This vest also makes Eva know that it is time to work and not time to play.

Adalia is a huge dog person but says because she is in college she isn't ready to raise a dog entirely on her own. This is a great alternative for college students, she says. 

Adalia knows it will be hard to give Eva up in the end, but feels grateful to have this rewarding experience.


Adalia plans on getting another pup when Eva graduates from training and finds her forever home. 

Eva is sassy, outgoing and super high-energy! Adalia thinks they paired her with Eva perfectly. Eva is a mirror image of Adalia's personality, she says. 



Meet Reagan!

Reagan is a 2 year old Cavachon. She is a mix between a cavalier King Charles spaniel and a bichon frise. 



In addition to taking naps and walking around outside, Reagan loves her job. She is a full-time service dog for Emily Goslin. Emily is a senior psychology and studio arts major from Boston. Reagan is a medical alert dog for syncope episodes and secondarily for panic disorder. 

Emily hopes that students and other people she encounters understands the importance of Reagan's work. When Reagan is wearing this vest, it means she is working and cannot be distracted.
Emily got Reagan when she was 10 weeks old. Emily has been training Reagan ever since.

Emily has this keychain attached to Reagan's leash partly as an inside joke with her friends but also because she is frustrated with how people treat her when she is with Reagan. Most people don't understand the proper way to interact with service dogs. She is tired of constantly being asked if someone can pet Reagan because she knows they won't like her answer.
Emily and Reagan are best friends. Wherever Emily goes after college, Reagan will be right beside her. 





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