Certain Guiding Eyes for the Blind puppies are specially named by a sponsor. Radar, a yellow Laborador Retriever female is one such pup. Puppies who receive these special names write to their sponsors every quarter, to let them know what they've been up to. These are Radar's letters.

June 8, 2001

Dear Ladies,

As you know my name is Radar. Not only am I a special-named puppy, but I am also one of the first puppies to be raised in the new Cuyahoga region--the first one in the state!

Let me tell you about myself. I am an adorable (or so everyone keeps telling me!) female yellow Lab. When I came to my new home on May 30th I was almost 10 weeks old and weighed 18 lbs. I'm a big girl!

I am doing real well on my housebreaking. For some reason Mom doesn't want me to potty in the house even though it seems like it would be so much more convenient. Oh well, she tells me I am a good girl when I go outside and I really like to be fussed over. I have also learned to sit at the door before I go out or in. But the hardest thing for me to do is to sit nicely while my food is dished out. It just smells sooo good!

I have seen a lot of new things since I got home. Daddy has lots of noisy toys that have names like lawn mower and weed eater but they don't scare me. Daddy was playing with the one called weed eater and I wanted to play too but he wouldn't let me. Well sometimes I don't want to share my toys either-especially my big Winnie the Pooh! Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I have three sisters and a brother at my new house. Two of my sisters are called "stopchasingthecats" or at least that is what Mom says every time I try to play with them. My other sister is a big black dog and my brother is a little white dog. I like to snuggle up against my big sister, Sheba, and go to sleep.

I get to go to work with Mom every day too. That is fun, especially at lunchtime when we get to play outside. I saw my first fire hydrant one day at lunch-it was a little scary but I saw Mom petting it so I went up and sniffed it and it was no big deal. Mom says I am a brave little girl.

One more thing to tell you-I was one of the star attractions Saturday morning when my Mom and another puppy's Mom were at a booth we had set up for GEB at the Kiwanis Garage and Craft Sale. I was told that lots of people stopped to pet me but I don't really remember-I slept through the whole thing on Mom's lap.

Well I gotta go now. I will have Mom put some pictures in with this letter so you can see how cute I am!

September 9, 2001

Dear Ladies,

How have all of you been for the last three months? I have been quite a busy girl. Let me tell you about some of the things I have been doing!

Shortly after my last letter to you my Mom and I went to a dog show with some of the other Guiding Eyes puppies. We had our own booth and were telling people about our school. Well, actually Mom and the other humans were doing the talking-we pups just had to look cute!

On the weekends my Mom and I go on long hikes in the Metro Park and I have met horses, blue herons, ducks and lots of other dogs. There are so many good smells in the woods too!

Two weekends in August I was really busy. First I stayed at a puppy sitter's overnight. That was fun and she even took me to church with her on Sunday. Then the next weekend my Mom and Dad took me to a Homecoming. A policeman at the policeman booth gave me a little police car pin to put on my vest. I looked cool! The next day I went to church with my Mom and Dad. That was fun because after the service all of the kids petted me!

Oh, I almost forgot-I also went to a county fair this summer. I loved seeing a cow for the first time-we even touched noses!

Well I hope your summer was as much fine as mine was. My Mom is sending some pictures so you can see how much I have grown. My Mom always says I am such a cutie pie-what do you think?

Love,
Radar

December 17, 2001

Hello Ladies!

Time flies when you are busy growing up! It seems like I just wrote to you!

Where should I start? How about with Halloween.. That was a lot of fun-I got to see the neighbor kids in their costumes and my daddy even put on a scary gorilla mask that scared the kids but it didn't scare me!

I got to stay at a puppy sitter's house three times in the last 3 months. It was fun to see new places and go for walks in new areas. I was glad to come home too, though!

Oh yeah, I got to go the RTA station and get on the rapid transit train with all the other dogs in my class. That was neat. Mom also took me to a groomer along with my brother and sister. I don't know if I would call that fun but I was good and Mom said the experience was good for me.

Did you know that I got my Guiding Eyes jacket at my last evaluation? I am so proud to wear it! I got to go to church in it yesterday.

I am sending some pictures so you can see what a big girl I am getting to be. My mom tells me I am still awful cute though!

Love,
Radar

February 19, 2002

Hello Everybody,

How are all of you doing? I have been very busy since the last time I wrote to you. As you know I earned my jacket at the last evaluation. Boy, have Mom and I been doing some fun things since then!

First let me tell you I weigh 66 lbs now. Mom says I better stop growing! I have been doing real well with my obedience work and I still go to work everyday with my mom.

One of the first things I got to do after getting my jacket was go to a nursing home with some of the other pupppies and visit lots of people. They really made a fuss over us and I even got to see a two piece band. They played How Much is That Doggy in the Window when I came into the room. Afterwards we all walked over to a coffee house so our mom's could get something to drink.

I still go to church every Sunday (sometimes people laugh if I groan too loudly) and I go shopping with my mom too. I have been to department stores, grocery stores, cell phone stores, and car dealerships. I also got to go to my first restaurant last month. All the staff had to pet me before mom and dad could sit down to eat. Under the table I went and fell fast asleep. I really don't see why mom thinks going out to eat is such a big deal!

Well I am getting ready for another evaluation this month and I will be turning one on March 25th . I'm a big girl now!

Love,
Radar

June 15, 2002

Hello Everybody,

How is everyone doing? I am doing real well; in fact my mom keeps saying what a mature young lady I am becoming. At 14 ½ months old, I'm not a silly little puppy anymore.

Mom and I just got back from a hike in the woods. That is so much fun, especially when I get to splash around in Rocky River. We also went to Edgewater Park during lunch last week and I got to see Lake Erie. I wasn't too sure what to make of the waves but I sure liked walking in the sand!

I went to two puppy sitter's houses this past quarter. I was the first puppy that both of them sat for and they both said I was welcome back anytime. I taught Aunt Tonya all about Labrador Retrievers-you know, things like how our tails are real good at cleaning off coffee tables and how we eat our food so fast you would think we hadn't eaten in days. Aunt Karen took me to the beach and let me play in the water. I have fun wherever I go!

I am going to a restaurant on the Cuyahoga River with my Aunt Jeanne right after my evaluation and then in July I am going to a dinner theatre with my Mom. I just heard from my Mom that I have to go break in another puppy sitter in a couple of weeks too. I sure have a busy schedule for a dog!

Love,
Radar