Hi,

I'm really, really desperate and not sure who to ask... it's a long shot but I thought maybe someone might know of someone here? Please? I would just be grateful to anyone who could read this and offer advice.

So, I have a 15 week old golden retriever puppy, Sky.

His dad is a registered stud with GDftB, as is his uncle. Two puppies from his mum's first litter are in training and three boys on his dad's side are now fully qualified and working. His breeder has also had a second litter this year, from which one pup has gone to Guide Dogs and one to Dogs for Good.

I am disabled too. I have PTSD, a number of anxiety/panic conditions and an eating disorder; and I'm intending, once he is at least a year old, to begin training with Sky to qualify as a legally-recognised assistance dog team. We are going to be working with an organisation called CGI for this; but obviously until then I am just trying to raise and socialise him as well as I possibly can - this is a lot like the Guide Dogs 'puppy walking' stage. We have a brilliant trainer who does live locally and has a background in training Hearing Dogs and firearms detection dogs amongst (many) other things, and we are working through the KCGCS which she also examines for.

I am trying to do everything right. Sky is a beautiful, laid back boy; cheerful and confident but really responsive. Very little sign of any uncertainty with new things, even though he is so young, and picking up training - sit, wait, okay, heel, come, paw, other paw, lie down, up, stand, stay, leave it, off, give - like a sponge. He has SO much promise and he is a beautiful dog in himself.

But. Because I am ill, I am struggling. I really need help with walking him on a day to day basis, at least several times a week; support with socialising him (the actual getting out and doing it bit), and help with keeping up with, reinforcing and proofing his basic obedience training, again on a day to day level. I get so so tired because of my ed and insomnia: I often go whole nights unable to sleep and my electrolyte levels keep getting thrown off which feels physically horrible (can be very painful).

CGI offer structured training, but of course they can't actually take on day-to-day care themselves. Because they are a national organisation who do a lot of work over long distances, they don't always have contacts that actually live locally to any one area - which is really what I need.

Obviously my trainer is also not able to help - all of her time is taken up with actual training sessions and classes (and with competing and working her own dogs). I did find one dogealker who has also done Guide Dogs puppy walking, but she is so busy that she can only manage a couple of days each week. I have no family or friends who can help me either. When I got Sky it was intended that my dad would help with some of the daily care; but a lot has happened since then that I could never have seen coming and so it is no longer possible.

I just don't want to hand him over to someone for walks who will not be familiar with how to socialise an assistance dog in training, who will let bad habits sneak in especially if they wouldn't really be bad habits in a pet dog! I am so scared of this. I am worried about him going to someone will overlook 'a bit of jumping up' etc, rather than being totally consistent and gradually teaching him to ignore distractions and keep himself calm as he grows. Who will maybe not be able to pace his socialisation quite right or respond to him in the right way if he reacts to anything.

I am so new to this that I really, really need backup with caring for him and raising him from someone who has been there before and knows what to do and how to do it.

Please, can anyone help? Xxx

Can your trainer not recommend a good walker or can the charity not point you in the direction of current or previous walkers for their charity who maybe abke to help?

What area are you in, Freija?