- While on an important photo session, 6-week-old Benny could not help taking a nap.
- The photographer still managed to get some cute snaps of the adorable pup for the announcement of Benny’s initiation to the guide-dog training.
- Benny is now 7 months old and is doing well with the training and still gets to play and nap when he has the time.
When you’re a pup, there’s no controlling where you fall asleep, even when you fight it.
Benny is a soon-to-be guide dog for the blind or visually impaired or a service dog for a first responder or veteran. He was born at Guide Dog Foundation and his future is to be of service to those who would need him. He will be well-equipped for it as he will undergo training to be a good guide dog.
What he is not prepared for is not being able to fall asleep when his nap time comes.
This is Benny. He fell asleep during his guide dog initiation photoshoot. 12/10 we still think he has what it takes pic.twitter.com/s5Juhz7SP2
— WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) June 29, 2022
When Benny was 6 weeks old, he went with his friends from the foundation for their initiation photo shoot. Everyone was excited, including Benny. But his need for a nap overpowered him. He was trying not to nod off.
Rebecca Eden, the marketing coordinator of the foundation said, “During the shoot, Benny looked sleepier than ever, and we could see him starting to doze off so we quickly began filming just in time to watch him slowly tip over.” She added, “Our nursery staff and photographer were all giggling, and you can hear one staff member say, ‘Goodnight,’ as he dozes off.”
In spite of the attack of sleepiness, the photographer still got some cute shots of Benny to let everybody know that Benny will be initiated into the program. After all, he’s still a baby. He needs his precious sleep.
Benny’s training has been going well since that cute photo nap when he was still 6 six weeks old. Now after 7 months, Benny has the makings of being the best guide or service dog that a person could have. But please, his play and naps are important, too. And he’s been getting the two by the foundation’s staff who love him to bits.
Source: The Dodo
Blog Comments
The Underwoods
July 19, 2022 at 7:37 pm
If no one wants him, we do!!!! Cutest thing we’ve seen in a long, long time!
Sue
July 19, 2022 at 8:29 pm
I don’t agree with using guide dogs. There are other ways to help blind people, but with limited space, I can go into it if someone asks.
FIRST, I found out about extreme cruelty to other service dogs, K9s. from working in law enforcement and then researching it. It is NOT ever “one bad apple” when it gets exposed, but they lie about it to hide what they do. More K9s by far are killed by their handlers and “trainers.” than by anyone else.
During the research I learned that there is abuse of other kinds of service dogs, including guide dogs. Again, to keep this short as possible, I’ll include this excerpt from the guide dog association’s own training manual: (BE aware that dog “training” programs have a much different use of the word “correction” than we do, and use it because it is a handy euphemism. “Correction” can include hanging, kicking, beating, electroshock, and a lot more).
” Guide dogs have to learn there is a consequence for undesirable behavior. Giving correction will relay to the dog their behavior was unacceptable.
In order for your guide dog puppy to learn that they have done something unacceptable there must be consequence. The difference between enjoyable rewards and correction will give your puppy the guidelines to understand what acceptable behavior is and what will not be tolerated. Correction is not physical abuse.” (You see how they must reiterate that at the end, lest the new people are shocked and offended by the cruelty).
Anyone with questions is free to contact me. If Healthy Happy News really cares about the dogs, please don’t promote these programs.
Vic
July 19, 2022 at 11:34 pm
Wow, Sue. I’ve known service dogs from all types of service: guide dogs, medical alert dogs, Navy Seal dogs and other wartime service dogs. I do not agree with your stances, your accusations. Guide dogs for the handicapped are loved and part of family. Frankly, all service dogs are. They are excited to be useful and have full lives. They sense when extra must be done in emergencies and are self motivated. We knew a medical alert dog who kept checking two family members ALL night.. ..nose to face to check breathing and to make sure a brittle diabetic to check “sweetness” of breathe when they slept. Police dogs live with their handler and family. They KNOW they make a difference; they have pride.
That Navy Seal dog was beyond belief. Bella loved her job and was like a unit commander at times, making it clear when she knew what had to be done right at that moment. She was taught how to climb up ladders, then taught herself how to descend them. She jumped out of helicopters SOLO, watching for hand signals to the whole jump team. A ground person caught her as landed to protect her leg (she had a bullet proof vest on, and a full backpack to bring to ground. She assigned herself to watch a captured combatant being transported by helicopter, apparently making it clear she’d shove him out the open door if he tried anything. She swam UNDERwater for lengthy periods, openly defied the teams native guide re when to leave the river and take a path in. Her team went with her decision, float/swimming another half mile to a path she zig zapped on, avoiding traps. No one hurt. The first path was a bomb laden trap the guide was in on.
Once She led the team through a dangerous village, they went into a bldg where their target supposedly was, against her signals to them not to go in. It was an ambush of firepower. She, on her own, positioned herself behind them to protect their rear. A man appeared at the rear. When the gunfight ended, they looked for Bella and found her pinning their target down, holding his arm in her teeth so he couldn’t fire the machine gun he had. He’d planned a rear ambush. No one told her to watch their back, or to identify and control an attacker; she just knew, always. She also found an enemy massive weapon and ammo stash, which had been buried over 10′ deep. The enemy started trying to shoot the dogs, because of their effectiveness. A sniper almost a mile away shot her, unfortunately not where the bullet shield covered her. Her team saw she’d been hit, but she was already running down the road, toward the sniper location. The team ran after her. They caught up with her; she’d found him and was holding his arm on the ground and he was going no where. So many more things she did; saved hundreds of lives, often acting independently when her handler was fighting with the enemy. She figured out what to to help, and did it.
When she retired after the sniper hit, she was flown to DC.. ..and was given the honor duty to check Air Force One, inside and out. When she arrived at her new home, chosen by her handler, her arrival at that airport was not nap time to her. She was a working dog who loved it. She alerted re a man needing to be checked; he was found with a backpack of drugs and a weapon. No one told her to do this. Over the years, Navy Seal men would come to visit her and she was visibly relieved to see them. She was part of the team and seemed glad they were alive and OK. Her new family had to go overseas for a big mtg with Russian business people. Bella went for walks with the lady. One day she alerted of danger. The woman talked with hand movements to let them know the dog had seen something. They took it seriously and found a man in black and a ski mask, heavily armed with weapons and bombs, and then another one. Apparently at that time Russia was hosting a world Special Forces training event. The men were there to kill as many of them as possible.. ..hundreds saved. Upon leaving, she was given honors by the lead officer in that far off region. Back at home, she alerted there was a car with a wheel filled with drugs. When police arrived, she relinquished her duty and sauntered off. The training center for Navy Seal dogs decided to bring a young dog to her to see if he could learn anything from her. She somehow decided she would do this, with no one to tell her to or what to do. She trained him to track, surveille, alert people to a problem or situation, guard, how to teach the young dog to climb.. ..ladders, to check homes, vehicles, areas for dangers. She couldn’t teach him everything, but the amount she DID teach him was amazing. No one abused this dog. They and service animals of all types love their families and are loved back. Bella got out of combat duty after being wounded because her team managed to arrange to get her retired and out of there; she was too well known for her abilities and ruination of enemy plans. Her team knew she was a top level target.
I hope that anyone with mental health issues and harms them will have to relinquish the dog.
Sue
July 20, 2022 at 9:18 am
Well Vic, that was a very long reply, which went all around the mulberry bush and AVOIDED what both you and I know. Service dogs are abused, and K9s, are hanged, kicked, helicoptered, and subjected to other various other cruel “techniques.” And K9s are kept in crates or kennels when not in use or on the “training” field.
I have not only heard all the lies, I’ve caught departments and handlers in those lies, starting with the department where I worked. I have confirmation that this is from the military, and have had conversations with soldiers. I know the script by heart. It’s still a mystery to me why the abusers go to such lengths to cover up what they do, but I guess there are all kinds of people on this planet.