Otis and Grace

Otis has moved in with another Volunteer Dog Trainer, called Grace, to help complete his training.

As always, volunteers are a little said when the dogs they've formed a bond with move on, and Rachel and her family loved him so much. But they know it's all for a good cause, and that they'll still be able to see how their hard work has contributed.

As Rachel says: "Otis was an absolute delight to have and I’m sure he’ll make an excellent hearing dog." We agree!

She was still able to share two last photos of Otis when he was living and training with her.

"My husband, Jonny, took him to Norfolk for a few days last week as fond farewell."

Otis looks as if he's gazing into his future, contemplating his role in profoundly changing a deaf person's life. Or maybe he's just thinking about going for another splash in the sea? Either way, he's quite dramatic, don't you think?

Rachel also shared this fab photo of her eldest daughter Isobel proudly displaying Otis's Puppy Three Star certificate, while Otis looks very pleased with himself - which he should do, because it's another huge milestone along the way.

Anyway, onward and upward, and here's the very first photo Grace took of Otis:

"This is the first evening he came home with us," she tells us. "He helped himself to our toy box and rather likes this sheep."

It's not so bad is it, arriving at a new home to find an entire toy box at your disposal? One of the reasons we move dogs on is so that they get used to new environments, but they always manage to settle in quickly because our volunteers are so great at making them feel welcome and secure.

It didn't take long for Grace and Otis to become acquainted, and for Grace to find out what he likes.

"Otis absolutely loves his walks. Exploring the woods or paddling in the river is his favourite."

She also found out that he quite likes hunting for his food, whether in a 'snuffle mat' (in which the food is hidden so Otis has to sniff it out), or a dog puzzle.

As well as being fun for Otis (and great for amusing photos!), it also helps Otis slow down with his eating. Otherwise he'd just gobble up all his food with one big lick!

But it's not all fun and games. Actually, it IS all fun and games because, even when training, Otis thinks he's playing a game, one in which he gets treats when he does the 'right' thing. So, while Grace has been taking him out to crowded areas, he's behaved ever so well.

Grace explains: "We make sure Otis can sit and wait in a shop so that his deaf partner will be able to focus on something else."

"He's a very good boy!" Yes, Grace, we agree! Again!

Here's another one:

Back to Grace: "This is Otis showing off his sit again, this time at the till in a large store. He's looking at me despite a little girl playing next to him."

He has great focus here. Look how his attention is on Grace. One day, Otis will be absolutely on the ball with his deaf recipient, looking and listening out for them. It's such a difference for someone who may feel vulnerable out and about, as deaf people can be.

How about a video?

As well as being a good boy out and about, Grace has been helping Otis hone his 'nose nudge'. This will will tell his deaf partner 'I can hear something you need to know about'. She explains what's going on in the video below: “Otis must be able to alert his recipient to sounds no matter what position they are in. When training him, I sometimes put my legs up on the sofa and Otis practices reaching up to nudge me.”

See how gentle but insistent he is? There's no delay, he just knows exactly what he's doing. And he gets such an encouraging 'Good boy' from Grace. This is reward-based training at its best.

And finally, a photo Grace shared of Otis just looking really handsome.

It's those brown eyebrows that do it for us. He's a cool pooch!

So that's it for another Otis instalment. We hope you enjoyed seeing how he's coming along, and we hope to get your next training update to you soon. In the meantime, as always, thank you for sponsoring Otis!