Meet Woody.

He’s a party boy!

Get to know our featured puppy in training

Woody has been fostered since he was 7 months old by Ann Ladd, who volunteers in FSD’s community-based Puppy-Raising Club. Ann is training Woody in basic obedience and socialization until he returns to FSD at 1 year old for advanced training. Since Woody is still a baby at 9 months old, Ann answered the following questions for him.

Nickname: WOODY!

Breed: Yellow Labrador retriever

Source: Woody came to FSD from Project2Heal, a nonprofit organization that breeds and trains Labrador retriever puppies with the specific purpose of donating them to service dog organizations.

Identifying feature: Wags his whole body because he’s happy to see you.

Personality: Party starter! It’s hard to explain just how exuberant Woody is!

Superpower: Getting the other dogs to chase him in the play yard.

Silliest habit: First thing in the morning, this 50-pound pup wants to get out from under my desk and sit in my lap.

Favorite thing he’s learning: EVERYTHING! He loves getting treats!

Habit that needs working on: Redirecting him away from wanting to swim with the ducks at Cherry Creek Reservoir.

Best quality: Loves to work on his training. He’s a very active dog who wants to be engaged.

Happiest moment: Jumping in the kiddie pool filled with balls in the FSD classroom.

Quote from Woody: “Catch me if you can!”

And a bit about Ann …

Ann began volunteering at FSD last summer doing enrichment for our dogs in training. When she heard about the Puppy-Raising Club, she wasn’t sure she was ready for a long-term foster puppy since she had recently lost a beloved dog. But once she learned about the importance of puppy raisers to FSD’s future success, she signed on to the new program. Ann is one of seven volunteers who joined our first class of puppy raisers in March (a second class is starting in June). Members of our Puppy-Raising Club receive special training, continuous guidance, and ongoing support from FSD staff and volunteers with puppy-raising experience.

Says Ann, “The FSD staff is so supportive and appreciative of the volunteer puppy raisers. The positive reinforcement they provide is tremendous! The trainers, caretakers, and puppy raisers have become like a family. We feel like raising these puppies is a big responsibility, and we all want each and every dog to succeed.”

Learn more about becoming a volunteer puppy-raiser. 

Special thanks to Amanda Engel Photography