A Tale of One Tail

This past holiday season, we welcomed our last Leader Dog puppy of 2025! Meet Uno, a female golden retriever puppy. Her name is almost as unique as her story.

For the first week of her life, Uno and her mom stayed with a seasoned whelp and litter care host — a Leader Dog volunteer that helps a Leader Dog mom whelp (birth) and care for her litter during the first seven weeks of their life. This volunteer noticed Uno was struggling to feed and gain weight, so the Leader Dog breeding team determined little Uno would need full time care.

That’s where I came into the story. My name is Brianna Frye, and I am the early puppy socialization and host coordinator at Leader Dogs for the Blind. In my role, I work with breeding host volunteers who whelp litters of Future Leader Dogs, improving the experience and process along the way. My role also gives me an opportunity to help with special cases like Uno’s when I can.

As such, my family and I are currently acting as surrogate mothers for Uno, feeding her every two to three hours to make sure she is gaining proper nutrients and weight. While we have Uno, we are also giving her lots of cuddles and exposing her to different stimuli to prepare her for her journey as a Future Leader Dog.

For the first few days we welcomed Uno into our home; she was quiet and slept a lot. Our days mostly consisted of feeding and doing early neurological stimulation (ENS) exercises with her in between her naps. These exercises help develop the brain, hormones and sensory systems, all which impact a puppy’s ability to deal with stress later in life.

At 11 days old, Uno’s eyes and ears opened. I was expecting this milestone but witnessing it firsthand was a magical experience. When she turned 16 days old, we focused on exposing her to new sights, sounds and experiences to acclimate her and work on early socialization. These activities help reduce body sensitivity in the puppy, as well as build relationships with people, so Uno can develop a general sense of independence and confidence. Uno is doing well with these tasks. She is also blossoming into a confident young lady – she doesn’t want to be left out of anything!

My family has been a huge support in Uno’s journey! My 14-year-old child, Gage, is the biggest helper. He’s been eagerly jumping at every chance to assist with Uno’s first few weeks of life. Every day, when he gets home from school, he immediately asks if she needs to be fed.

I’m so impressed with the responsibility that Gage has demonstrated in this situation. It has been so cool to watch him mature and act paternal to a growing puppy. Our family friends and children’s classmates have enjoyed hearing about her and seeing the photos of her growing up – all the while learning about Leader Dog and the important journey to guide dog work that Uno is preparing for!

When asked about his experience with Uno, Gage said “I’ve enjoyed caring for this puppy. The feeding process was sort of scary, but she is a very good and playful puppy. I hope we can host more puppies soon, because Uno is an incredible puppy. I know she will go on to make an amazing Leader Dog.”

Admittedly, when I signed up to help with Uno’s journey, I thought the novelty would wear off for my family and that this would turn into a solo project, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Each of my children ask to snuggle with her every day, and even my husband and my dad make sure to get in their daily dose of puppy cuddles.

Of course, if I said that life with Uno was easy all the time, I’d be lying. There’s a worry that you’re not doing things well enough. Is the formula too hot? Is she too cold? Why isn’t she eating? Why is she pooping so much? The list of uncertainties goes on and on. Fortunately, our team at Leader Dog has been incredibly supportive throughout the process. I can rest assured that I’m doing all I can to support Uno in her first weeks of life and that I have a team of experts to call on with any questions or concerns.

In the weeks ahead, we will continue to build Uno’s skills and add more experiences to her repertoire. Soon, she will be ready to return to Leader Dog and continue her training with a volunteer puppy raiser. Every feeding, cuddle and nighttime wake-up with Uno is a small but meaningful step toward our mission of providing services for independent travel to people who are blind or low vision.

Uno’s journey is just beginning, but the care she receives now helps shape the Leader Dog she will become. Myself, my family, and all our breeding host volunteers are grateful to play a role in preparing puppies like Uno for the important work ahead.

 Written by Brianna Frye, volunteer breeding host and early puppy socialization and host coordinator at Leader Dogs for the Blind