A collage showing a couple with a yellow Labrador, a person with a dog at a building entrance, a dog in a service vest sleeping in an office, and a yellow Labrador sitting next to a wooden fish sculpture.

For a while earlier this year, BRAWW Law had a four-legged addition to the office. Hudson, a yellow Labrador who is now 15 months old, has been raised and trained by our very own Adam Hentz and his family as he prepares to become a guide dog. As part of that training, Adam brought Hudson to the office, where he could practice obedience, settling, and being comfortable in a working environment.

We like to think his coworkers benefited from the arrangement just as much as he did.

Hudson quickly became a welcome presence around the office, bringing plenty of affection, puppy energy, and an occasional dose of stress relief to the workday. But while we were enjoying having him around, Hudson was also preparing for a much bigger job.

Preparing for What Comes Next

Hudson is being trained through the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. Guide dogs typically spend about a year with volunteer puppy raisers, learning basic manners, house rules, socialization, and how to be comfortable in the many different environments they’ll encounter. Around 14 to 18 months old, they return to the Foundation to begin formal training with professional instructors. 

That’s the stage Hudson is entering now. Over the next several weeks, he’ll build on everything Adam and his family have taught him and begin mastering the advanced skills he’ll need as a working guide dog. That includes learning to avoid obstacles, locate specific destinations, remain focused around distractions, and even practice “intelligent disobedience,” recognizing when following a command could put his future handler in danger. 

Hudson’s Next Chapter

Once Hudson completes formal training, the goal is for him to be matched with someone visually impaired. Hudson and his new handler will then train together, learning how to work as a team before heading home to begin their life together. 

We are proud of Adam and his family for the time and commitment they’ve put into preparing Hudson for this next step, and we’re glad the rest of us got to play a small part in the experience along the way. We’ve watched Hudson grow in confidence and maturity, and enjoyed having a Labrador around the office to make the workday a little more fun.

Now we’re excited to see where he goes from here. We’re rooting for you, Hudson, even if we are going to miss having you around the office.

Pictured Above:

  1. Adam and Robin Hentz with Hudson. Robin is Hudson’s primary trainer and primary raiser.
  2. Catherine Hentz with Hudson on the Emory University Campus.
  3. Hudson napping on the job at our office.
  4. Hudson taking in the scenery at Indian Falls Municipal Park in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, during a Hentz family vacation. The park is just five miles from Robin’s family cottage and has become a favorite spot for walks and kayaking. Bonus: they can put their kayaks in here and spend about an hour floating down the river back to the cottage.