Iroh’s August Update: 79 Pounds, New Friends & Plenty of Swimming!

Our Pledge-a-Pup pup, Iroh, continues to grow, learn, and make us smile with every update from his foster family. As we head into the final stretch of summer, this sweet boy is now an impressive 79 pounds, and it sounds like he is making the most of every adventure along the way.

Each month, we love getting a glimpse into Iroh’s life and seeing the progress he is making as he works toward his future as a PTSD service dog for a Veteran. August brought some especially fun updates, including new animal friends, a surprising love of vegetables, and plenty of his favorite activity: swimming!

Iroh Is Making Friends Everywhere He Goes

One of the things that stood out most in this month's update was how well Iroh is doing when meeting other animals.

His foster family says that Iroh is doing a great job socializing with every animal he meets. Even better, they describe him as being gentle with them, which is an important part of his continued development.

Socialization is an important part of growing up for a future service dog. Learning how to calmly interact with different people, animals, environments, and experiences helps build the confidence and manners needed for the work ahead.

For Iroh, it sounds like making friends is something he is naturally pretty good at.  

Apparently, Iroh Loves Vegetables

Every Iroh update seems to come with another little glimpse of his personality, and this month we learned that he is a fan of vegetables!

His foster family included a photo of Iroh posing with a tomato, and we have to admit, it may be one of our favorite Iroh pictures yet. We aren't sure if Iroh was actually hoping to eat the tomato or simply happy to participate in the photo opportunity, but either way, he looks pretty proud of himself.

It is these little everyday moments that make following Iroh's journey so much fun. While his ultimate goal is an incredibly important one, he is still a growing pup who gets excited about food, enjoys adventures, makes friends, and occasionally poses for adorable pictures.

With how much Iroh has grown, we imagine he can probably reach that tomato pretty easily!

Swimming Is Still His Favorite

If there is one thing that has remained very clear throughout Iroh's updates, it is that this pup loves the water.

His foster family says swimming is his favorite thing, and they shared several photos of him enjoying a swim at a creek.

Looking at the pictures, it is easy to see why.

There is something pretty joyful about watching a dog discover an activity they absolutely love, and Iroh certainly appears to be in his element when he is swimming. Whether he is splashing around, cooling off, or simply enjoying some time in the water, it looks like creek days are some of his favorite days.

And honestly, we can't blame him. After growing to 79 pounds, a refreshing swim sounds like a pretty great way to spend a summer day!

Watching Iroh Grow

When we first began following Iroh's journey, he was a much smaller puppy just beginning his training. With every monthly update, we have gotten to watch him grow physically while also learning more about his personality and progress.

Now, at 79 pounds, Iroh is becoming quite the big boy.

But his size isn't the only thing that has changed. We've seen him work on important skills, gain confidence, experience new environments, and develop the social skills that will help prepare him for his future role.

His foster family's updates give us a wonderful opportunity to see those little milestones along the way.

From learning commands to swimming, meeting other animals, enjoying new experiences, and apparently developing an appreciation for vegetables, Iroh is busy being a puppy while also taking important steps toward becoming a service dog.

Supporting Iroh Through Pledge-a-Pup

Our support of Iroh is part of our Pledge-a-Pup program, which allows us to give back by helping sponsor his journey toward becoming a PTSD service dog for a Veteran.

For us, Pledge-a-Pup is about more than simply making a donation. It is about following Iroh's journey and celebrating the progress he makes along the way.

We get excited every time we receive a new update from his foster family because each photo and story gives us another chance to see the impact of the work being done behind the scenes.

And this month gave us plenty to smile about.

A 79-pound pup who is gentle with little dogs, loves vegetables, and considers swimming his favorite activity? Sounds like Iroh is doing pretty well!

We are incredibly grateful to his foster family for giving us these glimpses into his life and for all the time, patience, and care they are putting into helping him grow.

We can't wait to see what the next month brings for Iroh.

In the meantime, we'll be cheering him on from here and enjoying every photo of this sweet, swimming, tomato-loving pup. 💙🐾

Want to follow Iroh's journey? Keep checking back for more updates as he continues working toward his future as a PTSD service dog for a Veteran. And if you'd like to learn more about our Pledge-a-Pup program and the organizations we support through our Joyfully Giving program, we're proud to share more about the causes that matter to us and our clients.