Otto was my first Leader Dog. He was born in 1977, and I met him at Leader Dog School in August of 1978. Otto was a purebred Labrador, and had quite a personality. He was a dog with a mind of his own, especially when he wasn't working. He was noted for eating almost anything, and being smarter than almost any dog alive. There are many "Otto stories", including "Otto and the Hole", and "The Peanutbutter Incident." Otto attended Bettendorf High School during my junior and senior years, and was quite popular. In fact, Otto knew more people (students) than I did.
When I went to college, Otto was known by his male friends as the "chick magnet", since he seemed to attract females almost all the time. This was not, on the whole, a bad thing. He spent most of his time working, but he also did a great job of sleeping in class and looking very cute.
Otto retired from his Leader Dog duties in May of 1985, and went to live with his new parents Sharon and Ted Amsbaugh in North Dakota.
Sharon and Ted have adopted all of my dogs when they retired.
Otto died in the Spring of 1990, and even today his memory brings a smile to my face. He was a very good dog.