Service Dog Archives - Page 10 of 34

Introducing A New Puppy – Asti Spumante, Labrador Pup

October 20, 2012

And the cycle begins anew… Siena’s found her forever home (thank goodness, I really like them!) and a new puppy starts her training journey with us. We still have Siena, thank goodness, as she’s showing the new pup the ropes…

Meet Asti Spumante! She’s from the class of “Italy” like Siena. She’s about 12 weeks old and full of mischief!

She needs to learn it all: how to like her crate, how to take treats nicely, sit to be petted (when I met her, she jumped and tasted my nose…), how to ease her puppy nips, some self control, you know…the whole shebang.

She’s come to the right place! She’ll learn all that and more here with us. Our dogs will help (earning their keep, they are), and it’ll take some time (and effort), but we’lll get it all sorted out.

She likes to bark a lot in her crate. I had her crated a little tonight while I assembled furniture on the floor. And cursed. (Ikea has great prices, but the assembly! It’s for the birds!) Anyway, she figured out how to settle down a little in the crate, and learned that settling down can mean she gets to get out faster! And that all good things come from the crate (both meals today appeared where else? The crate!).

She and Siena were fast friends. Accomplices, shall we say… They tired one another out and are both snoozing away without a care in the world. Which means I don’t have a care in the world either when two pups are sleeping like logs!

We’ll keep you up to date on this girl’s progress. She’s a feisty one, that’s for sure. And she’s 100% Labrador — the first thing she did was jump in the kiddie pool and start splashing. I hadn’t cleaned it and put it away yet — on my list of things to do — and she thought it was fabulous. She was in and out of that thing five times today. I did finally clean it — can’t have a dog smelling like stale, stinky water now can I?

Check in here frequently, we’ll keep you updated on both Siena’s transition and Asti’s progress!

Bittersweet: Siena’s Got a Home

October 19, 2012

Sweet Siena, the loveliest spotted Great Dane, has a wonderful new home. Anytime one of “my” dogs (not really mine, by the way — all these dogs are really Service Dogs of Virginia‘s dogs, I just raise them) goes to a new home, whether they’re placed as service dogs or are career changed like Siena, I’m full of worry that their new home will love them enough.

What’s “enough?” I don’t know. As much as I love them, I guess.

I’m not sure why I worry. After all, every dog that I’ve had a hand in raising has found a spectacular new life — either with us (tee hee) or with their new partner. But I guess it’s what parents worry about when their son or daughter is about to get married — with their spouse look out for them, take care of them, even spoil them?

I’m covered all all those fronts with Siena’s new family. They came for a visit to see if Siena was the right dog for them. I liked them immediately. Siena was stand-offish and shy. They didn’t take it personally and let Siena set their pace.

They didn’t mind the dog hair, the dirt, the slobber that is inevitable with four dogs in the house. I certainly don’t mind it, but I’m a dog person and it’s kind of par for the course. Dogs = dirt. At least in my house. But at one point, the woman had a web of Siena’s slobber from her thumb to her index finger and she didn’t miss a beat. Ah, my kind of people!

Siena will be close by, which makes my heart happy. I’m hoping her new family will take us up on our offer to babysit her whenever they need us. We’ve been fortunate with most of the dogs we’ve raised — they’ve all come back at some point to visit and vacation with us.

Rocky, our very first dog (above), so dear to our heart, spent some time with us every year. We were thrilled that his family trusted us enough to take care of the Rock Star while they vacationed or traveled abroad. We would joke that it was Roo’s vacation time, just like it was their vacation time. He did love his visits “home,” and it made my heart sing when he bounded out of my car and into his partner’s wheelchair upon reuniting. That’s the best of both worlds, now isn’t it?

And Big Talos. Oh my. That dog. We’ve been lucky enough to have that big lug back in our lives a few times as well. Again, we feel so fortunate that his new family feels comfortable enough with us that they let him spend some time with us.

It really is something special to share this beautiful Dane girl with another family who gets her like we do. I know Siena will be spoiled, loved, and happy with her new people. She will get everything she needs, and then some. And her new family will be rewarded with the love of this sweet, lovely little girl.

We’ll have her for another week or so, then she’ll transition to her new life with her new people. We’re both excited and, not surprisingly, a little forlorn. But really, in the end, it’s a win-win-win. Us, Siena, and her new family have just won the lottery!

Siena: Officially Released + Looking for A Home

October 10, 2012

It’s official. Sweet Siena is going to be a pet! This is good news, really. As service work just wasn’t a good fit for her. She’s a homebody. She doesn’t like a lot of change. I’m helping spread the word because I think the more people who know about her, the better our chances of finding her the perfect home. Here’s a taste of who Siena is…

I’m not responsible for selecting the home. I’m really just the lady who reaps the benefits of having a Dane puppy in the house until a great home is found. [And the one who will be boo-hooing when said home is selected and it’s Siena-transfer time, of course.] Service Dogs of Virginia purchased Siena and are the rightful owners. It will be their decision to find and select Siena’s permanent home.

Here are all the particulars about this sweet girl.

Born: June 4, 2012
Breed: European Great Dane (AKC papers)
Color: Merle (grey, black speckled with white)

Siena’s a great dog who wouldn’t be comfortable working in public in ever-changing conditions and locations. She’s more of a homebody.

Siena is current on her vaccinations, has started basic manners training and is doing very well in K9 Nose Work™ classes.

She gets along very nicely with other dogs and lives in harmony with a cat.

Siena is very snuggly and definitely enjoys a nice long nap on the couch. She’s fantastic in her crate andruns to it when asked.

She is just finishing up her house training and can go to the bathroom outside on cue (a very handy thing!).

She’s a very soft and sensitive dog, so her new family will agree to use only clicker training with her (no prong, choke, or shock collars). No underground electronic fences.

Reason Released: Siena doesn’t handle change very well. She’s happiest in her comfortable home, not out in the grocery store or mall. She’s very happy going places — she enjoys trips to the farmer’s market, local park, neighborhood walks — she just didn’t transition well into public places that a service dog would have to frequent (stores, doctor offices, restaurants, etc.).

Training: Puppy Charm School (will continue until she’s 18 weeks), K9 Building Blocks (good manners training (will start at 18 weeks). Siena very much enjoys K9 Nose Work class and we’ve noticed that this class, not surprisingly, is building her confidence level and expanding her horizons. And she’s quite good at it, too!

She’s Good At: walking politely on a leash, going to and staying in her crate, cohabitating with our kitty, playing with other dogs, snuggling, leaning, car rides (provided you don’t drive like a maniac).

Price: $1500. If you’re interested in Siena, contact Service Dogs of Virginia:
Info@servicedogsva.org or
(434) 295-9503

If you want more information about Siena’s personality and training, contact me:
laurie@smartdoguniversity.com

Service Dog Training: What It Takes to Make a Good Service Dog

September 24, 2012

Lots of people say “I think my dog would be a good service dog, he’s so friendly!”

Truth is, it’s really hard to become a service dog. Friendliness is just one of the many things a dog needs to be good at to meet the high standards of service work.

As we evaluate our latest service pup in-training and her progress, here are some of the things we’re looking for.

ability to bounce back quickly from something scary
adaptability — can she transition easily between crowded public places like the supermarket, to quiet locations like the library
go with the flow attitude
physical health and structure — is she physically built to do the job of a support/brace dog? Does she have any allergies or other medical conditions that would prevent her from working a full career
can she learn all the basic good-manners behaviors quickly and incorporate those into her daily life easily without contsant reminders
can she learn to walk nicely on a leash all the time — no matter what distractions pop up in her environment
is she able to tolerate loud noises, sirens, flashing lights, bangs, and clattering? Many dogs are undone by the applause of an auditorium or the public address system — a service dog has to be rock-solid regardless of the noise or commotion going on in their environment.
is she able to walk on any type of surface, even if she’s never seen it before? Even if it’s wobbly?
can she adapt to new people quickly and easily? Being comfortable with strangers is very important for a service dog because in the event of an emergency, they may need to be separated from their partner.
does she enjoy seeing new places, getting attention from strangers, having a crowd around her, seeing many hands come toward her at one time? Service dogs sort of stick out in a crowd — especially a big, spotted Great Dane. She needs to be able to handle the crowds of people that will inevitably surround her at some point during her career.
can she sit to be petted? A service dog will rarely be asked to put her paws on people and in fact, jumping on people can lead to a quick dismissal from the program if that behavior can’t be modified. This is where most people who think their dogs would make a good service dog have trouble.
friendly with all other dogs. This one can be tough, as service dogs need to be able to tolerate other dogs, but not want to play with them or be distracted by them no matter what else is going on. This is a common reason that service dogs are released from service work.
a real desire to work with their partner. Lazy dogs don’t make very good service dogs! Service dogs need to be able to sleep quietly under a desk for a few hours, then at a moment’s notice be able to get up and thread through a crowd and help their partner navigate the subway system.

Most pet dogs have some of these qualities. Service dogs need to have them all!

Even though many service dog organizations select breeders specifically for dogs with good temperaments and excellent health, the release rate can be high. Our three dogs: Lily, Tango, and Nemo were all released from the program. Lily wasn’t comfortable in public, she was also reactive to other dogs. Nemo was a bit nervous in public and had a very bad fungal infection when he was just a year old. Tango would have been a fantastic service dog, but he has a bum leg (shoulder/elbow) that precluded him from having a full service dog career. He’s now a registered therapy dog which makes him very happy. He was born to do service work, and thankfully therapy work allows him the best of both worlds — he can still go into public places when he’s doing therapy work, but he’s able to get a lot more rest and preserve his health.

Some dogs have all the right skills to do service work, but just aren’t happy doing it.

Lily is an example of a whip-smart dog who could be a star service dog. But she doesn’t like being in public. That’s enough to keep her out of the program. An unhappy working dog doesn’t make a good partner for someone. And we want both ends of the leash to be happy together!

We will continue to watch Siena and evaluate her through the lens of a service dog partner for someone.

She’s already passed the “good pet” tests — if she doesn’t make it in the tough world of service work, she’s going to make someone very happy as she lounges on the couch or takes long walks with them.

Dog Training: Ask the Trainer – How to Teach Your Dog Without the Word “No”

September 12, 2012

Siena is our 13th service dog we’ve had a hand in raising. And she’s the 13th dog that doesn’t know what the word “no” means. How can that be, I hear you saying. She must be a monster if you don’t say “no.” She, like the other dogs we’ve raised, are very well behaved and don’t find any valuable information in the word “no.”

I don’t use that word in my training. I don’t need it and here’s why:

“No” doesn’t give the dog any information whatsoever as to what he should be doing. Here’s the thing — unless your dog is dead, he’s always doing something. He’s sleeping. He’s barking. He’s sitting. He’s chewing a bone. He’s running. He’s laying down. He’s doing something all the time.

A living thing can’t exist without doing something. So, the smart dog owner says to herself “What can I teach my dog to do that’s acceptable to me?” [Hint: what the smart owner does not say is: how can I get my dog to stop doing x.]

It’s 100 times easier to teach your dog what to do than it is to get him to STOP doing something. Because in order to get your dog to STOP doing something, you’ve got to insert something ELSE — remember, only dead dogs do nothing.

Here’s my hint to you: it’s a whole lot easier to simply teach your dog what to do than to waste time thinking about how to STOP something.

An example may help illustrate this idea. Let’s say your dog jumps when people come to your house. Almost everyone says “how can I get my dog to stop jumping” and all they do is work on getting rid of the jumping. It’s frustrating — to you, to the dog, and to your guest. Because trying to stop the jumping the hardest solution to a very simple problem.

If you’re a smart dog owner, you’re thinking: what else can my dog do so he won’t jump on people. Forget about stopping the jumping. Focus on what your dog can do — that you can reward — that will get you to your solution. There are so many things your dog can do instead of jump. Here’s a partial list:

sit
lay down
go to a specific spot (his bed or crate, for instance)
run to his toy box to grab a toy
go belly up for tummy scritches
perform a cute trick like dancing or begging
touch the guest’s hand with his nose
the list is endless.

So instead of saying “No!” repeatedly, you can simply teach your dog to do any one of these behaviors, reward him heartily, then sit back and wait for your guests to tell you how well-behaved your dog is!

Great Dane, Siena, has learned how to put her front paws up on the counter. This is not a good thing. She’s not very tall now, but she can still reach the countertops! Give her a few more months and she won’t have to get on her hind legs to reach, she’ll be able to simply stand on all four feet with her chin on the counter. Instead of saying “NO!” everytime her paws hit the counter — which would be such a downer — I’m either ignoring her and then praising her like crazy when she finds nothing and gets down on her own or I’m redirecting her to put her feet on the floor (then adding in that praise). In addition, I’m reinforcing her for sitting while I’m doing food prep. Amazingly [from her perspective] food jumps off the counter and onto the floor only when she’s sitting. She can actually make food jump into her mouth if — and only if — she sits politely when I’m prepping for dinner.

Voila! I’ve got a dog who lays down quietly while dinner is being prepped. It really is that easy!

Siena’s our 13th dog and I’ve not used “no” yet. I challenge you to think of something else for your dog to do instead of saying the word “no.” It’s a crutch you don’t need. I promise.

Service Dog Training: Siena’s Status

September 10, 2012

After two weeks of making up our minds, then changing our minds again, it’s confirmed: Siena’s still in the program. For now.

I’m going to call it her probationary period for lack of a better word. She’s got a long way to go – there are so many things a service dog must excel at (no room for mediocrity in service work), so many things they must tolerate without extreme fear or excitement — it’s a long road for Siena, definitely, but we’re happy with the progress we’ve seen since this inexperienced little Dane came to live with us two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago she trembled when we carried her inside. She wouldn’t enter the house by herself — either too scared or had never had the experience of going up one step. When scared, she would run away from us instead of seeking us out for comfort. I couldn’t walk her through my quiet neighborhood — she trembled so badly I wondered if she could even walk. She was afraid of her food bowl for goodness sake! Even when it had food in it! I was worried not for her service career — that just wasn’t going to happen — but more for her general suitability for just being a pet.

However, over the past two weeks, I’ve worked with several times a day, every day, to help build her confidence, her trust in us, and her experience base. The main reason she’s staying is that we’ve seen her progress quickly and assimilate what she’s seen and experienced and used that when she encounters something else that’s new.

Over the weekend, she rocked the Home Depot and survived a trip to our local grocery store. Siena has the most trouble at grocery stores – I’m not sure why, but I’m guessing because it’s a very “busy” place: there’s so much visually to take in — the carts, displays, shiny floors, tall shelves, bright lighting, people everywhere. Grocery stores aren’t quiet either — there’s always music, announcements over the public address system, banging carts, beeping checkout stations, etc. Add to that mix the hum and air blowing from the refrigeration cases and you’ve got a recipe for disaster for a pup who thinks going inside a house is scary.

Siena makes friends with Nemo

Check in with us here every Monday and I’ll detail Siena’s progress and how we’re working through those challenges she’s facing. If you’re getting a puppy, you’ll get a lot of information that will help you make sure he grows into a well-adjusted family dog. Also, if you’ve adopted a dog from a rescue or shelter, you’ll be able to use the information and apply it to your dog, too! And if you’ve got a normal, laid-back dog, you’re covered, too, because in most other ways, Siena’s a normal dog and we’ll have information for you about how to keep your dog entertained and out of trouble.

Do you have a dog who took awhile to warm up to life? Please leave a comment and share what worked for you and your dog.

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Service Dog

As we evaluate our latest service pup in-training and her progress, here are some of the things we’re looking for.

Most pet dogs have some of these qualities. Service dogs need to have them all!

Some dogs have all the right skills to do service work, but just aren’t happy doing it.

We will continue to watch Siena and evaluate her through the lens of a service dog partner for someone.

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