What My Service Dog Means To Me

Grab your kleenex for this Video...youre gonna need it!!!
From Service Dog to Surfer Dog!  ( I had to watch it twice!)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4

I found this story on another website, which I have posted in my blog on "Helpful Links." I think this story helps people understand what peoples service dogs mean to them, and the some of the issues they face on a daily basis.  

 

           

Tamandra and Borias - A Match Made in Heaven - submitted by Tamandra

                                                                                                           

Borias is the best thing thats ever happened to me. Its hard to believe its been seven years since fate brought us together; seven years since I first held this chubby fuzzball in my arms. I had just suffered the unexpected tragedy of losing my doberman to a heart problem, and so decided turn back to the breed I had as a child. A German Shepherd Dog is the ultimate working dog, with beauty and brains in abundance.

I call all of this fateful because of how we were brought together. My order was a tall one. Its no easy task finding a good, quality German Shepherd thats been bred to work, but that also has his drive in check so that hes not too difficult to handle. I was about to give up but then I found that folded piece paper on the floor of my car--the one that had all the breeders names crossed out. All but one. With this one last chance, I left a message saying I was looking for a Service Dog prospect, and hoped for a male. Later on, when the breeder returned my call, she informed me that a couple who worked for the FBI were there doing extensive tests on the litter in hopes of finding a cadaver SAR prospect. There were only two males in the litter, and they had said that this largest male would make a great Service Dog because he was mellow, and took things in stride. This made the breeder glow with pride, since she had long hoped to have a dog of hers do that kind of work). All that meant that Borias and I were meant to be.

And he knew it too. Weve been inseparable since the day I was allowed to bring him home. He displayed none of the typical puppy- separation-anxieties like crying for his mom and litter-mates. It was as though he knew hed just found home. The very next day he went on an outing with me on leash, trotting right beside my wheelchair with no problem. He was such a quick study. I used clicker- training to begin teaching him some of the things he would do for me, but I had no idea, at nine weeks old (and after only a few training sessions), that he would be picking up my dropped keys and wallet! In fact, he got so into excelling at his job, he learned how to unzip my backpack when I wasnt paying attention--- to take out my wallet just so he could give it back to me! (Perfect practice makes perfect, after all!).

On one occasion early in our relationship, I was in a grocery store, and had unknowingly dropped my wallet in the aisle. When I noticed, I said out loud "Oh no! Wheres my wallet?" Instantly Borias was headed behind me, pulling on his leash, then suddenly was again in front of me, wallet in his jaws, tail wagging proudly. What a good boy! 

This bond of ours has deepened through the years, which go by so fast. Weve shared some incredible times, both recreationally and competitively. Hes gotten to hobnob with celebs, been to a U2 concert, watched the Broadway play The Lion King with great interest, and is a regular at the zoo, where he often gets more attention than the other critters! Hes the first dog Ive ever earned an obedience title with, getting a blue ribbon twice. He passed a therapy dog test with a flawless performance, and can now visit the infirm and have children read to him.

    

Yet despite his eerily human capacity for understanding and our blatant and essential life-connection, we still run into incredibly small minds. Do they have an idea in their head that a dog to assist a person with a disability must look a certain way? I realize that Borias has the stature and presence of a police officer, but we are rarely treated with the respect that an officer gets. Quite often, were denied access to functions and establishments. Its hurtful, and infuriating all wrapped up inside of a helpless feeling.

Being in a wheelchair comes with some (but not too many!) obstacles. Do I really need to add social ignorance to my list?

Id love to find a way to open the heart of the world...

Thats the way Borias lives his life, with an open heart. He is my
inspiration. My soul-mate. My heart dog.

-Tamandra (http://www.petjoyonline.com/Service-Dog-Stories-s/214.htm)

This story below is a bit long but WELL worth the read.....Enjoy!

Brendan & Spook Show - Service Dog or Super Dog? Both! -submitted by Cheryl

My son Brendan will be 7 Dec, 17 2008, he has had severe Epilepsy since he was 2 mon old. Brendan has 6 different types of seizures, & has Mild Autism. Brendan was having over 100+ seizures a day before he was placed on Meds, & Received  a VNS (Vagal Nerve Stimulator) Brendan had surgery to place this device when he was 2 1/2 . My son still had 35 + seizures a day even with the VNS. 
 
Brendans Autism & Seizures have caused him to have Developmental, & Speech Delays, as well as he is an exceptional escape artist, he also has Melt Downs that are out of his control, he escalates so high , to the point that he doesnt even know or realize what he is doing, or what is happening. Brendan is the most loving, kind-hearted child you could ever know, he meets no strangers. Brendan functions on more of a 2 1/2 - 3 yr old level, he doesnt comprehend, that if he runs out in front of a car & gets hit, he could die; if he did live he would turn right around & do it again. He honestly doesnt understand what can happen. He can be outside because of the heat; it makes him seizure more, when he gets too hot. I also have Epilepsy, & Narcolepsy, but have been told that Brendans Epilepsy isnt caused from mine, The Drs dont know why either one of us have Epilepsy. 
 
We were Lucky enough to be blessed with a friend that my husband works with & who knew about Brendans special needs. He also Breeds Labs, & wanted to donate one to Brendan, I worked with another Trainer to train him to be a Seizure Alert & Autism Service Dog, he showed me when he was only 4 weeks old that he could tell me before Brendan was having a seizure that it was going to happen, he was such an awesome dog & was so smart. We worked with him & trained him for 8 mon. he was so great for my son as a Service Dog, & a Friend, Sadly he passed away on New Years EVE. He went into a seizure himself & wasnt able to recover from it. I rushed him to the Pet Emergency Hospital when I found him like that & they did everything they could but he just wasnt able to fight the fight. We do miss him greatly. 
 
Shortly after the loss of Hogan, the SD that passed away, my sons Seizures started getting worse, & his Autism melt downs were worse as well. We knew that we had to find another SD for him, but I didnt feel I had the time, nor the Ability to Train another SD, so this time we decided to find a SD that was already trained for my sons needs. We were sooooo luck to find a lady in South Bend Indiana, that trains Siberian Huskies for all types of SD work, & she happened to have a SD that was ready to go & was a perfect match for Brendans Needs. 
 
Her name is Spook Show Baby ScoobyOvanna, Spook , or Spook Show for short.  She is trained to alert to seizures before they happen, she is trained to do Search & Rescue scent tracking, she also is trained to help with the Autism, she blocks Doors, she pushes the HC buttons that stores have to help open the door when needed, as well as many other special things. It took us approx 6 mon to raise the money needed to get Spook Show for our Son. We are so happy & Blessed with having Spook as our new Family Member. 
 
Spook Show just had her 2nd Birth Day on June 9, 2008 we got her on April 24, 2008. Spook was only home with us for 5 min when she started Alerting to a seizure coming on for Brendan; she nudged him over to the trainers lap, to let her know she needed to help him. The trainer was willing to fly here to us with Spook Show so that we wouldnt have to spend so much money flying 4 people & hotel for 2 weeks + Meals. I had gone to the store to get some meds for her when Spook Alerted to her first seizure in Brendan, Spook also will go to Brendans room & pull his covers back & nudge him to his bed when she senses a seizure coming on, if he is asleep & has a seizure she will lay across his legs to keep him from trying to get up & falling after the seizure, she also licks his cheek to help bring him out of the seizure, & to let him know hes ok & she is there for him, if Brendan vomits during a seizure, Spook will burrow under him & roll him on his side so that the vomit will go out of his mouth & he wont choke on it, & she then will clean it up so he wont get it back in his mouth. 
 
We went to the Grocery Store one day & Brendan got away from me & Bolted through the store, I had to let spook loose to help me find him & get him back, she ran as fast as she could & fallowed his sent through the store until she found him, she then blocked him & barked to let me know she found him. She does her best to keep him from bolting away from me when we get out of the car, she thinks ahead, you can literally see her wheels turning she is already up & ready to get out & as soon as I open the door she jumps out & runs to the end of the drive way & watches to see where Brendan is going to run, & when he does bolt she takes off & tries her hardest to keep him from getting away. 
 
Spook also Alerts to my seizures, so she has double duty, & she is really awesome. She isnt happy unless shes working. Spook was placed here for my son & she is awesome at what she does. Spook also Pulls my sons Special needs chair, he uses when we have to do a lot of walking, she also has a Mobility Harness that she wears & Brendan holds on to her for balance, he also has a vest he wears, with a tether strap that connects to his vest, & also to Spooks Harness, so now Spook also helps Brendan balance when walking, & helps keep him from running off by being hooked together, I can give her a sit stay, or lay stay command & she will do it & it keeps Brendan from getting away , she uses all her weight & strength to keep him from dragging her across the world.
 
Spook has always put Brendans safety first, she will run across the street right after Brendan not even looking or worried about herself getting hurt or hit, she worries about Brendan, & his safety. She is truly a GOD SEND, & I dont know what we would do without her. She is not only a Service Dog, but she is a member of our Family, & Brendans best friend. He loves her sooooo sooooo much. Spook never lets Brendan out of her sight. We love her more than she will ever know, or understand. Thank You Spook Show for all you do for our family, & for saving Brendans life many times.

We Love you, youre our Angel. Love Mommy, Daddy, Nathan & Brendan (www.petjoyonline.com/Service-Dog-Stories-s/214.htm)

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New Course 27th July

Bertie are now enrolling for their course commencing 27th July at Brockshill. Please look at previous blog message for details of the talk on Sundaywhich new members should attend.

The website is nearly complete , just making the final checks.

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Dog aggression throw the first punch

There are only two reasons a dog becomes aggressive. They are play and fear.

Play aggression is the rarer form. It usually occurs when a young puppy is encouraged to play too rough with people. Because of a puppy’s instinct to please, the puppy begins to think that being rough pleases people.

This is desire to please by being rough is how police and military bite dogs are trained. The dog is taken out and sent after someone wearing either a bite sleeve or suit. When the dog bites and holds on it is praised. Then when it lets go it is rewarded with a toy (usually a Kong) to play with. The dog makes the association between the two. Knowing that the Kong is definitely a toy, the dog sees biting a human as part of the game. The difference between this and a pet dog is that these dogs have “off” switches.

Sometimes people accidently train a puppy to be aggressive by playing more roughly than they should. The dog grows up thinking that all humans want to be played with as roughly as possible. And often a dog that has been taught to play rough with humans also thinks it should play that way with dogs. These dogs do not have “off” switches. And playing rough with humans can also result in being fear aggressive with other dogs.

The most common form of aggression though is from fear. For whatever reason the dog has become deeply fearful. And when something or someone triggers that fear the dog has three choices, negotiation, fight or flight.

The first and best choice is negotiation. Dogs do negotiate, they do it through body language. When a properly adjusted dog is confronted by something that it is not sure is prey or predator, it uses body language to say “I don’t have to fight and I am not a threat to you.” Provided that the dog knows what to “say” and the object or being answers or ignores the dog, the dog will attempt to avoid confrontation. Many dogs that do not grow up in a pack, or who do not have any pack based training, may never learn to negotiate.

Flight should be the second choice. If there is no good reason to fight, and the dog has a way to move away from the danger, it should leave rather than fight. But if the dog cannot retreat, because it is backed up against an object or on a line, the only choice left is fight.

Some dogs chose to fight even when there is the choice of flight. This may be because they do not know they have an escape option because at some point they chose flight and it did not work.

Dogs also believe if you are going to get into a fight, you throw the first punch. This is why even a small dog will launch itself at a large opponent. A fear aggressive dog will always try to throw that first punch even if it does not need to.

Once a dog has become fear-aggressive it is going to take work, a lot of work, to undo this reaction. The dog does not see itself as being wrong, it truly believes it is fighting to save its own life. The dog’s judgement has become so warped, and its fear so deeply ingrained, that it sees no other option.

But it can be fixed.

First the owner must establish trust in the dog. Many dogs love you but they have not learned to trust you. Without the dog trusting your judgment, the dog will never have an “off” switch.

So any training to deal with aggression has to meet these conditions.

1. The dog must trust the owner so that when the owner sees the dog is fearful, and is about to go to aggression, the owner can tell the dog that it does not have to become aggressive.
And the dog must learn to do what the owner is telling it to do.

2. The owner has to know how to recognize the aggression before the fight starts.

3. The owner must have an “off” switch that works both before and after a fight starts.

4. The dog must have training in group situations where it is tempted to become aggressive but is never allowed to succeed.

5. The training must trigger the ability to negotiate before turning to fight or flight.

6. The dog must learn not to fight even when the other dog is challenging it.

7. You must have the ability to protect your dog if the other dog becomes aggressive even though your dog has done everything right.

8. You have to learn to avoid situations where your dog will be attacked.

What I cannot tell you is how long this will take. It depends on how long the dog has been aggressive, how deeply the fear has entrenched itself, and how much time you can devote to working on it. I have had many dogs respond within a few weeks of training but others have taken much longer.

Genetics can also play a part. In any litter one puppy will be the most confident and another is the most fearful. Plus as any good book will tell you all puppies go through a period where they have a lot of fear reactions. Most will go through this with little harm. But a very few will never gets past this stage without help from a good trainer.

I am currently working with the most fear aggressive dog I have ever seen. And I have been working with this dog for almost a year. This is a rare European breed, the only one I have worked with so far. It hasnt been easy but I never give up on a dog.

When we started the dog was afraid of everyone, dog or human, other than its owners. I believe it was born this way. In fact had the breeder been a good breeder they never would have placed the dog since I am sure this behavior was abundantly clear even when it was a puppy.

This dog did not come in until it was almost five. And unfortunately the only time the owner tried to deal with it they went to someone who used a shock collar. That just made things worse.

But with a lot of dedicated work from the owners we are getting there. The dog comes to pack almost every week. The only problem left is that the dog still has trouble with its body language. He body still says fight when she means play.

But where they could never have anyone in their house before the dog now lets other humans be around her. And she doesn’t challenge every dog she sees.

Finishing this dog is actually up to her new pack mate. A couple of weeks ago they added a puppy to their house. Like many dogs this once super fear aggressive dog learned to get along with puppies before she learned how to get along with adult dogs. And instinct has kicked in, all dogs take part in raising puppies in the pack.

The new dog will actually grow to be a much larger dog. They are best friends. This dog will become the dog she was meant to be.

A word of warning, by itself a puppy does not cure aggression in adult dogs. Had they brought the puppy in a year ago, this dog would have killed it. But through their hard work they now will have two great dogs.

If you are here to find a trainer, and you can’t come to me or Pat, then read the other blogs here on this site for selecting a dog trainer.

Consider the following things.
1 Can the trainer specifically tell you how the training will deal with aggression? A simple “I can fix this” is never enough.
2 Will the trainer let you see them work with aggressive dogs?
3 Take in the list above. If the trainer cannot tell you how they are going to do those things, don’t train with them.
4 What will the trainer do, and what will it cost, if the dog needs more training. Remember some trainers will actually encourage the aggression so you keep coming back until you run out of money.


Doug

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Jade and the Firemen

So, I was very excited about getting to take Jade to the firehouse to do some training with the firemen there, but wasnt sure how the firemen would respond to this request.  The trainer and I werent sure how they would respond to our request to assist Jade with her training, or whether they would at all.

So yesterday came the day.  My trainer met Jade and I at the firehouse, station 13, to be precise. Its a very small station, and didnt seem too busy; and its right down the street from my house! So Jade and I decided since it was such a nice day that we would ride my scooter down there to meet the trainer.  It was a very nice day and the sun was blazing, but I think had we realized  how hot it really was, we wouldve taken the car.  Whew! I got sunburned.

We met the trainer there in the parking lot and briefly went over how we could present this request to the firemen, excuse me, fire people, inside.  (Women are fire people too). My trainer would introduce us and talk about what we are doing, and we would take it from there.  I have to say we were both pleasantly surprised at how well the firemen/women responded to our request, and felt VERY welcomed!

Before ringing the doorbell to the firehouse, my trainer said, "We better let Jade stay out here with you while I talk to them because she might get fearful at just going right in too quickly.  We dont want her to get over threshold and then she wont respond to training."  Good point! Jade was on the scooter with me (she loves to ride on that thing with me!) and we waiting while the trainer rang the doorbell.

A couple of firemen came to the door and opened it.  The trainer began telling them why we were there.  They nodded their heads, and one of them said, "wow, ok!"  They invited us in, and were so extremely nice and very responsive! We explained that Jade was very fearful of men in uniform and I was very uncomfortable with this because there may come another time that I need help and need the paramedics/firemen/police to respond to my residence, and they wont be able to get passed Jade to help me, due to her fear.  So we want to help Jade get over her fear of people in uniform, specifically men, so that when I need help, I can receive it. As of now, I told them, if I start to spasm and fall, and cant get up, Jade will run to get the phone for me, and come lay next to me until help arrives.  The problem is, that when help arrives, she wont let them get to me.  NO good! We explained that we were from a training organization here in town and also would like them to come to the organization and give a class on how they respond to calls for help, and how they handle dogs at the residence, precisely service dogs.  They were very responsive to that as well.

I was very pleased how they handled Jade.  As soon as we went into the firehouse, Jade became nervous.  She stared at the firemen/women, with her ears up high and her body tense, and started to growl and bark a little bit.  We quickly stopped her by handing my bag of treats to one of the firemen, who took them and tossed Jade a treat.  They asked us, "Would you like us to put on our complete gear or are these uniforms good enough?" We asked them if they could maybe put their helmets on too. They said, "Sure, absolutely," and went to fetch their helmets and some of their gear.  I was so happy! I had to coax Jade off of the scooter, and the fireman tossed treats and Jade came closer to him and got them off the floor.  In seconds, Jade was eating out of the firemans hand.  The firemen/women were all standing around talking about Jade, and calling her over to smell them, and squatting down so she could smell their helmets. They took Jade around the firehouse and showed her all of their gear and uniforms and boots, and Jade sniffed liked crazy.  She ran happily around the firehouse with them, following the treats, and stopping to sniff different things, then she would circle around and run back to me, making sure I was ok, and then run back to them. She relaxed, her tail started wagging and she had a smile on her face! The firemen/women petted her, and ran with her around the firehouse, they played with her, and she gave them kisses! I was amazed!

This went on for about 25-30 minutes, then one of the firemen said, "Shes really doing great now!" We agreed! Then he said, "The tough part is gonna be when we show up at your house for a call, because thats when they get really territorial." We agreed! So then my trainer asked, "We were wondering if one of you, or a few of you would actually be willing to come by her house and practice a little with this, just to get her used to having you respond to a call?" I cringed, thinking theres no way their gonna do that. Then one of them said, "No ones ever asked us that before, but I dont see why not." Wow! The firemen/women looked at each other and said, "Yeah, sure we can come by," and asked where I lived.  They asked for my address and phone number and I happily gave it to them. They said, "Lets make an appointment, were usually not too busy in the afternoon, at this time...unless we get a call, but its usually slow." They made an appointment with me, to come by my house next week, same time, and I was ecstatic!!! I couldnt believe how helpful these people were!!!! This is GREAT, I was thinking! My trainer was very pleased. She also asked them about coming to the training organization and doing a brief training there with the trainees and their dogs, letting the dogs get used to their smell and their gear. They thought that was a great idea! I think we started something wonderful!

So we decided on a date and time, and they seemed happy to do this! They took down my address and phone number, and the fireman said, "I have your phone number just in case we do get a call, I will call you and let you know."  I was truly amazed that they were so helpful and willing to come by my house even to help with this.  I asked them if they have a lot of trouble with dogs when they go on a call, and they all nodded.  I think they see this training as a way of helping them too; a way to help them learn how to deal with dogs when responding to a call. One of the firemen explained how they deal with dogs, saying, "Well, some of them are scared and do a lot of barking, but they dont approach us, so we just carry on....others are just plain aggressive and we just put our bags in front of us and go for it....we gotta do our jobs....we sometimes have one of the guys catch the dog and put it in a room or outside....whatever we have to do to help someone.  We sometimes have to save dogs from fires and sometimes theyre not easy to save...we have to just throw blankets over them and grab them." While he was talking he was squatted down and giving Jade a scratch on the head and back, and she was loving it! She was sniffing his helmet and giving him kisses!  I was so glad to be having this conversation with the firemen/women!

One of the firemen said, "Lets do some work on you and see how Jade reacts." So they pulled out the blood pressure machine and the pulse machine and started taking my blood pressure and my pulse, with their helmets on.  Jade came over and sniffed their hands while they worked, and she watched me to see if I was okay.  Her ears were up again, but she was fine! She watched, and then the trainer gave her a few treats. The fireman said, "Your pulse is high, take a few deep breaths, and he laughed." I was so happy, thats probably why! We all laughed a little, and the fireman told us about their dog that they have working with them sometimes.  "Hes a sniffing dog," they explained.  "He doesnt get food unless he sniffs something out for us." We talked a little more, then suddenly a lady came over the loud speaker and they all started scrambling about.  "We gotta go, got a call, but well see you next week at your house!" I put Jade back on the scooter as the large garage door started going up and they jumped in the truck.  They pulled away and the sirens came on.  Jades ears were up and she watched intently, but she did great!

My trainer and I stayed outside talking a bit about the experience after they left, and we were both SO pleased about how it went! We were very grateful for their willingness to help, and could hardly believe their willingness to come by my house and practice some more training! This was great!!! We talked more about having them come to the class and do some training there.  My trainer will be here as well when the firemen/women come over next week and well see how that goes! Im so excited about this! This is great stuff!

Stupid me! I didnt think to take any photos! I want some photos of Jade with the firemen! Im so glad Ill have another chance to do that when they come to my house next week.  I hope it works out and they dont get a call they have to go to instead.  Im hoping that even if they do, they will still be able to come by afterward.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

Another thing the firemen told me is that its a good idea to post a little sign, or sticker on your door, or window stating that there is a Service Dog Inside the house.  The firemen, and police really take heed to those stickers, and if you write that its a service dog, even though the dog may act frightened or even aggressive, they are MUCH less likely to shoot it. The police sometimes will shoot your dog if they cant get to you and the dog is aggressive and not letting them do their job. We discussed this. So, whether you have a service dog or not, its a good idea to post something like that where the officers responding to your residence can easily read it. Itll keep you and your animals safer.  Itll also give them a heads up if you have a house fire; they will try to save your animals as well.

Im really glad to be able to share this on my blog and very grateful for the experience! God bless the firemen/women! Never forget 9/11.  Firemen/women are some of the most courageous, and brave people on this planet!  Also, God bless the dogs that worked those days on 9/11 at that site!

I should have some pictures for you all next week after the firemen/women come by the house.  But for now....

Pretty cool video about the dogs at 9/11

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/indiana/rescuer-lauds-dogs-work-after-9-11

A Story of the Service Dog, Roselle, who walked her blind handler down the 78 floors of the South Tower on 9/11 right before the building collapsed (photo)
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/09/06/blind-man-his-guide-dog-and-lessons-learned-on-11/

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How to Adopt A Retired Guide Dog

What is the a step-by-step procedure to adopting a retired guide dog? Ive been involved with Guide dogs as a puppy raiser for the past 3 years and during that time Ive had the luxury of being able to adopt a guide dog puppy. Many people refer to these washout guide dog puppies as "Guide Dog Rejects", but we simply like to think of them as "career changed dogs"

During my time as a guide dog puppy raiser Ive learned several secrets on how to adopt a career changed or retired guide dog. First Ill tell you the step-by-step method I would use to go about adopting a retired guide dog?

Step-by-Step Guide to Adopting a Guide Dog

1. If you dont know of any guide dog facilities then search Google for "guide dog" and try and find a local facility. You can still adopt if you dont have a local organization however, it would simplify things if you are within driving distance.
2. Most (if not all) sites Ive visited have a section that describes their adoption program. The procedure will vary from one place to another. Its similar to adopting from a rescue and just like with a rescue they may require a home visit. In general a guide dog organization will have the best interest of the dog in mind and will make sure that you can accomodate a retired guide dog comfortably.
3. Research the organization you wish to adopt from. For instance different organizations will use different breeds of dog. It would be a good idea to find out what dog breeds the organization uses and then find out the behavior of the breed. Most organizations use Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds.
   
4. Fill out the form, send an email or letter, or call the organization to submit all of your relevant information.
5. Play the waiting game. The last step can be the longest. Unless you have some serious hookups the wait list to adopt a retired guide dog can be 5+ years. The Guide Dog organization I volunteer with has a 4-6 year wait list and they arent accepting new applications at this time.
   

A few of the great things about adopting a retired guide dog are

• You know the entire history of the dog.
• The dog will know basic obedience, be potty trained, crate trained. As a puppy raiser I can tell you some of these things drive you crazy during puppyhood.
• The dog will be well socialized. Our puppies go everywhere from the movie theater to restaurants to the grocery store.

Guide Dog Reject

What is a Guide Dog Reject? From my experience a Guide Dog Reject is a puppy who does not make as a full-fledged guide dog. On the other hand a Retired Guide Dog is a dog who served as a working guide dog for the blind and because of age was retired. Guide dog adoption programs will include both retired and rejected guide dogs in their program.

Check out our next article on secrets to adopting a retired guide dog to find out the ins and outs on how to bypass that 6 year guide dog adoption waitlist.

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my first post

hai.... welcome ti my first blog.

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Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan The Complete First Season

Cesar millan has been called the dr. Phil for dogs. With an uncanny ability to rehabilitate problem dogs of all shapes and sizes cesar has captured the national spotlight with his hit tv show on the national geographic channel. This is all 26 episodes of the first season of dog whisperer. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 07/11/2006 Run time: 662 minutes

Price: $29.98

Click here to buy from Amazon

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Dog behavior training

Welcome to Dog behavior training blog. You will be able to learn the Basics of Dog behavior training as we introduce you to the new tips and tricks of Dog behavior training.

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Basics of Beauceron Training

Basics of Beauceron Training

Its essential for Beauceron parents like you to know certain basic factors that determine your relationship with your Beauceron and can go a long way in training him effectively.

Before you begin training your Beauceron, it is absolutely essential that you build a loving bond with him. This is important as it helps you to understand his needs and instincts and also allows your Beauceron to have complete trust in you.

Know more about Beauceron care from this free mini course

Let us see how.......

How To Bond With Your Beauceron

Building a bond with your Beauceron is the first and the most crucial step involved in training him successfully. As soon as you bring your Beauceron home, you must first try to develop a caring and loving relationship with him in order to win his trust and confidence.

When Beaucerons are secure in the knowledge that they belong to the family, they are more likely to respond better to their owners training commands. Just like with any relationship, there must be mutual trust and respect between you and your Beauceron.

Trust takes time to develop and respect comes from defining boundaries and treating any breach of those boundaries with firmness and fairness.

Without enforceable limitations, respect can’t be developed. And when there is no respect, building a bond with your Beauceron is almost impossible.

4 Golden Rules To Building A Relationship With Your Beauceron :

• Spend quality time together;

• Take him out in the world and experience life together;

• Establish and promote a level of mutual respect; and

• Develop a way of communicating to understand each others needs.

Building a bond with your Beauceron will not only help you manage him better but will also make your Beauceron calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.

Love Your Beauceron and He Will Love You back

Once youre succesful in building a bond with your Beauceron, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.

Learn how to bond with your Beauceron with this free mini course.

How Your Beauceron Learns...

Your Beaucerons learning period can be divided into five phases:

The Teaching Phase - This is the phase where you must physically demonstrate to your Beauceron exactly what you want him to do.

The Practicing Phase - Practice makes Perfect. Once a lesson is learnt, practice with your Beauceron what you have just taught him.

The Generalizing Phase - Here you must continue practicing with your Beauceron in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your Beauceron out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever youve taught him.

Practicing the learned lessons in multiple locations and in the presence of small distractions will help him learn and retain lessons better .

The Testing Phase - Once youre sure that your Beauceron has achieved almost 90% success....he responds correctly almost every time you give a command, you must start testing his accuracy in newer locations with a lot of distractions.

Example: Take him to the local shopping mall and ask him to obey your command. He may not come up with the correct response the very first time you do this, but you must not lose hope.

The idea is to test your Beauceron to see how he responds in an environment which is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your Beauceron.

There are only 2 possibilities:

• Your Beauceron succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)

• In case your Beauceron fails, re-examine the situation. Review and/or change your training. Then try testing again.

Keep on testing until he succeeds. Follow the rule of the 3 Ps – patience, persistence, praise.

Internalizing Phase - Finally, comes the extremely rewarding phase where your Beauceron does everything he is taught to do even without your commands.

Remember:

• Never scold your Beauceron if he fails. Its not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!

• You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.

• Appreciate and love your Beauceron when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your Beauceron.

• Beauceron Training is easy when you do it right.

Learn how to train your Beauceron better with this free mini course.

Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

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Jades First Time at the Movie Theater

Tonight my better half and I went to the movies, and for the first time took Jade with us.  Shes never been to the movie theater, and Ive always been weary of bringing her just because the movies are always so loud. Ive always wondered if itd ruin her hearing, or cause her unneeded stress.  Its true that  a Service Dog is allowed to accompany a disabled person WHEREVER that person can go, or decides to go....but a good and smart Service Dog handler considers the situation in which they place their Service Dog.

I wasnt sure if Jade was ready, but again, she amazed me, as usual.  She was just as calm and relaxed as could be, as she always is when on the job. I brought her a small blanket that Id crocheted a long time ago to help her feel more comfortable. Its the same blanket I keep on her bed.

We entered the mall where the theater is located and Jades been in there several times in the past.  Nothing unusual, but it was fairly packed; which was odd for a Monday evening.  We found out why when we arrived to see some people dressed in costume as Star Trekies. Jades used to being in large crowds and that doesnt phase her at all. Once we bought our tickets, we headed for the elevator, because as Ive stated on my blog many times, the one thing you should NEVER do as a SD handler is to take your dog on an escalator.  Its way too dangerous for your dog, but some handlers are less inclined to consider their dogs safety.  Jade is great with elevators....never had a problem.  The first time she got on an elevator was at the mall, and it was as though shed ridden in them her whole life.

Jade at 11 weeks

So we arrived on the top floor to get our popcorn and drinks, and Jade waiting patiently in line with us, doing a "front."  This is where she moves to the front position, in front of me, sideways, parallel to the service counter, and sits and waits patiently.  Once we had our goodies, we headed to the theater, and I thought, this is where she could get a bit stressed since this is totally new to her.  Its not like the old days anymore, where the lights are on in the theater and its very bright until the previews start and the lights dim; the theater is already dark upon entry. Without hesitation, so as not to make Jade think something was wrong, we entered the theater and found the handicap seating toward the front. I squatted down to avoid getting in peoples way, and spread the little blanket next to my seat for her.  Jade got right on the blanket and did a perfect down/stay.  For a little while, she watched the big screen intently, with her ears up and alert, turning her head from side to side.  It was as if she was watching the movie, but Im certain she was trying to ascertain whether the people on the screen were real or inside that screen-like thing, like the one we have at home, only smaller.  :)  I watched her out of the corner of my eye for a while looking for any signs of stress, but then she lay her head between her front paws and began to doze a bit.  She stayed right there until the movie was over!

What an amazing dog! I swear this dog NEVER ceases to amaze me.  She makes me proud!

The one very NOT new experience we had was all the folks at the theater staring at us as we entered the building, waited in line, entered the theater, exited the theater, etc.  I really dont like people staring at us, but I suppose its to be expected.  People dont usually see service dogs every day, although I wish they did.  I wish there were more of them out and about.  Theres always at least one small child that says something like, "Look mommy, theres a dog!" or "Hey that lady has a dog!"  Cant get anything passed the children, especially a dog! :)

Jade hanging out with buddies

What I  absolutely get tired of and find absolutely RUDE and DISRESPECTFUL are those people who say things like "Whats wrong with you?"  or "Why do you need a dog, youre not blind?!" or "What are you training her for?" and the most annoying one...."Isnt it hard to give them away once you have them trained?!"

I really dont mind people asking questions, inquiring about her training, her breed or making conversation about service dogs, etc.  I dont even mind when people stop to tell me about their Uncles friends service dog, etc. as long as Im not in a rush, and Im MORE than willing to take a moment to help educate others on the value of service dogs and such, or even to let someone pet her, especially children...that is, IF THEY ASK!

In summary, it was the very first time Jade attended the movies with me, and she was masterful! It was as though shed been doing this her whole life.  You amaze me, Jade! Youre the BEST DOG in the world!

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