SSD Team Training Winter 2010

Here is the video I made of the four teams who completed Team Training:

The Teams passed their public access tests!

Check out Natalie doing a search! :

Susquehanna Service Dogs: SSD Team Training at the Whitaker Center

Two Days I Will Never Forget

I spent this past Tuesday and Wednesday at SSD's Team Training. It was definitely worth taking a couple days off work. My initial reason for going was to see Natalie working with her new partner, but I ended up witnessing so much more.

The four teams had only been together a little over a week, yet I saw the bond between dog and person already forming. Though Natalie was excited to see me, she quickly fell back into working with her partner and handler (his mom). I was afraid she would be distracted by me being there and look to me for direction since that's what she was accustomed to, but she didn't. Sure, from time to time she would look at me like, "Hey, why are you over there and not here with me?" but mostly she kept her attention on her job. Though some might find this to be sad, I was actually very happy to see that. The last thing I would want is for her to pine over me. To see her give all of her attention to Carlisle and his mom & dad, reassured me that she was content with her new family.

Natalie was not the only one who looked content, all of the dogs seemed to be enjoying training with their partners. I saw SSD Lil pull and hold open a heavy door for her partner.  SSD Gnat pulled his partner across the room in her manual wheelchair.  And SSD Coriander filed her own nails for partner, a task he taught her himself. Most importantly, I always saw everyone smiling. The two and a half weeks of Team Training are brutal for both dog and person, but everyone took it in stride and continued to work as hard as possible each day.

As a Puppy Raiser, Team Training is the best time to see the effect your dog has on its new partner. On Tuesday we walked around the Harrisburg mall and I got to see first hand how Natalie will help to change her partner's life. I had to fight back tears as I watched her climb into Carlisle's lap, effectively ending an impending meltdown. As soon as she made contact with him, a smile spread across Carlisle's face. It was the most gratifying moment for me.

Everyone always asked me how I was going to be able to give Natalie up. All I can say is, when you see the impact your dog makes on somebody's life, it all becomes worth it. I'm so proud of Natalie for all she's achieved. A part of me will always miss her, but I will never regret my decision to raise a service dog. I would suffer heart break over and over again to give someone that gift, because it is the most precious gift you can give.

Susquehanna Service Dogs: Team Training

Susquehanna Service Dogs: Team Training

A Proud Moment

This past weekend was my last with Natalie. Today I lost the right to refer to her as "my dog", because today she officially became her partner's dog. I cried this morning on the way to drop her off at the kennel when that thought occurred to me, but I also knew this was the very thing I had wanted all along. All I can be is grateful for the time I had with her as my own.

I realized something significant today, something that everyone had been trying to tell me all along. As I thought about how happy I was for Natalie, it hit me that I truly should be proud of her- and of me. It takes a special dog to make it all the way to becoming a service dog. It's certainly not an easy feat. Among other things, a service dog must be calm, patient, brave, dependable, and focused. Not every dog is cut out for the life of a working dog. For Natalie to be the first service dog I raised, and to have her make it through all the hurdles to becoming a certified service dog, is certainly something I can be proud of.

I would never take all the credit for Natalie being the dog she is today, though. I tried my best to shape her into a wonderful companion, but I also know she was already a great dog to begin with. I've believed she had the makings of a service dog since she was a puppy. Natalie was always so focused and driven. She loved learning new cues and enjoyed training in public. As she grew and matured, it became a game for me to find new things to challenge her with- a new store, more advanced behaviors- she was always ready and willing.

Though I will miss her, I know in my heart that Natalie will be doing what she was born to do. And I know for certain that she will adore her job as a service dog.

My Ode to Puppy Raisers

I set out two years ago to do something I'd never done before- take an adorable puppy into my home and raise it as my own for a year and a half. Seems easy enough, but here's the catch- I was raising the puppy for someone I didn't even know, a complete stranger. After I spent a year and a half training, loving, and bonding with the puppy, I would give it up for them. When you put it like that, it seems crazy. Who would take on this huge endeavor, fully knowing it would lead to heart break in the end? Puppy Raisers, that's who.

I've learned that it take the right person- a combination of loving, nurturing, steadfast determination, and selflessness- to be a Puppy Raiser. To want to take home an eight week old puppy, get it through the awful stages of housebreaking and teething, devote countless hours to training it, and spend everyday loving it, only to give it up once it has become a solid, dependable adult, certainly takes a special kind of person. I feel honored, for the first time, to be able to say I am one of those people and to now be among the ranks of all of you who do this time and time again. Without you, the magical matching of dog and person would not be possible.

Months ago, I would have said that I was dreading the date of Natalie's Team Training. Back then, it signified our final goodbye. Now, however, I look forward to the second week when I can go watch Natalie and her partner become a true team. Like many of you, I know the initial feeling of sadness and regret when you get that call that your dog has been matched. You know you shouldn't feel that way, yet for that one moment, you get caught up in yourself. But, I also know that in the days after the news, you'll realize that this was your dogs' calling all along. That life as a pet would be mundane compared to the things they'll do with their partners. And that if changing someone's life by giving them the independence they've always hoped for means your heart has to break a little, then that's OK.

I garuntee the day Natalie graduates with her partner I will be a mess. I'll probably go through an entire box of tissues. But now I know that it will be because I am so very proud of her. I was lucky enough to get to meet her partner and his family at the fundraiser. It didn't take long after talking with them for me to realize that this is the perfect match for Natalie. In fact, I'm not sure I could have found a better match for her myself.

The number one question I was asked while raising Natalie was whether I would do it again after I gave her up. I always said yes without really putting any thought into it. Though one would think that the closer I go to having to say goodbye to Natalie, the less I would want to do it all over again, the opposite is actually true. I cannot think of a more rewarding experience than being a Puppy Raiser. Yes, it has its downsides, but when you see that dog who once ate your socks and chewed your mouse cord standing next to the person they were destined to help, that all vanishes.

So, I'd like to congratulate all of the Raisers, Sitters, and countless volunteers who make Team Trainings and graduations possible every year. All of your hard work truly pays off.

To the lucky partners who will receive these fantastic dogs, I wish them to experience the endless love and devotion all of the dogs have to offer. It will change your life as it has mine, and all of ours.

To the dogs themselves, I wish them many carefree days spent working side-by-side with your partner. And I hope you never look back, but you never forget, all the ones who love you in the place you left.

Snow Day

Natalie had fun playing in the snow with her big "brother" Koal today. I took them out in it again a couple hours ago and at this point the snow is so high she has to bound over it (very cute)! She really enjoyed fetching the tennis ball in the snow. I'd throw it and she would race across the yard, dive head first into the spot she saw the ball disappear, and then come up shaking with it in her mouth. I had a good laugh the first time I witnessed this. Amazingly, she actually found the ball most of the time. Sometimes she would have to search for it a little (frantic digging and nosing would ensue) and we did lose 3 balls out there, but she was surprisingly successful for how deep the snow is.

Natalie's home for two weeks for her Winter holiday break. It's good to have her back. I don't always notice how much I miss having her around until she's hear again. We went to the mall last night and she was on her best behavior. Her trainer, Cindi, gave me the handle that her boy will use for us to practice with over the break. I haven't put it on her harness yet, but I'm planning on working with her on some other things tomorrow so we can add that in as well. I've noticed that she now seems to think "sit" means she should sit for a second and then she's free to stand again so I want to work on that with her tomorrow. Also, we'll work on her out-of-sight down/stays as Cindi suggested. I think she probably just needs a refresher on that because I know she used to be pretty good with them.

Here are some pictures from today:

Happy 2nd Birthday Small Wonders!

Natalie on her first birthday

Today the Small Wonders litter turned two, so Happy Birthday to SSDs Gnat, Lil, Midge, Mitey, Peanut, Penny (now the UN's Jade), and Natalie (formerly Barely)!!!

Wise beyond her years

It used to take a lot to make me cry, but it seems to happen more and more frequently the closer Natalie gets to being placed with her partner. I feel like a parent who's watched her child grow up, graduate from college and now has to say goodbye as she watches them move on with their life- to bigger & better things. On one hand, it's sad.... Natalie has been a big part of my life for the last (nearly) two years. I can't deny that I've become quite attached to her. But, there's still that other hand...

As Natalie grew and matured from a fuzzy, little puppy to a sleek, mature adult, I was aware that she was something special, something different. When other dogs her age would have ignored their natural instinct and let loose, she often surpised me by embracing it. She comforted people when they most needed it- even if it meant she had to spend time away from me (which was generally unheard of). She walked next to a wheelchair, with little guidance, like she'd been doing it her entire life. She learned new cues with a great determination to figure out exactly what was being asked of her. Walking amongst 42,000 students on campus at Penn State, she amazed me by ignoring every single one of them and focusing solely on her job. It was after all of this that I realized what I had unconsciously known for quite some time- that Natalie was born to be someone's Service Dog.

Last Winter, I took Nattie to the dog park in State College to burn off some energy. Natalie loves to run and especially loves being chased by other dogs, so I was happy to see a large group of dogs there that day for her to play with. But, as I stood at one end of the enclosed field talking to the owners, I couldn't find her playing amongst the other dogs. My eyes scanned the field and finally stopped at the far side where someone's little boy was wandering. Tears sprang to my eyes as I took in the sight; there right by his side was my Natalie. As the boy walked aimlessly around she followed him step-for-step, completely glued to him. The other dogs ran wildly around, but Nat ignored them all to instead listen to the boy chatter nonsense in her ear. Until then, I hadn't considered the possibility of her being placed with a child. It seemed to me that most of the dogs went to people in wheelchairs. But as I watched the pair of them trek through their own imagined world, I realized how magical that could be.

I thought I knew how much getting a Service Dog meant to the people who need them, but when I read the blog created for Natalie's partner, I was completely blindsided. I read how they had been on the waiting list for 2 years and tears welled in my eyes, already threatening to fall with that one thought. Two years....Natalie was born almost exactly two years ago. Was this who she was destined for all along? As I got to the most recent posts, where they had first met Natalie and then been informed by SSD that she had been matched with them, with him- "her" boy, I could tell how much this meant to the family. It was then that I knew I would be able to do this, to give this gift of Natalie to someone I don't even know. I always known it would be hard to say the final goodbye to her, but I am now certain that she is doing what she was always meant to do. And I look forward to that day at graduation when I can officially hand SSD Natalie over to her partner.

Halloween 2009
"Baaaaahhhh"

Natalie's very special birthday dinner

I've been trying to think of something meaningful to do for Natalie's 2nd birthday (and last with me) for a while now. Finally, I realized the answer was right in front of me the whole time- Natalie herself! So, I decided I wanted to figure out a way to celebrate Nattie's successful journey to becoming a service dog, her birthday, AND her new partnership all together.

The answer was Isaac's. Isaac's allows you to host "community nights" where 25% of supporters' food and drink bills go to your cause. The total cost to raise and train service dogs from puppies to adults is $20,000. Through SSD's personal grants and fundraising, this is reduced to about $5,000 per partner. That's still a pretty hefty price, though well worth it, therefore I decided to raise the money at Isaac's for Natalie's new family. It may not end up being much, but I hope it helps some.

Below are the emails between me and the coordinator of the community nights at Isaac's. I'm very excited to get this all set up!

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Hi Debra,

I'm hoping to be able to team up with Isaac's in order to fundraise for a cause that's very dear to me. I am a volunteer Puppy Raiser for Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD), located in Harrisburg, PA. For the past year and a half I have been raising SSD Natalie for them. Natalie has been a special part of my life. I brought her home at 8 weeks old, when "home" at the time was an apartment off-campus at Penn State, University Park. Natalie grew up as a true Penn Stater; she accompanied me to classes, visited friends' dorms, rode the jam-packed campus buses, showed her Penn State pride on football weekends by donning a jersey, and even walked in my graduation with me. She was well-received by faculty and students alike as a much-needed doggie stress reliever and a welcomed break from the almost dog-less campus. In July, Natalie entered Advanced Training at SSD, meaning she went on to the SSD kennel to learn the tasks she would need to know in order to help her future partner. Natalie comes home to stay with me each weekend, part of SSD's kennel stress-relieving program, and though I've missed having her by my side all the time, I've known for a while now that she is ready to become a full-fledged Service Dog for someone in need. Happily, a few weeks ago Natalie was matched with a little boy who has Autism. As his certified Service Dog, she will accompany and support him through his life. In February, Natalie and her boy will go through "Team Training," a rigorous two-week training period that readies both the human and dog partners for their future working life together. I know this is the perfect match for Natalie as she has always loved children and will be ecstatic to have her "very own" little boy.

Natalie turns two on December 1st and in thinking of a special way to celebrate her birthday, I thought of what I could do for her new family. The total cost of raising and training a puppy to become a Service Dog is $20,000. Through SSD's personal fundraising and grants, the price is reduced to about $5,000 per client. Although this reduction is significant, the cost is still a lot for many families. I would like to host a night at Isaac's in honor of Natalie's birthday, her successful journey to becoming a Service Dog, and her little boy in which the money raised will go to the boy's family to help with the cost they will have to pay for her. I would like to do it on or near December 1st and at a location in the Harrisburg area. If possible, I was thinking of potentially hosting another night at your West Chester (where I'm from) location so that friends and family in that area could attend as well.

Please let me know if any of this is possible and if you have any questions for me. Feel free to check out SSD's website at http://www.keystonehumanservices.org/ssd/ssd.php for more information on them. I've attached a couple pictures of Natalie as well. :)

Thank you,
Alicia Gautille
....

Hi Alicia,

Thank you for your email. I have organized thousands (literally) of fundraisers and your email brought tears to my ears! We would be delighted to partner with you and what a wonderful way to celebrate Natalie’s birthday and new life.

In a nutshell, here is how our fun and easy Community Night fundraiser works:

1. Isaac's donates 25% of food and beverage sales, from 5:00 p.m. through 9:00 p.m., on a Sunday through Thursday night, at the one Isaac's restaurant of your choice. (Our Granite Run, West York, Lionville, and Lemoyne Isaac’s do not do fundraisers on Mondays.) We send the check to your charitable organization within 2-3 weeks of your fundraiser.

2. Each participant hands in a flyer that indicates to our server they are part of your fundraiser. (I am attaching a sample flyer. You can revise this one or make up a new one...either way, I need to approve it before distribution.)

3. You do not receive credit from our regular diners (customers dining without your flyer) and you may not hand out your flyer in our parking lot or in our restaurant to customers not associated with your fundraiser.

4. Please follow this link to our fundraising calendar to pick your date and restaurant: http://www.isaacsdeli.com/fundraising_calendar.asp and then let me know.

5. The more participants you bring into our restaurant, the bigger our 25% donation is to you. YOU are responsible for promoting this event (posters, flyers, emails, contacting local news media, if desired, etc. etc.)....we do not do it for you. So, the harder you work, the more money you will make. How much you make is really up to you!

This entire fundraiser is really quite simple and lots of fun for your organization...and everyone needs to eat! I look forward to your reply and the privilege of working with your organization.

Sincerely,

Debra M.
Community Care Coordinator
Isaac's Restaurant & Deli




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Praise from her sitters

Service Dogs don't only need to learn how to work for their partner, they also need to learn how to relax and be as well-behaved at home as they are in public. For this reason, the trainers at SSD like to send the dogs in-training to a different sitter other than the dog's regular one (usually its Puppy Raiser) for 2 weekends in a row. This allows them to see how the dog behaves around someone it doesn't know. Does the dog still have good house manners and will it respond to someone it hasn't previously trained with? These are things they like to find out before the dog is placed with its partner.

Recently Natalie went to a family for two weekends in a row, who happen to own her uncle discharged SSD Steele. I was fortunate enough to receive from them the report they handed in to SSD after the two weekends were up. The following is that report and it sounds like Natalie had a great time! :)

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Natalie is a delight. She is well behaved, attentive and very affectionate. She loves (needs) to be with you, touching you, on your lap, pasted up against you at night,etc. She is a cuddler at night in bed.

She did very well at work. She never barked, would lay down at my feet if I stopped to talk to someone and spent the day in my office chewing on bones or resting on the big dog bed.

She left us know when she needed to go out. We could leave her alone in the house without being crated and she didn’t get into anything.

She immediately bonded with Steel and us and showed no signs of stress even that first weekend we had her. No panting, excessive drinking, whining, chewing, loose bowels, nothing.

She is very playful and likes to chase balls. She loved the dog park (we went 3 times) and got along with everyone.

She did not chase our cat or eat cat poop.

She loves to train and learns fast. I was working with Steel on the Easy button and unless someone else has done this with her she picked it up faster than Steel when I added the cue.

She does hump Steel. I have not seen her do it to any other dog and it is probably a dominance thing. He could care less.

We worked on elevators, stairs, entering and exiting doors without pulling and loose leash walking. I used her head halter in public but spent a little time each evening at home going in and out of our front door without it. I also worked her without it going into the dog park. It took us a very long time to get from the car to the park because of it. This is hard for her. We also took one walk a night without it. She actually is doing 100% better on our evening walk then the first time we had her. She generally pulls only when she has to go to the bathroom and then walks fairly nicely the rest of the way. We usually walk about 2 miles.

We worked her on both sides but she prefers the left and does better on the left. I have to admit we worked left more than right because that is what I am use to with most of the other dogs.

I only had her bark once coming out of the car when she saw the neighbors on their bikes. She also barked at me when we were working on getting to the dog park entrance and because of her pulling it was taking a long time.

She showed no signs of fear at the office, church, traffic or PA Ren Faire. We went to the Ren faire on 10/10 and she was great. She was not bothered by the greyhounds, elephant, noise or costumes. She laid at our feet when we watched shows or ate. For one show, she laid in Aaron’s lap while he sat on the ground. with people all around them. The only two spots that were a little challenging was the area where they were shooting marshmallows at people. However, she had her head collar on and it wasn’t really a problem. Then a man ask to pet her and unfortunately he was wearing a rabbit skin (real) codpiece which she found very interesting and sniffed him. We had to end the greeting. She did very nice greetings. We were there about 4 ½ hours.

On Sunday we took her to church and she stayed with Steel in the pew while we took communion up front. We ate at Isaac’s and she laid by my feet and then we took her swimming at the indoor pool in Dillsburg. She loved that. Both dogs swam and retrieved for about an hour.

She still has a lot of puppy in her but as I said, she is a delight. She loves people and loves being with them.

Updates!

About a month ago, Barely was matched with a little boy who has Autism. Due to circumstances relating to his disability, her name was changed to Natalie. Natalie, fondly referred to as "Bratalie" by myself and those aware of her bratty tendencies, will be placed with her partner in February. She has been in Advanced Training at the SSD kennel since July and will continue learning her Service Dog tasks until she is placed.

I am very proud of little Nattie and know the team of her and a little boy will be a perfect fit. She's always loved kids and will be in Heaven to have her very own boy! :-)

Penn Stat Alumni

Today Barely walked with me in my graduation ceremony at Penn State. She was awesome the entire 2 hours we were there. We waited in line to go into the auditorium for about 45 minutes, during which she either stood beside me, sat or lied down. Then once we got inside, she lied quietly at my feet while we waited to go up and receive "our" degree. I couldn't have asked her to be any better as we walked across the stage and I received my diploma and shook hands with the president and faculty. My parents even commented at how well she walked across the stage. It was as if she didn't know about 400 people were watching us (and maybe she actually didn't!).

After the ceremony, we went to a brunch hosted by the College of Agricultural Sciences (I'm an animal science major). So many people came up to us to tell me how well behaved she was and to ask me questions about her. Even the Animal Science Advising Coordinator came up to me and told me she was so glad I brought Barely. She said it made the major and college look really "cool" and was a good way to show future students in the audience the fun things they can do while attending Penn State. I was so glad to here that everyone enjoyed her being there and even more glad that I brought her.

For the past year and a half, Barely has been an integral part of my college life and life as a whole. When we walked across that stage together today, I felt like it was the perfect way to close our chapter together. Bare is going to Advanced Training on July 5th and I couldn't be prouder of her. It's funny to think back to last Spring Semester at school and remember her as a crazy, little puppy and then to fast forward to today and see how she has matured into a beautiful young dog. I truly believe she will be the perfect Service Dog for someone.

My biggest fear is that her attachment to me will end up hindering her transition into becoming a Service Dog. Although it breaks my heart to say it, my greatest wish is that she will be able to move on and find the same connection with someone who truly needs her. I feel as though I have readied her for her future career the best I possibly could and it will be with immense pride that I hand her off to her partner during the graduation ceremony next Spring.

Barely's patience, loyalty, and endless love are sure to make her the most incredible Service Dog there ever was.

Busy Barely

I haven't updated in a while because I have been incredibly busy these past couple of weeks. Barely has been doing well with her continued training. I received an email 2 weeks ago saying Barely was to go into Advanced training April 5th, but then it was decided the trainers would not have enough time to devote to her so she will be going into AT in June/July with the rest of her litter. Phew!

The last two weekends, Barely and I visited our good friends in Lititz. Barely loves hanging out with her BFF Gretel and there are always a lot of other doggie friends there to play with including SSD Ross, (discharged) SSD Liberty, SSD Bryce, The Chihuahuas- Hansel, Feliz, Bo, & Kiwi; and Stella the Dachshund! Barely and Hansel's friendship had a bit of a rocky start but they have been getting closer the more we all hang out! :)

One weekend we went to the lake and all the dogs (all the Labs, anyway) went swimming. Bare still isn't sure about the whole "swimming" part, but she likes to splash around in the shallows where her feet can remain on the ground! She also likes to wait for Gretel to bring the toy back to shore and then pounce on her and steal it...ya gotta do, what ya gotta do!

This weekend Bare and I are once again taking a road trip to Lititz for Miss Gretel's 3rd birthday! We can't wait to see everyone and celebrate this momentous occasion!

More Progress!

For a couple months now I have been working with Barely to get her to walk across sewer grates and similar things in streets and on sidewalks. She always avoided them and even luring her with treats was unsuccessful. I kept working on it and got her to the point (through shaping for it) that she would put her front to paws on it but then she would hop the rest of the way over it. Well the other day all of my hard work paid off. As we walked around campus, I started steering her towards the grates on the sidewalks. She initially surprised me when she walked calmly over one that she has been avoiding since she was a pup and then surprised me even more when she began seeking out other grates for the click and treat reward. If she saw a grate in the direction we were walking she would purposefully walk over it instead of going around it as usual. I was so excited by this new development that I even took her to one we had first started training on. I hadn't been back to that one since, but she had always been particularly wary of it and would put one paw on the edge at best. This time when we approached it she walked right onto it without any cue from me and with complete confidence!

All Grown Up

Barely never ceases to amaze me. Yesterday in English class she was phenomenal. She lied quietly under my desk during class. So quietly, in fact, that a student 3 seats away from us was so shocked to see a dog emerge from under the desk at the end of class he exclaimed, "Holy shit! Where'd that dog come from?!?!" I took that as a big compliment that Barely was so good he didn't even know she was there. Many other students and my professor commented on how good she was. Go Bare! :)

Then last night Barely and I went with a friend to Champs bar & grill for dinner and the Flyers game. Barely was an angel considering the (literally) hordes of people there and immense noise. She lied patiently under our table while we ate and then under the bar stool when we moved to watch the game. She did get tripped over twice because she refused to lie down out of the way, but then I was able to convince her it would be better for her to tuck herself under the stool. Towards the end of the game she gave up watching me intently for the next treat and started to fall asleep. (see picture above)

Just now I took her for a walk down the block and she surprised me once again. I decided to not use her Easy Walk to see how she did and was dumbfounded. She was amazing! She kept the leash slack about 90% of the time, the other 10% being when she pulled me over to the grass to do her potty dance or smelled something particularly interesting. But even with those few indiscretions, she was awesome. Not since she was a puppy have I been able to have a nice relaxing walk with her with only a collar and leash! I guess all that LLW work paid off!

Barely Goes Back to Class

Since Barely has been doing so well with not whining during extended down/stays in public, I decided to start easing her back into going to class with me. The class I chose for her today was my Microbiology lecture. As you might imagine, a Micro lecture at Penn State is quite large, so I chose a seat in the front row where Barely couldn't become easily distracted by all the students. She immediately settled into a down stay while I sat down and got myself settled. A few minutes later my professor walked in and suddenly noticed her there. Worried that he might object, I started explaining that I was training her and asked if he minded but was cut off mid-sentence by him saying "Oh cool! Don't you leave class early now!" Sure enough at the end of class he came over before we could leave and said hi to Barely. I was so glad he was so cool and supportive about it. :)

Anyway, during class Barely was really good. I only heard her whine a single time, very softly but when I ignored it and then treated her for being quiet a little later, it never happened again. She did stand up a few times next me, but she was quiet about it and didn't browse around on the floor so I would wait until she went back into a down on her own and treat her. It was a pretty long class (an hour and 15 minutes) to take her to after her few months of hiatus, but overall I think she did really well. I'm hoping to take her to English class tomorrow. Wish us luck! :)

Small Steps

I think Barely and I have finally reached the turning point in her training. By this I mean that she has now done two lengthy down/stays for me in populated places without whining once! If you've read my Whining thread you know that this has been a major issue with Barely. Well, last weekend Barely and I accompanied Gretel & Linzey to Barnes & Noble where we sat in the Starbucks cafe area talking and reading magazines for a while (and by a while I mean over an hour). Barely snuggled up to Gretel and fell asleep for most of the time. She remained in a down/stay just about the entire time. (I'd also like to mention aka brag that I told her to stay and left to use the bathroom and she never moved once the entire time I was gone!)

Then tonight at Cold Stone, Barely surprised me again by lying nicely next to our little table while I had ice cream with a friend. Our table had the unfortunate position of being right next to the door where a long line formed. However, Barely was an angel and didn't pay attention to anyone unless they talked to directly to her in which case she looked at them and wagged her tail but still didn't move. It was easy enough to get her attention back after this too. A girl even stepped over Barely and she didn't budge or even look at the girl! I know this all doesn't mean we're completely past the problem yet, but I'm happy with these small successes.

Barely was also wonderful as we walked around campus today enjoying the weather. She gave me nice attention and ignored the hordes of students walking around. When we entered buildings, she hit the door open buttons dead-on on the first try just about every time. This is also a major success for Barely because it used to take her a few tries to actually hit the button right so the door would open.

Overall, I'm just very pleased with how Barely is coming along!

Harness Shmarness

Barely's recently been showing some harness sensitivity. She generally walks away when I hold it up for her to "get dressed," a command she once loved. This all become evident to the trainers at SSD when they did her 12-month eval and they said to discontinue use of it until a later date. Well, not that I don't think they know what they're talking about because they obviously do, but I decided to instead work intensely with Barely everyday and try to get her back to where she once was.

Tonight I first started with her favorite treat in the world: cheese. She was very willing to put her head in the harness for that! We kept repeating the "get dressed" cue over and over. Then I left the harness on her and practiced having her listen to commands with it (which is also part of the problem). She did well at this so I decided to take a break for a little while.

When I started again about an hour later, she still was showing some reluctance to put her head through the harness so I decided to change tactics. It's obvious Barely will willing put her head through it if she knows she's getting a treat, but she should be able to do it anytime- treat or no treat. So, when she tentatively stuck her nose through I praised her with a very excited "Good girl!!"and lots of pets then asked for her to get dressed again. She again stuck her nose in a little but wasn't sure so I repeated my praise. The 3rd time she stuck her head through and I erupted with complete excitement and plenty of "good girls" and "you're so smart!" She quickly got excited and loved the attention. Her tail started wagging faster and faster (something it doesn't do when I first put her harness on) and she rubbed up against me for more pets. We repeated this exercise several more times and each time I asked her to "get dressed" she would exuberantly shove her head through it and get visibly happy when I praised and pet her. I think this is a step in the right direction and I want to keep working on it every day.

My buddy

So I came down with a bad cold for the third time in the past month or so and have been exhuasted all day. After classes I slept for about 3 hours. Bare was so good at just curling up on my bed and napping with me. I could tell after a while she was totally bored but she stayed with me. It's so nice having a buddy to stick with you when you're feeling pretty crappy. I think we're both feeling a little off since she's going through her puberty thing and I'm sick again. I don't know what I would do without my little buddy always here making me feel better. :)