Grizzley's Blog Page

Grizzley did finally get his own blog. He is in a different program but with the same organization. He is being trained as a hearing response dog. His blog is:

http://allaboutgrizzley.blogspot.com/

We had a pretty normal day today. I baked dog biscuits all day for a fundraiser for American Assistance Dogs and Bear played with both dogs off and on. He got a bone filled with peanut butter(one of his favorites). Then he was put in a time out in his kennel for barking outside. Actually, he got time in his kennel twice for doing that. It's really weird. He's not barking at anything. He's either walking around and barking as he's walking and sniffing the ground, or he's running back and forth by the fence and barking. Either way, it's totally unacceptable as a service dog AND as a member of my household. Barking is okay to alert you to something and if they are playing. Anything else is not okay. In both acceptable instances Bear has to stop if I tell him to. He's about 50-50 for obeying at that time.

Go To Your Place!

Bones and Kong's filled with peanut butter, canned cheese, or soft dog food are Bear's favorite. It keeps him busy for about 10 minutes unless we freeze it first. Then he's busy for at least a 1/2 hour. This is a great cheap toy AND you can wash the bones and Kong's in the dishwasher. Bear is also sitting on his bed which is another training piece. We taught him the command, "Go to your place!" and he runs for his pillow. Then he lays down on it and waits for me to give the okay. I had never taught this before so it's a thrill to see him do it! This is a wonderful command for them when company comes over. You can give this command and they go to their pillow until you tell them they can get off.

Bear, Kiya, and Grizzley are playing the ever popular game of keep away. Kiya dropped the ball and Grizzley is seconds from pouncing on it.  

Here are all three dogs at the grazing patch. You can't even see Grizzley. 

Bear and Kiya are your typical older siblings. They have figured out a way to "ditch" Grizzley. They jump onto the 2 foot wall and Grizzley can't. Then they play on the hill while he watches. Poor Grizzley! 

TUG!

Here are Bear and Grizzley playing tug of war. This is an excellent intro to the command "tug". The next step is to play with them so they get used to doing it with a person. You also need to let them win most of the time to boost their confidence. We use "tug" to open drawers, doors, refrigerators, etc. It's one of the basic commands.

Fazoli's

This was the most embarassing outing I have had with Bear (so far!). My kids and I went to Fazoli's. Parking was difficult because the place was VERY busy plus it was raining like crazy. We ran into the building and we eventually ordered. Bear was pretty good in line. He tried lunging at things on the floor but I kept reminding him to "leave it" and he would.

We went to get our drinks and I grabbed a to-go container and filled it with ice for Bear. We found a booth, he went underneath, and I gave him the container of ice. Wonderful! Things were going great!

THEN......he ran out of ice to eat. We had already waited about 10 minutes for our food and it still wasn't there. Bear kept trying to get out from under the booth. He would go back under when I dragged him under. He was not following commands but rather looking at me like I was a nuisance. I blocked his exit with my leg resting on the other seat. He tried climbing over my leg!

Then the barking started. I already had a number of people who were close by watching me. Talk about pressure - although I have learned to tune them out. He barked a little short bark. The people within about 10 feet glanced over. I reached down and grabbed his nose and sternly said, "NO BARK!". Then I let go. He barked again a little louder. I did the same thing again. Many people were looking around to locate the dog. I'm assuming he confirmed that they did in fact hear a "bark" the first time.

Then he barked REALLY loud! I am not kidding when I say that the entire restaurant stopped talking and everyone was looking for the dog. I glanced at the counter area and the staff even stopped and looked out into the restaurant. I really debated packing up and leaving however, we still had not gotten our food!!

I took him up to the counter and asked about our food and of course we then got it right away. Once the food was delivered, Bear still tried to get out from under the booth. He kept busy for about 5 minutes by shredding the to-go container he had. Then the antics started again. He did not however bark.

A little boy in the restaurant came over and wanted to pet him. For the first time, I said no. I explained that Bear was in training and today he's not doing very well so he can't be petted. Then I thanked him for coming over and asking and I apologized. I felt really bad but I knew that being petted was a reward and Bear was doing nothing rewarding. :)

We quickly finished our meal and went to Target. Target was pretty good. He did show an interest in everything on the shelves - which he never did before but he just sniffed things. He did not open anything up or chew on anything. A couple of people came over and wanted to pet him and I let them because Bear was doing well.

I am so thankful we only eat at Fazoli's once every 2 years!

NEW ARRIVAL!!

Meet Grizzley - no I did not name him! Ironic huh? He is a 14 week old brown and white mini-aussie. Grizzley is from the same program "American Assistance Dogs" but he's being trained to be a hearing response dog. I'm sure a new blog with his name will be cropping up soon too.

http://allaboutgrizzley.blogspot.com/

Here they are all together - Kiya, Bear, and Grizzley

Here are Bear and Grizzley playing. It was hard to get Grizzley in the picture because he was just running back and forth and Bear would try to stop him with his paw as he passed.

Here they are playing again. I think both are up in the air. 

Here's a pretty good picture of his face. Again, it's hard to get him to stop long enought for a picture.

Menard's

Guess where we went? Bear is really doing well with public access. I thought this would be a routine visit but instead we walked through their Halloween area and watched a couple of motion sensor ghosts and witches. Bear's ears went crazy but he didn't bark. He only watched.

Then we bought lumbar and went through the lumbar yard. He stayed in the back being very quiet. When it was time to load the boards - the lumber yard man opened the back hatch and there was Bear! Bear did great. He didn't bark or anything. He just moved out of the way so the board could be put in.

When we went through the gate again, the security guard opened the back hatch and Bear peeked up over the seat and surprised him. I thought for sure he would bark but he didn't. In fact, the guard gave him a dog treat for being so good. He even opened the side door to give it to him. Bear didn't bark, he took the treat from a stranger, and he did it nicely!

We did not get a chance to practice handicap doors because these doors were automatic. In fact, I've noticed that many of the doors in public places are automatic. Maybe teaching them to push that button will become obsolete in the future.


http://www.menards.com/

Busy Day

Bear and I had a VERY busy day yesterday. First we stopped at MIDAS for an oil change.

http://www.midas.com/index2.aspx

I thought it would be uneventful for him but then we heard the air compressor. At first he jumped and looked over at the glass door to the garage. Then he just watched as the mechanic sprayed off the tires on a Jeep. He did great!

Next we went to my kids' school to drop off a lunch. We ended up going into two classrooms and doing an impromptu speech. First we did a Kindergarten class. WOW! Does Bear ever love small kids. He had a hard time settling down and I'm sure it's because of the energy coming off the little people.

The 5-6 year old kids asked some great questions. "Is he a boy or a girl?, Does he bite?, Can he do any tricks?" This was a pretty easy group of questions. :) My main focus with kids this age is to explain that when they see a working dog in public, they can't pet them.

Then we went to the 4th and 5th grade class. The 5th grade kids met Bear back in May right after we got him so when we walked in they were shocked at how much he had grown. Their questions were much harder. "Do you prefer to work with certain breeds?, Are there different kinds of service dogs?, Are there other animals that help people in wheelchair's besides dogs?" Then they wanted to see Bear do something. Other than basic obedience, he's pretty reliable with "rise". So I showed them "rise" on a table. They all clapped for him and I don't think he really knew what to do. His ears were going every which way but he stayed on the table until I told him "okay". Then we left.

The command "okay" is a release word. When doing obedience you always need a release word so they know when they are done. If you say "sit, stay.", technically they should do that until you release them with "okay."

Next we went to my job. He was so happy to be there. I keep a blanket under my desk for him and that's exactly where he went to sleep for the rest of the work day. Everyone there was really good about respecting the "no pet" rule and they didn't touch him (much). :)

Please Help Hurricane Katrina Disaster Animal Victims

People have asked me for a place where they can send a donation to help the animals being rescued because of Hurricane Katrina.

Here is a site for a wonderful organization that I hope you'll take a look at:

http://www.noahswish.org/

Interesting Laws

I found some interesting information with regard to airline travel and service animals. Here is the link:

http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?content=090005198004a94a&print=yes

The Arcade

The arcade is a great training place. It's dark, noisy, and has lots of people. Sometimes we run into people who are afraid of dogs and we always go the other way quickly. I certainly do not want to make people afraid. We try to be as respectful as we can

Almost everywhere we go, people want to pet Bear. Prior to six months he needs to be petted. This is the only reward for having the jacket on. After the magic age of six months he is off-limits when working. I actually can tell that he is ready to be left alone. He seems to be determined at times and gets frustrated when people stop him. It's interesting how the dog lets you know when to put the "No Petting" patches on. If you notice Bear's current jacket - it does not have those patches on yet.

Bear was VERY interested in this kid. The game he was on required him to jump on squares at a rapid rate. Bear wanted to play so bad!

Bear and the cactus. He could not figure out why it hurt to sniff these. He kept wincing and doing it again. 

The Rainforest Cafe 

Here is bear checking out the crocodile in the pond. I noticed he's also sticking out his tongue in this picture. 

Here is a close-up of what's lurking in the "pond" at the restaraunt. This crocodile would chop its jaws and move in and out of the water.  

If you look above the arch there is a leopard. It growled and "roared". Bear barked once and then just watched it. He did a great job! 

Why I decided to do this.

I work for a non-profit in my town and our funders will visit from time to time. One of our funders is the State of Minnesota and they have grants analysts. Ours was Ann. She has been in a wheelchair for years. She may have been in a wheelchair since birth I'm not sure. I was the bookkeeper at the time and spent a lot of time with Ann when she'd come. The second time she came for her annual visit - she brought Boomer. He was this beautiful yellow lab. I immediately sat with her and talked to her about him. In our conversation, I asked her what difference he made for her. She told me three things.

1) He gave her security. We take for granted that we can run if we are about to be the victim of a crime. She can't. She always felt like a sitting duck. Boomer gives her the feeling that criminals will leave her alone because he will protect her.

2) He gave her independence. She no longer needed to rely on people for help with things like picking something up off the floor, pushing her up a hill, opening a door, carrying something, helping her put her shoes on, etc. We don't need help with those things and don't understand how humbling it is to have to ask.

3) She said Boomer made her a person. This one puzzled me the most. Ann explained that before Boomer people wouldn't look at her in public. They wouldn't say "Hi" when passing or "Good morning". They told their children not to stare. They would avoid eye contact. She felt invisible. Boomer came along and now complete strangers will look at her and smile. They will stop to talk to her about Boomer and they will stay talking to her just in general conversation. Boomer made her human - is what she told me. Even writing this I want to cry. I cannot imagine an existence where you don't feel human.

She is why I got involved many years later. I talked to her about how someone like me could help. Of course there is the regular cash donations but that goes outside of my ability. She then suggested puppy raising and talked about what that is. I thought about it for years. I got married, had children, got divorced and had many dogs along the way. Two of them I trained from puppies but my training ability was limited to basic obedience.

Then a year ago, I had my Golden Retriever stolen the night I was in the hospital having my appendix out. It was very heartbreaking because there is nothing I could physically do. My friends from work drove me around so I could holler out the window to see if she was around. They put 100's of posters up for me. They really helped me a lot. I couldn't do it by myself because I just had surgery. It was such a helpless feeling. I knew that she had been stolen though because she NEVER left my yard or left me. I never got any leads on her at all.

I still had my other dog Kiya. She was about 14 months old and really needed another dog to play with. I remembered my talk with Ann so many years before and decided to pursue it. I went on the internet and found 3 organizations that train service dogs. I got a response from one of them. I filled out the application and within 1 month they were placing Crosby with me. He was a beautiful yellow lab. He was also bred for field trials which meant that he needed to "be on" all the time - and he was! At one point, I tried to wear him out. We walked several miles and then went to the mall. He was just as energetic as he was before we walked. We walked a couple more miles until I was exhausted. When we got home, he immediately started wrestling with Kiya. It was unbelievable and I knew he was out of my league.

I called the coordinator of that organization and after talking decided it was best for her to take him personally and train him. I don't know if he ever made it or not. Hopefully, I will find out.

On my last entry I touched on the laws regarding service dog organizations. I also pointed out that there isn't a governing body. This is a huge problem because no one is making sure these dogs aren't being abused and that the training methods are humane and positive. There were too many questionable practices regarding volunteers, training methods, and treatment of clients with this organization. A group of us left that organization and shortly thereafter KSTP (one of Minneapolis' TV stations) ran a story about a client of theirs. It reminded us why we left.
Now, we work for this newly named organization "American Assistance Dogs" but it has actually been in existence for a long time. They used to be called "Therapy Dogs of Georgia". The woman who runs it decided to expand into service dog work the same time our group left the other organization. It was a win-win situation.

Our company is all about the dogs! We use ONLY positive training methods, the volunteers are treated with respect and dignity (I am one and can attest to that), and we deeply care about our clients and their needs. It's a wonderful organization to be a part of.

Gracie

My dog Gracie after my kids did her hair. She was stolen about 2 months later.

Crosby

One of very few pictures with Crosby being still.

Kiya

Here's my co-trainer Kiya! Not many people know what she is. She is a smooth-coated Collie. Bear is the rough-coated collie. They are both the Sable coloring and have very similar markings. Kiya's hair is just shorter. Smooth Coats shed so much less. They are just as intelligent and gentle but without the long hair!

Trip Home to Minnesota

Unfortunately my photographer (brother-in-law Ron) couldn't leave AZ for MN (it's getting closer to winter and I'm thinking he didn't want to - baby!) So, I don't have any pic's from the plane ride home. Twice you would've seen me grab my seat in fear as the plane dropped suddenly on take-off and landing. Both due to storms. Bear was pretty funny. He normally falls asleep on both the take off and 15 minutes prior to the landing. He was laying there sleeping and the plane dropped suddenly. I grabbed my chair and I think I may have said something outloud (I honestly can't remember). I looked down at him and he's laying there, not moving, but his one eye is open. Then when the plane leveled off he fell asleep.

He slept until the food was served. Then all of a sudden he was wide awake. The flight attendant offered him a cheese burger but I declined because he usually gets motion sickness and that wouldn't be good. But I did get him a cup of ice-cubes. We call these "Cold Bones" and he loves them! Plus he feels like he's "eating" too.

Here are the feeding suggestions when you take a service dog on a plane:

1. Feed 1/2 the normal serving for the evening meal the night before the flight and then no food until you get to your destination.

2. Give a little water on the morning of the flight and then no water until you get home. You can ask for a cup of ice-cubes when the drinks are served. That will give them a little hydration without making them go to the bathroom.

It may sound bad to some people but it's like the fast they go through before surgery so it cannot hurt them. Actually, in Bear's case, he feels so much better without food in his stomach making him sick. Plus with very little food given, he will chew on a bone for about an hour if he wakes up.

Next, you have to bring their shot records and a company issued ID card. The counter at Delta told me they had a training a couple of days ago and were told that every person with a service animal has ID papers. They were not asking to see mine (although I did share it with them) but they did ask if that was true because in the 20 years they worked for Delta - never have they asked to see papers and didn't know if any were carried. The thing about service animals is that there is no "license" or "certificate". They have to be trained by a reputable company and that information is on the ID card. I think with an able-bodied trainer it does look suspicious.

Personally I have a problem with the laws. They require the dog to be trained by a reputable company but there isn't a governing body of service dog companies. The law says you are allowed to take the dog anywhere you can go but does not allow the business to ask for verification that it is a service animal.

I have had a couple of businesses ask me if Bear is a service dog and I've said yes. They've said okay and let me go in. So far, I have not been refused entrance. I do have a card to give them if I am and basically the card lays out the law and explains that they are in violation of the ADA and could be prosecuted and fined. I am to give it to them and leave politely. Our coordinator will follow up with the company or give us help if we choose to do it.

Another puppy raiser in our program was charged an extra $20 for staying at a hotel (large chain). When she questioned it, she was told it was because they don't discriminate against anyone bringing in a dog. Everyone is charged $20. This is a serious misinterpretation of the ADA law. Everyone else has a "pet". Service dogs are NOT pets. They are accessories to a person with a disability such as a wheelchair or a brace. If they don't charge people to bring in a walker then they shouldn't be charging for a service dog. I believe the ADA even states "Service Dogs are NOT pets."

Another HUGE responsibility all of us have who are involved with American Assistance Dogs is to be the voice of those with a disability who may encounter these situations. If we experienced it and don't try to correct it, they too will experience it. So we try to clean up the holes in the system so the next person coming along has a smooth ride. We all take this responsibility very seriously. We not only train our dogs but we train the community as well. And just like the dogs, we use tact and patience with the community too.

Needless to say, the puppy raiser pursued it and not only got a refund but an apology. She did a great job and really opened the eyes of the hotel chain.

In this blog, you'll see all the places Bear and I go and whether or not we got decent service. That is definitely a part of the training and so I opted to be open about it.

At the airport, we actually got a lot of interesting attention. After talking to the Delta counter, they directed me to the airports "Paw Pad". It's a grassy area that is completely fenced in. It's wonderful! Bear just explored for about 15 minutes. Then we went to our gate.

We got to the gate with 1/2 hour left before boarding and I just sat on the floor with him. A lot of people will come and talk to you. Many have wonderful stories about their own pets that they miss and just want to spend time petting Bear. Others have lost dogs that they miss. Some people will even share pictures of their dogs. Many of the people are parents and their children really want to pet the "dog's". I will ALWAYS make exceptions to the "no pet" rule for children and people with disabilities. Children are great to educate about what Bear does and the "no pet" rule for the future. People with a disability are the people he will be helping and he needs experience with wheelchair's, walkers, braces, etc. Plus, they may be future clients of our organization. They do more for me and Bear than even they know.

Then a security person came and talked to me. He approached me and asked if the dog was friendly. I said, "Absolutely!". He knelt down and petted Bear and asked if he was in training and I said yes. He then wanted to know if this was his first flight and I explained this was the trip home so it was his second. He did ask me what kinds of things Bear could do. This is where the law comes in. Businesses are allowed to ask this question as a way to check to see if they are skilled. In what, I'm not sure. But of course, Bear is 6 months old and between 6-9 months they are so stubborn and defiant. He knows a lot of commands and would NOT do even one of them. I was really embarrassed but the security person was really understanding. He did try to get Bear to shake his hand. Bear doesn't know how to do that because he's not a pet. I did explain to the person that he doesn't know that command but you might be able to get him to do it by saying "touch". It's a stretch but he might lift his paw and touch your hand. Bear of course, didn't. Thanks a lot Bear!!

Then we boarded the plane and were seated in the bulk head section. The plane had tons of room so we got all three seats. Bear always plants himself with his head facing the isle so he can see under the first class curtain when he lays down. The flight attendant came and asked me if there was anything I may need help with. I told her that I didn't need any help except I may need someone to watch Bear if I need to use the restroom. She asked me a couple of questions about Bear (how old, what kind, etc.) When she heard he was 6 months old, she asked if he was in training and I said yes. We talked for a little while longer and then she went back up front. We were waiting and a man came on the plane and was talking with the pilots and the flight attendants. He'd glance to the back of the plane and then keep talking with the people up front. He was wearing a ID badge but I didn't get a good look at it. Anyway, pretty soon he came to me and said, "The flight attendants tell me that he's in training." and I explained that he was and how much I appreciated everyone's help because flight training is a rare thing to be able to do but very important to know how the dog handles it prior to being placed with someone." He petted Bear and just asked how old he was. Then he left.

The flight itself, after the take-off and landing, was uneventful. I did get a lot of people from the flight ask how he did while waiting for the luggage. It's funny because Bear really brings people out to talk. He's a wonderful ice-breaker.

Eating out again at Ariba in AZ. This was the first place to ask if Bear is a service dog. It was a great place to eat. Bear only let out one bark. YIKES! It's too bad he wasn't a little farther along in his training so he could help my sister after she broke her foot.

Bear is REALLY into the movie watching.