tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-160293352011-04-21T12:50:54.963-07:00Bear is a Collie puppy who is in training to be a service dog. This site documents his training, experiences, and growth. The site was started when Bear was 6 months old and will continue until the final outcome. We are working toward his graduation in two years. Hopefully, this will provide an inside look at what it takes to be a volunteer trainer and the work it takes to become a service dog. Bear currently belongs to: http://www.americanassistancedogs.comSuzienoreply@blogger.comBlogger1471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1339338732234846902009-01-18T14:29:00.000-08:002009-01-18T16:24:49.496-08:00

It has been two years since Bear and Jessica had there 1st official overnight visit. To say they have bonded would be an understatement. They rely on each other daily in ways most of us could not imagine.Recently Jessica talked to me about Bear and wanted us to know that Bear continues to pick up anything Jess needs, from her phone, pencils, clothes and cards.Bear knows when Jess needs her leg

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665058495779163137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-21485993690886307852007-07-04T17:49:00.000-07:002007-07-04T18:00:21.424-07:00

It is not easy. I will say that. It is always hard when something you love and helped to grow moves on to what they were meant to do. Ask any parent of a college bound kid. There are some things that have made this process for me easier.1) I volunteered for an organization that provides follow up for Bear's whole life. I know someone is checking up on him forever. I know that if he is not happy

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-64084943101322322942007-07-04T17:38:00.000-07:002007-07-04T17:48:22.656-07:00

Bear and Jessica had their final graduation on June 23, 2007. It was awesome! Thank you so much to Jessica and her family. They said some very nice things to me and my family that we will never ever forget. I very much appreciated that. :) We wish you both all the best. It is such a blessing to know that Bear will be so well cared for.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-72420377261997611612007-04-08T09:08:00.000-07:002007-04-08T09:12:37.582-07:00

This is Bear's new owner, Jessica. I've had the priviledge of meeting her and I was thrilled that Bear was picked to work with her. She is such a wonderful woman. I'm sure we'll be posting things from her many travels with him. Her biggest need was to have a dog pick things up for her. YEA!! That was Bears biggest strength.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-28696221114994769792007-03-20T18:03:00.000-07:002007-03-20T18:11:29.067-07:00

As we are nearing Bear's official graduation, I look back on all the time and work we did together to get him to this point. He really has made me very proud.He came to me as a cute, fuzzy, little puppy and he left a very skilled dog who's life truly has meaning with the difference he will make in this world.He gives every day a life of independence, security, tremendous love, companionship, and

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-30389117875310485462007-03-20T17:56:00.000-07:002007-03-20T18:03:15.319-07:00

Bear and Jessica have really done well together. I have not had the opportunity to see them working together other than the first couple of days. I went to a board meeting and the transition trainer brought Bear with. It was SO great to see him! He came right to me wagging his tail. He looked so happy! That really made me feel good.We were getting ready to leave and I dropped my car key. I asked

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-10517320434478726172006-12-30T14:18:00.000-08:002006-12-30T14:37:20.716-08:00

Bear has a client!! He started working with a young woman named Jessica who is in a wheelchair. It has been such a benefit to me as a volunteer trainer to have met her, talked with her about her needs, and to have seen her apartment. What a wonderful opportunity for me personally. I also believe the transition for Bear will be much easier.We started taking Bear to Jessica's in November and we've

Suzienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1159443348463720032006-09-28T04:31:00.000-07:002006-09-28T04:35:48.476-07:00

We've just been plugging along in Bear's training this last month. We took a few trips to Target and he's come to work with me once. I did work a little on some skills I haven't worked on in awhile and he picked them back up instantly. That has been great!We are now on a schedule. He gets once a week at my job and once a week on an outing. Our outing for this week is today and we are planning on

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1157151208238149302006-09-01T15:48:00.000-07:002006-09-01T15:53:28.256-07:00

We haven't been doing much training these last few weeks. Bear is still a pet dog from time to time. He's been playing in the yard with some dog friends and his dog sister. He's also just been a dog. We've been getting ready for school and trying to get everything done around the house before winter sets in. That's around the corner for Minnesota. Nice huh?So Bear has been a dog these last few

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1155296946847136392006-08-11T04:41:00.000-07:002006-08-11T04:49:06.860-07:00

Wow. I didn't realize how much time has gone by since my last entry. The last two weeks were pretty usual. We have had my niece staying with me so Bear taught her some commands. :) He's really great to work with for people because he responds so well.We did try a couple of new commands. He knows how to take off socks, he's learning how to take off shoes, pants, and jackets. He got the jackets

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1152984628781111272006-07-15T10:27:00.000-07:002006-07-15T10:30:28.780-07:00

We have had very few episodes of barking from Bear. He's not wearing his bark collar around the clock. He is not barking at birds anymore since we got a bird as a pet. He's only barking when he plays and when he sees people walk by the house. Neither are excessive. He has also not run the fence line barking for quite awhile. It may be because it's 90 degrees with 90% humidity. Whew! It's hot!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1152983269012579062006-07-15T10:02:00.000-07:002006-07-15T10:09:55.083-07:00

Last night Bear, my niece Megan, and I went to Applebees at the mall to eat. Bear did pretty good. He was a little ansy.I never know if I should feed him prior to outings or not. If we are going to be driving for an extended period of time - I don't feed him because he gets car sick. If we are going to work on skills - I don't feed him because he works better for food. If we are going to a

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1152982930262799182006-07-15T09:51:00.000-07:002006-07-15T10:10:34.966-07:00

It doesn't seem right that Minnesota should get 90 degree weather with high humidity but it does. Right now we are in the middle of a very hot and humid streak.So at our house, the plastic baby pool gets filled up and the dogs get to play in that for the short time they are outside. They love it! Bear is a little apprehensive but allows me to coax him in and pour water over him so he can cool

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1152390185979841372006-07-08T13:19:00.000-07:002006-07-08T13:23:05.986-07:00

This month we worked a little on skills and a lot on learning the requirements for the Canine Good Citizenship test. If we would've taken it that day, Bear would've passed - to my surprise. There were four other dogs in the room and I haven't worked very much on "stay". There is a test where he has to stay while I walk away from him 10 feet (I think) and then I walk back and give him an "okay"

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151901621481511432006-06-27T21:38:00.000-07:002006-07-02T22:03:55.133-07:00

Here we are being inducted into the Westside Kiwanis Club. Bear and I have been attending for about 2 months and we were just accepted as members. Bear wears his Kiwanis pin on his service dog jacket.Kiwanis Club West website

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151901398736209432006-06-17T21:34:00.000-07:002006-07-02T21:36:38.743-07:00

As you can see, Kiwi is fitting in nicely. Bear is doing fantastic with her. He used to bark and bark whenever she made the slightest noise. Now he only barks if she does something outrageous like flapping her wings in the cage. We never have her out of the cage when the dogs or cats are in the room. They either go outside or are closed in a bedroom. Bear's bird therapy is working very well. 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151901846761766462006-06-02T21:30:00.001-07:002006-07-02T21:52:33.783-07:00

Meet Kiwi. She is a green cheeked Conure and she is about 2 months old. She has joined our family as part of Bears training.Bear has bird issues. He barks and barks at them just like he barked at the hot air balloon. We are hoping that if we can desensitize him to birds, he will be able to live with one if he goes to a client who has a pet bird.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151901068304025312006-06-02T21:30:00.000-07:002006-07-02T22:00:35.933-07:00

We had a hot air balloon land in our neighbors yard. Very impressive and it drove Bear crazy!! You can hear him in the background.http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=F9FE7FCA9E8BDE57

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151900866658992612006-05-02T21:26:00.000-07:002006-07-02T21:27:46.663-07:00

Here are Bear and Kiya trying to dry off before coming in the house. Bear is chewing on a little rawhide bone. 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151900388110899572006-04-30T21:19:00.000-07:002006-07-02T21:19:48.110-07:00

 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151900290867969862006-04-30T21:17:00.000-07:002006-07-02T22:08:19.563-07:00

Rochester Police DepartmentOfficer Novak did such a great job with the dogs. He let them sniff everything and he was very attentive. This is one of those fun trainings that we get to do when we work with other people. Our dogs get so much out of a training like this.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151900063909462082006-04-30T11:09:00.000-07:002006-07-02T21:53:40.770-07:00

It was our first training in Rochester. We went to the downtown mall (The Galleria) on a weekend because it is very quiet. The local police department helped us out. An officer showed up and let the dogs sniff and touch everything - handcuffs, billy stick, taser, etc.The idea behind this training is to see how the dogs react to the new sounds and smells. If they have any issues then it's a

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151900225702717562006-04-30T10:15:00.000-07:002006-07-02T21:17:05.710-07:00

 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1145538281843796122006-04-20T05:44:00.000-07:002006-04-20T06:04:42.270-07:00

Bear has always barked across the back part of my yard. I finally figured out what he is barking at. I thought it was my icky neighbor but it turns out it's these HUGE crows that have a nest in one of the giant trees.When I let Bear out in the morning, he goes straight up the hill and barks as he's running back and forth across the yard.The other day, my icky neighbor was outside working in his

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1145537048511751152006-04-20T05:32:00.000-07:002006-04-23T07:43:28.736-07:00

Since Bear passed his eye exam, we have continued with our training. We usually get together once a month with other puppy raisers as a group (like we did at the Mall of America). We have a new one scheduled in our hometown which is nice. We have a mall here that is four stories, stairs (both regular and spiral), elevator, tile and carpet floors, inclined floors, glass railings on all upper

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151902101746716362006-04-10T21:47:00.000-07:002006-07-02T21:51:15.560-07:00

Here's Nancy getting up close and personal with Isaac. All of these dogs are in such loving homes.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151902006702594202006-04-10T21:44:00.000-07:002006-07-02T21:51:50.873-07:00

We had an outing at our friend Deb's house. Most of these dogs are her pets. You can see Bear and his brother Joey (the two collies). Don't ask me who is who.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1151899737144639682006-03-17T07:02:00.000-08:002006-07-02T21:14:45.786-07:00

Bear went in for an x-ray of his hips and elboes. This is done to try to predict if there is any chance of hip displaysia or any other factor that would make it difficult for Bear to perform his skills as a service dog. It would be very unfair to have him working while in pain.One of the other puppy raisers took him in because the test done at her vet's office is $200 cheaper than at mine -

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142097940313372502006-03-10T09:13:00.000-08:002006-03-11T09:29:05.066-08:00

Bear went in today for his certification eye exam. This is one of a few medical tests that can determine the fate of a dog in a service dog program. Joey's brother had this same test done about two weeks ago and didn't pass because of a genetic disease. Obviously it's in the family but does Bear have it?We went to Veterinary Ophthalmology Specialty Practice, Inc. to see Dr. Olivero to find

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142095608895128512006-03-09T08:42:00.000-08:002006-03-11T09:12:55.200-08:00

Doesn't Bear look a little like "Alice the Goon" from Popeye? I really see a resemblance.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142095924985735482006-03-08T08:51:00.000-08:002006-03-11T09:33:11.523-08:00

Bear and I had the priviledge of talking to a Kiwanis group today. We gave an overview of working dogs, talked about the help that American Assistance Dogs needs, Bear demonstrated some of his skills, and then we answered many great questions. Hopefully, we raised some awareness and Bear and I will be doing more speaking.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142096873533814432006-03-08T08:50:00.001-08:002006-03-11T09:12:07.410-08:00

Linda and Teamo were also at the Kiwanis meeting with Bear and me. Teamo is the newest puppy in the program. She is mentioned on another website with a much better picture. While Teamo was waiting for a trainer, she was placed with a couple of families that worked together to provide her a wonderful home. She is on page nine in the bottom right hand corner. Very cute picture.www.teamortho.us/

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142094503723404132006-02-24T08:27:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:55:30.386-08:00

Joey and Bear are brothers and were the first two puppies to be in the program with American Assistance Dogs. Joey went in for a standard certification eye exam and they found that he has a blind spot in each eye, he's far-sighted, and he has a genetic eye disease common in collies called "Collie Eye Anomaly". Joey has a grade 2 which means it will not get any worse (like blindness) but it does

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1140749977909023622006-02-23T17:53:00.000-08:002006-02-23T19:03:54.196-08:00

Unfortunately I don't have pictures. Another puppy raiser, Chrystine, took many pictures none of them showed up. Sorry Chrystine. I forgot to tell you how to use my camera. So I will try to explain things the best I can.It actually was the first time we had all gotten together since before Christmas. The dogs present were Bear, his brother Joey, Cooper (chocolate lab), Monty, and Teamo (a little

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142091532523671492006-02-13T15:36:00.000-08:002006-03-11T07:38:52.533-08:00

Bear has officially turned one year old today! Here are pictures from is very low-key birthday party (family only).

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142092561873266732006-02-13T15:35:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:17:01.363-08:00

First we start with the "cake". The first layer is semi-soft dog food. YUMMMM!!!!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142092624666970222006-02-13T15:34:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:10:36.646-08:00

Here is the "icing"!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142092685927742892006-02-13T15:33:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:11:08.603-08:00

Next are the lovely sprinkles.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142092728921646612006-02-13T15:32:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:11:39.810-08:00

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142092985081064432006-02-13T15:31:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:12:16.960-08:00

PERFECTION in a dogs eyes!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142092776152359292006-02-13T15:30:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:12:45.856-08:00

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142093045151237242006-02-13T15:19:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:17:46.940-08:00

Bear loved the Greenie "candle" and alm0st the hand that's feeding him.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142093091096782202006-02-13T15:18:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:14:10.476-08:00

Was that good, or what?

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142093125214979662006-02-13T15:17:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:14:36.963-08:00

Present time!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142093210096521622006-02-13T15:11:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:15:11.723-08:00

Bear gets to play his favorite game of "keep-away". He had a very good birthday!!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1142093159790094862006-02-13T15:05:00.000-08:002006-03-11T08:16:08.763-08:00

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1137119016660292932006-01-12T18:23:00.000-08:002006-01-12T18:23:36.666-08:00

 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1137118506150209682006-01-12T18:14:00.000-08:002006-01-12T18:15:06.156-08:00

May 2005 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1137118220271624112006-01-12T18:09:00.000-08:002006-01-12T18:10:20.273-08:00

August trip to Arizona 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1137118084501103472006-01-12T18:07:00.000-08:002006-01-12T18:08:04.503-08:00

September ride in the car 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1137117980741390362006-01-12T18:05:00.001-08:002006-01-12T18:20:20.926-08:00

October 2005

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1137117933327518462006-01-12T18:05:00.000-08:002006-01-12T18:20:50.880-08:00

November in the leaves 2005

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1136774781491918342006-01-08T18:37:00.000-08:002006-01-08T18:46:21.503-08:00

Here are two pictures of my daughter with Bear. She decided to go into his kennel to read him a story. He sure looks interested. Knowing Bear, he's trying to read the words. I have no doubt that he thinks he can!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1136774165609798332006-01-08T18:33:00.000-08:002006-01-14T18:36:58.453-08:00

It really cannot be stressed enough how important it is to treat the dogs as if they are your own. Raising a dog in a kennel setting is not going to create a well rounded and emotionally healthy dog. It does make it harder to give them up when they are done with their training but to see them with their new owner makes it all worthwhile.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1136773856089058212006-01-08T18:28:00.000-08:002006-01-14T18:35:48.003-08:00

Here are some of the puppy raisers and their dogs. The people from the left are: Deb, Nancy, and me (Suzie). The dogs from the left are: Joey (Collie), Bear (Collie), Monty (English Shephard Mix), and Grizzley (Mini-Australian Shephard).

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1136773646448256132006-01-08T18:25:00.000-08:002006-01-08T18:27:26.456-08:00

The brothers are together again! Joey and Bear. They are almost impossible to tell apart as they get older. Bear does have rounder eyes. Inside joke - sorry. Joey is on the left and Bear is on the right.  

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1135046426585163112005-12-19T18:37:00.000-08:002005-12-25T17:39:01.286-08:00

Bear picks up many objects from the floor and brings them to me for a treat. The cats have knocked off a few ornaments from our Christmas tree, Bear picks them up and brings them to me and I give him a treat. Well......let's just say Bear put two and two together.The link below is the video. http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=7FD2F7C265011D35

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1135047130859549812005-12-19T18:30:00.000-08:002005-12-25T17:53:49.670-08:00

The Video link is below:http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=03A026D6CF5D0EC2

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1132100104398915442005-11-15T15:46:00.000-08:002005-11-15T16:15:04.410-08:00

Bear and I got to church a little early so we could pick an out-of-the-way spot. We sat way in the back next to a side aisle on the right. Every time the pastor said, "Rise." Bear did. Actually, he had a wonderful attention reaction. When I stood up, he stood up and waited for a command. When I sat back down, he laid down and chewed on the bone I brought for him.Everything was going swimmingly

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1131075602840673192005-11-03T19:55:00.000-08:002005-11-03T19:49:51.976-08:00

Ahhh......This is a wonderful Autumn activity in Minnesota. We raked all the leaves into one great big pile and we threw the tennis ball in! Happy hunting!!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1131075731122407942005-11-03T19:45:00.000-08:002005-11-03T19:49:13.636-08:00

Here are Bear and Grizzley wrestling in the leaves while Kiya is ball hunting in the background.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1131075910430703512005-11-03T19:42:00.000-08:002005-11-03T19:45:10.430-08:00

WOW! Don't those two look fierce. This is a typical wrestling session. Bear is very vocal when he plays. It's not so much barking. It's more like an imitation of Chewbaca(sp?) from Star Wars.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1131076022179301552005-11-03T19:36:00.000-08:002005-11-03T19:47:56.413-08:00

It's official: OUR CROWNED KING OF THE LEAF PILE!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1131074256908119992005-11-03T19:12:00.000-08:002005-11-03T19:17:36.910-08:00

Bear is demonstrating the "touch" command. We started on the floor like this and then we moved to the wall. It was easier for me to give him the command "rise" to get up on the wall and then "touch" to press that touch light. Now, if I say "touch" and have my hand on something like the handicap button on the door, he immediately jumps up and bangs the button with his paw. This is another

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1131073936435893592005-11-03T19:08:00.000-08:002005-11-03T19:12:16.436-08:00

Here is Bear using the "nudge" command. He turns on the touch light and gets a treat. He's so funny. He'll keep banging his nose into it to turn it on so he can have another treat. I almost can't keep up with him. So far, this command has been used to get him to push smaller things with his nose like elevator buttons. Paws are too big but those little pointy noses work great. I am amazed at how

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1131073670368852562005-11-03T19:04:00.000-08:002005-11-03T19:07:50.370-08:00

Here Bear is demonstrating the command "rise". Next I'll be working on "hold" so he can take a coin purse, rise up on the counter in stores, and pay the bill! I wish he had his own credit card!! Bear already uses "rise" when opening handicapped doors. It's helpful if I need to get him up higher and then give him another command. 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1131073422031485282005-11-03T19:00:00.000-08:002005-11-03T19:03:42.040-08:00

Balloons! We found out he hates balloons in Phoenix. So, we try to bring them home whenever we can and let him sniff them. The novelty has pretty much worn off. Any time these dogs are nervous or skittish about something - they just identified a training issue that needs to be worked on. We work on those issues over and over until they are no longer issues. 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1130819178905103562005-10-31T20:20:00.000-08:002005-10-31T20:26:18.906-08:00

Notice the cracker. Bear is demonstrating "leave it". He was struggling that day but he left it alone. This command gets used a lot in public. He finds everything and I have to dig it out of his mouth - people's gum, dirty Kleenex', broken glass, etc. You do not want your dog picking up things off the floor in public. It's dangerous and it's gross!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1130818820296591192005-10-31T20:17:00.000-08:002005-10-31T20:20:20.296-08:00

This is one of my favorites. This command is "go to your place." He knows that means he needs to go and lie down on his pillow. I've started putting him in a stay and timing him. He's at 1 minute right now without even attempting to move. I increase it by 10 seconds every day.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1130818588128476092005-10-31T20:13:00.000-08:002005-10-31T20:17:28.290-08:00

Here is "down". He used to have to follow a treat to the floor from a sit position. Now I only have to lean over a little. With practice, I'll just say it and he'll hit the floor. We use down a lot in public. He has to lie down under tables, chairs, and my desk at work in order to stay out of the way.This is an excellent "down". He's not laying on his legs ready to jump back up. He's laying over

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1130818412523046622005-10-31T20:10:00.000-08:002005-10-31T20:13:32.523-08:00

We are demonstrating "sit". Look at his attention to me. He is waiting for me to release him with an "okay" so he can have his treat.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1130818231126210092005-10-31T20:02:00.000-08:002005-10-31T20:10:31.126-08:00

Here, we are practicing "Kennel". Bear does sleep in this kennel and he spends his days in here while I'm at work. Kennel training is very easy. It should take about three days tops. If you start on a Friday night - by Sunday night it'll be just about over. The first night, Bear whined and would bark one bark every so often. This would last about 10 minutes. Then he'd start up again in the middle

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1130817767814713452005-10-31T20:00:00.000-08:002005-10-31T20:02:47.813-08:00

One of the first commands we start with is the "attention" command. They have to know their name and look at you for further instruction. I hold the treat by my face and say his name. If he looks at me - BAM! He gets a treat. It's simple but very important.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1130817021572647542005-10-31T19:45:00.000-08:002005-10-31T19:56:29.123-08:00

My Training Director suggested I use a gentle leader on Bear when we go out in public and he's working. I've used them on other dogs and I've never been fond of them. The two dogs I've used them on would dig at it and I've seen other dogs literally throw a fit when they have to wear one. But, I was at a crossroad where I either needed to try it or not go out in public.I've never had such an easy

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1128968623670682292005-10-10T11:17:00.000-07:002005-10-10T11:24:41.413-07:00

Bear has not been on many public outings since Fazoli's. I am planning a dinner with him in a couple of weeks.My plan is that if he barks once in the restaurant - we immediately go to the car and he stays in the kennel for 10 minutes. If he does it again - we'll do it again. This is what we do at home and it works great! I'll be working on this the next couple of weeks before his official dinner

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127742091261251232005-09-26T06:39:00.000-07:002005-09-26T07:03:27.436-07:00

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/

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127687308474089102005-09-25T15:51:00.000-07:002005-09-25T15:44:46.793-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127688087419702122005-09-25T15:41:00.000-07:002005-09-26T07:04:35.243-07:00

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!"

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127687943558887772005-09-25T15:39:00.000-07:002005-09-25T15:39:03.563-07:00

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.  

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127687827500640132005-09-25T15:37:00.000-07:002005-09-25T15:37:07.506-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127687769024587742005-09-25T15:36:00.000-07:002005-09-25T15:36:09.030-07:00

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! 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127687657421502592005-09-25T15:34:00.000-07:002005-09-26T07:04:12.690-07:00

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.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127686288701492062005-09-24T14:56:00.000-07:002005-09-25T15:49:26.743-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127132222043463872005-09-19T06:17:00.000-07:002005-09-26T07:07:20.363-07:00

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/

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127132295074677602005-09-19T06:10:00.000-07:002005-09-19T05:22:59.606-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127132368164379762005-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:002005-09-19T05:23:52.153-07:00

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.

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127132393805105842005-09-19T05:19:00.000-07:002005-09-19T05:19:53.810-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127132445712156792005-09-19T05:15:00.000-07:002005-09-19T05:24:18.206-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1127133058121208082005-09-17T12:30:00.000-07:002005-09-19T05:48:27.616-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1126789104696825082005-09-15T05:38:00.000-07:002005-09-15T06:00:40.446-07:00

Bear and I had a VERY busy day yesterday. First we stopped at MIDAS for an oil change.http://www.midas.com/index2.aspxI 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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1126386491943151162005-09-10T14:05:00.000-07:002005-09-10T14:08:11.943-07:00

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/

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1126386119594556812005-09-10T14:00:00.000-07:002005-09-10T14:03:50.780-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1125971294584142362005-09-05T18:48:00.000-07:002005-09-05T18:59:25.343-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1125971546435902512005-09-05T18:46:00.001-07:002005-09-05T19:01:02.673-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1125971173272222252005-09-05T18:46:00.000-07:002005-09-08T13:00:44.446-07:00

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!

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1125971020806815992005-09-05T18:43:00.000-07:002005-09-05T18:43:40.810-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1125970868759145082005-09-05T18:41:00.000-07:002005-09-05T18:41:08.763-07:00

The Rainforest Cafe 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1125970827529062032005-09-05T18:40:00.000-07:002005-09-05T18:40:27.533-07:00

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

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1125970482485347742005-09-05T18:34:00.000-07:002005-09-05T18:34:42.486-07:00

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.  

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16029335.post-1125970317559745492005-09-05T18:31:00.000-07:002005-09-05T18:32:00.083-07:00

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! 

Suzienoreply@blogger.com0