Second Level of Training

The next very important step in Bear's training is called "Public Exposure". These dogs have to be exposed to as many different situations as possible. Here are some examples....

Getting the Nails Done

Bear at Newer Nails in Fountain Hills AZ

Burger King

Bear enjoying a meal at Burger King in Fountain Hills, AZ

http://www.bk.com/

Proudly Wearing His Wings

Bear earned his wings from Sun Country Airlines. He did great! He has a tendancy toward motion sickness but we didn't have any accidents the entire trip. The flight attendants gave him the wings.

http://www.suncountry.com/suncountry/

The Holiday Inn Hat

Bear at his first Holiday Inn stay. He LOVES sleeping on the bed!

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/home

Birthday Parties

Movie Theaters

It's a poor quality picture but here we are at the movie theater. He's doing a good demonstration of the command "Down Under". This is a common one for service dogs. It keeps them out of the way until they are needed for help.

First Formal Training

The first formal training we started with was a basic obedience class. He learned sit, stay, down (for lie down), stand, walking nicely on a leash, and had a lot of fun playing with other dogs his age and size.

Canine Trainers & FAAS Kennels and Pet Supplies

It's hard to see but the dog above Bear is really in the air jumping over him. The people who run this class are awesome! Bear has been really easy but when I had Crosby they helped problem solve some of his behaviors.

http://www.canine-trainers.com/

Bear in Obedience Class Level 1 

Initial Training

The first training Bear recieved and is still recieving is how to be a good family member. These puppies are being trained to work but they are still puppies. They need to play and romp and just be puppies. This type of training cannot be done in a kennel environment which is exactly why puppy raisers are needed. This is a part of the overall training I enjoy!

Dress up with Bear 

Bear's first bath 

Bear getting to know Sophia our cat. 

Little Baby Bear! 

Bear diggin' in the sandbox 

Tug-O-War with the brothers. 

Bear, Joey, and my dog Kiya all playing in the yard. 

First Travel Experiences

Bear and Joey were brought to Minnesota from Georgia by car when they were 14 weeks old. It was an extremely long drive and since that time, Bear has had to overcome his dislike for riding in a car. They also spent two days at a dog show and slept in a hotel.

Here is a picture of Joey (on the left), Bear, and their mother Sassie. Both brothers are in the program.

Here is the organization Bear and Joey belong to now:

http://www.americanassistancedogs.org/