Two Year Update on Bear and Jessica

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 braces and shoes and will get them from the closet for her and put them away at the end of the day.
Something we did not teach Bear is retrieving clothes from the dryer and handing them to Jess. This skill was taught by Jess as a game and has worked out well.
Bear travels with Jessica wherever she goes and since he goes to the grocery store with her, Jess feels he should get to pick out his own toys at the market.
Jessica lives in a building with handicap accessible doors so when you visit Jessica the first thing you will greet is Bear. He has decided he should always push the button to let people in the building.
Jessica feels it is not only important for people to know that Bear helps her with her physical disadvantage, even more than that he is a cuddly companion with a lot of spunk. Bear makes her feel very safe in new situations and has opened up a new channel for her to visit with people who she never would have talked to before Bear.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BEAR AND JESSICA

How hard is this whole process emotionally?

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 or is being mistreated, that he has an advocate that will be looking out for him. I also know that the same person will make sure that Bear is skilled in the areas Jessica needs him to be even if her needs change. He is meant to work and he loves to work so I know that will continue as long as his health holds out.

2) I was able to meet Jessica and see her home. I know what environment Bear will be working in, where he sleeps, where he goes outside, etc. His life is not a mystery to me. I was able to have that connection which made me never wonder if he's safe or in danger because of the neighborhood.

3) I was able to have Bear home for a visit. Bear left my home officially in November. I was allowed to have him back with our family for one week during Christmas. That really helped me be able to say goodbye when the time came.

American Assistance Dogs really understands the needs of the volunteer trainers. They worked with me so that the transition was easier. I feel so blessed to have been a part of this adventure for Jessica, do it through American Assistance Dogs, and I look forward to training another dog for AAD in about a year.

So even though it was hard, I would definitely do it again.

HAPPY GRADUATION to Jessica and Bear

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.

Meet Jessica!

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.

Reflection

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 joy to another human being who needs those things.

Although I have tears in my eyes as I write this post, I have such a huge heart that is bursting with pride. What an honor I have been given to help someone else in this way. I can't even express in words the absolute gratitude I have for being allowed to be a part of this process.

It's time consuming, it's frustrating, it's so much fun, it's entertaining, it's facinating, and it is oh, so rewarding. I felt like a partner to Bear in his growth and learning. I also feel so priviledged to turn him over to Jessica. What a wonderful person for him to work for.

I will meet them again at graduation and I'm sure the tears will flow but looking back on all the hard work - I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Update

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 Bear to get it and he sniffed it, looked up at me, and left the key on the floor. I wondered what that was all about. Then Deb (the transition trainer) told me that he won't work for her anymore either. I asked why and she said, "He now knows who needs him and who doesn't."

WOW! That really amazed me.

A couple of days later Jessica asked Deb to call me to tell me that she can get Bear to open doors for her every time! I started laughing. Jessica remembered me telling her that Bear hates opening the doors. I can embarass the heck out of myself by getting him really excited and then giving the door command but only about 10% of the time will he do it. Jessica says he does it for her. I told Deb to sign that woman up as a trainer because I am truly impressed!

I guess Bear really does know who needs him and who doesn't.

SO MANY CHANGES!!

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 had two visits with her before Bear went to live with a transistion trainer. He has been living with Deb now since the beginning of December. Deb takes him over to Jess's house about 2-3 times a week and works with both of them on different commands, altering equipment so it works for them, and helps Jess to learn how to work with him. He is currently living with Deb at night but overnight stays with Jess are just around the corner.

I was able to have Bear here for about 2 weeks during the holidays. He just went back today. The hardest time for me was when I met Jessica and realized that this was it. It was actually going to happen. I cried all the way home. Then we met again and I had my daughter with me. Afterward, I was sad but not emotional. My daughter on the other hand cried all the way home. When I turned him over to the transistion trainer - it wasn't difficult for me because I know her, she calls me all the time to tell me how he's doing, and I know he's with a loving trainer as part of her family and not in a kennel.

He came home for the holidays with a list of commands I needed to work on with him. He needed to learn to walk on the right side (side) and not the left (heel), he needed to put his head through his collar when it's held up in front of him, and he needed to move closer to me on command. It took all but three tries of these commands and he got it! So it was a matter of practicing during vacation.

He went back to "college" today and I cannot explain the pride I have. We met at Country Kitchen in Cannon Falls MN and the people there are awesome. We've been there before and they love Bear. They came and talked to us and they said they love to tell people that we train our dogs there. :) Two customers in a table next to ours oooohh'd and awww'd over how beautiful he is and then they found out how old he is (will be 2 in Feb.) and the gasped at how well behaved and wonderfully trained he was. It really was good for a trainers pride!

Country Kitchen in Cannon Falls MN - EXCELLENT food, service, and atmosphere!

So I will see him again at his graduation (that I need to plan!) I cannot wait to see him working for Jessica. Seeing him at her side waiting for her to give him the next command. I really will cry then!! Only it will not be of saddness but of total glowing pride for the little boy I raised to do exactly what he's doing!

More training

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 going to our local mall to eat in the food court and then work the doors. That's his biggest hurdle - doing the skills he does at home out in public.

I really think the key to that is me - my enthusiasm. I am a very private person emotionally so it's hard for me to go crazy wild in public when he does something right. I do it at home - just not in public.

So I guess I need to step outside my comfort level and go hog wild nuts when he opens the door. :) I'll probably scare the poor boy to death. LOL

More of the same

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 weeks. Maybe September will bring more training and more visits to schools.

Bear did try to sleep with me last night. That was funny. He's used to sleeping in a kennel and I've decided to try to introduce the bed. He walked all over me until I growled at him from under the covers. He was driving me nuts and wouldn't leave me alone. So I growled at him and he stopped, got on the floor, and eventually settled down for the night. Sometime around 4am - he stuck his pointy nose in my face staring at me from the floor. He's eye level with me when he's standing by my bed. I just pulled up the covers, heaved a big sigh, and he laid down on the floor and went back to sleep.

He's so funny. He doesn't have a clue what to do in a bedroom and not in a kennel. I guess we'll try again tonight. :)

Time flies!

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 thing right away. He's struggling with the amount of tugging it takes to get the pants off but he's working at it. I also have to check with our training director for a way to get the shoes off. Bear has to grab from the bottom by my heel and then tug. I just need more direction on that one.

We took Bear to see a movie "Monster House". I have no reservations about him in public anymore. He did great! He sniffed around a little looking for popcorn and then laid down for the entire movie. The noise didn't bother him at all. I can't wait for a dog movie to come out - we are so going!

Bear's going to have a couple of visiting dogs this weekend. We are dog sitting for a friend of mine. He does so well with new dogs. He's at a great age where he can play if they want to - and for hours, or he can just sit around if they don't. It's amazing how calm this breed of dog is compared with some others I've worked with.

Bear's been out to eat a couple of times these past two weeks too. Again he does great. Now I have to work on skills with him in public.

He really has then down great at home. He looks at me with a blank stare in public. The main problem I think is my quiet reaction to him in public. I don't want to draw attention to him and so there isn't any excitement in my voice. I'll work on that. :)

Barking Update

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!

A trip to the mall

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 restaurant in town - I need to feed him.

He was too hungry and wanted to clean the floor for the wait staff. He's so helpful. He had a difficult time settling down and the booths were such that I couldn't step on his leash very well. I ended up putting his gentle leader back on him and holding it firmly so he couldn't get out from under the booth.

The staff at Applebees were awesome. They asked if I'd prefer a booth (which I did). They warned me before they filled balloons for kids. Bear really perked up when they did that. The helium tank made a very high pitched sound. He did great. He just jumped up to watch but didn't whine or bark.

YIKES It's hot!!

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 off.

The other day they were outside enjoying the pool and apparently caught site of a chipmunk. They both went after it and it ran under the tiny lip of the air conditioner. Dogs don't understand where the nice cool air of the house comes from and proceeded to take out the low voltage (thank god!) wires of the air conditioning unit. Nice.

For two days we had to live without air conditioning and Bear was miserable. He couldn't find a cool place to lay. Poor boy!!

I am writing this while sitting in a very comfortable 76 degrees!! Thank you air condioning fix it man!!! Bear thanks you too!

June Training

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" to release him. I could've believe he stayed. I was so proud of him.

Here we are working on "tug". He does that really well. I have a new list of commands I have to practice on. I have been spending the last two months socializing him in public. Now I need to concentrate on skills in public. 

Bear and I became Kiwanis Members!

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

Meet Kiwi

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. 

Bear has a new sister

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.

WOW! That was unexpected

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

Enjoying a day in the rain

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

Here's our whole crew!