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!