The Devoted Dog- Part 3, Training Weekend

Jason's large family headed north and joined our even larger family for a weekend of training, fellowship, and fun!

Upon seeing each other again, Timber happily rolled over and welcomed a good tummy rub from Jason.  She let him love on her awhile, but then she was right back at Jeremy's side.

Our daughter taught Jason how to make his own hands-free paracord leash.

What was intended to be a weekend to teach Jason how to scent train Timber, turned out to be a wonderful Type 1 Diabetes Retreat for both families.  Both of our families have lived with diabetes for several years and have established habits and routines.

I've been to Type 1 support group meetings and have many friends who also deal daily with the disease.  But to spend almost three days living together with another Type 1 family was an enormous blessing.  There was time to discuss so much that a family living with this condition deals with everyday that no one else can quite understand-- emotions upon initial diagnosis, transitioning primary care from parent to son,  watching them make mistakes, the scary lows and troublesome highs, managing supplies, and of course what to eat.  And cooking together was just fun!

Another highlight was seeing my son not be alone in his battle.  For once, he wasn't the only one in the room who had to check his blood and give a shot before he could enjoy popcorn with his movie on the big screen. Watching the boys compare numbers after a meal of Dreamfields pasta and enjoy a scrumptious Samoa cookie that was practically carb free (with no artificial sweeteners either) was just plain fun for this Mama.

Saturday morning, Jeremy gave Jason a step-by-step instruction on scent training.  After doing a session with Timber, he brought in Henry, our nine month old DAD-in-training to demonstrate.  This gave Jason a visual of what he was hoping to accomplish with Timber.

That afternoon, the dads, boys, and dogs went to town to work on Public Access.  Although Timber has good manners, it's important that the family be trained what to expect of her in public and how to handle certain situations.  Lunch out, a stop at the meat department of the grocery store, and some ping-pong at our Rec. Center provided great opportunities to work on what to expect of her in public settings.






 On Sunday morning, after a last scent training session between Jason and Timber, the families said good-bye.  The devoted little dog jumped into the mini-van and rode away with her new person.

Here are links to the other parts of Timber's story. Part 1 part 2.

Timber, Part 1

Can an old dog learn new tricks?  We'll see.

A few months ago we had an interesting inquiry.  A woman from a nearby town contacted us about a service dog that she had "inherited" so to speak.  It seems that Timber, a Blue Heeler/Australian Shepherd mix,  had been "working" for a veteran who had passed away.  Through a series of connections, Timber came to live with Sherry*.   Sherry had been fostering the dog for several months, but really desired for Timber to be serving in her given capacity as a service dog, although it wasn't clear exactly what service Timber performed.  She asked us to evaluate Timber as a Diabetes Alert Dog, because Sherry suspected that's what she was.

When Timber arrived, it was clear she was a Service Dog.  Her obedience was precise and she was completely tuned into her handler, following her every move.  However, when presented with the scent of low blood sugar, she gave a cursory sniff, but didn't get excited about it as our labs do.  Regardless, we agreed to work with Timber to see if she could develop or redevelop her nose for diabetes.

A word about Timber before proceeding.  This medium, reserved, white and black dog is so different from our lively, gregarious labradors.  Although she has an exceedingly sweet disposition, she is a one-person dog.  Once she decides who that one person is going to be, she establishes herself as a permanent shadow.

Sherry knew of a family with a Type1 teenage son in Colorado that she would like to see Timber serve, if indeed she was a DAD.  Both Sherry & Timber and a Duty Dog's team paid a visit to the family to see if it was a good match.

Timber picked Jason*, the T1D as her person. Good start.  And Jason, of course, fell in love with this devoted little dog that dutifully followed him everywhere during her weekend trial.

It was decided that Timber would come and spend a few weeks with Duty Dogs and work on scent training.  And so, Timber found herself north in Wyoming once again.

When Puppy Comes Home-- Intro.

Many of us feel that a family just isn't quite complete without a dog.  These creatures can truly add such joy and delight to our family memories.  Eventually, the dog becomes like a family member and you barely know that he's there.

However, that dog snoring on the hearth doesn't happen over night. Introducing a puppy into a home is a big adjustment, especially if the family is new to dogs.  Although a 6-month old puppy may look like an adult dog, it's NOT! It's very important to understand that dogs don't begin to lose their puppy status until they are TWO years old!  It is unrealistic to expect that older pup to behave like his three year old sire.  Thankfully, knowledge is power and knowing what to expect from your new friend can help ease the learning-curve (and hopefully preserve the furniture and carpet).

In an effort to help those who are anticipating a new canine addition, we are going to begin a series of posts that will explain expectations and preparation for this new adventure.  Items such as potty-training, feeding, sleeping, chewing, place, and training will all be addressed in separate posts.

Before your puppy comes home, you need to have your home prepped and ready for your new pooch.

YARD:  Your dog needs to be safe in your home and on your property.  Make sure the area you have for your dog is fenced adequately. Your curious creature will discover things that you didn't even know you had!  A few things to be aware of are poisonous plants, propane tanks and lines, the garbage containers, and other items that could present a hazard to your dog.

HOUSE:  If you intend to have your dog inside at all, then this area needs to be adequately prepared as well.  Minimize things on the floor (baskets, decorations, food storage, etc.).  Have a family meeting to discuss the importance of everybody doing their part.  This is a great motivation for family members to put things where they belong-- shoes, socks, toys, books, and so forth.  Dogs WILL eat socks and pass them through to the other side.  However, a sock tangled up in the intestine would amount to a very sick dog and a sizable vet bill!

Stay tuned for more about When Puppy Comes Home coming soon.

Finding Their Voice

As a puppy grows MANY amazing changes take place in rapid succession of each other.  Some of these are not easily noticed such as day to day growth, however, others like the eyes popping open are very obvious.

Our new litter of Duty Dogs puppies are growing fast and are steadily changing.  Lately, the young ones have found their voices and are using them heavily. This chocolate in the picture to the right is particularly loud.  As the photo was snapped, he was yelling to the world his opinions on life.

Another new change that has taken place is the eyes are open.  They are beginning to get a hazy picture of this new environment.  Newly opened puppy eyes have a cloudy haze.  However, they will quickly clear up to look normal.

These puppies are on their way to being reliable DADs, and we have high hopes for them.  The Lord is truly blessing our family venture.

Landmine detection

Here is an interesting video showing one more of the widely diverse things that a dog is capable of doing.

Dog Books

There are many reading sources on the market concerning dogs, dog training, dog breeding, dog health, and many other things pertaining to dogs.  We have found some great books that we wholeheartedly endorse. Two of our favorites are both written by a lady who been in the dog training arena for over 40 years~ Debby Kay knows what she's talking about when it comes to scent training!  The Super Sniffer Drill Book is a great book if you want to do any kind of scent work with your dog.  The other, The Super Sniffer Hand Book is geared more towards training medical service dogs.  Both of these books are very reliable and we use them every day in our training.

If you are entering the dog breeding circles there is another book by Debby Kay called The Labrador Breeders Handbook that is a great addition to your bookshelf.   Dog Breeders Professional Secrets is another great book for your breeding program, it is very informational and interesting.

However, not many people are going to need these books for their bookshelf.  Most dog owners are just wanting a well-trained dog that minds its manners and can do a few cool tricks.  So far our favorites are written by the Monks of New Skete. They have written some great books about creating the best home for you and your dog.  They teach many things about training and raising puppies and dogs.  Smellorama! Nose Games for Dogs is also a very fun book to entertain you and your dog.

Enjoy your puppies this spring season!!!!

The importance of exercise

GO

Exercise is very important if you want your dog to be well behaved. There are many owners that have given up on their dog or puppy because they think  he has way too much energy, or they are frustrated with the amount of non-dog items he's destroyed.

Out for a walk

Generally, this is due to owners who have not devoted enough time to exercising their animal. Most dogs were bred to work. They need to have a way to funnel their energy into a good healthy job or game. This can be

Keep your eye on the ball

Got it!

done with a walk, a retrieving game, a run, or whatever the owner and canine enjoy doing together.  There is an endless amount of games and jobs that an active dog will do with zeal.  Nothing gives them greater joy than hanging out with you!
However, if these exercising games are done only once a day, or not at all, this puppy WILL find a way to relieve their excess energy. That might be your favorite slippers, the stuffing in your couch, or whatever the dog can get his mouth in or on. This can get expensive; that couch now needs to be replaced, those slippers must be thrown away, and whatever else that energetic puppy can destroy may need to be replaced.

Exercising your dog can be a great bonding time and very enjoyable for both you and your dog. It is very beneficial for both of you. Exercise (and a bit of training) can transform a dog from a mischievous trouble maker to a very enjoyable companion.

Cooling off in the water bowl