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Micron and the campus life

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Donna Black-Sword
Micron, October 2010

On May 13 Micron returned to the North Central Regional campus of Canine Companions for Independence to begin his advanced training as an assistance dog.

Our work as volunteer puppy raisers was officially done on that day.  We did everything we could during our eighteen months with Micron to prepare him for the next step on his journey. A happy puppyhood that was focused on socialization and encouraging excellent manners.

So it’s very cool that CCI provides monthly progress reports to the puppy raisers during the six months of advanced training. Hey, we know this isn’t our dog and never was. But darn it all, we fell in love with his handsome mug and want to know that he’s doing well at dog college.

Micron prepares for campus life by visiting
Bowling Green State University

And he is.  Micron’s CCI trainer tells us that he has moved right into his new digs and having a great time getting to know the other dogs in training.

The first month in advanced training is focused on acclimating the dog into their new environment and reinforcing the commands taught by the puppy raiser. Micron’s enthusiasm for life is getting him into a bit of trouble and it seems he may need to learn a little self-control.  Yeah, Micron is a people lover.  He greets everyone with his attitude of “Everybody loves me!  You will too!”

So let’s keep our fingers crossed for his continued success in advanced training. One month down and five more to go.

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A food motivated dog is a piece o’cake

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Donna Black-Sword

Puppy kindergarten

Our little boy has started school ~sniff~. They grow up so fast, don’t they?  One minute you’re inhaling puppy breath like it’s snickerdoodle scented or something and then [blink] next thing you know, the dog is asking for a lift to Petsmart so he can meet up with that cute golden-doodle he met in puppy class.

People remark on how well-behaved Yaxley behaves in public. Well, the dog is kinda with me all the time, so he’s bound to get some attitude adjustment during the day. So when we head off for some structured obedience training, I have a talk with the trainer at Petsmart just to give her a heads up.

I brief her on CCI’s command words and let her know we have the basics covered – Sit, Down, Bed, Heel, Come when called – but it would help to reinforce these in a distracting environment. Like, say, around hyper puppies who may not have the upper advantage of hanging with their person all day, every day.

Vulcan mind meld thing going on
with Food Lady

So she wants to see if Yax can test out of basic obedience and start directly into the intermediate class. As I step aside, she puts Yaxley in a Sit and walks a circle around him. She drops a dog treat onto the floor, but he doesn’t break eye contact with her. Another dog treat, then another, bounces off his paw. The two of them have some kind of Vulcan mind meld thing going on.  Yax doesn’t move.  She grabs a handful of tennis balls and bounces them one by one past him. The thought bubble over his head is “what’s a guy gotta do around here to get a dog biscuit, anyway?” And there’s a slobber string that’s now touching the floor.

Ok, she says.  Let’s try something else.  She tells me to walk Yaxley through the store, in Heel position, while she walks ahead of us.  Then she’s flinging dog treats on the floor — as we’re walking past the cat adoption section. So can you picture this: there’s kibble pinging off the vinyl flooring in front and cats all fuzzed up and flipping out and Yaxley is doing his thing.  Perfect.

We go back to the training room.  And she says, “what is it you want to work on again?” Um, basics with distractions?

Yeah, so we may need to kick things up a notch for the next class.

Why focus is so important

Because Yaxley is training to be an assistance dog, he needs to be focused on his handler. What is it you want me to do next, Food Lady?  An assistance dog will go anywhere his human partner wants to go, which would, of course, include restaurants. I’ll be up front about it and admit that my pet dog in a restaurant would only result in an embarrassing event that may or may not involve the authorities.

Not so with the CCI pup, though. These fuzzies are not pampered with people food or fed from the dinner table. You know that first rule of dogdom – “if it hits the floor it’s mine.”?  CCI pups have to waive that rule. The new rule is “it’s yours when you’re told it is.”

I realize that can sound a little harsh, maybe not the way you would treat the dog that you love so much.  But let’s think this through for a minute. So number one, the dog is not starving by any means. Instead he’s certainly well fed, well loved and (Bonus!) well behaved.  And the pup does get treats; lots of them actually. But each one is earned. No gimmies. A good Sit with eye contact is sometimes all that’s being asked.

And – this is the important part -a person going into a restaurant needs their assistance dog to focus on what’s going on.  Not what’s yummy on the floor.  Hoovering the carpet all the way to the table is not a desirable thing here.

It’s too late for Jager; way too late. Too much street dog in his history to do anything about his nasty little habit of food stealing. So he’s banished from the kitchen when I’m cooking up dinner. Not because I’m witchy mean in the evenings, but because I’ve tripped over the goober dog while he’s right there mentally willing stuff to drop from the counter.

The Yax man, however, is comfortable on the kitchen floor. Just watching and happy to be hanging with me. Pretty darn good for a little guy, I think.

Jager attended the school of hard knocks.

 

These aren’t dog biscuits.
They’re my puppy rocket blasters! POW POW

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CCI Summer Camp

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Donna Black-Sword
CCI Summer Camp – June 2011

I have a deep respect for the Boy Scouts of America program. I’ve seen for myself how this organization, with the guidance of committed parents, can transform a seemingly goofy kid into a young man with leadership skills.

For a boy to advance among the BSA ranks, he’s required to earn a number of merit badges. By the time he’s working on Eagle, the highest rank, he’ll have completed at least 21 merit badges. He’ll have focused on life skills, survival techniques, and have been introduced to several vocational choices. This is the stuff he needs to not only get by in the world, but to excel. Be head and shoulders above others.
 
It’s really a good idea for the scout to go to a BSA summer camp to earn merit badges. Even a weekend camp will have specialized merit badge counselors offering opportunities to work on things that just aren’t available at home.  

So with this in mind, we set off to CCI summer camp with little Yaxley in tow. 

Yaxley:  I don’t wanna go to camp! I just wanna stay home and chew on Jager.
Me:   You’ll love it. Really.
Yaxley: (whining)   I won’t know anyone there.
Me:   That’s the point, kiddo. You’ll make new friends. Got your stuff packed?
Yaxley:   aww
Me:   Criminy kid. Enuf already. Just get in the car.

Well, that brought back memories.  Except for the chewing on Jager part.

And like at every BSA summer camp where you have that one kid running rings around the campfire with a stick on fire, Yaxley was determined to show us how much we still have to teach him.

Our CCI camp counselors, Mary Beth and Jenny, set up an obstacle course for the pups. The intention is to introduce the pups to new experiences. It’s all about working towards that been-there-done-that mental state they need as assistance dogs.

Our first station was at the tires. The point was to simply walk through and move on. Yax had some trouble getting his head around this one.  A little gentle coaxing with a dog biscuit from co-puppy raiser and then me putting down the camera and stuffing his body into the first tire was all it took. Once sitting inside the tire, he realized it was not indeed a Pit of Doom and found a reasonable comfort level. Ok then, let’s move on to the ladder station.

This went much better now that Yax knew a dog biscuit would be involved. He stepped in, looked to see that, yup, there’s a treat in hand over there, then moved along.

Check out that look of concentration he has in the second shot. Furrowed brow, tongue pressed between lips, and tail up for balance. He’s all over this one.

 

must…earn…dog…biscuit

Now for the weird surface of the wading pool. No problems here. We also want the pup to be able to perform a Sit and Down on these new surfaces. Which Yax did do, but I can’t post the photo of the Down since he took the opportunity to roll onto his back to look like some kind of furry dead lizard baking in the sun.

biscuit?


Almost done. Now for the crate surface. A walk across, with another Sit and Down. A pro, he is. Well done, yellow dog.

Ok, so CCI doesn’t really give out merit badges at summer camp. And that’s ok, I think, since it would just end up being something else to finger swipe out of a puppy maw. Instead Mary Beth had a much better reward for achieving all the accomplishments this morning.

The pups had a chance earlier in the day to meet a pony, duck and a rather ticked off rooster. Now time to meet the milk goat. 

Manna from heaven, ambrosia from the sky. Fresh goat milk comin’ at ya.  Just a couple of squirts to get the idea of the thing, then Yax closes his eyes to fully enjoy the experience.

Got goat?

Yaxley tells me now that summer camp is great!  He wants to go again next month.  Not a problem, kid.  I think we will.
 

Aww, I don’t wanna go home

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The Matriculating M’s

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Donna Black-Sword
Micron at Lookout Point, the highest elevation in Dayton.

When we’re out and about with Micron, he has folk so impressed with his fabulous manners that we sometimes get requests to train their dogs for them. Or mayhaps would the same behavioral techniques work on kids, too?

Of course, we have to gently answer with a big fat No to both queries. We’re not professional dog trainers and well, we only had one kid to practice our parenting skills on, so no profundity to share on that topic either.

So how do we know what to do with this CCI pup? Who trains the trainer, that is?

Well, our CCI family does. As volunteer Puppy Raisers (PR’s in CCI-speak) we have a network of rather knowledgeable folk that are there to help us every paw step of the way. The CCI Puppy Raiser Coordinator is our first line expert. Suzanne is just a phone call away to advise me on how to quiet a very vocal puppy or to troubleshoot a dog that can’t seem to hold his licker. (Micron’s Pavlovian response to seeing a tot in a stroller is to lick his lips in anticipation of a full face slurpfest. Not a behavior becoming of a service dog, you know.)

The local chapter group with other PR’s is something we couldn’t live without, either. We have access to folk who are raising their eleventh CCI puppy. Or their seventeenth.  Or how about that dedicated couple working on pup #32.  Wow.  So whatever puppy nonsense may be going on in your house with the furball in your charge, you know someone else has had a very similar experience somewhere along the line.

But we’re a big group, this CCI family. A nationwide organization, Canine Companions for Independence is of the oldest and largest of the service dog providers. And truly, the connections I enjoy most is interacting with the other PR’s from my pup’s litter.

We talk, we share. Do the littermates share any personality styles? Sure, but each is still unique. To unify this extended family, fellow PR, Marianne, has coined the term dogs-in-law, and I think that fits quite nicely.

Micron at B&N ready to show off his manners. And good looks.

Over the past eighteen months the PR’s of the amazing M litter have been sharing photos and stories.  And now, we’re providing emotional support as we prepare to return these beautiful dogs back to CCI to finish their training. This week, on either May 13 or 14, the M litter puppies will be matriculating into CCI’s Advanced Training program. We’re sending them off to dog college, so to speak.

How do we give them back? With a box of tissues and a lot of pride. And the support of like-minded people who are now part of our family.

We caught up with five of Micron’s littermates and their PR’s. Here are Madden, Mars, Molina, Madias and Meryl and their PR’s as they share some photos, thoughts and their hopes for the future.

Madden
PR’s Regina and Dave share these words about their pup, Madden.
What to say about Madden . . . he is beautiful inside and out. Our Zen dog who is gentle, and sweet and soulful, and loves to carry items around the house – not chewing but just carrying and bringing them to you and gently waiting until you take them. He works with special children each week and is at ease which puts them at ease. Did I mention he is sweet?

Madden is pup #9 for us and by far the hardest for me to return. He is deliberate and slow and mellow and thoughtful and that is what I will miss. Being around Madden is very calming; I think he can do anything he wants – Skilled Companion, Service Dog, or Facility Dog. But not Hearing Dog. as he does not have nearly the drive or energy.

A dream to raise and loves the outside playing with other pups, but perfectly content by your side. Our hope for Madden is that he is matched with someone who will appreciate what he has to offer and our CCI Northeast Regional Center is so very good at making those matches.
Mars
Mars
Mars is being raised in Denver by PR Marianne and John. I giggled when I read this. She could have easily been describing Micron instead of Mars.
He LOVES to carry things and will try to take something out of my hand if he thinks he should carry it for me. I keep telling him it’s MY decision, not his. My favorite is when he carries the blue plastic recycling bin back to my office after I take it out to empty it. He is SOOOO pleased with himself. He is also the snuggliest puppy we’ve had and will crawl into my lap with his teddy bear.

I asked Marianne how she thought Mars might wow the CCI trainers. See “carrying things” above.  Also, should they need a tennis ball retrieved from anywhere, Mars is the dog for the job. He’s a bit obsessive about tennis balls and has stalked people at the gym who have tennis balls in their gym bags. This is not a good thing.

Puppy Mars
And hopes for his destiny? John and I hope he graduates, of course. I think he’d be a dynamite Facility Dog, but I trust the trainers to determine his major once he settles in at college.  As long as he ends up with someone who will love the stuffing out of him we will be happy.

We feel incredibly lucky to have raised a rare black fluffy! Especially one as funny and sweet as Mars. He is a one-of-a-kind dog in so many ways and even though he’s our 7th, the final goodbye at CCI on the 14th is going to wrenching for John and I. Puppy #8, Rocket, better be on his toes because we are going to need some serious adorable to go home to!
Speaking of dogs-in-law, Mars recently traveled across the country to New Jersey for a doggy reunion with littermate Madden. You can read more of this adventure on Mars’ blog at:  Mars’ DogBlog – Reunion!
Madden (L) and Mars (R) together again
Molina
PR Michael shared these photos of the Molina, a yellow fluffy who shares some good looks with Micron.
Molina at six weeks
Molina attending a dog show
Madias
We’re seeing some fluffy similarity in the good looks department here too. Madias is being raised by MaryAngela in New York.
Madias at six weeks
Madias enjoying the country life  (is that a John Deere collar?)
Madias
Meryl

I’ve just recently caught up with Kim, the PR of lovely Meryl, who has created a video showing a day in the life of a CCI puppy-in-program.  Spend a few of minutes to watch beauty in motion. A very nicely done video. Enjoy . . .

A day in the life with Meryl

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Table for three, please

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Donna Black-Sword

 After I fed the boys their kibble this morning, Micron came up to tell me how much he enjoyed his bowl. Just the right crunch, he says, wagging his plume tail into my coffee mug,  absolutely delicious stuff.

Then he released a full two-second burp in my face. While holding a dirty sock in his mouth. Ah lovely, thanks so much for sharing that spring blossom with me, Micron.

Compliments to the chef and all that. Better out than in, as they say.

The boys watching dinner prep like it’s a sushi bar or something.

As puppy raisers, CCI tasks us with introducing thirty commands and behaviors to these pups. We work towards proficiency of the basics any well-trained dog would know – sit, down, wait.  Then some higher end behaviors like being comfortable walking by the handler’s side on either the right or left. And Under, which we use to tell the pup to go under a restaurant table and lie down.

Now these are labs, goldens or a cross between the two breeds.  Chow hounds, all of them.  (Well, most of them.  I’ve heard of the occasional pup that is a picky eater, but those stories do tend to lean towards the anecdotal.) A food motivated dog is a dog that is easy to work with. And with kibble eaters like these, you learn behaviors, too.  Like spelling out the words hungry and eat while making dinner plans with a fellow human bean.

So while we don’t really have a command to Eat Kibble, we do ask the dogs to maintain a level of self-control at mealtime. To help prepare them for their service dog careers, it’s important that they know how to sit quietly with a full bowl of kibble in front of them and wait for the release command from their handler.

crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch [burp] crunch

Ok, I will admit that in my youth I had no idea this was even possible. Mealtime with the pet dogs involved a quick finger count after the bowl was set on the floor. What a difference a Wait command can make.

And if you need convincing that dogs can indeed tell time, just put them on a strict feeding schedule. And their doggy circadian rhythm takes over. These boys get fed at seven o’clock in the morning and again at seven o’clock at night. The new guy, Yaxley, gets a noon meal as well, until he gets a little more room in his adorable puppy gut to move the kibble through. Not that that blows the minds of the older dogs or anything.

‘Scuse me, Food Lady?  I asked for a private table.

So indeed, whatever I may be doing in the evenings, I’m never alone. Every room I enter, twelve paws are echoing my steps. These are my bestest buddies. Until chow time, of course.  After the kibble goes down the gullet, they’re like uncles at Thanksgiving looking for a comfy spot to loosen the belt and take a nap.

Sleeping off the kibble.

At a recent CCI presentation, I was asked about any tips for housebreaking a pup. My advice? Portion control feedings on a tight schedule – never free feed. If you know what’s going in and when, well then it’s just a matter of time until it makes its way on out. Easy nuff, logically speaking, to forecast your pup’s recycling schedule.

Hey Food Laaady!  It’s seven o’clock!

It’s good to have a household of chow hounds. Never a complaint about what’s set in front of them. Always appreciative and more than willing to compliment the chef in their special doggy way. And of course, that’s just fine with me.
Ya know, the sooner we get these groceries put away, the sooner we can E-A-T.
They call me Chicken Legs.  Dunno why.

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