NEADSNorfolk

2012-01-17T05:10:00.001-08:00

I am proud to say that the following puppies passed the AKC CGC test: Rosella, Princess and Chance. The following puppies passed Therapy Dogs International testing with their handlers: Hope, Rhody, Gillis and Buckles.

Next Testing is April 28 from 1-5pm.

Training notes, 010612

2012-01-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome Chief, WPR Dawn, and new handler, Joe.

Rosella was off her game this week~she has loose stool~unknown reason. WD for 5 days, then wean back to regular food, per NEADS medical. She worked fine, no issues, just a bit lackluster.

Graham did well in our new training room, no problems. I've noticed that he's alot more calm during our training sessions at PCC, but still waiting for that to transfer to the "outside". He still needs pretty constant supervision and reminders for basic obedience commands.

Maxwell is beginning to have a little bit of additude with his handler and is needing more reminders for stays.

2011-12-17T14:39:00.001-08:00

Thank you to the Vendetti Bus Company for furnishing the bus and driver for today's filed trip!

2011-12-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

Rosella 1185 DOB 012811 Is beginning to become more confident with new situations. She's still really silly when I'm at training and that behavior has transferred to others at PCC, but on the whole, she's getting better and starting to be a single command dog. Task is good, obedience~still forges.

Graham 1187 DOB 021411 Graham is doing well with obedience and task, but has a difficult time with generalizing that to the outside world. He gets better each week and I's sure he'll be ready when he needs to be. Task and obedience are both excellent in facility.

Maxwell 1209 DOB 071411 Looks good, but handler needs to slow down with commands. He needs to practice stays~5 to 10 minute downs in different places. No fears noted, he is pushy, but hoping that he will start to be able to rein it in soon. In public he looks very good.

2011-11-21T13:24:00.001-08:00

111811

Rosella is doing fine, still a little uncomfortable in her back forward of her hips on occasion, but no sign of trauma and has been vet checked with nothing remarkable noted. I have asked for clearance for chiropractic consult for her. She had a period of several days where she vomited once at night, in the middle of the night. That's over and she seems fine now. Her obedience looked great last week, no hesitation, no fixation on me. Her WPR reports that she has turned the corner and is relaxing into her vocation. Excellent news, and right on time!

Graham~still the life of any party, Graham is doing well with his handler, but can be knocked off track and run headlong into a dogpile at the drop of a hat, or a gust of wind. He's a really social dog with other dogs and needs to learn to ignore them and focus on handler. He's a great puppy and will be a nice service dog, just needs more time to grow up.

Maxwell is doing really well, but starting to wake up to the big world outside of PCC. He was a perfect little robot puppy until this week, now he's challenging his WPRs to see if they can hold his attention in distracting environments. It's harder than you might think, and food is no longer the center of his universe. Keep going Nick and Jamie, it gets easier.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I am so very thankful for your hard work with our puppies and for having had the honor to work with you this year. Enjoy the day, and enjoy the pups.

Training Notes:

2011-11-09T15:11:00.002-08:00

On the airport field trip last week all of the dogs (Rosella, Graham, Buckles, Laddie, Rhody) have been reported to be excellent with every aspect of TF Green~baggage carousel, stairs, moving walkway, carts, rode a golf cart, and met many, many people.

Rosella 1185 is having a little bit of sensitivity in her hind quarters, forward of her hips, on both sides of her spine. It appears to come and go and does not have any correlation to exercise or time in or out of the facility. We did have a massage therapist work on her last Friday night, but I have also asked medical for authorization for chiropractice workup.

Graham 1187 Due in for a neuter next week. Bloodwork this Wednesday. Graham is full of fun and ready for anything. What a great puppy!

Maxwell 1209 Maxwell will begin basic obedience class on Saturday. He will learn WATCH ME, LET'S GO, COME, SIT, DOWN, STAND AND STAY. He will also be going to school again soon! I'm sure the kdis will barely recognize him, he's getting so big!

NEADS in the classroom update: 110911

2011-11-09T15:11:00.000-08:00

Today we watched the Canine for Combat Veterans video and the kids got to hear from Chris Strickland and service dog Ruthie. We watched the pictures scroll by of all of the veterans on the NEADS site, and I told them a bit about each dog from our string who was placed with a veteran, and the veterans who they were placed with.

WPR Dawn joined us today for a rememberance of Veteran's Day. Dawn is a Marine and was active duty for 6 years.  During that time she served in communications and intelligence, as well the MP's and as a recruiter. Her time as a recruiter seemed to be her favorite. She now has a family and volunteers as a weekend puppy raiser so she can continue to give to her fellow countrymen. Hoorah Dawn! Thanks for coming in to speak with us.

Today Hope was our guest. He is a 12 month old standard poodle who was raised in someone's home before going into the prison pup partnership. He's learning more obedience and his task work so he can be matched with a client who needs him.  Some of our clients need dogs who do not shed but can still do all of the things that the retrievers do~hence the reason for the poodles. We talked about the different care that Hope's coat needs, and everyone got to pet his soft fur.

The children in the classroom had excellent questions and did a great job of paying attention.  They are writing letters to a veteran from Bellingham who is currently at Walter Reed. I am sure that he will have gotten many, many recommendations for a service dog to help him when he comes home, from our young ambassadors.

I am hoping to see some of the kids at graduation on Sunday!

2011-10-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Our puppies went to a pumpkin walk at the Roger William Park Zoo last night. The pumpkins were lit with candlesand LED lights and the trail was extremely dark. The crowd was extremely slow moving, but it was PACKED with people. Even with flashing or clow in the dark collars on (thank you Lee and Lisa) most of the dogs all got stepped on, shuffled into, and tripped over.
We got to see how they might potentially react in this situation with a client~sniffing peoples hands and other body parts (sorry!!), licking people's hands (there were food and drink vendors there), saying hello to babies in strollers before being given permission, etc. Having to give attention to handler with strong predator and food smells in the dark was truly a challenging trip, but they all did pretty well.
Thanks to Lee, Jenny, Rich, Lisa S, Lisa G and Lisa M for coming with, the artwork was truly worth the trip!

2011-10-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

Some of the puppies went to a local farm for a children's Halloween party last Friday. There were many kids on the autism spectrum there, as well as loose chickens, goats, a hay tunnel a corn maze, and a tractor pulled hayride. All of the dogs did well in every situation, no issues. Thanks to Dawn, Ed, Rich, Leslie and Lisa M for bringing puppies!

2011-10-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

We are saying goodbye to Major, his issues with loud noises have gotten worse and it's finally knocked him out of the running to be a service dog. He is, however, going to a wonderful family who will love him as much as we do.

Rosella is working on better position in the moving heel and the stationary heel and side positions. She was jumpy in the crowd at the pumpkin walk and lost her auto sit altogether. Her attention was also diminshed, perhaps due to the strong animal/food smells there. She was stellar in a middle school visit today, no issues.

Graham is still working on attention in crowds as well~it's a really difficult command when the dog is in pack or in a crowd of people. Looks good in class, no issues at a scary movie last weekend.

Maxwell is a really serious puppy, loves to work. He is beginning attention command, walking on a loose leash, auto sit, and down. Tomorrow is his first visit to school.

2011-10-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Follow the link below to see the "dancing fire" video~this is what the dogs got to see last week and the week before!

http://www.osv.org/museum/video.html?ID=59&P=1

2011-10-10T08:21:00.001-07:00

"Dancing Fires" on the mill pond, OSV, October 2011

2011-10-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

Bonfire and stories on the common, OSV 2011

Old Sturbridge Village 2011

2011-10-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Terry, Major, Christina and Rosella at OSV listening to Full Gale, October 2011

Training notes

2011-09-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Major 1135 101710 Height 22"
Major is learning the retrieve, a la Michael Ellis and doing extremely well. Obedience and task at PCC is on target and he is appropriate with the other dogs. His stays in public need work, but I was told that he came back with loose stool last Monday, so it may have been a case of stomach upset that kept him from being able to settle. WPR used a new treat~a liquid with a roller ball. An ingenious new tool, but it does have milk products in it~sometimes that will cause stomach upset in dogs so use sparingly.

Rosella 1185 012811 Height 22"
Rosella went out with her new WPR last weekend, all went well. She was rushed by a small pack of wild children at a birthday party and had a fearful reaction, but she recovered nicely. Excellent with the WPRs 10 and 12 year olds and mostly respectful of the resident dog, a 3 year old female golden who thinks she is the queen of the world. She was good on field trips, attention and obedience good, but fearful of new things like the misters in the green section of the grocer. Again, she recovered nicely. She tends to bond strongly and quickly to her handler. I am hoping for less need for recovery time over the next few months and more looking to handler for any reassurance that she needs. She is also working on the retrieve, no mouthing, looks good. Her obedience at PCC is quite good for her age and activity level, and she tends to fix position on her own if she's in the wrong place~impressive.

Graham and the ferret

Graham 1187 021411 Height 21.5"
Graham is really doing well, no notable fear issues on a field trip to Tufts Vet School on Sunday~was very bold about saying hello to all manner of animals, some who were extremely large. His behavior is a little on the bold side at PCC, he tends to rush up and down outdoor stairs instead of step by step and has a nose to the ground when walking outdoors. Last week in class at PCC he was rather a disaster, two commands for everything, but in public looked good.

Welcome Maxwell!
He is learning housebreaking, how to walk on a leash, not biting hands, sit for resources. He is extremely bold, no fears of objects, surfaces, people, other dogs.

Holliston Walk for Autism

2011-09-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Nice attention Gillis!

Holliston Walk for Autism

2011-09-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

Carol with Graham

Training notes, September 9, 2011

2011-09-11T07:17:00.001-07:00

MajorRosellaGrahamWe worked on open stairs at PCC, Major looks exceptionally good. His attention to handler is almost as good outdoors as in, and he responds on first command consistently. Rosella was not quite as good, stairs were old and wooden and she wasn't all that thrilled to work on them. She gave attention to handler about half the time and tried to either skip steps or rush both up and down. Her attention outdoors needs to improve and I would like her to not be so focused on where the group is headed and care more about her handler. Indoors this is never an issue, her placement is gorgeous and if not, she will self correct. Outdoors, handler really needs to engage with her all the time or she's forged. Graham was also about 50 percent both up and down the stairs. His attention to handler is good for his age, but could improve. He's similar to Rosella in that if the handler engages, he's right there. If the handler loses focus, so does he. All dogs need more night work. I am hearing increasingly of issues that the dogs are having because something in the environment has changed and in the dark it turns into an issue. This can be greatly reduced if all dogs are given an evening walk or field trip each night on weekends.

2011-08-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

Graham, boat ride around Hyannis harbor, Aug 2011.

2011-08-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

Rosella, train ride, Aug. 2011.

Training notes on Rosella eval 081811

2011-08-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

Day 1
I took her to my home, a new environment for her. She was afraid of my dog, a 5 year old GSD who liked her and tried to get her to play several times. She was scared and then too submissive to play with him.
The screen door makes a loud screetching noise, she was afraid to go through the door initally, but did go through with encouragement. The wooden door also makes a noise, and she startled and bolted from that as well. I took her to Starbucks' with another dog and they did well, so we took both dogs out to a grocery store and stood at the entrance with the auto doors opening and closing and people going in and out and carriages being noisily removed from the stack. We had to stay for about 30 minutes before she was able to relax.  By that time it was dark and she was spooked by the cars in the lot. In the car on the way home she cried because she couldn't get to me.  Barked at last out, strange noises but nothing I was able to ID.

Day 2
We went for a 2 hour ride to the Cape, she was in my car with Rhody, who couldn't settle.  At one point, he was being really rude and she put him in place. No bite, just a sharp bark. We went to the Hyannis bus station, on a 2 hour train ride, stood on the tarmac at CC Airport, and then went on a harbor cruise. The train whistle was extremely loud where we were on the train, but after the first few times she settled and even went to sleep at my feet. Bus was loud by if I had her attention she was fine. Lunch in the park. Airport, no prob. Tiny planes back and forth, busier than I had expected. She settled easily. Boat was a hoot, she played "Rose" from the Titanic movie, right at the front, no problems. While we were waiting for the boat ride to begin several little kids came over and asked to pet her~while they were petting, she back up and stepped away from them. We went to dinner in a nice place, the staff loved her. I gave her a pressed rawhide to chew while we were there and when the staff came to pet her she stopped chewing on it and held it in her mouth. Her body was rigid. When they left, she went right back to chewing happily. This is a huge concern and I will ask Chris to work on it.

Day 3
Accident in the house~after given the opportunity to go outdoors. Daycare visit, then back to be spayed and microchipped tomorrow.

Concerns:
Not enough night work~just being in the dark concerns her
She's afraid of traffic
She doesn't love kids
She doesn't love loud/sharp noises
She is potentially food aggressive
Her obedience positions are wrong, she's too far forward and she pulls on the leash.
Her stays are non-existant.
No auto sit.
She does not know to look to handler for support, or did not demonstrate it with me~we did start that and she picked up really fast, there were lots of potentially scary interactions on day 2.
BGN is difficult, would not go on anything but grass.
No recall, even on leash.

Positives:
She's easy to have around, not demanding, nice house manners.
She's submissive with other dogs until they're very rude.
Her attention is good in public (mostly with food)

Training Notes, 080511

2011-08-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

Odin 11103 101309 Odin spent two week in this time and was great in class, we were able to see siginificatnt improvement in obedience. After class WPR took him home and he tried marking everything in her house and many, many things in public. On the third day she took him to a concert at Indian Ranch and he behaved well. She took him back that evening and while out for a bathroom break he noticed a chipmunk and bolted after it, leveling his handler and bolting into the woodline. He did not recall when asked. The local police department picked him up and he was returned without incident to PCC. A determination has yet to be made on him.

Major 1135 101710 The hot spot on Major's tail continues to improve. He worked well in class, no issues. He continues to be a little distracted in class, but is easily redirected by his handler.
He will be neutered on 081811.

Rosella 1185 012811 Rosella attended a class at the state park near the water last Friday. She is highly distractable (poeple, dogs, water) and WPR has a difficult time getting her back in line. I worked her a bit and found that when corrected, she will come to heel and work well. She needs a firmer hand and more guidance, she is no longer a puppy. She will be spayed on 081911

Graham 1187 021411 Graham has a new WPR~Carol~who will be taking him out from now on. I am concerned that he could not walk on a loose leash with his former WPRs, or give any sort of attention under distraction. I am interested to see how he does with an experienced handler.

All pups are going on an outing to Cape Cod on Wednesday, Aug 17. We will be going on a two hour train ride followed by a one hour harbor cruise, then dinner and a walk on the beach after sunset. Night time return.

Training Notes, 080511

2011-08-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

All handlers viewed the Leerburg video Training the Retrieve with Michael Ellis last week and this week. I haven't been absolutely happy with the mouthy retrieves that we've had in the past, and I am hoping that a bit of a change in style as well as making it completely uniform will help us when teaching the retrieve, as well as enabling the dogs to retrieve novel items such as cloth and delicate items such as cell phones without shaking or breaking anything.

We had an outing to Waterfire in Providence, RI last Saturday night. Rosella and her WPR were able to attend. She is still a little silly, but did well on the trip~the crowds were massive, it was very dark, there were sirens, other dogs, people touching her~no problems that I was able to see.

Odin 11103~going to balance/walker dog protocols, no automatic sit. He is staying in for 2 weeks, out for one weekend for a while. He is quite good in public, but needs more formal obedience training. He looked great today, commands are executed in a timely fashion, no refusals. He was distracted by his WPR who attends class, and didn't hold position at all times, but overall he was good.

Major 1135~hot spot/fungal infection on his tail as of last Friday. I looked at it yesterday and today. The redness appears to be gone, still "bumpy". I will try to find a lotrimin spray for him. He does not appear to be uncomfortable and worked well today.

Rosella 1185~She is still somewhat of a silly puppy, but her attnetion is looking much better, she really likes her handler and enjoys the work. Position is good, and when she's out of position she springs back into the heel~hysterical to see.

Graham 1187~not in class today.

Training Notes, 072211

2011-07-26T05:33:00.000-07:00

Odin 11103
Odin is getting better with transitions between handlers and into WPR's home, still whines a little when WPR Lee leaves after training, but much better this week. He is still excited to see people, we are still working on slowing him down and proper attention to handler. His obedience is coming along, and I have instructed his handler to begin the rest of the list for dog that are in the program for longer than three months.

Major 1135
It is amazing to see how excellent Major is in the facilty at such a young age. WPR should be working on confidence building, being the leader that he needs. This means more strict obedience and less asking for him to engage, more demanding it. Major needs work on attention to handler and obedience.

Rosella 1185
Rosella is in need of the very same things as Major. It's time for stricter obedience and for teaching her that if she pulls, she doesn't get it~even if that means WPR has to leave, put her back in the car and wait for her to settle and be able to approach nicely.

Graham 1187
I have noticed that Graham has a little bit of noise sensitivity~ears flat back when the train goes by at training class. WPR took him to the train station yesterday and he was a bit nervous. I asked him to keep his distance and keep it happy.

072311

2011-07-26T05:11:00.001-07:00

On 072311 I met Gillis, Tess, Major and Rosella at the local train station. Gillis and Tess showed no adverse reaction to the train coming into the platform, then leaving. Major and Rosella both had fear reactions, both tried to flee, Rosella having the worse reaction. Major's WPR has been working on this for a few weeks. I asked the WPRs to get the dogs back there to practice from across the lot, working up to being on the platform.
We then went to the ice rink and while we were there a thunder storm passed over us. The metal building caused the sound of the thunder to be amplified and Rosella was clearly a little rattled by it. Major did everything faster, with more enthusiasm and was sharky with treats. Rosella had a difficult time with the bleachers and the little boy who came over to meet the dogs in his hockey uniform~complete with helment and cage, gloves, etc. Both Rosella and Major seemed to grow alot longer when meeting the little boy, but both were ok with meeting the figure skaters and other people in the arena.
Tess and Gillis appeared to have little reaction to the storm, were happy to meet people, and did fine on and under the bleachers.

Weekly update

2011-07-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who went to Breezy Hill on Saturday and the bike run on Sunday. Those were both really important trips and I'm anxious to read about how the puppies did in your online reports. Please record any bolting, barking, excessive sniffing, or other rude behavior. If your puppy exhibited any of these behaviors, please get with Lee or visit Sweet Meadow Farm at 111 Coolidge street, Sherborn. You can drive up, park, walk around, meet chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, horses, mini horses, burros, etc. who are happy to meet your dog and leave (during business hours).
Please remember~we do NOT use the commands "with me" or "wrong". We do use Let's Go and NO.
Currently, the WPRs are using Let's go, Sit, Down and Watch me as well as No, Better go now, OK and Kennel. You may notice that SAY HELLO is conspicuously absent from the list. I've had a conference with my trainers and on the whole, the dogs are getting rewarded for bad behavior whenever they're told to SAY HELLO. Most of them are not able to hold their butts on the ground and/or unable to stop licking hands/feet/faces and/or keep their feet on the ground to say hello. The people who are saying hello are unable to stop petting the dog when they don't sit, lick them or jump on them, so the dogs are being reinforced every time they say hello to a stranger. This is counter productive to what we're trying to do~teach attention and obedience in any situation. So for now, puppies under 1 year will not be using this command. If someone asks to pet your pup and you would like them to(school, event, etc) feel free to just say yes. No command to the dog, and keep it a short three count. Correct any licking of hands or feet or face/jumping on people/sniffing crotches/rubbing of the GL that people misinterpret as affection. If you're out working your dog somewhere, feel free to say, "sorry, he's in training". Most people will respect that, try to ignore the rest.

This week we have a new puppy coming in, a yellow lab named Princess and she's going to Heather. As is the normal routine, she will stay at the prison for 2 weeks and be able to go out on the third week. Congratulations Heather!

NEW WPRs~please try to attend puppy K on Saturdays at 10am at Happy Tails. www.happytailsddc.com

I am finding that alot of our dogs are either uncomfortable near the water or just plain dislike it. Please try to bring your dog somewhere (not the ocean, the waves are sometimes disturbing) where they can swim. All state parks are dog friendly. When you do take your puppy to the lake (evening or very early morning before it gets hot please) bring a toy that floats~tennis ball is good~and throw it down the beach (GET IT) so that the dog doesn't have to swim for it, just crash around in the water a bit. If the dog seems to be having fun (look at the body language, where are your dog's ears/tail?) then throw it in a bit farther until they have to swim just a bit, then continue with the shallow water throws. If you do it in this manner, the dog won't distrust you or freeze up. Remember, if they don't get it, you will have to, so plan and dress accordingly. :) Remember: long line on the dog at all times, and don't play until your dog is exhausted~they're not endurance swimmers. To help facilitate learning around water, are having a pool party on Aug. 6 at Dawn's from 2-6pm and a Friday night class at the State Park boat ramp. These trips are in lieu of Saturday morning classes.

Training Notes 071911

2011-07-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

Odin 11103 DOB 101309 Wt 83
Odin is coming along well and I see improvements every week. He is still having a great deal of trouble with transitioning from PCC to WPR Lee's home. He tends to wind himself up to epic proportions. Lee has taken to bringing her femal Aussie to play referee, and that's working out well. Odin gets into the car and remains civilized upon entering the home. We're now working on transitioning from one handler to the other~Odin sees Lee as his ticket out of jail, or perhaps his fun weekend, so Lee's been taking him out twice a week for one overnight so that he can practice the transition.
Odin is learning task work and starting advanced ob cmmands. His retrieve is excellent and he doesn't have aversions to much of anything. We have started to allow alternate handlers to work with him on basics.
WPR says that he is not a confident swimmer, but will go into the water and wade around willingly.
Odin is a dog who does not respond to physical correction, but will seek attention and physical praise from his handler. Direct eye contact is a huge reward for him.

Major1135 DOB 101710 Wt 50
Major is amazing. He is a bit ahead of schedule so Adam is working on fading all cues and making sure he respond on the first command. He loves to fetch, loves to swim. He does have an aversion to the commuter rail train, does not like to be anywhere that he can see the train coming in. We're going to work on that on Saturday, and WPR Terri has been working on it weekly.
Major loves treats and and when he's distracted high value treats are a great motivator for him.

Rosella 1185 DOB 012811 Wt 38 Ht 19.75
Rosella reminds me of Tigger. She is bouncy and fun and a great dog when she's attending to her handler~a bit of a handful shen she's flying off the end of her leash to say hello to new dogs, horses, cats, people, etc. Rosella loves to work and will do so with minimal food reward, she loves praise and direct eye contact from her handler. She is still extremely puppyish, so food is a good way to gain her attention before she becomes distracted.

Graham1187 DOB 021411 Wt 33 Ht. 19.75
Still scratching a bit, bites are better. He is working on basics and handling. Attention in public needs work, as does his impulsivity. When he's on and you have his attention he's great. If you lose eye contact he's iffy and needs more than one command.

2011-06-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

Alert barking and frustration barking come from different places in the dogs brain.

Frustration barking is when your puppy sees something and REALLY wants it. It's usually
combined with lunging at the end of the leash. That behavior is to be corrected/redirected.
Alert barking comes from fear and is usually accompanied by low body posture. Our dog
needs to be taught to look to you for an opinion on the situation rather than take it upon
himself to make the decision that something is a danger to him.
If you have an alert barking situation, bring your dog directly to the heel position
and wait for him to settle (look for changes in ear position, open mouth, relaxed down, tail
wag, etc.) and look up at you for direction. Try not to speak to the dog, just wait. Then
try a CHECK IT OUT and bring him toward whatever made him bark~if he is willing.

Its easier for the dog to be settled before you try to get him to go face his fears. If he doesn't want to go,
then just stand with him in a place where he's comfortable and wait for him to settle.

Please write any sort of barking behaviors in your online reports, along with where and when it happened

Training notes, 062411

2011-06-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

Odin 11103 went on his first field trips this week. He was excellent at the carnival, inside the grocery store, and at Old Sturbridge Village where we took 7 pups in the rain. WPR notices that when Odin gets tired he's a bit like a child~whiny, belligerent, clings, and then he crashes. It's like he doesn't want to miss out on anything! He is working on attention and focus to handler when there are children around~he biggest distraction. There were many, many kids as OSV~school field trip days. We believe that he may have been a kennel dog, and he needs to be able to work a bit more than he does now, so Gerald is working on building Odin's stamina to more acceptable levels.

Major 1135 did well on the trip to OSV. He does pull and sniff, so his WPR is working on attention and loose leash heeling in public. Adam is working on generalizing his fetch and has worked up to metal and soft cloth objects like socks. Major has an excellent fetch with very little mouthing.

Rosella 1185 was on the floor with Odin last week, just "playing face" as we call it. Odin rollde over and Rosella splayed her back legs, causing a pulled muscle, we think. Poor little girl was in a bit of pain, but appeared to be fully recovered by Wednesday so she went out for a very quiet weekend with Alycia on Saturday. She seemed completely fine when I checked her on Thursday and Saturday. Chris is working on basic obedience with her, attention and loose leash walking outdoors. Rosella is a very outgoing puppy, no fears or issues.

Graham 1187 has some mysterious bumps on his trunk, chest and shoulders. They're itchy, not oozing or flaking and appears to be worse after the weekend, according to Paul. I have asked for a vet check and then a food change, hopefully this week. His affect and additude are fine, I got to work with him alot on Saturday. Graham and his WPRs are in a basic obedience class with pet puppies for the next 6 weeks. Paul is working on basic obedience, attention and loose leash walking with Graham, and the pup is responding well, no fears or issues.

2011-06-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Major at Old Sturbridge Village.

2011-06-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Parade, 2011

2011-06-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

Pics from the Memorial Day Parade 2011.
Laddie

Major
Daisy

Mickey
Gillis
Mickey
Tess and Laddie

Getting ready!
Kyla

NEADS Norfolk

052011

2011-05-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

Major ingested a pen cap last Friday, had several bouts of vomiting overnight on Sunday morning, but appeared to bounce back by Sunday afternoon. No problems this weekend.

Rosella is learning stairs, attention in public, loose leash heeling in a strange environment. No issues, no fears.

051111

2011-05-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Nykki has been placed in an excellent pet home where I am sure she will do very well.

Major is still exhibiting a few puppy behaviors that need to be worked on~he is mouthing hands, arms when he gets excited. He is over the top in play, but when put in his place by another dog he will not test again. He did really well on our outing to NEADS, no problems at all.

Rosella seems to be settling in well. She's about 50% less dog than Nykki, but still lots of fun.

Welcome Scrappy!

Training notes, 042911

2011-05-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

Merlin 1059~Back to Princeton where, unfortunately, he is having a very difficult time being in the kennel. He is showing fears~particularly of men. I went up last week and took him out to a local mall, a place where he had never been. Merlin was his old self~tail up and wagging, met many, many men of all descriptions with no issues: grey haired, black, asian, young, and dev. delayed group of about 8 who croweded him. No issues. As soon as we got back to the NEADS lobby he began to show stress signs, tail down, ears back, alert barking.
Erin is workin on it with him. He did have a successful field trip with Jen, but did show signs of descrimination between men and women when greeting strangers.

Major 1135~continues to do really well, no issues.

Nykki 1173~Failed on 0422 for aggression, up for adoption. Nykki would make a fine pet, but her dominant personality would not be suitable for a NEADS dog.

Rosella 1185~Welcome Rosella!

Training notes, 040111

2011-04-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

We did a comprehensive evaluation of Nykki 1173 today in the dayroom.
Handler reports that she "red lines" or has a fit when she is physically restrained from an object that she desires. He states that she also does this with the other dogs when humans interfere with play.
She is a forward puppy who always wants to be in the fore of any pack play, she will steal toys and go to a defensable position (under a chair) but is easily re-engaged by a human or another of the dogs. I gave her a bully stick that she was extremely fond of, but when I told Merlin to get it, she allowed him to take it from her. She tried to take it back, but Merlin was too fast for her.  She allowed me to take it from her several times, no issues, no trades. She played with a new tug toy with lots of movement~I took it from her several times, and Major took it from her several times. No issues. Same with a new squeaker toy.
Her play is a little aggressive, she barks and growls but that appears to be because she's smaller than the rest of the pack. She allowed me to handler her, pull tail, ears, toes, examine her mouth, her ears. She rolled onto her back with a treat lure. She allowed me to suspend her off the floor and when I pinched the webbing between her toes she licked my hand.
She seems appropriate to her age for all behaviors.
I did tell the inmate that he was over correcting her and putting her into defense, that she was probably overwhelmed with the move, and that she might just need a short adjustment period.
I like her. She's staying.
WPR Alycia~She will be eval'd for daycare asap so that she can learn proper pack behaviors. Please make an appt for first available appt. If you're not around I can take her.

Merlin~needs work on behavior without cape on. He's rude to humans if he's in "play mode".  He also needs to learn the automatic alert when handler goes to ground.

Major looks great, but is a jumper when he's on free time.  Needs work on manners.

Rubin is still with us, but not for long. I have a plan for him. :)

Training Notes, 032511

2011-03-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Rubin has been excused for noise sensitivity. I am working on finding him a home that will be a great fit for him. For those who do not know, I place all of my excused dogs. I do not place my dogs in homes where the occupants work full time because it seems unfair to the dog who has been with a human 24/7 for it's entire life to suddenly adjust to an empty home. If you know of someone who would like to provide a home for our well trained excused dogs, please ask them to contact me.

Merlin is working 4+ hours a day beside a w/c. Handler is doing an excellent job of cleaning up any sloppy sits, etc. He is still silly at times, but in general is a dog with alot of enthusiasm for the job.

Major~basic obedience looks great, out in public looks great. He has finished a basic obedience class and moved on to a more challenging class.

Nykki is a female golden who arrived last week. She is exhibiting some extremely rude behavior, chasing people, biting, guarding space/toys/food from humans and other dogs. I will do an eval of her on Friday and make a determination from there on her.

2011-03-18T06:46:00.001-07:00

Our new logo!

Training notes, 031811

2011-03-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

Rubin 1023 091709 is leaving us to be matched on Monday, 032111. Rubin is a soft, sensitive dog who will need a gentle but confident leader. He is such a willing partner that I am sure he will do well wherever he ends up. Rubin tested and passed the Canine Good Citizen on March 5.

Merlin 1059 120509 is finishing up PAWS and SWITCH and learing to overcome springtime silliness. No issues except for learning how to get past a closed door and into the dog food at WPRs home last week. We are all impressed at how he is able to get into the container, which is closed and fastened.

Duke 1083 022810 is going to his forever home today. We will miss him, but know that he has a working home and will be very, very happy doing what he is genetically coded to do!

Major 1135 101710 is doing incredibly well with his training, learning self control and how to avoid eating everything that comes into his area of personal space.

Training notes, 030411

2011-03-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

Update:
Duke 1083 is feeling better, limp is all but gone, he was diagnosed with panosteitis by our vet. Unfortunately, he has been released for elevated prey drive and guard instinct. I cannot tell you how much he will be missed, he is such a wonderful dog. His new home is a great one, and he has an exciting new path to follow.

Rubin 1023 will be going back to Princeton in 032111 to work with Trainer Brian Jennings. I am hoping that Rubin will be matched with someone who needs him, he's a "people dog" and loves humans even more than other dogs.

Merlin 1059 is now 15 months old and is polishing up task work. Obedience is good, most on first command. He likes to note new things, but doesn't break commands. He still has moments of silly behavior, but it's getting fewer and fewer.

Major 1135 is a confident puppy, and is working on single command obedience without lures. Supervised field trip last week was unremarkable for any issues or fears.

2011-02-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

To those who went to Lions Club event in Dedham, to the Big Biscuit WPR seminar, and all of the other field trips that I ask you to go on~thank you!

2011-02-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

Field trip to Lee's house this weekend is postponed due to parking concerns~the tennis club lot is not plowed and on-street parking is unsafe due to the snowbanks that are (unfortunately) still there. If your dog hasn't met a horse, a goat or chickens please get with Lee on Saturday to schedule a private showing. ;)

NEWS:

Thank you all for keeping your online reports up to date!!
I think everyone is healthy and no one is being kept in this week for medicals~HOORAY!!
Gillis has been excused for fear issues and has an awesome new home with a friend of Lisa's.
Duke has been excused for elevated prey/protection drive and I am choosing his new home carefully.
Welcome to Saint and Lucy, WPRs are Lisa Grandin and Lisa Smith. You will all get to see/love them on March 12th.
Here's the lineup for March:
March 4th, 7-9 class at Happy Tails. We will probably have a number of potential new WPRs at this class, so feel free to talk to them about your experiences~I want them to know what they're getting themselves into! :o ALL PUPPIES OVER 6 MONTHS
March 5 9-10am MANDATORY CGC testing for all puppies over 6 months at Happy Tails (if they haven't already been tested). Puppy class is still at 11am.
March 6, 2-4pm, NEADS graduation at the Sheraton 4 Points, Leominster. ALL PUPPIES OVER 6 MONTHS. Great chance to practice WATCH ME in a crowd~bring good bait and/or a bone to chew on. I know it's a huge weekend and I apologize for the timing. Jenny and Carol always offer to take pups for me, so just let me know if you can't go and I'll send your pup out with one of my ladies.
March 12, 19, 26 9-10am Drop-in class at HT.
March 12, 2-4pm Bethany Nursing Care. ALL PUPPIES. If your pup is still overly excited in public and can't meet the ladies yet you can still bring them, but work away from the ladies. Also bring them through the chapel, the auto doors, elevator, etc. Pups over 6 months can skip morning class in lieu of this trip.
March 18th, 7-9pm Caryl Crouse obedience seminar at HT, audit space is free to WPRs. You never know where you will pick up new ideas. Caryl is my mentor and hero and if you do attend you will learn something, I promise. :)
March 20th, 7-10pm Canines for Disabled Kids fund raiser at SWEET, Shrewsbury St in Worcester. Microbrews and desserts~really, what's better than that? PUPPIES OVER 6 MONTHS.

March 26th, Webster Lions dinner dance, free for WPRs. Details (time) to follow but please plan on attending if you can, this is a great crowd/people dancing/loud noises event that's sponsored by a major NEADS fundraiser. PUPPIES OVER 6 MONTHS.

ON YOUR OWN: Please walk all puppies over 6 months through a hospital this month. I noticed that few have this checked off thier lists...walk in the main entrance, ride the elevator, sit in a waiting area~stay away from patients unless they ask to pet your dog. The smells alone will provide a difficult environment for your puppy. You might also find the ER and the ambulances, meet the staff. It's on your list too~unfortunately, some of our clients are in hospital alot. Total time: 20-30 minutes, max.

Training Notes, 021811

2011-02-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

Rubin is doing well, although he is still rather noise sensitive he is also really growing up and loving the work. Handler is working on extinguishing all hand and body cues for obedience commands as well as teaching both PAWS and SWITCH for lights. He is also working in as many different venues as possible.

Merlin is still a little immature at times, he gets silly when there's a chance to meet children, or when I am around. I forget that I was his first person, first bond~there's still a love affair there. His task and obedience are good, and he's 15 months on graduation day.

Duke has been excused for prey drive and barking. I will find him the best home for him, thank you Jamie and Jeremy and Mav.

Major is brilliant. He is learning proper position for basic obedience and has great energy and focus. He is a little shy about getting in and out of the car, but I expect that to fade soon. GL while eating.

2011-02-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

NEADS Puppies FAQ's

Crate: get the one that will fit your dog as an adult. If you have a young puppy, make it smaller by putting a box or a grate in it so you don't have accidents. You have a choice of wire or plastic crate. Your dog has a wire crate in the facility and wire is easier to clean, but if someone GIVES you a plastic crate, take it!
Bowls: metal, glass or ceramic. Plastic bowls are easy for bacteria to live in.
Bait bag: they're easier than trying to stuff a ziplock in your pocket and fumble for bait when your dog does something great.
Crate pad: I use an old blanket or comforter, some puppies like to “nest”. Whatever you use, make sure it's washable.
Sick puppy: Call the NEADS main number at 978-422-9064 and wait to be directed to the emergency line.
Sick is: Trauma of any kind, limping, eye injuries. Vomiting more than once. Diarrhea is defined as stool so loose that it cannot be picked up. Anything else is loose stool. “Sick” is diarrhea more than once. Return the puppy asap, letting staff and inmate know what's going on so the pup can be started on WD. If you're unsure, call me.
Food from the prisons: always return containers empty. You can save extra food from one week to another, just let the handler know if you don't need food for the following week via your communication sheet. Please do not keep it for weeks. Our food is excellent, organic, and has a short shelf life of under 6 months. I can also furnish you with food in 5 lb bags if you prefer that. We use By Nature food, available at Roche Brothers in Millis.
Handlers: No one but the WPR is allowed to take the puppy's leash because they're the only ones trained to work the puppy. Children handlers need to be approved by me and are not allowed to work the dog in public. This is a NEADS rule, not a Christina rule.
Playtime: No more than an hour a day with your pet dog for puppies at 6 months. Under 6 months is double. We do not want your puppy to think that weekends are a free-for-all with your pet dog.
Communication forms: PLEASE be careful with what you write on your communication forms~no last names, no place names (Medway Shaw's would be “grocery store”, etc. ) Pictures are ok as long as you hand them directly to your NEADS liasion. No pictures with people in them, just the dog.
Scheduling a daycare interview is mandatory before the puppy is out for the second weekend. Puppies must attend once a month.
Handling exercises, daily.
Food bowl exercises, daily.
Cape on all day except for playtime.
Feel free to take a bone or chew for your dog when you're going somewhere that the dog will be in an extended down stay~movies, dinner, work, etc. Please do not take anything that will make a mess of the floor or your dog. Dogs over 12 months shouldn't need this in order to settle.
If you would like to start a puppy box or album to give to the client, feel free to do that.
Online list: there are things that we would like the dog to see, but not necessarily experience, like an escalator, a revolving door, fireworks. Special note on fireworks: please be as far away as you can get and still see them for your dog's first experience.
Getting in and out of a vehicle: Command to get in any vehicle is JUMP. Dog should turn and face you so that the leash can be removed if the client chooses to do so. To get the dog to do this, simply give the WATCH ME command and offer a cookie. To get the dog out (dog should be sitting) please use the command LEFT or RIGHT. Dog should come to your side and sit. Rule of thumb for jumping in and out~no higher than the dog's shoulder. If you have an SUV, please assist the dog.
Dogs are to be on leash at all times in public. Exceptions are in your own fenced back yard or in a class environment.
We very lucky to have 4 program mentors: Lee, Lisa, Dawn and Michele. Please ask me or one of these very experienced WPRs to go with you on your first field trips. We are all here to help you!
Should you have an access issue~that is, someone asks you to leave because of your dog~please present them with a card, and let them know that your dog is not a pet, but is a service dog in training. If they ask you to leave again, leave and send an email to Candy Hitchcock at NEADS. chitchcock@neads.org

2011-01-31T17:16:00.000-08:00

February Schedule:

Feb 3, 6:30pm. Webster fundraiser. Please let me know if you can make it.

Feb 4, NEADS only class at HT 7-9pm.

Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26 9am class at HT. Feb 5~If you have one, please bring a child's toy to class.

Feb 9, 7:30. Doggy Chiropractic clinic at Happy Tails, free to all, with or without your NEADS dog.

Feb 12, 2-4pm Bethany Nursing Care. ALL PUPPIES.

Feb 19, 11am Beginner Basic Class, HT 11am for 6 weeks~Badgett, Sapphire, Major, Rhody, Mickey, Kyla and ALL NEW WPRS, with or without a puppy.

Feb 19, 8am. District 33 Lions Mid-Winter Event, Dedham Hilton (Lisa Sawyer, Lisa Smith..anyone else?)

Feb 26th, 1-2 pm. Lee's house, farm visit, 1-2pm. ALL PUPPIES.

NOTE:

**Patriot place still has ice skating! Franklin and Norfolk areas are close by and free, so please visit and bring high value bait for attention work.

**Consider a visit to a local school during thier vacation or on a Saturday~the doors are open and there are events going on. If you can find a band or play practice or a sporting event, have a seat and practice long downs or attention.

**Hospital visit, any time. Go to the emergency exit and introduce your puppy to an ambulance, then sit in the waiting area for 10 minutes or so.

**Vet visit on a Saturday after class, just walk in and SIT your dog for 10 minutes. Ask for attention, wait until you get it. If you're feeling brave, get your puppy on the scale and try a SIT stay. Acorn Animal Hospital and Medway Animal Hospital are friends of NEADS and donate services. Open til noon on Saturdays.

If you would like someone to go with you on a field trip, please ask, we are happy to help!!

Training Notes, 012511

2011-01-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

Rubin~it appears that Rubin is doing better after his visit to the NEADS kennel for evaluation~he had a difficult reaction to being in the kennel, Rubin is used to being with people most of the time and prefers people to other dogs so a kennel environment was challenging for him. He did alert bark a few times the week he got back, but appears to have settled in again. No change in his work, he's great. The NEADS trainers thought he was a nice dog, a little noise sensitive, a little fearful (cats, new environment) but otherwise a good service dog candidate.  We are working on confidence building exercises, as well as a few new special commands for the client that he may be matched to.

Merlin~His task work is good, seems to really like the work, obedience is good, no issues except for a very quiet bark when the teenagers enter the WPRs home...he loves them, they're fun. He did have an overexcited reaction to puppies when he was younger~wanted to play and then had explosive loose stool~but he appears to be over it now. That may have been the food he was on. He is an itchy dog that we've tried several different foods on, but the BN Salmon appears to be the only thing he can eat without having a "blowout". Treats are either his own food, single protien fish only dog foods, dehydrated fish, and dehydrated sweet potatoes.   Merlin is still a little immature, still easily distracted and needs to be reminded of basics (auto sit, stays, etc.) on occasion. Handler is working in the wheelchair alot this month, TURN command is still difficult.

Duke~is still barking upon hearing a door knock, but the exercises that we're doing appear to be working~we're setting him up with strangers to knock on WPR's front door, then feed Duke a high value treat if he doesn't bark at them.  Handler is doing the same, it appears to be working. He has low growled at a female teenager who was staring at him, but has not repeated it. Handler is working on harness with Canny collar, same setup as Kris Law. Duke is an extremely confident dog, able to attend and work in any situation that he's been placed in so far.
He had a pulled muscle two weeks ago, but appears to be completely healed.

Major is coming along well, likes to work and is a happy little puppy. His WPR noticed pink on the bottom of his eye last week, so will check this week. No health issues, no fears, no obed issues.

2011-01-10T15:05:00.001-08:00

We are in need of a few volunteers to speak about NEADS to the Leo's, (future Lions Club members) on February 19th from 8:15am until about 9 then hang out in the crowd until about noon, at the Dedham Hilton. Please let me know if you're able to attend by Feb 1.

Thank you!

Training Notes, 011011

2011-01-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

Rubin went to the NEADS kennel for an eval by trainers Erin and Christy last week. He was tentatively matched with a 40+ year old man. This is not written in stone, just an idea.
Here are the things that he needs WPR to work on:
Backpack on and off.
Attention in public
Ignore cats while working
Find open backed stairs to work on.
Visit hockey rink
Be settled while handler is in a kneeling position

Gerald:
Retrieve keys, remote, cell phone, wood and or metal cane
Light switches on and off
Stand and Brace on stairs and inclines and to assist client back to a standing position if he should fall.
Open heavy doors.

Merlin:
Doing well on HOLD on door and with objects.
Switched back to fish based food, less scratching.

Duke:
Pulled muscle injury last week, rear left leg. He was in for two weekends to rest it, appears to be full fuctional at this time.
Working on BELLY, does fine. Working on greetings when people come to the door, Duke has been barking. Doesn't matter who or when, he barks or barks and wags. WPR working on it this weekend.

Major:
Is part kangaroo, but a very sweet dog, and eager to learn. Adam is doing well.

2011-01-10T13:10:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

Our next NEADS graduation is March 6 at 2pm at the Sheraton Four Points, Leominster, Ma. Please join us in congratulating Page and the others who will be there!

2010-12-27T10:52:00.000-08:00

Here's the schedule for those who aren't working this week and wish to attend:

Noon-1pm~
Framingham bus terminal, located off Massachusetts Turnpike Exit 13, between Route 9 and Route 30 on the Shoppers' World Mall property. Weekdays buses leave on the half hour, so meet at noon with coffee in one hand, hot dogs in the other. ;) If your dog hasn't been there before, please do a walk-by to make sure it';s going to be a good experience for them. If they're scared, stay at a distance. My cell is 508-989-5859.

2pm~
2:05pm Forge Park train to Franklin center, walk to Franklin Fire Dept.
3:36pm return to Forge Park

4:30pm~
Norfolk arena, 1 Dean Street. http://norfolkarena.com/

This is a very ambitious schedule! Please feel free to do single parts of it if your dog is under a year old, if these are "firsts" for your puppy, or if your dog is showing any signs of stress at all. Remember to make these and all field trips happy events for your dog. If attention in new places or car sickness is a problem, feed about 1/2 your dog's normal meal for breakfast and make sure you've got REALLY good treats in your pocket. There will be several dogs on these trips and your goal is to have your dog's attention on you.

2010-12-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

Merlin UP STAY at the mall

Training notes, 121710

2010-12-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

Rubin did well at the mall, no issues in the crowd, ignores strangers. His obedience when working with Gerald is amazing~he loves to work and is an easy dog to partner with. Less so with WPR. No physical corrections, he is too sensitive to it and will shut down if he's corrected harshly. I did notice that when a stranger tries to pet his head he will still duck to avoid.

Merlin is doing well, can hold open a very heavy door and is working on a better retrieve. We're trying for a perfectly still retrieve, no mouthing the item. He's a fun dog to work, very easy on the leash and dives into anything asked of him. No fears at the mall, even with the many, many people that come up to greet him...constantly.

Duke is working on the Canny collar now. Chris is trying to learn how to keep proper tension on the leash which is held in the same hand as the harness. Duke is now performing the FRIDGE command without a second command and will NUDGE from across the room. WPR notified me that Duke has been barking at people who come into her home, so she and Chris are working on having those people who come in feeding a high value treat when they come in and he's quiet.

Welcome Major!! DOB 101710, Damon is his handler, WPR is Terry.

2010-12-16T05:21:00.000-08:00

January Schedule

Dogs under 9 months must attend Saturday classes. Field trips with the group are encouraged but not mandatory. Dogs over 9 months are encouraged to attend Saturday classes, but group field trips are more important at this age. If you have a question about your dog attending a field trip, please email me.

Jan 1~No classes.
Jan 8~9-10am class. Weather permitting we will have one of the NEADS vans at training so the dogs can be introduced to the wheelchair lift.
Jan 8~2-4pm Bethany Nursing Care, Framingham.
Jan 14~7-9pm Happy Tails training
Jan 15th~9-10am class.
Jan 22~9-10am class. Please bring an umbrella to class.
Jan 28~Bass Pro field trip, 6-8pm.
Jan 29~9-10am class.

Schedule is subject to change, please check back frequently.

Training notes, 121110

2010-12-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Merlin SIT STAY

We visited the nursing home on Saturday afternoon. A student of mine volunteered to come with us and play the piano, so we all sang Chirstmas Carols and then as is our usual routine, the dogs went up to the floors to visit the ladies who couldn't get downstairs to see our NEADS presentation. This is a monthly 2-3 hour field trip that we do every second Saturday of the month. All are welcome. The dogs work on say hello, sit stay, down stay, stand stay, heeling, elevators, work around medical equipment, and the elderly. We ask the ladies to throw retrieve items for he dogs to fetch and they practice rest and visit with the dogs.
We all had a great time as usual!

Duke, DOWN STAY

Training Notes, 120410

2010-12-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

Rubin Visit

Rubin~I had the opprotunity to take Rubin out with me last night to Edaville Railroad. He was pulling and sniffing in the dirt parking lot on the way in, and would only attend when I had food for him. Unfortunately, his position was then completely off. Would not complete an UNDER command without food lure. He got on and off and rode the train easily, but the whistle was a problem. Every time he heard it his ears pinned back. While in a crowd, he would not hold sit position and kept begging for food. He got onto the school bus this morning, no problems, but handler was not able to get him to walk on or off at a step at a time.

Merlin~Merlin also came to Edaville, no issues. He seemed to enjoy the ride on the train, no problems. Bus was more challenging, he is very big and a school bus is a bit cramped. He did seem to figure it out and was happy enough to ride. No loose stool after either trip.

Merlin UNDER

Duke UNDER

Duke~WPR Jamie and I had a chance to compare notes this morning while on the bus ride. It appears that Duke is a bit claustrophobic. She first noticed it in a doctor's office appointment room. No problems walking through the hospital or into the room, but when there were 4 people, dog and baby in a very small overly warm room, Duke started panting and barking. He also panted when he rode to Boston with me recently. I thought he was warm, but even with the window open (FREEZING) he still panted. I thought it was seperation stress, but I drive a Mini~it's alot smaller that the SUV that WPR drives. Jamie's going to work on getting Duke into smaller places and rewarding him for attention~first one, school bus this morning. Duke did well, a bit of panting and yawning but held position. No barking. Second one, the entrance at Happy Tails. Duke barked at another dog on his way in, panting.

Chopper~Chopper has been excused from our program for food aggression with other dogs. I am working now on a new home for him!

2010-11-21T07:12:00.001-08:00

Will will have a school bus (donated by Vendetti Bus company) in our parking lot on December 4th at 9am for you all to work on/in and around. Please dress for the weather and bring good treats!

Training notes, 112110

2010-11-21T04:21:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning class~outdoors before class starts all students were carrying umbrellas and saying hello to all of the dogs. No negative reaction with any of the dogs here.

Rubin~Is really starting to focus and light up when it's time to work. No issues with him in his obedience or task other than he still has a difficult time holing the sit and tight heel on slippery hospital type floors. He also still ducks his head a bit when being petted.

Merlin~Still silly, but when he's working he looks good. Merlin has always gotten loose stool when overstimulated by play or outside stimulus like puppes or kids. He has gotten much better but it's still an issue.

Duke~Got a new leather walking harness this week! Unfortunately, my food motivated boy thinks it's a rawhide, but I asked Chris to spray it with Bitter Apple to make it a bit less appealing. He looks great in class, but is still overly food driven. Low value treats work best in that situation. I played a cd of a baby crying in class on Saturday and even his fav person (Jamie) couldn't get him to focus on her. He is very heavily bonded to her baby. Will work more on that.

Chopper~He looked good this week, still working on perfect position and attention. WPR Scott reported that he had two episodes of food aggression, both with younger dogs over the weekend. From Scott's report:
The incident: chopper was not crated. All other dogs were separate and in crates with doors closed but not locked. Choppers food had been placed on the floor at same time as all other dogs, and he was not made to wait. One of the puppies finished first and left the crate coming to about a foot and a half of chopper. Chopper launched toward the other dog. Carin was right there and stopped his charge before he was able to reach the other dog. There were four kibbels left in choppers food dish.

As for where does he eat. We have fed him in all sorts of situations. Typically he eats separately outside of his crate in the kitchen without other dogs but he has been fed in crate and in next to aiko and minerva without incident or indication other than obsessive behavior. He had never been fed unsupervised or with loose dogs other than aiko and minerva.
It has been awhile, several weeks, since the wait periods and commands during meals. He has been allowed to eat his food immediately.
We have not had any concern that he would become aggressive only that he has not slowed down. There was another incident last night although minor. He got hold of a visiting dogs rawhide bone and growled at another dog. Bone was removed from the room without incident. He has never been allowed a rawhide before.
My only speculation about why now and not before is that this was the first significantly younger dog he has been around while eating. He never aggressed toward anyone else or even speed up his feeding that we have observed.
My report to NEADS:
Two pretty significant food aggression issues sited with Chopper this weekend. My fear is that he also has had significant fear of toddlers in the past, is extremely food motivated and still very sharky with feeding by hand. Currently he is almost 9 months and is still only 43lbs. WPRs are petstitters and home board lots of dogs. Never seen a problem before this, and as you can imagine, he is very well socialized.

Up side is that he has had rawhides in the prison and has never aggressed over one as far as I know, but of course those are other NEADS dogs that don't tend to get into fights over things.
I will eval him asap. CMR

Training notes, 102710

2010-10-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Rubin1023~Rubin just turned 13 months and is doing excellent work. I am hoping to get his experience sheet done soon so he will be completely ready to go in December/January.

Merlin1059~Merlin is still in puberty and is kind of an airhead...forgets to heel, is a bit impulsive about people food, etc. When he's working he's great, it's the work that's interspersed with periods of not working where he gets into a bit of trouble. I have no doubts about him, they all do it, he will come out of it soon.

Duke1083~Duke is really maturing, I see him as an adult soon and he makes me very proud. He is retrieving to hand better than any of my others, he can stand and brace for long periods, and he is learning to ignore other dogs in a working context without a problem.

Chopper 1075~Chopper is still really small. He cannot hit the light switch with his nose without jumping up for it. His task is good, his obedience is ok~puberty. He is not a dog that loves kids, so WPRs are working on that. No other issues.

October:

2010-09-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

Six week intro to weekend puppy raiser class, beginning on Saturday, October 9 at 10am at Happy Tails DDC.

Drop-in class for all others, Saturdays 9am at Happy Tails.

OR

Excursions:
Saturday, October 2, noon. World War 1 Memorial Park, 401 Elmwood St, North Attleboro, MA
This is a zoo, it's a great place to practice attention! Meet in the lower field area for class, then a self-guided tour of the animals~I will be there to help out. *for pups over 6 months
Saturday, October 9, 2pm. Bethany Skilled Nursing Facility, 97 Bethany Road, Framingham.
Please meet in the lobby at 1:55pm. We usually get a schedule for the floors to visit, give out assignments and spend an hour or two with the residents. There's a chapel on the ground floor for those that have not taken thier dog into church yet...it's on the list. ;) *for pups over 9 months

Saturday, October 16, 2pm. King Richard's Faire, 235 Main St, Carver , MA
Excellent chance to say hello to people in costume, some with strange hair/language/posture. There are crowds, parking lots, animals, kids, games, food, etc. *for pups over 9 months
Friday, October 22, 5pm. Abundant Table, First Congregational Church, 100 Winter Street, Norwood
We have been invited to say hello and do a short demonstration for the guests at the Abundant Table~no cooking this time but please bring a non-perishable for thier pantry. *All pups are welcome!
Friday, October 29, 6pm. Halloween Party! Christina and Mike's house, 46 Pleasant Street, Millis, MA.
Please come in some sort of costume, this will be a great chance for the dogs to meet/greet people in costume. *All pups are welcome!

**Note: Pups do not have to come to class and a field trip on the same day, but if you want to, you're absolutely welcome to.

If you don't have a dog yet you're welcome to come on any of our excursions to observe and/or share a dog with someone else.

Questions? Please let me know! If you know any other WPRs that may want to join us, please feel free to invite them.

2010-09-13T09:00:00.001-07:00

Monday, September 13, 2010

What's New?
We will have new software for weekend reporting soon, but until then, PLEASE keep up with your pup's reports~it's the only way I can track what's going on~we are going to have a very large string of pups by the end of this year and keeping things straight is harder when you have 30 dogs than when it was 10. If your pup doesn't go out, please post the reason why: a busy weekend, sick puppy, on vacation, etc.
We are going to slowly transition from the words HEEL and SIDE to LEFT and RIGHT. The dogs don't know left and right yet but we will be introducing it in the prison this week. For now, heel/left and side/right are acceptable, we know it will take time to learn but this is to make dog handling easier for our clients who are not dog trainers~some have never had a dog before. The words left and right are more intuitive for them, and since they only have two weeks on campus to learn all that they need to, we are about making it as easy as possible for them to have early successes! (Remember when you were new to this??)

We have a new 6 week Intro to Puppy Raising class beginning on October 9 at 10am at Happy Tails in Franklin. If you're new and don't have a puppy yet or just got or are getting one, this is the class for you! We will answer all of your questions and teach you the commands you will need to communicate with your dog. You will also get to work with a dog. Please try to make these classes, they're important to your success as a NEADS puppy raiser!

I am trying to get into the Roxbuy VA hospital to do regular monthly visits with the puppies and get them around patients and adaptive equipment. We do have a regular date on the second Saturday of the month at 2pm to go to Bethany Nursing Care in Framingham. Please check with me to be sure your pup is ready for these visits.

Please email any questions to be directly! christina@alphadogk9.com

Training notes, 091310

2010-09-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

All dogs have the TURN command at the heel and are working at it in the SIDE position.

Rubin is doing really well in his task work, no problems to report so we are concentrating on getting him out and about. I believe that Rubin will be finished early, he is such a smart willing puppy!

Merlin is still scratching, but I learned that his handler was giving him treats that could have been the cause of it, so we're back to the drawing board, trying to figure out what's making that boy itch. He has no wheat/corn/soy in his diet, protein is fish and or lamb. His obedience is really nice, as is his enthusiasm for the work and his handlers. He is coming along well.

Duke was released from daycare, mostly for behaving like a GSD. He is having trouble with self-control around food and we're continuing to work VERY hard on LEAVE IT. He liberated food from WPR Jamie's 12 month old last week and did it again with another child at an outing that we went to last weekend. Task/attention work is great, as long as we're not in a place with food. He gets along well with the other dogs in the string but can be pushy with dogs that he doesn't know. Big confident dogs are never a problem. I am hoping to get Duke neutered this week.

Chopper was found to have giardia again, so he has been on grapefruit seed extract 3X/day with food for two weeks. Since he was not in dire straights, I got the go ahead to try a homeopathic remedy on him rather than another round of meds. A stool sample was sent to his vet on Friday and we are expecting results today. He hasn't gone out for over two weeks, so we're really hoping that he's negative. Chopper is a happy little guy who likes to work for his handler. His obedience is good, his retrieve is coming along well, and his focus is good. Our only problem with him is that he is still only 32lbs. at 6 months old and I am a little nervous that he will not be able to complete certain tasks well because of his size.

Training notes, 081610

2010-08-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

Rubin, Merlin, Duke and Chopper are all working on learning the TURN command this week. All dogs are healthy, Chopper was treated for giardia and seems to be better, Rubin's ear infection is clear.   All dogs are going to the NEADS fundraiser at the Black Dog on Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday.

Gerald is working on getting Rubin's obedience tightened up and his energy up for the work. I thought he was great before, but he is EXCELLENT now. I am impressed with Gerald's handling skills and his ability to wake Rubin up in the hot weather and get him to focus and want to play/work. His precision is much, much better, no more playing with fetch objects, tighter heel, better attention.

Merlin is also improving by leaps and bounds! The only sign of any sensitivity to people at all is his nervousness about his very long tail.  Improving in a crowd, working on straight sits from recall, LEAVE IT, sitting for petting, take it, belly, recall out of play, hold, leash. He is leery when pulling open the door, doesn't love having it open toward him. Working on it.

Duke still needs to be diciplined every week by the resident GSD in Jamie's house, will still challenge any dog over a toy. However~when put in his place, even without the other dog putting a tooth on him, he screams and runs away.  He's attending daycare weekely and we're waiting patiently for him to grow up ;) His work is beautiful, recall is still perfect under all circumstances. His stand and brace is amazing for a 7 month old dog. Handler has no ACL in his left knoww, if he is on the floor Duke will bark.  If he tries to get up, Duke will brace without being told.

Chopper is doing so well, his attention is good and his eargerness to come to the work is commendable. Handler is gaining confidence and they're working well together.

Ride for NEADS

2010-08-16T05:36:00.001-07:00

Please join us and the Teamster Horsemen for a great fundraiser for NEADS on August 29 at Paramount Harley Davidson, 266 Waverly Street, Framingham. Ride leaves promptly at 10:30am, registration begins at 8:30am. We will be riding to the Amvets Post 79, 55 Prime Park Way, Natick for entertainment, barbecue, swimming, and to meet local puppies in training and thier handlers.
Donation is $25.00 per rider, $10.00 passenger, non-riders, $10.00. Ride is rain or shine.

Please help us by pre-registering at http://www.teamsterhorsemenboston.com/Events.html

2010-08-11T14:51:00.001-07:00

Feast of St. Rocco in Franklin is on 08/12 - 08/15 this year. Great outing for your pup!!

2010-08-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

Princess Paige visits the farm....she was cordial to all, but thought the goats were rather smelly and dirty.

Training notes, 072110

2010-07-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Rubin has a possible eye infection, the same one that he had not too long ago. None of the other pups appear to have it. Brian called Paula for an ok for a vet visit.

Merlin is settling in with Paul. He is a little spooked by some of the guys at times, but we are hoping that he will stop noticing them soon. Out with WPR Lee and WPR Jenny this weekend. I am interested to see how he fares and if they notice any difference in him this weekend.

Duke is still a brat, but his intense focus on Chris and attention to detail in his work make he stop and stare at him. He is still very young but he is beautiful to watch. He tried to intimidate Chopper on the day he came, but Chopper gave it right back to him and then some! This is going to be interesting.

Chopper is settled in. As a matter of fact, I think someone told him that he owns the place! His first weekend out with WPRs Scott and Carin has him going to a party with lots of other dogs. Can't wait to see the report!

We have a new game in class. It involves walking with your leash in your hand and a teaspoon with a Dunkin Munchkin in the same hand, then completing a rather simple obstacle course type weave pattern. If you drop the munchkin, you must stop and pick it up. If your dog eats it, you must start over. We played several test versions of the game last week and will continue to refine it over the coming weeks. Dawn has also come up with a new game, I can't wait to play it!

Training notes, 071310

2010-07-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Merlin and Chopper!! This week was brutal, with temps in the high 90's and 70%+ humidity. Everyone was wiped out and there was not much training going on, per my instruction.

Rubin~DOB 091709, 68lbs. Rubin is coming along very well, hates the heat. His task work is sloppy and needs to be tightened up, but I love his enthusiasm. We're working on UP STAY without swimming on the wall.

Richie~Richie was failed this week, due to miscellaneous health issues. He has been x-rayed and there does not appear to be anything wrong with him, but he still appears to be tentative with sits and downs. Vet also suspects that he has difficulty seeing so we are sending him to a vetinary opthamologist before he is placed. Richie is looking for one person to bond to, he is happy and does not appear to be in distress. His personality and disposition are wonderful.

Duke~DOB 022810, 39lbs. Duke met our new pup Chopper last Friday and did a bit of trying to intimidate and bully him. Chopper immediately answered him and then some. Duke is an extremely confident food motivated puppy who is curious about everything. He shows no fear of anything so far, and will usually move toward a strange noise or object in his environment. Duke loves toys and will sometimes guard them with other pups and even adult dogs. He has a rather strong prey drive and chipmunks are something that he really wants to check out. He has an excellent attention to handler, recall is spot on. Obedience is coming along. WPR reports that they walked in the woods not far from a shooting range~no reaction from pup. He did well in the heat, no adverse reaction, loves the pool.

Training notes, 070610

2010-07-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

Rubin~Rubin is working on being more gentle when picking up dropped items, he tends to pounce on things. His obedience is good, but his tolerance to heat is not great, this being his first summer. Communication with handler is excellent and attention is extremely good as well. He's working on Stand stay, recall, heel/side, up stay, off, and jump.

Richie~Richie is still having issues with bowel movements, stiffness in hind end, but limp appears much better. He is a happy, willing puppy and obedience is coming along well.

Duke~38lbs~Focus and attention are much better. Food drive is still over the top~Duke stopped in mid stride to steal Richie's bone, then completed the task Chris asked for. Working on down stay, fetch, up/off, my lap, stand/down/stand. Say hello without sitting, recall without sitting.

New puppy coming in next week~CHOPPER!

2010-06-15T07:48:00.001-07:00

Ronnie and Scott at the Paw Sox game last weekend.

2010-06-11T05:36:00.000-07:00

Training Notes:

JC has gone back to Princeton with her friend Raison to complete her journey and be matched with someone who needs a working buddy. I was her WPR and she was with me full time for about 4 weeks after Duke came. I miss her more than I ever thought I would, she was a great companion, easy and sweet. I am eagerly waiting for word of a match for her.

Rubin 1023~So much for "Rubin doesn't like the water"~OMG! He dove off the dock at our Hopkinton State Park excursion class last Saturday, then was a great help at the NEADS booth at Paramount Harley Davidson. No fears, no worries, he's solid as a rock.
WPR: Obedience in public. He's a bit salty since puberty has hit. ;)

Richie 1051~Richie is my new boy, a 7 month old smooth coat collie. He is smart and willing, but does have some prey/herding drives as well as a bit of fear in public so we're taking everything slowly with him. Paul is concentrating on obedience and attention and I will take him out soon.

Duke 1083~Duke owns the world...or at least he thinks he does! I don't know the last time I have seen a more confident puppy. He is afraid of nothing, somewhat disrespectful but not completely, and needs to be with dogs that will stand up to him a bit.
WPR: Daycare is on the list for Duke, as often as possible.

2010-05-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the zoo with us, we had a great time and the dogs were AWESOME!

042210

2010-04-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

I got an update on Sally today. She appears to be exhibiting alot of alert barking behavior with hair up, and is playing roughly with other dogs. Christy is worried that she may be "too much dog" for one of our clients, so she is going to see if she settles in within the next week or so, and perhaps try her as a hearing dog.

2010-04-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

UPDATE:

Sally is looking great and will be leaving us on Marathon Monday, April 19. She and Dawn along with Elsa and Lisa will be driving up to the NEADS Princeton campus to drop their pups off for the last time with trainer Christy Bassett. I could not be more proud of these two teams, as they both faced major uphill battles with thier puppies. Sally was a fearful puppy and was going to be failed for it, but Cindy really liked her and asked if I would give her a try. I told Dawn when I gave her the little yellow pup that her chances were not great, but Dawn stepped up and made her what she is today. Until Elsa was 9 months old, WPR Lisa never knew if when she sat down there would be a puddle left behind~she had a urinary issue that went on for a LONG time and Lisa was a saint for keeping her. Lisa has also developed the best emergency kit there is~ask her what's in it next time you see her.

We all wish both Elsa and Sally the best of luck. I know they will both be well matched, Christy is wonderful at what she does so they will be in excellent hands.

JC has turned a corner. She has gone from being disinterested in working to throwing herself into it, tail up and wagging. She has made me so proud of her these last few weeks!   She is still working on UNDER and THROUGH at my house, but is a champ in the facility. Off leash recall is at 100%,   and she is jumping into my SUV with one command and no bait.

Rubin has hit puberty.  He is working well but seems to be distracted by the springtime scents and activity. This is perfectly normal and I assured Billy that his brain will return shortly~he will be neutered next month. :) He is working on the retrieve (without mouthing) and basic obedience with zero hand signals.

Cheyenne has been moved to our Framingham location.

We all did outdoor classes last week at Fino Field in Milford. The dogs were excellent.
We went to the Abundant Table in Norwood http://www.abundant-table.org/ to serve dinner. Dogs were amazing, if a little sniffy of the guests and each other.
This week we are going back to Bethany Nursing home, all of the dogs will attend.

2010-03-23T06:58:00.001-07:00

It is Time for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt!

The Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail are pleased to announce that our Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be taking place, rain or shine, on Saturday, March 27th promptly at 11am at Fino Field in Milford! The egg hunt is free to all registered participants; registration will take place at the event from 10:15-10:45am. As always, the Easter bunny will be leading the hunt and has special prizes for those who find golden eggs! If you are interested in volunteering at this event please email the trail at mlfrdtrl@yahoo.com or for more information about the trail please go to http://www.milfordtrail.org/ . We look forward to another great event!

2010-03-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

All classes on Saturday, April 3 will be at Fino Field in Milford, rain or shine.

From Rt 495:
Take the RT-85 S exit, EXIT 20, toward MILFORD. 0.2 mi
Turn LEFT onto MA-85/CEDAR ST. 1.4 mi
Turn RIGHT onto E MAIN ST/MA-16. 0.6 mi
Turn RIGHT onto PEARL ST. 0.1 mi
Turn RIGHT onto GRANITE ST and straight into Fino Field.

Look for us on the left or in the rear of the park, depending on the little league games.

This field is attached to the Upper Charles Trail and is a GREAT paved walk with your dog, about 6 miles long. Please bring an extra pickup bag or two to share or to help us keep the trail clean.

Training Notes, 031510

2010-03-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

We are officially back at Happy Tails Doggy Daycare in Franklin! Classes are at 10 and 11am on Saturday mornings~10am for dogs over 8 months, 11am for dogs under 8 months. First Saturday of the month is an "on location" training day. Locations are to be announced, please check the Alpha Dog website http://www.alphadogk9.com/ on the What's New page.

Sally~Sally's off to NYC with Dawn this weekend, looking forward to pics. She has been doing well, handler is working on advanced commands and tasks and she's progressing well. Looks like Sally will be with us until May.

JC~Needs work on LEAVE IT, RECALL, wide heeling, but is better at JUMP and OFF. She's been to the bowling alley, dance class, petstores this week and looking forward to a visit to a spec needs class next week.

Rubin~has a new handler and is progressing well. Working on attention.

Cheyenne~was sick last weekend, better now. Her attention is better, she is working on attnetion.

Jessie is matched!

2010-03-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

Written by Kaya'a mom:

Kaya is a really enthusiastic 8 year old boy who wants a dog to help him manage his ADHD and anxiety.

My son Kaya Suner is an 8 year old boy who struggles with ADHD, generalized anxiety and sensory integration disorder. He particularly struggles with severe anxiety (including a fear of dogs), and difficulty with peer relationships. We have applied to NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans for a Social Dog to help comfort him, provide companionship and give him a structured routine. This specially-trained dog will assist my son with simple tasks, reassure him when he worries, help him develop self confidence, and provide 24-hour companionship when other friends lose their patience. I have never seen Kaya as happy as he was the day we went up to NEADS to meet the dogs. I got lots of hugs that day (and he doesn't usually like to hug), and he kept repeating "I know this is going to help me". Any help you could provide would be great! We can't wait to meet our new friend.

Training Notes, 022710

2010-02-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

Sally~Sally is really doing well, and the only thing we're still perfecting is the "one swipe" paws command on the light switch~she has everything else down pat.

JC~She is tunring the corner, I can see her lighting up when she works now instead of turning away from a challenge~her tail is wagging and she is happy to be a part of the team. Currently she is working on UP STAY and LIGHTS OUT.

Rubin~Still working on stairs, he doesn't like them much. His WPR reports that he has been rough in his play with her service dog, as well as with her children. Will watch for signs of that. His attention and focus on handler continues to be excellent, he is working on the directed retrieve.

Cheyenne~she continues to impress me with her attention, but is a bit slow to execute the down command, waiting to see if the handler will correct for an incomplete/incorrect/ignored command. Her WPR is getting lessons on loose leash walking and proper leash hold, when to reward, when to try the "catch my drift" exercise.

2010-02-17T18:10:00.000-08:00

Last visit at Bethany, JC is wiped out. The residents loved her, and she loved them too.

Training notes, 021410

2010-02-15T06:15:00.000-08:00

Sally~Sally's handlers are working hard on extinguishing the use of hand signals for all of her obedience and task work, as well as improving the PAWS command to allow just one movement of the paw to shut off the lights rather than letting her "swim" on the wall. She is happy to work and is eager to learn new things. Sally is still a rather low confidence dog, as evedenced my some obstace work we did in class this week, but her recovery is good when given just a minute or told to QUIET or SAY HELLO. I have asked her handler to start thinking about her strengths and weaknesses for her exit report.

JC~JC will be coming out with me for the next several weeks for remedial training and evaluation. When I took her out in public three weeks ago her obedience was lax and her task work was non-existant. Dawn took her out last week and she was a bit better but still required several commands for simple obedience, and tasks were slow at best. This week JC and I went to Old Navy, Whole Foods, The Paper Store, a toy store, to the gym, my home, visiting my parents, out to dinner and a live show, to training, and to a nursing care facility. I used very high value bait~cheese~ and a triple crown collar for correction. She showed dramatic improvement overall and was a pleasure to work with. JC was good at the nursing home, but had to be corected several times because she REALLY wanted to eat the carnations that we passed out to the ladies. I found that SAY HELLO was too forceful (JC is not doing anything wrong, but she still scared some of the ladies) so a HEEL up to a person's knees and a STAND and STAY worked best for us in this situation. She still needs work in some areas (leave it, through, auto sit, attention, fetch and hold) and needs to be weaned off of food for working, but overall I am encouraged. My plan is to continue to take her out midweek until she no longer needs me.

Rubin~Rubin is finding that going up stairs step by step is difficult for him, so we're working on just getting him comfortable on any set of stairs that he's on. He also had a difficult time with a short A frame in class, he never got his back paws onto it. He is going to start directed retrieve this week, which he will love. Scott will be teaching Billy and Rubin and all of the other handlers the directed retrieve with a clicker. Rubin's obedience is great, he's getting along well with the other dogs in the house and seems to be having no adjustment issues at all.

Cheyenne~She still has laser beam attention and a sweet disposition. I love this puppy! She is always ready to work, play, jump, run. Her handler is working slowly, and her postion on sits and downs in excellent. She has a crooked sit on the recall, but we're working on it. STAND is coming along well. Handler is working on getting rid of hand signals for basic obedience and not using food for commands that she knows already. No tug play this week, she has lost all of her teeth! ;)

NOTES:
* Saturday~JC and Sally went to training for three hours then on a 3 hour group field trip to a nursing care facility and were both excellent with the patients. They also both went to dinner and a live show that same night. Both dogs were great there, but Sally was absolutely unflappable. Excellent job.
* All are working on extinguishing hand signals for certain commands.
* Sally to have left ear checked by a vet~no sign of an ear infection, but it is overly sensitive X3 weeks.
* Thank you Chris for being the PCC scribe, you are making my life so much easier!!
* Please find "open" stairs to work your dog on. (Wooden stairs with open backs, metal fire escape type stairs, stairs with glass walls, in a mall)
* Next Saturday Rubin will be attending a LIONS event and meeting the LEOS, a group of teens that are interested in giving back to their community. I am sure he will make a great ambassador!

Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. | HandsOn Network

2010-01-31T14:01:00.000-08:00

Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. HandsOn Network: "Information for Volunteers:
Registration for the Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. program is now open to volunteers! Go to www.disneyparks.com/celebrate, sign up, and search for a volunteer activity near you. There's never been a better time than now to start a new tradition of volunteering.

The Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. program celebrates the good work of volunteers by giving each of them one-day admission to a theme park at Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort, free. In 2010, we're inspiring one million people to volunteer a day of service to a participating organization in their communities.

Now, volunteers can go to www.disneyparks.com to search for volunteer opportunities made available through HandsOn Network and sign up for a day of volunteer service. As the nation's largest volunteer network, HandsOn Network has 250 on-the-ground volunteer action centers across the country and connects volunteers to more than 70,000 nonprofit agencies that need their help. Many of the opportunities will be projects that entire families can participate in together.

Opportunities for volunteering are being added daily, so continue to check in and see what new projects are available.

If you volunteer regularly with an organization and don't see them listed in the database, or are looking for other ways to participate in the Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. program, click here for more information.

Click here for frequently asked questions about the participating organizations and volunteer activities available for this program.

We look forward to celebrating the spirit and power of volunteerism with you this year!"

Eval~JC

2010-01-27T04:51:00.000-08:00

JC went out with me yesterday. Most of her eval was without food lures, except as noted.
She was fine leaving Chris, but then refused to JUMP into my truck without food. she settled well in the truck, no problems.
We got to the gym and she was heeling wide, needed many commands for basic obedience remonders, and would not THROUGH no matter how many times I asked. When SAYing HELLO, she rubbed her gl violently on the young girl I sent her to. No problem lying in the middle of 30 eliptical/treadmill/rowing machines, but got up at 19 minutes. I asked her for LEASH, no response, GET my towel that fell, no response. Upon leaving we had the same issue with JUMP.
We went to my house, she played well with Draco. She also jumped onto my bed, my couch, my kitchen table and the windowsills, repeatedly. Her house manners were awful.
We went to lunch with a friend. For this excursion we used a bait bag full of dehydrated tripe. She needed three commands to UNDER the table and another to remain in the down. Her HEEL and WAIT were non-existant. I asked her to BACK up, no response. Again she refued to JUMP into my truck without food.
She came back to my house and played a bit more with Draco, and was then returned to Chris.

JC needs to work on her basic obedience in new places and it would be beneficial for her to go visiting new places, people's homes, and work on stays as well as basic obedience. She needs to complete commands the first time she is asked and needs to be corrected when she does not.

I will take her out again next month.

Training notes, 012510

2010-01-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

Sally~62lbs, 22 inches. Sally is almost 14 months old and is working on perfecting her task work and working on all commands without physical signals of any kind, before she goes back to NEADS to be matched with her new handler. She is still a low-confidence dog and still very occasionally lets out a bark or extremely low growl until she sees what the new object/person is. The fastest way to extinguish this behavior appears to be to tell her to SAY HELLO or LEAVE IT. She will comply immediately.

JC~Is working on NUDGE, LIGHTS OUT and PAWS. The dogs often have a difficult time distinguishing between the three, so it's helpful to work on them on different days so they don't see them as connected in any way. JC went to a horse barn with me last week and did extremely well after her initial "HOLY MOLY!". In 10 minutes she was jumping up onto a tack box to SAY HELLO to a horse in his stall. Excellent job.

Rubin~Is doing well with his basic obedience and learning attention to handler in public. He has a difficult time with BGN on hard surfaces, so we will concentrate on that this week.

Cheyenne~This puppy has laser beam focus on her handler and LOVES to work. She is fearless and sweet and loves everyone. We're going to get along just fine. :)

Success looks like this:

2010-01-19T06:50:00.000-08:00

Deacon and his new handler, Danny.

Cory, Brian, Danny and Deacon at NEADS.

2010-01-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

Sally~Sally still working on LIGHTS OUT versus PAWS on the switch. Still working on an accurate TURN while handler is in the w/c or walker.

JC~Working on the same things as Sally, but Sally's working on the wall, JC is working on the hand held switch.

Rubin~Attention to handler is excellent. Working on SIT, DOWN, COME, STAY.

Cheyenne~Attention is good, sit is good, down is good.

Taught motivated recall for JC and Cheyenne today. JC has a listless recall with WPR and Cheyenne is more enthusiastic, but crooked. ;)

2009-12-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

Sally~62lbs~Sally is working with the wheelchair and walker, getting used to working beside them, where her placement should be, etc. She is still working on LIGHTS OUT as well as turn without a hand prompt for placement.
Working:
She did give Rubin a little lesson when he tried to take her bone away, but Sally has been exceptional with all other dogs at home and at daycare and very easily reads other dogs too.
Sally is still also exhibiting an occasional alert bark/low growl~objects or people far away that she is unfamiliar with. As soon as she is told to SAY HELLO or QUIET, she appears to recover.
Pluses:
Sally heard live fire from a firing range about a 1/4 mile from WPR Dawn's house, no notice.
She is able to give a credit card to a cashier and take it back to handler without dropping it.
Exposed to a cat in a pet store, no problem.

JC~49lbs.~JC appears to be extremely sensitive to leash correction and does not recover well when corrected. She has a focus issue when there are new dogs around, but great with dogs that she already knows.
Working on:
Reducing hand signals for tasks.
Turn
Out of sight stays
Pluses:
JC went to a basketball game, no problems.
Tongue is healed

Rubin~27lbs~Rubin is doing well, waking up and loving to work. He also likes getting a bath! Rubin is still learning housebreaking with WPR Liz, but hasn't had any accidents with Billy. Basic obedience is coming along quickly, I am impressed with this little man.

Welcome Cheyenne! Sweet, adorable, biddable. She is a most welcome addition to our string!

2009-12-22T04:28:00.000-08:00

Maverick and his reindeer~Darcy on the left, Sierra on the right.

2009-12-22T04:27:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the NEADS Norfolk crew!

Training Notes, 120709

2009-12-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

Sally~120908~Sally is a little sloppy with her obedience when there's a very high value food reward in the offing and she seems to forget correct position. Her attention and off leash work is good, but she lags a bit on the heel when there are strange dogs around. Task work is good, she is still learning LIGHTS OUT with paws and perfecting TURN.

JC~021409~approx. 50lbs~JC had an injury to her tongue at daycare this week. She had surgery to remove a flap of skin at Slade Vet and is on antibiotics and soft diet for the next two weeks. She appears to be healing well and is in excellent spirits.

Andrew~Andrew is doing well on his basic obedience. He is scheduled to be neutered on Friday, 12/11.

Rubin~WELCOME Rubin! He is a male black lab pup who appears to be bonded to his handler already. He is absolutely a doll with a good work ethic and desire to please.

2009-11-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

Sierra and Ronnie, 16 weeks.

2009-11-10T05:47:00.000-08:00

Elsa, Frankie and Sally on an outing last Friday night. All dogs did well with the UNDER command!

2009-11-10T05:40:00.001-08:00

Greyhound coats~we are in need of coats for greyhounds in the prison. It is recommended that they be "dressed" when the weather is under 55F. If you have any in good condition we would love to have them!

2009-11-05T05:38:00.001-08:00

Dog Orphans Benefit

Pet Photos with Santa
Paw Planet
Sunday November 22nd 12:00pm-4:00pm 1167 Providence Rd. Whitinsville, MA

Gibson Kennels
Sunday December 6th 12:00pm-4:00pm
139 Upton Street (Rt.140) Grafton, MA

The packages being offered are as follows: Package A - $15.00 for two 5 x 7 and two 4 x 6,Package B - $25.00 for one 8 x 10, two 5 x 7, and four 4 x 6, Package C - $35.00 for two 8 x 10, two 5 x 7, four 4 x 6, plus four wallets.

November Field Trips

2009-11-03T16:33:00.001-08:00

Dog Behavior Workshop with Christina Taddei (The Big Biscuit)
November 6, 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Reiki Workshop (The Big Biscuit)
November 18, 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Pictures with Santa (The Big Biscuit)
November 21, 10:00am - 4:00pm

Training notes, 10/24/09

2009-10-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Saturday training class-we mixed things up a bit in class today. We had an infant visit our class and the dogs did well with him. Sally decided that she needed a closer look while I was holding him and jumped up, but corrected quickly and didn't repeat the behavior.
We did recalls with several cups of kibble dumped all over the floor, no problems.
Lots of exercises with dogs walking toward/behind/around each other, no problems.
Deacon-70lbs-24inches-we missed him in class today, but he looked great yesterday with Scott. I am looking forward to seeing him on Tuesday.
Sally-60lbs-won the fastest sit competition today-again!-but broke when Bramble broke to run around the room a bit. All in all, a good day, no vocalization. Dawn is working on playing tug with her as she appears to have lost the drive for that particular command. She will fetch and hold a variety of items and will carry at the heel.
JC-48lbs-her recall is much better, obedience is better in general. She pulled Steve in the door again this week, and still has crooked sits. Working on it. JC is a very small female and seems to be calm and relaxed in any situation. She is attending daycare weekly on Mondays and her WPR lives in a city, so she is eexposed to those sights and sounds on a regular basis. She does not like the GL much and has a small rub over her left eye from trying to get it off. Her first experience with snow went pretty well, no problems in a pouring rain either. Recall out of play for handler was good. She is now carrying dumbell during tasks and on walks.

Training Notes 101909

2009-10-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Deacon~is going out to Princeton on Tuesday, October 27th to be evaluated and possibly placed as a stability dog. We are sad to see him go, he has been such a wonderful part of our program for such a long time, but wish him the best of luck at the next step on his journey.

Sally~Started having a bit of an issue with alert barking about a month ago, just tiny low huffing sounds, and Dawn would direct her to QUIET and WATCH ME. It developed into a small bark or growl that stopped as quickly as it came when there was something that may have looked menacing to her in the distance. When she recognized it as a person~even a stranger~she quieted. She is now barking alot more, barking at other dogs, barking when excited. This may be in response to the inmate trying extremely hard to get her to SPEAK on command~he tried for over a month and now that she's got it, it appears that she can't stop. Working on QUIET.
She also showed a fearful reaction to some Halloween decorations hanging at the training center. They were spooky hanging things with "fringes" hanging almost to the floor. They blow around when the class is moving. Dawn got her through it, and she will now move through it without any shying or slowing, but even by the end of the second week's class her ears were still pinned.

JC~has shown remarkable improvement. Her obedience is better, her willingness to be handled by others is better.

Frankie~has been moved to MCI Norfolk.

2009-09-29T07:15:00.001-07:00

German Shepherd Rescue of New England

All Breed Dog Walk Fundraiser

Raffles, photo contest, vendors, rescue groups & much more.

Date:	Saturday, October 3, 2009 Rain or Shine
Time:	10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Place:	Borderland State Park, Easton/Sharon, MA

Come join us for a fun day with other dog lovers!!

Come join us and many other dog lovers for a day filled with family and canine fun while helping us raise money for homeless dogs! Join us for a pleasant 2 mile walk in the beautiful woods at Borderland State Park. A walk leader and water for all walkers and dogs will be provided. All well-behaved dogs are welcome.

The day will be filled with enjoyable activities including an agility demonstration, canine good citizen testing, the parade of rescue dogs, doggie games, raffles, vendors and more. Joining us, we'll have many dog rescue groups and vendors with wonderful dog related items for sale.

We invite children to come with their parents, however only adults 18 and over can hold dog's leash.

Field Trip Opportunity!

2009-09-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

NADAC Sanctioned Agility Trial

Hosted by

Saturday and Sunday – October 10 & 11, 2009

Wrentham Developmental Center, Wrentham, MA

(Outdoors on Grass)

Judge

Janine McGee from Calgary, Canada

Classes Offered

1 Ring- 500 runs per day

(350 runs with jumps per day)

Saturday: 2 Regular, Jumpers, Chances, Touch N Go, Tunnelers

Sunday: 2 Regular, Jumpers, Chances, Weavers, Tunnelers

Rings will have snow fencing There will be MOVE-Ups Between Days

No Entries will be Accepted with a POST MARK DATE Before

Tuesday, August 11, 2009.

**Entries Close 6:00 PM Tuesday, September 29, 2009

or When Trial is Filled.

Wrentham Developmental Center

131 Emerald Street

Wrentham, MA 02093

508-384-1600

FROM BOSTON/NORTH SHORE:

Take 128 South (Interstate 95) or 128 North (Interstate 93) to the "Providence" exit of Interstate 95. Follow Interstate 95 South to the "Wrentham - Route 1" exit.

Follow Route 1 South past Gillette Stadium. Take Route 140 North exit about 2 miles beyond stadium. Take a left at the end of the exit. Follow Route 140 to the set of traffic lights in Wrentham Center. Go through the lights. Stay on Route 140 for approximately 1/2 mile. Bear right at the fork in the road. Take the second right onto Emerald Street (not New Emerald Lane). Take the first paved road on the left into the main entrance of Wrentham Developmental Center.

2009-09-28T18:17:00.001-07:00

Our friends at ARPH http://www.aussierescue.org/ have invited us to walk alongside their float "Celebrating the Family Dog" on Saturday, October 17 in the annual Celebrate Holliston parade. Kickoff will be at the Holliston Junior High at 9am and the parade route is about a 1 mile stroll. This would be a GREAT way to practice attention, straight line heeling, work under distraction, and get a bit of socializing in with your dog!

2009-09-28T18:11:00.001-07:00

Canine Influenza Virus (H3N8) Vaccination Clinic

will be held at MasterPeace Dog Training

Friday evening, Oct. 2nd from 6:30 - 8:30 PM.

The vaccine for this clinic is being DONATED by Intervet/Schering Plough and 100% of the proceeds will be a charitable donation to support NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans).

The vaccine will be administered by Ira C. Kaplan, D.V.M. of McGrath Animal Hospital in Billerica, MA

and

Anita M Kaplan, D.V.M. of Slade Veterinary Hospital in Framingham, MA

Cost is $25. per dog
Appointments are necessary, as there is a limited supply of the vaccine; appointments will be grouped in half hour intervals.

For more information about this highly contagious canine influenza, go to www.doginfluenza.com or watch a video at:

http://cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5331669n&tag=cbsnewsSectionArea;cbsnewsSectionsArea.2

You may also go to www.cbsnews.com and search "canine influenza."

Please call us if you would like to reserve a spot for this clinic; no pre-payment is necessary.

Thanks so much!

Patty Sontag, Office Mgr.

508-553-9300