A Berry Handsome Service Dog

Progress!

2010-10-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

Handsome has really been taking off with retrieval the last few days! Shoes, socks, his leash, and keys. He's so happy when he picks something up --he actually struts over to me with the item so proud of himself. He's also been really good about putting the item in my lap instead of dropping it on the floor in front of me or trying to make me bend over to get it.

Now if only we could get more solid with those downs for our CGC test next month! He's making progress with this, but still gets the impatient "puppy brain" at times and pops up from his down like, "Okay, I did that. What's next?"

I rigged up some sign holders for Rally practice out of floral wire. Not the most professional or awesome-looking, but they'll work. :) I am nervous about the show in December, but also excited at the same time. My Rally class instructor seems confident in us. I'm just not confident in myself or my training abilities --so I guess I need to learn to cut myself some slack. We really are doing well and progressing nicely --though that "puppy brain" is irritating at times --like when he seems to forget what "down" means!

But he did fantastic today at church and riding on the golf cart back to the car (got lots of treats along the way for that). And he stayed close to me in Kroger and did a much, much better job at keeping his nose to himself.

So I am proud of my boy overall. He is such a good puppy. :)

:D

2010-10-18T01:32:00.000-07:00

Handsome has settled in very well. He's been eating his meals and he has really come a good way from when he visited during the summer!
On Saturday, we went to our knitting group, then to Rally class. At Rally class he did excellent and my trainer friend who is teaching the class (not Handsome's trainer, but a mutual friend and show buddy of ours) pulled me aside afterward and said that, if we wouldn't react emotionally if we get an NQ, that we should enter the local Conroe show in December! So, if we can get the online entry form to work, we'll be competing in Rally Novice A in our first show! :D
After Rally class, we went to Incredible Pizza with the youth group. Handsome did an awesome job --even with all the racket in the arcade and the running kids. Did well at loose-lead walking and focusing on me --I even played Skeeball and he seemed bored with the whole thing, lol. He even began targeting his mat on his own (I have a mat that I am teaching Handsome to lie down on --that will be his space during class. I'm trying to get to the point where he will lie down on it automatically when the mat goes down, tuck his feet so they are all on the mat, and stay there until I release him.) I put the mat down to play pinball (to make some noise to see how Handsome did --he didn't care at all) and Handsome sat on it. :)

Sunday, we went to a friend's wedding reception. We missed the ceremony itself because we got lost --there are several "Little Chapel in the Woods", apparently. I am so proud of how Handsome behaved! At the rehearsal, I didn't have his mat, but we had a breakthrough. Handsome's been having issues about popping up after lying down on command --we've been working on lengthening his downs. Well, I told him to "down" and he did. He was reluctant to go under the table, but once he was down, he stayed! In fact, he took a nap. :) My friend even stepped over him to get food and he didn't move!
He did the same when we stopped at a Grandy's restaurant on the way home. He was a bit more relunctant ("But Mom, we've been in the car for HOURS today and I've been lying down a lot, too! Can't I do something else?"), but he did lie down when told and stayed while we ate and chatted.
He heeled nicely through Buc-ee's (made another pit stop on the way home). He tried to sniff a few things, but listened to the "ah-ah" very well.

I am SO proud of my boy! He was very, very GOOD today! :D

Slight change of plans...

2010-10-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

Handsome is going to be joining me sooner than originally planned. As in, he'll be with me full-time starting this Friday. His trainer is currently 8 months pregnant and is having trouble with walking, so she asked me to take him so he could get out and get worked/get training sessions. I'll still have her support via email, phone and in person --just no more outings with her until after the baby is born.

I'm pretty nervous. And excited. I've learned a ton about dog training in the last 6 months, but this will be a huge stretch of my knowledge and experience. I've never been involved in the training of a service dog before. My previous SD, Pebbles, was already fully trained and 3 years old when she was partnered with me. Working with a 1 year old puppy is a really different experience --everything is so new to him and he's so excited about each new thing he encounters. It's like I have a clean slate to work with --no developed bad habits, can make positve associations with each new thing, etc. I am just nervous about potentially imprinting the wrong thing on him through my inexperience. I really want him to succeed and plan on giving him every chance I can for him to do so.

The comforting thing is that I have the support of his trainer and also of another trainer friend as well. So these people have my back. :D

Well, it's late. I need to sleep. I got some supplies for Handsome from the store tonight, so things are almost ready for him!

Handsome came for another visit

2010-09-26T01:54:00.000-07:00

I had typed up a detailed post about his visit this past weekend for my birthday (the 17th-20th), but Internet Explorer crashed and ate the post that took me half an hour to type.

So I will not attempt to write all that out a second time. So frustrating.

But I will say that Handsome had a great visit. We went to an Intro to AKC Rally class that Saturday and he did really well! On Sunday (my birthday), he went with me to Sunday School. Then onto Petsmart to get cat food (he got a new toy! I also made him pose for a photo with a pirate hat --their pet Halloween costumes were out! :D) We met a friend in my college town for lunch. She made a Funfetti cake for me and we ate on top of the university parking garage and Handsome got to run and play!

We met a friend for dinner and ate outside at Sonic and he did well there, too! Popped up from his downs at first, but then settled in for a nap.

Brought him back to his trainer on Monday. I really enjoyed getting to spend time with him.

Today, (Sat. the 25th) I met Handsome and his trainer at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston to do some training/work with him (there was a free manners class today, but it got cancelled.) What we didn't realize is that today was Museum District Day --where admission is free to all the museums in the district. We were hoping to work in a quiet/low-key environment, but decided to go ahead and see how Handsome would do. If he started showing any signs of stress, we would leave.

Handsome did SO great today! Acted like walking in huge crowds was old hat to him. It was also his first time to walk with a scooter --and he did well with not getting bumped into (i.e. changing direction when the scooter did and paying attention), though he kept turning to face the wrong way when we would stop. We spent a couple of hours inside the museum --going in and out of elevators a bunch, looking at the exhibits (Handsome wasn't impressed) and working on shaping his heel position more (he likes to go around invisible weave poles while we are standing still instead of sitting calmly --though he does do well with loose-lead walking.)

A very successful outing! I am proud of him! Oh, and his AKC Canine Partners registration came in the mail this week! He is registered as "Sheena's Sir Gawain" (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a favorite story of mine) --and, when he's ready, we will be able to compete in AKC Rally! :D

Good boy!

2010-08-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took me a while to post about Handsome's visit! Things have been a bit crazy lately --I've been busy with moving stuff out of my old apartment and just finally finished yesterday. So here's my update: :D

Handsome's visit from 8/18 -8/23 went well! We worked on downs and we conquered the "demon" fire hydrant (the one he refused to walk past on his last visit)!

We went to Petsmart and he walked nicely through the store while I picked up a couple of supplies for him. He also went to youth group with me on Sunday the 22nd and kept his down for most of the time we were there!

Also,
I got a text message from Handsome's trainer yesterday! :D

"Here's something that may cheer you up--Handsome did GREAT today for his first trip to Walmart--acted like he's been there 100 times!! We worked on sit-stays and down-stays and he was just as good as he is in my kitchen! VERY good boy!"

I am so proud of him! :D

A Breakthrough!

2010-08-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

Posted by Handsome's trainer, Milissa, on Saturday:
"WHEW! FINALLY! A breakthrough!
For a solid week with Handsome I've been capturing and modeling downs (for some reason he finds these difficult, I know, weird, lol)-- and in this morning's session, he finally offered one up on cue!!!!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!
I LOVED his lightbulb "OH! Butt and elbows down AT THE SAME TIME?...! OK!"
Silly puppy!!!

Also with Handsome I've been shaping him letting his feet slide on the tile so he slides slowly into the down-- he's SOO funny!

He checks in to see if he's slid far enough:

*slides just a little, looks up*
...Handsome: This far?

No click.

*slides just a little more, looks up*
H: How about this?

Still no click.

*slides just a TEENY bit more-- elbows about an inch off the floor, looks up*
H: How's this?

In looking up, his chest lowers, bringing his elbows JUST BARELY off the floor-- ok, I'll click for that!

Handsome: YAY!! *sits up again*

Me: *sigh* Good puppy.

"

Handsome is going to be spending Wednesday through Monday with me this week while Milissa and family are on vacation. So I'm guessing part of my homework to work on with him while he's here will be downs. I am really excited to get to spend some time with him! :D

Hilarious

2010-08-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

My trainer, Milissa, posted this today:

"In other news-- Hamdsome played today!! YAY!!!He actually ran around the yard-- FAST-- with Bow and D'Art, and really enjoyed enticing them to chase him!!He was SOOO goofy and funny, with a great big idiot grin the whole time!I'm so proud!

Something else that was funny-- he wanted to stay close to me, but still wanted to go play-- so in his goofy teenage "I'm invincible" brain, complete with total lack of spacial awareness, he ended up crashing into my legs several times! :PL...uckily I was ready for this and had a hold of the back of a chair. A few well-timed "WATCH OUT!!"s and he started to be better able to tell where he was and which direction his body was travelling (he also crashed into my wooden bench swing, the solid wood playset, the side of the house, and most of the other dogs). He's definitely feeling better and getting used to being here. :D What a silly puppy!!

I was a little worried he'd break a window, but he got the hang of running around helter-skelter pretty quick. :PDid I mention he also hit the tree and the metal fireman's pole?It was so good to see him cut loose! LOL!"

Handsome's Visit

2010-08-04T15:01:00.001-07:00

Handsome's visit went really well! He is such a great dog --so happy and game for anything (so much is still new to him --this was his first time to spend nights away from his breeder's.)
He is a sweetie --he liked to put his head/paw on my lap to get pets --though he did get a little pushy with putting the paw on me for attention (worked with him some on that --he only got petted/talked to when he had all 4 feet on the ground.)
Neuter surgery went well. No complications. He didn't want to lie down and sleep when we got home (even though he was groggy), so he just sat and put his head in my lap for pets. He finally laid down after an hour or so. Didn't like the e-collar one bit when I put it on him at bedtime before he went into his crate for the night. He kept banging it on the sides of the crate, trying to get it off (but did lie down and go to sleep eventually.)
Friday night, he slept through the whole night in the e-collar. I put it on him and he laid down right away. Worked with him some earlier that evening on "take it, hold it, give it" with one of his toys --he did very well at that!
Took him back to his trainer on Saturday afternoon. We worked on "down" with him since he was having trouble with that command --he caught on very quickly!
I have gotten good reports since then. He is merging into the household very well --getting along well with the other dogs (one of them his father D'Artagnon and one his half-brother, Bow, another service dog in training. Milissa also has a Pit named Daystar and her SD Book, a Doberman.)
Poor boy has an ear infection in one ear. Apparently, his breeder, when she plucked ear hair (it's a thing you have to do with Poodles), didn't treat his ear with antiseptic powder (pulling out the hair leaves open pores ripe for things to get in). I was told that it's not bothering him very much and my trainer caught it before it got bad. So he should be all better soon.

Last thing, his trainer posted this on Facebook and it's too funny not to share:
"so-- Handsome was out with everyone again this evening-- he was drinking from a bucket while everyone was playing.... when he knocked it over it startled EVERYONE-- and they all stopped and stood stock still and stared at him like he'd sprouted wings and horns. It was SOOOOOO funny!!!!!!"
Haha...silly Doodle! That's my boy! :D

Handsome is coming for a visit!

2010-07-26T23:29:00.000-07:00

Handsome will be coming for his first visit on Wednesday! I'm going to be driving down to Houston to meet his trainer to pick him up to spend a couple of days with me!
He is visiting because he is getting neutered on Thursday and I will be taking him and keeping him for a day afterward. I'll be working with him on "sit" and "down" in his crate as well as beginning the introduction process between him and my 1 yr. old cat, Marzipan (named after the candy. Her mother's name was Cookie.)
I will pick him up from the clinic on Thursday afternoon after class and bring him back to the apartment. I will bring him back to Houston on Friday after class.
I am really, really excited, but also pretty anxious/nervous. I'm not sure how my roommates will take him being there (they say they are okay with it, but then they say a lot of things.) I have to make some modifications to introduce Marzipan and Handsome the way the trainer wants to do it. I have to temporarily relocated Marzipan's litter box and food/water bowls to the laundry room during the time Handsome is here (they are currently in my bedroom, where the crate is set up.) They don't tend to like changes and her boyfriend complained to me about the litter box being in the laundry room in the first place (which is why I moved it to my bedroom.) I hope that once I explain that this is how the trainer wants it done, that they will comply for the sake of Handsome's training.
I'm also nervous about how Marzipan and Handsome will react to each other. Handsome will be on leash or in his crate the whole time he is here. We don't want him to learn any bad habits. So he will be in his crate when I let Marzi in the room to introduce them. I am to reward him for sitting/lying calmly in her presence (his trainer suggested cut-up cooked hot dogs, so I bought some turkey dogs at the store today for this purpose.) I also bought some Rescue Remedy for both Marzi and Handsome in case they start showing signs of stress. As far as we know, Handsome has never seen a cat before. So this should be interesting...
Marzi adored Pebbles, so I am hoping she will come to love Handsome as well --or at least be tolerant of his puppy-ness. I will let you all know how everything goes! :D

One last thing: when I was at the vet earlier to pick up some Revolution for Marzipan, I saw and purchased this really cute collar for Handsome. It has a green nylon base with a cloth strip down the middle with cowboy boots and horseshoes on it with a yellow background. As an Ag major, there was no way I could pass it up. It will look great on him for special occasions! :D

Meet Handsome

2010-07-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

My name is Sheena and I live in the Houston, TX area. I was born with a neurological disorder that impairs my balance while walking, fine motor skills, as well as other things. I was partnered with a Yellow Lab service dog named Pebbles for the past 4 years. Pebbles helped me keep my balance while I walked, retrieved items off the ground, opened doors, tugged off clothing, alerted to my migraines, and did some tasks related to my PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder --basically, if you don't fit the criteria for the other forms of autism, you get placed in this category.) Pebbles recently retired on April 30, 2010. She was adopted by a staff member at my university and is enjoying the lap of luxury in her retirement, getting spoiled rotten and getting to relax. I miss her more than words can say.

I now have a service dog in training named Handsome (full name: "Berry's Handsome Boy") who is a 1 year old Labrador Retriever/Standard Poodle. Handsome is in training through Allen Canine Academy in Pearland, TX to be my mobility service dog, successor to Pebbles. He has big paws to fill (though he is larger than Pebbles was full-grown and is still growing), but he's showing a lot of promise as a service dog.

This blog will be about our journey together as we start our new partnership. It will include updates as he progresses through training as well as a record of our adventures together. I hope you all enjoy it. I am excited to see what the future brings.