Helper's Graduation

I arrived in San Diego Thursday afternoon with two friends and fellow Puppy Raisers Marsha and Becca.  Marsha was turning her dog (Nessie) in for Advance Training after graduation.  When I walked into the lobby of our hotel I had a great surprise...Helper and her new partner (Nicole) were waiting for me!!!!  When Nicole gave the "release" command Helper ran to me and showered me with puppy kisses!  It was so nice to see her and have her remember me.  After we were done greeting each other,  Nicole took Helper outside where she was reunited with Nessie.  It was so nice to see these two best friends together again!  The picture below is of them cuddling in the hotel room.  It was so thoughtful of Nicole to bring Helper over to the hotel.   Plus it gave us a chance to get acquainted.  She is very nice and most importantly, she loves Helper as much as I do! 

Friday morning Canine Companions for Independence hosted a brunch for graduates and the puppy raisers of graduating dogs (the dogs do not attend the brunch).  I was lucky to have Becca and my good friend Pam come down from LosAngeles to share this experience with me.  It was a very emotional session because you get a chance to hear graduates tell how important the dogs are to their lives.  After brunch the graduates check out of their accomodations and puppy raisers go to the training room to get the dog that they raised.  This is a fun session because the dogs are so excited to seen their puppy raisers for the first time in 6 months!  The picture below is of Helper and me greeting each other in the training room.  This was actually our second meeting but it was still very fun!  After a little bit of time together, the Puppy Raisers take the dogs to the convention center for graduation.  Pam offered to drive and on the way out another couple from Texas (Cheryl and Dick) with their graduate dog Tulah asked for a ride.  We crammed five adults (one of whom did not do well in tight spaces!) and two large dogs in Pam's Lexus sedan...it was a riot!   Thank you Pam for being such a good sport!  I am sure she will be removing dog hair from her car until June! 

When we got to the convention center another very good friend (Jena) from Southern, California joined us for the ceremony!  The graduates sit on one side of the auditorium and the Puppy Raisers and dogs sit on the other side of the auditorium.  When the new graduate team was announced (Nicole and Helper) I walked Helper up onto the stage and handed the lease over to Nicole.  It is very emotional but since Nicole and Helper had spent time with me the day prior at the hotel, it was not too bad.  

This is Helper's graduation picture with Nicole!  I think Helper looks much more mature than she did six months ago.  I am very happy that she will be going to work with Nicole in the DA office.  I am confident that Helper will provide comfort and support to many people in the stressful legal and/or courthouse environment!

After graduation Nicole took Helper to SanDiego where they spent the evening before catching their Saturday morning flight back to Texas.  Nicole sent me this picture of Helper in her hotel room with her graduation gifts.  Good night Helper...you are a graduate Facility Dog tonight and I am very proud of you!

This pic below is from Helper's first day at the office (2/18/14) and all the excitement from the morning has worn her out!  Luckily Nicole has a beautiful new dog bed in her office so Helper can catch an afternoon nap before resuming her duties!

I am thrilled to say that Nicole plans to keep in touch with me!  In fact she has invited me to come down and meet her family and work associates next month in Nacogdoches.   I may even be able to help her out once in a while by puppy siting Helper.  Consequently, I will leave Helper's blog open in the event I can share success stories from her new job with Nicole.

Thank you very much for following Helper's story as a CCI Puppy!!!  It has been a wonderful experience and I will always hold a special spot in my heart for Miss Helper.  She taught me how great a dog can be and I plan to do it again very soon...stay tuned for news on puppy #2!

Carol

The Match "Held"...Helper Graduates on Valentines Day!!!!

I got the call from Canine Companions for Independence today...Helper is going to graduate on Friday!!!  The preliminary match held and she is going to work for the DA's office in Nacogdoches, Texas!  Helper will comfort people who are victims of crime and/or who are having to testify on difficult cases.

Helper's new family consist of a Mom and Dad plus two children ages 8 and 10!  Their home sits on 110 acres of land and they have horses, goats, chickens etc.  She hit the puppy lottery!

This picture was taken when Helper was 9 months old.  My friend Terri introduced Helper to the two donkey and horses on a ranch in North Texas.  Helper also spent time with horses and goats when she visited CCI puppy Rozlynn in Greenville, Texas.  She loved all of these animals so I know Helper will  have a great life in Nacogdoches!

I will provide more information after I get back from graduation.  I am looking forward to seeing Helper and meeting her new family.   Wish me luck...it is going to be a very emotional day!  :-)

The Preliminary Match Was Made Today!

I got the call I was waiting for from Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) this morning...Helper was matched to be a Facility Dog!  It is considered preliminary because Helper's new partner will spend 24 hours a day with her from today until next weeks graduation.  This Tuesday CCI will tell me if the match "held" over the weekend.  If it does Helper will graduate on Valentines Day!  What I know about Helper's new person is that she is a 43 year old woman with a husband and two children.  I am so happy that Helper will be living with a family!!!!

I have had several questions about "what a Facility dog does" so I will attempt to clarify it here.  As I have mentioned in previous blog entries, CCI places four types of assistance dogs.  They are 1)  Facility Dogs (partner and dog), 2)  Service Dogs (disabled partner and dog), 3)  Skilled Companion (team of disabled person, caregiver and dog) and 4)  Hearing Assistance Dogs (non hearing partner and dog).  A Facility dog goes to work with their partner in a Heath Care, Educational or Visitation setting.  As an example, Helper could become a courthouse dog and help put people (many time children) at ease prior to or during a trail.  She could go to work in a health care setting where patients are encourages to walk her or brush her to improve their physical strength.  In an educational setting she could go to work with a teacher of autistic children where they are encouraged to communicate with Helper and rewarded by being able to give her treats.  The possibilities are endless!

I am thrilled about her match because Helper is a very social dog and these jobs will give her a chance to touch many people everyday!  Additionally, at the end of a work day she will go home with her partner to a family which I am sure will love her as much as I do!

I will give a quick update next week when I hear back from CCI about the match.  In the meantime, take a look at Miss Helper when she was about 8 weeks old in my back yard...too cute!

Helper has finished Advance Training in California!

I am happy to announce that Helper finished Advance Training at CCI's Southwest Region office in Oceanside, California today!  Less than 4 out of 10 dogs make it through advance training.  Consequently, I am very proud of Helper for completing the six month program!

Helper will be attending the upcoming two week Team Training that starts on Monday February 3rd in Oceanside.  During team training candidates for Service Dogs, Skilled Companions and Facility Dogs will learn how to handle and care for these highly trained dogs.  There will be more dogs taken to team training than are actually needed for the class of candidates.  This is done so that CCI's instructors can have the perfect dog for each candidate.  On Thursday February 6th the preliminary dog-person match will be announced and I will get a call to let me know if Helper was matched with someone.  At that time I will send out another update.  Go Helper!!!!

Fourth Puppy Report from CCI

I received Helper's last progress report from CCI's southwest regional office today.  It contained this note..."Bearing any unforeseen circumstances, Helper will rotate through team training".  This is wonderful news!!!!   When a dog goes to team training they are considered a fully trained assistance dog...they have made it through Puppy College!  Helper's friend Tulah (another Texas dog) is also going through Team Training in February.  Way to go girls!!!  The pic that follows was taken during an outing with Marsha at Cottonwood Art Festival.  Tulah is on the right and Helper is on the left. They were pretty young in this photo...both less than a year old.

Team training takes place during the first two weeks of February in Oceanside, California. CCI will take more dogs than they need to team training so that they have the perfect dog for the people who are there to find a special dog partner.  As an example, the February class could have 10 people looking for dogs and CCI could bring 12-15 dogs to the team training session.  During the first week of team training the class learns how to handle/care for a service dog and CCI observes how they interact with various dogs.  By the end of the first week preliminary people/dog matches are made.  During the second week the decision is made if the people/dog match works or if they need to make adjustments.  If adjustments are needed some dogs are moved to different people.

Since CCI has taken more dogs than they need to team training there are always a few dogs left after team training.  These dogs are either released, held over for the next team training in May or placed with someone in a "side placement".  A "side placement" is used when someone is getting a second or third CCI dog to replace a retiring dog.  In these cases the person getting the dog does not need two weeks of training to learn how to handle and care for their dog.

P.S.  Helper turned 2 years old on January 5th.  Happy Birthday Miss Helper!!!!

Third Puppy Report from CCI

Greetings everyone!  Helper's third report came on Friday.  She has completed 4 months of training and  continues to do well!  This report even had "calm" checked!  Way to go Helper!

Helper is in her second semester of advance training and working on advance commands.  Examples include the "push", "hold" and "get" commands which will be used when she is a Service Dog.  Her trainer wrote that "She displays a calm and confident manner when working next to the wheelchair"...great feedback!

I am very excited that she is still in training!  I am beginning to think about booking a flight to attend graduation on February 14th in case she graduates.  Let's all keep our "paws crossed" that Helper continues to do well in Puppy College!

I miss you Helper!!!!

Second Puppy Report from CCI

Helper's second monthly report came in a couple of weeks ago when I was out of the country on vacation.  I am thrilled to say that it was even better than the first report!  Out of 30 bad behaviors only three were checked indicating that she still needs improvement in the areas of licking, solicitous and excitable greetings.  On the positive side, the report also said that her motivation to perform was still high and she is very focused (with good eye contact) on her trainer and her work.  Additionally, Helper interacts well with dogs and people, accepts cradling, she is willing, walks nicely on a lease etc.  Finally, Helper was spayed so she is no longer in the potential breeder pool.

So far all of the other five North Texas dogs are still in Puppy College with Helper!   Today I learned that one of Helper's Texas playmates Rozlynn, has actually been selected to go into the hearing dog program.  I am very excited for her Puppy Raiser Becca and her family! Rozlynn will be leaving the Oceanside facility and going to CCI's headquarters in Santa Rosa, CA for special training in the coming weeks.  In honor of Rozlynn, I am posting a picture of her and Helper taking a break in my back yard.  Way to go Rozlynn!!!!

First Puppy Report from CCI

Today I got the first report from CCI about Helper.  I am extremely happy that she has made it this long...7 weeks!  So far all five of the Texas dogs are still in training!

A couple of areas that Helper needs to improve on are...excitable greetings, licking, solicitous and prey drive.  She got good comments on everything else!  Go Helper!

I hope she makes it and graduates on February 14, 2014!

This has been a wonderful experience!   I have committed to do this again.  I plan to get another puppy after Helper either graduates or is released and comes home.

 Helper will be 21 months old tomorrow on October 5th!  Happy Birthday pretty girl!

CCI Matriculation...Helper Goes to the Oceanside Facility

This is the hardest entry to write.  It is about turn in day...Friday, August 16th.  I was able to hold myself together as we were getting ready and left the hotel, as I drove the 25 minutes to the civic center where the matriculation ceremony takes place, as I dressed Helper in the back of the car before entering the building and even when I checked in with CCI's Puppy Program Manager.  However, when I sat down to change Helper out of the gear (collar, vest, leash, gentle leader) that she had used for 17 months and into the new things she would use moving forward...I started to cry.  There was no way I was going to be able to walk across the stage with Helper in the symbolic gesture of turning Helper in to CCI for advance training.  So I spoke to the CCI Puppy Program Manager and she arranged to have me skip the ceremony and take Helper to the kennel privately while the ceremony was taking place.  When I got to CCI's SW Region office and kennel, Helper knew that something was wrong because it took a lot of encouragement to get her to eat her last meal...that never happens.  The reason CCI ask you to feed the dog before coming in to the kennel is to make sure they eat one last time with you in case they get anxious and decide to skip a meal or two.  The picture at the bottom is of Helper in her ceremonial cape in the back of the car when she did not initially want to eat.  The picture of her looking away was taken just prior to us entering the facility.  I could not get her to look at the camera.  However, you can see how nice she looked with her light colored fur and the bright blue matriculation cape.

Something that several experienced Puppy Raisers told me was that the dogs do not even look back at them as they are being led away.  Not true for Helper...she was happy to meet a new handler but as they walked away (with her tail and whole butt wagging!) she looked back at me as if to say "this looks like fun, aren't you coming?"  It broke my heart.  :-(

Last night together...

When we got back to the hotel after Helper's swim in the Ocean she was very tired.   But I needed to give her a bath to get all the sand and salt water out of her coat.  After her bath she was so cold that she  began to shiver...probably because of the air conditioning and her state of exhaustion.   So I went to the hotel laundry and warmed some towels which I then used to wrap around Helper after I told her to "jump" up onto the bed.  CCI dogs are never allowed on the furniture but since it was our last night together I figured she deserved this comfortable treat!   She did not move until morning and this is a pic of her sleeping.  Sweet dreams Helper...tomorrow you go to CCI for Puppy College.

Helper Swims in the Ocean!

After our tour of CCI,  Helper got to swim in the Pacific Ocean!  My fellow Puppy Raiser Becca and her family brought their puppy Rozlynn for a swim too.  These two dogs have been together many times over the past 18 months. It seemed very appropriate for them to have one last big adventure together before turning in for advance training tomorrow.  They both charged into the ocean without any hesitation or fear.  It was a wonderful thing to watch!

Many thanks to Becca's sister's Sarah and Emily for holding the leads and going into the water with the dogs!  In this picture Sarah is holding Helper's leash.

Tour of CCI's Oceanside Facility

Canine Companions for Independence offers a facility tour the day prior to "turn in" so you can see where the dog you raised will be living.  The pic to the left is the courtyard area.  The kennels are in the picture.











This is a picture of Helper in the grooming room at CCI.   Her friend Sarah is cuddling with her.

Here is a pic of Helper with her good buddy Rozlynn at CCI.

California Vacation with Great Friends

When planning the trip to take Helper to CCI for advance training in Oceanside, I decided we would go out a week early to visit friends and family. We arrived in California on Thursday August 8th and stayed at the Marriott in Calabasas, California.  The hotel was great with Helper!  The bellman even took Helper for a quick potty break while I checked into the Hotel!   The weather was cool and a great break from the 100 plus degree days in Texas!  Consequently, Helper and I had a nice walk before retiring for the night.

The first person we visited was Marguerite.  She invited Marcia and Donna over for a lovely brunch. Helper loved meeting Marguerite's cats!

Then we went to Marcia house to meet the kittens that she was fostering.  Take a look at the two pictures of Helper and the kittens...she loved them!  The kittens were curious but cautious with Helper.

Marcia let Helper explore her beautiful courtyard.  Here Helper is at the door looking very happy to be outside!

Many thanks to Marguerite for taking these pictures!

Next, we spent the weekend at my good friends Pam and Gene in Los Angeles.  They have three dogs.   Moe and Cece are Pug puppies that are new to their family.  Kylie is their Weimaraner.  Helper had a blast playing with these great dogs!  It was fun to watch!

The top pic is of the Pam, Gene and the dogs.




The pic to the right is of Helper and Moe.  They had a special bond and were always playing with each other

After we left Pam and Gene's house  we headed south to see my friends Jena,  Jett. and their two children.    They have a beautiful home in Coto de Caza, California and had invited us over for a  backyard BBQ.  As I was distracted meeting everyone that was there for dinner, Helper made herself at home by taking a swim in the pool!  I was pretty embarrassed but Jena and Jett were  great sports and did not mind Helper getting in their pool.  Here are two pics taken while she was resting on the tanning ledge.

The day after we visited Jena's house we met up with a good friend from Coca-Cola.  Pat and I enjoyed a fun dinner to catch up and Helper enjoyed a quiet nap under the table.






Finally, we visited my Aunt and Uncle in San Diego for a couple of days.  Helper loved Joe and Rita!  Here is a picture of us enjoying the harbor.  Helper loved looking at the water.  She would do an "up" on the sea wall and take in the sights and smells of the salt water...a very new thing for her!

Trip to California for Advance Training

Well, the time has finally come to take Helper to California for advance training.  For the past several days Helper has been visiting people and places to say goodbye.  :-(  One of the very important stops was to see Dr. Hunter and the team at Lazy Paws Animal Hospital.  Helper had to have a health certificate completed for her to fly with me to California.  It was hard to say goodbye to all of our friends at Lazy Paw.  They all were great with Helper over the past 18 months!

The picture above was taken at DFW airport just before we boarded our flights to Phoenix and then on to Orange County.   Helper was great on the flights and changing planes in Phoenix!  She was a great ambassador for CCI during the trip!

Frisco Rough Riders Game

Helper and Nessie attended the Rough Riders baseball game tonight.  The Rough Riders are the farm team for the Texas Rangers and they attract quite a crowd of avid fans.  The pups were very popular with the fans and they were great about meeting tons of people!




The pic to the right shows Nessie and Helper meeting the Rough Riders mascot.  Helper was very calm and comfortable with the mascot while Nessie pulled away (she is on the left).  It just goes to show how big and scary some of these things look like to a dog.

Helper Visits Coca-Cola

Today we went to Coca-Cola's regional office in Dallas to visit with people I used to work with.  Helper went from office to office to visit all the people that were working.  It was a great experience for her to be in a corporate office environment.  If she graduates, she could end up going to work with her partner in a similar situation.  

Helper is 19 months old today!  She is a beautiful LGX (Lab Golden Cross).  She is mostly (98%) Lab and weighs 52 pounds.  The folks at Lazy Paw Animal Hospital think she is in great condition!

Summer Outings at the Willowbend Mall

This summer Marsha and I took Helper and Nessie to the Willowbend Mall for several children's programs.  It was a great way to expose them to large, loud crowds of people (lots of children) while we focused them on executing commands.  All events included loud music and performers.  They both did very well handling all of the distractions!

In this pic... Helper rest her head on Nessie as they take a break from the action.

Here Nessie and Helper participate in a photo opportunity with a fun character..."Flumpa".  I was impressed because they were both calm and did not hesitate to get close to "Flumpa" the frog.  Great control for a service dog in training!

Here Marsha is talking with a group of children that stayed after the program to meet with our dogs.  Helper is the dog on the left and Nessie is on the right.  As usual they are calmly accepting the attention of these children.

The last event of the summer was held by the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.  Here one of the clowns pose with Helper (on the right) and Nessie (on the left).

Allan Public Library Workshop

The Allen Public Library asked Canine Companions for Independence to conduct a workshop for the public interested in learning more about our organization.  Marsha put together the program and organized the event.  Several Puppy Raisers attended and spoke about our experiences raising these great dogs.  We got both pre event publicity and post event publicity from The Dallas Morning News. 

The wonderful puppies that participated are pictured above.  They are (left to right)  Nessie, Helper, Gordo, Baris...too cute!

Last Pool Time with Friends...

These are pictures from Helper's last back yard pool party.







This is Helper in a mid air jump into the kiddie pool.  She loves the water!

Break time and then one final dip in the pool to cool off from the 100 degree temperatures.  Look at all of those smiles!  Helper is going to miss her friends Nessie and Lizzie.

Greenville Public Library

Often times Puppy Raiser's are asked to bring their dogs to community events to help educate the public about service dogs.  These pictures were taken by my friend Linda at the Greenville Library.

In the top photo Becca and her dog Rozlynn, Helper and me are seated with attendees for the Children's Story Hour.  Both Rozlynn and Helper were very well behaved!  

In this picture two children are petting Helper.  Helper stayed "down" and allowed the children to play with her.

In this picture to the right, I am demonstrating the "lap" command to a Mom and her young daughter.

Fellow Puppy Raiser Becca organized our participation in this event.  Thanks Becca!

Helper becomes a regular at Baylor Physical Therapy

Since I was required to complete physical therapy for my knees, I took Helper to many sessions so she could experience the PT environment.  Helper fit right in.  She would greet the receptionist Christy and then my PT Marina.  They loved having Helper visit as did many of the other patients!  In this pic Helper is visiting one of the regular patients.

Helper was comfortable around the equipment and learned to settle in and wait for me until I was done with my session.  I am thankful that Marina and Christy let Helper come to the center because of the invaluable experience this provided to her.

Woodland Park Pet Resort

All female puppies in the SW Region of Canine Companions for Independence are considered "potential breeders" until they are turned in for advance training at approximately 18 months of age.  At that point they are evaluated and a decision is made.  If they are not going into the breeding program CCI has them spayed.  Consequently, while the female dogs are growing up with their Puppy Raisers they will go into heat at least one time.  When it happens CCI requires that the Puppy Raiser board the dog for three weeks.

The facility we use for boarding in North Dallas is Woodland Park Pet Resort.  This picture shows one of the play fields in front of the compound.  All dogs have several playtimes each day.  They have a pond too for dogs that like to swim...Helper is a swimmer!  It is a very nice facility!

Helper went into heat the Tuesday after Memorial Day.  She had a three week vacation from training while enjoying Woodland Park's amenities!

Friends Visit

In May my friends Marcia and Marguerite came for a visit from California.  Helper loved spending time with them!  We even had the chance to visit their friend Ron at his lake house.  We all went for a ride on Ron's new boat.   Helper was calm on the boat and showed no fear!  This was another great experience for her.

During their visit Marguerite took many great pictures of Helper.  Here are just a couple of the pics taken in the back yard at my house.  

I love this picture because both of us look very happy!

Blue Bonnets

Texas in the springtime means Blue Bonnets in the fields.  This pic was taken at a park in Plano by my friend Randi while I held the other end of the lease.  CCI dogs are never supposed to be off lease unless they are in an enclosed area.