Aiobe the first dog I worked with in Team Training is finally graduating today as a hearing dog. The other dogs in my class either graduated in the next Team Training or were released.   Aiobe took a little longer as she was trained first as a service dog and then as a hearing dog.

I have a soft spot for Aiobe who was quick, responsive and eager ( Read more... )

Theda, Meesha and Sawyer were sitting next to each other in the NE TT photo. I had read from a Myspace friend that Sawyer was an interview dog, so I was hopeful for him ( Read more... )

Here's a great article about hearing dogs that my fellow CCI grad with a hearing dog sent me about a fellow grad.  It describes the way hearing dogs work and the decisions they have to make.  The decision to break a down / stay to alert to a sound is intelligent disobedience.  Some CCI dogs in hearing training don't make it through the hearing ( Read more... )

Hermione is a smart girl.  I told her to get the phone which was on a table on a charger in an upright position. Being a novice handler initially I told her UP and GET. She readily went up and gave me her "I have no idea what you want" look since there were many things on the table and I have never asked her to get the phone before. So I learned ( Read more... )

Theda, a black lab, has made it almost all the way to Advanced Training and may find her match next month. She's the black dog on the bottom left.  Right next to her is Sawyer, a full brother of Hermione's.


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[edited cos I forgot a few things ( Read more... )

On Friday we drove up to CCI for my Team Training Workshop - a 45 day followup to Team Training for my entire class ( Read more... )

On Saturday we went to see some CCI puppies with their roly polly bellies and waggly tails and peeing and nibbling and every cute cliche imaginable. I had a favorite as I always do. I haven't yet figured out if my favourite means anything concerning life as a service dog but I feel free to say my favorite now since it means nothing to me but I ( Read more... )

Last night and today I didn't quite have my access for Hermione denied but called into question ( Read more... )

They didn't bring Hermione out to our class until the end of the second day which is the last day before prematches when they give you a dog they think you might graduate with. When they gave me her leash, I felt the calmest I had felt the entire Team Training. I'm not normally a nervous person, but TT was hard with no family the first week ( Read more... )