Service Dog for Sienna

Auction is ON!

2013-05-24T06:48:00.004-07:00

I finally had time to get the auction up and running. Both Asia and Sienna are having a much better week this week and I couldn't be happier. We actually had a medical-free weekend for Victoria Day. It was such a treat for all of us!

The auction has some amazing items up for bids. Please check it out! I will be posting a longer blog post about the auction and it's contributors very soon. In the meantime, please check it out!

Auction For Pups

Feeling Defeated

2013-05-03T07:24:00.001-07:00

Recently, in the news we have heard a lot about parents of special needs children having trouble coping and finding help. Here in Canada a brave mother had to drop her autistic son off at the Canadian Government offices. She could no longer cope. My heart hurts for that family. I wish there was more that could be done for families who are in crisis.

While we are by no means dropping our kids off anywhere, I have to say that I am feeling quite defeated right now. Our crisis started last Wednesday when both girls seized at the same time. I was on my own with Sienna, Asia, my baby Saige, and Jedi. It's hard enough having them both seize at the same time, but in public all on my own... that is never fun.

Our week has been full of seizures for both girls. Asthma emergencies for Asia and the stress has made me get mastitis for the first time in 18 years. Asia's nebulizer treatments are every 4 hours around the clock so I am not sleeping much. I had to close my daycare on Monday but have stayed open for the rest of the week. You see, parents of special needs children can't take time off for long. We have more bills than the average family...medical bills, therapy bills, dog training bills, etc. I wish that there was more that could be done for families like ours. There isn't so we all learn to juggle.

I have this "May the 4th Be With You" auction that is supposed to start tomorrow but I just can't manage taking the pictures and posting them at this time. I have the items and the auction will be running, but it will not be starting on time. I am sorry about this. I just can't take on one more thing right now. I hope to get the auction up and running asap because I really need to raise the funds for Jedi's spay. She isn't being spayed until mid June so I still have lots of time. Thank you for understanding. We are in a crisis here and informing all of you with one blog post is easier than texting everyone individually.

I am hoping for a restful weekend free of seizures, free of dystonia, free of migraines, and full of deep painless breaths of air for Asia.

I will let everyone know when I get the auction started. Thank you for understanding.

Samantha

May the Forth Be With You Auction

2013-04-09T16:45:00.003-07:00

Star Wars day! May the 4th! In honour of Jedi (and Griffin too) we are hosting our first on-line auction starting, yes...you guessed it...May the 4th. Here is how it will work. We will post pictures of items that are up for auction between now and May the 3rd. The items will be posted on our facebook page Service Dog for Sienna. Starting May the 4th you can bid on an item. On May the 7th the auctions will close and winners will be notified. ALL money raised with this auction will go towards Jedi and Griffin's training and their spay/neuter.

So far we have items donated by Chomper Pet Products, Petmate Homesitting, Kingston 4 Paws Academy, Iams Pet Foods, and individuals who have come to know Jedi and Griffin. Thank you all for your donations of auction items. We are still looking for products or services to offer during our "May the 4th Be with you Training Auction." If you would like to donate an item we can include in our "May The Forth Be With You " Auction to help our pups with their training and vet bills please contact us at samantha@4pawsacademy.ca. Thanks and happy bidding!

Training for funds

2013-04-05T17:11:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe that Jedi and Griffin are now 6 months old! It's amazing how much they have learned and how much they have grown. We have owned these two beauties for only 4 months and I can't imagine life without them. Now that they are 6 months old we are now trying to get money together to have their spay/neuters done. Jedi will be spayed at 9 months and Griffin will be neutered at 12 months. I have decided to open up a few more dog training spots through my training company (Kingston 4 Paws Academy). The money earned by offering private dog training classes will go directly to the Jedi and Griffin fund. For available classes in Kingston, Ontario or surrounding area please email us at samantha@4pawsacademy.ca. 100% of money received will go directly to The Jedi and Griffin Fund. You can also contribute by following the link to the right of this post. Have a great weekend!

Warmest wags,
Samantha and Brian

Trainer Fears

2013-03-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

One thing that puppy raisers and service dog trainers have to do is socialize the pup they are working with to many different people and situations. It's fun to take a pup out and experience the world through their eyes, but it can be a bit stressful and worrisome for the trainer at times. No situation with a dog is 100% predictable. You don't know who you will meet or what you will see when you are out and especially when the outing is a "first" it can create some trainer anxiety. I don't often experience anxiety when working with dogs but I was a bit concerned when I took Jedi out to the pool the other day. Here I was with a 6 month old lab, a water dog. She LOVES water and she was going to be challenged right in front of more water than she has ever seen. She was expected to sit and stay or lie down and stay and wait for the splashing children to play in the water. I played it over in my head and decided what I would do if she barked, if she pulled towards the pool, or if she *gasp* pee'd on the floor. (since the sound of water can be a trigger for that kind of thing) I went prepared. Ready to deal with any situation. I knew she was ready but there is always that tiny bit of concern that things might not go as planned. I knew that Queen's University was large and that once we were at the pool that it would take some time to get out of the building for Jedi to pee if needed. I hoped that if she did need to go that we wouldn't get lost trying to leave the building. LOL Well, this outing really went as perfect as it could. There were no accidents, no pulling, absolutely no barking or whining. Jedi was perfect and I won't have an ounce of anxiety taking her to the pool again. She lay in a down-stay most of the time and even ignored the chocolate lab service dog that was also there. I couldn't be prouder of little Jedi. She conquered a pool, the sounds, the smells, the elevator, the stairs, whistles that the lifeguard blew, and balls from the dodgeball game that was going on. Everything was very interesting to her but the most important thing to her was pleasing me. She made sure to keep me at her side and her eyes were kept on Sienna. Jedi is true service dog worthy. She is doing a fabulous job with her training and takes away all of my trainer worries. It is such a pleasure to work with such a smart pup.

Raising Funds for the Pups

2013-03-14T10:48:00.003-07:00

We need to start raising some money to help pay for Jedi and Griffin's spay and neuter, as well as some training equipment that we need. Please share our fundraising page and help us raise the needed funds. Thank you in advance.

Product Review- Chomper Mongoose

2013-03-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

As most people know, puppies CHEW. They chew everything in their path. Some dogs chew more than others and it's the owners responsibility to choose durable and safe toys that fill the chewing urge in puppies and dogs.
Jedi and Griffin have tested multiple toys and usually we have to replace toys every month or so. Yes, even the tough Kongs have had to be replaced.

Well, a few months ago Jedi and Griffin went to their favourite pet supply store Urban Paws here in Kingston and we found a new kind of stuffable dog toy. It works just like the other popular tough-toys except that it's even better. I know, how could it be better than the wonderful Kong? Well, first of all it is designed with a lovely flat bottom so that it doesn't roll away while you are trying to stuff it. It's called a Mongoose and it is made by Chompers. Jedi and Griffin have chomped these Mongoose toys for almost 3 months now and there is not even a bite mark. Each day we fill them with peanut butter, freeze them and then they get one during the day to sooth their little teething mouths and to satisfy their natural chewing needs.

After realizing that The Mongoose by Chomper is the cream of the crop, the cherry on top, the best, most durable toy out there.... I visited their website to learn a little bit more about them. I was THRILLED to see that they also have other toys that I have never even seen. I am hoping that Urban Paws will bring in more of the Chomper products so that Jedi and Griffin can try those as well. Finding a tough chew toy really is great because we were spending a lot of money having to replace the alternate brand of "tough Stuff toys".

Chomper's Mongoose Dog Toys are Jedi and Griffin APPROVED

Happy 16th Birthday Asia

2013-03-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Asia is 16! It's almost unbelievable! 16 years ago I was introduced to seizures, hospitals, and doctors. I think I learned more in the first few years of Asia's life than I ever did. I watched my daughter in a coma, I watched her struggle to breath, I watched her breathing slow and her little body seize. I also witnessed nursing grabbing my sweet baby out of my arms and running, full speed, down the hall to ICU. I've seen the tonic clonic seizures, the complex partial seizures, the absent seizures, you name it, I've seen it probably 1000 times over. 16 years ago was The Beginning. The beginning of my life as it is now.

As we celebrate Asia today I can't imagine my life any different. Yes, the seizures are no fun, but without them I wouldn't have gotten into training dogs. Without these seizures I would never have met some special mamas, Jennifer and Allison. The bad brought the good. Here I am, 16 years later celebrating Asia's 16th. 16 years ago we said goodbye to our baby, since the doctors were sure she wasn't going to make it through the night. Here she is..beating all odds. Way to go Asia. Happy 16th Birthday beautiful girl. Enjoy your new camera. Show the world your life through that lens. Show the world your strength and fighting power. Most of all, never give up. You are stronger than those seizures and migraines. We love you!

Pennies for Pups

2013-02-07T19:21:00.001-08:00

Here in Canada the government is fading out the penny. Stores will no longer take these little coins so what in the world can you do with them? Well, we are starting a new fundraising campaign and collecting as many pennies as we can. We would like to fill a large water jug with pennies and then have a rolling party. We have some donated penny wrappers and now we just need some donated pennies.

What will we do with the pennies?

The pennies we collect will be counted and rolled and then taken to the bank to deposit into Jedi and Griffin's trust fund. Yes, the pups have a bank account! We are keeping all money seperate for the pups and using their account to purchase things we need for them. For example, we already need new Kongs for the pups. These labs have power jaws and a Kong filled with treats really satisfy their chewing needs. We are also saving up for the spay and neuter that will need to be done when the pups get a bit older. We just purchased a new grooming table which is such a wonderful tool to have. This table was purchased out of our own money because our fundraised money is running a little low right now.

Please don't throw out those beautiful pennies... we would be thrilled to take them off your hands. There is no need to roll them since we are going to have a rolling party with local friends and family once we fill our large water jug.

Sienna has been nominated as the official penny dropper. She LOVES the sound a penny makes when it drops into a bottle. Right now the bottle is empty. Do you have any pennies kicking around that you'd like to donate to Pennies for Pups?

Goodnight Dad

2013-02-02T06:06:00.000-08:00

I haven't had an update in a while and I apologize for that. Things have been quite busy over here. The pups have grown incredibly and I will post pictures and updates soon.
I would like to take a moment to say goodbye to my Dad today. Sidney GEORGE Fredrick COOPER, my dad, died last Friday very suddenly. It has been quite the shock and the last week has gone by in such a blur.

I didn't get a lot of time with my father but the time I did have was very magical. He taught me a lot over the years, things I am so thankful for. I'll always remember the trip to Ottawa that we took, to the Children's Hospital with Asia and Sienna. He sat there in the waiting room next to a special-needs child who was quite loud. He never stared, he never made comments, all he did was smile at that child. Everyone else in that room ignored the child or stared...Dad shared a smile with that child. He didn't judge. He just did his own thing and moved forward in his life. We got lost on the way home that day and I was getting nervous because I had 2 children with seizures in the car and no idea where we were. Dad's words were very comforting, "Don't worry, nobody's ever been lost forever". This made us both laugh.

Then there were the memories of my dad in his shop riding around on a bicycle with no tires, just rims, with me perched on his lap. He'd sing, "It's a Long way to Piccadily" over and over. That was a very long time ago. I have other just as important memories like when he fell through the ice on Lake Ontario and pretended that he wasn't cold as we took the almost mile walk back home. He was brave even though he must have been afraid that day. He went right under the ice and had trouble finding the hole to get back up. Now that I'm an adult I can only imagine how scary that must have been with me, barely 7, standing there watching him under the ice.

I wish that I had more time with my dad but it was just never in the cards. I will miss is sense of humour, his compassion, and his apple pie. Rest well Dad, I have missed you for many years but never more than I do now.

Wonderful Training Today

2013-01-13T17:51:00.000-08:00

There's always something special about taking a pup out on his/her first trip to stores. I love the reactions a pup gets as she prances around the store in the heel position wearing a "Service Dog in Training" jacket that is miles too big. There is something about a dog that changes people. It turns grumpy people happy, it puts a smile on the most unexpected face, and just brings joy to everyone young and old. This was my experience today. How many times have you gone to the pharmacy and seen the people working there sitting right down on the floor? Dogs bring people to the floor.

In a coffee shop the usual scene is a line-up of people waiting for their drinks, looking down texting or checking Facebook. Rarely do we get to know the names of the neighbours in line. Today Jedi entered Starbucks for the first time. 8 people were in line and each of them turned around and smiled at Jedi. Many of them asked me questions about her. It was our lucky day today because in line there were two fully-uniformed paramedics. Jedi got to meet some heroes today. They ordered their drinks and stood aside and waited for me. They both introduced themselves to me and allowed me to take their picture with Jedi. What a lovely outing for this pup in training. She not only experienced shopping carts, wet floor signs, people, kids, smells, but she also made people smile. A gift that only a dog seems to be able to do.

Today Jedi did so well with her first "real" social training. She enjoyed everyone and showed no signs of fear at all. I walked her through the smelly fish area at Loblaws and she stayed focused on me even through the smell. Dogs are such a gift to humans. They change the aura of society and help people smile more. Have you hugged a dog today?

Dog Training for Funds

2013-01-11T18:47:00.001-08:00

We have been so blessed by the help we have received for the purchase of Jedi and Griffin. We have been amazed at the support we have been shown by local and not-so-local friends and family. As you know, the cost of raising two service dogs in training is quite high and we would like to fundraise some more money to help pay for their next set of shots, Jedi's spay that will be done in June or July, and Griffin's neuter that will be done in September sometime. I have added a new "Chip-In" button along the right side of this page for people interested in helping out.

I have had a great deal of interest in my dog training abilities so I have decided to offer my dog training skills to local families for a reduced rate of $25 per hour visit. As a student of Animal Behaviour College I have the skills to help in all different situations. What I would like to do is book some sessions with local people and put the money into a seperate account for Jedi and Griffin needs.

We have had a great deal of difficult medical problems over the holidays and even though it's not good news to have these problems, there is a silver lining. We did find out that Griffin has the ability to detect seizures before they happen. As mentioned before, we were waiting to go to emergency and Asia starting telling me that Griffin was sniffing around her and whining. I looked up to see what was going on and then Asia had a seizure. The seizure was no fun but the joy I felt when I realized that we had chosen the right dog for Asia was overwhelming. I am confident that Jedi has the same abilities since we have seen nothing but gentle compassion from her towards Sienna. She likes to stay near Sienna when Sienna isn't feeling well. Watching these puppies grow and learn is such a joy!

If you are interested in booking my dog training services and you are located in the Kingston, ON area please email me at samantha@4pawsacademy.ca. I am only booking weekend in-home classes at this time because I work long hours during the week. 100% of the $25 per session goes to Griffin and Jedi. Thank you for your support.

Have a tail-wagging weekend!

Samantha

Product Review Time

2013-01-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

When training a dog it is important to have treats in three different categories. Treats that they like, treats that they love, and treats that make them go crazy. Usually the "like" treats are their regular kibble, the love treats are perhaps small pieces of cookie, and the "go crazy" treats are treats that really make their mouth water. Having treats in 3 different categories helps teach the dog that certain behaviours pay better. Slowly sitting brings on a small piece of kibble, quickly sitting may give a better tasting reward, and a quick sit with eye contact with the trainer gets the "go crazy" reward. Well, we just found our "go crazy" reward for Griffin and Jedi. I would like to introduce you to a new family-run business that runs out of Inverary, ON. They have a website for ordering and I guarantee you will find your dog's "go crazy" treats for training.

We purchased dehydrated liver treats and snipped them into pea-sized training rewards. The cookies are made from pumpkin and all of the treats at I Kiss My Dog are wheat-free. We highly suggest that you purchase your dog treats at this "go crazy" company.

Thank you Lynda for the home delivery too! Next time you get to meet the pups!

Happy New Year Update

2012-12-31T06:46:00.001-08:00

I am happy to see the end of the year! It wasn't a horrible year by any means, it's just that I am looking SO forward to what 2013 is going to bring on. To start things off, Asia is finally feeling better. Once the swelling in her brain went down so did her dizziness. She is slowly getting back to herself but will need a little work catching back up to where she was in homeschool.

I am happy to say that we will be starting off 2013 with good health. The kids have won their battle against the cold and flu bugs that they had and there have been no more seizures! That's worth celebrating!

2013 is the year of learning for Griffin and Jedi. They have had a great start already but now that they are 14 weeks old they will be doing regular training exercises. The first part of their training has been getting them introduced to our home and routines. They have bonded with each person in the family and get along with everyone, including the cats.

They know what is expected of them and what is not allowed. They are both very smart and this is why I need to make sure I keep them on track. Both have a bad habit. Griffin can get up on the kitchen table. I have had to move the fruit bowl so this clown will stay out of the fruit. He's like a toddler, taking one bite of each apple. Grrrr. Jedi can open baby gates. I have no idea how she does it but she can. I hear the gate open and then I hear her big feet climbing up the stairs. She always comes right to me, perhaps wanting some praise for being so smart. Both dogs have learned how to hold the bottom piece of toilet paper just right and then run, unrolling the entire roll of paper. Oh the fun these two clowns bring! The toilet paper in our main floor bathroom is hidden now. If you come for a visit and promise not to tell the pups where it is, I'll tell you where it is hidden.

We recently found a local supplier for training treats. Wheat-free treats and dehydrated liver treats. I am looking forward to working with this company and supporting local businesses. Jedi, River, and Griffin will get to sample the treats tomorrow...New Years Day. What a perfect way to start the year from a dog's point of view!

Happy New Year to all of our readers! We hope that you will visit us often in 2013. This is the year of awesomeness! The year I will graduate from Animal Behavior College, the year Griffin and Jedi will become full service dogs, and the year of awesome change! Many Blessings and good health to all of you.

The Bad and the Good

2012-12-23T05:57:00.001-08:00

Wow, our family has been on a crazy ride for the last few days. It started with a nasty virus that had me down at the emergency department with 2 of my daughters on Friday night. (Asthma and ear infections) I spent a number of hours down there with the girls while my husband took care of things at home. Once we were done at the hospital I called Brian to tell him that I was on my way home. He answered the phone yelling "Help! Help! Call 911, Asia is having a seizure". So here I am, down at the hospital with my 2 daughters and Asia is at least a 20 minute drive away. The seizure was short so I stayed on the phone with Brian and made my way home.

When I got home Asia was terrified. She had temporarily lost her vision because of the seizure and was just so afraid. The seizure was short so I didn't take her to the hospital because normally she doesn't seize twice in a row and the shorter seizures are not as dangerous.
I was wrong. Asia did end up at the hospital and she did end up seizing again...12 times in a row!! I was totally out of my comfort zone with this because it was not her usual seizure pattern. It was so scary watching my daughter go through this. She'd feel the seizure coming, River was alerting and she kept crying and telling me she was afraid she was going to die.
As we were leaving to go to the hospital another seizure hit. The good news is that Griffin showed us that he is able to smell the pheromones that she gives off when having seizures. This is incredible news because Griffin went right up to Asia and frantically sniffed her. He was so worried that he actually pee'd on the floor. He then pawed at Asia with his front paws as she was having her seizure.
This behaviour from Griffin was amazing. He is only 12 weeks and already can do this. We now need to work on him coming and telling us when he senses the pheromones. What an awesome dog! I didn't get a reaction from Jedi but I think she was outside at that time.
Asia is home now but still quite unwell. We aren't sure about the amount of damage she may have sustained from all of the seizures or whether there has been any regression at all. She has been sleeping the whole thing off with extra Ativan on board.

We are so very sad about everything Asia has gone through this weekend, especially at a time of year when kids are supposed to be having fun. Our heart breaks a little more with each and every seizure she has. We are now hoping for a nice quiet holiday with no more scary stuff. We are not out of the woods yet because Asia is still a very sick little girl. We just hope the seizures stay away but I have our hospital bags packed just incase we have to rush down to the hospital again. I really hope not! OUr family just can't handle anymore right now.

Hug your loved ones. Nobody knows how long they will be here.

Random Act of Kindness Contest

2012-12-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

We are starting something new here at Service Dog for Sienna. Every Friday we encourage everyone to do 1 Random Act of Kindness. Bless a stranger, a friend, whoever needs a good deed. Then, send us your story at samantha@4pawsacademy.ca to be entered into our monthly draw. A name will be chosen and a really cool prize will be shipped your way. This is open to anyone in Canada or the United States. We have been blessed so many times and we are only at the beginning of our journey with Griffin and Jedi. This world NEEDS this. Please join us! Friday is coming up soon. What will your RAK (random act of kindness)be?

Update Time!

2012-12-18T19:45:00.001-08:00

The pups have grown! I can't believe how big they have gotten since last week. Their abilities continue to grow and I am ready to start challenging them even more. I have taken 12 days off work so I can focus on the training and really challenge these ~~little~~ big pups.

Both puppies enjoy their walks and are being to trained to sit at each curb and cross the street only on command. They sit and get their feet wiped after their walk and we are working hard with all obedience commands now. I plan on setting up some mazes to help their problem solving skills. This will start with the weave poles and tunnels. Just like children, the brain develops very quickly in the first years and I want to give these two the very best start they can have. So far, no challenge I have given has defeated them. They are smart and problem solve so well.

I was in our favourite store the other day (Urban Paws, Kingston) and noticed that they are now selling dog puzzles/games. They are whimsical little wooden problem solving games for dogs that encourage brain development and problem solving. I am going to buy a couple of these games sometime in the New Year to help encourage these little munchkins even more. Both dogs thrive on a good strong schedule, lots of interactive toys, and a load of love.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season full of lots of loving family, yummy treats, and wet kisses.

Samantha and Brian

Sponsorship News and a HUGE Thank You!!

2012-12-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

Today I had the privilege of meeting Jedi's sponsor, Mr. Ron Cotton from Kingston Nissan. This very kind man had read our story in the newspaper and decided to come forward and sponsor Sienna's dog Jedi. We are SO thankful for his sponsorship and his incredible kindness!

Jedi showered Mr. Cotton with kisses and also really enjoyed meeting the rest of the Kingston Nissan staff. We were given a terrific badge to sew onto Jedi's jacket which Jedi will proudly wear for the duration of her service work.

Mr. Cotton presented us with the badge for the jacket for Jedi and then he offered me another badge for Griffin as well as another sponsorship check! CarOne is Kingston Nissan's used car lot and they are now Griffin's sponsor. We are SO incredibly thankful to this kind man for his help, his love of dogs, and the encouragement he has given us.

Thank you Mr. Ron Cotton from Kingston Nissan for your wonderful gifts. We were so happy to meet you and am sorry that Griffin was unable to come and meet you. Once Asia is back on her feet we will bring her in and her special dog Griffin. We look forward to bringing the dogs in often so you can see how they are doing. Thank you form the bottom of our hearts!

Brian and Samantha Knapp

Borrowing River...again

2012-12-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

We have had a bit of a rough week over here with Sienna's seizures. This has made it difficult for me to update this blog so I apologize for not having a new post sooner. We also had a few problems with River. She got sick and needed an emergency vet trip and almost had to have surgery. She had a hematoma on her ear, a very large one, and her wonderful vet helped us clear it all up. She is now feeling better and is back to work.

The fact that River was out of commission and Sienna and Asia both needed her really helped me realize how good it is that we have Jedi and Griffin. River is 10 years old now and with age comes the odd medial problem. Many service dogs retire by 10 years of age but here is River, working for 2 very intense children.

Jedi and Griffin are doing very well. The only problem we are having is that they have really bonded with us and don't like being in their crate at night. This is causing lack of sleep for all of us. The fact that they have bonded so well is great but I wonder why they have had a hard time for the last 5 nights. Could it be that they just miss us, or could it be that the last 5 days have been the days that Sienna has not been well? Hummm, are these two sweeties noticing "something". I certainly hope so. My current task is to stop Sienna's seizures and an increase in meds should help her. I am keeping a notebook of Sienna's bad days and the nights that the pups won't settle. There most certainly could be a connection and if there is I will be SO thrilled. We are off to CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario) in Ottawa. Have a great Sunday! We are now off to the Autism Ontario Christmas Party.

Thank You Kingston Nissan

2012-11-24T05:20:00.002-08:00

Last week we received a call from the Kingston This Week Reporter who wrote our story. She had great news for us! She had a check for $500 from Mr. Ron Cotton, owner of Kingston Nissan. We would like to thank Mr. Cotton from the bottom of our heart for sponsoring little Jedi. The money is going towards her training and she will have a very cool Kingston Nissan logo on her jacket. (see above picture)

If you are local and are going into Kingston Nissan please thank them for being Jedi's sponsor. Mr. Cotton is a huge lab lover and our story really made him want to help. He sent us the $500 without even realizing that was the cost of a sponsorship. When we offered to put his logo on the jacket he was quite pleased. It's a great partnership since Jedi will be wearing a red jacket that matches the logo really well. As soon as Jedi is big enough to wear her jacket she will proudly advertise Kingston Nissan for giving from the heart to help a little girl and her service dog.

Thank You Kingston Nissan

Please visit the Kingston Nissan web site at Kingston Nissan

Mastering "sit", "stay", "off" and "take it"

2012-11-22T08:16:00.003-08:00

We have had the puppies for 1 week now and they are doing incredibly well. Both are full of personality and love. Jedi is the easiest of the two to train, but only because Griffin has that "goofy love" kind of personality. Both pups are doing very well and even with the "goofy love" personality Griffin has already learned some commands.
I started the pups off with the command "sit", which they mastered incredibly fast. They are now expected to sit and stay before they get their treat. They have been taught the "off" command which simply means "don't touch". They are not allowed to take their training treats without the command "take it". This helps them to understand that it is not ok to pick up food they might see on the floor of a store, I remember when River was a puppy and I was doing some training with her in Costco. There was a man there who tried to slip her a piece of pizza and because River wasn't given the "take it" command the pizza fell on the floor. (I was so proud of her that day) Seriously, people don't always understand how wrong it is to bother, tease, or offer a working dog something. Thanks to the command "take it" River had learned that nothing is eaten without that command.

Both puppies are starting to work on the "wait" command. This is used when their food dish is put down. They "wait", and are told "Off", and when they hear the "take it" command they are free to eat. Both are doing so well.

I will continue to build on the commands they are learning and am taking baby steps as I introduce the new words to them. I do 3, 15 minute sessions of training with each puppy daily at this time. 2 of the sessions are with the puppies together.

Here they are practising the "off" command. They no longer jump up at the food and just wait until they hear "take it" and then they gently take the food from me.

Jedi is so alert during her training and uses incredible eye contact. She listens very well and waits for me to tell her when she can "take it".

..and the training begins

2012-11-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

We have had the puppies for a total of 4 days and they are both doing incredibly well. Griffin is coming when called and Jedi has gone out on her first trip into the community. We are so pleased with the abilities these dogs have at such a young age already. Here is a video of Griffin coming when called. He is even doing this with the distraction of Jedi playing with him. This is so exciting for us!

Today Jedi went on her fist public outing. We chose a place where there were no other dogs because she has only had her first set of shots. She attended Autism Ontario's Potential Program, a program for children on the spectrum to practise their social skills while enjoying various activities. Today's activity was music hosted by Music Mates.

Jedi made new friends at the beginning and then she sat so nicely and watched the wonderful music class. The drums were loud and the kids were busy. There was a big parachute that was going up in the air and rubber balls flying all over the place. Jedi sat so well and was never concerned about anything. She is a care-free dog which is just perfect for what we need in a service dog. Her personality matched River's almost identically.

Here she is lying down with her back to all of the action. She didn't get hyper and she didn't bark even once.

Here she is very curious about what was going on. Just watching and being ever-so quiet.

This picture was taken while the drums were going. They were loud and she loved them. She watched the kids drum and seemed quite entertained. I think we have a really great dog here and so far after having her for 4 days she is already amazing me.

Commands we are working on...

Right now we are working with both dogs so they get to know their names, and we are giving them time away from each other so we can train individually as well as together. They are learning "sit", "come", "do busys (for elimination), "Off", and "take it". Both are doing incredibly well. Next Sunday Griffin gets his turn to go to music class.

Oh, and on a different note... a dear friend of ours has tickets for Brian and I to see The Dog Whisperer! We are looking forward to this even know I have heard mixed reviews on this trainer. It will be a great evening to learn from a professional. :) Thank you Brad and Tanya!

Welcome Home Jedi and Griffin

2012-11-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

We are so thrilled that our family has grown by two more furry friends. Everyone is settling in beautifully and I have to say that these pups have amazing personalities! Here they are..

Masonridge's Jedi Spirit

Masonridge's Griffin Forest

Both puppies are doing incredibly well. They had their first set of shots on Monday and today they finished their final deworming medication. River is adjusting to them very well and only barks when they try to nurse on her. LOL The puppies are getting to understand that River doesn't have milk.

One picture that I took just melts my heart. It is a picture of Jedi giving Sienna wonderful eye contact at the same time as kisses. It melts my heart and will be a "must have" picture in the book I am writing. Here it is...

Our journey begins now...let the training begin. These little sweeties are very smart so I bet they will have some fun stuff to show each of you soon.

Thank you again for all of your support! We appreciate all of you so much!

Samantha & Brian

Thank You Doesn't Seem Like Enough...

2012-11-10T05:35:00.002-08:00

I am at a loss for words. I am sitting here still trying to figure out how in the world I can thank everyone who participated in our fundraiser last night. It was amazing! I have no idea what we made with the fundraiser but I do have to say I am at a loss for words right now. Not only did my friends show up but so many new faces came too. I made new friends, my kids made new friends, and River even made a new canine friend. I had strangers hugging me and petting River. It was just so wonderful to have so much support.

I want to thank each and every person who showed up last night. It means the world to me to know that so many people believe in my abilities to train service dogs. I was given all kinds of encouragement, many many hugs, and strangers walked in off the street and handed me checks and cash. It was unbelievable. Thank you to each and everyone of you! With just the money that was handed to me last night I will be paying the breeder our balance for Jedi today! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

A special thank you to the staff at The Playtrium for helping us do this. They were so kind and helpful and excited for us. I was told that they were 4x busier than usual so this is great news for us and great news for them.

It is truly amazing how many people were touched by the newspaper articles and came to show support. Thank you to Kingston This Week, The Whig Standard, and Snap for helping to spread the word about our fundraiser. I am hoping that as our journey continues that people follow our blog and watch as the pups are trained. I am excited to have people meet these wonderful puppies and get them both started on their training.

Through all of this I am most excited about the new friends I have made. Our breeder Carol is like family to us and before this journey we didn't even know her. What a blessing! Other dog trainers have reached out and have shown so much support and caring as well. Thank you Elizabeth for your words of wisdom.

So, as you can see, it's really hard to find the right words to thank everyone. Thank you just doesn't seem to be enough. You have all helped us buy the pups and you have also given us so much more confidence just by caring. We are so very excited that the puppies will be coming home on Thursday. They will be coming home with the breeder paid in full thanks to all of you who have helped.

Most importantly, Sienna had a terrific time. She was full of incredible energy and her respite worker, Cassie got a great work-out running after her all night. The smiles on Sienna's face were full of sunshine! A HUGE thank you to Cassie for keeping Sienna safe while I talked to people. You really do have wings my friend and you are incredible at your job.

Guard dogs of a different type

2012-11-07T16:43:00.001-08:00

The second article is now up! This is so exciting! I really hope we have a big turnout on Friday. Even better...they both mention the disorder Pyridoxine Dependency. It's rare and many have never heard of it. If these articles educate just one person on this disorder it just might save lives for somebody else's child.
Guard dogs of a different type | Local | News | The Kingston Whig-Standard