New Hampshire Ranch

Greetings everybody! Bene here! It’s been a while since my previous update, and some things have changed… I am not a tiny fluff anymore. Well, I can still be fluffy but definitely not tiny… I came back to the ranch after spending time with a foster, and no one could believe how big I’ve gotten! I am HUGE! But still just as adorable. Even though some things have changed, some things never do… I am a very happy and goofy boy! I love being around my trainer, and I love to work. I’ve learned lots of tricks like alert, down, stay, sit and heel. You could also say I am lucky because I was living with a foster during this pandemic. I got to play with the tiny hoomans and went to many different places. I love getting to know new places; however, I don’t love the car rides to get to these places… I get very stressed. The other doggos are telling me I shouldn’t worry about them. They say I will get used to them. Some of my friends even say they LOVE car rides!! Maybe they are right and I’ll get used to them, but for now, I think they are crazy! Now that I am back at the ranch, I got to meet my new Trainer Girl! Her name is Kat, and I love her already!! We are spending a lot of time bonding and just reinforcing and improving what I already know. She is also helping me with my car rides issues. She is doing positivity training in the back seat (meaning lots of treats for me), and we will be doing short car rides around the ranch until I start feeling more comfortable. I hope that with her help and lots of treats, I overcome my fear… I am training to become a psych dog, so I need to learn a new task called “paws up.” I love learning new tricks! It means lots of treats! And this trick is the best! On top of the treats, I get to be extra close to my hooman! It reminds me of when I was a puppy and I could sit on people’s lap. I also need to practice my heel and just to chill. I can be whiny in my crate, I am very interested in the cats, I sometimes pull while doing heel, I have trouble staying down, and I get overexcited at first when I am let out of my crate. I am a good boy, but Trainer Girl says I need to chill… I will work on that and let you know how this good boy does. Love, Bene! (10/16/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

As we have done in the past, I would like to continue updating the dogs in the prison program in their trainers’ words. I think there's something special in the way they express themselves about training and the dogs. Every time I read them, it brings a smile to my face to picture the training going on, that we often do not get to see first hand. I love their openness when describing the dogs’ behaviors and how they try different techniques to work through it all. You can also hear the affection the trainers have for their dogs when you read their descriptions!  When there is a trainer’s name used in the report, I will always use the name ‘Joe’ for privacy reasons. Here is the last trainer’s update on how Bess was doing before leaving the prison program…

“Bess is a very sweet girl. She loves to cuddle, she is great at DPT, she will lay her head on your chest and place all her weight on your stomach. She is very attentive to anxiety, she picks up on emotions from people. She does well with a consistent, stable environment. She tends to hyper focus on things and is very easily distracted. She lags on her heel as well. She is very impulsive but has also improved tremendously once she was placed with one trainer only. She struggles sharing her toys at times as well. She is a work in progress!” (03/01/2021)

Bess is now training with a foster family located in New Hampshire! Once she completes her time with the foster, she will return to our New Hampshire Ranch for advanced task training!

(04/22/2021)

East Coast Prison

Hi! Brady here! It is almost time for winter to be back, can you believe it? Time goes by so fast! It has been almost 6 months since I graduated from the prison program. I did great with my trainers and the foundations of basic obedience; by the time I got back to the ranch, I was no longer a tiny puppy. I weighed 72 lbs! I am a big boy now! And as all service dogs, I had to go to the vet to get “fixed” soon after I came back. At first, I thought that was not fun at all, I didn’t think there was anything to fix… But it was not entirely bad, the fun came after! I got a 2-weeks vacation being extra spoiled! I couldn’t play outside with all my friends, BUT I got to spend lots of time with Trainer Girl in the house and leash walking around the ranch. Even though I was on vacation, I still had to walk right beside her, so I got lots of practice and did very well… except when I got distracted by outside things like people, dogs, or small animals. Ugh! Distractions… Distractions are my weakness… Boss Man says I need to work a lot on focus. I am doing well with advanced tasks, but it is always distractions that get me. So a lot of my training these days is a mixture of advanced tasks and distraction training, sometimes even at the same time! I like to work, but I love my people. Trainer Girl says I am very attached and needy, and my Foster mom says I am a very sweet boy as well. Because of my personality, the trainers mention I could be good for seizure. And because I am a big boy, I could be good for mobility! I wonder what kind of service dog I will be… Maybe I will get to be both! Time will tell… whichever it is, I just want to meet MY person, love on them, and help them every single day. So, I’ll keep working on my focus and impulse control. I guess counter surfing is not allowed either… But with the help of the Trainers, Boss Man, and Foster Mom, I will learn to control myself when it’s time to work, and maybe even when there’s food on the counter. I know I can. If you believe so too, come back to read my next update soon. Love, Brady! (11/09/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

Hey guys! Brussel here! You already heard a lot about me from my trainers in the prison program, but now it is time for me to tell my story! This handsome dog, with a shaggy hairstyle, is me. I am a golden doodle, and I am coming close to my second birthday! 

My journey started with my mom and my siblings just learning how to be a dog. But soon enough, we went off to begin our training to fulfill this big and important mission. Become a service dog. Being a service dog in training is a lot of fun; I’ve met lots of people, played, cuddled, and trained, trained, trained. Last month I graduated from the prison program, and right after, I went on my next BIG adventure! I traveled across the country to Sky Valley Ranch. Trainer Girl Jen flew out with me and some other dogs, and let me tell you, she was IMPRESSED. My first public outings were the airports, restaurants, hotels in Seattle and Boston, and the only thing she could say was: “Brussel is just a delight! He was PERFECT while traveling, and you would’ve never been able to tell it was his first time in public.” She said I know all my basic obedience and several advanced tasks, but on top of that, she was impressed by how responsive I am. What can I say; I was born to please my hooman. 

Now that I am in New Hampshire, I am working with a new Trainer Girl, her name is Kat, I looove her, and I think she loves me too! She says I am a very lovable goof. I’ve been showing her all the tasks and tricks the trainers in the prison program taught me. And together we’ve been working on perfecting them and getting used to all the stimuli in the real world! I met the cats and the rabbits, they are fun and a little distracting but most of the time I can refocus on trainer girl. The ball on the other end is a bit harder to ignore, but hey! Who doesn’t love to play with a ball? We’ve been practicing my advanced tasks; I really enjoy doing mobility tasks. I am good at them too! I know pull and push, also door, but this one is a bit confusing still. I also know vest and dial, I love any kind of retrieval, I am good at brace, and I also enjoy doing DPT. 

My hairstyle might make you think I am just a goofy doggo, but I take my work seriously, and I know when it is time to calm down. I think I am doing a good job, I even heard the trainers talk about they should start narrowing down where I will be going! This is the best news! Even though sometimes, I need more tasty treats to get super motivated, just hearing this made me want to go train so more! To my future hooman, I can’t wait to meet you, I promise you, I will the best service doggo with the best hairstyles!

Love, Brussel

(04/19/2021)

New Hampshire Ranch

As we have done in the past, I would like to continue updating the dogs in the prison program in their trainers’ words. I think there's something special in the way they express themselves about training and the dogs. Every time I read them, it brings a smile to my face to picture the training going on, that we often do not get to see first hand. I love their openness when describing the dogs’ behaviors and how they try different techniques to work through it all. You can also here the affection the trainers have for their dogs when you read their descriptions!  When there is a trainer’s name used in the report, I will always use the name ‘Joe’ for privacy reasons. Here is the last trainer’s update on how Dori was doing before leaving the prison program…

“Hi, it is me Dori checking in from Chowchilla. I am on the last leg of my journey here and let me tell you. I am so ready to be someone’s forever service dog. I love DPT and advanced retrieval. I am great at my stays, I stay everywhere my trainer tells me to. I have also learned tethering and it doesn’t bother me at all that someone is behind me on my tether making all kinds of racket, I just pay attention to my trainer. My trainer tells me I am a very sweet girl. I love to train and please my humans because when they are happy, I am very happy. I don’t like my vest much, I feel it is really confining so I get mad at it going on me, but I eventually get over it. Anyhow, I am excited for you all to see where I am at in my training and am even more excited to meet my forever person that I am going to help. Until next time!” (03/01/2021)

Dori graduated from the prison program and joined Kat’s pack in Sky Valley Ranch. She is warming up to the East Coast and is now training with a foster family located in New Hampshire!

(04/25/2021)

San Diego Ranch

Hello people! Drew here. I graduated from the prison program, and currently, I am living at the San Diego Ranch. Life has been good. I’ve grown into one good looking boy! Or at least that is what everyone says… When I got to the ranch, I was assigned to Trainer Girl Dominique pack. I like all the other dogs and love my trainer girl. At first, I could not stop using my sniffer while heeling, I wanted to know every unique smell in the ranch. Trainer Girl said this kind of excessive sniffing can cause issues, I was also hyper in DPT and had a VERY happy paw for alert. So we had to make a couple of adjustments. I was already responsive to basic obedience; it was just a matter of fine-tuning some of my tasks. After working with Trainer Girl for only ONE week, my heel was WAY better and I was no longer excessive sniffing all over the place, my DPT was calmer and I was already learning signal instead of alert, to fix the heavy paw. After the second week of training, I had signal down! No hand cue and all. Bossman was very proud of Trainer Girl and me. And even Trainer Girl was impressed with how fast I learn. DPT was also better, still excited, but I was not squirming as much. This is so hard, but I am improving! I am learning to chill and merely enjoy the moment without getting too hyper. Since I am improving so much and my basics are looking good, the hoomans think I am ready for the next level of training! I heard the trainers say something about mobility, and after that, we started playing fetch during training. I didn’t know what mobility meant but I like this new stage of training; and according to my trainers, I am a natural. For now, we are working on the basics of structured fetch. I get to play, but there are more rules compared to when we play fetch during break time. I gotta do a stay and hold it WHILE she throws the toy, then I get released to retrieve the item, and when I come back I have to sit and return the item placing it on Trainer Girl’s hand. I am doing pretty good with the whole structured fetch thing, there is just one part I am struggling with. Either I sit or return the item; I cannot sit with the toy in my mouth. It just feels odd to me, and I have to drop the item. Trainer Girl says I’ll get there with a little (or a lot) more practice, and Boss Man said we can work on turning structured fetch into advanced retrieval! I will learn to retrieve all kinds of items! Even metal things like keys or slippery things like pill bottles! I am excited to keep learning this and other mobility tasks! I heard I will learn to open doors, cabinets, drawers! I love this idea; I like to be of help and cannot wait to be helping my person one day. Little Angel Drew, mobility service dog! That’s gonna be me! But before that, I gotta go to the vet. Even though my training is going awesome, a month ago I started whining. I whine in the crate and also while heeling. According to Boss Man, it is the hormones getting me crazy; so after the vet takes care of that (whatever that means) and I get a vacation to recover, I’ll be back! Ready to train and ready to work! So come back to get an update soon! Love, Drew (09/27/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

We have some amazing fosters that have sent us an update on how their pupper is doing, and as we have done in the past with dogs that are in the prison program, I would like to continue updating the dogs in their trainers’ words. There’s something special in the relationship a foster creates with their dogs, I’ve loved reading these updates, hearing the affection the fosters have for their dogs when you read their description and having a deeper insight on the lives of our service dogs in training when they are growing, learning and going on adventures with their foster families, getting ready for their VERY important job. I hope you enjoy them as much I did. Here is the trainers’ update on how Ellie is doing…

Woof-woof, hello my name is Ellie, although I also go by Ellie-Mae, Ellie-Belly, Ellie-Belly Baby girl… but my real name is Eleven! Funny story about that one… Netflix sponsored my training and named me after the character 11 from Stranger Things (although the first few months I was known as Baby-girl, I guess it was a tough decision).

It has been a long journey; I was born in California and took a long plane ride and then a long car ride with my Trainer-girl up to New Hampshire. From there it was another long car ride to Massachusetts where I have been staying with my Foster Family doing lots of training and visiting some pretty interesting places like Boston Children’s Museum and Science Museum, Roller Skating, Beaches, Movie Theatres and Arcades but the most interesting place to visit was the high school where my Fosters work. Always something “different” happening at that place!

Throughout it all I have learned how to behave in all sort of situations.

I have tons of fun playing fetch and taking long walks but my most favorite thing to do is swim in the pool. It took me a while to get up the nerve to jump in but once I did; I didn’t want to come out.

All of these trips, activities and play-time have really helped me to learn the tasks to be a good worker.

Basic Skills are a breeze!

I am able to push and pull to open and close cabinets and drawers including my kennel door and can be in a down stay for lengthy periods of time (although I really want to get up and play). I have learned to alert carefully using my paws, can dial an ADA phone pad and can brace to assist in helping to get up. I am still learning to pick items up and bring them to my Fosters; I currently like to pick up my vest, leash, and bowl on command but sometimes I try to get them to chase me– fun!

I do very well when walking or interacting with my Foster kid. When I have my vest on, I try to stay as close to his wheelchair and carriage as possible and am very careful when he asks to say hi to me with a “paws up”. When that vest is off though, we tend to cause some havoc… I have so much fun playing with him, he lets me do some things that the other Fosters won’t; which tends to get us both into a bit of trouble. We’re both learning though.

I really enjoy playing and have a ton of energy. I love playing with other dogs and kids. I look forward to car rides because you never know where we’ll end up. Our daily adventure always ends with “Quiet-Time” and a belly rub before bed.

(09/12/2020)

Bio Coming Soon!

San Diego Ranch

Hey guys! Kolby here! It has been a while since my last update; this time has been full of new experiences, learning, and training. I am writing this today very proud of myself, full of good news.

I must admit when I wrote my last update, I was kind of a mess. I knew my obedience commands. However, all the changes and stimuli in the real world (outside the prison) were too much for me. I would get startled, overwhelmed, and anxious. I was TERRIFIED of cars. At one point, I thought I was not going to make it. But after lots and lots of confidence-building with my former Trainer Girl, I started to get better. Then we started working towards being focus on new environments until I was ready to go out on my first field trip! Trainer Girls was SO surprised! She said I did great out in public! She felt like I was tricking her all along, but, I couldn’t have done it without her!

After that, everything started going uphill. I was not bothered by anything, and I was very confident. During field trips, I walked next to a cart perfectly; I sometimes got distracted, but I was able to focus back on my trainer quickly. Going out in public was so much fun! I regained my love for work. I was performing my tasks quickly and excitedly. I even performed my advanced tasks out in public. If you drop my leash, I pick it up and give it to you before you even realized you dropped it.

I got SO excited to work that then we had to work on doing them calmly and only the tasks I was asked, without rushing and offering them all at once. Eventually, I was able to channel my excitement.

I started learning more and more advanced tasks. My favorite kind is mobility tasks. I learned to open and close doors, bracing, and retrieving whatever you want. Since I was doing so good, I got introduced to a new vest, it is called a bracing harness, and only some special doggos get to wear it. I heard it took some getting used to, but I love it! I love retrieving it and wearing it.

There were only a couple of advanced tasks I was struggling with. Dial, I love to do it, but I have to be consistent with actually hitting the button. The same with turning the lights on, I can turn them off every time, but turning them back on requires more precision and focus, and I was too excited for all that detail. Finally, bracing, I pushed back well, but Boss Man said I am not allowed to sit on each pause. After fine-tuning these three tasks, I was golden. Obedience was perfect, even SUPER distracted down-stays, and advanced commands were just as good; on top of that, you could see how much I loved it. But there was one thing worrying Boss Man… This COVID thing happened, and even though my training didn’t stop, my socialization did. We were not allowed to go out for the longest time. Luckily, at this point, there were a couple of fosters going out in public, so I went to spend some time with one of them. I got lots of exposure to new environments and did really well. Now I am back at the ranch to finish up my training and will be ready to go.

I can’t believe I am almost ready to meet my furever hooman! I hear the trainers talk about one new hooman a lot when I am around. I think they are figuring out who is my perfect match! I am so excited! Love, Kolby (09/29/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

We have some amazing fosters that have sent us an update on how their pupper is doing, and as we have done in the past with dogs that are in the prison program, I would like to continue updating the dogs in their trainers’ words. There´s something special in the relationship a foster creates with their dogs. I’ve loved reading these updates, hearing the affection the fosters have for their dogs and having a deeper insight on the lives of our service dogs in training when they are growing, learning, and going on adventures with their foster families, getting ready for their VERY important job. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Here is the trainer’s update on how Maya is doing…

Hi! I’m Maya! I am one of the labs donated by Stofer Labs. I am a very friendly girl, with an even temperament. I arrived at Sky Valley Ranch in January. I hung out at the ranch learning lots of cool stuff and playing in the snow until I went to live with my foster mom in May. Because of this Covid thing, all the foster moms and dads have a weekly zoom call where they learn new things to teach us. I have learned sooo much cool stuff to help my hooman someday. My favorite job is to get my vest every morning for our walk. If my foster mom lingers too long over her morning coffee, I get the vest by myself to move the process along. I love retrieving and I set off the car alarm every time mom drops her keys. We have been really focusing on Paws Up and alert and am learning to do signal as well.

When I am on a break, I have a ball in my mouth. I love playing fetch in my foster’s back yard. I love going to the beach and playing fetch and swimming at the same time. After this, I need to take a bath but it is worth it, I’ll even let them use the blow dryer on me.

We have started going out for more outings, and I love working. I have been practicing boundary control at the local coffee shops and have met so many nice people who want to help with my training. I love grocery shopping and going to Home Depot.

I am a nut in the morning, and if my foster dad doesn’t close the bedroom door tightly, I’m going to jump into the bed for snuggles. They tell me this isn’t allowed, but I can’t figure out why? Who doesn’t love bed snuggles? My mom says I need to practice being calm in the mornings.

I can’t wait until I meet my forever hooman. Love Maya

(08/26/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

We have some amazing fosters that have sent us an update on how their pupper is doing, and as we have done in the past with dogs that are in the prison program, I would like to continue updating the dogs in their trainers’ words. There´s something special in the relationship a foster creates with their dogs. I’ve loved reading these updates, hearing the affection the fosters have for their dogs and having a deeper insight on the lives of our service dogs in training when they are growing, learning, and going on adventures with their foster families, getting ready for their VERY important job. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Here is the trainer’s update on how Peanut is doing…

Hi! My name is Peanut! I’m a very funny guy with a big personality and lots of character. you will never wonder what I’m thinking because I show exactly how I’m feeling through my facial expressions and very active eyebrows.

I’m not a barker but I will talk to you if you have my breakfast. I never talk to other dogs on walks even though they talk to me. I love being with my human at all times, making some kind of physical connection is really nice for me and of course, I always love a good cuddle.

I need something in my mouth at all times. Foster Mom thinks it’s a phase but I keep telling her it’s not a phase mom! This can be helpful for her sometimes but most of the time it’s just fun for me.

I LOVE sticks and doing yard work with the foster fam.; hanging out under the umbrella at the beach; and chilling with my foster cat siblings at home. I try to play with them but they give me the cold shoulder most of the time. I’ll keep trying. One of my favorite toys is my tail. I have been trying my hardest to catch it but haven’t had any luck. My other favorite toy is my peanut that my foster mom fills with peanut butter! I love it almost as much as she loves THIS peanut 🙂

(08/26/2020)

Bio Coming Soon!

New Hampshire Ranch

As we have done in the past, I would like to continue updating the dogs in the prison program in their trainers’ words. I think there's something special in the way they express themselves about training and the dogs. Every time I read them, it brings a smile to my face to picture the training going on, that we often do not get to see first hand. I love their openness when describing the dogs’ behaviors and how they try different techniques to work through it all. You can also here the affection the trainers have for their dogs when you read their descriptions!  When there is a trainer’s name used in the report, I will always use the name ‘Joe’ for privacy reasons. Here is the last trainer’s update on how Diesel was doing before leaving the prison program…

“Diesel is SUCH a love bug! He is very calm and sweet. He loves to train and please. He is great with watch me and has calmed down tremendously when it comes to his advanced retrieval. He used to frap around when retrieving stuff but his self-control is amazing now. He loves to be right by your side. He hasn’t been doing Brace, Lights (jumping on wall) and DPT due to his past limping issues. When he was able to do DPT, he LOVED IT! He loves cuddles! His heel has gotten so much better. He stays right by your side, whether you are walking sideways or backwards. He is super attentive. He is also sensitive to peoples ailments. We had a trainer with a medical condition in her stomach and he kept pushing her stomach where the condition was at. Very great sniffer. He is going to be missed here but he is so ready for his next journey in finding his forever person. He will make them so happy!” (03/01/2021)

Diesel graduated from the prison program and joined Kat’s pack in Sky Valley Ranch. He is warming up to the East Coast, getting to know his new Trainer Girl and the other doggos in his pack. We will be hearing from his adventures soon!

(04/25/2021)

New Hampshire Ranch

We have some amazing fosters that have sent us an update on how their pupper is doing, and as we have done in the past with dogs that are in the prison program, I would like to continue updating the dogs in their trainers’ words. There´s something special in the relationship a foster creates with their dogs. I’ve loved reading these updates, hearing the affection the fosters have for their dogs and having a deeper insight on the lives of our service dogs in training when they are growing, learning, and going on adventures with their foster families, getting ready for their VERY important job. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Here is the trainer’s update on how Archer is doing…

Hi! This is Archer checking in. I’m a fun loving BIG handsome, yet sensitive Yellow Lab. I’ve been doing such a great job with my downstays. I’ll let you walk into another room, say words that sound like ‘okay’, and I still won’t budge until you actually say ‘okay’. When I’m not working, I love playing fetch with my tennis balls, and finding big sticks and showing them off. I LOVE staying cool during the hot summer days by swimming. After swimming I am the best-behaved boy and stay very calm while I’m getting a bath! (08/26/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

Bio Coming Soon…

New Hampshire Ranch

As we have done in the past, I would like to continue updating the dogs in the prison program in their trainers’ words. I think there's something special in the way they express themselves about training and the dogs. Every time I read them, it brings a smile to my face to picture the training going on, that we often do not get to see first hand. I love their openness when describing the dogs’ behaviors and how they try different techniques to work through it all. You can also here the affection the trainers have for their dogs when you read their descriptions!  When there is a trainer’s name used in the report, I will always use the name ‘Joe’ for privacy reasons. Here is the trainer’s update on how Dee-Dee is doing… 

“DeeDee is such a sweet girl. She is great at all of her commands and she loves to be challenged and trained. She feeds off of energy. If she is training with someone with excited energy, she will get excited/frappy. She is great with her advanced retrieval and loves DPT. She does great with mono-tones. Even her praise tone has to be mono-tone or she will get super excited. Great at recalls. Has calmed down quite a bit since her heat.” (03/01/2021)

Dee-Dee graduated from the prison program and joining Sherlee’s pack in Sky Valley Ranch, she is warming up to her new life in the East Coast. We will be hearing about her adventures soon.

(04/19/2021)

New Hampshire Ranch

As we have done in the past, I would like to continue updating the dogs in the prison program in their trainers’ words. I think there's something special in the way they express themselves about training and the dogs. Every time I read them, it brings a smile to my face to picture the training going on, that we often do not get to see first hand. I love their openness when describing the dogs’ behaviors and how they try different techniques to work through it all. You can also hear the affection the trainers have for their dogs when you read their descriptions!  When there is a trainer’s name used in the report, I will always use the name ‘Joe’ for privacy reasons. Here is the trainer’s update on how Demi is doing… 

“Demi is such a sweet, calm girl. She loves DPT and will stay in paws up for a long time with resting her head on your chest. She is very calm with advanced retrieval and is great at identifying objects. All of her advanced commands are on point as well as her basics. She doesn’t like bathing. She tries to run from the shower. This has been a work in progress and she has gotten better with some conditioning. She lags in her heel at times. She gets excited to socialize but calms after a minute.” 

Demi graduated from the prison program and joined Sherlee’s pack in Sky Valley Ranch. She is warming up to the East Coast and we will be hearing from her adventures soon! She is settling in beautifully and already going on a lot of outings.

(04/19/2021)

New Hampshire Ranch

As we have done in the past, I would like to continue updating the dogs in the prison program in their trainers’ words. I think there's something special in the way they express themselves about training and the dogs. Every time I read them, it brings a smile to my face to picture the training going on, that we often do not get to see first hand. I love their openness when describing the dogs’ behaviors and how they try different techniques to work through it all. You can also here the affection the trainers have for their dogs when you read their descriptions!  When there is a trainer’s name used in the report, I will always use the name ‘Joe’ for privacy reasons. Here is the last trainer’s update on how Duke was doing before leaving the prison program…

“Hi, it’s Duke, last entry at our wonderful prison program. I am getting ready to move on. Here is a couple of tips and fun things about me. I love kibble, even more than I love balls, if I don’t think I am going to get something (kibble, high value), I will not come back to you. I have gotten really good at staying on my place, it is hard to get me to move when I am placed on my nice padded bed. Paws up is my absolute favorite, I love to burrow in and lay my head on your shoulder, sometimes staring into your eyes. I am quick to get up if my person has fallen to brace sometimes I do not wait for my command when they are getting into position for brace. I love love and started to turn into an attention seeker. It has been difficult with this stupid Covid thing that is happening because I can’t be pet anymore. I am excited to see what my future holds and whose life I am going to change forever! Love, Duke” (03/01/2021)

Duke graduated from the prison program and joined Sherlee’s pack in Sky Valley Ranch. He is warming up to the East Coast and is now training with a foster family located in New Hampshire! They say he is a calm an easy boy, has been in a couple outings and behaved excellent. We will be hearing about his adventures soon.

(04/25/2021)

New Hampshire Ranch

Hello guys! Gronk here. A lot has changed since my previous update, and a lot hasn’t… I graduated from the Prison Program in June. I had so much fun playing, learning, and training with my siblings and hoomans there. But it was time for new challenges, and I was ready for them. I got to Sky Valley Ranch and met Trainer Girl! Girl! Do you remember how much I loved females? Well, that hasn’t changed. I am still Gronk, after all.

With her, I’ve been training for the past couple of months. We’ve worked very hard on my excitement; even though I might look like a big boy AND I already turned one, I am just a big pupper. My biggest challenge is being able to contain my energy and excitement. And once I get excited, I also get distracted… Boss Man says having firm structure is key for me, but that doesn’t mean firm corrections… because I always want to please, so a verbal no is all I need.

I am a happy dog, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE to work. My mobility tasks are PHENOMENAL. But apparently, I love working too much, can you believe there is such a thing? I get so excited about doing and accomplishing a task that I have trouble recovering. My excitement is so high, I start to run through my list of commands trying to impress the hoomans. Boss Man says it is great I love to work and am such a smart doggo. He even says I am going to be a GREAT mobility dog one day, but first, I need to calm myself.

Trainer Girl and I have been working hard on this. Learning body awareness, learning to control my energy, working on settling down after finishing a task so I can be ready for something new. And there is already some improvement, although I still have a lot of improving to do.

I have to work on self-control especially hard around excited women. It has been my weakness since I was a puppy, and it is still my downfall. That high-pitched voice is just like music to my ears… But I need to learn to hold myself together even at these times. I will learn to be strong, I’m telling you, I’ll do it. But you have to know this. I cannot wait to meet MY furever hooman… Imagine if I get matched with a girl!!! Oh, I would love her so much! And if I get a man, I will be the best wingman! On top of being the best service dog, of course. Ugh, either way, I just can’t wait! But gotta learn to chill first, so come back to hear about my progress soon! Love, Gronk! (11/09/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

We have some amazing fosters that have sent us an update on how their pupper is doing, and as we have done in the past with dogs that are in the prison program, I would like to continue updating the dogs in their trainers’ words. There’s something special in the relationship a foster creates with their dogs, I’ve loved reading these updates, hearing the affection the fosters have for their dogs when you read their description and having a deeper insight on the lives of our service dogs in training when they are growing, learning and going on adventures with their foster families, getting ready for their VERY important job. I hope you enjoy them as much I did. Here is the trainer’s update on how Ollin is doing…

Hi! My name is Ollin! I’ve been having so much fun learning to be a service dog. I am super food motivated so I absolutely love training, but sometimes I think it would work better if you just give me all the treats and don’t make me do anything. Wouldn’t that be fun? Well it has been super fun to learn all these new tricks. I absolutely love retrieval, especially of my vest and leash. It is so much fun that sometimes I will go get them even when I’m not asked to. It seems like that should be such a good thing but apparently I’m only supposed to do that when I’m told to oh well! I’ve been taking lots of fun field trips with my foster momma and I’ve done pretty well except for when I decide that the hooman is taking too long and I want to get moving so sometimes a let out a woof but I’m working on being more patient. I am super adventurous and nothing really scares me so it has been really fun to try a bunch of new things and go so many new places. I can’t wait to see what I get to learn and do next!

(09/12/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

Hello ladies and gentlemen! Pete here! When I wrote my first update, it was wintertime here in Sky Valley Ranch. Everything was white and cold. Seasons have changed, again and again, right now it is fall time. It is so beautiful, but the best part about fall is that we get to play in the leaf piles. It is so much fun! However, the weather is getting colder and colder again; I think the white fluff will be back soon! I can’t wait!

But let’s go back to the important stuff… The reason you are riding this. My training. It is going VERY well! And when I say VERY, I mean it. I will be turning one next month, and I think I heard the trainers talking about my possible match! It is not often that a dog is ready to graduate service doggie school this young! I feel very special! Like I was born to do this! I can’t wait to be working next to my forever hooman every day.

Since I was a puppy, the trainers were amazed by my personality and confidence, and I have not disappointed with my training. Trainer Girl Ashley has done a good job working with me! And we’ve had so much fun at the same time! At first, we had to work a lot on the basics; I used to be very distracted and a little bit wild. I am very food motivated and driven, so with Trainer Girls help, I’ve come a long way. I started getting calmer and calmer during DPT, and my commands were more controlled; I got better body awareness and was able to be much quieter with my body. I started consistently using only one paw to alert.

After I mastered all this, it was time to learn the advanced commands. So now, I am learning boundary control. I already understand the concept, but now I have to keep practicing until I can be fluid with it instead of robotic. I started going on public field trips because I need to be super confident in all situations. And to help with that, I am going out with a foster. I’ll keep practicing my commands, so they only keep getting better and better, and we will explore the world and build my confidence.

To my furever hooman, I promise to keep working hard so I can be the BEST little angel for you! I cannot wait to meet you, and I think it will be sooner than I thought. Love, Pete! (10/17/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

Heeello world! Tek again! I am doing gooood! I have a very happy go lucky personality. However, my training has been a little slow these last couple of months. After coming back from prison, I was not very confident with all the changes and was having a hard time focusing. I was timid and submissive. So, the priority was to bring back the happy boy in me and boost my confidence. After spending a couple of weeks of just bonding and confidence building, I started feeling better and better. Within 2 weeks, I had had a complete turnaround. I was no longer fearful in any capacity. I passed all the temperament tests, even the scary ones like popping an umbrella, and I even enjoyed playing rough with Boss Man. The very happy go lucky boy in me was back! It was time to get back into serious working mode. But to make sure I didn’t lose my spirit again, we went slow, at least that’s what I made the trainers think I needed. We started doing some training, but Trainer Girl was just using verbal correction. I did well, but you remember what happens when my hoomans are too nice? The stubborn side of me comes out… remember how stubborn I was at first when I was at the prison? I used to give my trainers at the prison a hard time. But once again, Boss Man caught up to it, and he taught Trainer Girl a few tricks. If you keep the right balance between dry corrections with no emotion and very excited praise, I work as an angel. Now that we are on the right track, it’s time to really train! I am a little bit behind in my training, but sometimes we gotta work on ourselves before being able to shine. So come read my next update soon, because I am ready to shine! Love, Tek! (11/09/2020)

New Hampshire Ranch

As we have done in the past, I would like to continue updating the dogs in the prison program in their trainers’ words. I think there's something special in the way they express themselves about training and the dogs. Every time I read them, it brings a smile to my face to picture the training going on, that we often do not get to see first hand. I love their openness when describing the dogs’ behaviors and how they try different techniques to work through it all. You can also here the affection the trainers have for their dogs when you read their descriptions!  When there is a trainer’s name used in the report, I will always use the name ‘Joe’ for privacy reasons. Here is the trainer’s update on how Butler is doing… 

“Butler is such a sweet, excitable boy! He loves to train and please. If you are feeling sad, all you have to do is look at Butler. He will always make you smile. He is very good at all of his commands. He loves DPT and will stay in paws up for a long time. He pulls a lot on his heel but redirects himself back to your side all by himself. He is always wanting to be one step ahead. He has a lot of energy!  He knows how to identify multiple items for retrieval, and has a sturdy brace. He tends to hyper focus on his surroundings but you can easily gain his attention with a watch me. He also whines in his crate at times. Overall, he is such a good dog...” 

Butler graduated from the prison program and has recently landed in New Hampshire to start his training with a foster family there. He looks forward to finding out who his trainer will be!

(03/01/2021)

East Coast Prison

Bio Coming Soon…

West Coast Prison

Hello everyone!! My name is Dieter! I am currently working with the inmates who are teaching me sooo much! I can’t wait to come back to the ranch and show my trainer everything I learned! Before I left, I was learning to work in a head halter; that thing can be a little bit hard to get used to, but with some time and practice it all gets better! My name was an easy one to learn. Even before going to the prison I was coming to my trainers when called… maybe it was easy cause I LOVE people so much! They said I am a very friendly and affectionate pupper. Come back to hear about my adventures in the prison!! Love, Dieter (02/25/2020)

East Coast Prison

Bio Coming Soon…

East Coast Prison

Bio Coming Soon…