Doodle at Your Service

Bailey Update

2011-09-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I thought I would give you an update on Bailey. He's loving not being a SD. He's much more relaxed and joyful. Going to the dog park is one of his favorite things ever! He loves playing with all the other dogs.

Around people he doesn't know, he's still nervous. He leaves the room when one of my aides comes. Since he's not my SD, this behavior is ok. If people leave him alone, he's ok. He now loves my dad (remember how he used to growl?) and he will stick his head on my dad's lap and look up like, "Please pet me." He's a very happy and spoiled dog.

Here's an album of pictures. Enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

2011-05-24T15:48:00.001-07:00

Hey All,
So I have been getting several emails asking me questions regarding Bailey and his retirement. So here’s a list of frequently asked questions that I would like to answer for all of my readers.

Why are you retiring Bailey?

I’ve decided to retire Bailey because he’s been telling me (through his body language) that he is unhappy when working in public. In addition he is uncomfortable around strangers and will sometimes growl at them in public. Also Bailey has shown me that he is generally just a shy dog. I have two aides and a physical therapist whom Bailey has seen 2-3 times a week for the past five months. He still will not go up to them and anxiously keeps a distance from them. These people are no longer strangers and he still has issues with them. At fifteen months old this is not something that Bailey will just grow out of. This is a part of his personality. Just like with humans, some dogs are just more social than others.

He seems so well behaved, why does it matter if he’s not comfortable in public?
Bailey is an incredibly smart dog and a super good boy. But lots of dogs are smart, that doesn’t make them a good candidate for service work alone. Service dogs must LOVE to work for you, not just in the home but in public where there are many strangers, distractions and surprises. If he’s not comfortable working in public it means he is stressed. Stressed out dogs, if pushed too far can be dangerous.

How can you tell that he doesn’t like working in public?
I can tell by Bailey’s body language. His eyes are constantly darting around anxiously. He never wags his tail. He never opens his mouth in the natural dog behavior of panting (aka smiling). This is especially apparent when strangers come near to him (even if they are ignoring him). He immediately pulls away in fear (and Bailey does not usually pull away from me) and basically tries to hide and kind of just “shuts down”. Another way he is telling me he is uncomfortable is he will sometimes growl at a person nearby ,but never in an aggressive way so I know it’s not a “protective” type thing.

What if Bailey stopped growling at strangers? Would you work him then?
No. Even if Bailey were to stop growling at strangers that wouldn’t mean that he was comfortable with them or happy working in public. It would simply mean he was “trained” not to growl. That would actually be dangerous because then he wouldn't be able to communicate his fear which could lead to him communicating by eventually snapping at someone.

If Bailey became more comfortable with your aides and people visiting your home, would you try to work him then?
It would be awesome if Bailey was more comfortable with the people in my home. In fact since I’ve stopped working him he has become way more relaxed with people in my home. I think this is because he is less stressed in general and now just gets be a happy pet. I know if I started working him again his stress would come back and might appear in the form of anxiety in the home or something new.
I owe it to Bailey to listen to what he’s telling me and not try to force him to do something he is just not comfortable doing.

Is Bailey unhappy now that he’s fully retired and no longer a SD?
Actually the opposite, he thinks he’s just won the lottery! He now gets to go to the dogpark and play with other dogs which is one of his favorite activities. We’ve also been mixing little treats like left over chicken into his food now that I don’t have to worry about him not paying attention to yummy smelling food at restaurants. Also he gets the same love and attention and now has a stronger bond with my parents since he is not “my” SD but the family pet.

What’s happened with bailey, is it uncommon?
Service Dogs in training are carefully screened and chosen based on their temperament, breeding and family health history. Even after this strict process the success rate for a dog to become a SD is about 40%. I knew these statistics when I began owner training so I’ve always known they’re was the possibility that Bailey wouldn’t want to work or wouldn’t turn out to be the right candidate for service work.

What does a “happy service dog” look like?
This is a happy service dog...

As you can see this SD has no problem with people and/or objects getting close to him. He looks around but it is not with anxiety more curiosity. When people approach him, he is comfortable and inviting not shy or pulling away. I know this service dog’s owner and I know for a fact that he is very happy when working.

Service dog fundraiser

2011-05-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Eva's service dog fund raiser

Bailey Update

2011-05-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

So I know I haven’t been blogging for a while now. And I feel it it time to tell you all why. I hate to have to write this but I have noticed Bailey is not happy when he’s working outside of the home. He seems very nervous in public, even though I stopped working Bailey for six weeks and just focused on fun socializing outings. This made a huge improvement with his growling but when in public his eyes are constantly darting around on alert and he backs away from people when they get close. Also he still growls at people randomly. Although I have consulted professionals regarding this behavior, his growling is so inconsistent that we have not been able to pinpoint it to a specific trigger other than him just being generally uncomfortable around strangers.

He is able to relax and fall asleep when he is on a "down" for a long period of time, but if a person walks near to him he pops up and is on nervous alert again. At home he is great with me but not everybody else. He's incredibly smart and loves doing tasks for me, but he is still not comfortable with my two part time aides. One of which he has seen twice a week for the past four months. I haven't even been able to take him out when those aides are working. Of course we could physically get the leash on him but because I can see he is too nervous I was not working him when accompanied by those aides.

I know this is not a fear stage because looking back at his behavior and our training I realize now that he has been randomly uncomfortable with strangers since I first started working with him (ugh! Hindsight is always 20/20). Of course all dogs have “behaviors” that can be worked on. For example Bailey sometimes gets really excited when he sees other dogs. This is a behavior that with some work he can overcome. In comparison him being nervous and shy around strangers (and even some people who aren’t strangers) and generally just unhappy while out with me in public is not a “behavior” that can be trained out of him. At this point it is a part of his personality. Just like with some people he is a shy and sensitive little guy. Training cannot change him into an outgoing, stranger loving dog.

The most important task I want my SD to do is be a social facilitator by performing trained interactions with people (like taking stuff out of there hands when someone tries to give me something that I can't grab). And to just be friendly which encourages strangers to talk to me (everyone loves a friendly dog). I talked some more with my current trainer and the trainer Bailey lived with for 5 months. Both of them support my decision to retire Bailey as a Service Dog and are encouraging me to pursue a program dog.

One consistent thing that everybody notices about Bailey is that when he is around other dogs his confidence sky rockets. Obviously I can’t have a Service Dog that needs an additional emotional support animal (haha). But this is really comforting because I know if I get another dog in the future Bailey will be ecstatic about having a friend in the house with him.

So you might be wondering what this means for Bailey now. Well for one thing he’s getting to do more fun activities and can now go to the dog park and just be a playful pet. He is absolutely no longer going to be my Service Dog so my family and I have been transitioning him into getting used to be a family pet and not going everywhere with me. So far he is really enjoying his new status. Of course this doesn’t mean that he will no longer be receiving any training. All dogs regardless of working status should be stimulated with basic behavior and play training. Bailey loves his speak command and gets so excited to show off. And I will continue to work on his “dog distraction” because even as a pet he still needs to be well behaved when we’re out on walks. Once I get a program dog I will still do ”Bailey and Me” time, such as dog parks and walks just the two of us and Bailey will continue to get tons of love and attention.

Of course I really wanted Bailey to work out as my SD so this really sucks but I have always said if Bailey's not happy working then I won't make him work. He’s telling me he doesn’t want to work and I am listening. Thanks for reading.

Bailey Update

2011-03-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

So I know I haven't blogged in a while but I've been having some health issues (nothing serious just annoying and tiring). I've decided to give you a more general update rather detail everything that's been going on in the past few weeks.
On February 24th Bailey turned one year old! We celebrated with a hamburger birthday cake with Kong stuffing frosting. Mmmmmm! We made the burger cake a bit big and when Bailey got it he didn't know how he should eat it. He basically ran around the yard with a big chunk of burger in his mouth. It was too big to eat but he refused to drop it because he was afraid we would take his prize away. Eventually my Mom got it away from him and cut it into smaller pieces for him to enjoy.
The week after that we visited my trainer and Bailey's brother Liam so that they could also have a birthday celebration together. My trainer invited some of their other poodle pals. They had a great time running around the tennis courts together and then all eight dogs enjoyed a frozen yogurt banana birthday cake. Here's a video from the celebration.

Bailey is back to work. He's doing so much better with his growling at people. Now when he's working he almost never growls. I'm so happy that I could start working him again. He's also doing way better with my various aides and even solicits attention from them. In hindsight I should have given him a break from working right when he came to live with me. I know now how stressful it was for him to make that transition. But now it's clear how much he loves it here and whenever I visit my trainer he tells me it's time to go back home after just a couple hours.
In other big news Bailey has a couple new tricks up his sleeve. He now "speaks" on command and just a couple days ago learned how to "shake hands" with people. It's so cute and he picked it up in about 10 minutes.I think from now on with my blog I'm going to just give updates to my readers as bigger events and successes take place.

Week Seven

2011-02-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I discovered Bailey has an ear infection again. So I made an appointment to have it checked out. When my Saturday aide came over Bailey was still very shy and wouldn't even walk past her. Because I am still not working Bailey and I had errands to run I left Bailey home alone for twenty minutes and he did great.
   So I planned to sit outside with him on Sunday at Starbucks but then I woke up that morning with a bad migraine. So that kind of ruined my plans. Bailey was really worried about me and even brought me over his favorite toy (the tick) to make me feel better. Awwwwww!
   On Monday I was feeling back to normal so we played fetch with the ball and Bailey was amazing. Later that day I took Bailey to a park near my house. The park is completely fenced except for one opening. We played fetch while Bailey was on the long leash. He wasn't bringing it back perfectly because I just wanted him to have fun and play whichever way he preferred. There were two little boys at the park following him at times and running around near to him at other times. Bailey was great and never barked or growled once at the noisy kids.
Tuesday was Bailey's vet appointment. We had to wait in the lobby for quite a while until the vet could see us. Every one loved Bailey and was standing around him asking me questions and talking to him. He did great even with all of the attention. He does have an ear infection and their doing a culture to find out what kind since he JUST got over the last one. He also did great with all of the dogs in the waiting room, two Akita's, a golden and a Border Collie. When Bailey got home from the vet he surrounded himself with all of his favorite toys to comfort himself after his traumatic morning. Later that day I took Bailey for a walk and a man using a walker went passed us. I thought Bailey might be confused/scared of the walker but he paid the man no attention at all. Bailey hasn't been growling at my Dad so I was a bit surprised that he growled today when my Dad came home. I have no clue why.
On Wednesday it was raining. Bailey loooooves the rain and had to be dried off a million times that day. Since we couldn't go outside we worked on the light switch. He followed me from room to room and when I stopped at a light switch Bailey would turn it on. What a good boy!
Yesterday I had another trainer come and evaluate Bailey's shyness and growling. He growled at her when she came over(which I was hoping she would see him growling so that she could better evaluate the problem, so this was actually beneficial). She said he definitely has a lot of fear and it is something that needs to be addressed immediately. Luckily since he is so young she feels that he can probably overcome it with the proper training. Her evaluation was encouraging and I'm going to be working with her some more in the near future. Bailey was a lot better with my Thursday aide last night. He asked her for attention(which he never does normally) and hung out with her most of the night.
   Today I kind of had a "me day". I had a doctors appointment and afterwards went out to lunch. I left Bailey home with my Mom and she said he hung out with her the entire time.

Week Six

2011-02-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning Bailey played fetch with my Mom. He's a pro now- gets the ball and brings it back. My new aide came over on Saturday and Bailey was slightly better. When he was lying down in his bed he let her pet him. That evening I was watching animal planet and discovered Bailey was reacting to the dogs on the television program. He would start barking and then run from inside to outside the house looking for the other dog that he heard. This is definitely something we need to work on.
On Sunday my Mom and I took Bailey to the park. It was full of people and dogs. We sat on a bench and let Bailey watch everything around him. He did well. He talked to some of the other dogs but was quickly redirected. He did growl at one man who had the hood on his sweatshirt over his head. But he let another man pet him.
On Monday my Physical Therapist came over and Bailey did really well with her. He said Hi and even licked her hand. Later that day we played go get help. Then I wanted to do an experiment. Because my aide is always the one who says "go get help" I was afraid Bailey would always associate the word 'help" with only her. So I asked my Mom to go hide outside and say "go get help". As soon as he heard those words Bailey dashed out of the house into the backyard to find her. What a good boy! I had a haircut appointment that day and decided to go in my manual chair instead of my electric one. I always take Bailey for a walk in my manual chair. So when I left he was a bit confused but did very well while I was gone. After I came back I did take him for a walk. On our walk we encountered four different dogs and Bailey did great. The first three dogs were always on the other side of the street when Bailey saw them. But the fourth dog walked past Bailey just a few feet away. Bailey did his bark/growl noise but was quickly redirected.
On Tuesday we had a big day! For Christmas I asked my parents to schedule a photo shoot for me and Bailey. Today was the day. Bailey got a bath in the morning so he would be handsome for his close up. After lunch we headed to Hollywood to an area that was full of people, smells and the city hustle. Bailey did amazing! We were there for over two hours and Bailey had to sit, lay, look at the camera and pose over and over. I can't tell you how impressed I was with his performance. After our shoot we both were exhausted and Bailey crashed out.
So on Wednesday we both needed a chill day. We worked on go get help. Here is a video from the session.

After lunch we went on a walk at the Rose Bowl. Bailey did great. At one point three little dogs on a walk with their owner came up behind him. He looked back a couple times but that was all. Because I discovered that Bailey reacts to dogs on the TV, I wanted to play clips of dogs and work on quiet. Needless to say this is going to be a sloooow process.
On Thursday we went to the college campus again. It was lunchtime so the campus was full of lots of noisy people. Bailey did great and even said Hi to a young man reading a book. He also did great when the gardeners were working in our yard later that day. He barked once to let us know they were here and then quickly settled back down.
Today we played fetch with a tennis ball and boy did Bailey do great! He fetched and returned the ball about ten times in a row each time dropping it near to me. When the pool guy came over he let out one bark of acknowledgement and then totally ignored him. After lunch I wanted to take Bailey to the park This was his first time there and he loved it. It's a pretty big park and we played "go find Eva". It was so cute watching him run full speed across the park to find me.
This is two weeks of "operation no growl" and I know I said I planned to give Bailey two weeks off. However he is still growling so I know he needs more time. We'll do more socializing next week.

Week Five

2011-02-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

This has been the first full week of "Operation No Growl". On Saturday we had a chill day. My weekend aide was here and Bailey is not that comfortable around her yet so he just hung around out back and ignored her. The challenge came when it was time to take Bailey for a walk. He would not go near her and when she would try to get close to him to attach his leash he just ran away. So we made it his decision to come to her and just waited. My aide just ignored him but kept some peanut butter in her hand and pretty soon he came up to her and she was able to put the leash on him. He was totally fine after that and enjoyed his walk. Later that day my Mom's friends came over unexpectedly. Bailey didn't do much barking or growling and even was wagging his tail quite a bit, but at times still acted timid.
   On Sunday I left Bailey in the house without me for the very first time. Because I'm giving Bailey a work break, I couldn't bring him to the market. My Dad said that he just slept the entire time. When I returned home he was super excited to see me and gave me lots of kisses. Then my Dad and I took Bailey for a walk. He growled (talked) to some dogs he saw and was unsure of a passing woman who was wearing a hat. He growled mildly but was quickly redirected.
   On Monday we had a visit from the handyman. Bailey barked when he first came to the door but was really chill after that. He even hung around out back with him, but at a comfortable distance. When my physical therapist came Bailey was great with her and said hello. That day he also had a play date with his friend Lucy. They are a perfect pair. They play really nicely together. He play-bowed for the first time. My friend and I had two very tired dogs that night. Here's a video form their play date.

Bailey has also mastered the doggy door. He now runs through it back and forth with no hesitation.
   Tuesday we worked on fetch and speak. He did well , he is such a pro at fetch and return. I also took him to the Occidental College campus again today. We just sat by the bookstore and eating area. I figured out one of his growling triggers...keys. I think Bailey associates the sound of keys with the sound of a dogs collar tags. Whenever he hears keys he seems to be looking around for another dog. Then we took Bailey to Petco. There he said Hi to another dog and overall did well.
   Wednesday was a very interesting day. Since I figured out Bailey was reactive to keys I wanted to start working on desensitizing him to the noise. So I thought if I had my Mom jangle some keys and then my aide tell Bailey "leave it" that he would start to ignore the noise. Boy was I wrong. I had my Mom jangle the keys from the other side of the yard and Bailey went nuts. He kept barking and running back and forth around the yard even when all was quiet. I then tried to show him that it was a set of keys making the noise but he was so amped up that he couldn't even recognize that the noise was coming from the keys. After that Bailey was on edge all day and every little noise set him off. I thought it would be good to get him out of the house (and distracted from the incident) so we went down to the Rose Bowl for a walk. Bailey was a bit shy with the first person who tried to pet him, but after that was really calm, and never growled once. One woman who was petting Bailey told him that because she had a dog too that she was his "auntie". Ummmm...Okay?
   After that I had some errands to run so I decided to leave Bailey at home with my Mom. Because of the key incident Bailey was really agitated and barked the whole time I was gone. When I got home I brought Bailey into my room and closed the door. That made Bailey calm down and he soon took a nap. What a day!
On Thursday Bailey was back to normal. We again went to the College for a walk. It was lunch time so the campus was full of people and noise. Bailey did awesome. At one point two dogs walked by. Bailey saw them but did not growl or bark at all. Yay!!! Later that day our pool man was in the backyard and Bailey didn't know it. When he saw him come around the corner he barked quickly to let us know but settled down right away.
Today we met up with one of my old professors from the College. Because we were meeting him in a campus building I decided to put a vest on Bailey just for a short time. Bailey was a bit shy during our visit but just settled down next to me without any growling or barking. Bailey did stand up and give out a bark a couple different times (not sure what he was barking at) but he was quick to settle down again. Later today we went on a fun walk (where we were not trying to get him to say hi just have fun). The drama of today was the discovery my Mom made...Bailey had a tick! Since this is a new occurrence for me as a dog owner, my aide and I took to the internet for advice. I'm happy to say we successfully exterminated the tick. I found this odd because I give Bailey a monthly dose of sentinel which is supposed to deter ticks from clamping on to him. The most ironic thing happened today. My family got a package of thank you gifts from a friend of ours and inside was a present for Bailey. Guess what it was a stuft animal Tick! Haha.
I think Operation No Growl is already starting to work. I'm excited to see how well he does next week.

Week four

2011-01-28T17:07:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday Bailey and I just chilled. On Sunday Bailey and I went to the mall with my Mom. We went into one shop and my Mom went into the dressing room to try on some clothes. We stayed outside and Bailey just laid down next to me the entire time. What a good boy! Then we went to get some ice cream. When we sat down to eat the table next to us was full of loud teenagers. Bailey was nervous at first and growled a little bit in their direction. My Mom kept talking calmly to him and he quickly settled down. After that he didn't give the teenagers any more of his attention. After the mall we stopped at Ralph's and Bailey did really well inside the grocery store.
On Monday we played "go find Eva" (his favorite game) and did a round of fetch. He definitely understands fetch now. After our afternoon walk we went to Starbucks. Bailey did great inside the store but on the way out saw another big dog and made a fuss. He wanted to say "Hi" pretty bad but I redirected his attention.
Tuesday was a big day. First we worked on fetch aka "go get it". He did really well. Then I wanted to work on his "stay" command. Sometimes when we're playing "go find Eva" he gets so excited that he doesn't wait for the command before he runs to find me. So I had my aide tell Bailey to "stay" and then walk to the other side of our yard. Bailey didn't want to stay and as she was telling him to stay he growled at her defiantly. We both cracked up at his mini temper tantrum. Eventually he did really great with his stay command.
On this day I also made a big decision about Bailey's training. I'm giving Bailey a break from work for the next few weeks. I need to work on his confidence with strangers so we're going back to the basics. Because I want Bailey to feel comfortable around all people I'm taking him out as a pet to encourage more positive interactions with strangers. I'm also letting people pet him so that he will feel comfortable and not growl or cower away from them. So on this day we went to the Occidental College campus where I knew he would encounter lots of new people. He let three different women pet him and took a piece of steak out of each of their hands. But he still acted a little shy around them. He enjoyed this walk around the campus and didn't growl at anybody.
On Wednesday I began training a new aide. Bailey was a bit intimidated by this new person but did take treats from her. Later that day we went to Petco. We were walking through the store when Bailey suddenly began to growl and bark very agitated. My aide and I looked around and couldn't figure out what he was upset about. Then we realized he was standing in front of a display that included three fake dog mannequins made out of white cloth. We started busting up with laughter. We showed Bailey the fake dogs and once he sniffed them he was no longer interested in them at all. Also in the store Bailey said hi to a man and a woman without growling. At the check out Bailey also greeted three little dogs without making a scene.
On Thursday Bailey made a visit to the vet's office. He was there for a follow up exam to check on his ear and I wanted to do the preliminary x-rays that would identify if he had any early signs of hip or elbow issues.
During the visit Bailey was very chatty to a Rottweiler sitting next to him. Part of the time when Bailey is growling he's actually just talking. I can tell because sometimes he's in a very comfortable posture and is just kind of tilting his head back and half boofing half growling. He also did really well with the vet and her technician. He stayed very calm around them and let them pet him. Bailey was given a clean bill of health and his joints look perfect. Yay!!! This is major news because if Bailey showed any signs of future joint problems then I would not be able to have him as my Service Dog. He was much better with my Physical Therapist this day and let her pet him as well.
I started a new command on Thursday "speak". The tactic I used was to just introduce the command and often when a dog can't figure something out he/she will bark in frustration. At that point you praise them for "speaking". Well when Bailey was told to speak he used every trick that he knew to try to get the treat in my aides hand. He sat down, he laid down,he rolled over,he gave me kisses and at one point he jumped up off the ground excitedly as if he had figured it out and then proceeded to run around the yard in a quick circle. It was hysterical. Bailey did become frustrated but never made a peep!
Today I wanted to work on speak again and the same thing happened. So I tried a new technique. I played a cd of barking dogs which of course caused Bailey to bark. When he did he was given tons of praise saying "good speak" along with his new favorite treat, freeze dried liver. He started to understand and after a few minutes was speaking on command. We then gave Bailey a bath and headed over to the Rose Bowl for an afternoon walk. He let five different strangers, including three men pet him without being shy. This was an excellent week.

Bailey's third week

2011-01-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

So last Saturday I met up with some friends of mine for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. I of course brought Bailey. It was his first time meeting my two friends and he was a bit nervous at first but didn't growl or bark at all. And soon he was taking pieces of steak from each of them. We were there for over two hours and Bailey did amazing! He laid down on his mat the entire time except for one instance. An employee began sweeping the carpet near to Bailey and since this was a new thing he did stand up and let out a bark. But he quickly settled back down on his mat and had no more to talk about after that. The next day Bailey and I enjoyed a day of just chillin.
On Monday I began teaching Bailey a new task. When somebody hands me something such as a credit card, brochure etc. There is always an awkward moment when this happens, because people don't realize I can't grab something out of their hands. So I want Bailey to reach out and gently take it out of their hand and drop it onto my lap. Bailey is not a mouthy dog, meaning he really doesn't like to carry most things in his mouth. and has no interest in fetch. So I am working on the command "hold" and asking him to hold something in his mouth until I say "drop". Even though it was our first time doing this he seems to get it since these are natural behaviors for him that I'm building off of. After that we played hide and seek and he did great!
On our walk we saw a man hanging out in someones yard. It was hard to tell if he lived there and was inspecting the bushes or if he was a random guy. He looked a bit frazzled and was in pajama looking clothes so it was a little hard to tell. He did say hi to us but since I was unsure about him Bailey and I didn't stay too long. Bailey did growl at the man, but I just walked him away. We did see another dog being walked on the other side of the street. He saw Bailey and really wanted to say hi. But Bailey was great and just ignored him. We then took him to the grocery store and he did awesome.
On Tuesday we worked on "hold and drop" again with Bailey's kong toy. He did well. At one point he dropped the kong on the ground and it bounced off the concrete and landed perfectly in my lap.That was pretty funny. During our game of hide and seek he came bounding through the house to find me and did a comical slip and slide across the wood floors. When we were getting ready to go out Bailey heard our neighbors cat Thunder for the first time. When Thunder is in our yard he is very Very talkative and wants desperately to be invited into our house. Bailey started barking and became very excited about this new presence. I certainly need to work on Bailey's new distraction...cats! Because of this Bailey was kind of distracted when I was running my errands, but still did pretty good.
On Wednesday we practiced the light with me just rolling up to the switch and looking at it. He got it immediately and did this several times with different light switches throughout the house. My trainer also came over for a visit this day and Bailey was super excited to see her and started wiggling all over the place. Very cute! She brought him some presents, a new ball and a stuft free beaver toy which he loooooves! Later we went to Starbucks and a man came up to Bailey which made him growl with anxiety. Luckily the man was really cool and talked to us for a minute. Pretty soon Bailey was going up to him comfortably and seeking a pat on the head. Yay progress!
On Thursday we played "Go get help". At one point my aide hid under our writing desk and Bailey became so confused trying to find her. He ran around in circles (right past her a few times) until he finally looked down instead of up and saw her. It was so cute. During another round I was inside with Bailey while my aide went to hide and Bailey turned on the light in the dining room without me asking him to. Later we played the hold and drop game but this time tried to ad "fetch" into the mix. He's starting to get the idea that when someone throws something he should bring it back and not just run away with it (chase is his favorite game). My physical therapist came over and this is the first time she's hung out with him since he's been home. Because she took my advice and immediately ignored him after walking in he didn't do his usual growl/bark routine and after a while came in and sniffed her. At one point my PT and my aide were in conversation and Bailey was being completely ignored so he walked over to the wall and turned on the light switch to get our attention. Too funny!
Today was Bailey's first play date with his old buddies back at my trainer's house. We drove over to her house and at first Bailey didn't seem to care about where we were at. But then we went out back and he saw all of his friends, including his brother and became super excited. He played and played and played. After that we came back home and Bailey crashed out. We took him to Starbucks and he did great.
Bailey is finally comfortable here and I notice he's sleeping a lot more. I also feel much better. For the first two weeks I felt like I had to know where he was 24/7. That meant little to no relaxing time for me. This week while I have been working on the computer I have been able to just let him do his own thing. I have felt much more relaxed and I think he has noticed that.Here's a video of Bailey's first play date.

Bailey's second week at home

2011-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

So last Saturday I got woken up at 7:30am by my dog. Apparently Bailey needed to go to the bathroom and decided the best way to get my attention would be to turn on the lights. I cracked up! On Sunday we went to the supermarket and he did well. Okay so I now realize I need to start making notes everyday because I'm totally blanking on what we did Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday I took Bailey to his new Vet for a basic check up. I loved her! She gave Bailey a clean bill of health (minus a small ear infection). Later that day my friend Lauren brought over her dog Lucy for a play date. OMG did they have fun! They were zooming around the yard and both of them were very tired at the end of their play date. Here's a video from that afternoon.

On Thursday I worked with Bailey on using the doggy door. He was a bit hesitant but got it pretty quickly. But I'm still not confident that he will use it on his own when he needs to "get busy". This will come. That afternoon we paid a visit to the local fire station. I wanted to expose Bailey to more encounters with men and my trainer recommended a fire station. I brought along some juicy steak (which I've never given to him before) and every time he relaxed around the fire men he got a piece. Eventually one of the fireman was able to hand him a piece of steak without him getting nervous.
Today we played "go get help" and even though it's been a while he did great and remembered how to play the game better than my aide. Then it was bath time. Bailey was a super star and even though he didn't like getting a bath he stood quietly during the whole procedure. Today at Starbucks it was teenager city! He did great considering the whole place was packed with giggly, chatty teenagers who kept bumping in to him. He even let one girl pet him and showed no signs of nervousness. He is much more comfortable here than last week.

First week home

2011-01-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! So I picked up Bailey on Monday and he was clean and poofy. My trainer was definitely a bit sad to see him go. When we got home I brought Bailey into my bedroom and showed him his new bed and toys. I knew that he would be a little nervous his first day/night with me. So I didn't want to work on any tasks I just wanted to let him get use to his new home in his own way. That night he was pretty restless and paced my room, not knowing exactly what he was supposed to do. So that night I pretty much got no sleep.
Tuesday was also a chill day and Bailey seemed to be a bit more comfortable. I took Bailey on his first walk in his new neighborhood and he really seemed to enjoy it. We also went to Starbucks and Bailey was "on duty". He did great! Later that day I received Bailey's new crate. This crate is a bit different than your normal metal box. Because I knew I would not need a big crate set up in my room 24/7 I decided to buy a collapsible one. The one I got is very similar to a camping tent and is tall enough for him to stand in. So I thought "Great I'll be able to get some sleep tonight". Oh how wrong I was. That night I put Bailey in his new crate and he began pacing within it. So instead of hearing clicking toenails on my wood floor I heard swishing and crinkling noises as Baileys paws moved over the nylon tent material. So I just let him back out. He actually did really good and settled into his bed for the rest of the night.
On Wednesday we had a big day! One of my friends from the online SD community was visiting L.A. and we went to meet up with her. I took Bailey to his first metro station to meet up with my friend and her SD Max. Bailey did awesome and ignored a little dog he saw and the loud trains flying by. When he saw Max he barked and was a little apprehensive. But after a few minutes he warmed up and wanted to play. Max definitely wanted to play too.
So we took the boys to a large picnic area in Griffith Park. My plan was to put Bailey on a twenty foot leash and let him play with Max. But Bailey had other ideas. We got to the park and took off their SD gear. Boy were they excited. As we were walking out onto the lawn area Bailey and Max were jumping around one another and the snap on Bailey's new collar (first day wearing it by the way) came undone. Bailey took off happily running full speed away from us. I was a bit nervous but luckily the park was almost completely empty so I didn't have to worry about cars, kids and other dogs.
He zoomed by us with a big smile on his face a couple of times before he finally stopped and sat down. We put his collar back on and walked a little further on the field. Then it happened again and I knew that he had a defective collar. So we put the collar on one more time and I just decided since the boys were having so much fun and we were in such a secluded area that I would let him play off leash. Boy were they happy. It was so awesome to see them playing and chasing each other around the park.I could tell Bailey definitely needed to blow off some energy. Surprisingly Bailey was very cool with my Max's mom. Usually he's a bit shy. But he let her pet him and took treats from her. I think seeing Max interact with her helped Bailey to quickly figure out she was a friend. Bailey definitely slept like a rock that night. Yay!!!
On Thursday I took Bailey to Petsmart (guess what for) and Old Navy. He did great! Of course being in Petsmart surrounded by other animal lovers Bailey got tons of attention. But he was "on duty" and did really well ignoring all of the people and other dogs. At Old Navy he did fabulous. But was kinda freaked out for a moment when he saw the headless mannequins. Those things kind of freak me out too. I have decided to alter my "no-petting" policy. I think that because I have been so strict about it that he now gets a little nervous when people come up to him. I want to show him that there is nothing to worry about. So right now I am going to let select strangers pet him. I think I have nothing to worry about concerning him soliciting attention so I don't think that will be a problem. He slept very well last night.
Today we started up with his task training again. I brought him into my bedroom and my aide asked him to "get the light". At first he kept hitting the doorknob and trying to push it up. (the knob is right next to the light switch). It was pretty cute. But soon he realized the knob wasn't moving and he turned on the light many times. We then did hide and seek, and he did pretty good. He's much more comfortable here now. All in all a very good first week.

Training Day 55- Last One (kinda)

2010-12-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

So today was the last day that I went to my trainer's to work with Bailey. Next week if I get a chance to visit him it will only be to hang out and not for training. On January 3rd I will be bringing him home and the training will be less scheduled and more randomly throughout the day. I have been thinking about how I want to continue the blog. Blogging every day will get very boring for my readers (and for me). So I will be posting blogs every Friday to give a recap of the weeks training, unless something blog worthy occurs that just can't wait until Friday. I feel Bailey is ready to come home and I think having him here will speed up his learning of tasks/strengthen our bond even further.
So when we got there today Bailey was in his crate. He was tap-dancing to get out and once the door opened he immediately gave me kisses. We had a little visitor today. A fifteen year old poodle mix named Louie. My trainer asked if he could stay in the den with us since the dogs out back were getting rowdy. So I started Bailey off with the light switch today and it's become waaaay to easy for him. Bailey kept turning the light on over and over without being asked and with no hesitation in between.
We then moved out back to work on an old favorite- auto sit. Bailey was pretty rusty and needed reminding. But once his memory was sparked he was right on every time. At one point I was walking Bailey and an adorable chocolate doodle was let out of the tennis courts to head home with her owner. She came around the corner and saw Bailey with me. For a moment she just stared and then suddenly put her front paws forward and bent her head down, butt straight up in the air, almost looking as though she were about to attack Bailey. But it was her way of getting ready to attack play! She jumped up from her crouch and bullet sped towards Bailey, tail wagging, ready to wrestle. Bailey said hello but kept his cool since he knew he was working. The whole thing was so cute!
After auto sit I took Bailey to get busy and then we went back in the den for some chill time. He crashed out instantly and slept like a rock. Soon we had lunch and then it was play time! I wanted to be there for one last play time in the side yard because I really enjoy watching him play with all his buddies. Here is a video of Bailey playing with his friend Charlie. Sooo cute!
Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate!

Training Day 54-Home visit #2

2010-12-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

My trainer offered to drop off Bailey at my house today. My aide went outside and got him out of car and brought him into the house. She said he was eagerly looking around the dining room for me, and as soon as he saw me in the bedroom he jumped up on me and gave me some "hello" kisses. He seemed a lot more comfortable today in the house than he did the first time he was here. He walked around the house with his head up and seemed to know where he was going. Also, once I took him off leash he immediately settled onto his bed and began to chew his bone. Last time it took him a while before he relaxed and used the things I had bought him. Even then he merely pushed the bone around curiously but never actually took ownership of it.
So after a bit of chill time I wanted to try the light switch task on my actual light switches throughout my bedroom. He did amazing. He turned on the lights every time. First I had him turn on the one in my bedroom a few times and then we moved into the bathroom and I asked him to turn on that one as well. Then I put him back on leash and I took him into the living room to decorate the Christmas tree we got a couple day ago. He just settled down next to me and watched all the activity. Sadly it's raining today so I couldn't take him outside for play time. My aide did take him to get busy when there were lulls in the rain storm. At lunch time I had Bailey on leash with me and he did great! He just settled down next to me while I ate and chatted with my aide. After lunch it was time for me to "get busy". I decided to chance it and let Bailey off leash. He did great! In fact he went over to his bed and just laid down. My teeth brushing didn't seem as interesting to him this time. ( I was kind of bummed because I had my camera ready for Bailey's cute look). After that we took him back to my trainer's house. I was sad to drop him off but I know he's coming home soon. Here are some pictures of Bailey chilling on his bed.

Training Day 53-Presents!

2010-12-21T16:08:00.000-08:00

So when I got there today Bailey and his friend Lucy (a pit bull, not his Chihuahua girlfriend) were hanging out in the den. My trainer asked if I wanted her to take Lucy out of the room and I said no. Lucy is usually pretty mellow and I thought things would remain calm. Boy was I wrong. Bailey greeted me with tons of kisses and tail wagging. I think his excitement was infectious because Lucy seemed pretty happy to see me too. When my aide left the room to put our lunch away the two dogs saw something outside and went totally nuts. My aide came back into the room when she heard all of the fuss. She described what she saw as the equivalent of 40 kindergartners running around during recess on a sugar high. All of Bailey's manners disappeared. Lucy and Bailey were zooming around the den, barking and jumping on and off the furniture over and over. We tried to get them in line and they would momentarily sit but as soon as we blinked they'd be back at it. After a couple minutes they calmed down and began to listen. It was pretty funny,all that chaos.
I wanted to actually get some training done, so we put Lucy in the crate to rest. It was a good distraction for Bailey actually, because he could still see her while we were training. We did the light switch and Bailey did awesome. He is a lot more confident jumping and didn't hesitate at all today. We then worked on "leave it" and Bailey was a pro. Lucy's Dad came to pick her up so Bailey had no more distractions.
In one of the SD forums I participate in, some of the SD owners decided to do a Secret Santa gift exchange. Luckily right as I was leaving today my package arrived from my Secret Santa. So since Lucy was now out of the room, I thought it would be a good time for Bailey and I to open our package. Bailey was so excited and couldn't hold still for pictures. He kept sniffing the package all over and wagging his tail. Then once the box was open he shoved his face into it to see what was inside. It was so cute! Here are some shots from Bailey's first gift opening.After that it was chill time and Bailey crashed out.

Once he had a good rest I wanted to do the light one more time. He did great. After that it was lunch time. Bailey crashed out again. After that my aide took Bailey out to "get busy". I think he's trying to act like a grown up because my aide said for the first time ever, he kind of lifted his leg while getting busy. But he was still leaning forward at the same time and positioned in the middle of the lawn. Funny boy. After that we put Bailey in his crate and headed home.
Over the weekend my trainer took Bailey, his brother Liam and her dog Magic to visit Santa. She said Bailey was great and wasn't shy around Santa at all. I was honestly kind of surprised, I mean a fat man in a red suit with a giant beard can be kind of scary sometimes.

Training Day 52

2010-12-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Today it was raining. When we got there today Bailey was waiting for me in the den. He was happy to see me and gave me a bunch of kisses. We went straight into a light switch session with the tall switch. I can tell he is still not 100% comfortable jumping but is getting better. He sometimes looks up at me like "Mom do I really have to jump on the wall?", but he's slowly getting more comfortable.
So after light we did a very scaled down version of hide and seek inside of the den. I'm sure Bailey must have thought we lost our minds because I was at one side of the room and my aide was at the other (not in very exciting hiding places). My aide sat on the couch on one end of the room and pretended to be reading. I was on the other side of the room with Bailey. As soon as I hit my bell my aide would say"go get help". Bailey went along with it but definitely had a "what the hell, she's right there!" look on his face. So after this exciting game we practiced the "leave it" command. Bailey is a pro at "leave it". Even when he had a fat piece of chicken right next to his feet, and my aide left the room, he still left it alone. At one point he even backed away from the chicken treat when my aide tried to tempt him by moving it closer. We didn't do this very long because it was too easy for him.
We did "look at Eva" next. At first my aide would say "look at Eva" and then treat/click Bailey when he looked up at me. Then she didn't say anything but just waited as Bailey sat next to me, and every time he made eye contact with me she would use the clicker and give him a treat. He did well but I need him to be rock solid on this so we can continue to work on eye commands. Then we tried another technique. My aide would hit my bell and say "look at Eva" and when Bailey again made eye contact with me he would be rewarded. When I hit my bell Bailey almost always looks in my direction, but I need him to make eye contact with me. This is something that I am going to focus on a lot more until it's 100%.
After that I wanted to see if he needed to get busy but since it was raining and I'm in an electric wheel chair I just asked my aide to take him out back without me. She said he did great and "went busy" quickly. Then it was chill time and Bailey crashed out in front of my chair. While in a deep sleep he began momentarily wagging his tail happily. Soon after he seemed to be making nursing motions with his mouth. Must have been dreaming.
Before lunch I wanted to do one more light switch session, but Bailey was so not into it. Like all of the other dogs in the house he was in sleepy rainy day mode. I soon stopped the session knowing that I can't force him (and don't want to ) to do anything he's not feeling up to. So we had lunch while Bailey slept solid. And then put him in his crate and left for the day.

Training Day 51- Home Visit

2010-12-15T16:26:00.000-08:00

Today was different. I wanted to bring Bailey home for a visit. So I drove over to his trainer's house and my aide went inside to get him. Bailey was super excited to see me and immediately ran up into the van and jumped on the back seat ready to begin our adventure. When we got to my house my aide hooked Bailey's leash to my chair and I took him inside. He was a bit nervous and sniffing all around. My Mom came in to say hi to Bailey. Although still shy his confidence seemed better and he did not growl at her, in fact he warmed up pretty quickly. Then I took him through my room and into the back yard. I let him off leash and Oh My God was he happy! He zoomed from one side of my backyard to the other. We just had some rain out here so he was having a blast running through the soft dirt and making his feet look as though he was wearing brown boots. At one point while he was playing he kept running zoomy circles around our avocado tree. Watch...

So after that we washed off his paws and I brought him back inside to my bedroom. I wanted to make him comfortable so I let him off leash and just ignored him (so he could sniff about as he liked) while I checked my email. I had already set up a dog bed for Bailey's visit and eventually he crashed out on his bed next to me. My aide had taken some video footage of Bailey playing in the yard. We began watching the footage and Bailey hearing his own collar tags jingling on the video jumped up and began barking at himself. Knowing that since this was his first day here he was probably a little more jumpy than usual, I just muted the video and he quickly settled back into bed. Then it was lunch time. I wanted Bailey to be next to me while we were having lunch and not roaming around the house. So I put him on leash and set up his mat next to me at the table. This was a great way to simulate a public restaurant visit. After giving curious looks to my aide as she fixed lunch he quickly settled on his mat next to me. He stayed there for the entire time.
After lunch I wanted to see if he needed to get busy so I took him back outside. I just let him cruise around for a while and get acquainted with all of the new smells. Then I brought him back inside and put him back on leash for his first bathroom visit. I was kind of nervous that when my aide moved me onto the toilet that Bailey would try to give me kisses, jump on me and knock me right off the john. So that's why for this first time, I kept him on leash. He did great and after a minute just settled right down onto the bathroom floor. When I was back in my chair safely my aide began brushing my teeth. Bailey has never seen this before. He sat up and was staring at this new activity with the funniest quizzical look on his face. It was so cute! After that I went back to my computer to get some work done and Bailey crashed out on his bed again.
My trainer was having lunch about 15 minutes away from my house. She offered to meet up with us and take Bailey back to her house for me. So we all got into the van and headed up the road to meet her. We got there a few minutes early and just chilled in the van. Here are some photos of Bailey while he was waiting. A great day but a bit hard to leave him.

Training Day 50

2010-12-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe I've been training Bailey for fifty days. So when we got there today Bailey was in his crate in the den. He was so excited to see me and kept jumping on me and giving me kisses. We first worked on the light switch. Bailey is more comfortable jumping now. He jumped up and flipped the light switch every time he was asked. Next time we work on this I am going to have Bailey walking on leash next to me. I will walk him over to the wall and then ask him to turn on the light. He's pretty good at this with the lower light switch but I want to make sure he is comfortable jumping up to get the light while on leash.
We then went into a session of "go get help". I was with Bailey and then my aide walked away to hide. He did great when she was inside the tennis courts. But when she hid outside of the tennis courts he would just stand at the fence staring at her instead of actually going around the fence to get her. It was pretty funny but definitely something we need to work on. We then practiced fetch and tried to get his majesty to bring back the toy. He did it a couple of times but then after that would become distracted. After that it was chill time and Bailey crashed out.
While Bailey was sleeping I felt like a mean Mom. I would periodically turn on my wheelchair so that it made a beeping noise and when Bailey looked up at me I gave him a treat. I did this exercise to get him in the habit of looking up at me every time he hears my wheel chair even if he is fast asleep. I tried my bell but he didn't move a muscle when I rang it while he was in a deep sleep. But even if he was sound asleep Bailey would jump up when he heard my wheel chair turn on.
Right before lunch we did one more light session and Bailey did great. It's so awesome to see him jump up on the wall and then use his nose to turn on the light. He is a lefty and often uses only his left paw while standing on the wall. After lunch it was play time. One of my trainer's roommates is also raising a puppy for service work and he brought her into the side yard for a short play session. She is now almost seven months old but I met her when she was only eight weeks old, sooo cute! Here's some video of Bailey and Pammie playing together.

Training Day 49

2010-12-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

So when I got there today Bailey was in the tennis courts running around with his buddies. As soon as he saw me in the backyard he bolted for the gate and began barking happily. As soon as he was let out of the tennis courts he made a bee-line towards me and jumped up to give me a ton of kisses. After that great hello we went inside to start training.
We first worked on the light switch. Bailey's trainer put masking tape on the lower two light switches so that we can start working with Bailey using only the tallest one. It's a little tricky because he has to jump up to hit that one and he's not comfortable with that just yet. After a couple times of him looking up at me and being like "Mom I don't understand", I had an idea. I moved my chair right up to the side of the board with the switches and told my aide to encourage Bailey to use my footplate as a stool to get to the light switch. He was slightly hesitant but got it. Not only did he stand up on the footplate but he actually hit the light switch twice when he was standing on my chair. I was very proud of him for catching on so quickly.
So after that it was time for hide and seek. This time we played the game a bit different. I had Bailey with me on leash. Then my aide went to hide on the other side of the tennis courts. When my aide started to say "go get help" I began leading Bailey towards her. She continued to say this as I walked Bailey over to where she was. When we got there she said "good help" and gave Bailey a treat. We only did this twice. Then I took him off leash and told him to "stay" while my aide went and hid again. As soon as she began saying "go get help" he left my side and went to find her. When he found her she gave him praise and then said "go find Eva". He turned around and ran back to me. I was so pleased. But by the last time we did this he was pretty worn out and just laid next to me when she hid and said "go get help". So I had to walk him back over to her. He understands the idea of the game but was just a little too tired to play. So after that it was definitely chill time. Bailey conked out and didn't move at all for about twenty minutes.
After his majesty woke up I wanted to work on the bell. I'm starting to do the bell a little different . When I hit the bell and Bailey looks up at me, he gets peanut butter and my aide says "good look at Eva". In between me hitting the bell she also says "look at Eva" and again "good look at Eva" if he looks up at me. I want to start incorporating "look at Eva" with our auto sit sessions. This is important because he needs to get in the habit of constantly making eye contact with me so that I can give him eye/head commands. He doesn't quite have this down a100% but he's got the idea. I needed to leave a bit early today so after the bell session we ate lunch and then headed out for the day.

Training Day 48-Dog Park

2010-12-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

So when we got there today we didn't go inside but instead immediately followed my trainer to the dog park. Now a little explanation. I and some other SD owners would never take our dogs inside of a dog park. It's just too risky to bring our SDs in there. Although our dogs are very well behaved many people have dogs that aren't. If an SD were to be attacked (even if it wasn't super aggressive or causing injury) it could cause them to be fearful, anxious and /or aggressive with dogs in the future. This will wash out any service dog. So then why did I take him to the park today? Well, I wanted to work on his confidence around other dogs so that he will stop the mild growling that he sometimes does. My trainer and I walked Bailey and his brother Liam through the parking lot and would stop at places where we knew we would see other dogs. At first Bailey was very uneasy and would mildly growl when he saw another dog. We asked him to re-focus on us and when he did we rewarded him. We also would use silly happy voices and say things like "what are you growling at silly boy?" so that the dogs would know that they had nothing to be fearful of. By the end of the outing Bailey was much better. When we were getting ready to leave an SUV pulled up next to my van. The driver walked around to the back opened up the doors and six different dogs came jumping and tumbling out the back. None of them was on leash yet luckily they just headed straight for the gate. Bailey looked at this crew with curiosity but he never once barked or growled at them. And he quickly turned away from them and focused on me. I am definitely going to make this a weekly training event. I know soon Bailey will not give a second glance to another dog if I keep doing this exercise.
So after that we headed back to my trainer's house and had some lunch. After that it was play time and I was so bummed that I had lent my camera to a friend and didn't have it with me today. Dara, Bailey and Liam (three doodle mixes) were all playing together. Usually Liam (since he is bigger) dominates the play time and can easily steal any toy from another dog's mouth. Yet today Bailey and Dara joined forces and decided to gang up on Liam. It was adorable the way they kept playfully wrestling him to the ground. It was the first time he had been outnumbered, but he took the beating pretty well and the play session lasted quite a while.They were so cute! A good day.

Training Day 47

2010-12-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

As you may know the reason (well part of the reason) Bailey has been living with his trainer is because our family dog Annie was very dog aggressive. Also because she was quite old I didn't want to introduce a puppy into the house and stress her out. She was the sweetest dog with people. Kids use to climb all over her and she wouldn't do anything except stand there patiently. She knew all her toys by name and if you said "Annie go get your monkey" she would look all over until she found her monkey.When nobody was paying attention to her she would lie on her back and "smile" (she would pull her top lip back) and wait for someone to not be able to resist her smile, and give her attention. Up until recently as I would be heading to bed Annie would come from wherever she was at and lay down on her bed in my room and spend all night with me. We had to put her down on Saturday. She was the best dog and will be missed!
So when I got there today I was eager to see Bailey after such a sad weekend. He was in his crate and made a happy fuss when he saw me at the door. After we let him out he jumped on top of me and immediately washed my face with kisses. Then we went straight into a light switch session. Today we worked on something a little different. The light switches we have on the big wooden board are at three different heights. But in the real world a light switch would be positioned higher. So today we took the little mobile switch board and held it up higher against the wall. My goal was to get Bailey to jump up and put his front paws on the wall in order to flip the switch. He was hesitant at first but eventually I got him to jump up twice onto the wall. But both times I could tell he was not use to this and he did not flip the switch. I still rewarded him for jumping up though . Like everything this will come.
So after that I took Bailey out to play hide and seek. My aide took Bailey into the tennis courts and practiced sit, down and stay. I hid in the back yard. Bailey was really into the game today and every time my aide said "go find Eva" he pulled her through the courts and into the yard to find me. After that we went inside to chill for a little bit and my Mom and Aunt came over to hang out with me and Bailey. He was kind of nervous having so many visitors but didn't bark or growl at them (definitely an improvement). Eventually he went up to both of them asking for attention. He would go in a circle from me to my aide to my Mom to my Aunt getting love and pats. So cute! I figured out that the trick with new people is to just have them ignore him and then eventually he can't stand that no one is giving him attention so he gets over his shyness and approaches them. So after their visit it was time for lunch. Bailey just chilled while we ate lunch and then when we were done we took Bailey out into the side yard for some play time. All in all a good day.

Training Day 46

2010-12-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

So today when I got there Bailey was in his crate in the den. He barked happily until he was let out and then jumped up on me and gave me kisses. My friend was coming over today to film me and Bailey for a school project. So while we waited for her I put Bailey on leash and did a light switch session. He did great and flipped the switch every time I took him over to it. After he nails turning it on confidently 100% of the time, then it will be time to start teaching him to turn it off. Oy, we'll see how that one goes.
Because Bailey was a little uncomfortable meeting a friend of mine last week I decided to use some tricks today when he was meeting this friend. Instead of having her talk to him and try coax him over I had her completely ignore him and just talk to me and my aide for a while. Initially he was a little hesitant and let out a worried growl,but soon, feeling ignored, went up to her and licked her hand. After that she sat on the floor and he was totally cool with her.
So we all piled in the van and drove to Petco. I wanted to take Bailey to Petco without his vest to work on his dog/people hesitation (he sometimes gives a worried growl when he sees other dogs). Of course when we got to Petco there was only one other dog in the store. When we passed by the little dog Bailey showed no fear at all. He even went up to it to say hi. Go figure! Also this was the first time I let people pet Bailey because he didn't have his vest on. Only a couple people tried to pet him. He kind of shied away (which I actually want him to do when he's working) but didn't seem too bothered by the strangers reaching out to him. No growling what so ever in the store.
Bailey did act different today at the store. I think because he wasn't vested and "working" he was a bit more relaxed and less focused on me. Which was totally fine because that was kind of the point of the trip. While standing in the check out line he did catch a whiff of all the barrels of dog treats sitting right next to him. But as soon as my aide said "leave it" he turned away and sat politely next to me until we checked out. I was very pleased. After that we went back to my trainer's house and just chilled for a while. Then I called it a day and left him with his friends in the side yard.

Training Day 45

2010-12-01T16:09:00.000-08:00

When we got there today Bailey was not crazy hyper like on Monday. He was in the kitchen wagging his tail when I came in and patiently waiting for me to get him. I let him out, he did his little happy dance/trot and then together we went into the den. My trainer came in a few minutes later to tell me about Bailey's night before. He was in one of the obedience classes with a couple other hyper dogs. She said he did amazing, even when his brother was brought to join the class too. During the conversation a funny thing happened. Bailey kept looking up at all of us talking (and not paying attention to him) and pretty soon began turning on the light over and over and over again. It was hilarious because we were trying to have a conversation but had to stop every ten seconds and praise him for being a good boy. So after that we did the light switch since he was clearly into it. He did great! It's becoming too easy for him.
After that we did hide and seek and he did pretty good. He seemed really into it today and zoomed around the yard to find me three times in a row. One of the times my aide even had to let go of the leash because she couldn't stop him from running on the pool cover (and trying to take her with him). I tried to do an auto sit session after hide and seek. But Bailey was too worn out and just laid down every time I stopped my chair. So we headed back inside and Bailey crashed out hard.
While he was sleeping I checked my email and then received a phone call from a friend. We put the phone on speaker and Bailey jumped up and kept looking around trying to figure out who was talking. It was so cute! After that I wanted to do one more light switch session before lunch. This time I had Bailey on leash next to me and I walked him up to the light switch. Watch how well he does...

After that it was lunch time. During lunch Bailey was soooo annoyed with a fly that kept landing on him. He tried to catch it and missed. Even when it stopped harassing him he was still looking all over the den trying to hunt him down. So after lunch it was playtime and one of my friends stopped by the house to meet Bailey for the first time. Bailey was very shy and barked when he first saw her. It took a good ten minutes before he was comfortable enough to go up to her and say hi. Now I am sure Bailey is going through a fear stage because he is a bit shy but not THAT shy! Eventually he warmed up and they even played a round of fetch together. He also kept going up to her asking for attention. After that we left for the day.

Training Day 44- hyper pups

2010-11-29T16:14:00.000-08:00

So I normally don't go to Bailey's trainer's house on Mondays but tomorrow I have an appointment and won't be able to see him. So when I got there today one of the dogs (not my dog) had been having some fun in the den. Mac , a Bull Terrier had taken one of the feather pillows off the couch, tore it open and spread its fuzzy feather guts all over the den. So needless to say the den was out of order this morning. Bailey and his brother were out in the side yard so I went out there to hang out until the den was cleaned up.
I have never seen the boys as hyper as they were this morning. They were jumping on everything and everyone. At one point Bailey was trying to get my aide's attention and jumped up sooo high that his eyes were looking right into hers (she's 5'4). He usually NEVER jumps on anyone but me, but they were so hyper today that he just couldn't help himself. He must have jumped up on me to give me kisses at least 25 times! In between jumping spurts the two boys were zooming all around the yard pursuing various toys.
Once the den was de-feathered we brought Bailey inside. I wanted to do a light switch session before he crashed out. He got it!!! He was consistently turning on the light. In fact as soon as he saw the bag of treats come out of my aide's pocket he walked over to the light and flipped it on without even being asked. He did this about ten times in a row and I was squealing with joy. The biggest difference is that Bailey now clearly understands the motion to flip the switch with his nose. Where as before he would sometimes hit the switch up with his nose and other times just touch his nose lightly to the switch. So after that he passed out and it was time for lunch.
After lunch we did one more light session and Bailey did almost as good as the first time. Watch:

After that it was time to go. I put Bailey in the kitchen with all the other dogs and left for the day.

Training Day 43

2010-11-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

Today when we got there Bailey was waiting for me in his crate. We let him out of the crate and took him into the backyard. He was so excited to see me that he gave me tons of kisses. I took him to get busy, since I was about to take him out for a coffee date with a friend. We loaded Bailey up in the van and drove over to Starbucks. When we got there I chose the table that was closest to the window and right next to the counter with all of the milk and sugar for the customers. I thought this would be a great place to sit since it would give Bailey lots of practice ignoring distractions. Right after we sat down and Bailey settled onto his mat, he suddenly stood up and gave out one quick bark. I looked through the window to see what he had barked at and a medium sized dog had just appeared right on the other side of the glass from Bailey. The dog's owners sat at the table with him at their side to enjoy their coffee. My aide told Bailey "quiet" and he quickly sat down on his mat and gave her his full attention. He then laid back down onto his mat and turned away from the dog at the window. The dog was sitting outside for at least 45 more minutes and Bailey chose to completely ignore him. What a good boy!
He was so good the whole time we were there that this was the first time that for a moment I actually forgot he was next to me. Because he was laying right next to the counter, several times during our visit people were standing literally two inches from his face, and he didn't flinch a muscle. We also kept getting bombarded with freindly starbucks baristas offering us holiday samples. Again Bailey didn't acknowledge them at all.
So after our 1 1/2 hour coffee visit we went back to the trainer's house. I took Bailey out back to get busy. He peed for a minute straight. It was then lunch time, and he just chilled out the whole time. Then it was time to go and Bailey went into the side yard to hang out with his buddies.
For those of you who celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving.

Training Day 42

2010-11-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

When I got there today I couldn't find Bailey anywhere. Thankfully I knew that he was probably on an outing with my trainer and would be back soon. When he got back from his outing I was waiting in the den and he was super excited to see me. He quickly jumped up on me and gave me lots of kisses. My trainer had taken him to the grocery store for a training session and focused primarily on the "leave it" command. She said she took Bailey up and down the aisles with many smells such as dog food, soap and meat. He did great. She also commented on how well he walked beside her, never pulling at all. What a good boy!
We went straight into a light switch session and he nailed it! He's turning on the mobile light switch 85% of the time, which is awesome. Then we did an old classic, bell training. He did phenomenally and got up/looked up at me every time I hit the bell. Even when I barely hit the bell and it gave off a quiet "ping" he still jumped up to attention. Then it was time for hide and seek and I decided to do something a little different today. Instead of playing hide and seek in the tennis courts we just went out to the back yard by the pool. My aide would take Bailey around the corner near to the tennis court entrance and practice sit/stay. While she did this I would hide in the back yard.When my aide said "go find Eva" Bailey would pull my aide around the corner to find me. During one of the games a funny thing happened. Remember how Bailey loves to run on the pool cover? Well when Bailey came zooming around the corner to find me with my aide in tow, he decided to take a short cut and began running across the pool. My aide had to slam on her brakes (so to speak ) and barely missed landing on top of the pool cover. Bailey did great because even though she stopped him from running he chose a different path and still pulled her to find me. After hide and seek it was chill time. I gave Bailey two bones to chew (he always needs two) and he quickly passed out.
While he was sleeping a couple brought over three of their dogs to be boarded overnight. It was the first time these three dogs Butch, Lucky and Charlie had been to my trainer's house so it was quite a symphony of barks and howls. At first Bailey was trying SO hard not to bark, you could literally see him trying to fight off the urge. But after a few minutes he gave in and started barking to see what was going on and say hello. So we did some basic obedience practice to redirect his attention. Bailey is funny-when he is doing basic obedience and in a down stay he randomly let's out little "boofs" , because he just can't help himself. Overall he did really well despite all the commotion.
Before lunch we did one more light switch session. This time I had Bailey on leash and I walked him over to the light switch (as I will do when he lives with me). At first my aide would say "get the light" and Bailey would flip the switch. Then we tried it with me walking him over to the switch and her not saying anything (again how it will be when he lives with me). After a minor delay he hit the switch and was rewarded. What a good boy. After that it was lunch time, and Bailey just chilled.
Once we finished lunch it was play time and I wanted Bailey to meet the three new dogs staying at the house. Everyone got along very well and Bailey made a new friend, Charlie a twenty pound chihuahua mix. All in all a very good day!

Training Day 41

2010-11-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

So today was different. I met up with Bailey's trainer, who brought Bailey and his brother Liam, for a day at the Universal City Walk. For those of you who don't know, City Walk is a loud, visually overwhelming outdoor mall next to Universal Studios. We planned a day seeing a movie and eating lunch out with the two boys. We decided to meet up in a parking lot down the hill and then all pile up in my van for the drive up to the City Walk. When we got there my trainer took the two dogs out of her car and I saw Bailey scoping out my familiar looking van while I sat inside. When the door opened and he saw me waiting for him he began wagging his tail excitedly and immediately ran up the ramp and jumped on the back seat. We drove up to the parking lot, parked and began our walk up to the movie theater. Bailey was awesome and was not distracted by anything; randomly spurting water fountains, loud rock music, squealing kids and flashing lights. Liam, who I always see off duty really surprised me. Normally when I see him he is a big goof ball and is always trying to get Bailey to play with him, but today on duty he was Mr. Professional.
So this was Bailey's first movie and he did phenomenally! My trainer brought blankets for Bailey and his brother to lie on during the movie, and Bailey crashed out. The darkness of the movie theater didn't faze him at all. At one point during the movie loud gunshots were fired and Bailey didn't even flinch. I was beaming with pride.
After the movie we went out for lunch. Both boys just laid at the foot of the table quietly, despite the people dining next to us and the servers constantly walking past them. I was most impressed with Bailey "working" with his brother (and play mate) right beside him. Bailey didn't even try to play with him and if Liam was trying to get his attention Bailey would ignore him. What an awesome day! I'm so proud of Bailey.

Training Day 40

2010-11-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

So when I got there today Bailey was in his crate in the den waiting for me. When I went into the den he jumped up on me and gave me some hello kisses. Then we went straight into the light switch training. Today we did something different. As you may know we have been giving Bailey chicken treats when he actually flips the switch and kibble when he touches his nose to it. We have been doing this because in the past he lost interest in the task because he wasn't getting very many treats and became frustrated and confused. But today he was only given a treat when he actually flipped the switch. He did great and flipped the switch 75% of the time. And he did not show any signs of frustration or disinterest when he wasn't getting treats.
After the light switch I wanted to do a few games of hide and seek. Unfortunately Bailey was not interested. For the first game I went to hide outside of the tennis courts and my aide practiced sit and down commands with Bailey while I hid. She then said "go find Eva" and Bailey took off running excitedly like he usually does. But after looking around the tennis courts for about 10 seconds he stopped and decided he was much more interested in sniffing the concrete than trying to figure out where I was. He eventually casually walked my aide out of the tennis courts to where I was waiting, but it took forever! But when he found me he did happily jump up and give me some kisses. We tried one more game but it was clear that Bailey just wasn't into it today. So I decided to play a different game with him and we worked on fetch. He's slowly getting the concept of chasing, and returning the ball. And to reinforce this behavior he was given chicken treats and a click whenever he brought the ball back to me or my aide. Then it was chill time. Bailey was soooo tired and immediately crashed out within two seconds.
We let Bailey take a good long nap and then did one more light switch session. This time I wanted to see if Bailey would flip the regular switch instead of the bigger one, and he did! His batting average went down a bit but he still flipped it about 50% of the time. After that it was lunch time and Bailey crashed out once again. As soon as we finished lunch it was play time.
Bailey's brother Liam was there today so it was a lively session. At one point Bailey decided that (like many of his buddies) I needed a deer antler to chew on. He picked one up and began carrying it towards me. I thought he would just lie down next to me and enjoy his treat but instead he clumsily jumped up on me and held it to my face before dropping it in my lap. It was as if he was saying "Here Mom I got you one too"! He and his brother were again super cute today.

Training Day 39

2010-11-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

So today was kind of different. I don't usually work with Bailey on Mondays but I have an appointment tomorrow so I asked my trainer if I could come by today. She had made plans to have a guest at the house and I couldn't work with Bailey in the den. So instead I decided today would be a good day for an outing. So when we got there I stayed in the van while my aide went to go get Bailey. He was playing in the tennis courts and when he was let out through the gate he said a quick hello to my aide and then zoomed around the back yard to the den door excitedly expecting to see me. My aide put him on leash and lead him out to the van. She said at first he seemed a tiny bit confused as to why I wasn't around, but as soon as he saw me in the van his tail began swishing wildly and immediately he ran up the ramp and hopped onto the back seat for our outing together.
I decided to take Bailey to Starbucks to work on his long down stay. When we got to Starbucks and sat down he settled in pretty quickly laying next to me. At one point some foolish young guy left his dog outside the front door of Starbucks unleashed. I only noticed this because Bailey let out a mild bark in the dog's direction. Now I could have handled this one of two ways; I could have said "no' and collar popped him.,or I could have re-directed his attention and rewarded him for being quiet. I chose the latter and used this moment as a great training opportunity. Bailey did very well and even turned his back to the window where he originally spotted the other dog. The reason I didn't collar pop him was because he would have only learned what not to do and not what he should do instead.
At another point during our coffee stop a man sat at a table near to us and Bailey went over to him, sniffing his leg. He was told "leave it" and he quickly turned back around towards me and was rewarded with a treat. He soon laid back down quietly. A little bit later he got up again and I thought he might need to get busy so I asked my aide to take him out front to the grass area. She grabbed his leash and lead him towards the door but as she was opening the door he instead tried to exit through the clear glass window. A loud thunk ensued and all eyes in the place turned to Bailey. Luckily it sounded a lot worse than it actually was and Bailey then walked through the front door unfazed. My aide and I were cracking up and I kind of felt bad for laughing, but we just couldn't help ourselves it was just too unexpected and funny. When Bailey was back inside next to me I heard a firetrucks sirens and saw one driving down the street. I was a bit concerned that Bailey might start doing the firetruck howl but he didn't even look at it when it passed us. What a good boy!
By the time we finished chatting and enjoying our drinks Bailey had been in Starbucks for almost two hours and had done amazingly well. We packed everything up and headed back to my trainer's. When we got there I took Bailey out back to get busy before it was lunch time. At lunch Bailey crashed out and I left soon after that.

Training Day 38

2010-11-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

When we opened the front door today Bailey startled us when he popped his head out to say hello. My aide was so surprised she shut the door in his face (usually there are no dogs allowed in the area where the door is). She then opened the door again so Bailey could greet me. He was so happy to see me that he ran into the gated front yard jumped up on me and started giving me kisses. After that fantastic greeting we all went back inside to the den. We started the day with a light switch session. We used the small mobile board and he did phenomenally! At one point it seemed like Bailey was losing interest so we decided to stop. We were putting away the supplies and kind of ignoring Bailey when he walked over to the big light switch board and turned on the light. We went nuts with excitement, and Bailey got a big piece of chicken for him being so smart!
So after the light switch session I wanted to do some bell training. We hadn't worked on this in a while and I was kind of nervous that Bailey would not remember.Nope! He remembered and looked up at me almost every time I rang the bell. What a good boy. So after that it was hide and seek time. I was the one hiding but Bailey was on leash and had to bring my aide to me. He did great! I even hid outside of the tennis courts (something I've never done before) and he still pulled my aide to find me. At first he was a bit confused when he couldn't find me in the tennis courts but once he heard the beep of my wheel chair he quickly figured out how to get to me. After that it was break time and a funny thing happened. My aide and I were checking my cell phone when it began to ring. We answered it on speaker phone and a recorded voice came on the line loudly. Bailey had been in a deep sleep but quickly sat up confused at the new noise. He looked at us with complete curiosity and began cocking his head to the side and then quickly cocking his head to the other side. He did this quite a few times to the point where it made him look like a animatronic toy and we busted up laughing.
So after break time I wanted to do one more light switch session. Here is a video of how it went.

After that it was lunch time and then play time. Overall a good day.

Training Day 37

2010-11-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

When we got there today Bailey was in his crate in the den. So, zero "where's my dog" today. As soon as he was let out of the crate he jumped up and started giving me kisses. After saying hello, my aide went into the kitchen to put our lunches away and while she was gone Bailey was ALL OVER me! Three times in a row he jumped on me and was giving me endless love! It was awesome! After that we began our training with a light switch session. We started with the regular switch today. He was putting his nose up to the switch every time he was told but he was not hitting it. So we got the other modified switch and began using that one. It was really important that he hit the switch today. Since he had an upset stomach last week we were using kibble for reward and not his favorite, chicken. Today we were introducing chicken back into his diet and he was only going to get it if he hit the switch. Since it had been so long since he was given his favorite treat I thought that he might make the light switch connection a bit more clearly today since I knew he would reeeeeeeallly want that chicken, and he did! (kinda). When the modified switch was brought to him he hit it up and got tons of praise and tons of chicken. After that he hit the switch almost every single time. The cute thing was, he got so excited for all the praise and chicken that he began to joyously jump on my aide when he flipped the switch, because he knew what was coming.
After that great session we tried auto-sit with eyes. I think he's still trying to figure this one out. He knows he's got to do something else besides just sitting to get a treat but he's just not quite sure what that is yet. It will come in time. Then it was chill time. There are a few different dog beds in the den and Bailey chose the one right next to me and laid there the entire time. I let Bailey crash out for about an hour and then we did one more light switch session. He did pretty good and flipped the switch on the small board 75% of the time. When it was time for lunch my aide went to get our food ready and I was a bit nervous he might have an accident. We are still not exactly sure what upset his stomach last week and since this was the first day we were reintroducing chicken I was uncertain if an "accident" might happen. But everything was fine and he slept all through lunch, and had no stomach issues for the rest of the afternoon. Then it was play time. All the dogs were kind of chill today and we just hung out and enjoyed their company.

Training Day 36

2010-11-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

When we got there today I couldn't find Bailey. He wasn't in the den and his crate was empty. I looked in the kitchen, not there. Then I went out back and there were a bunch of his friends in the tennis courts but no Bailey. Confused, I headed back inside and just as I entered the den, my Trainer arrived with Bailey. She had taken him to OSH this morning for an outing and was just coming back home. Bailey was so excited to see me and immediately jumped up to give me a ton of kisses. We first worked on the light switch and an awesome thing happened. He turned on the light using the original smaller sized light switch attached to the board. I was so amazed because this is the first time he has hit the light switch on using the normal small sized switch and not the big one we made. I of course gave him lots of praise and treats. Then it was time to meet up with a friend for coffee.
So we loaded up Bailey and headed to the coffee house down the street. Bailey was such a good boy. He just laid next to me for the entire time (over an hour). My trainer had said that Bailey needs to go on more outings to boost his confidence in public places. Overall he is very comfortable on outings with me. But every once in a while an unfamiliar loud noise distracts him because he is not used to it. So the more he goes out with me than the less likely he is to care about these weird/loud/unfamiliar noises. Luckily if he is startled by something he gets over it pretty quickly. Plus he's kinda due for another fear stage so I expect him to act fearful sometimes. After coffee we headed back to my trainer's house and I took him outside to get busy before we had lunch.
Once we finished our lunch it was play time. Because Bailey had a busy morning and was such a good boy I wanted to reward him with a good play session. His brother Liam was in the side yard today, so I knew Bailey would have a blast outside with him. Today my trainer introduced a new toy to all the dogs. They all wanted to play with it and Bailey was trying especially hard to convince his friend Dara to share.

Then he got it!

Training Day 36

2010-11-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

When we got there today my trainer had left us a note saying that Bailey's stomach seems to be back to normal. But we however, decided just to stick with kibble treats today instead of chicken. We started off today with a light switch session and he did well. He flipped the switch a few times and got lots of praise instead of chicken. Even though we weren't using chicken today (his favorite treat) it didn't seem to make a difference with his motivation or performance. After that we tried our new "eye" command. He seems to be getting it and looks into my eyes 70% of the time. Then we went outside for an auto-sit session but I upped the ante. Not only does Bailey have to automatically sit when I stop my chair, he now has to look me in the eyes after he sits in order to receive a reward. This way he will be ready in case I give him an eye command. He caught on pretty quickly. At the beginning of the session two of Baileys friends came running into the yard and were trying to distract him by barking and even trying to get treats from my aide. Bailey sat next to me quietly poised and waiting for my next move. What a good boy.
After the auto sit session I wanted to do a game of hide and seek in the tennis courts. I hid but Bailey was on a short leash today with my aide. My aide would guide Bailey to an area far from where I was hiding and then tell him "go find Eva'. Since he was on a short leash he had to pull my aide to where I was at to "find me". Now Bailey never pulls while on leash, but he seemed to understand he was leading my aide to me and the very first round he pulled her with no hesitation. After a few games of hide and seek it was chill time and we went back inside the house for a break, and soon it was time for lunch.
After lunch I wanted to try something new for our light switch training. This time Bailey was on leash and attached to my chair. I had my aide take the light switch board and go to one side of the room. Then I walked Bailey over to where the light switch was and when he touched his nose to the switch he got a treat. This is a more realistic way to teach the light switch since in the future I will be entering rooms with him and he will need to turn on/off the lights when I stop in front of a light switch. He did great! I think that me taking him around the room makes the task more exciting for him. After that it was play time. Sadly, his brother was not at the house today. But I got some great photos of Bailey hanging out with me, Magic and his girlfriend Lucy.

Training Day 35

2010-11-03T16:07:00.000-07:00

When we got there today Bailey was in the den and was super excited to see me. A note from my trainer explained that Bailey's stomach problems have returned. and he had another accident. Although he has diarrhea he is still eating, drinking and acting completely normal. So we went straight into light switch training. He did great and again generalized the switches, touching his nose to different ones. After that we went into the tennis courts and tried a new version of hide and seek. We put Bailey on a 20 foot leash, held by my aide, and had him stand next to me. I then gave him the "go get help" eye command (me looking at Bailey and then up at my aide) and asked my aide to tug on the leash at the same time. Unfortunately Bailey had no clue as what we were trying to teach him. And watching my aide try to follow Bailey around and untangle his 20 foot leash was pretty hysterical. So I decided to try something else. We went back to the original hide and seek game, with me hiding, but altered it a little bit. I had my aide take Bailey on leash to a corner of the courts and I went to hide. She then told him "go find Eva" but since he was on leash he had to take her with him. I did not put peanut butter on my hand as we would previously do. Instead he only got a treat when my aide had followed him over to me, and acknowledged me verbally/physically. He seemed to understand that my aide needed to accompany him to me and even began jumping on me in acknowledgement when he found me. I think he may even have been copying my aide, because she would get all excited and say "Yay we found Eva" and put her hands on my arms and shoulders to show him that I was what he needed to find. After the first time she did this Bailey would jump on me when he found me copying her same physical acknowledgements.
After hide and seek it was chill time and Bailey just relaxed and chewed on a deer antler. Soon he fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up we did one more light switch session. We also tried something new. Bailey has always been super attentive towards me but I want him to focus more on my eyes so that I can use subtle eye commands that he will pick up on. So we're trying a verbal command that we hope will transition into an automatic behavior for him. My aide is saying the command "eyes" and whenever Bailey looks me straight in the eyes he gets a reward. I think this will be an easy one for him and he's already starting to get it.
So after introducing this new task, my aide went into the kitchen to get lunch ready. Bailey began to do his "I've got to go to the bathroom dance" and was circling around the room. I thought "oh no"! And before I could do anything Bailey proceeded to empty himself on the den rug. My aide returned just as this was happening. Bailey then sat a few feet away from his pile and looked up at us so sorry. I know that he couldn't help it because he's been having stomach issues. Interestingly his stomach issues started around the same time my trainer gave all the dogs deer antlers to chew on, and this accident was about an hour after he had been chewing on an antler. Could be a coincidence but I suspect it might be related. So after we cleaned it up it was time for lunch. Since I had introduced some new commands/tasks today I decided to just have some play time after lunch. But since it was over 90 degrees today the dogs were pretty mellow and just enjoyed some relaxing sun bathing.

Training Day 34

2010-11-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

When I got there today Bailey was loose in the den. As with every Tuesday, he was extra excited to see me today. He even jumped up on my lap and gave me some big wet kisses right after I got there. Awesome! We did the light switch first thing and something very cool happened today. As you may remember, in the den is a big wooden board with three working light switches that we originally used for training. But a couple weeks ago we began using a small hand held light switch board that rekindled Bailey's interest in this task. Today during the light switch session my aide at one point said "get the light" and instead of touching the light switch she had in her hand, he walked over to the big light switch board and touched his nose up to one of the switches there. I was amazed. This shows that he understands that when someone says "get the light" that it means any/every light switch and not just the one that I was holding in front of his face. I read about how dogs can generalize but I hadn't ever seen it for myself. So that was really cool!
After that I did an auto-sit session. Bailey did well. I always walk him over to the chain link fence where he can see his friends. I always have him sit next to me while a bunch of dogs are wiggling and trying to get his attention, as a good distraction test. He did great! After auto-sit it was lunch time. Bailey just slept (with his two chew bones).
After lunch we did one more light switch session and Bailey did the same thing as earlier, touching his nose to different switches when asked to "get the light". Then we went straight into play time and soon left after that. Over the weekend Bailey was entered into a costume contest dressed as a vampire and won "Most Handsome" in the contest. Here is a picture of Bailey along side some of the other contestants. Sooooooo Cute!

Training Day 33

2010-10-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

So when I got there today Bailey and his trainer were in the den together, and she said Bailey was feeling better. We started off the day with a light switch session and he did great. I think next week I am going to hold the portable light switch up against a wall so that Bailey will learn that the light switch will be on the wall and not low to the ground held in front of him. After I did the light switch I wanted to try something new. I wanted to do a new form of hide and seek. This time I wanted my aide to be the one "hiding" and I would indicate to Bailey to go find her. This however didn't go so well. I tried to tell Bailey to go to my aide by making eye contact and then moving my head and looking at my aide. Bailey did go over to my aide but not because I was asking him to, more because he was bored and she had chicken. So then we asked for the help of my trainer to be a voice that went along with my head and eye commands. After that he caught on pretty quickly. My trainer had a great idea. She suggested that I make a sign that said something along the lines of "I need help". Bailey could then take this sign over to someone in a situation when I motioned to him that I needed help. One of the issues with that is that I can't physically un-clip his leash if I do need him to go get help. But I think a sign will attract peoples attention. So after Hide and Seek it was chill time.
Since it's almost Halloween my trainer's roommate had the best costume idea and made it a reality this afternoon. His puppy is an all black poodle and he used a non-toxic, washable hair color spray to make a white stripe that started at her nose and ended at her tail. She was the cutest poodle skunk ever.
During Bailey's break time he was asleep in the corner about ten feet away while my aide and I were chatting. She got up and left the room for a few minutes. When she left the room he lifted up his head and looked around the den for her. When he realized she wasn't in the room with me he quickly got up and came to my side. After a few moments he laid down right beside my chair. I was amazed! After lunch we had some play time and the coolest thing happened. My aide was all the way on the other side of the yard playing with one of the dogs and had her back turned to me. I see Bailey come towards me and I was thinking he was gonna stand by my side like usual, but instead he excitedly jumped up on my chair and began happily giving me kisses on his own with no coaxing! This was the first time that he has done this 100% of his own accord. It was awesome and exactly what I've been wanting him to do, showing me love when he feels like it and not by command. He stayed on my lap for quite a while. After that we just hung out in the side yard and played with the dogs. I leave you today with a photo taken by my trainer of Bailey sleeping with his new girlfriend Lucy. Soooo cute!

Training Day 32

2010-10-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Today my Trainer said that Bailey and her were up at 2am after Bailey had an "accident" on her bedroom floor. This is quite unusual for Bailey who has never pooped in the house before. Apparently he was having some stomach issues and couldn't hold it in. Thankfully my Trainer didn't rush him off to the vet like last time. But Bailey was in good spirits today despite his evening of an upset stomach.
Because of his upset stomach we stuck with only cooked chicken treats for today and we started off with light switch training. He did very well. I'm kind of leery about phasing out the treats during the light switch training. As you may remember I tried only giving him treats when he actually flipped the switch in the past and this seemed to frustrate and confuse him until he lost interest. It took me two weeks to get him interested again. So I'm trying a different tactic to teach him to always flip the light instead of just touching his nose to it. Today when Bailey touched his nose to the light he got a click and a kibble treat (kinda boring) but when he flipped the switch up he got a click, a "good boy" and a fat piece of chicken. He seemed to be flipping it more often today but still not 100%. He has definitely been more engaged in the light switch training since last Friday.
So after the light switch I wanted to do an auto-sit session. There were two dogs running around the back yard and of course they came up to Bailey to say "Hi". He was again a very good boy. He would greet them for a moment but then quickly go back into working mode and sit back down at my side. Overall the auto-sit session went very well.
We went back inside the house and after Bailey had some down time we did one more light switch session and again he did fantastic! He got one more break while we ate lunch and then it was play time. I'm doing more playtime with Bailey for two reasons. First it's just really fun! Second he seems to want to "give kisses" when he's having fun during playtime and wants to show me some love. Today he jumped up on me and was literally kissing me for two minutes straight, he just didn't want to stop giving me love, it was awesome! After some good play time we left for the day.

Vote for Bailey!

2010-10-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks, this awesome website for and about service dogs called Please Don't Pet Me is having a calendar contest. The 12 people/dogs who get the most votes will have their picture printed in the calendar. So vote for Bailey (number 24) to appear in a service dog calendar here. You can vote once a day! Thanks

http://pleasedontpetme.com/calendar.html

Training Day 31

2010-10-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today when I got to my Trainer's house Bailey was in the kitchen. He was super excited to see me and so my Trainer let him out. As soon as she opened the gate he began happily running laps around the living room. After I took him into the den I began light switch training. He clearly remembered the session from Friday and either put his nose to the switch or flipped it up every single time he was told "get the light". My aide also tried just holding the light switch up in front of Bailey without saying anything and he still knew to put his nose to the light switch.
After that I wanted to do auto-sit. Here's a video of of all seven dogs running from the tennis courts to the side yard and greeting Bailey along the way. (Isn't Bailey being such a good boy)

He did very well during our auto-sit session. After that I took him inside and let him chill. Then I did one more light switch session and he did just as well as earlier in the day. It seems that Bailey has a better understanding of what I am asking of him because even when he is not flipping the switch he seems to be making the upward nose motion (that would flip a switch up) more often. After that it was get busy time and I took him out back for a minute. Then we had lunch.
When we finished lunch we went straight into playtime with the crew. My aide had a suggestion about "give kisses" instead of trying to treat train him to do this as a "task" she thought that if we just did it during playtime when he was having fun and wanted to give kisses naturally that it would reinforce this as a fun thing instead of a work duty and as time goes on he will just do this naturally. So during playtime my aide said "give kisses' and Bailey jumped up on me with ease and started licking my face. Here is a video of the second time he gave me kisses.

Then we just chilled and watched everyone play in the yard. Here is a cute video of Bailey playing with his friend Maddie. Excuse the demon face he makes when he's playing.

Outing

2010-10-25T15:17:00.000-07:00

As you might remember about one month ago I presented at a a class for special ed teachers. Well today I presented at a class for physical therapists and naturally Bailey came along. I went to my Trainer's house and had my aide go in and get Bailey vested up and ready to go. When she went inside Bailey was in the kitchen area with a couple other dogs and was super excited that she was there, but when she opened the gate he ran around the living room looking for me.She put him on his leash and took him out to my van. Bailey just had a hair cut so she paraded him around the driveway as if he was on a catwalk so that I could check out his new look. We then drove to the campus for my lecture.
When we got there I wanted to see if Bailey needed to go pee so I walked him around a grassy area next to the parking lot. We then went into the classroom and I put Baileys mat down next to me. He laid down on it immediately. He seemed less distracted by the students standing around him than the last time we were here. He did try to visit with the students sitting next to him on the floor but for the most part he was awesome and stayed right by my side. After that I just took him home and headed out. It was a quick but successful day.
When I arrived home I found out my insurance company is going to pay for 85% of the vet bills I acquired when Bailey had a stomach problem. Yay!!!!

Training Day 31-What an awesome day!

2010-10-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a breakthrough day. When I first got there today Bailey was in his crate barking excitedly at my arrival. I took Bailey outside for an auto-sit session and realized that all of the eight dogs at my trainers house right now were still in the tennis courts and about to make their chaotic way through the back yard where I was sitting with Bailey. Normally I try to avoid this huge distraction and take Bailey outside after the dogs are gone. But since I was already out there I thought "what the hell let's see what happens". Bailey was leashed to me and in a sit position when 10 million (or so it seemed) dogs came racing through the yard and bounding and hopping all around Bailey excitedly. In particular his brother Liam was trying to get him to play pretty persuasively. Bailey just stood there like a polite professional service dog and definitely told his brother through body language "hey Dude I'm working right now". Awesome! So then I started a session of auto-sit since Bailey is really good at that. Then I brought out my new contraption for light switch training. My aide put a light switch on a small piece of plywood and then added a little plastic piece to the end of the switch to make it bigger. The idea was to attach this board to the side of my wheel chair with the switch on it, in hopes that it would recapture Baileys interest since it was attached to me and we were "working". At first it seemed he wasn't interested and I was getting bummed out. He laid down next to me and let out a little whine. We decided that the session was over and my aide took the board off my chair. But after she took it off she held it up in front of him as a last attempt and he suddenly showed interest and immediately put his nose to the switch. We praised him like crazy, and re-encouraged we kept going. Now every time my aide said "get the light " he put his nose up to the switch and even flipped it up quite a few times. We of course went nuts with excitement. It seems that his interest has been rekindled towards the light switch task. Then we went inside and Bailey crashed out.
I let Bailey have a well deserved break after the awesome morning. But I really wanted to reinforce the light switch task, so after his rest we tried again. This time we did it inside and I left him off leash. I want it to be fun for Bailey and it's important that it is his choice to want to do/figure out this task. He did great even though he was rewarded with peanut butter instead of his favorite chicken (we had run out of from rewarding him so much earlier). He flipped the switch several times. I'm so proud of him! Then it was lunch time and Bailey crashed out again.
After lunch I wanted to reward Bailey with some play time in the side yard with all his friends. We were tossing him and his brother the ball for a while and suddenly I feel a dog on top of me. My aide was standing next to me and since Bailey and his brother Liam were so excited while playing she decided to tell Liam to give me kisses hoping that Bailey would see how it's done. But when she said "give Eva kisses' it was Bailey that immediately jumped up on my lap with no hesitation and began licking my face. I was so surprised that for a moment I thought it was Liam. Bailey had never ever jumped up on me without assistance before. My aides mouth dropped to the floor and we were squealing in happy shock. He got tons of praise and once he jumped off of me my aide said once again "give kisses" and he jumped on me for a second time. I was so happy! After such a great event, we just chilled out and let all the dogs run around and play together.
When it was time to head out my trainer said that she would call all the dogs into the house so that I could have an easy exit. She excitedly called Liam and Bailey in last and Bailey went towards her and then decided no. He turned around and came over to me and would not leave my side for anything. So instead I took him into the house through another door myself. What a good way to start the weekend.

Training Day 30

2010-10-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

So today was a little different. My mom came to visit Bailey at my Trainer's house. She had seen Bailey the very first day he was in Southern California about three months ago and hadn't seen him since. Bailey was excited to see her. We visited for a while and then we did a bell session to show off what a good boy Bailey is. Then we tried "give kisses". Since we had another set of hands we had my aide call to Bailey while holding a treat in my lap and had my Mom put Bailey's paws on my chair to get the treat. He would eat the treat but he would never jump up himself to get it. It's funny- most puppy owners are trying to get their dogs NOT to jump on them and I'm desperately trying to get him TO jump on me.
So after we visited I took Bailey out to get busy and then it was time for lunch. Bailey just slept all through lunch. After lunch we did a "leave it" session. We started out with peanut butter and Bailey didn't touch it. Then we added chicken liver Kong treat on top of the peanut butter to up the ante. He still didn't try to touch it. Then we added his favorite treat, chicken. He was tempted by the chicken and went for it one time but was easily and quickly redirected. The one time he tried to get the chicken he scooted up to the piece on the floor, moved in for the bite and literally had his tongue within 2 millimeters of the chicken. My aide said "leave it" and he looked up at her, tongue still sticking out and then quickly pulled back. What a good boy! Since it was still raining today I put Bailey back in the kitchen to play with his buddies and we left a little bit early.

Training Day 29

2010-10-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

So today I had to go to Bailey's house a little later than usual. He was super excited to see me and I could hear him barking for me as soon as I opened the door to the van in the driveway. We tried the dreaded light switch today. I had bought some new red colored plastic tubes to put on the switch hoping that the new color and shape might draw his attention to the task, but no. He seemed even less interested than usual. This light switch dilemma stumps me. Bailey is usually so easy to teach a new task to . And I can definitely tell he is frustrated because he doesn't even seem interested in the switch anymore and isn't trying to figure out like he use to do.
So after our light switch disaster we tried the "give kisses" command. He does it with my aide (jumps up on her lap) but he doesn't do it with me. I honestly think he is afraid to get up on me. Because he gives me kisses but does it by putting his head in my lap instead of actually putting his paws up on my chair.
So after two unsuccessful training activities I, the genius, decided to take Bailey outside for an auto-sit session right away. I was still kind of frustrated and I could tell Bailey was too. So he didn't do so well. I should have given him a break before taking him outside. Bad trainer! So after that it was get busy time and then lunch.
After lunch I really had to use the restroom so my aide and I left our plates (with food still on them) on the den table and left the room. Bailey was alone and loose in the den and out of our sight. He was such a good boy he didn't touch any of the tempting left overs from our lunch (meat, cheese a doggy daydream). This was not planned but ended up being a great training opportunity and a nice successful surprise.
After that I wanted to try one more auto sit session since Bailey had now had a break from his frustrating morning. He did a lot better this time. After that we took Bailey into the side yard to play. Bailey is now suddenly playing fetch like an expert. My aide was stunned and asked me "how the hell did he figure that out overnight?" , nobody knows why he all the sudden "loves" fetch, which he had zero interest in before. But I'm excited about this new play opportunity. So after fetch we left for the day.

Training Day 28

2010-10-15T14:57:00.000-07:00

When I got to my trainer's house, Bailey was in the kitchen with my trainer. He was so happy to see me he started his "happy dance". My trainer wanted to take him to get busy before giving him to me, but I knew he was too distracted to go. I did bell training and he's very good at it now. Then it was hide and seek time! He did excellent. Once reason I like hide and seek is because it reinforces his verbal commands. Now you might be like "why does that matter? You are non-verbal." My aides will always have to handle him to a degree- whether it's a potty break or I'm out of the room for some reason. He needs to behave as well with my aides as he does with me. So after hide and seek it was nap time. I did auto sit after he woke up. Despite a loud and obnoxious beagle that my trainer is boarding, Bailey did well. He's getting to the point where he sits and looks at me vs just sitting. I tried the "give kisses" command again but he is still not into it. Despite encouragement, he is still nervous he will hurt me. Hopefully practicing will ease his worries. After that it was lunch time and Bailey just slept. An awesome thing happened- the beagle was barking her head off and Bailey did not react. No little woofs or anything. I was so proud. After lunch it was play time. Remember when I said Bailey was not a fetch dog? Well it seems like he's kind of getting the game. He chases the ball and will sometimes bring it back vs just watching it. His brother came home and they are just so cute together. Next week for hide and seek, my aide will be the hider and I will be the one telling bailey via head movement to "go get help". We'll see how that goes.

Training Day 27

2010-10-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

So today when I got to my Trainer's house Bailey was inside of his crate and was so excited to see me. When my aide let him out she had forgotten to shut the gate to the den and he he began joyously bounding through the living room in a wiggly, hopping, happy dance. Since he had so much energy I decided we should play hide and seek first thing today. Instead of calmly walking next to me on the way to the tennis courts he raced ahead of me, running over the pool cover, and flew towards the entrance to the courts. Once he got to the entrance and realized that I wasn't quite as fast he was he trotted back to my side and walked with me the rest of the way. Hide and seek was great, I love watching him enthusiastically run towards me when he's told "go find Eva". He got tired pretty quickly because it was so hot out today, so our game was a little shorter than usual. We went back inside and Bailey crashed out within seconds.
After a little rest I did an auto-sit session on leash today and he did really well. Then we switched his leash and it was time for him to "get busy". He peed quickly. We then tried something new. Some trainers use a technique called "do it" to teach new tasks. The idea is you get your dog to copy what you are doing when you give the command "do it". So I had my aide sit and then tell Bailey "do it" and when he sat he was rewarded. She also did this with the down command (laying down on the ground command). We only did this for a short while but he seemed to understand what was being asked of him. I'm hoping this "copy me" method will help him to learn to use the light switch.
After lunch I employed Bailey's brother Liam to show Bailey it's okay to put his paws on my wheel chair and give me kisses. Liam got the idea behind the saying "give kisses" immediately and once Bailey saw his brother doing it he wanted to do it too. He was at first a little hesitant still to put his weight on me but once my aide put his front feet on my chair he visibly relaxed and began licking my face for a long time. I'm confident that now he knows it's okay, that he will do it without hesitation next time. I know for sure that he understands the command because whenever my aide says "give kisses" even if he doesn't get on my chair he puts his head in my lap and starts licking my arm happily. Today I leave you with another cute video of Bailey playing and galloping around the side yard with his brother Liam.

Training Day 26

2010-10-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

I always love Tuesdays. Bailey is always excited to see me after his three day weekend. Today he was in his crate when I got to my Trainer's house. He excitedly wagged his tail and wiggled around in his crate when he saw me. My Trainer however told me she took Bailey to Wal-Mart over the weekend and discovered Bailey might have a little fear of kids. This surprised me because last Friday the Mall was crawling with kids and he seemed to have no problem with them at all. My Trainer said he let out a little growl when he saw one of the children in Wal-Mart approaching him. I am truly shocked because Bailey has never shown any fear of children in any of the other public places we've been. In fact other than the one time he growled at the woman who startled him (and we were just getting to know each other) he has never growled at anything. Anyway my Trainer wasn't too worried about it and said she was going to start walking him around playgrounds and other heavy kid zones to get him use to seeing a lot of children.
So first we worked on bell training today, and he's getting almost 100%. Then it was time for hide and seek and he did great! He really loves this game and sometimes he "cheats" and starts to run and find me before he's told to. But when he does this he has to go back and start over. Hide and seek not only tires him out mentally but he gets exercise as well. So after hide and seek it was nap time.
After his thirty minute nap I wanted to do a round of auto-sit, but today I wanted to try it without him being on leash. I put his vest and leash on him and did one round of auto-sit just to get him in working mode. Then I took the leash off (and still kept his vest on). For a seven month old puppy he did remarkably well. He did sometimes stray from my side to sniff something interesting but was quickly redirected back to me . For the most part he heeled by my side and sat every time I stopped my wheel chair. The funny part was even when he was sniffing something about fifteen feet away from me he would suddenly notice that I had stopped my wheel chair and he would sit. So after about three laps around the pool Bailey was tired and napped all through lunch.

After lunch I wanted to try the new "give kisses" command and have Bailey get up on my lap and lick me. He was not happy about this and was kind of confused. My aide would put his paws on my wheel chair and then say the command and give him treats. But he didn't seem into it. I think he was worried he would hurt me by getting on my chair/lap. I realize now that part of the reason Bailey would lick me when the lab was on top of me last week was because he was worried the lab might be hurting me. Tomorrow I hope to use his brother (who has no hesitation about jumping up on people) to show Bailey that it is okay to put his front paws on my lap. We also tried to rinforce the head commands for sit and stay by having me and my aide do the head commands at the same time while verbally saying them. He didn't get it and seemed a bit confused by our exagerated head movements, hopefully this will eventually come too. I put him in his crate and then it was time to go. I leave you with a video of Bailey enjoying (figuring out how to enjoy) his new treat, carrots.

Training Day 25-Kids everywhere

2010-10-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

Today was Mall day. Now personally I HATE the mall, but I thought it would be a great public place for Bailey to go because he would get experience with lots of people. So when I got to my Trainer's house I decided to do something new. I had my aide go inside and get Bailey while I stayed in the van. When my aide went inside Bailey was excited to see her but was clearly looking around for me. When she put him on the leash he began skipping and jumping towards the door with excitement. My aide was telling him "okay lets go see Eva", and clearly he understood. She brought him out and he jumped right into the van excitedly wagging his tail when he saw me. But I think he knew he was vested and working because even though he was excited to see me he got in the van and jumped up on the seat and let himself be belted in just as calmly as usual.
When we got to the Mall I walked Bailey all over. He stayed right beside me and sat every time I stopped my wheel chair (even when I was just pausing for a second and not really intending to stop). We then went to the Wal-Mart attached to the Mall. When we were entering the store a man was exiting and had a small black Chihuahua in a stroller. Before I even noticed the dog it began barking at Bailey furiously. Bailey didn't even twitch a muscle. Not only did he not bark back at the dog but chose to ignore the little yapper completely! I was so impressed. In Wal-Mart there were about ten million kids scampering through the aisles. Bailey again stayed right next to me and sat every time I stopped my chair. He does kind of have a crotch sniffing problem- which I am fixing by having my aide teach Bailey the "leave it" game. It was pretty funny though when my aide told Bailey to "leave it" as he was sniffing some dude's crotch.
After Wal-Mart we left the store and were heading back to the Van via the sidewalk. Because we were sticking to the sidewalk we had to pass a group of workers using extremely loud power equipment to cut some metal pipes. Bailey did great and totally ignored the loud noise not fearful of it at all. After we got back to the Van we loaded up and drove back to my Trainer's house.
I took Bailey out to get busy and then he crashed out. He did wake up for a few minutes to bark/greet a new dog that came over to my Trainer's for boarding this afternoon. We tried everything (all of our positive reinforcement tricks) to re-direct him from barking. But Bailey would still bark as he was sitting, staying and laying on command. It was pretty funny. This incident told me that he definitely knows when he's working (like not barking at the mall dog) and when he's in chill mode at home (and he thinks it's okay to bark at the new visitor).
After lunch it was definitely time for some playtime. My trainer has a full house right now, seven dogs total! So playtime was pretty fun. One beautiful chocolate Lab kept putting her paws on my lap and giving me kisses. I want Bailey to do this also but he is too polite to ever do this on his own. But I noticed when the Lab was on my lap that Bailey would come next to me and lick my hand jealously trying to get my attention away from the dog giving me kisses. Hopefully next week I'll be able to teach him a new command "give kisses" and have him also put his paws on my lap and lick my face. I think he'll get this one pretty easily because I could tell today he definitely wanted to get on my lap too. Today I leave you with a video of Bailey playing with his brother Liam.

Training Day 24

2010-10-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Rain Rain Go Away. Today was kind of a difficult training today because it was pouring rain. Rain plus an electric wheel chair is not a good combination. So I had to limit my training to what we could do in doors. I wanted to teach Bailey auto "leave it". I wanted to do this for two reasons. First of all God knows what will be on the ground when Bailey and I are out in public. And second I'm a messy eater and while I let my pet dog be a "vacuum" I don't want Bailey to get into this habit. Since I'm going to be taking him to restaurants it's very important that he's not eating tidbits off the floor. Also I want to keep Bailey as healthy as possible so zero "people food". To train auto leave it I had my aide put some kibble on the floor and with Bailey on leash take him near to the food. The food would catch his attention (although he wasn't able to reach it). When Bailey would turn his attention away from the temptation on the floor, and look up at my aide, he would get a click and a chicken treat. He did fabulously. We then increased the temptation from boring kibble to yummy peanut butter. He again did great, even when my aide put the peanut butter close to him and within edible distance. Then came the chicken, one, two and then three pieces were put on the floor to temp him. He didn't eat any of them! Eventually I want to make an obstacle course out in the Tennis Courts with all of Baileys favorite foods and walk him through it, rewarding him when he doesn't grab the snacks.
After Leave it I did bell training and he did great. And of course then it was nap time.This dog sleeps more than any dog I've had before. After he woke up I wanted to try an experiment. Because I have full time aides it is important that Bailey learns to "get busy" while he is walking on leash with my aide, instead of with me. If I am sick, too busy with Grad School homework, or in bed, he needs to be cool with my aides taking him out to get busy. So today my aide put him on leash and took him out into the yard without me. He was definitely not happy when she shut the door and I wasn't out back with him. She said when she shut the door he let out a little whine and looked back to the doorway. He then looked up at her with an expression that said 'Ummmm what's going on here?" But as soon as she said "bailey get busy" he relaxed and understood it was pee time. After that it was lunch time and Bailey just slept. After lunch because I had exhausted all of my indoors training sessions and chicken treats I decided to leave a little early. So Bailey went back in his crate and I left for the day.

Training Day 23

2010-10-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

When we got there today all of the dogs, except Bailey were playing in the Tennis Courts. Bailey was in the den inside of his crate. He was so happy to see me today. Since the Tennis Courts were in use I decided to do bell training. He did amazingly well today and looked up at me, or came over to me every single time I rang the bell. I have kind of decided that the bell ringing meant "look at me" since Bailey is always around me. When we first began training I wanted the bell to mean "come to me". But since Bailey will always be near me(either on leash, hanging out or playing) I decided the bell just needed to mean "look at me" and then from that point I can direct him to the task I want.
So when his buddies went inside from the Tennis Courts it was time for another game of hide and seek. He totally remembered the game and did great! My aide is starting to phase him out of the verbal commands and starting to only use head and eye commands. He's excellent at sitting and staying without verbal cues.But since "Go find Eva", is new to him he's having a little more trouble figuring it out without using verbal commands. It will come. At one point he found me in the gated side run of the Tennis Courts. When my aide came in to start a new round of the game she told Bailey to sit and stay but when I turned to go and hide (like I usually do) he would not stay with my aide. Eventually after my aide went ballistic with happy voices/dances he finally decided to stay with her. He was having a hard time staying because unlike the previous games he could not see me out of the corner of his eye as I was leaving to hide. After he was tired we went back inside and he crashed out.
When my aide was fixing lunch Bailey found a small disassembled plastic squeaker from a ripped up toy (don't ask me where he unearthed it from). He was having a good old time chewing it up and I was nervous he was going to swallow it so I stared at him with intensity and he immediately dropped it and left it alone. What a good boy.
After lunch I wanted to do one more session of hide and seek. He did amazing! We walked him back to the house without a leash and when he was told to "get busy" he seemed to do it right on command. Then it was crate time and I left for the day.

Training Day 22

2010-10-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

So I wanted to try something new today. I wanted to teach Bailey hide and seek. Now you might be wondering why I would want to teach him that. It's to build the foundation for "go get help". Being able to find someone is one of the most important parts of the "go get help" task. Here's how I taught him Hide and Seek. I had my aide take Bailey to one side of the Tennis courts and since he was off leash, verbally work on his stay, sit and down commands (another bonus of the hide and seek game). Then I would go hide (which for now is just the same as going to the other side of the tennis courts). Then my aide would release Bailey from his stay position by excitedly saying "Okay, go find Eva!!!" . The very first time we tried this he was looking towards me but not 100% sure what to do until my aide said the command again and began to run towards me, while pointing. After that he knew exactly what the rules of the game were. Every time he found me he would get to lick a kong stuffing treat off my hand. He loved the hide and seek game and would excitedly race towards me every time my aide yelled "Go get Eva". My aide will soon transition from verbal down, sit and stay commands to strictly using eye and head movements as commands. Then we will switch roles and I will use the same head/eye commands to tell Bailey, "Go find my Aide" (aka help). Here is a video of Bailey's first game of hide and seek.

After coming back inside Bailey crashed out. One weird part of Bailey's teenage rebellion, he periodically jumps up on the couch and looks out the window. He NEVER use to do this and knows 100% that he is not allowed up on the furniture. Every time he is calmly told to get off the furniture with the simple command "off". Which he does. Funny way of rebelling.
After lunch I wanted to play one more hide and seek game. I also wanted to do a little experiment. I wanted to see what Bailey would do if I kept him off leash when it was time to go back to the tennis courts (now remember he looooves running on the pool cover when he is not on leash). The yard is completely surrounded by fencing so even off leash Bailey would not be able to get out of the yard. Watch what happens.

I was really impressed by how well he did. Now I would never ever have him off leash while out in public, but I was just curious as to what he would do if he was off leash.
I'm applying for another service dog. You all must be like "Why?" a couple reasons. First I found an organization that trains service dogs for non-verbal owners, but they have a five year waiting list. As awesome as owner training is, I know I will be too busy to do it in the future when Bailey retires. SD's work for about 6-8 years before it's time to retire them. So I need to get my application in now so that when Bailey retires I will be able to get another Sd immediately and not have to wait five years.
After we played hide and seek it was time to go. I put Bailey back in his crate and left.

Training Day 20 and 21

2010-09-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

So I'm combining the past two training sessions because it's just easier to write one long post rather than two shorter ones. Yesterday I was asked to be a guest speaker at a University class for Special Ed Teachers. So naturally I wanted to bring Bailey. I thought it would be a good experience for Bailey especially since most of his SD career will be accompanying me to Grad School. So I picked up Bailey and went to the University. I wanted to get there early so I could walk him around the campus for a little while. I wanted to do this for two reasons; 1st I wanted to kind of tire him out before he had to sit in the classroom for an hour. And 2nd I wanted to expose him to all the crazy stuff on a college campus. He did great! He really enjoyed rolling around on the grass. We spent a good hour just chilling in the grass and walking around the campus.
   When we got inside the classroom he passed out next to me. He slept for about fifteen minutes. Then the students gathered around me and Bailey so that they could see how I communicate with my letter board. Bailey was pretty good but did try to get some pats on the head. It was very tempting, from his perspective everybody was watching him but nobody was petting him. He was easily re-directed to stop looking for pats And after everyone sat back down he just crashed out. At one point during the question and answer session I was having a spell of bad cramps and Bailey came up to me and started licking my hand until the cramps had subsided. I was really amazed!
   So after I did my spiel I took Bailey out to the Van to get some food and water. He's a funny eater ( this was the first time I fed him since usually he's eaten breakfast/lunch before I see him). He takes a bite of food and then drinks a sip of water. For every bite! I was cracking up. After he ate, I took him back to the lawn area to see if he needed to get busy. He peed quickly especially for being in a new place.
   Then my Physical Therapist (the Professor of the class) and I went out to dinner. When we sat down at the table I put Bailey's mat on the floor next to my chair and he laid down quickly. He stayed there on the mat the entire time only getting up once and then laying back down quickly. ( We were in the restaurant about an hour and a half). I was very impressed. Waiters and customers walked by constantly and he chose to ignore them.
After dinner I took him back to my Trainer's house and left for the night.
    Today he was understandably, kind of tired out. We tried to do light switch training and he wasn't having it. So we did an auto-sit session and then I wanted to see if he needed to go pee. So I put him on the long leash and he peed immediately. I think it's time for Bailey to get a hair cut because every time he pees his hair gets in the way and he gets it all over himself. Lovely! So when we got back inside I only had a chance to do literally one bell ring before he passed out.
   So knowing that today was not the best day for training I decided to have a little fun time. I took Bailey in the side yard to play with his buddies and his brother, who returned from vacation just a few days ago. Bailey and his brother are so cute together. Since they are the same age they have a similar way of playing. Here's a video of them playing. I left after that.

Training Day 19

2010-09-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

When we got to my Trainer's house today we immediately vested Bailey up and drove to Smart & Final. Smart & Final was pretty crowded with lots of kids and their bargain shopping parents. Bailey did excellent! He stayed by my side the entire time and sat pretty quickly when I stopped my chair. Also we had no drive by petters despite all the kids. Yay!
   After we got home I took Bailey outside to pee. He now totally understands the difference between when he's on the short leash and when he's on the long leash (and it's time to "get busy"). When Bailey is put on the long leash he immediately starts sniffing the lawn looking for a place to pee. But when he's on the short leash his focus is on me and he doesn't sniff the ground. What a smart boy! Bailey immediately crashed out when we got back inside.
   After lunch we did light switch training. I've asked my aide to use verbal commands during the beginning of this training process and then once Bailey understands the task 100% my aide will only use the clicker and treats to reward Bailey, and I will be the one to tell Bailey to turn on the lights by eye pointing. In the in between phase both of us will be telling him to turn on the light, her verbally, and me eye- pointing. Here's a video of the beginning of our training session today (He didn't do as good as it looks haha).

   Although he did awesome in the beginning he still doesn't understand 100% that he needs to actually flip the switch to get a treat instead of just touching his nose to it. I frankly don't care whether or not he understands he's turning on the light, he just has to know that he is supposed to flip the switch. I'm very impressed with the progress he's made in just three short light switch training sessions. He's such a smart boy. After the light switch session it was time to go so we put Bailey in the side yard with his friends. We had a great week together.

Training Day 18

2010-09-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

So here's how Bailey greets me every time I come over to my trainer's house. He's kinda not supposed to run on the pool cover but it's too cute to stop him(and it's totally secure so don't worry he won't fall in).

Since my Trainer's den was being cleaned this morning I decided to start with auto-sit training in the back yard. He did really well. He sat quickly and was focused even when all of the dogs were barking at him from behind the Tennis court fence. He's doing pretty well with only getting treats every once and a while.So after auto-sit training I took Bailey inside the house because I wanted to do light switch training. I put the light switch extender on the switch and put the switch itself about halfway up. This didn't cause the light to go on but it made it easier for Bailey to "accidentally" turn the light on. He turned it on a few times and got a big reward, a handful of his favorite treat, chicken. He seemed to understand more today than he did on Monday but he still doesn't quite get it 100%. I was however, really pleased with his progress today. He also didn't get frustrated today.
After light switch training I wanted to take him back outside to go pee. He peed really quickly. I think my system of putting him on a longer leash when it's time to "get busy" has really helped. Bailey crashed after he came back inside. He slept all through lunch. After lunch I wanted to do one more light switch training session. I kept it short because I didn't want him to get frustrated. He did well and I ended the session on a good note-after he hit the switch and got lots of chicken.I then took him to the tennis courts for a little playtime with his buddies. I wanted to get a video of him playing with the other dogs but everyone was pretty mellow today from the hot sun.

Training Day 17

2010-09-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today when we got to my Trainer's house Bailey was in the Tennis court area. He was let out and I stayed at the back of the pool yard next to the door. It was like Bailey was shot from a cannon. As soon as he went through the gate he zoomed through the yard, bounded over the pool cover and landed at my side. He then did a few more happy laps around the yard and followed me into the house. We got him vested up and loaded him into the van to go to Orchard Supply Warehouse. Here is a video showing how well he gets into my van.

At OSH he was a perfect gentleman. We walked up and down the aisles and he didn't sniff or pull. Everytime I stopped my wheelchair he would sit down next to me even when people were walking by, which could have been distracting. He did great and showed zero of his teenage rebellion. Watch:

By the end of us walking around through OSH, I could tell he was getting tired because he started to lie on the ground every time I stopped my wheelchair. So we went back to his house and I took him outside to "get busy". Again, he must have had to go really bad because he immediately went pee for literally 30 seconds. After, he slept all through lunch.
After lunch we did auto-sit training and he did really well. Even when his buddies were distracting him he wiggled and wagged his tail for a second and then while wagging his tail, remembered he was supposed to sit, and did them both at the same time. Cute! As a reward I took Bailey into the Tennis Courts to play with his buddies. All in all a very good day.

Traning Day 16

2010-09-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

We are hitting the "teenage phase". For those who don't know what the teenage phase is let me explain. At about 7-12 months dogs hit adolescence. This means in regards to training puppies that they tend to be more stubborn and "forget" previous commands. For Bailey his "teenage phase" (so far) consists of him not being focused. We did auto-sit training and he was more interested in inspecting, sniffing and licking my wheelchair than sitting. He eventually sat every time I stopped my chair but it took him a lot longer than normal to focus. After auto-sit training my physical therapist came for about an hour and Bailey laid on his mat the entire time. I think he was dreaming about nursing because he was making sucking motions with his mouth. So cute!
After physical therapy I wanted to take him out to pee. I used my new technique of putting him on a longer leash and while he didn't immediately pee he did go pretty fast. During lunchtime he napped and chewed on his bone. Baileys funny- he has to have two bones with him at the same time in between his paws. I didn't do light switch training today because I wanted him to not get frustrated .
After lunch I wanted to take Bailey into the side yard to play with the other dogs. Bailey is the only puppy in the house right now and when he's playing with the other adult dogs I can totally see his puppyness. He hops and bounces when he plays and goes after a toy. One of the other dogs was playing pretty rough and I could tell Bailey was intimidated (not to the point of scaring Bailey just making him a little hesitant). For service dogs you have to be very careful about who they interact with. One scuffle could traumatize them and wash them out of service work. I know way too many people who had to stop training and retire (wash out) their dogs because of this happening. Some people think that because service dogs are so well trained that they can bounce right back from a traumatic event but a lot of times they can't. For this reason I unfortunately won't be taking Bailey to any dog parks,or letting him meet random dogs. But he will have "dog friends" that I know are not dog aggressive in any way. Overall Bailey had a great time. I left him in the side yard (as I was asked to do) and left for the day.

Training Day 15

2010-09-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, my trainer is out of town this week and I get to see Bailey every day. So when I got there Bailey was hanging out in the kitchen with two other dogs. He was excited to see me and I took him into the den. I wanted to work on having him turn on the light switch. First I added an extra piece of round plastic to the light switch to make it longer and easier for Bailey to "accidentally" hit and turn on. Then to get him interested in the light switch I put peanut butter on the switch. He would lick the peanut butter off the switch and a few times he hit the switch up and turned the light on. But he didn't quite make the connection between the hitting of the switch and the light turning on. To him he was just licking peanut butter. Then I tried my trainers method, by having my aide gently push up the switch with Bailey's nose and then rewarding him with a treat and the clicker. Still I could tell Bailey wasn't getting it. He was actually getting frustrated because he didn't understand what we were asking him to do. So I decided to stop and do some auto-sit training instead. He did pretty good even though I could tell he was still kinda frustrated. Then it was break time. Bailey crashed out. Bailey seems a bit sad because my trainer took his brother with her on her trip, and I can tell Bailey misses his buddy. So before leaving today I decided to get some play time in to cheer him up.
Before lunch I took him out to go pee and used my new technique of putting him on a longer leash. He peed pretty quickly. After lunch it was play time. I had never used the tennis court before but it is an excellent wide open space for him to play in. I'm trying to teach him to fetch. Despite his golden retriever and Labrador genes he's not much of a fetch player. He just watches the ball and occasionally saunters over to it. So I decided to get one of the other more playful dogs from the house and bring her into the tennis courts to play with Bailey. They had a great time chasing each other, doing "zoomies", and hanging out. So when they were good and tired I brought them back into the house and left.

Training Day 14

2010-09-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

When I got to my Trainer's house today, Bailey was outside playing in the tennis courts. My aide went to go get him out of the courts while I waited inside the house near the window. My aide said that Bailey greeted her happily but as soon as he noticed I was not with her took off excitedly running towards the house like a bullet(running right over the covered pool). He ran through the doorway and immediately stopped next to my chair to greet me with some rapid tail wagging. My aide was left far behind in the backyard. We then did bell training and he was super! He then passed out because he had quite a busy morning. My trainer had taken him to the grocery store that morning as well as his regular playtime in the tennis courts. He slept for a good half hour while I checked my emails on my phone. After, I wanted to get him moving so we did auto-sit training. Rather than following me and giving Bailey treats every time he sat, my aide stood at one place in the yard and I went around the yard with Bailey stopping every so often. My aide would still use the clicker every time Bailey sat when I stopped my chair but he only got a treat (with the clicking) every once in a while. Bailey was a little slower at first knowing that the normal bag of chicken treats wasn't right next to him but he did very well. I even went over to the fence where several of Bailey's buddies were making a fuss and trying to get his attention. He still sat every time I stopped my chair, even when he was nose to nose with his friends. After that it was lunch time, and guess what Bailey did?...slept!
After lunch I wanted to take him to pee and I'm trying something new. Normally I keep him on a short leash when we go outside. But because I also do this when we are training I think it might be confusing for him when it's time for him to go pee and not be in "training mode". So today I put him on a longer leash and had my aide say "get busy". He peed immediately. My aide was petting the other dogs in the yard and didn't notice Bailey's leash fell off my chair. Bailey just laid down next to me-what a good boy. We then changed his leash back to its shorter version and did another round of auto-sit training. He did very well.
When we got back inside the house, I wanted my trainer to show me how she's been working with bailey to turn on light switches for me. I'm sure I could have figured out how to train Bailey to do this but I want to be consistent with the training that she is already providing. Bailey is slowly getting it. But this is a tough one for him for some reason. My trainer is leaving town for a few days and I get to spend all next week with Bailey. So my goal is to get him to turn that light switch on by the time my trainer gets back from her trip. It was then crate time.

Training Day 13

2010-09-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Today was a trip to Target. When I got to my trainer's house she told me that she had taken Bailey to Curves earlier today. For those of you who don't know, Curves is a small gym that utilizes low impact circuit training. The entire workout takes about 35 minutes. My trainer said she put Bailey's mat in the corner of the room and he laid down on it the entire time and only briefly got up once. Pretty impressive! We got Bailey and immediately went to Target. He did superb. I walked him all over target, we went upstairs via the elevator, walked up and down the aisles, navigated through people and carts. Nothing seemed to phase or excite him. His auto-sit was very good. All in all a very good outing. When we got home I took Bailey outside to go to the bathroom. He must have had to go really bad because he immediately pooped. It's very clear to me that he is 100% potty trained. Because even though he most likely had to go to the bathroom while we were in target, he waited until we got to a more appropriate place (aka his house) to go. I had cooked up some more chicken jerky, but this time used chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. I now know why the jerky recipe called for the breast. The chicken thighs were way too fatty and greasy. They could possibly upset his stomach again. So I warned his trainer that if he is complaining of stomach issues again that it is probably just the greasy chicken and there is no need to rush him off to the Vet. After we came inside it was time for lunch. Bailey crashed out!
After lunch I wanted to take him outside one more time to pee (since he didn't go earlier). He peed immediately and I could tell he was tired from his big day out. So it was time to put him in his crate.

Training Day 12

2010-09-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

When I got to Bailey's house my trainer was practicing with him staying on the mat. Of course when he saw me he got up to greet me and I just stopped my chair and ignored him. My trainer got him to lay back down on the mat and I rolled in the room without him getting up. My trainer then released him to "go say hi". Then she left and we did some bell training using the new chicken liver flavored Kong stuffing instead of the cheez whiz or cream cheese. My trainer had emailed me over the weekend and said that cream cheese can cause diarrhea and suggested the kong stuffing. Bailey loved it! Then it was time for auto-sit training. I wanted to show my trainer what I had taught Bailey, so I asked her to come outside and watch. She was very impressed. We discussed his barking and she told me that she makes him watch all the dogs in her guide dog class come in one by one into the training area. She will then only praise him when he sits quietly and doesn't bark and try to greet the dogs. When he's barking she either waits for him to stop or makes a distracting noise to get his attention. When he looks up at her and stops barking then she rewards him. I think this is an excellent plan to get him to stop barking/greeting other dogs and people. After coming inside Bailey crashed out! I wanted to get him to pee before lunch so after about a half hour of him napping I took him outside. One problem with teaching him to automatically sit when I stop my chair, is that now he thinks he should always sit instead of going to the bathroom. But after three rounds of walking him around the pool he finally went. I think he kinda didn't have to go because he only peed a little bit. Then it was lunch time, and he crashed out again in his crate. My aide and I were discussing how his body language changes when he is leashed to me. When he's leashed to me he is more focused and alert and kinda struts when he walks. When he's not leashed to me he seems much more aloof. I'm very pleased because it shows he knows he's working when he is leashed to me. After lunch I wanted to take him out front for an auto-sit session. This time I wanted to be more sporadic with the treats and not give him one every time he sat, but every few times. He overall did great. But there was this one spot on the lawn he was super intrigued by and every time I took him over there he wouldn't auto-sit. So it became my new favorite spot to take him to. Eventually he started to sit when I took him to the spot. He did wonderfully otherwise. Then it was crate time.

Training Day 11

2010-09-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Again when I got to my trainer's house Bailey was playing in the Tennis courts, and he was super excited to see me. I got him and we immediately went to the grocery store. It had been six days since he had been in the car, but he jumped right in. The grocery store was very crowded and I was a bit nervous as to how Bailey would react, but he was superb. He stayed next to me while we went all around the store. I did some auto-sit training and considering he had a lot of distractions he did very well. He wasn't as fast as in the backyard but that will come. After I got back to Baileys house I took him to pee. Then I wanted to see if he liked the cream cheese so we did bell training. He seemed to like it. He did pass out after five minutes.(not from the cream cheese, he was just tired) After lunch I wanted to do another auto-sit session in the backyard. He nailed it! I'm so impressed by his ability to learn. After, I put him in the Tennis courts with his buddies and called it a day.

Training Day 10

2010-09-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

When we got there today Bailey was happily running around on the pool cover (which he is not supposed to be doing). The woman who was watching Bailey brought him in just as I was going to go outside to get him. We then did bell training and he was nearly 100%. I talked to his Vet who said cheez whiz in large quantities was not good for him, so instead we kept using the peanut butter. After bell training I wanted to see if he remembered the "auto-sit" session from yesterday and lo and behold he did! He sat quickly every time I stopped my wheelchair. Then it was time for something brand new. Because I had to hang out with Bailey today my physical therapist came over to Bailey's house. I wanted to set him up for success. So rather than let him wander around off the leash, and have my aide keep calling him back when he got in the way, I asked my aide to sit with him and keep him on the leash. He did amazing and slept on his mat the entire time (1 hour). Then I took him to go potty, and then it was lunch time. He just chilled out while I ate. After lunch I wanted to do one more "auto-sit" session. He did phenomenally! I put him in the kitchen before I left. Tomorrow we're going to the grocery store to get cream cheese, which his Vet recommended as an alternative to cheez whiz. Here's a video of Bailey automatically sitting.

Training Day 9

2010-09-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

So from today until Friday my Trainer is out of town delivering another service dog to its owner. This means I get to see Bailey Wednesday- Friday. When I got to my Trainer's house all of the dogs were playing in her Tennis courts. Usually when I get there Bailey is hanging out in his crate or if he is in the Tennis courts, my Trainer gets him out for me. However today I had to get him out of the Tennis courts. When I was rolling up to the Tennis courts Bailey got super excited and started jumping around, wagging his tail and running towards the gate. None of the other dogs were nearly as excited as he was. When I got him out, he was excitedly wiggling and licking my hand. What's more I had a new aide with me that Bailey had only met one time before, so I knew that he was excited because he saw me and not my aide. After we got in the house we did bell training and he was very good. I used peanut butter as a reward because I want to ask his vet about the cheez whiz before I continue to use it. We also practiced the mat. I cooked up some chicken treats ( recipe here) and rather than make him pop up to lick peanut butter off my hand (which kind of defeats the purpose of having him lie on the mat), I asked my aide to periodically toss him a treat if he stayed on the mat. He did super well and eventually just conked out. After his nap I decided to try something new. I eventually want him to automatically sit every time I stop my chair. To train this I just took Bailey on the leash and walked him in the back yard. I perodically stopped and just waited for him to sit and look up at me (sometimes this took a minute), and when he did my aide would use the clicker and hand him a chicken treat. He got it sooooo fast (within 15 minutes). By the end of the training session he was sitting quickly everytime I stopped my chair. Then it was lunch time. Bailey just slept the whole time. I wanted to do one more "auto-sit session" after lunch, to really cement the lesson in. He again did remarkably well. My aide thought that I had previously been working with him to automatically sit. And I was like No. After we were done he got to hang out with his brother.

Training day 8- For real

2010-09-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

So apparently nothing fazes my dog. When I got to my trainer's house, Bailey was his normal happy self. My trainer said (again) nobody really knows why he was sick. I had a coffee date with my friend and decided to bring Bailey's mat. I was not sure if Bailey would lay on it or stay on it but I was like, let's bring it and see what happens. He remembered the car and jumped right in. This was his first ride with a seat-belt on and he did great. At Starbucks, we put his mat down and he stayed on it the whole time (about 1 hour). I was very impressed! He did kind of sit up a few times but lay back down without a problem or having to be asked. The more he learns to do things automatically, the less commands I have to use. For example, sit at the door. I could make a signal for it but it would be pretty tiring to stop driving, do the sign, and continue driving after he sits. If he learns to do it automatically, I just have to stop driving and wait.

So after Starbucks I took Bailey back to his house and he peed for one minute straight. I thought it was odd because he hadn't had too much to drink but my aide reminded me that he had been pumped full of fluids the previous day. During lunch, he went on his own into his crate with the door wide open. He crashed all during lunch.

After lunch it was play time. We went to the side yard where there are lots of toys and started chucking tennis balls. Bailey is a funny guy- he doesn't chase balls, he waits until they stop rolling and then walks over and picks it up. He doesn't have 'retrieve' down yet. He often just lies down with the ball. Funny boy.

After play time since it was so hot and he was tired, I put him in his crate and left. I didn't do bell training becuase I thought Cheese-Whiz might not be a good idea today. I discovered that Bailey is kind of vain. The vet had to shave a small patch from his front leg where the IV was put. Bailey kept looking at it like "what??" He literally did that 20 times. A dog with fashion sense.

Bailey update

2010-09-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

So after $800.00 it turns out Bailey just has a stomach ache. He had x-rays, spent the night at a specialist, drank barium to see if he had a blockage in his intestines. But no, just a stomach ache. I'm relieved! And extra relieved that my insurance will pay for part of it.

Training day 8- cancelled

2010-09-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

As I was getting ready to go see Bailey this morning, my cell phone rang and it was my trainer telling me Bailey had been throwing up all night and needed to go to the vet. She asked if I wanted to meet her there, but I figured me, my two aides (one is in training), my trainer, and a sick dog in a small examining room might be too much. So I said just keep me updated. As of now, nobody knows what is causing the pain and vomiting. He is with an abdominal specialist getting x-rays and medicine to help him poop. The good and bad thing is we can't see any major blockage. It's good because he doesn't have a huge obstruction but bad because we have no clue what it is. So I'm just waiting to hear what's the verdict. I had to choose what level of resuscitation to authorize- no resuscitation, CPR only, or open heart. That was weird, especially for a 6 month old puppy. So send Bailey good poop vibes.

Training day 7

2010-08-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

So when I arrived at my trainer's house today my trainer said my "lovely" dog had been awake since 2am this morning. He was not sick or in pain just up! My wonderful trainer stayed up with him all morning (I wouldn't have done that). So needless to say by 10am he was pretty tired. Nonetheless we did bell training and he was really really good. He came almost every time. We then worked on the mat-getting him to lie down on the mat. My trainer has been working with him on this and he is so much better. He will willingly lie down on the mat and stay there.

Then we worked on getting him into the car. As we were walking outside my smart dog somehow pressed the button on my citronella spray bottle (used to deter stray dogs). Bailey was not phased by it at all. Now he has always been great in the car-doesn't get sick, doesn't whine. But we haven't been able to train him to jump up on the back seat. So today I was determined to get him up on the backseat. Easier said then done. My aide tried everything from luring him onto the seat with treats to pushing his butt up onto the seat. He didn't have a clue as to what we wanted him to do. And I was stumped for ideas too! So we asked my trainer to help us out. And she magically got Bailey to go up on the back seat. Well not magically. She opened the trunk of my van and called him from the back while gently tugging on his leash. And he jumped up on the backseat with no problem. We did it a few more times to make sure he got it. After that we went back inside and he crashed out. Now he normally naps while I'm there but today he passed out-hmmm could that be since he was up since 2am? I had to wake him up before I ate lunch to take him outside to pee.Up until now Bailey would stand and just pee, which resulted in him peeing on himself. But today he actually kind of squatted like a normal dog! Yay! And then we came back inside and he crashed again. After lunch I wanted to see if he remembered the van so we took him outside to practice. He did great. It's like he never had a problem. I then took him on a walk and kind of used the neighbors dog to practice him not barking. He was definitely interested but kept quiet. After the walk he was tired so I put him in his crate and left.

Training day 6- Sad dog is not sad

2010-08-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

So as you all know, Bailey was neutered on Wednesday. Today was the first day I had seen him since the snip snip, so I was expecting him to be sad and lethargic.

Not the case.When I got to my trainer's house, he was playing in the backyard with a 3-month-old lab puppy. He was running around and tackling her. My trainer had determined that he was well enough to hang out with one or two other dogs but we were both surprised to see how much energy he had with her. This is the first time I'd ever seen him REALLY play with another dog since he's recently just come off of quarantine for having a parasite. He was leaping over the other dog, sharing toys, and playing keep-away.

After playtime it was time to work. We did bell training and he was pretty good. We started outside with distractions and he still responded. Then we moved inside and did 5 more minutes before he conked out.

Because I hadn't really planned for him to be his normal energetic self, I didn't plan any outings. After he woke up I took him to go pee and then ate lunch. He is becoming a vocal boy which is kind of not a good thing for a service dog. He doesn't bark incessantly but he barks a few times when he sees a dog. Not a mean bark, just a hello bark. Still I need to figure out a way to keep him quiet.

After lunch I walked him through the neighborhood. I decided to make him sit and wait before going through every door. I did this by just waiting at the gate until he sat and then going. It takes a while for him to figure it out but he'll get it. I had kind of a "roll up a newspaper and hit myself" moment when I realised he might be avoiding sitting because HE'D JUST BEEN NEUTERED! Duh. So I kind of let it slide today. After the walk he was tired so I just put him in his crate. I was not sure if I should put his cone on, but since my trainer was out I figured better to be safe than sorry. He looked so sad!

Training day 5

2010-08-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, again I learned you can't plan in dog training. I had a pretty mellow and fun day planned for Bailey since tomorrow he is getting neutered and that won't be fun. But my trainer is also a boarder and one of her boarders was not feeling well. She has a "dog room" where I usually work with Bailey. But since her boarder was in that room, I had to take Bailey and go.

I have wanted to take him to Petco to get a seat-belt, but because he had worms, I couldn't take him to places where other dogs would be and could pick up the parasite. So I figure this would be a good time to go. He did pretty well. He was great with people, even when a store employed measured him for a harness. He did however bark at a few other dogs. It was definitely not a mean bark- he greeted one golden retriever very nicely after barking at him first. But it's definitely something I will have to work on with him. We walked around and he saw birds, rats, chinchillas, and mice and was not fazed by any of it. I got him a tag (my trainer had a visitor tag on him) with "Service Dog" and her phone number. The reason I didn't put his name is because people might try to call his name and distract him.

After Petco, we went to Starbucks. He was an angel- just laid down and slept. It was pretty busy too! But he didn't seem bothered by all the people. I did encounter my first drive-by petters. Three to be exact. For people who don't know, drive-by petting is when people sneak up and pet your dog while he is working without asking you. This is a problem for service dogs because they lose focus and it teaches them to seek out attention while working. Two other people asked first and we politely said no and explained why.

We went back to my trainer's house and I went around the side of the house while my aide went to get the door for me. Then suddenly there was this pitbull and I was like "Hi?" I obviously knew she was friendly but I know my trainer prefers that the service dog puppies play with some dogs and not others. So I was not sure if this dog was one of them. Bailey did great. He was definitely interested but did not pull or whatever. Turns out she was "puppy approved" and we headed inside to eat lunch. Unfortunately Bailey couldn't eat lunch with us because I had to eat in the dining room while Bailey was hanging out in the kitchen with 6 other dogs. After lunch because the puppy room was still occupied and because it was 104 degrees outside, I decided to cal it a day. I usually see Bailey on Wednesday, but not this week. The next time I see him, he'll be coned. Today as not the day I planned, but a good day none-the-less.

Training day 4

2010-08-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a difference 2 days makes. Today Bailey was energetic and wanting to work. We first did "come to the bell" and he nailed it. I brought him a yoga mat which I want to train him to use under restaurant tables, in class, and other places where he can lie down for a while. We clicked and treated every time all 4 paws were on the mat. Of course, most of the time it was by accident, but he will learn that whenever the mat gets put down he should lay on it. Then it was potty time. He just got cleared of Giardia (yay!) so I could walk him around the yard to go pee and so he could practice walking with me. He did well, although I did clip him with my chair once and he yelped. Now you all know I am 100% positive with my training, but I don't think that clipping him with my chair is the end of the world. It's how dogs learns to give me space when we walk. But hearing him yelp did tug on my heartstrings. During lunch we ate outside in the fenced in area and he just laid down. Then it was errands time. Now I was a little nervous because of the little growl he let out last time, but he was a total angel! We went to the drug store and I walked him all over the store. There were lots of people and he did great. He walked with me, didn't sniff things, negotiated obstacles (like racks and aisles), and did great in line.

I think the growling incident was because he and I are/were still getting to know each other. I took him to a strange new place with lots of people and he didn't trust that I wasn't going to let anything bad happen. I think over time as our relationship grows, he will be fine going anywhere with me.

After the drug store I put him in his crate and left. I'm so pleased about how well he did.

Training day 3- you can't plan in dog training

2010-08-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Almost all the SD (service dog) owners I know have said, "you can't plan in dog training," and now I know what they mean. I had a day planned for me and Bailey- we would have training, lunch, and then go to Starbucks. However, when we got to Bailey's house I could tell he was really tired. I tried doing the bell but he was just not into it. He then fell asleep for a good 30 minutes. Then I tried again with the bell and same thing. It was lunch time for the humans so I thought it would be fun to eat in the outdoor play area where he can be off leash and play. He played for 10 minutes and then passed out again. He was however really good again while I ate- not trying to eat food off of the table or me. He just hung out next to me and slept. After lunch I was going to try the bell one more time but he just bee-lined for the crate and laid down in it. I definitely took it as him saying, "Mom, I'm tired!" So we played with is favorite toy (the stick) and he enjoyed that. I took him on a mini walk and then put him in his crate. He has a big day tomorrow- possibly getting neutered.

Listening to your dog is extremely important. If I just did what I planned to do and did not take into account how he was feeling I probably would have gotten not desirable behavior or he would have done what I wanted but not enjoyed it. Service dogs must love to work for you and in the beginning you have to make it fun. Hanging out was definitely not a waste of time. Bailey and I are still getting to know each other so a less intense training session means more time for bonding.

Tomorrow Bailey is either getting neutered and getting his tooth out (a baby tooth that's stuck) or setting the date to do it. So I will either see him Friday (if he's not neutered) or Tuesday (if he is).

Training day 2

2010-08-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Phew, what a busy day. I got to my trainer's house at 10am. This was the first time he actually greeted me and licked my hand. I had a coffee date scheduled for 11am so I quickly got Bailey and we were off. We got there a little early so I took him on a short walk to get his energy out. As soon as we turned the corner onto the main street we were immediately flocked with people walking by. Bailey grew up on a wonderful farm so seeing a whole bunch of people at once is new to him. He let out a little growl which really surprised me. You can't see him but you can hear him.

At the cafe, we sat outside and he did surprisingly well- just laid down at my feet and slept. He did get up a few times but laid back down. He also barked a couple of times but was able to get quiet again. I was not 100% sure how to handle the barking. So when we got back I asked my trainer what to do if that happens again. She said instead of trying to calm him by saying things like "what's the matter" and "oh, are you ok?" in one of those troubled tones, you should use a happy voice and say something like "Who are you talking to little guy?" The reason is because you don't want to make him feel like there is a reason he should be nervous. If you talk to him in a pitying tone, he will feel like there is something wrong that he needs to be nervous about. Also, I don't ever even say "Quiet!" or jerk his leash, or do things to "snap" him into obedience.

When it was lunch time for me, instead of putting him in his crate, my trainer suggested I let him stay with me and see how he does around me eating. He was fabulous and only investigated a few times. Again, for rude behavior like poking his head near the plate, we just ignored him and he settled down.

After lunch we had a bell session and he did great. I had a secret weapon- bacon and cheese flavored Cheese-whiz. Yum! He looooved it and came 95% of the time.

He fell asleep kind of in the middle of the training session so I let him have a nap. After he woke up, it was play time! Because he kind of has to be quarantined (he's being treated for giardia) he hasn't gotten much play time. My trainer has a huge backyard and also has a smaller fenced in area where we can let him off leash. We played fetch for a bit and then with his favorite toy....the stick!

After that it was time to go. He's getting fixed this Thursday. We pushed it forward because he has to get a tooth out and if he's going under anesthesia, why not neuter him at the same time. All in all a good day.

Roll up a newspaper and hit yourself

2010-08-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

This is a running joke in the service dog (and positive training) community. When your dog does anything wrong, you should roll up that paper you're about to hit him with and smack yourself instead. This means either you weren't paying attention to him and he chewed up your shoe or you rewarded him at the wrong time and now he thinks 'lie down' means 'chase the cat'. I had a minor newspaper moment during my last session. I totally forgot to bring treats on our outing. Now he didn't misbehave, but he might have been a little more focused if I was luring something under his nose.

My training philosophy is 100% positive reinforcement. This doesn't mean I let him get away with anything. If I want him to come and he doesn't when I rig my bell, no treat. there's no "you tried so here you go". When I ask for a behavior I expect for him to do it. If he doesn't we move on to something else or wait 5 seconds and try again. I think one of the most common misconceptions about positive reinforcement is that you let your dog do whatever he wants and reward him for it.

Positive reinforcement also builds a strong bond because you dog wants to please you. All dogs have some sense of wanting to please their owner so if you work from there you will have an even more devoted dog. This is especially important for service dogs. I can't physically dominate my dog (not that I want to) so my dog has to want to work for me- not be intimidated or threatened into working for me. I can't just jump out of my chair and alpha roll him (a horrible technique where you flip him on his back and yell him into submission).

Dominating techniques like the alpha roll, yelling, hitting, and forcing will ruin a service dog in training. This is because they will be afraid to trust you and you can't have a scared service dog. Scared dogs can pose a threat to the public because they may lash out and bite if they feel overly scared or threatened. So the quickest way to wash out your service dog is by using those techniques.

Tomorrow we are having our first restaurant experience. I'll be armed with a Nylabone to keep him busy.

Our first outing!

2010-08-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day. I had Bailey all day with no trainer. First we went on a walk and it was the first time he ever walked with my chair. He did great! I bumped into him a few times but all in all, he heeled very well. (I'm in love with his leash) My aide said he kept looking at me to check in when we were walking.What a good boy!

After the walk, we went inside for a bell training session. He came when I rang the bell 90% of the time. Then I decided it was play time! I brought a 'Fetch Me' ball and stick set and although he liked the ball, he went crazy for the stick!

After that I took him to "get busy"- AKA go potty- and it was off to the bank. He was an angel! Except for when we got in line he knocked down one of the barriers with his leash and got a little freaked out. He just lied down when I was talking to the bank teller. After that we went to a deli to pick up lunch. Again, he was amazing.

I put him in his crate when we were eating because my trainer and I have not worked on "leave it" with him yet and I wanted to enjoy my lunch. I could also tell that he was tired from our trip. He napped while we ate. After lunch we had one more bell training session. He did pretty good except he was kind of burnt out so we did one final "get busy" before I headed home. I am so impressed with how well he did.
As much as I am so happy we had zero access problems I guarantee that it was because I am visibly disabled. I have heard stories from people with invisible disabilities that they get hassled. Obviously they need their dogs as much as I do. It just sucks that they have to go through another layer of bureaucracy just to get through daily life. I'm sure I will have access problems at some point, but not as much as the people with invisible disabilities.

Training ideas

2010-08-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

Figure out the 22 eye gaze commands from Canine Assistants
Work on "leave it"- especially because I am a messy eater and often drop food on the floor
Buy or make a "settle" mat to bring to restaurants, classes, etc, so Bailey has his place
Work on eye contact with bell- possibly only click when he looks at me (after he gets "come"down)

That's it for now. Tomorrow I will be taking him to Petco and then to a deli to pick up some lunch.

Training Day One

2010-08-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

So this was my official start of training Bailey. I was out town the first week he was here, so I hadn't seen him since I met him. Boy was he different. He had a haircut and went to the vet for a check up (he's healthy except for some intestinal parasites). He was more social with me, especially when he learned I was the peanut butter giver. I wanted to teach him to come, so I brought a fifteen foot leash. I tried to get a bike bell but the shop only had bells I couldn't use. Luckily my trainer happened to have one, and it was easy for me to use. So we practiced me hiting the bell and any time Bailey would look or respond he got rewarded with peanut butter. He caught on very quickly. Within ten minutes he would come with 90% accuracy when I rang the bell. I was amazed! He also stayed near me the whole time. I brought a fifteen foot leash because I thought I would have to reel him into me to teach "come". I never had to reel him in. He was so smart. I am very impressed with my five month old service puppy. Here is a video of him coming

Hi and welcome!

2010-08-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

I'm Eva! I'm 27 and have quadriplegic cerebral palsy. I use a power wheelchair to get around and I am non-verbal. I am a college graduate and am planning to go to grad school in a year from now. Although I have full-time aides that help me out, I have always wanted a service dog to help me be more independent.

I have always loved dogs. I have volunteered for the humane society, owned a dog-walking business, and have always had pet dogs. All this was done with the physical assistance of my aides, with me directing them on what to do. As I got into my mid-twenties, I thought it would be helpful to have a service dog. So I called up all the famous service dog organizations and explained who I am and what I want my dog to do. Many of the organizations refused me off the bat because I am non-verbal. Others had crazy restrictions for non-verbal people like you must have a "guardian"with you and the dog at all times. The few places that accepted non-verbal people had a 7-10 year wait-list and I wanted my dog in time for graduate school. I know these organizations work really great for some people, but it was not for me.

Instead of giving up and saying, "Oh well," I decided to do it myself. I found a woman who trains and boards service dogs and guide dogs for a living. She knew of a breeder who had a dog who she thought would be perfect for me. My dog will be trained just for me, responding to my subtle commands, and without all the crazy bureaucracy that comes with other service dog organizations. My dog is a North American Retriever, a fancy name for a mix of lab, golden retriever, and standard poodle. He was bred for service work and is training along with his litter-mate and his half-brother (both becoming service dogs as well). I will be highly involved in his training, visiting and taking him out at least 3 times a week. This blog will document our progress, training hiccups, successes, and general puppy cuteness. I am also being filmed for a documentary!

I'm really excited and a little nervous since all this service dog stuff is new to me. I have been researching a lot but it's time to put my research into practice. Enjoy our journey!

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