Training...Day 7

Post bath wipe down!

It was bath day for Charlie!  Lorrie wanted him to be fresh and clean for me because tomorrow night he will be staying with me for good!!  At UDS Headquarters they have a nice little doggie bath where he was able to climb up a ramp, load into a tub, and get safely secured so he didn't go anywhere.  Lorrie used a spray bottle that had watered-down soap in it.  She could spray it on a wet Charlie so that the soap wouldn't go on in globs and therefore be hard to spread around and then wash off.  She could just spray and rub the specific areas.  After she got him all nice and clean he enjoyed a towel rubdown.  Next, his least favorite part, was the blow dryer (which looked like a giant vacuum).  We were able to get him dried with that thing in no time!  After being nice and cleaned up he got his new collar put on and a chance to rest while we went over a lecture.

Charlie waiting patiently on stage.

Next on the agenda was taking Charlie to my church.  I spend a great deal of time there (once a month I teach grades 1-4 three services in a row) and even have one of my power chairs there.  We thought it would be great to have more practice in my power chair as well as getting Charlie familiar with the church.  We got there and had lunch first.  Charlie got to meet Pastor Sam and show off his skills- he once again paid for my lunch all by himself (took my credit card from me, put his front paws on the counter, and gave it to the cashier).  After lunch we did a lot of exploring and maneuvering throughout the building... we did some weaving, backwards walking, ups, circles, going through doors, etc.  I brought him through the classrooms to let him check things out and become familiar with the smells.  We also went into the kids' auditorium (where I teach) and did some retrieval skills (he sat and waited on stage while I went to the back of the room and then called for him to come to me) as well as some "find me" where he sat in a spot where he couldn't see me and then I would hide and call him and he would run out and find me.  After that we went back into the hallway where I would make him stay while I would zoom off and go far distances and then make him find me.  I love his enthusiasm- every time he'd come running for me as fast as he could and then slide to a stop right in front of me!

We ended the day with a final lecture on public safety and such.  Tomorrow morning Charlie will be dropped off at my house and stay with me all by himself... can't wait!!!

Training...Day 6

Can we say FREEZING?!  It was way too cold out to do much, so we decided to stick to the things we absolutely needed to accomplish today- going into my office and testing out the bus with Charlie.  Lorrie picked me up in the accessible van so we could use my power chair and we decided not to go to Central Market and Cross Keys Coffee.  We loaded into the van and headed to the Queen Street Bus Station.  There weren't many buses waiting there so we had to pick one and do it fast because it had to leave within five minutes.  The only problem was that it was a type of bus that I rarely ride (once or twice within the past year)- the extra long and tall bus (Lititz doesn't have very many riders so we always get the smaller bus that has only a ramp that flips out).  This bus actually has stairs so the ramp slid out and then raised up.  We decided to try it and I made Charlie sit in front of me.  He got a bit of grease on his paw from it going down a crack, but other than that he sat still and had no problem as we were elevated up together.  We did a u-turn on the bus and then went back down on the ramp.  Not too bad, thankfully the driver was gracious enough to give us the time to try it out. 

We scurried across the street to my office and Charlie easily pressed all the buttons to get through the door ways despite all the possible distractions around us.  He followed me nicely through the doors and metal detectors.  The noise of the metal detector that I caused (it was set off by the metal in my chair) made him jump but the other times it went off he just twitched his ears.  We continued up in the elevator where he sat calmly in the corner and rode to the third floor.  We went into the back door of my office (where we later attached a tug for him to open the door for me- which we tried and he did AWESOME at opening it) and then went to my cubicle for him to check out.  We put a padded carpet down for him to be comfy during the day.  We also visited a few people, including my bosses and even the Commissioners!  We tested Charlie to see what he would do if I rode away toward the kitchen and had him "stay"- the first time he did whine and got up and we put him back, but the second time we tried he stayed and only whined a tiny bit.  But that was great for being in an unfamiliar place with his girl zooming off in her wheelchair!

We ended up going back to the bus station to find a bus that is like the one I ride daily and had to wait about 30 minutes for one to come through.  Of course a bunch of strange people (we were at the bus station where they love to congregate) kept bombarding us with questions and comments-I will have to get used to that!  We were able to test the bus out and get settled as I would if I were riding in or out of town.  It's a tight fit but we will have to make it work... just praying that the bus drivers and other riders will have patience with me and Charlie. 

After all that hard work we stopped at Coffee Co for some great food, coffee, and conversation.  Charlie loved it cause he was able to take a nice little snooze!

We ended our day at my house with a run through of coming in the garage and he did an amazing job of pulling the door shut for me.  We worked on some clicker training as well for him to pull my boots off by the heels.  Another day together under our belts!

Training...Day 5

It's Monday, January 21st...sorry for the confusing post dates- I had them as drafts and then published them all at the same time and now it's all out of sorts, whoopsies!!  Today was the longest time we've been out of Charlie's usual surroundings.  We met up at my soon-to-be home and together experienced my first house inspection (which was really my dad going around with the inspector and reporting back to me).  While there Charlie was allowed to explore the place and sniff it out.  I was able to un-vest him and take off his leash.  We left it in the bedroom and then proceeded to the living room.  After some time I told him to get his vest and off he went to retrieve it in the other room and he brought it back to me!  Then, I told him to do the same thing with his leash and he went and got it and managed to bring that back as well.  We had some time to do a photo op as we were waiting for them to finish inspecting the basement... he is very photogenic! 

After the house inspection I walked Charlie back home (three blocks) to my parents' house.  We had some major excitement and a few barks at strangers, but we made it back.  The next thing to happen was something I've been anxious about since the beginning- the meeting of Charlie and Manu (my chihuahua that is deaf and has seizures).  I put Manu downstairs with a bone to keep him occupied while Charlie came in to get used to the smells and settle.  After only a few minutes I let Manu in and he went right up to Charlie with a wagging tail and sniffed and spun and checked out his new best friend!  There were no problems (minus the fact that they wanted to play with each other which would be a bad idea since Charlie weighs about 89 pounds more!).  It was a good feeling to know that my two doggies could hang.

After the meeting we did some training in my room with picking up my socks and placing them in my drawer or laundry basket.  Charlie mastered the opening and shutting of my closet door as well and practiced removing a shoe and sock.

It was past lunchtime so we decided to take a walk down to Tomato Pie Cafe here in Lititz.  This walk went WAY better- he had no pent up energy and a different leash attached to my chair which made things much easier since I could use my chair as a tool to correct him.  He opened the door for me to get in and laid quietly by my feet the whole time.  Our trainer, Lorrie, has been so patient through this whole process and is such a rock for us as we navigate our new routine and life together.  She is a major blessing.

We ended the afternoon with a run-through of how I enter the house in my power chair (into the garage, through the pantry, and then up the stairs in my stair lift into the kitchen).  After doing that a couple of times we said our see-you-laters and off they went to the UDS headquarters.  I joined them later for a volunteer training hour (for those that have dog that are in the being stages of training) and worked with Charlie in a group setting.  There were about 8-10 dogs together and we learned about things like practicing the retrieval sequence in bits (look, get it, that's it, hold, bring it, give it).  I was able to share my vest & leash retrieval story which was great because they could then see how what they were doing now really benefits the end consumer.  A long and eventful day comes to an end, but tomorrow we try out the city!!

Training...Day 2

Today was the second full day of the team training at the United Disability Services headquarters.  And it was a great one... we worked hard and played hard.  The morning started out with a great time of bonding- I got to un-vest and un-leash Charlie and off we went into a big training room to chase balls and hang out.  When he doesn't have those two things on it's letting him know he isn't working.  It was the first time we did that together!  Once he was tuckered out from playing with a stuffed animal and tennis ball he gladly "got dressed" (any "" will indicate commands he knows) and went back to work.  Before we went back to the office he was challenged to "wait" as I left the room, crossed the hallway, and entered into the office.  He did as he was told and right when I said "come" he came bounding in and stopped promptly before me (can we say gentle giant?).

As he rested at my feet, I read some material on grooming and vet care.  After that we practiced "hold" and "carry" with an empty basket (with the intent of him getting my lunch bag or other things and doing the same).  It was rough getting him to "hold" because he just wanted to "give it" to me.  We practiced it and had a few successes!  I realized that he was able to "get it" and "carry" it much more easily and so we did that so that he could build confidence that he was doing what I wanted.  After that, we worked on the door- opening and closing it by "tug" and "harder" to unlatch and then "back" to really pull the door open. 

That was a lot of repetitive and challenging stuff for us, so we took a break and Lorrie (our trainer) gave me a great lecture on motivation- what I can do to get my dog to do what I want and need him to do.  I have to figure out (based on the situation and the request) how and what to use so he will accomplish the task.  Things like words, body language, treats, play, etc.

After lunch we had a socialization with a few other dogs where they were all un-vested and able to play.  Charlie was chasing balls and running around the room like a mad man!  Then, the dogs each had their turn to get a mini mani (aka nail trimming).  After everyone left, Lorrie went to get a drink and I decided to work with Char on our challenge command.  Right now he can bark on command in two ways: saying "speak" or a hand signal.  My challenge was to add in a third option where I would click my tongue and he would back.  So, I started by doing all three at once a few times, next I dropped "speak" and just did the hand signal and click, then after I felt confident in that, I just clicked... by the time Lorrie got back HE WAS DOING IT WITH JUST A CLICK!!!  I was so excited for him and me that we did that.  I can't wait to go back tomorrow morning and test him.

To finish off our day Lorrie and I went over the Public Access Test.  This is what I have to pass with Charlie so he is no longer in training and then he will be able to go with me in public (without a trainer).  It'll be done at the mall most likely and we will be graded on a bunch of criteria and series of tests (like how well he follows my commands and handles distractions).  The point is the determine whether or not we are safe as a team in public.

Great day, awesome dog, and patient trainer makes for a happy heart.

Training...Day 3

And we are off to another productive day.  It involved lectures on resistance and innate behaviors, going through another set of commands, a visit to the vet, out to eat at a restaurant, practicing commands, and ending the day with some play time.  Gia, my almost 3 years old niece, joined in on the play time and loved being able to throw a ball and have Charlie retrieve it (our old chihuahua, Manu, is petrified of ball or any toy so it was a whole new experience for Gia to play with a dog).  I love seeing how much fun Charlie can have and still maintain control of his size- never a rough moment or fear of him toppling me (or Gia) over.  He is truly a sweet soul.  I love how he watches me- this is his way of checking in to make sure I am okay and that he is doing what he is told.

There were quite a few challenges today as well and I am learning how to deal with them and assert myself as the pack leader (despite my size).  There are many tactics and think-ology that I need to practice and utilize so that he trusts me to be that dominant figure.  It's a huge learning curve, but I am surrounded by some great teachers and lots of support to turn to.  This whole process is teaching me a lot and although I am on overload, I still feel rested and have a peace that passes all understanding.  What a great feeling!!!

Training...Day 4

First week of training is complete! I go back to work tomorrow.  BUT I have off Monday-Thursday for more training (and this time outside of the UDS Headquarters).

Today we did a recap of all that was learned and worked on the command list hands on.  You should see Charlie do his "over"- a graceful jumping over an object that is unbelievable for his size.  He continued to perform his "speak" with a simple click of my tongue.  We also traveled all over the UDS Headquarters to practice pushing the door opening buttons, visiting people in a calm way, and traveling at different speeds (I am pretty sure Lorrie was running and pushing me at the same time at one point!).

After a long day of hands on training and a lecture squeezed in Charlie and I were able to let loose.  I un-vested him and took off his halter and leash and we played with a few toys that he found complete pleasure in (slobbery tennis ball and some sort of once-stuffed animal).  After he grew tired of that I was able to rub his belly a bit and let him relax after all his hard work.

We were able to end the day with an incredible gift- the Williams family (they raised Charlie from a puppy to 18 months) came in and had a ginormous care package waiting for us!! It had everything I would need to get started with Charlie, including a crate, bed, leash, collar, treats, toys, a 40-lb bag of food, and so much more!  They were even so thoughtful as to load me up with hand sanitizer and an Etown Alumni shirt (go Blue Jays!).  I can't even begin to thank them enough for bringing Charlie this far and being so considerate of me and my needs now that Charlie will be a major part of my life.  It's such a sacrifice that they given to do what they do and I am forever grateful (love you guys!!)