puppies inside: FLD Bear

Showing posts with label FLD Bear. Show all posts

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Ten years to tell a story

October 22, 2014

Baraga

When Deb Donnelly and I arrive, the teams in Unit 8 are ready and waiting for us. Puppies are settled on mats with Kongs and Nylabones at the ready.

A low shot of a young black lab puppy lying on a green thick mat. To the left are the lower legs of the puppy's raiser, he is wearing blue prison pants and black shoes, his right hand is just visible between his knees. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and there is a red Kong on the mat by his right shoulder. The puppy's head is resting on the mat.

A relaxed FLD Eco seems to be listening intently.

Another low shot, this time of a small chocolate lab lying on the tile floor with his chin on the floor between his front paws. He is just behind the lower legs of his raiser, who is also wearing blue prison pants and black shoes. To the left in the background is a blue mat, but the puppy chose to lie on the floor instead. There is also a yellow, green and blue Nylabone puppy chew toy on the tile in front of the mat.

FLD Hershel, on the other hand, doesn't seem interested. What is it about the floor that is more comfortable than his mat?

Deb has lots to talk about. She's come from a circular road trip to prisons in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin before getting to Baraga and continuing on to Chippewa. She reports that Minnesota's Lino Lakes Correctional Facility, which started raising puppies in July of 2013, had their first puppy issued to a client the day before. Leader Dog "Lino" is now a working guide dog.

With the return of the first Baraga puppies looming in December, the men are interested about the process. Deb explains that Leader Dogs for the Blind takes in 44 puppies each month. Leader Dog veterinarians can only accommodate 11 dogs a week. (This places a demand on the breeding department on the other end.) When the puppies return they are subject to a series of medical exams and x-rays to assure excellent health. Some are pulled for breeding; those that aren't are spayed or neutered. About 14 percent are career-changed for medical issues. The rest go into formal guide work training.

"We always train more dogs than we need," Deb says. Up to 24 blind or visually impaired clients in a given "class" live in the Polk Residence at Leader Dogs for about three and a half weeks. Here they learn to care for and work with their new partner. Extra dogs are necessary so the trainers can make the perfect match with each team.

There are questions about what will happen in December when she comes to bring FLDs Axel, Bear and Copo back to Leader Dog. Deb suggests that the men develop a "good-bye" ceremony for themselves, something that can be consistently recreated for each puppy that leaves.

Saying good-bye to your puppy is hard, no matter whom the puppy raiser happens to be. After returning five of my own puppies I can attest that it never gets easier.

"The dogs do way better than the people do in this," Deb says. "They adapt very well, most of them, very quickly. It's like going to camp for them." A collective sigh and the looks on the men's faces make me believe they are not quite convinced.

A black lab is lying on a thick green mat between the legs of his raiser, who is sitting on a lunchroom table stool. The man is on the left side of the table and is wearing blue prison pants and a long sleeved white shirt. His elbows are resting on his knees and he is looking up toward the right. A second man is sitting on the stool opposite on the right. He is also wearing the blue prison pants and a long-sleeved white shirt. This man also has his elbows on his knees leaning forward with his hands clasped. He is looking at the camera. In the background are two other men sitting at another table. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and has a white Nylabone chew toy between his front paws, and a second one on the tile floor next to his mat. The puppy's chin is resting on his right leg and he is looking at the camera.

Ricky (left) and Doug (right) sit with their puppy. FLD Bear is one of the puppies slated to return to Leader Dogs for the Blind in December.

An african american man is sitting on a lunch table stool, bending over to pet a golden retriever puppy that is lying on the lile floor between the man's feet. The man is wearing the blue prison pants and a long sleeve white t-shirt and white shoes. The man's left forearm is resting on his left knee and he is petting the puppy's side with his right hand. The puppy is lying on its left side with its head toward the camera. He is wearing the blue bandana. A nylabone chew toy is on the floor by his head.

P reaches over to give a sleepy FLD Gage a pet. This little guy will be staying for a while, but P will be sad to see FLD Bear leave. P was promoted from FLD Bear's team to raise Gage.

A man wearing blue prison pants and a green jacket is sitting on a lunch table stool with his left forearm across his left knee and his right elbow on his right kneww with his chin in his right hand. The man is looking forward to the left. At his feet is a black lab that is lying facing right. There is a lunch table in front of the team, and another one in the back ground.

Black and FLD Copo, who is also slated to return in December.

Inmate raiser Black will have it especially hard in December. He was promoted from FLD Bear's team to take over as Copo's raiser, so he'll be saying good-bye to two puppies.

Black feels so changed by this program that he recently made a generous donation to Leader Dogs for the Blind. (His job in the Baraga Correctional Facility pays him 74 cents per day.)

Deb feels their pain. FLD Jedi, the 20th puppy she's raised, is due to go back to Leader Dog within a couple of weeks.

A woman dressed in black pants and an orange fleece jacket is standing with her hands on her hips on the right of the picture. At her feet is sprawled a large german shepheard dog, he is practically lying on her feet with his chin resting on the tile floor. He is facing to the right. On the left of the picture is an african american man sitting on a lunch table stool facing the woman. He is wearing the blue prison uniform and white shoes. At his feet in front of him is a small chocolate lab that is sitting on a blue mat with a yellow, green, and lbue nylabone puppy chew toy in front of him. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandan and is facing the right.

Deb Donnelly speaks to the inmate raisers with FLD Jedi sprawled at her feet. Brown (left) sits with his charge, FLD Hershel.

"There's somebody out there who needs this dog more than I do," she says. She tells a story about one of the puppies she raised long ago. The puppy "graduated" and was matched with a young man, it was his first Leader dog. Deb got the chance to meet the painfully shy and reserved man. He had a difficult time speaking to her.

Some years later, when he received a second dog, Deb witnessed an amazing transformation. The man stood up in front of everyone. (Back then the graduating teams were introduced as a group to the raisers during "visitation" night at Leader dog. Now the puppy raiser has an individual visit with the new team.) Deb says he would never have done that the first time she met him. He announced that his goal was to meet one million people. He asked that each and every person should come up and shake his hand.

With a catch in her voice, Deb says, "It took me 10 years before I could even tell this story."

A close head shot of the large german shepherd puppy lying across the woman's purple running shoes. The dog is facing the camera with his chin on the tile floor. His leash is lying on the floor by him and his left front leg and paw are across the woman's shoes. He is looking directly into the camera. He is also wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

FLD Jedi makes sure he stays close to Deb.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

We work

September 12, 2014

Baraga

Tammy got the group working on our September skills right away.

A man wearing the blue prison uniform and a blue knit cap is standing on the left facing the camera. His hands are at his side and he is holding a leash in his right hand. A small yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy is sitting on his left side. Another man, wearing blue prison pants and a long-sleeve white t-shirt is standng in front of a door with a window in it. His right hand is in his right pant pocket, and his left hand is holding a leash attached to a young yellow lab puppy that is lying on the tile floor on his left side. The puppy is facing the man and is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. A woman wearing blue jeans and a grey sweatshirt with a treat pouch around her waist is standing on the right with her back to the camera.

Tammy leads the group in the relaxation protocol. Corey is handling FLD Henry; Bart is handling FLD Farley.

An african american man wearing blue prison pants and a white long sleeve and glasses is standing facing the camera with a small golden retriever puppy sitting on his left side. The man is looking down at the puppy and the puppy is looking up at him. The man's hands are hanging down at his sides. The puppy's leash is lying on the tile floor attached to his collar. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

P and FLD Gage have great focus during the relaxation protocol.

Two men are sitting on opposite sides of a steel lunchroom table. The man on the left is wearing blue prison pants and a white long-sleeve t-shirt, his left elbow is on the table and his right elbow is resting on his right knee, his hands are clasped. The man on the other side of the table is wearing the blue prison unform and his resting his folded arms on the table. A third man is standing to the right, but his head is out of the picture. He is wearing blue prison pants and a white t-shirt. He also has a blue surgical glove on his left hand. His right hand is holding a leash attached to the collar of a young yellow lab, which is moving toward him from left to right.

FLD Farley is interested in the blue glove that his raiser, Steve, is wearing. Teammates Bart and Paul look on as Steve asks Farley to get into heel position.

A closer shot of the man standing, with the man sitting at the table with his arms folded. Now the yellow lab pup is just about to sit at the man's left side, his nose is reaching up toward the man's left gloved hand.

Steve demonstrates how FLD Farley can't keep his eyes off the glove. I show the team how to work on impulse control with Farley so he can ignore the glove.

Six puppies are lying down along a wall on the right, all but one are facing left. Opposte the puppies are a line of men dressed in blue prison pants and white t-shirts. The men are sitting or standing and looking at the pups.

Here the puppies demonstrate a nice down/stay.

We head out to the yard to do the CGC and IFT assessments. I am so busy helping Tammy that I don't get many photos...but FLDs Axel, Bear, Copo, Dax, Eco, Farley, and Gage (the puppies eligible for the CGC) are all successful.

A man dressed in the blue prison uniform is standing on the left, but he is only visible from the waist down. He holding a leash to a small yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy that is standing on his left side. Both are facing the camera, but the puppy is looking at an older black lab that is being walked by from the right.

FLD Henry stands calmly as FLD Bear and his handler walk by during the loose leash walking portion of the IFT.

Tammy decided to add a tic-tac-toe game after the group CGC and IFT assessments. Lots of fun and good training!

An outside shot on cement with a white brick building in the background. A group of men are standing in the background with their backs facing the building. There are nine cream colored plastic chairs set up in three rows of three like a tic-tac-toe board. There are two men sitting in two chairs in the first row (furthest from the camera), one man in the middle seat in the middle row, and one man in the far right seat in the last row. The men sitting have puppies with them.

Tammy designates two teams - "sit" and "down." The game is played like tic-tac-toe, but the puppies on the sit team have to sit for the duration, or they are out. The puppies on the down team have to hold a down or they are out. This is a fun game that challenges the raisers and their pups to hold position in spite of the distraction of other puppies and handlers walking by.

Three men and their puppies are sitting in a row. The man on the right has a german shepherd, the man in themiddle has a yellow lab, and the man on the left has a golden retriever. The puppies should all be lying down, but the only one that is is the golden retriever! There is a man in the background on the left standing with a black lab sitting at his left side. The men are all smiling.

Unfortunately, two of the "down" team puppies don't want to hold position. A row or diagonal of puppies on the same team must hold position for at least three seconds after the last pup is in position. As you can see, only FLD Gage with P stays down. Steve and FLD Farley (middle) and Chad and FLD Dax (right) are disqualified and the game goes on.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Baraga testimonials

The Leader Dogs for the Blind award-winning prison puppy-raising program has a positive effect no matter where the puppies are being raised. The program started 12 years ago at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility in Iowa. According to Warden James McKinney, the recidivism rate at his facility is significantly lower than at prisons nationwide. He attributes this to the puppy-raising program.

Inmate raisers at the Chippewa Correctional Facility read personal testimonials at their Puppy Days celebration in July. (Read Scott's speech here, Ro's speech here, and Doug's speech here.)

Two raisers at the Baraga Correctional Facility agreed to share their personal stories. Here are their words...

RICKY

My name is Richard Dean Hetherington, but most people call me Ricky. I am 37 years old and from the Oakland County area. Right now, I am currently serving time at the Baraga Correctional Facility where I have been blessed in being part of the Leader Dog Program.

I am so grateful, and thankful for this program and the people involved. Even more, I am blessed to have my little buddy Bear come into my life. Bear, and this program, have taught me more about my life, and life in general, than any program in 15 years of prison. This little guy has given me more than I’ll ever be able to teach him.

Ricky and FLD Bear.

When I wake up in the morning I am waking up for someone other than myself. When situations happen here in prison, or even in the world, I have to stop, and think how my reaction will affect me, my team and Bear. Everyday, I learn love, patience, responsibility and being able to think things through.

Teamwork has been something new. Teamwork, and getting along can be a problem in prison. I’ve watched my team evolve, and change as men. All of us have worked through and reacted differently in situations. People don’t realize that we’re not just training puppies. We are trying to change ourselves. This program has not only given us the tools, but has given us hands on training. Dealing with people, and problems in and out of prison.

The best thing for me personally, is a sense of pride. A sense of purpose. For once in my life I am proud of myself. I feel like I have found something I love, and I’m good at. To be ale to give back, and be part of something bigger than myself or my problems. Seeing, and hearing my family proud. To have them hear and see the change in me.

I started this program in a dark, ugly place in my life. My whole life revolved around selfishness, impulse and hopelessness. Inside and out of prison I felt lost with no purpose. Today, I know what it feels like to wake up with a purpose. To have hope that today will be a good day. To be proud of what I’m part of, that I will be responsible, patient, and think things through. To love and be loved.

Bear, and the people in this program make the day, and this place, not so dark and ugly. Pretty crazy, what a convict can teach a puppy. What’s even crazier is what a little puppy can teach a convict.

Thank you,

Ricky D. and Bear

STEVE

My name is Steven Williams and I am a prisoner at Baraga Correctional Facility for the crime of larceny from a building, serving a term of 2-15 years. I am 51 years old.

The Leader Dog program recently introduced at this facility has helped me change my ways of thinking – acting – and responding to people in more positive ways than numerous rehabs and incarcerations combined.

I started doing drugs at nine years old – sneaking beer and smoking pot. I have been addicted to drugs my whole life. I have had many devastating and negative responses to my lifestyle. And the feelings of uselessness, shame, embarrassment and hopelessness I believed that drugs could make it all go away. My dad was an alcoholic. My mom is a saint. Dysfunction and poverty was a way of life, thought normal. I started dealing drugs then became my best customer. I lied, cheated, stole and showed no respect. I made myself believe I raised four children – I had myself believing I was a hard worker – all lies of a drug addict.

Truth is I am 51 years old with too many incarcerations and rehabs – but the love I have for a FLD puppy is melting my layers of lies and irresponsibility, and helping me challenge my patience and persistence. I am a caring puppy handler who is finding a pride in a puppy I co-raised named Axel – and through my diligence and, hopefully, responsible actions I am now the raiser of my second puppy, Farley. This simple program has built more positive pride and sense of achievement in me than all my wasted years combined. To be able to know that my work will personally make the life of a handicapped person better is a blessing that I have never known.

A close up shot of a man's face pressed next to the head of a small yellow lab puppy. The man is wearing a blue prison shirt, he is smiling and holding the puppy with his left hand. The puppy is facing forward.

Steve and FLD Farley.

The vision of the Warden, RUM and ARUSs at Baraga are not only changing our lives one puppy at a time – but the lives of the prison atmosphere.

After years of negativity – and lies – it’s more than a gift of Leader Dog to allow us this opportunity – it’s a gift of life that allows us this opportunity to change who we are and who I am.

Thank you

Baraga "stars"

August 14, 2014

Baraga

There were now seven puppies being raised in the Baraga Correctional Facility. Thanks to Tammy, an AKC CGC Approved Evaluator, the four oldest, FLDs Axel, Bear, Copo and Dax, were able to earn an ACK S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate.

As the "star" teams lined up for photographs, the other teams asked to have their pictures taken too. I was happy to oblige.

Here are the S.T.A.R.s...

Four men kneel on one knee on the cement, all are wearing the blue prison pants and white t-shirts. A young yellow lab is sitting between the second and third man, all are looking at the camera. The puppy is wearing a black graduation hat, the blue Future Leader Dog bandana, and a medal around his neck. The men are holding certificates up, and there is a sign that reads "I'm a star" in front of the lab. In the background is a wooden staircase on the left and a white brick building on the right.

TEAM AXEL Baraga has three-man teams with one main raiser and two assistants. From left to right are Doug (who joined the team after Steve was given FLD Farley to raise), Beano (FLD Axel's main raiser), FLD Axel, Mondo, and Steve (who started as Axel's assistant raiser). Steve was on the team when Axel passed the AKC S.T.A.R. test, but he wanted Doug in the photo with the team. "He worked his *** of with Axel," Steve said.

A man wearing blue prison pants and a long-sleeved white t-shirt is squatting in front of a wooden staircase and pointing at the camera with his right hand. He is looking down at a young yellow lab that is sitting on his left side. The lab is wearing a black graduation hat with a yellow tassel, the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his neck. There are legs of two other men standing to the right.

Beano points to get FLD Axel to look at the camera.

Two men dressed in blue prison pants and white t-shirts are leaning over a young black lab who is sitting between the legs of the second man. The first man, on the left, is wearing a blue baseball cap. The men are smiling as the second man is putting a black graduation hat on the lab. The lab is also wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his neck. There are legs of a third man standing to the right.

Black (left) and Ricky (right) have fun putting the graduation hat on FLD Bear.

Three men are squatting in a row, all are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts, the man on the left is wearing a blue baseball cap. the men are holidng up certificates and smiling at the camera. A young black lab is sitting in front of the middle man with a pained expression on his face. He is wearing a black graduation hat and the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his nec. There are wood rails from a staircase behind them. The middle man is also holding a sign in front of the lab that reads, "I'm a star."

TEAM BEAR From left to right are Black, Ricky (FLD Bear's main raiser), FLD Bear and P (who is now the main raiser for FLD Gage; Doug has taken his place on Bear's team).

Three men dressed in blue prison uniforms and white t-shirts squat in front of a wooden staircase, holding certificates up. All are looking at the camera. There is a young black lab lying down between the man on the left and the man in the middle. The middle man has his right hand on the lab's back. The lab is wearing a black graduation hat, the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his neck, he is looking at the camera. There is a sign lying on the cement in front of the dog that reads, "I'm a star!"

TEAM COPO From left to right are Harvey (FLD Copo's main raiser), FLD Copo, Luke and Keylor.

Three men squat on cement in front of a wooden staircase, they are all wearing the blue prison pants and white t-shirts, and holding certificates up in front of their knees. Between the middle man and the man on the right a young german shepherd is sitting and leaning against the middle man, who has his left arm around the puppy. The puppy is wearing a black graduation hat, the blue Future Leader dog bandana and a medal around his neck, the dog looks like he doesn't like the hat on. A sign is lying in front of the dog, and reads "I'm a star!"

TEAM DAX From left to right is Patrick, Chad (FLD Dax's main raiser), FLD Dax and Kyle. Dax doesn't seem impressed.

And here are the other teams...

Three men squat in front of a wooden staircase wearing blue prison pants, the two men on the left are wearing white t-shirts, the man on the right is wearing the blue prison shirt. In front of the middle man sits a small black lab puppy. Everyone is looking at the camera.

TEAM ECO From left to right are Wayne, James (FLD Eco's main raiser), FLD Eco and Jerod.

Three men are squatting in front of a wooden staircase on the cement, all are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. In front of the middle man is a small yellow lab puppy, who is sitting and looking at the camera. Between the middle man and the man on the right a small yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy is lying down with his head facing the camera. The man on the right, an african american, is holding the leash to the puppy lying down.

TEAM FARLEY From left to right are Steve (FLD Farley's main raiser), Paul, FLD Farley, FLD Henry (the puppy I'm raising) and Brown.

Three men are squatting in front of a wooden staircase, wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. The men in the middle and right are african american. In front of the middle man sits a small golden retriever puppy, who is looking slightly down to the ground, with his leash lying on the ground beside him.

TEAM GAGE From left to right are Mater, P (FLD Gage's main raiser; P started the program as an assistant on FLD Bear's team), FLD Gage and Shearon.

Before leaving, Tammy reminds the men to stay aware of the end goal and purpose of a Leader Dog. Stealing a line from Bev Blanchard, Manager of Canine Development at Leader Dogs for the Blind, she said, "If your grandmother became blind, would you want this dog to be her Leader Dog?"

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Time to work

August 14, 2014

Baraga

Back inside Unit 8, Tammy started the session with questions. FLD Bear's team was concerned about furloughs. Furloughs, where the puppies are brought outside for outings, are a work in progress. Leader Dogs for the Blind isn't convinced that furloughs are even necessary. Concerns about the puppies reacting to things they won't see in prison, like traffic or kids, has turned out to be not much of an issue. The puppies Tammy and I have taken on furlough adjust to new environments quickly and don't seemed stressed by traffic or strangers.

This is all good. The busy, noisy and crowded prison setting seems to give the puppies adequate socialization.

For now, puppies must be over four months old before they are taken out and furlough volunteers have requirements they must meet. Everyone, from prison officials to Leader Dog to prison puppy counselors, is working to develop standard protocols for furloughs.

A bald man wearing prison blue pants and a white t-shirt is sitting on a concrete floor with a small yellow puppy on his lap. The man is looking at the camera and holding a red Kong toy with his left hand - the puppy has his eyes closed and is chewing on the kong. The man's right arm is resting on his knee. Behind the man is a yellowish brick wall with electrical conduit attached to it.

FLD Henry seems content to hang out with Barry.

Training got underway with the relaxation protocol, switching positions from sit to stand to down. Some of the puppies settled right into the exercise, others worked at it.

Two bald men are sitting on lunch table stools on the left of the picture, they are both wearing blue prison pants and white long-sleeved t-shirts. They both have their hands folded on their knees and are looking down at a small golden retriever puppy that is lying on a cement floor to the right. The puppy is on the left side of an african american man who is standing between the sitting men and the puppy. This man is wearing glasses and the same blue pants and white t-shirt. He is looking down at the puppy. There are stainless steel ice machines in the background.

FLD Gage has figured out the relaxation protocol!

As an example of the flexibility mentioned in a previous post, Tammy opted not to have me demonstrate how to teach the "stand" with FLD Henry.

"All the puppies had very good stands during their demonstration," she said.

Instead, we got right into recalls, with three scenarios. First, "hidden" recalls. Tammy held each puppy in the far corner of the room. The handler went out of sight and then called his puppy. P did a great job with FLD Gage. He knew the young golden was not up to a challenging recall. To set the stage for his puppy to succeed, P just stood around the corner to call him.

The second recall was past a distraction: ME, on the floor with my camera. Turns out I was less of a distraction than the other puppies sitting along the sidelines.

A young yellow lab puppy is running from left to right, he is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The puppy is the only thing in focus in the photo. There is a man in the background to the left, wearing blue prison pants and a white t-shirt. He is standing and facing the puppy. On the right are two men sitting down on the lunch room stools, both wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts, the one on the left is wearing a blue baseballc ap. Between these two men is a black lab lying on the cement floor. The picture is taken from floor level, so the ceiling is visible with long florescent lights.

FLD Farley races past FLD Bear and his team.

A floor-level blurred shot of a small golden retriever puppy digging in to run from left to right. A woman wearing a blue t-shirt and glases has just let the pup go - she is on her knees and her hands are spread out. There are several men in the background sitting on lunch table stools. The puppy's rear legs are off the floor and his head is low looking to the right.

FLD Gage has a quick take-off, but pauses to check me out.

A young black lab is leaping forward from left to right in the center of the photo. He is the only thing in focus. Behind him to the left is a woman dressed in blue jeans and a blue t-shirt, she is leaning over with her hands on her thighs. There are a few men in the far background, and two men on the right sitting on lunch table stools. The men are all wearing the blue prison pants and white t-shirts. There is a black lab lying on the floor between the legs of the man on the right, looking at the puppy flying by. Both labs are wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandanas.

FLD Copo takes some air on his recall.

Another blurred shot from floor level, this time of a german shepherd running from left to right. The shepherd is in focus and is looking to his left side.He is wearing the blue bandana.

FLD Dax races by and visits every puppy on the sidelines.

A low shot of a black lab puppy standing close and looking right at the camera. He has a leash hanging off his collar to the left and is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The background lunchroom is out of focus.

FLD Eco.

The third recall was the In-For-Training (IFT) on-leash recall. Every team did great.

GROOMING

A woman wearing glasses and a blue t-shirt (on the left) is holidng the snout and ear flap of a small yellow lab puppy that is sitting down in th emiddle of hte picture. A man wearing a white t-shirt is next to the woman and his holding the puppy's collar. An african american man on the right, wearing a white t-shirt, is holding a small plastic bottle with his right hand just above the ear of the puppy, about to drip ear cleaner into it. His left arm is resting on his left knee.

Tammy holds FLD Farley's snout and ear flap so Brown can administer ear cleaner. Steve helps steady the puppy.

A black lab puppy is lying down. The hands of two men are above him, the hand on the left is giving the puppy a treat, the other hands are wiping the puppy's ear with a cotton ball.

FLD Eco is getting the treatment. One handler is feeding him kibble while the other is swabbing his ear.

A man wearing blue prison pants and a white t-shirt is kneeling next to a young black lab. The man is checking the puppy's right ear. The dog is sitting on the floor facing the camera. The man's right hand is holidng the ear flap up and his left hand is holding his collar. Another man is standing behind them, but only his legs are visible.

Doug checks out FLD Bear's ear.

BACK LEG WORK

While Tammy was helping the guys clean ears, a few of us went out to the yard to assemble a PVC ladder for rear-leg work. Puppies don't know they have rear legs, which can lead to anxiousness on stairs. Having the puppies walk through the rungs of a ladder on the ground helps them realize they have back legs.

I took no pictures of this because I got busy helping with another rear-leg exercise. We set large rubber bowls upside down; the idea is for the puppy to place its front paws on the bowl and then move its rear legs. Many of the men wanted to place their puppy's paws on the bowl to help them out. I struggled to explain that we wanted to "capture" the behavior by letting the puppies make the decisions. Waiting to let the puppy try something, then rewarding the puppy when it does something that is starting to look like what we want can be challenging. It takes patience and an ability to "read" the puppy's body language.

Next up, pictures of some "STAR" puppies!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Back to Baraga

August 14, 2014

Baraga

Flexibility is a good trait to have when you are a puppy counselor. Our August trip to the UP prisons began with the long drive to Baraga again, instead of starting at the Chippewa Correctional Facility like we usually do. Tammy wanted to head to Baraga first because we would be taking three puppies from Chippewa back to Leader Dogs for the Blind. No need to drag FLDs Sammy, August and Ekco across the UP and back.

A small yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy is lying in a cubby hole of an end table. He is clearly asleep.The end table is wood with one drawer above the cubby and is situated between two hotel beds.

FLD Henry, my sixth and newest Leader Dog puppy, finds a safe place to take a nap in our hotel room. I picked up the yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy from Leader Dog on July 25. This was his debut trip to the UP prisons.

As usual, Tammy and I planned the training session during our drive. Each month Leader Dog has topics for all puppy counselors to cover with their puppy-raiser groups, inside or outside. Our topics for August were obedience "stand" and "recall," grooming, and stairs.

The plan was to start the teams off with the relaxation protocol, followed by a series of three recall games, grooming (including ear cleaning), and ladder and bowl exercises designed to help develop confidence on stairs. When we arrived, the men were anxious to show us the demonstration they presented to Deb Donnelly in July when she came in our place.

Fine with us, their demo was tight and impressive.

A man wearing blue prison pants with a white t-shirt is leaning forward with his right arm stretched out in front of a black lab's nose. The man is looking down at the dog. The lab is standing at the man's left side and is looking at the man's open right palm. The lab is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. There are two other men standing behind the first man watching the man and dog. They are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. The man on the left is african american and is wearing glasses, the man on the right is wearing a blue baseballc am and has his hands in his pickets. The are outside in bright sunlight, casting long shadows to the right, and in front of a white brick wall.

Ricky asks FLD Bear to "touch" as P (with FLD Gage) and Black observe.

Two men stand facing left with their puppies at their left side, both are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. The man on the far left has his hands crossed in front of him; his yellow lab puppy is lying on the cement next to him, and wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The man on the right, closest to the camera is holding his right arm at his waist and looking down at his german shepherd puppy, which is sitting on his left side. The german shepherd is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and is looking at the man's right hand. The man's left hand is at his side holding the dog's leash. The men are in bright sunshine outside of a white brick building. A man is standing in a doorway in the far distance behind the man on the right.

Beano (left), with FLD Axel, stands in line with Chad and FLD Dax. The teams lined up on opposite sides of the yard facing each other.

A line of four men are walking from right to left with puppies at their left side. All men are wearing the blue prison pants with white t-shirts. The man closest to the camera (on the right) is looking down at his yellow lab; the lab is looking up at him. The next two men in line have black labs and the last man has a german shepherd. The men are walking on pavement in bright sunshine in front of a white brick building. There is a dumpster in the background near the building on the left.

The teams loose-leash walk their puppies. The teams opposite will pass by them.

A amall golden retriever puppy is sitting on pavement next to a man's legs, which are clothed in blue prison pants and black shoes. The man's body is not in view, his right hand is reacing to the puppy's mouth, obviously giving the puppy a treat. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The pair are on pavement in bright sunshine.

FLD Gage, sitting in excellent heel position, demonstrates the soft and proper way to receive a treat.

"Training the Future." The inmate puppy-raising teams of the Baraga Correctional Facility.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Puppy work

June 27, 2014

Baraga

Tammy packs a lot of exercises in her training class. We work on settling with the relaxation protocol, loose leash heeling by "connecting the dots," meet & greets, and ignoring distractions.

We even play a "doctor's waiting room" game, a real-life simulation. Handlers and their puppies enter an imaginary doctor's office. They must maneuver past annoying patients who reach out to pet their puppy, take a seat, and put their puppy under the chair. They are given a clipboard and asked to write their name, their puppy's name and number, and something their puppy has taught them. A rolling cart adds a noisy distraction to a chaotic scene.

At the end of the session Tammy gives the AKC Star Puppy test to teams Axle, Bear, Copo and Dax. Everyone passed!

A young black lab is sitting next to a man's left leg. The only part of the man visible is his legs and part of his body; he is wearing the blue prison uniform. The lab is wearing the blue Futre Leader Dog bandana and is looking up at the man. There is another man wearint the blue prison uniform sitting on a chair in the backgroun with his arms crossed across his knees; his shoulders and head are not in view. There is a wadded up tissue on the carpeted floor on the right side.

FLD Bear looks up at his handler during the relaxation protocol. Notice how he ignores the tissue distraction.

A young german shepherd dog is sitting at the left side of a man standing on the left. The man is wearing a prison blue uniform, his upper body is not in the picture. Beyond the dog are three other men in prison uniforms sitting on chairs. The firs tman is looking at the dog wtih his arms resting on his knees, the second man is leaning back in the chair with his hands folded on his body, the last man is sitting up straight with his hands in his lap. The german shepherd is giving a huge yawn.

Is FLD Dax relaxing, a little stressed, or just bored?

CONNECT THE DOTS - Tammy sets up a course using orange cones at various distances apart. I demo a loose leash walking exercise with FLD Baker. The task is to treat the puppy at each cone, as a reminder to keep the rate of reinforcement high. After my demo, Tammy asks for someone to try it next. Mondo steps up first with FLD Axel.

A low shot of an orange soccer cone (on the left). A small yellow lab puppy is standing on the right looking toward the camera, he is held by a brown leash by a man sitting on a chair behind him. The man is dressed in the blue prison uniform, but his head is out of the picture. Two other men are sitting beyond the cone watching. They also are wearing the blue prison unfiorm. The man on the left is leaning his right elbow on his right knee and his left hand is on his left knee. The man in the middle is african american and is resting his forearms on his knees with his hands clasped.

FLD Farley wants to try.

Three men are standing in a row facing toward the left. They are wearing the blue prison uniforms and each has a black lab puppy sitting on their left side. The puppy in the middle is wearing the light blue "working" jacket, the other tow are wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandanas. A couple of other men are sitting in chairs behind the row.

Teams in line for meet & greet practice.

MEET & GREETS - Tammy has the teams line up on opposite sides of the room, facing each other. Step by step they approach and retreat. Eventually the handlers are able to meet and shake hands in the middle without the puppies reacting.

A man dressed in the blue prison uniform is standing on the left with his hands at his waist holidng the leash of a young yellow lab that is sitting on the man's left side. The man and puppy are looking to the right at another man dressed in the blue prison unfiorm. Ths man is facing the camera but he is bent over looking to the right at a small yellow lab puppy. This man is holding the puppy's leash in his right hand at his right knee. He is reaching toward the puppy with his left hand, holding a treat for the puppy, trying to get its attention. A woman dressed in blue jeans and a light blue t-shirt is standing in the background behind them looking on.

Steve uses a treat to "lure" FLD Farley while Barry and FLD Axel wait patiently for them to approach.

AKC STAR PUPPY


Ricky gives FLD Bear a hug while Black looks on. One of the puppy behaviors in the Star Puppy test is the "owner can hug or hold puppy (depending on size)."

An african american man wearing the blue prison uniform is sitting on a blue chair leaning over and hugging a young black lab puppy. The man is laughing and looking at the camera, his right arm is around the puppy's neck. The puppy is tilting his head up toward the man's face.

P gives FLD Baker a big, happy hug.

A man dressed in the blue prison uniform with a long sleeved white t-shirt under his blue shirt, is sitting on a chair and leaning over toward a german shepherd that is lying on the floor at his feet. The dog is facing left and his left pay is on a stuffed animal, which he is sniffing. The man is reaching to the toy with his right hand and his left forearm is resting on his left knee. A man is sitting to the far right, just out of view.

Chad reaches to take a stuffed toy from FLD Dax. "Give" and "take" is another part of the Star Puppy test.

A man dressed in the blue prison uniform is sitting on the floor on the left, facing away from the camera. Lying on the floor facing the camera is a young black lab puppy. The man is grabbing a stuffed toy in the dog's mouth with his right hand.

Ricky "gives" the stuffed toy to FLD Bear.

A closer shot of the man sitting on the floor, only he has taken the stuffed toy from the dog and is holding it in his right hand away from the puppy. The black lab is now standing up looking at the toy. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and his tail is wagging.

FLD Bear has given the stuffed toy to Ricky, but is still interested in it.

A low, close shot of the head of a small yellow lab puppy lying on his right side on the floor. The puppy's eyes are closed and he is sleeping. Between his front legs is the stuffed toy.

FLD Farley snuggles with the stuffed toy. The men asked to borrow the toy for the month for distraction practice. Later, Steve told Tammy that FLD Farley slept through the night all curled up with the toy.

A floor-level close shot of a small black lab puppy lying on the floor with a white nylabone toy under its front paws. The puppy has his head up looking straight ta the camera. His leash is attached to his blue collar and is off to the right. There are men out of focus in the background.

And just because. FLD Eco is too cute.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Monday, November 24, 2014

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Sunday, November 9, 2014

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