puppies inside

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

A day in the life...

January 29-30, 2014

Transporting puppies north from Leader Dogs for the Blind to the U.P. prisons requires careful planning and some amount of juggling. At the end of January, puppy counselor Tammy was charged with picking up four puppies in Rochester Hills; three would be delivered to the Chippewa Correctional Facility and one to the Baraga Correctional Facility.

"This is my life," Tammy said, describing her saga. "I worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Every day my whole client load showed up and then I had to do the paperwork." She works at a medical center doing diabetic nutrition counseling.

While Tammy had full intentions of leaving work at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday to get an early start, she was delayed until 3:00. She went home and picked up her son so she would have some help, then drove about one hour to Leader Dogs. Here she swapped out her car for a Leader Dog van. From 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. they organized and hauled crates, 50 pound bags of dog and puppy food, and finally, four puppies - a German Shepherd (Chewy), brother and sister black Labs (Copo and Ashley) and a class-ready black Lab (Tara) who needed some extra help with stairs.

After an hour drive back home, they had to get all the puppies inside for the night. "I brought each dog in individually," Tammy said. Her three large and excited dogs met them at the door: retired Leader Dog "dad" Midas (a Golden Retriever), career-changed black Lab Ivan, and Leader Dog "dad" Ruckus (a black Lab). Tammy's Future Leader Dog Harper was on loan at my house for the week, but I'm not sure that his absence was noticed amongst all the mayhem.

"By the time I got them all in it was time to park them all!" Tammy said. And then it was feeding time, followed shortly by more parking.

"I got to bed about 1:00 and got up about 6:00," Tammy said. "All puppies slept all night." That was great, but now she had to park them all again, feed them, park them again, and get everything back into the van, this time without her son's help. "My goal was to leave at 7:30," she said. By 7:45 she had the puppies in the van and headed north.

Tammy stopped three times to park puppies before picking me and FLD Harper up at a park-n-ride along I-75. We stopped twice more along the way. At one rest stop, we took turns trying to get FLD Chewy to park (hey, we have to park too). "He peed!" I exclaimed as Tammy returned to the van from the rest rooms.

Road conditions were not as bad as we have driven other times this snowy winter of 2013/2014, but not 70 miles per hour good.

"After all that, we were only a half hour late," Tammy said.


Tammy carries in FLDs Chewy and Ashley to present to their new raisers.

Coming up next...new puppies at Chippewa!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Star puppies!

Chippewa

January 30, 2014

Future Leader Dog puppies being raised in the Chippewa Correctional Facility were tested by puppy counselor Tammy Bartz for the American Kennel Club's "S.T.A.R. Puppy Program." Tammy is a "Canine Good Citizen" (CGC) evaluator for the American Kennel Club (AKC).

The AKC offers these programs for puppy/dog owners to recognize responsible ownership. The S.T.A.R. program is for puppies under one year of age. The CGC takes these skills to a higher level for older dogs.

From the AKC website, here are "20 steps to success: The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Test."

S ocialization
T raining
A ctivity
R esponsibility

OWNER BEHAVIORS:

1. Maintains puppy’s health (vaccines, exams, appears healthy)
2. Owner receives Responsible Dog Owner’s Pledge
3. Owner describes adequate daily play and exercise plan
4. Owner and puppy attend at least 6 classes by an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator
5. Owner brings bags to classes for cleaning up after puppy
6. Owner has obtained some form of ID for puppy-collar tag, etc.

PUPPY BEHAVIORS:

7. Free of aggression toward people during at least 6 weeks of class
8. Free of aggression toward other puppies in class
9. Tolerates collar or body harness of owner’s choice
10. Owner can hug or hold puppy (depending on size)
11. Puppy allows owner to take away a treat or toy

PRE-CANINE GOOD CITIZEN® TEST BEHAVIORS:

12. Allows (in any position) petting by a person other than the owner
13. Grooming-Allows owner handling and brief exam (ears, feet)
14. Walks on a Leash-Follows owner on lead in a straight line (15 steps)
15. Walks by other people-Walks on leash past other people 5-ft away
16. Sits on command-Owner may use a food lure
17. Down on command-Owner may use a food lure
18. Comes to owner from 5-ft when name is called
19. Reaction to Distractions-distractions are presented 15-ft away
20. Stay on leash with another person (owner walks 10 steps and returns)

Having met all the criteria for the S.T.A.R. program, the inmate raisers (and their puppies) at Chippewa were awarded medals and certificates on January 30, 2014.

Here are the team photos:

Two men are standing with a golden retriever that is sitting between them. The dog is wearing a baby blue jacket and a black graduation cap and a metal around its neck. The man on the left is wearing a blue longsleeve shirt and green pants. The man on the righ is wearing a white t-shirt, green pants and a blue baseball cap.

FLD Drummond and his current raisers.

FLD Drummond and his raisers that took him through the S.T.A.R. puppy test.

Two men wearing white t-shirts and blue pants are kneeling on one knee with a golden retriver betweent hem. They are trying to put a black graduation had on the dog. The dog is wearing a blue bandana with a white triangle patch with red letters that say Future Leader Dog and a black paw print. There is a yellow and blue ribbon around the dog's neck with a medal on it. Behind them on the wall is a poster that says Leader Dogs for the Blind.

FLD Bravo and his raisers, trying to put the graduation hat on him.

The same two men are kneeling on either side of the golden retriever, who is now wearing the black graduation hat.

Success! FLD Bravo and his raisers.

Two men are kneeling on one knee with a golden retriever between them. The man on the left is wearing a white t-shirt and blue pants. The man on the right is wearing a green sweatshirt and blue pants. Behind them on the wall is a white poster with Leader Dogs for the Blind written on it. The dog is wearing a black graduation cap and a yellow and lbue ribbon with medal around its neck.

FLD August and his raisers.

Two african american men are squatting with a black lab who is sitting between them. The men are wearing white t-shirts and blue pants and orange stripes. The man on the left has glasses. The lab has a black graduation cap on his head and is wearting a blue bandana. The man on the right has his hands around the dog. Behind them on the wall is a white poster with Leader Dogs for the Blind on it.

FLD Sammy and his raisers.

Two men are kneeling on one knee with a yellow lab sitting down between them. The men are wearing blue shirts and blue pants with orange sripes on the shoulders and legs. The dog is wearing a black graduation cap and has a yellow and blue ribbon around its neck wth a medal. A white poster is on the wall behind them that says Leader Dogs for the Blind.

FLD Zella and her raisers.

Two men are kneeling on one leg with a black lab sitting in front of the man on the left. That man is holding the dog with his hands. The men are wearing white t-shirts and blue pants with orange strips. Both men have shaved heads. The lab is wearing a black graduation cap with a yellow and lube ribbon around its neck with a medal and a blue bandana. A white poster is on the wall behind them that says Leader Dogs for the Blind.

FLD Nell and her raisers.

Two men are squatting down with a golden retriever sitting betweent hem. The men are wearing white t-shirts and blue pants. The golden retriever is wearing a black graduation cap and a yellow and blue ribbon with a medal around its neck. Behind them on the wall is a white poster with Leader Dogs for the Blind on it.

FLD Harper and the raisers that took him through the S.T.A.R. puppy test.

Monday, March 3, 2014

The morning after, part 4

Baraga

January 10, 2014

GAINING CONFIDENCE

FLD Bear had to park. Again. His handler slipped the blue "working" bandana off over his head before taking him out.

The bandana, and later the jacket, serve two purposes. One, it indicates that the puppy is a future Leader Dog "in-training" while out in public. Two, it simulates the guide dog harness that the puppy will eventually wear - removing the bandana or jacket to "park" teaches the puppy that it cannot relieve itself while "working."

When they returned, a squirmy Bear made it difficult to slide the bandana back over the pup's head.

"Remember how Deb showed us how to train Bear to put his head into it?" I asked. The raiser held the bandana up so there was a loop for Bear to put his head into, but Bear did not cooperate. "Say 'YES' and give Bear a treat through the loop when he looks at it," I suggested. Bear stretched his neck forward and the bandana was on.

Later, when Bear had to park yet again, the raiser slipped the bandana over Bear's head quite easily. He didn't know I was watching. "Good job, " I said. He grinned.

A close shot of a small black lab puppy asleep in a blue and red and blue plaid dog bed. He is wearing a blue bandana with a white triangle patch with red letters that say future leader dog and a black paw print.

FLD Bear, wearing his bandana, takes a snooze.

Another raiser asked me how to tie the bandana for such a small puppy because the long ends made a tempting chew toy. You would think that after five puppies I would have this down, but I've struggled with it too - until I saw how the Chippewa raisers tied the ends so they weren't a temptation. I took Bear's bandana and showed them the Chippewa technique.

"Can you do Axel's too?" someone asked. I said, "You try it." No one ventured. The raiser who had previously learned to slip the bandana over Bear's head snatched the bandana and tied it. Just like I did.

A small yellow lab puppy is asleep on a tan floor next to a stool and a man's leg. A nylabone toy is lying net to the puppy's head. The puppy is wearing a blue bandana.

A now-tired FLD Axel take a nap too. Here you can see the long ends of the bandana.

GOD BLESS THE INSTRUCTIONAL ARTISTS

Deb talked to the men about how puppies develop. "Their world expands daily," she said. "They use their mouths to experience the world. They can become vocal and hyper." FLD Axel's raiser piped up, "It sounds like you are talking about Axel!"

Suddenly, Axel started to retch. His raisers watched, horrified, when the pup barfed up a soggy pile of puppy chow onto his mat and proceeded to gobble it back up. The men jumped up, scooping Axel away from the mess. Others ran for clean-up supplies. RUM Steve, in anticipation of outrage from the non-raiser prison population, designated net sacks just for puppy laundry.

Deb calmed them all down. "It's probably just nerves, and maybe a bit too much food from yesterday," she said. "If they turn and re-eat it, it's not a big deal, but if they walk away from it they are probably sick." (The previous day had been a get-to-know-your-puppy party. Deb never said a word about the copious amount of kibble the guys were giving Axel and Bear.)

Today she talked to them about making decisions, about how they normally don't learn to make decisions in the regulated prison environment. "But you need to figure stuff out," she said. "Just like the puppies need to make the decisions, we are here to help them make the right decisions."

We could not have better planned the way our time at the Baraga Correctional Facility worked out. How FLD Bear taught the men the advantages of being able to "read" your puppy. How trying to quiet FLD Axel helped them get creative in solving a problem. How Axel's loss of breakfast demonstrated the need to be cognizant of their use of treats.

Back in the Leader Dogs for the Blind van during the long drive home Deb said, "The puppies could not have been better instructional artists. God bless them!"

Three men dressed in blue shirts stand in front of a silver wall. The man on the left is african american and is wearing glasses. The man in the middle is holding a small yellow lab iwth a blue bandana in his left arm. The man on the right is older and has longer hair.

FLD Axel and his raisers.

Three men are standing in front of a steel wall. They are wearing blue shirts with orange stripes on the shoulders. The man on the left is african american an is wearing glasses. The man in the middle is holding a small black lab in his arms and his eyes are closed. The pupp is giving a huge yawn and is waring a blue bandana with a white triangle patch with red letters that say future leader dog. The man on the right is looking at the puppy instead of the camera and he is holding a folded up leash in his arms.

FLD Bear and his raisers. The men knew that I cared for Bear for 10 days and wanted to make sure I understood that they would take good care of him. "We've got his back," they said.

The same three men and puppy. This time the puppy is snuggling the middle man's face and the man on the right is making kissy noises with his lips at the puppy.

FLD Bear and his raisers. I need not worry.

Three men are standing in front of a steel wall. They are wearing blue shirts and pants with white undershirts. The man on the left is wearing a blue knit hat. The one in the middle is holding hte leash of a german shepherd puppy that is sitting on the floor in front of him. The puppy has the blue bandana on.

FLD Jedi and the team who cared for him overnight.

Two men dressed in blue shirts and blue pants are kneeling on one knee in front of a steel wall. An older golden retriever puppy is sitting between them wearing a baby blue jacket. The pup is looking up to the man on the right (who is wearing a blud knit cap). That man is looking back at the pup. The man on the left is also looking at the pup and not the camers.

FLD Harper and the men who cared for him overnight.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

The morning after, part 3

Baraga

January 10, 2014

patti plays puppy

It smells kind of funky in this room with all these tables. Still, beneath the antiseptic odor I catch a scent of stale bread and meatballs. Sniff, sniff, sniff...not much on the floor here except dust bunnies.

Oh, here's Ms. Deb. I like her, she talks dog. There's a bunch of other two-leggeds around too. Sniff, sniff, sniff. Are those treats I smell over there? I can't get over there because there's this leash attached to my neck. Maybe if I pull harder. Darn. I can't. Get. Over. There. Maybe Deb has treats. I think I can reach her.

Wait. What's that? There's a flat thing on the floor!

"YES!" Deb says. Hey, I know what that word means - I'm going to get a treat! Yay! Got any more? I'm still worried about that flat thing over there. I glance over at it and Deb says "YES!" Another treat! Yum, yum, yum.

I wonder what that flat thing is...maybe I should check it out. When I take a step Deb says "YES!" again and I get another treat. I like this game! Now I'm really interested in what that flat thing is, I'm going over there right now. "YES!" Yippee, another treat!

Hey, maybe I should put my paw on it. "YES!" Deb says again, but this time a treat appears right from the flat thing! What the heck? Maybe if I step on it with all my paws...YAHOO! I found the mother lode!

This might not be what a regular puppy is thinking when it learns "mat," but that's what I was thinking when Deb put me on the spot to be her demo-puppy. My acting got more than a few laughs from the Baraga raisers, hopefully our skit gave them some ideas about how to "mark" and reward behaviors while gradually raising criteria.

A man dressed in blue shirt and pants with orange stripes and white tennis shoes comes through a door toward the camera. He is looking down at a small yellow Lab puppy that he has on a brown leather leash. The puppy is wearing a blue bandana with a white triangle patch with red letters that say Future Leader Dog and a black paw print.

FLD Axel and his raiser practice loose leash walking after coming in from "parking."

A small black lab puppy is sitting on a grey mat on the floor looking over his shoulder at a grooming brush. A man dressed in blue shirt and pants is kneeling on the right side and is brushing the puppy with his right hand.

FLD Bear is groomed by his raiser.

An african american man wearing glasses and blue shirt and pants with orange stripes and black shoes is bending over toward a small yelllow Lab puppy. The puppy is sitting on the floor looking up at the man, the puppy is wearing a blue bandana and is on a brown leather leash that the man is holding with his left hand.

FLD Axel and his raiser practice name recognition.

A man wearing a blue knit hat and blue shirt and pants with orange stripes is sitting on a chair looking down at a golden retriver laying on the floor under the chair and between the man's legs. The man is petting the dog under its chin with his left hand. The dog is looking up at the man.

FLD Harper shares the love.