Nubble Starts Down a New Path

Nubble is once again at the start of a journey. For nineteen months, he has worked hard to learn the skills and behaviors of a service dog. He has matured into a fun, loving dog who loves to work and please others.

But Nubble has decided to take a new path. Instead of becoming a service dog, Nubble is going to find his forever home as a beloved pet.

Not all of the dogs who begin our service dog program graduate as working service dogs. Some dogs have personalities and traits that better suit them for other careers as police dogs or explosive detection dogs. Other dogs make people very happy as family pets.

Nubble met with the state police to see if he would be a good fit for their program. After going through their evaluation, we learned that Nubble would be happiest as a family pet.

Whenever a dog is released from our program, we always find a loving home for him. Donna and her family are unable to adopt Nubble, and we are currently going through the adoption process. We will make sure that Nubble's new home is a good match for both him and the family so that everyone will be happy.

"This will be very difficult for me," says Donna. "It seems that him being someone else's family pet is a let down for me. But I keep telling myself what another puppy raiser said to me: 'I wanted my son to be a lawyer, but he is an artist. It may not be what I had planned for him, but he is good at it and he likes what he does.' "

Sometime after Nubble joins his new home, Donna plans to continue being a puppy raiser for us. We're very happy that she has decided to raise another puppy. "I love being a part of SSD," says Donna. "I have learned so much from Nubble that I think the best thing to do would be to take that knowledge and continue to learn and grow as a puppy raiser. But, boy, will I miss him."

While we search for a good match for Nubble, he continues to live with Donna and her family, and she continues to work with him on his skills. After all, he does love to work and learn new things. They've been practicing walking on strange surfaces like grates, trash bags and a rough board. They went to the grocery store, and when Donna saw a Golden Retriever nearby, she gave Nubble a cue to keep him busy, and he stayed focused on her. He knew there was a dog nearby, but he used his self control and ignored the other dog.

Nubble even met the new puppy, SSD Lewey, and did very well. He barked for a while until Donna moved him into another room to calm down, but then he was able to greet Lewey. Lewey was a big help for this first meeting because he stayed focused on his own puppy raiser, and Nubble ended up ignoring him.

Over Memorial Day, the Northeast Puppy Raisers had a picnic at one of the puppy raiser's houses. Nubble had a great time playing with SSD Ben, Slate, Cassie and Lewey, as well as two family dogs. He also got to meet two Shelties that were visiting for a few hours. Nubble did very well with all of the dogs. The puppy raisers organized some dogs games, including a version of musical chairs where the people couldn't sit until the dogs did. The dogs also got to bob for biscuits. (Little Lewey bobbed for Cheerios instead of biscuits.) Slate won bobbing for biscuits and Nubble came in second. Nubble even tried to go swimming in the dog pool! The water was only eight inches deep, but Nubble lay down and moved his paws! He's quite a character.

"Nubble is a fantastic dog," says Donna. "He makes me smile every day. I'm glad he will make someone else smile, too."

Nubble opens doors to conversation and new friends

When service dogs or dogs in training go out in public, they always draw attention. For the past year and a half that Donna has been raising Nubble, he has opened the door to many conversations with people. In fact, many local people are no longer strangers because of Nubble. They often stop and greet him by name.

Many adults ask if they can pet him, and most people know that they shouldn't just stop and pet him without permission. One time, as Donna and Nubble were walking through a store, she heard a little girl whisper, "Mom, I thought doggies weren't allowed in stores?" Donna likes when she hears parents explaining what a service dog is to their children. She also really likes when people ask about him. "I never want someone to feel like they can't ask me a question," she says. Many people don't really know what a service dog is. They often assume that Nubble is going to be a guide dog or a police dog, and Donna enjoys having the opportunity to educate people about service dogs.

When people learn that Nubble is being trained as a service dog, they usually ask many more questions. They ask Donna what she feeds him, what's in the treat pouch and what is the clicker. Some kids ask if they can give him one of the treats, and some adults actually have their own treats in their pockets. Although Donna feels bad telling them that Nubble can only get treats from her, most people understand, especially once she explains that if she let's them give him treats, he'll start to expect treats from everyone he meets. As a service dog, he will need to stay focused on his partner, not on other people.

If you would like to see more of Nubble in public, come to the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community this Saturday! He would love for you to join him. If you can't make it to the Walk, please make a donation to support Nubble and Susquehanna Service Dogs!

A Month of Outings for Nubble

In April, Nubble had a lot of opportunities to go out in public. Donna, his puppy raiser, had time to take him almost everywhere she went. Whenever our puppy raisers take their puppies in training out in public, they want to make sure the dogs are going to have a successful outing, which means they may need to slow down and focus completely on the dogs, especially if it's a challenging public place, such as the grocery store. If our puppy raisers are pressed for time, they may choose to leave their puppy in training at home to avoid a stressful situation.

This past month, Nubble was one busy, traveling dog! He went to two of Lindsey's soccer games, Cabela's, the grocery store, the bank, Wawa, the kennel, the airport, Walmart and several nature walks.

Lindsey plays on her high school soccer team, and Donna decided to take Nubble to his first soccer game. The first time was very challenging for Nubble. The game had already started when they arrived, and not only was there a ball flying around the field, but Lindsey was playing. Donna and Nubble made it to the bleachers, but he became even more excited rather than calming down. When Nubble is in a situation where he is unable to calm down, Donna moves him back to the place where he can see the situation but still be calm. Then, they slowly move forward a little bit at a time as long as Nubble is able to stay calm. At the soccer game, Nubble was only able to calm down when he was next to the car. It was actually very discouraging for Donna because she was hoping to take him to her daughter's soccer games.

However, although she was discouraged, she didn't give up on Nubble. Three weeks later, she and Nubble tried attending another soccer game. This time, Donna went to Lindsey's junior varsity game by herself so she could be sure to see her play. Then she went home to get Nubble for the varsity game. That way, if Nubble wasn't able to calm down enough to enter the stadium, Donna wouldn't get stressed because she couldn't see Lindsey play, and that stress wouldn't be communicated to Nubble. At Nubble's second soccer game, he successfully made it into the bleachers for the game!

Although he barked in the beginning, he did settle down. They went up the ramp, so Nubble got to walk on a strange surface. And then he settled down nicely in the bleachers. he was very aware of the ball and the soccer game, but he was good. Excellent progress! After the game, Donna had him practice stairs on the bleachers, and even though he stopped and started again several times, he didn't try to turn around and go up the stairs backwards!

Nubble went to Cabela's, and of course, he practiced stairs. Donna and Lindsey also took him to the shooting gallery arcade, where someone was practicing his marksmanship. Nubble barked at first, but after Donna clicked and treated him for being quiet, he soon got the idea that he should be calm, and he settled down. He watched the shooting area and noticed every movement whenever another target popped up. Then Lindsey helped work on "leave it." She bounced a ball, which Nubble tried to pounce on. He eventually figured out that he got a treat if he didn't pounce on the ball. By the end, it was in a nice down, watching Lindsey bounce the ball and the man practice shooting targets. It was a challenging situation for Nubble, but he did very well.

At Walmart, Donna found a blue bench to use as a training prop. Nubble practiced "up," "under," and "leave it" here at the bench and at the checkout.

Now that the weather is getting nicer and the days are getting longer, Donna and Nubble have been taking some nice trail walks. One time they got caught in the rain. Nubble had a grand old time walking from puddle to puddle! They were walking near the lake, and startled a couple of ducks. Although Nubble flinched, he then stood perfectly still without barking!

Gizzy, the family dog, came along for another trail walk, and she and Nubble saw a herd of deer. Five deer came out of a meadow and crossed in front of them, and the dogs didn't know what to think. At first, Donna thought Nubble was just going to watch them, but then Gizzy barked, which set Nubble off. Both dogs were barking, but those deer just continued moseying along. Then Nubble took an odd step and stepped right out of his EasyWalk! Donna had to quickly grab his collar and redress him in the EasyWalk while holding on the Gizzy at the same time. But other than the adventure with the deer, the walk went quite well.

The Northeast group held one of their meetings outside, and they practiced recalled in a fenced-in field. Nubble played very nicely with SSD Ben. The dogs played on a jungle gym, and Nubble even went up and down some steep steps! All the dogs wend down a short slide, and they practiced walking on a textured ramp. Kids were playing nearby, but Nubble didn't focus on them. He did great!

At the end of the month, Nubble had his end-of-the-semester puppy class evaluation in Harrisburg. He and Donna were in a different room than the room where we typically hold puppy class, and at first Nubble was very uncertain about being in a new place. It took him a while to settle down, and even then he was still very interested in what was going on in the other parts of the building where other dogs were also being evaluated. He did do some very nice shaping, and he gave a nice "under." He needs to work on paying attention to his handler and "leave it." Donna has been working on "doggie zen," ignoring food and other distractions, each day, and she does see an improvement. She plans to spend more time practicing doggie zen with him.

Check back tomorrow to read about Nubble and the people he meets when he goes out in public!

Nubble Keeps Practicing His Cues

SSD Nubble and his puppy raisers are working hard on his cues. Last month, he went spent the afternoon at Berks Career and Technology Center with Lindsey. He handled the busy hallways well and practiced "under" in her geometry class. Then, the principal let Lindsey and a classmate spend time in the cafeteria with the doors closed so that Nubble could stretch his legs! Lindsey used that time to practice "stay" and "come." It was a great afternoon. Thank you to BCTC and the principal for welcoming Nubble into the school!

Nubble picks up some cues very quickly. Others are more challenging for him. "Leave it" and "paw" are his latest challenges. When Donna starts working on "leave it" with him in a training session, he understands what he's supposed to do, and he doesn't touch the object. The challenge comes into play when he has to apply "leave it" to real life.

The cue "paw" signals to the dog that he should pick up his paw and place it in his handler's hand. When Donna gives Nubble the cue, he picks up his paw and moves it at or near her hand, but he won't actually set it in her hand. In a relaxed situation, such as when he's laying on the couch, he will let her touch and pet his paws, so he's not opposed to having someone touch his paws. Donna has been working hard to help him learn the cue "paw." At puppy class, she used a target stick and had him target the stick with his paw. She started with the target stick on the floor, making it very easy for him to succeed. Watch the video of Nubble practicing "paw" in puppy class. See the progress he makes by the end of the training session!



Other cues come very easily to Nubble. He learned "go to bed" very quickly! He has also been working on "under." He knows the cue, but he doesn't always do it perfectly. When given the cue "under," a dog should go under the table, bench, chair, etc. and lay down. Sometimes Nubble just sticks his head under the bench or chair. Other times he'll go under, circle around, lay down, and then scoot back out. Donna is always looking for opportunities to practice "under." When the Northeast Puppy Raising Program went bowling for one of their outings, Donna and Nubble practiced "under" with a stool. Nubble managed to get his torso under the stool, but his back end and shoulders were sticking out! He did eventually figure out what he was supposed to do, although he never actually fit under the stool.

The bowling outing was a lot of fun. Nubble couldn't figure out why he couldn't chase the bowling balls down the lanes, though, and he barked. Our volunteer trainer has Donna work with Nubble, removing him from the situation, and then coming forward again to the point just before he started barking. Then Donna and Nubble slowly worked their way forward. Although Nubble wasn't able to get very close to the bowling lanes this time, it was still progress.

Nubble loves to swim! He went to the Canine Spa in Dillsburg. He's funny about the water, though. He doesn't like to get in the water right away. Once he gets wet, though, he has a great time swimming!

Next week, our dogs in training in the Harrisburg area have their evaluations. These evaluations are less of a test and more of a one-on-one training session with one of our trainers. Now that Nubble is coming to our Harrisburg puppy classes, he will get an evaluation, too. Wish him luck!

A Tempting Puppy Class

All of our puppy raisers came to puppy class with their dog in training, but this time, they didn't work with that dog in class. Halfway through puppy class, we had all of our raisers switch dogs. This was good practice for both the raisers and the dogs. The dogs had to learn to work with a new handler, and the raisers had to learn to communicate with another dog, and usually that dog was very different than their own dog. Both the dogs and puppy raisers improved their skills.

After switching dogs, we had everyone practice loose leash walking. Even though the dogs were working with different handlers, they did great! Watch the video of SSD Zappa, Topaz, Nubble and Yukon walk beside different handlers.



"Leave it" ranks right up there with loose leash walking when it comes to important service dog skills. It can be used to cue the dog to ignore a number of things, including food, people, other animals and objects. At puppy class, we had our puppy raisers practice "leave it" with their new dogs. To make it interesting, we played a version of Temptation Tower, the newest Dog Olympic Game!

We gave each raiser a four dog biscuits, and they had one minute to build a tower and have their dog practice leave it. At the end of the minute, we gave everyone four more biscuits. They rebuilt their tower. Each time we increased the difficulty for the dogs by adding more biscuits, but the dogs were doing so well that we had to make it even more challenging. We had our raisers build a tower, then stand up, all while their dog remained in a down-stay. When the dogs succeeded at that, we had our raisers not only stand up, but also walk to the middle of the room. And the dogs didn't budge!

In this video, SSD Taz watches his handler build a tower of dog biscuits. Watch his face. You can tell that he really wants those biscuits, but he still doesn't try to eat them.



SSD Rio is like a statue when she plays Temptation Tower. Her handler told her "leave it," so she doesn't try to eat the biscuits, but she stares at them.



Before everyone switched dogs, we practiced the cues "under" and "paw." Watch SSD Dylan present his paw in cue for his puppy raiser. "Paw" is useful for nail clipping. We clip all of our dogs' nails, and we want the dog to be a willing participant. We train the dogs to offer their paw and let us clip their nails.



It was a fun puppy class, and we think our dogs and puppy raisers are going to be well prepared for their evaluations next week!

Nubble Knows the Routine

It's funny how dogs quickly pick up on our routines. SSD Nubble certainly knows his puppy raiser's work-day routine. Every morning, they do a little bit of training before Donna gets ready for work. Nubble then curls up on his favorite spot on the couch and relaxes. As soon as he sees Donna in her uniform shirt, he hops off the couch and goes right into his crate. Donna hasn't had to cue him to go into his crate for at least three months!

If you've been following Nubble, you know that stairs are a real challenge for him. One year ago, he would pull Donna up the stairs. Today, he will walk calmly beside Donna as they go up the stairs. How did this change happen? Lots of practice! They would practice stairs any chance they got. In fact, it got to the point where Nubble just assumed they would be going up any stairs they came across. Once Donna realized this, she eased up on practicing so that Nubble wouldn't start to get stressed every time he saw a set of stairs. The big breakthrough came in February. Nubble finally went down Donna's basement stairs! They have also been practicing going up those stairs. Last time, he walked up, stopped midway and turned around to go up backwards, then changed his mind and walked the proper way up the rest of the stairs! Now Donna can sometimes stop midway up the stairs and Nubble will continue going up the correct way. Great job, Nubble and Donna!

Nubble has been going to puppy classes in our Northeast Puppy Raising Program and in Harrisburg to help him get used to being around other dogs. He has made wonderful progress! At the Harrisburg puppy class, he would bark at some of the dogs, particularly SSD Taz, but last week, both dogs made it through the entire class without barking! And when Nubble does bark at another dog, he now does a much better job re-focusing and ignoring the dog. Although he still isn't too sure about puppies SSD Ben and SSD Cassie in the Northeast, he and Donna are working on it.

Nubble certainly enjoys going to puppy classes! When Donna and Lindsey go to classes in the Northeast, they take the turnpike. Puppy class is located about 1/4 mile off the exit. Nubble relaxes in the car, but as soon as they go through the toll booth, he lets out a little excited whine. He knows he's going to puppy class, and he's happy! Last week on the way home from the Harrisburg class, Donna and Lindsey took the turnpike. When they got to the toll booth to get off the turnpike, Nubble looked around and let out an excited whine, but he seemed confused. As soon as he realized they weren't going to the Northeast puppy class, he laid down and went back to sleep.

Nubble enjoys shopping, and regularly goes into stores with Donna. When they go into pet store, though, he has a tendency to pick out his own stuffed animals from the lower shelves. And while Donna puts the stuffed animal back, Nubble grabs another one! Our volunteer trainer in the Northeast suggested putting Nubble in a down-stay while Donna is returning the toy. So far, it has been working very well. Donna has also become more aware of Nubble's environment, and they practice "leave it."

This past weekend, they went to the Berkshire Mall. It was packed because there was a car show inside. Despite the crowd, Nubble did very well with greetings.

He has certainly come a long way!

Nubble at PawsAbilities

Nubble went to PawsAbilities for his second year in a row! He loved it!

He got his paw stamped so he could come and go as he pleased at PawsAbilities.

Nubble and puppy raiser Lindsey tried out the Fun Agility course.

Nubble watched the hunting retriever dogs demonstrate retrieving. At first, he was very focused on the dogs playing fetch, and he pulled on his leash. All he wanted was to play with them!

Donna kept working with him, however, and soon he was once again focused on her, even though the hunting retriever were still playing fetch in the ring. Later, Nubble was invited to try hunting retrieving, so he got to go in the ring and play. What a happy dog he was!

After a fun day at PawsAbilities, Nubble was all tuckered out! It was a good day!

January with Nubble

With all this snow, Nubble is having the time of his life! He loves to be outside playing in it. He went sledding with Lindsey and her cousins. At first, he climbed onto the sled and sat down. But once it started moving, he decided it would have much more fun running alongside the sled. He even helped pull the sled back up the hill! (Well, actually he grabbed it and ran off with it. But he did bring it back when Lindsey and her cousins called him.)


While Nubble was playing in the snow, Donna took the opportunity to practice recalls. It wasn't easy for him to stop playing with Lindsey and her cousins, but he did it! After Nubble came to her, Donna let him go back to playing so he would realize that recalls don't mean the fun has to end. Nice training technique!

Every January, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex hosts the Farm Show. Thousands of people come to see the farm animals and equipment, agricultural displays, vendors, the famous butter sculpture, and of course, the Farm Show food. Donna took Nubble on a Sunday, one of the most crowded days at the Farm Show. There were so many people that it was difficult to walk, but Nubble did great with the crowds! People don't bother him at all.

Unfortunately, the crowds meant that Nubble didn't have as much exposure to the animals. He and Donna stayed on the fringes of the crowds near the exhibits. They could have gotten closer, but then the crowds would not have allowed Donna to remove Nubble from the other animals if he started barking or became worried. This is good thinking - when we take our dogs in training into environments that could be stressful for them, such as the Farm Show, we always make sure that we can quickly and easily remove the dog from the situation if it becomes too stressful for them or the other animals.

Despite the crowds, Nubble got to see a cow, although he barked at it. Then they went to the chicken area. Donna and Nubble stook just inside the door so Nubble could watch the chickens. Donna clicked and treated him for watching calmly. He did very well for a while. Then he caught sight of an odd-looking chicken and started barking at it. Donna quickly removed him from the area.

They visited the large arena, where the horse teams were demonstrating what they do. Nubble did great, laying nicely at Donna's feet.


To get upstairs, they had to take the stairs because the lines for the elevator were so long. If you've been reading about Nubble, you know that he's not a big fan of the stairs. However, Donna has been working very hard with him to get him to walk calmly up them. At the Farm Show, he did fairly well with the stairs, even though they were crowded. Donna blocked people so he wouldn't get squished while they were walking up. The top of the stairs was challenging for him, though, because everyone seemed to stop right at the top. They had to do the stairs a second time later on, and again, he did okay until they got close to the top. Later, Donna took him outside and they practiced on the stairs out there, where there were no crowds. He did very well, as long as he could walk up at a long angle, moving from the bottom left to the top right.

Although they didn't stay for a long time, it was enough for a young dog. It was a wonderful experience for him!

Donna and Nubble are now attending some of our puppy classes in Harrisburg so that Nubble can get used to interacting with dogs he's not familiar with. They have been to two of them so far, and although the first class was a little stressful, they have been making good progress. One of our trainers suggested clicking and treating him when he's looking calmly at another dog. Nubble made great progress that first class! Although Donna had to take him out of the room a few times, he settled down quickly and was able to return to class.

When dogs get too excited or worried during puppy class, their puppy raisers take them out into the hallway to give them a chance to calm down and focus again. When Donna goes to puppy classes in the Northeast, she takes Nubble all the way outside when he gets too worried. She has decided, though, that she's going to stop taking him all the way outside. Since outside is a fun and exciting place for Nubble, she's just going to take him out of the room to calm down.

Their second puppy class in Harrisburg was even better. He ignored the other dogs most of the time. Nice progress!

Donna has been working on "paw" with Nubble. He is learning to pick up his paw and put it in her hand. Although he usually learns new cues fairly quickly, this one is a little challenging for him. Right now, he doesn't want to put his paw in Donna's hand. When Donna holds out her hand, he will lift his paw, but won't put it in her hand. If he's laying down, he'll let her handle his paws, but he's not ready to offer his paw to her. Donna is confident that he'll get there eventually. They're continuing to work on it.

They have also been working with the target stick, which is a stick with a piece of duct tape on the end. The dogs target the duct tape with their nose. Nubble likes the target stick, although he always wants to chew on it at the beginning of their training sessions. He eventually settles and uses his nose, though. Donna has started using the target stick to teach him "under." "I've never taught 'under' that way, so it is nice to see different techniques," says Donna.

At one point at puppy class when Donna and Nubble were outside, Nubble saw a covered outlet on the wall. It must have looked like a piece of duct tape to him because he targeted it! He used his teeth the first time, but when Donna gave him a look, he targeted it nicely with his nose.

We have stairs in the building we use for puppy class (Keystone Children & Family Services), so our trainers got to see Nubble navigate the stairs. Donna plans on practicing the stairs every time she and Nubble come to the Harrisburg puppy class. Right now, Nubble has a tendency to turn around and go up backwards if Donna stops partway up the stairs. They're working on it.

Then we played puppy tic-tac-toe, where the dogs are the Xs and Os. The dogs on the board must be in a sit or a down in order to stay on the board, and just like the game, the teams tried to get three dogs in a row. Nubble sometimes gets worried around other dogs, but even though he was in a down very close to another dog, he wasn't bothered at all. His main distraction that class was SSD Dee, a small black female that was visiting from advanced training. Nubble was very aware of her anytime she was moving around.

Two more fun facts about Nubble: He loves his Jolly Ball toy, and he loves being vacuumed! The Jolly Ball is a tough rubber ball with a handle that Nubble loves to grab and toss around. He'll usually grab the ball and run around, but because it has been so cold, he has had to adapt and play with it by grabbing the handle.

Yes, you did read correctly when you read that Nubble loves to be vacuumed. Donna noticed that Nubble always follows her around when she vacuums. Since she knows that some horses love to be vacuumed, she wondered if Nubble might enjoy it. Using the upholstery attachment, which is gentle, she ran it over his back. He just stood there and looked at her, so she did it again, and this time, he leaned into it! She did both of his sides and he loved it!

SSD Nubble's Travels

Nubble joined us in Harrisburg for puppy class on Wednesday! We were very happy to have him in class. It gave him the chance to be around other dogs that he isn't familiar with. If you'd like to read about our puppy class and see some videos of Nubble, check out Fun and Games at Puppy Class.

In the Northeast group's puppy classes, they're learning musical canine freestyle or dancing with dogs! Nubble loves it! He loves to learn new things. Right now, he, Donna and Lindsey are in the very beginning stages of learning freestyle. Donna and Nubble have been watching videos of musical freestyle. At first, Nubble just barked at the dogs on the screen, so Donna turned it into a training opportunity. Now he just rests his head on Donna's lap and watches the screen.

They also practiced "stand stay," where the dog stays in a standing position while you walk away. This can be very difficult for dogs because it's very easy for them to simply follow you since they're already in a standing position. Nubble, however, was a pro. Donna and Lindsey realized that they had actually been working on this behavior for a while now because they always make him wait at doorways.

As well, they worked on walking around an object. For example, if the dog gets his leash tangled or walks around a street sign on one side while you walk on the other side, he'll be able to untangle himself.

The week after Christmas, his puppy raisers took Nubble back to the mall. They practiced steps and just walked around. We always give our dogs the opportunity to potty before we enter a building, but that doesn't mean they will always use that opportunity. Nubble didn't go before he and Donna went inside the mall, so Donna watched his body language closely, and as soon as he started acting like he needed to go out, they headed straight for the nearest exit. Nicely done! Nubble did his business on the sidewalk, which is also a good thing. Service dogs need to be able to potty on all surfaces. When they're placed with a partner, they may not live near a grassy area, so they'll need to be comfortable with whatever surface is available to them. And even if a service dog does live in an area where he has a yard, he and his partner may visit places that do not have grass and bushes available. For example, if they fly, the dog will need to be able to go on concrete before getting on the plane. Once on the plane, it could be hours before the dog has another opportunity. Great job, Nubble.

A few other puppy raisers recommended that Donna and Lindsey take Nubble to the Canine Spa in Dillsburg, PA. Nubble had a blast! Donna was a little concerned about taking Nubble into a strange place where there are lots of strange dogs off leash, but Nubble took it all in stride. A three-year-old Saint Bernard dashed right over to him, and the two dogs romped and played. Nubble also had fun with a young black lab and an older yellow lab. He was very sweet with the older lab.


Then SSD Cabo and SSD Pearl came in! All of the dogs got along well until Nubble and Cabo wanted to same toy. However, once they got the dogs calmed down again, they gave Nubble and Cabo some time to get to know each other, and soon they were able to co-exist. Nubble tended to avoid Cabo's toys, and Donna and Crystal always made sure to toss two toys if both dogs were in the water.

At one point, Lindsey tossed a toy more that halfway across the pool. Nubble swam to get it, but then he couldn't figure out what to grab, so he grabbed the foam pool noodle that covers the metal rack for the dock at the other end of the pool. He then swam all the way back to Lindsey with it!

They used the Canine Spa to practice recalls, and Nubble did very well considering all the distractions. He also showed good self control by sitting and waiting until a toy was thrown for him. It was a wonderful trip, and needless to say, Nubble slept very well that night!


On Sunday, Donna and Lindsey took Nubble to Cracker Barrel. Six months ago, Nubble would have had a very difficult time, but now, he did great! Donna called ahead to let Cracker Barrel know that she would be bringing a service dog in training. (Although this isn't necessary for places that cater to the public, it sometimes helps.) When Donna put their names on the list, she said two people and a service dog, and when their table was ready, the hostess announced, "Party of three!" Nubble did great walking through the busy dining room. Once they were settled at the table, he just rested beneath the table and did the occasional visit on Donna's lap.

At one point, the waitress came over to pull down the blind at their window. She had to reach over Nubble, but he didn't even move! He just looked at her. Great job, Nubble! When their food arrived, it became a little more challenging for Nubble. He smelled the bacon and that's all he could think about. It took a little while for Donna and Lindsey to help him realize that he was not going to get any bacon, but he eventually did settle back down under the table. When they left the restaurant, he strolled through the dining room on a nice loose leash, and while they were paying, he waited patiently without even trying to sniff any of the tempting items at the counter! What a successful outing!

We're looking forward to more stories of Nubble's success!

Nubble loves belly rubs! Look at that smile!

A Nubble Christmas

The weeks before Christmas are busy for almost everyone, and it was no different for Nubble. Donna and Lindsey took him to the Berkshire Mall so he could experience all of the hustle and bustle. This was an outing just for Nubble to gain experience. They didn't plan to do any shopping - a good idea since it can be stressful to try to find the perfect gift and train a dog at the same time.

At the mall, Nubble got lots of practice doing greetings. Many people came over to say hello. We have no doubt that he brought a smile to people's faces!

As they walked by Santa, there wasn't a line, and Santa called them over. Nubble did very well. Santa was great with him, staying very calm while petting and talking to him. At first, Nubble grabbed Santa's fuzzy sleeve, but when cued, he did a nice "leave it." When Santa was petting him, Nubble paid attention to Donna, just like he's supposed to. Then, while Donna and Santa had a conversation, Nubble lay down at Santa's feet.

They took Nubble outside for a break. However, as they were walking toward the doors, another dog was about to come inside. Nubble barked a couple times when he saw the dog, but Donna and Lindsey did a nice job setting Nubble up for success. They timed their departure from the mall so that Nubble was going out one set of doors while the other dog was coming in the other doors. It worked well because Nubble was able to stay focused.

When the went back inside, Donna and Lindsey kept their eyes open for the other dog. They saw him over by Santa waiting to have his picture taken. Using power treats, Donna was able to keep Nubble's attention on her while they went past the other dog. Nubble did great!

They practiced stairs at the mall, although they only practiced going down the stairs. It was too crowded for Nubble to be successful going up the stairs, especially since he still has a tendency to rush up. They took the elevator up and the stairs down. Nubble did very well going down the stairs. He also does very well with elevators. This particular elevator had glass walls, however, which startled Nubble at first. He seemed surprised to be able to see everything move. After riding the elevator a few times, though, he settled down.

Over all, he did wonderfully with the crowds. His loose leash walking was great! They also practiced "leave it" a lot. When they were in line to get a soft pretzel, there was a piece of pretzel on the floor. They practiced "leave it" with that piece of pretzel, and Nubble was successful! Donna then picked up the pretzel piece and threw it out so he wouldn't be tempted. While they were waiting, Donna dropped her keys a few times and Nubble would pick them up for her. It was a fun game to keep him occupied, and the people around them enjoyed watching Nubble work! It was quite a successful outing.

The Northeast Division held a Christmas get-together last week. Nubble went straight for the Christmas tree to investigate. They played dog games and the dogs got to open presents. They got squeaky toys! Meg, the Northeast coordinator, brought an activity board made of wood with little wells for treats. Each well had a sliding lid that the dogs could open with their paws or nose. SSD Slate and Burnaby did well sliding open the doors. Nubble had a different method of getting the treats out. He picked up the board and dropped it. When a treat fell out, he picked the board up and dropped it again until he got all the treats out!

Nubble went to the vet to be neutered. Although he was a little cautious for a few days afterward, you would never have known he had surgery. He was acting just like his normal self.

Nubble's loose leash walking has been coming along. Donna has stopped using the gentle leader halter because it causes Nubble too much stress. Instead, she uses an EasyWalk harness, which fits over his chest and shoulders. Nubble does very well with that. Donna only tries to use the EasyWalk when she knows there is going to be a challenging environment. Otherwise, she works with the leash attached the Nubble's collar. It's been working well. Nubble now accompanies Donna on her Saturday morning errands, and she feels completely confident holding a cup of coffee when they leave Wawa.

We're looking forward to what the new year brings for Nubble!

Happy Holidays!

Outings, Evaluations, and Parties Make for a Busy Month for Nubble

It seems like the closer we are the holidays, the busier we become. SSD Nubble has had an extremely busy month. The Northeast Division went to Cabela's with the dogs for a public outing. Cabela's is an outdoor outfitter, and their decor includes an aquarium and real stuffed animals. Nubble loved the aquarium, and he didn't mind the animals. Even though he eyed some of the fake trees in the store, he actually do anything. Overall, he did a very nice job in Cabela's.

Afterward, the Northeast group went to the local Pizza Hut. Again, Nubble did great, even though there were other dogs sitting next to him.

Nubble and some of the other dogs had their 12-month evaluations. We evaluate all of our dogs-in-training when they're 12 months old. The dogs stay overnight at the kennel before their evaluation. The evals help us determine whether the dogs will be successful as service dogs. Since SSD Slate from the Northeast was also getting evaluated, the two dogs carpooled. After the Cabela's outing, Slate went home with Nubble and spent the next day with him. Nubble loved having another dog to play with! Gizzy, the family pet, barked a bit, but Slate took it all in stride. Donna then took both Nubble and Slate to the kennel for their evaluation, and Slate's puppy raiser picked them both up afterward. Wow, was Nubble tired when he got home!

The Northeast Division joined our Harrisburg area group for our SSD Holiday Party. We always have a lot of fun at the holiday party. Everyone brings a dish to share, each dog gets a new toy, and we play games. Even though it's fun, it can also be a very challenging evening for the dogs. There are lots of distractions and activity going on. The evening was a challenge for Nubble, particularly because there were so many new dogs there. Donna worked very hard to get him to walk calmly on a loose leash without barking. They made it down the hallway to the room and they sat at one of the tables. Nubble had trouble relaxing at the table, however. He would sit, then stand, sit, then stand. Donna took him outside to relax, but it was just too much for him when they tried to rejoin the party. Donna put him the crate in the van so he could relax away from the other dogs.

Before she put him in crate, Donna worked on stairs with Nubble. Focusing on stairs and training helped Nubble calm down.

Even though the party was too challenging for Nubble on that night, Donna still had a good time. She got some ideas for training "leave it" while watching the D-O-G game, particularly when Slate stayed still while his puppy raiser put treats on his paws. Nubble does a similar "leave it," although the treat is on his head instead of his paws. He thinks it's a great game. When Donna says okay, he flips the treat into his mouth. After the party, Donna tried training him to leave food on his paws. She thought it might be difficult for him because the treats were in his line of sight rather than on the top of his head. But Nubble did great! Once he figured out what Donna wanted him to do, he listened very nicely. In the end, Nubble could do "leave it" with treats on both paws and on his head! Great progress!

Now that it's cold outside, bathing Nubble has gotten a little more challenging. He usually got a bath outside, but now he needs to use the bathtub. Because he has gotten so big, Donna can't lift him into the tub, so he needs to get in and out on his own. Meg, the Northeast Division coordinator, suggested laying towels down in the tub so it's not such a slippery surface. It worked! Donna used shaping to help Nubble understand that he can put his back feet in the tub, but once he figured that out, he had no problem getting in and out. Once he gets more comfortable in the tub, Donna will actually bathe him.

Donna also recently discovered a local self-serve dog wash, and she took Nubble. It was set up exactly like a car wash, only indoors. There was a waist-high table with a ramp so Nubble could easily get on the table. The hose had different settings - wash, rinse, de-skunk, etc. (No, Nubble didn't need to be de-skunked!) Nubble had no problem going up the ramp, and he sat and stood nicely for his bath. He also did great getting dried off with the drying hose.

Nubble went with Lindsey when she got her driving permit. He practiced "under" while she filled out her paperwork, and waited nicely in the waiting room with Donna while Lindsey took her written test. A toddler was pushing her own stroller around the waiting room, but Nubble ignored her. Nice job!

Next week, Nubble goes to the vet to be neutered. Wish his a speedy recovery!

Nubble Keeps Learning

Nubble's puppy raiser has so much fun with him. Donna loves the cue "visit"where Nubble puts his head in her hand or lap. He just looks so sweet when he does it. Two weeks ago, Nubble was sitting next to Donna on the couch, and Donna asked him to "visit." He rested his nose on her shoulder and looked at her. "My heart was warmed straight through," said Donna.

Donna has also been working on the cue "lap" with Nubble. "Lap" means that the dog puts its front legs on the person's lap from the side. This has been a challenging behavior for Nubble, but the light bulb seemed to go off in puppy class last week. Donna sat in a chair so her knees were touching the wall, so that Nubble would have no choice but to approach her from the side. The first time Donna asked Nubble for "lap" by patting her knees, Nubble tried to "visit." When he didn't get clicked for that, he started trying many different behaviors - he tried going around behind Donna, he put his paws on the heater that was against the wall, and he even jumped right over Donna's lap! Finally, he put his paws on Donna's lap. Now she just needs to work on getting him to put his legs flat on her lap. But he seems to be getting the idea! Great job!

When the puppies are young, they sleep in their crate at night. As the dogs get older, they may not need to sleep in the crate anymore. Donna has been letting Nubble sleep outside of his crate, and there have been a few nights when he made it all the way through the night without having to be put in his crate. When he sleeps outside of the crate, he usually curls up on the couch or on the floor at Donna's feet. Sometimes he'll go into Gizzy's crate and start snoring. He seems to limit himself to a few locations for sleeping, and he's very well behaved.

Although he's generally very well behaved, he does have his moments. Donna works very hard to manage Nubble's environment so there aren't too many temptations and opportunities for him to get into mischief. She sets him up to be successful. Sometimes, though, dogs still manage to get into mischief. The other day, Nubble swiped an entire loaf of bread off the kitchen table! It was a specialty loaf, so it was too long to fit where Donna keeps the regular bread. She put it in the middle of the kitchen table so Nubble wouldn't be able to grab it. She had just left the room for a short time when she heard an odd noise. She had a feeling Nubble was up to something, and sure enough, he had grabbed the bread off the table! As soon as he saw her, he picked up the half loaf that he hadn't scarfed down yet and hid behind the couch.

He also chewed a book. Donna had left the book on the couch and although was in the same room with him at the time, but she thought he was chewing on one of his toys. The book survived with only a few teeth marks in the corners. Luckily it wasn't a library book! "I am considering this a 'lesson learned' for me," said Donna. "I still need to be diligent about his surroundings so he isn't tempted to get into mischief."

Nubble is making progress in his training. Donna is working with him to help him realize that he has back feet. (Dogs don't often realize they have back feet that they can move and control.) To teach him, Donna has been shaping him to put all four feet in a box. The box is big enough for him to fit in, but he has to lift his legs to do it. First, Nubble touched his nose to the box. Then he tried to bite it. Eventually, he started putting his front feet inside it. Because the back feet were more challenging, Donna watched carefully and clicked for any movement by his back feet. At first, she didn't realize that he was picking up his front feet at the same time his back feet were moving, so they had to backtrack a little bit so Nubble would understand that he only needed to move his back feet. Now, he puts all four feet in the box! Each time Donna and Nubble practice this exercise, they have to backtrack a little bit, but Nubble soon gets it again. (A funny thing happened the first few times they were working on the box. Gizzy, the family pet, was watching Nubble try to figure out what he was supposed to do. She walked over to the box, hopped right in, and looked back and forth between Nubble and Donna as if to say, "What was so hard about that?")

Donna has also continued to work on stairs. Nubble is now walking down the stairs quite nicely. He still wants to rush up the stairs, but it's nothing like it used to be. This past week, Donna tried something new. She had Nubble stay at the bottom of the stairs while she walked halfway up. Then she called him. With her waiting in the middle of the stairs, Nubble couldn't rush all the way to the top. He had to stop. Then Donna would have him stay while she went the rest of the way up. She would call him again. Her goal with this exercise was to help Nubble understand that he can stop and start again while he's still on the stairs. At first, she had tried this exercise with Nubble on leash walking next to her. However, when they stopped halfway up, Nubble would turn around to look at her, and then when they started moving again, he would walk up the stairs backwards! Looking back, Donna remembers that there was a time when he wouldn't even go up or down the stairs. He is definitely making progress!

On Saturday, Donna had a birthday party for Lindsey, who turned sixteen this week. Happy birthday, Lindsey! Donna has a large family, and this was the first time she had everyone over while she has Nubble. Because he doesn't have a good sense of personal space, she was worried that he might continually bump into people, especially Lindsey's grandmother. When her grandmother arrived, Nubble was on leash and he stayed very calm while she greeted him. Donna let him off leash as more family arrived, and he did very well greeting everyone. While they ate, Donna asked him to go to his crate, and he stayed there nicely with the door open. Since it was a gorgeous day, everyone went outside. Nubble ran around the yard for a little while with Donna's nieces and nephews. Before they all started playing together, Donna explained to her nieces and nephews what she expected of Nubble and how they could help her keep Nubble from getting too rambunctious. It was a great experience for Nubble. At one point, he ran over to Lindsey's grandmother, who was sitting in a chair outside, but he stopped short of crashing into her and just stood there and wagged his tail. Good boy!

Some of the family started a football game, and Donna realized this would be a great training experience for Nubble. No, he didn't play football. He stayed on the sidelines and watched. Donna used the comfort trainer, and although Nubble lunged the first few times the football was thrown, he soon realized that he wasn't allowed to play in the game and sat calmly at Donna's side. "It was great seeing him choose to look at me instead of the game," said Donna. "At one point, Gizzy ran into the game, and Nubble thought he could join in, but then he changed him mind."

Nubble did great during the entire party. While Lindsey opened her presents, he went over and rested his head in her lap. All in all, it was a wonderful day of learning for him!

Halloween, High School and the King Frost Parade

Nubble had quite a busy week! Last Sunday, he and his puppy raisers went to Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre for the Run for Ryan, a 5k fundraiser for a boy to get his own service dog. No, Nubble didn't run in the 5k, but he did get to walk in the park. It was a successful day for him. Although it took a little while for him to settle, especially with all of the dogs and children in park, he soon calmed down. He greeted some dogs very nicely and stayed calm while watching some cattle dogs playing with a frisbee. He was even fairly calm around the squirrels! He went nuts the first time he and Donna walked by the playground where all of the kids were playing, but Donna worked with him and after walking by a few times, he just ignored all of the activity. He did the same thing with some of the other dogs. He was interested in them at first, but after a while, he ignored them.


Wow, was he exhausted after all that!


Nubble went to the restaurant where Donna works for Kids Halloween Fun Night. There were crafts and balloons, and most of the kids came in costume - a wonderful training opportunity for Nubble! Lindsey and Donna's husband brought Nubble into the restaurant when Donna was almost done working. Donna asked her co-workers to please ignore Nubble so that he could experience a restaurant as a working dog without familiar people coming to say hello. He was on his best behavior from the moment he walked through the door. The hostess seated them near the front of the restaurant so he could see all of the hubbub. He went right under the table when Lindsey asked. He didn't even watch the kids running around! Many of the employees said that you couldn't even tell there was a dog in the restaurant - high praise for a service dog!

Last Thursday, he went to high school. Lindsey got permission from the principle, who was happy to let Nubble experience school. Nubble waiting nicely at Lindsey's locker while she collected her books, and although they missed homeroom, they make to their first class almost on time. He did very well in the chaos of the hallway with all of the students headed toward their next classes. Although he almost barked at a noise coming from a neighboring classroom during second-period English, Nubble did very well!

He only stayed at school for the first two periods, and on their way back to the office, Lindsey and Nubble stopped in the Lifeskills class. This class has a therapy dog named Lady, and when Donna came to pick up Nubble, she could hear him barking at her. Lady, good dog that she is, went to the office so he could settle down. Nubble loved all the attention from the students, and he handled greetings very well, staying focused on his puppy raiser. Thank you so much to the principle and high school for welcoming Nubble!



On Saturday night, Nubble and his puppy raisers went to Hamburg's annual King Frost Parade. Although Nubble had been to a parade before, this one was at night and it was a much bigger parade. Once they got settled in a good spot, Nubble settled down. While they waited for the parade to start, they practiced as many cues as they could and also did some shaping. "I absolutely love shaping," says Donna. "I love watching him figure out what I want him to do. I love watching him offer behaviors until he figures it out." It was a great way to pass the time!

The parade was wonderful experience for him. He did great watching the horses go by, although Donna moved him back from the curb so that neither dog nor horses would get spooked. Great job! It's always important to keep an eye on both the dog-in-training and the environment, other people and other animals. Nubble didn't mind the motorcycles at all. They practiced "leave it" when candy was tossed to nearby kids, and he quickly figured out that it was off limits.

There was a group with dogs marching the parade, and they were handing out dog biscuits! One woman asked if she could give one to Nubble, and Donna said yes. But Nubble wouldn't take it from her! He just looked at Donna instead. Great job, Nubble!

Walking on a loose leash back to the car after the parade was a little challenging because of all of the people, but Donna and Nubble managed with the help of the comfort trainer. Donna is trying not to rely on the comfort trainer in all situations, though, because it's easy to think that Nubble has mastered loose leash walking when he's wearing it. However, when Nubble is just wearing his collar, he tends to start pulling again. Loose leash walking is a work in progress.

It was a great week for Nubble and he made visible progress. Donna plans to work on his behavior around other dogs, on stairs and loose leash walking. We'll let you know how it's going!