Meet SSD Dylan!

SSD Dylan is well on his way to becoming a service dog, and now you can follow his journey on our blog!

Dylan is one of the Rock and Roll Stars puppies that you helped name. He and his four brothers and sister are now six months old, and they are all with their puppy raisers learning the basics. They have certainly grown - Dylan weighs 53 pounds!

He is a very relaxed and attentive dog. When he goes to work with Mike or Kelly, his puppy raisers, he lays beside them or under the desk. He certainly enjoys being around people, but he can handle being on his own and doesn't usually whine or bark if left alone.

Dylan loves to swim! Over the summer, Mike and Kelly took him up to their cabin, and he went straight into the creek! He enjoys being outside and has been hiking several times. Now that it's winter, Dylan saw snow for the first time at the cabin. He loved playing in the snow!

His puppy raisers took him Christmas tree shopping. It was a challenging outing for him because of all the new smells. He was very focused on sniffing everything, but he settled down after a while. It was a successful outing!

So far, Dylan is doing well in his formal training. He knows "sit," "down," "stay," and "stand," and he's working on "heel." We teach the SSD dogs how to heel using a box. The dogs put their front feet on the box, which helps them anchor their front feet so just their back feet swing around until they're in the "heel" position. Eventually, we remove the box and have the dog pivot into the heel position with all four feet on the floor. Dylan is doing great with the heel box! He will pivot his back feet almost all the way around the box. His puppy raisers' are now working with him to get him to continue moving his back feet until his body touches his puppy raiser's leg.

Dylan's biggest challenge is greeting other dogs. He just wants to play with them. Service dogs need to stay calm when they're in the presence of other dogs, and when they're given the opportunity to greet other dogs, they still need to stay calm so they can easily turn their attention to their partner. Mike and Kelly are working hard to help Dylan learn how to greet other dogs calmly. They use the penalty yards method. When they see another dog ahead, they'll approach slowly, clicking and treating Dylan for walking on a loose leash. As soon as he starts pulling, they back up. Once Dylan is by their sides again and focused on them, they walk forward, always trying to keep the leash nice and loose. They continue backing up and moving forward until they reach the other dog. The goal of the penalty yard method is to keep the dog calm and help him realize that he can't just lunge toward the thing that he wants.

Mike and Kelly also try to have Dylan practice greeting other dogs in a controlled situation. Mike's brother has a lab, and they have the two dogs greet each other calmly. Hard work does pay off - Dylan was recently at the mall with one of our volunteer trainers and SSD Wrigley, one of our demo dogs. In the beginning of the outing, Dylan was excited to see another dog, but he settled down and was able to focus on his puppy raisers. Every now and then he would try to get Wrigley to play, but for the most part, he did very well. Nice progress!

Look for more posted about SSD Dylan in the coming weeks. We're looking forward to sharing his progress as he learns how to become a service dog!

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!

Food, Presents, and Games!

What could be better than an evening of food, presents and games? An evening of food, presents and games with the dogs!

We had our annual Holiday Party on Wednesday evening at the Harrisburg Academy, and we had a wonderful time! Our puppy raisers, puppy sitters, and partners joined us for a potluck dinner, presents and games. We're very happy that the puppy raisers from the Northeast were able to join us!

While we ate, the dogs relaxed under the tables or chairs nicely. We're so proud of how well they did!

Each year, we do a gift exchange for the dogs. Everyone brings a dog toy, and we put them all in a huge bag. Then each dog picks a present. There were a lot of happy dogs in the room!

We always play games during our Holiday Party, and this year we played D-O-G. We divide the dogs and puppy raisers into two teams. The first team sends a dog into the middle to do a trick or skill. The other team then has to send a dog to the middle who can also do that trick. If that dog is unable to do it, that team gets a "D." Play continues until one team spells D-O-G.

Watch some of the videos of D-O-G:

SSD Aladdin picks up his leash, heels, and walks backwards.



SSD Slate, one of the Crayon puppies from the Northeast, can lay in a down and "leave it" while his puppy raiser puts treats on his paws!



SSD Dylan rests his head in his puppy raiser's hand for a nice "visit."



Happy holidays!

SSD Phillip is thankful for trainers

SSD Phillip is now a working service dog. He was placed with his partner in October, and they are doing very well together. When you see them together, you can tell that they love each other.

Phil is thankful for the trainers who made it possible for him to become a service dog for his partner. After spending his first eighteen months with his puppy raisers, he came to the kennel for advanced training. In advanced training, his trainer worked with him every day to teach him the skills he would need to support his partner. He learned "visit" (dog puts its head in your hand or on your lap), "touch" (dog touches you with its nose), and "lap" (dog rests its legs in your lap).

In addition to the trainers who taught him his specialized skills, Phil is thankful for all of the volunteer trainers who worked with him in public. All of the dogs in advanced training go on public outings twice a week, and each dog works with one of our wonderful volunteer trainers. These volunteers practice good public behavior with the dogs in advanced training - loose leash walking, going under benches and tables to become invisible, calm greetings, and more.

Phil enjoyed working with everyone while he was in advanced training! Thank you to both our trainers and volunteer trainers for your dedication to preparing Phil and the other dogs in advanced training to become happy, successful service dogs!

SSD Peach Pie is thankful for volunteers who travel

Some of our puppies travel a long way to become part of Susquehanna Service Dogs. We have relationships with service and guide dog organizations across the continent, and we often give and receive puppies. For example, SSD Pearl, the mother of the Gemstones litter, came to us from Pacific Assistance Dog Society, and when the Gemstones were born, little Amber went to PADS.

We have also received puppies from other organizations. In fact, our newest addition comes from Guide Dogs of Texas - but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to read about her!

SSD Peach Pie is another dog who came from PADS. This holiday season, she is thankful for the volunteers who donate their time to escort service dogs across the continent. In July, when little Peach Pie needed to fly from PADS in Vancouver to SSD in Harrisburg, PA, she was carried in the arms of a wonderful volunteer from U.S. Airways. Peach Pie is very thankful for this volunteer, who donated his time to fly her across the country.

Peach Pie also gives thanks for all of the volunteers who have driven to other states to pick up puppies. SSD Nubble, Dandelion, Daisy and many others may not have become a part of SSD without these wonderful volunteers.

Thank you so much for your time and dedication!

And we promise to tell you more about our new puppy tomorrow!

SSD Midge Gives Thanks for our Wonderful Vet!

Most of our dogs-in-training agree that going to the vet is not nearly as scary as it seems. We are very lucky to have wonderful veterinarians at the Palmyra Animal Clinic to take care of our service dogs-in-training. Everyone is so friendly, and they always let the dogs know how much they love them. Thank you for everything you do for us!

This holiday season, SSD Midge is especially thankful for veterinarian services. She went into heat in the middle of November, and she went to a vet in the Philadelphia area today to be bred. She was the mother of the Rock and Roll Stars litter, born in May 2010, and if everything goes well, she could become a mother again! This means that she'll be making lots of trips to the vet. Before she was bred, she went to the vet every day for tests to figure out the best time to breed her.

Several weeks after she's bred, she'll return to the vet for an ultrasound to see if she's pregnant. Then when her puppies are born, the vet will take care of them, too, giving them their shots and making sure they're healthy. With so many vet visits, Midge appreciates the loving and gentle care she gets.

Midge asks you to consider donating to SSD so she and her future puppies can get the proper veterinary care. Your $10 donation will help Midge and her future puppies live long, healthy lives as service dogs.

Donate now to care for Midge and her future puppies.

Thank you for your continued support for SSD Midge, her future puppies and the rest of us at SSD! We will keep you posted about Midge and her puppies. If she's pregnant, you will be one of the first to know!

SSD Sonora is thankful for kennel maintenance

Is there anything better than snuggling in bed or on the couch on a cold winter day? SSD Sonora doesn't think so! When she was in the kennel for advanced training, she loved to snuggle on the bed with her kennelmate. Even though her run had two beds, she still loved to curl up with her kennelmate on the same bed.

Although she is now a working service dog who now snuggles with her partner, she is thankful for everyone who helps maintain the kennel for the dogs in advanced training. We have a wonderful staff person who cleans the kennel runs every day, and Sonora would like to add, gives the dogs peanut butter bones! The runs and the training room are kept nice and clean so they are a pleasant place to live and work.

Once a year, we spend an entire weekend cleaning the kennel from top to bottom until the kennel sparkles. A group of volunteers help us clean windows and doors, patch any rusty areas, clean and paint the training room, remove dead trees from the field where the dogs run and play, and repair fences. Last year we had over thirty volunteers helping us fix up the kennel! With their help, we were able to completely redo the fence in the field.

Sonora would like to thank everyone who kept the kennel clean and warm while she was in advance training. She's sure the dogs currently in advance training appreciate it, too!