Diplomas and Certificates....Almost Homeward Bound!

Greetings from CA on my final day of school! What an experience these past two weeks have truly been. I am finding it really hard to believe that these entire six weeks are drawing to an end. The past two weeks have been absolutely remarkable; seeing the fruits of our hard labor and conscientious learning in action has been a tremendous reward. I have had the great fortune to watch Kate with her new handler and though I will admit to tearing up on occasion, I can finally see the big picture: someone's life is changing right before my eyes. The "assistance" that Kate brings to Elyse lies far beyond retrieving a dropped wallet or switching on a light; in its purest form, their relationship is about love, each party serving as the perfect missing link in the day to day life of the other. It is a beautiful thing to watch and I cannot wait to give you all the opportunity to see for yourselves.
I am homeward bound this weekend and will continue to post once I am back in Chattanooga. My time here has been amazing but the true fun is just beginning! Isn't it about time for a puppy shower? I'm thinking baby blue for some reason!
Thank you all so very much for following along this summer...the best is yet to come!
~Sarah

Vladdie Hits the Red Carpet

I thought that you all might enjoy seeing my sweet Vladimir in NYC! After the Today Show appearance, the ADI clan set off for a series of press events for service animals as well as attending the Power of Paws launch party, a new, national initiative created to educate people about the mutual benefits of interacting with pets (think social/therapy). Here, Vladdie is pictured with Caridee English who is apparently the recent winner of the reality show America's Next Top Model. I will admit that I felt a bit betrayed; however, upon his return this week I couldn't help but to forgive him. Talk about a reunion!
Speaking of reunions, mine with the Southeast is rapidly approaching and I am ecstatic! Though I am weary of the return to heat and humidity, I am ready to see everyone and to get back to my own bed at last. One final week to go and what a big one it is sure to be...
Stay tuned!
~Sarah

Miles to Go Before I Sleep

Never fear, yes, I am still alive and going strong! Things here are intense to say the least. Our clients arrived on Monday and we have been nonstop ever since: early morning kennel duty at 7, client boot camp from 8-5, and then daily client progress evaluations over dinner and into the evening. I am exhausted yet finally beginning to see the big picture. I think I may finally understand what my yoga teacher has been telling us all along, i.e., it is only when you've begun to anxiously want to get out of a pose that you truly begin to experience it. Comfortable discomfort she calls it--I have an entirely new appreciation! This afternoon we will be finishing up a week of intense lecturing and command practice; tomorrow it will be off to the mall (yep, my favorite of course!) and will be working on escalators, elevators, fancy china shops, and restaurant dining...you all know the drill by now! I will try to post with more detail this weekend and get some pictures too. Until then, hope that you are all well and preparing for a fun weekend!
~Sarah

Pigs are Flying, Dogs Reading

The Assistance Dog Institute will clearly stop at nothing to showcase the unyielding intelligence of our four legged friends. After lectures on service animals for mobility impairments, guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs, search and rescue dogs, disaster relief dogs, critical care therapy dogs, specialty facility therapy dogs, and even courtroom therapy dogs, somehow we transitioned into what is known as the Reading Dog. Now some of you may think of a Reading Dog as I did: a therapy dog that visits with various libraries and schools to assist children with reading by creating a non-intimidating environment in which the child can relax, unencumbered by the pressure of peers. You and I would be about half correct on our assumptions. As you can see in the above picture, Noah is actually sitting based on the written (and NON-verbal) command that Bonnie, my classmate, is displaying. I'll be the first to admit to a blatant amount of skepticism; in fact, I'll even admit to having a bit of an out-of-body experience when the "Reading Dog" lecture began. It was one of those rare, extremely poignant times in life when one observes the space around himself and thinks, "just what in the hell is going on here!? Why does no one else seem to think this is odd!?" Fortunately, my twilight zone moment was fleeting as I began to listen to the instructor and understand that as with verbal commanding, the dogs can easily decipher patterns and thus associate letter patterns with standard commands that they already know. While I do find that to be fascinating, I couldn't help but to question the practical application of these skills. Would Will be able to check our emails at the office? Could he read a quick post-it on the door and know that Cyndee is in a meeting? Heehee. Well as it turns out, ADI is doing research on canine "reading" (if you're interested Dr. Bergin has published a book about it) but the cards that we were using are typically used on the library/school therapy visits so that the child reading can see that the dog also can read--helps to strengthen the bond between the two, often creating a more trustful environment and "two-way dialogue" if you will, for the session. Take it or leave it; I'm just passing it along!
I cannot believe that we are already in Week 4. The pace is truly reaching a crescendo as we begin to prepare for the Client Training next week. Dr. Bergin distributed the schedule today and we each have been assigned to team as well as individual tasks throughout the camp. In case I haven't been clear on what is happening, the final two weeks of our seminar involve the actual placement of service dog to client. At this point, it looks like we will be placing two service dogs, Kate and Noah, along with three social/therapy dogs. Clients will be arriving on Monday morning and will be starting an intensive two week boot camp leading up to graduation on Saturday 7/28. The boot camp will follow the exact format of our first two weeks at ADI: lectures, dog training, field trips, and of course umbilical cording! The only difference is that instead of the ADI staff and trainers running the show, we, the students, are responsible for each part of the two week itinerary. As you can imagine, we are all in extreme panic mode.
Now not to toot my own horn but I have to let you all in on a little secret, just because I know that a) you will be crossing your fingers for me and b) you will be so proud! The ADI staff selected each of our roles in the two week itinerary and I (along with many smaller tasks) have been chosen to lead our two biggest assignments: the Welcome Orientation Dinner on the first night of class (guess they've got a good eye for Southern hospitality) AND the Graduation ceremony's certificate presentation! Though I am a little nervous, I am really flattered and am glad to have the chance to put a little of my personal touch on things. Hands on experience is certainly the best way to learn so I'm excited to bring all of this back to Chattanooga in just two more weeks!
Hope that you all are well and not yet melting in the July heat.
Stay tuned...
~Sarah

Save the Date!

One more thing! Everyone mark your calendars for the morning of July 14. Dr. Bergin and several of the ADI staff and dogs are going to be in NYC and live on the Today Show; talk about successful PR! We don't know a definite time yet but apparently the show airs from 7-9am EST. I'll keep you posted as I hear more.
~Sarah

Happy Belated 4th from the Russian River!

Thought you'd all enjoy seeing a little off-duty service dog revelry. Several classmates and I decided to head to the river for a little sunshine, some serious swimming, and lots of tennis ball tossing. Hey, just because these guys can handle 90+ commands doesn't mean they don't need a holiday every now and then! I have to tell you, of all the vigorous retrieving, dirt rolling, and general good natured hell raising, you'll never guess who was leading the way...Prissy Miss Kate! It was a fantastic surprise; her beautiful white coat was completely black and suddenly (call me capricious), I wasn't so saddened to not have her going home with me...Good times here in CA.
~Sarah

Finally an Introduction!

Aha, just as you were all beginning to lose faith in me, a post appears! I do apologize for my absence these past few days but things have truly hit warp speed with school and I am scrambling to keep up! I would, however, like for you all to meet my wonderful new little guy, Vladimir! Vladdie is a beautiful eight month old goldie and is my first true opportunity to learn the training process. In retrospect, I am now beginning to understand that my time with Kate was a training session for ME; this time around, we are in the driver's seat and let me tell you just how different it truly is! Though the program here begins training at two weeks, Vladdie is still 100% puppy. He has the basics covered: sits, stays, downs, shakes, and speaks; however, he needs much more fine tuning on the more calculated tasks like retrieving, tugging, lights, and alerts. The hardest part at this age is identifying the limits of (and not exceeding) his attention span. It is an extremly fine line and so very crucial to his development as a service dog; overdoing a task past that limit can take months of recovery. We are working slowly and carefully, using lots of treats and oodles of praise. I am really impressed with the documentation that Dr. Bergin has provided in our training manuals and I know that you all will be as well. It will certainly be our program bible!
Other than intensive training sessions with the pups, this week was really focused on lectures. Dr. Anne Stark, the ADI in-house veterinarian led us through the basics of canine health, breeding, breed specific health issues, and most importantly developing a successful relationship between our clients, their placed service dogs, and a local vet. She was inundated with questions by the class and I cannot tell you as I sat there and listened how fortunate I was feeling to know that our program has Dr. Amanda!
This week also covered a lot of the business side of starting our programs. We had individual sessions on successful PR campaigns, effective marketing strategy, and most importantly FUNDRAISING, led directly by Dr. Bergin. I have a wealth of new information that I can't wait to share. Though I am loving the program, dogs, and humans, I am ready to get home and get started! But, first things first. This upcoming week will continue with various program related lecture topics, more puppy training, and ultimately preparation for client-dog placement which will begin the following week. Did I mention we have kennel cleaning duties before school as well? There is simply no rest for the weary around these parts. You all will have to remind me of this as we hire our trainer next year; we will certainly need someone who believes in the power of caffeine!
Hope that you all are having a happy holiday weekend.
~Sarah

Ahh the Suspense!

Good Morning Everyone! I apologize for not getting around to the update last night. Due to battery issues with my camera, I cannot yet offer a proper introduction to my new little companion. I'll just leave you all with this: think young and think Russian!
More to come after class today. Happy July!
~Sarah