It's Official

Turf

Now that pre-matches have been made final and permission has been given, I  can share this wonderful news:

It's Turf!

He's a sweet, grounded, and handsome little male black Lab out of Canine Companions Breeder Dogs Kit and Paxton.

Day Five: The First Week Comes To A Close

Yes, I have been remiss in not posting more, but not without remorse! Today was the fifth day of Team Training and the end of our first week. The special event of the day was the class field trip to Home Depot, marking students' first off-campus outing with canine accompaniment - most assuredly, under the supervision and with the guidance and encouragement of the instructors. 

The first field trip and the ones that follow it are exciting and meaningful events. For a number of students, this trip marks the first time that they are out in public with an assistance dog by their side. Suddenly, the highly anticipated and once-abstract concept of oneself "plus" one's Hearing Dog is embodied, felt, and known in the most visible way and in a most visible place - e.g. in a shopping mall, a restaurant, a grocery store. I'm intrigued by the internal processes that run through students' minds during these times. As a Team Training student in 2007 with Hearing Dog Maya, I was acutely aware of and curious about the public's reactions while we were out and about on these field trips. Thoughts and inquiries flitted through my mind while making my way up and down the aisles with sweet Maya. 

This time around, I noticed, I felt more present, less pensive. My palm quietly traced the span of my dog's head, enjoyed the silkiness of an ear, and playfully patted my dog's side at the completion of complex tasks. I enjoyed observing my classmates with their dogs, enjoyed watching the reactions, behaviors, and expressions of dogs and people alike. The instructors watched as well, at times sharing feedback and offering suggestions and at others hanging back as students used their own judgment with their dogs.

After returning from our field trip, we practiced commands in the Great Room of Gittinger Hall and were again treated to a wonderful lunch by the Voluncheers (thank you, Voluncheers!). After lunch, we commenced soundwork practice with a focus on the third sound introduced by the instructors, that of a doorknock. Again I loved the instructors' emphasis on the importance of enjoying the training process, which should be enjoyable for both person and dog. After a number of soundwork rounds and repetitions, class was "Released" (dismissed) for the weekend.

Memories of Maya

Interrupting this (not so) regular broadcast to bring you a special entry, which has traveled here all the way from Saturday, January 20th, 2007, the first night I spent with Maya. The following is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to my family during Team Training in January, 2007:

Hello to everyone from somewhat sunny Santa Rosa. I'm on my bed typing away on my laptop, and curled up in my lap is my little Canine Companions pre-match. She fits in here perfectly, breathing contentedly with one furry ear draped over my jeans, her head burrowed into the bed. Every once in a while, she re-adjusts herself and settles in again with a loud sigh.   

She is a two-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever, compact and extremely small at perhaps 50 lbs. Her coat is a light, light shade of blonde - a far cry from the dark-haired Golden Retrievers I've loved in past years - and her silky ears are just a slightly darker shade of gold. She has a couple of subtle bands of golden hair across her shoulders, round golden whorls at her elbows, and her tail looks like a short blonde paintbrush with the endpoint tipped in golden paint. Again, I emphasize the "small and compact" part because she comes up just to my knees. This little girl thumps her thick tail loudly inside her kennel while greeting approaching people, and strolls calmly through the world at a slow, confident pace. 

She has a band of gold hair running across her muzzle, just inches beneath her eyes, as though she's been wearing a Gentle Leader for awhile. But that little band is in fact the overlapping of two light ridges of golden hair growing against each other like converging tectonic plates. The result is an intermingling ridge of darker golden hair. Surprisingly, her nose is somewhat pink in color... related to the weather or living in the kennels? She has gorgeous teeth, and I intend to keep them that way.  

We had some more bonding time today, including a stroll through the big fenced-in dog park, a few tries around the agility course on campus, a teeth-brushing and grooming session, and now this curling-up time. We also fit in several hours of sound-work practice in the Gittinger Hall Hearing Dog "apartment" suite, set up with kitchen, bed, bathroom, and living room to look just like a real apartment. This way we can familiarize the dogs with something resembling our home environment while extending their sound-alerting skills into a new place. Little girl did excellently, a hearing dog who combines high self-motivation, intelligence and problem-solving ability with an extremely chilled-out demeanor and unflappable personality. Far more often you'll find one or the other, an energetic and excitable dog who does sound alerts well but tends toward higher energy, or a chill and low-key dog who may lack sufficient motivation to initiate and follow-through with soundwork. Add to this her compact size (perfect for public transit and apartment living), totally laid-back personality and easygoing nature (great for long DOWN-STAYS under my desk), and sweet disposition, which makes for great cuddling. Welcome, Little Girl.

It's humbling to read these words from seven years ago, when I had little inkling of how much I would come to love sweet, soulful Maya. Remembering her invokes her presence, and fills and surrounds me with feelings of warmth and safety.

Now I think of little Karma, and her smiling face, the spirited way she watched over me during our time together.

While gazing down at the dog with whom I've been snuggling this evening, I feel relaxed and at peace. With a paw on my foot and heavy head resting on my leg, I experience New Dog as steady and grounded.

A few nights before flying out to California to begin this Team Training, I was at my computer working on this blog and sending emails. In the corner of my mind's eye I "saw" Maya's tail happily wagging, as if she was standing there behind my computer, waiting for me to acknowledge her. It reminded me how much I longed to love and work with a dog once again, how vital that connection was and remains. Somewhere at that moment, I felt with conviction, "Maya" was wagging her tail, and she was happy for me.

Day Four: The First Night Together

Day Four of Team Training began with an introduction to the various pieces of equipment that Canine Companions for Independence assistance dog teams may use when at home and out in public. In particular, the instructors explained, different collars may be used at different times and in different settings, depending in part on the team's needs, the dog's responsiveness, and the handler's skill and comfort level. Notably, during equipment introductions, clear emphasis was placed on the importance of upholding the assistance dog image in the public eye, always an issue of relevance but especially critical in today's times.

True to their word, the instructors delegated greater responsibility for the care of the dogs to their new handlers over time, explaining that on this day students would be keeping their pre-matched dogs during the lunch hour (rather than returning them to their crates as done for the previous three days). Come noontime, students would be responsible for toileting their dogs and maintaining their dogs' behavior while also eating lunch, an approximation of a very real scenario soon to come. 

The morning continued with a simulated "lunch" scenario, followed by soundwork practice. At this point we are still working on the door chime sound with our respective dogs, consistently advancing our expectations of the intensity and/or persistence of their alerts while also introducing new conditions (such as increasing the distance between ourselves and the sound or ourselves and the dogs). A lecture on canine health rounded out the morning's events. Graduates and dog-lovers may also have felt apprehensive or worried after learning about the many potential threats to our dogs' health that are lurking out there.

Following lunch (again, thank you, amazing Voluncheers!), the instructors began to prepare students for the first night to be spent at home (or in the dorms) with their respective pre-matched dogs. A lecture on dogs' daily needs was then presented, culminating with an activity in which students were asked to draw their future daily schedules with ample time given for toileting, feeding, exercising, grooming, and training. 

Afterward, we commenced soundwork practice with our dogs, this time with a second sound, that of a timer beeping. The dogs have already had substantial practice alerting their trainers to this sound, but at this time they were asked to alert their new handlers instead. In turn, the students applied what they had learned about soundwork and their respective dogs in order to problem-solve and support their dogs in this novel arrangement. We are encouraged to remember that our dogs are learning at all times, all the time.

Day Four wrapped up with an additional round of command practice as well as the introduction of commands which would prove handy that night at home/the dorm rooms. Quizzes on the day's lectures were then handed out, and class was dismissed.

Day Three: Another Beginning

On Day Three of Team Training, we jumped right back into soundwork practice, this time exclusively with the dogs with which we were pre-matched. Soundwork training is fun and fascinating for me. Identifying a sound source is like a wonderful puzzle that the Hearing Dog team has to solve together, with communications exchanged between both team members. In the form of impromptu responses, trained behaviors, and issued commands, dog and human collaborate to achieve a goal, and that is to return both parties to the source of the sound, where a reward awaits both. The Hearing Dog's paycheck is food and praise, and I believe that dogs can and do enjoy the orienting, alerting, and localizing process so much that their dynamism and enjoyment contributes to a self-rewarding, performance-enhancing loop. So much the better if their human partner shares in that joy! What sweetness, to play together in this way!

Day Two: Preliminary Matches

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Preliminary matches, or "pre-matches," were made. These pairings of Team Training students and dogs represent the potential teams that will hopefully go on to graduate. There is, however, an emphasis on the preliminary aspect of these matches, as changes may be made for a number of different reasons. Changes, when made, are initiated with the optimal working relationship of the assistance dog team in mind. Team success and safety are the paramount goals.

The day continued with further soundwork practice, in addition to lectures and introductions of additional commands. As ever, the volunteers who provided lunch were so appreciated - lunch is a great respite for hungry students who have been working and listening all morning! While Team Training lunches provide an opportunity for students to further bond (with each other, and later with their dogs as well), they also facilitate students' introduction to the generous folks who volunteer their time and energy on campus.

I feel good about my preliminary match on a number of different levels. From my experiences with Maya and Karma, I trust and believe that the instructors absolutely do have the needs and best interests of the students in mind. It is heartening and enjoyable to notice the warmth I feel when I think of the dog I am working with, as well as my anticipation at continuing to work together. Simultaneously, I am mindful that we - dog and I - are engaged in an interactive, enjoyable, and purposeful dance under the adept supervision of the instructors. At some point, the dance may call for the exchange of dance partners. This metaphor works for me, and I am thoroughly enjoying the dance right now and every chance I get.

I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the Canine Companions staff members from around the campus who came to witness and support the pre-match announcements. As the staff watched and responded to each announcement with smiles and applause, I was reminded of the cyclical nature of life and living things. Teams dying and teams being born. Leashes handed over symbolically. An elder dog and a puppy touching noses. And lives changing at every moment.

Later on, in reflecting on the morning's events, I thought back to the moment that I learned I would be pre-matched with Maya. Little Maya.

I thought of Karma and her essential role in my journey. I thought of her sweet smile.

And I'm thinking now about my newest prospective canine partner, wondering what's in store and what our lives together might look like.

All is well.

Day One, the First Day of Class

Today was Day One of Team Training: the First Day of Class.

Instruction during Hearing Dog Team Training occurs in the Great Room of Gittinger Hall, the dorm where students stay during training. This affords instructors, dogs, and students the opportunity to work and train together in a number of different settings that may resemble students' home and community environments to varying degrees. The Gittinger Hall Great Room has a lounging area with a sofa, comfy chairs, TV, bookshelves, and even a fireplace. It was against this backdrop that our two trusty instructors were standing at precisely 9 am, in front of a table adorned with folders, papers, audio equipment, and a computer. Immediately behind them was a screen that had been lowered from the ceiling.

Students were seated at two slighly-angled, adjoining tables across from the instructors. Another table was set up behind the students, this one for their partners, friends, and training assistants. Ten solid minutes were devoted to ensuring that students' personal assistive listening devices were working in harmony with the wireless FM (frequency moderation) system that's looped around the Great Room. Instructors spoke into microphones clipped to their shirts to test out students' understanding. Once everyone indicated satisfaction with the communication system in place, the instructors introduced themselves, and student introductions were repeated as well. We were shy just one student, who happened at that very moment to be driving across the country with her spouse after their flight was cancelled.

Our morning began with the first of many informational lectures that the instructors will present over the next two weeks. This lecture was an Orientation to Team Training that introduced students to the basic outlines of the Team Training process. The lecture touched on instructors' expectations for students, what students can expect of the instructors, the outline of the course, and the ways in which the instructors' interaction with students will evolve over the two weeks, moving stylistically from directive instruction to coaching as students gain knowledge and make increasingly independent decisions regarding themselves and their dogs. Emphasis was placed on instructors' desire to see students return home with their new dogs as "good, successful teams."

As puppy raisers and graduates know, much consideration has been given to structure and to structured communication, both within the Team Training environment and with people outside (such as the puppy raisers who are anxiously awaiting news about their dogs). For anyone who has ever wished for greater transparency, rest assured that this system is implemented with the success of the new assistance dog teams in mind. The instructors explained the importance of the pre-matching process; that is, the dogs with whom students are initially placed are the dogs who the instructors believe will continue on to work with those students. At the same time, these are deemed "pre-matches" for a reason; arrangements may be changed at any time for a number of factors, again with the success and safety of the team in mind. Reflecting back on my own experiences, I am confident that instructors have students' and dogs' best interests in mind, and that great consideration is given to every decision made.

Something of note to me during the lecture was the emphasis on considerate communication. The instructors paused to ask if students needed repetition, handed out copies of the PowerPoint for students to read, and requested that students share responsibility for ensuring that they understand all the material shared. It was at this time that I realized again how wonderful and fortunate I felt: the specialness of that feeling of having no limits, that anything great can and will happen, that good and sweet things are in store, and that possibilities are unlimited. That good butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling.

An introduction to the soundwork sequence and a few practice sessions with "Fluffy," the campus resident stuffed animal dog, introduced students to the basics of Hearing Dog soundwork. The instructors had students practice issuing the commands and executing the sequence associated with soundwork. The successful completion of this soundwork sequence will help the dogs in training transfer their skills onto new their partners and will assist these fledgling Hearing Dog teams in mastering new sounds as they travel home.

We then ate a delicious lunch prepared and served by volunteers, who joined us at the table for a communal meal. More introductions were made, great food was enjoyed, and the meal was a welcome respite from an intensive morning of listening and learning. Thank you, volunteers!!!

The afternoon contained an additional lecture during which students learned about principles of leadership, the reactionary and emotional nature of dogs, how to get and keep dogs' attention, and - very importantly - how to motivate dogs in order to encourage the repetition of desirable behaviors! Then came the much-anticipated first of several rotations with different dogs - how all of our eyes followed their every movement! - and I worked with some absolutely wonderful dogs. I'm keenly aware that, as the instructors remind Team Training students, what we see of the dogs during the first few days of training is merely the tip of the iceberg, only a partial and very incomplete picture of who they fully are. I can honestly look back on my Team Training from 2007 and say that what I saw in Maya then was the tippiest tip tip of the iceberg. I'm  incredibly excited to get to learn about and become familiar with New Dog's character over time.

Back in class, we began soundwork, working with different dogs on the first of a few sounds we'll practice over the next two weeks, the door chime. These rotations gave students the opportunity to develop muscle memory and improve their skills while instructors observed students' handling skills and styles in interacting with the dogs. An additional rotation later in the afternoon allowed us to work on basic obedience commands with the dogs on leash next to us. Fluffy (see above) and the famous Carpet Dog also made an appearance. Carpet Dog is a repurposed industrial-sized spool with handles which is managed by one of the instructors, acting as a dog. Students interact with Carpet Dog in order to hone their timing and corrections. 

Class ended with a check-in, overview of the day, and quizzes on the lectures given that day! Yes, we do have homework!

At 4:00 pm, staff members arrived from around campus in order to introduce themselves and meet the new students. I was counting my lucky stars to have gotten to know some of the wonderful people on this campus. Canine Companions has a truly fine team at Northwest and National headquarters.

As I write this, we're about to begin our second day of class, so I'll wrap this up and check in later. Suffice to say this place, and these people, and these dogs are the stuff of dreams.

Thank you, Canine Companions!

Something's Coming... Something Good

Hi and love to all from my happy place, Canine Companions for Independence’s Northwest campus/National headquarters in Santa Rosa, California. Like an island oasis for dog lovers, the Jean and Charles Schulz Campus is situated on 12 acres of land in industrial Santa Rosa, hemmed in by foothills. This beautiful campus was built with the generous support of National Board officer Jean Schulz and her late husband, Peanuts comic strip creator Charles M. Schulz. 

Gittinger Hall's Golden Wind Vane

Following the road through the main gate and onto campus, one winds around a giant fenced-in, well-kept grassy dog play yard complete with an agility field, picnic tables, buckets of water and supplying hose, as well as an abundance of tennis balls and Chuck-It ball launchers. Named for long-time supporter and National Board officer Anne Gittinger and her husband Wayne Gittinger, Gittinger Hall is the dormitory where Team Training students stay for the duration of their visit. Easily spotted and not soon forgotten, on its tall roof is a wind vane shaped like a Golden Retriever! Outside, sidewalks meander across sections of campus and through manicured gardens with citrus trees (the wafting smells are said to provide a tempting distraction for the dogs in training). Selectively-placed outside certain buildings and sidewalk junctures are dog potty areas with bark chips and buckets. Here on campus there is respect and reverence for dogs - and I love that - and careful attention paid to ensuring access for people with disabilities. Most building exteriors and interiors have handicap push plates, the entrance to the dog play yard is wheelchair-accessible, and the Gittinger Hall kitchen is set up with wheelchair-height essentials in mind. 

But I digress... I've jumped ahead. Let me back up...

On Saturday morning I woke up bright and early to catch my first flight. A few cancelled and rescheduled and delayed flights later, I arrived in Santa Rosa after about seventeen hours in transit. However, that's nothing to complain about. My fellow Team Training students also traveled here from around the country, so committed to attending despite the frigid weather that some drove across multiple states for many hours after their flights were cancelled. I had the joy of being received by my lovely friends who provided a collective warm welcome and reminded me of how much I love being here and why. Thank you!

On Sunday evening, the Team Training students who had arrived to campus gathered in the Gittinger Hall common area to attend an "Orientation to the Dorm" meeting that was warmly and professionally provided by the Dorm Caretaker. Topics covered included safety basics and after-hours contact information, where to find needed supplies and equipment, how to request assistance in the event of maintenance issues, and other such relevant guidelines. Dorm amenities include a shared kitchen, common area and library, accessible rooms with roll-in showers, individual garden-level patios, and much more. The attention to detail and level of thought given to helping students feel more at home during their two weeks of Team Training has increasingly and consistency impressed me over the seven years that I've been involved with Canine Companions.

During these two weeks, seven deaf and hard of hearing adults will be trained to partner effectively with skilled Hearing Dogs in order to enhance their environmental awareness. In support of its mission to provide these exceptional dogs, Canine Companions provides top-notch training and follow-up services... and while working with deaf and hard of hearing individuals and those with hearing loss, careful attention must be paid to ensuring effective communication in order to accomplish these goals. Emphasis on communication was apparent on several levels, from the way the Dorm Caretaker encouraged students to ask for clarification if needed, to the presence of a volunteer audiologist who offered students support with their assertive listening devices. She ensured that each of our rooms had door-knock strobe alert devices attached to our doors, checked that the TVs had closed captioning turned on and working, and offered troubleshooting with our tactile alarm clocks as needed. All of this so that we can be matched with dogs whose skills we hope will outsource our reliance on some of this technology!

Returning to my room for the rest of the night, I felt so tired but content. And excited, possessed of palpably delicious anticipation!!! Walking down the hall, I passed a number of empty dog crates lining the wall. Each crate had a square printout labeled with a dog’s name, gender, and breed type. So that you can enjoy the suspense with me, WHO will it be!??!!?!?!

To be continued...

It's Almost Time

Slowly, slowly, I'm making my way west... Looking forward to the future while looking back at the past. I'm intrigued by the concept of exploring and comparing parallels. As I journaled on January 1, 2007, while looking forward to Hearing Dog Team Training then:

I am unquestionably blissed... I am counting down on my fingers the days until Team Training at Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa, California. I am flying out there on the 14th and will be returning home on the 26th of January, hopefully with a beautiful, sweet, smart new hearing dog in tow... I'm told that I won't have much time to update, nor much free time at all, while I'm out in California, but knowing me and my need to emote, I'll probably try to squeeze in time to pen out my thoughts and hopefully share them here every few days. Team Training consists of daily lectures on dog behavior, communication, psychology, learning, obedience, and sound-alerting work, as well as tons of hands-on practice with different dogs before we are matched up, then intensive one-on-one work with the dog we are ultimately matched with, "field trips" to public places such as the mall, grocery store, etc., daily quizzes, and three final certification tests (including the Assistance Dogs International test for public access). I am really excited. Okay, so I'm excited beyond articulation!

Getting Ready

“It is said there are flowers that bloom only once in a hundred years. Why should there not be some that bloom once in a thousand, in ten thousand years? Perhaps we never know about them simply because this 'once in a thousand years' has come today.” - Yevgeny Zamyatin