These puppies have been bred through careful selection to have a high rate of success as future Service and Therapy Dogs both through the APAW program as well as Therapy Dogs International and individual homes.

Proud parents are Harmony and Truman, two wonderful dogs with fabulous temperaments and great structure, and a pedigree combination with a low risk for genetic diseases.

Born August 26th, 2010, we have 9 little munchkins… many different colors, all large and healthy.

All puppies will be given names starting with the letter ‘A’. Our next litter will be the ‘B’ litter, then the ‘C’ litter… to better track relations and our program’s expansion into the future.

Harmony is in love with her babies, and so proud to show them off.

Once they are a little older, we will start welcoming Puppy Petters to come and handle them to help with the socialization process.

Pictures to follow…

Here is a short video of her – hope you enjoy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH–EsBRTIg[/youtube]

Victor ended-up in 7th place!

Charlie was awarded Honorable Mention, so he tied with two other entries for 3rd place!!! When his prize package arrived in the mail we were entertained to see his name as the addressee

Zoom Room wrote a blog entry for each of our boys:
Incredible Poodle Tricks by Charlie

Victor the Rescue Poodle Performs

Enjoy watching and sharing these entry videos, and stay tuned for more working videos of our APAW pooches.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPZtpPzVKjY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-rXeku8oEA[/youtube]

Donovan is a very special dog who entered the program at 1 year old. He is one of the sweetest dogs a person could meet, but a little too goofy to be relied on as a working Service Dog. We consider him a ‘Wonderful Wash-out’.

As a result, he has found a fabulous family home all for his own… and down the road as he matures he may even start doing Social/Therapy work!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpZ7c09dy-I[/youtube]

Local Poodle owners came with their pre-bathed and fluffed Poodles and whatever grooming supplies they had accumulated. After watching a demo of each portion of the grooming process (demonstrated on APAW Pixie),  the budding groomers worked on their own pups with handling assistance, reminders, and suggestions for their specific situations.

Poodles and parents left looking neat and proud

Wow Take A Bow will be hosting another class shortly before Christmas (contact for details) – class space is limited so sign-up early. We plan to offer the class every 2-3 months, and APAW Poodles will be available for new groomers who wish to learn on a well-trained canine.

Dogs learned and practiced spinning in circles, weaving through human legs and taking a bow – and some came up with other tricks to work on, like crossing paws, playing dead, and hind-end awareness via pivoting around a target.

If you are looking for a neat interactive workshop for a group of savvy dog owners in the area (MA, parts of CT/NH/RI etc), consider having Charlie come by… as seen on Animal Planet’s Dogs 101 show!

And the winner is…

Tara Lamper of Shampoodles grooming salon in NH has designed this amazing logo – we could not be more pleased with the result! Thank you Tara

Stay tuned for APAW merchandise in the near future!

SERVICE DOG VERSION OF COMMON COMMANDS

HEEL – For a Service Dog, heel position is further back than what is seen in the obedience ring. The dog’s nose should not pass the handler’s knee, whether walking or wheeling. This allows for easier turning but, more importantly, it helps the dog focus with fewer distractions as their line of sight on one side is blocked by a leg. This is especially helpful while training young dogs that are naturally curious. The dog also needs to learn the same position on the handler’s right side in case that is a better location for the future client. “Heel” is for left position and “Side” is for right position.

FINISH/HEEL POSITION – Service dogs are never allowed to cross behind their trainer’s back, as most clients will not be able to manage the leash. Dogs are taught a flip-finish (from a position in front of the handler, the dog flips around to the handler’s side), but because service dogs generally have calm temperaments, it is more of a circle that places them back at the handler’s side.

DOWN – Service Dogs frequently need to hold long down-stays so they should be comfortable while in this position. Most dogs will naturally roll onto a hip after a few minutes, but the trainer can also let the dog know they will be there for awhile. My program teaches a separate command to relax onto a side.

LEAVE IT – This command is crucial for a dog who has access to public locations. Not only is it unacceptable for the dog to sniff at food in a restaurant, they must never touch anything off the ground. Whether it is rotting food, animal feces, toxic substances, or another animal, service dogs may not eat, sniff, roll in, jump on, or otherwise be distracted from their job.

STAY – This command is rarely used for short periods, so it tends to be given for a “Down” position and means the dog should settle in for a rest. Ten to sixty-plus minutes isn’t uncommon (while their partner works, eats, etc.), but unlike in the show ring, it’s okay for the handler to praise and reinforce the dog . . . and the dog should not treat the attention as a time to get up.

COME – Formal command meaning run to handler and sit until given the next instruction. This is mainly used when exiting the car or in other situations of potential danger. The command “Here” is used as the informal recall and, if the dog is already nearby, the act of pointing a finger/hand tells the dog where to position his head, allowing for access to his backpack or moving out of the way.

STAND – Should be solid, long enough for the dog’s backpack to be looked through. Dogs also learn to “Brace” to provide stability for their handler.

RELEASE – In general, a service dog is given a follow-up command rather than being told “Okay.”  When he has finished working and is free to do whatever he wants, he is told “Release,” and he may run off to find a toy, come back and ask for attention, or he may choose to continue a nap – but, the choice is his, and he should have at least a full few minutes to enjoy it before starting to work again.

Some service dogs are now being taught to read flash cards.  These cards have either a text word or a stick figure drawing which the dog responds to as cues.

SOME ADDITIONAL TASKS

ALERT – Dog pushes entry button with nose to open door, or nudges person’s hand to get their attention.  The latter is followed-up with “What?” which instructs the dog to indicate whether he needs to go out, is thirsty, that someone’s at the door, etc.

BEHIND – The dog slows down and ducks behind the wheelchair.  Mainly used for going through narrow doors: the dog then returns to the same side he was originally on.

BETTER HURRY – Tells the dog that now is the time to potty.  Always used before going in any public location to make sure dog is not uncomfortable while there.

CLOSER – Dog should move closer to handler.

DRESS – Dog puts his head though collar or cape.

FIX – Used when the leash is under the dog’s leg, tells dog to untangle himself.

GET IT, BRING IT HERE, GIVE – The series of commands used when having the dog retrieve an item.

GO THROUGH – Dog moves in front of person, turns to face them, and walks backwards until there is enough space to move to the side again.  Used when going through a skinny passage or doorway when “Behind” isn’t suitable . . . either an automatic door that may hit the dog, or another reason to want the dog in sight.

LAP – Dog puts front legs on his partner’s lap to deliver an item, allow access to backpack, or to show affection.  The dog should come from the side and rest his legs across the lap to distribute the pressure, rather than all of his weight pressed down through the paws.

LIGHT/SWITCH – Commands for the dog to flick a light on with his nose, and to switch it off with his teeth.

LOOK – Tells dog to survey his surroundings for the item he should retrieve.

PUSH – Dog should use his front paws to push a door/object.

SNUGGLE – From the “Lap” position, the dog leans across his handler’s body and rests his head on the opposite shoulder.  This command has two purposes.  The first is as a hug – people who spend most of their time in a wheelchair rarely receive contact along their torso (try getting hugged when you’re sitting down), but a service dog can fit into the available space almost perfectly.  The second purpose is potentially life saving, though not many applicants will have a need.  If someone falls forward in their chair and either doesn’t have the mobility, strength, or energy to push themselves up again, their circulation can be cut off from the rest of their body.  Using the “Snuggle” command, a dog can learn to get under the person’s chest and push up and back until the handler is upright again.

SPEAK – This command instructs the dog to call for help if, for example, the wheelchair’s power dies, the keys fell out of the dog’s reach, etc.  There are two additional cues for eliciting the dog to bark in other conditions – if the handler feels threatened by a stranger, he can tell the dog to “Guard,” allowing the stranger to think the dog is protection trained.  If the handler doesn’t want the stranger to realize he feels threatened, he can make a little click sound with his tongue . . . this sends the message that the dog is suspicious and taking matters into his own hands.

THANK YOU – Showing appreciation for a job well done.  This is especially nice to use in public, because it displays that the dog and handler have a close relationship and that neither takes the other for granted.

THAT’S IT – This encourages the dog to keep working at it – that he is on the right track.

TUG – Tells the dog to tug on a rope that is attached to a door, or to pull off socks, pants, etc.

UP – The dog puts his front feet on the wall (to reach a light switch), or on a counter to retrieve or deliver an item.

VISIT – Dog rests his chin on his partner’s lap, either to deliver an item or to show affection.

We are still open to additional submissions until August 31st, and invite you to give it a shot.

In September we will select our favorites and place them up for all of you to vote on. The final decision will be made by APAW, but we want to know your feelings regarding the logos.

For guidelines to creating a potential APAW logo, please refer to our original post on the topic. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions – info@americanpoodlesatwork.org.

Thank you!

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Service dogs are trained to assist people who have trouble doing certain tasks by themselves. A service dog should make life easier for the person, not more difficult because the dog needs a lot of encouragement to take action or takes a long time to follow through. This means that even after a dog with a generally good temperament (willing to please, “soft,” and without fear) has been selected, the methods of teaching need to be appropriate as well.

Service dogs should have a low level of initiative (so they don’t second-guess their owner), but they also shouldn’t give up if a task seems too difficult. If the keys need to be retrieved, it probably can’t be left until later. To get these results, the dog should be “taught” rather than “trained.” The method should encourage the dog to enjoy working and solving problems without stressing. Methods also should not include physical corrections or much manipulation which can make a dog less likely to work for someone who can’t administer corrections. Each dog should be raised as if they would be placed with a person who has a very high level of disability – someone who has almost no movement and a very weak voice. Getting each dog ready for this level will assure that the best selection will be made by personality (more on this below) rather than only having a couple of dogs with the needed skill level.

TEACHING METHODS

A combination of luring with food and using a clicker (or similar marker) is generally all that is needed. The leash can be used to give “cues” (gently tightening a couple of times to get the dog’s attention) but is otherwise slack at all times. The trainer’s voice is the main tool, but clapping hands or tapping a surface are used to target a certain response (generally getting the dog to focus on the area with eyes, or to use a paw or nose). Eye contact is not needed but encouraged if the dog offers it without any adverse side effects (such as bumping into the wheelchair) – the dog should be aware of his surroundings but not interested in investigating everything, easily focusing back on the handler.

Another very useful training tool is synchronization. Dogs are social beings, and as such they respond readily to even the subtlest cues we give. A dog trainer can use her emotions and body posture to illicit various responses from the dog and to even have the dog understand the mood in which it is intended – not just to follow through with the motions! The following are short examples of how synchronization can be used:

#1 Mavis wants to purchase a special vase at the china shop, but her service dog Jolly sometimes has trouble keeping her tail under control. Mavis assumes a worried look, and using a suspenseful voice tells Jolly to be “Careful.” Jolly lowers her tail and moves slowly, keeping a low profile from whatever dangerous stimulus might be lurking in the store . . . she is not fearful, but she will be cautious.

#2 It’s early morning, the birds are singing, and Tom is getting ready to leave for work. His service dog Lively is so excited that he can’t sit still enough for Tom to put his collar and service cape on. Tom relaxes back in his chair and calmly tells Lively to “Settle,” lowering his voice on the second syllable. Lively responds by sitting next to Tom and giving a big yawn . . . he has calmed down and is now ready to get dressed (in collar and cape) and go out.

#3 It’s been a long day and both Jason and his service dog Honey are tired. They are on their way home, but decide to catch an earlier bus than usual to get out of the summer humidity. As they cross to the final stretch, Jason sees a bus in the distance and is unsure if it is for them. Just in case, he gathers his energy and animatedly tells Honey “Quick, Quick!” and they speed to the bus stop arriving just in time. Honey understood that even though she was hot and tired, it was time to pick up the pace.

CORRECTIONS

Service dogs should be trained without the use of much physical correction, because their future partner may not be able to follow through with the correction like the dog’s trainer. A dog raised with physical corrections will be somewhat immune, needing stronger corrections over time to get through to him. In addition, some client’s will have spasms and the dog will have an easier time accepting jerks as accidents if there isn’t a history that these physical “corrections” are for doing something wrong.

Once the dog fully understands his tasks, corrections may be needed to let him know that an inappropriate behavior is not an option. For example, a service dog can’t pull on the leash when he should be heeling: if an 18-month-old dog is still pulling occasionally, the trainer can “draw the line” with their hand, showing the dog that they are not to cross in front of the knee. If a dog that age does forge, the trainer can “bump” any part of the dog’s body that crosses the line. If a dog is unresponsive to this type of correction, they may not have a soft enough personality for service work. If the client has dog training experience, it could work; however, unless they have compatible personalities, it won’t be a great relationship.