# New Puppy Assistance Dog Candidate For Me



## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Well, after over a year of waiting the right pup finally became available for me. His registered name is Pyro vom Wildhaus but his call name is now "Kaleb". He was born Dec. 19, 2014 and flown down to FL on February 21, 2015.

Kaleb is (I am very hopeful) being trained to step in as mascot for my non-profit and demo dog for community activities. 
** He is now going through puppy class and will remain there until he is 6 months of age. He is scheduled for his AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certification in April. 
** At 6 months, he will be going into Foundation I Obedience (basic) followed by Foundation II Obedience. 
** After he is 12 months of age, he will be going for his AKC CGC Title and evaluation to become a Therapy Dog.

Somewhere in his first 2 years we will be starting AKC Obedience, Trick Class, Nose Work, and Rally Class. We may also check out Barn Hunt and Herding. 

Between 1 and 2 years of age, Kaleb will be working toward his AKC Community Canine Certification and AKC Therapy Dog Titles. I also hope to be able to have him ATTS (temperament tested) as soon after 18 months of age as possible. 

At 24 months of age he will be finishing up his medical evaluations and if all comes back to our satisfaction on his health certs, he passes his Public Access Test and is able to do his task work to my satisfaction, Kaleb will then begin working as my Assistance (Service) Dog for my mobility issues. 

In the U.S. we are very lucky to be allowed to owner train our Service Dogs. For a proper SD, owners should be aware that it is more than the owner having a disability and the dog being potty trained and learning a couple of tasks. There are many hours of work involved in training and should be on-going evaluations from official/professional sources as to health and temperament.


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## kburrow11 (Jan 31, 2014)

I'm currently owner training my service dog, and I'll agree, there's a TON of work involved. One thing that continually amazes me is how intelligent they are, and how quick they are at picking up your needs and finding ways of helping, often ways you didn't even think of.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Keleb is a raw food/home prepared food fed pup. 

So far Kaleb has had grnd chicken, beef and pork along with canned plain pumpkin, mashed green beans, banana, chopped apple and grnd chicken bone, beef liver, chicken liver and heart and raw whole egg (egg about 2X per week). He is also getting coconut oil daily.

He is about to get his first serving of plain, no sugar Kefir to go with his lunch. If he likes it I will be making our own Kefir at home. 

I am trying to track down some good local sources of goat and rabbit meat along with goat milk cheese.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

I tried dehydrating chicken and beef liver in the oven. It was a mess and a half. A friend of mine is gifting an electric dehydrator to Kaleb for training treats. So looking forward to fixing his liver treats that way.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

I'll be taking Kaleb into the vet Monday morning for his 2nd Distemper / Parvo vaccination. He received his first at 8 weeks old and he just turned 12 weeks on Friday. That will leave one more at 16 weeks of age. 

If he was not going out for Puppy Class etc. I would consider only 1 more at the 14-16 week range. 

He will then get yearly titers.

He will get his first Rabies vac. at 20 weeks of age and then a (3 year) vac. 1 year later. 

His schedule is very closely based on Dr. Jean Dodd's 2012 schedule.

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog | Dr. Dodds' 2012 Canine Vaccination Protocol


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

ILGHAUS said:


> I tried dehydrating chicken and beef liver in the oven. It was a mess and a half. A friend of mine is gifting an electric dehydrator to Kaleb for training treats. So looking forward to fixing his liver treats that way.


So happy to hear about Kaleb! AND that he is a "Raw Fed" dog!

I've got an easier way to dry/jerk chicken or beef liver for treats. You can leave them soft or dry them out for a crunchy chip. I've used the dehydrator too but I prefer these. After you make them for the first time, and get the hang of it, it's EEEEZY PEEEEZY!

*Dutch's LIVER LEATHER TREATS FOR DOGS AND CATS**

*
*You will need the following:*
1 pounds raw calf liver or chicken liver
1 can sardines packed in water (drained before use) OPTIONAL
Pam Spray
Cookie sheet at least 12 x 16" non-stick *with sides on it*. If the cookie sheet isn’t a non-stick one, line it with oven-safe parchment paper that is purchased at the grocery store. It’s a white non burning paper made especially for the oven.
Blender
Garlic powder or salt (optional)
Scissors

Preheat oven to 190 degrees.

Procedure:
Place liver, drained sardines (optional), and a few shakes of garlic powder together into the blender. Pulse in small bursts to get it started and once it gets to the chunky stage, leave blender on for about 20-30 seconds to fully blend. This will create a thick paste.
*NOTE:* If your blender is small and low horse power, do this in smaller batches,. You don’t want to overtax your blender motor.

Spray your non-stick cookie sheet with a small amount of Pam making sure that you rub it into the corners of the pan with your fingers. Or, line the cookie sheet with the Parchment Paper that you’ve cut to fit the pan. If you use the Parchment Paper, it may “curl” up and not stay flat on the pan. For this you can put a dab of water in several spots on the cookie sheet then lay the Parchment on top of the water drops and smooth down. The water will hold it in place.

Pour the mixture on to the cookie sheet. It’s thick, so you can use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the blender to get it all. Spread it out evenly to edges. Your goal is to avoid hills and valleys.

Place in 190 degree oven to bake.


Check pan after 40-50 minutes. If the liver mix has shrunk away from the sides, feels dry and rubbery to the touch and there is not any "stickiness," to it, you are ready to remove it from oven. If not, return to oven, and continue to check it about every 10 minutes or less if it is on the verge of being done.
NOTE: It may create a large bubble in the middle of the pan. Just take a butter knife and poke a few holes in it and continue baking.

Remove from oven and loosen the sides first, then under it and let cool for a few minutes so that you can handle it. It may break apart in places so don’t worry about that. Place rubbery liver sheet on cutting board, and cut into about ¼” strips with scissors. Then cut strips to create small squares about the size of a dime or nickel (they will shrink when you re-dry them). You can either keep them soft or you can place the cut squares back on to the cookie sheet, and *return to oven to dry further for approximately an additional hour or longer , but keep checking so as not to burn them. This will create a dehydrated chip.
*Place them in a container or baggie after being completely cooled and store in the refrigerator. If you leave them soft, divided into baggies and store in freezer until you need them.
*“Bone” Appétit’ Kaleb!

*Moms


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Kaleb went to the vet this morning. He weighed in at a bit over 21lbs at 12 weeks. He is getting longer every day. At this age it is so funny to watch them as all body parts don't grow at the same rate. 

He is beginning to understand some basic commands such as:
No teeth -- No teeth touching people skin
Box -- get into crate
Place -- jump onto placeboard
Sitz -- sit
Platz -- lay down

He also is starting to stand still to have his harness snapped or unsnapped.
Sitting to have his slip lead put on or off. 

Puppy Class tomorrow evening. Four more puppy classes and he will be eligible for AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Certificate.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Kaleb is growing up too fast. Last visit he had his 3rd and last Parvo / Distemper puppy round of vacs and weighed in at 39lbs.

He will go back to the vet just before he turns 20 weeks of age for his Rabies Vac in compliance with FL State Law.

No more vacs then until May of 2016 when he will receive his adult 3 year Rabies vac. He will also at that time receive a Parvo / Distemper titer.

He will also soon be having a complete blood panel along with full Thyroid testing done so we have a baseline to compare future testing. 

**********​
He has completed his first round of Puppy Class and will begin a second round next week. He is scheduled to take his AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy in May.

He started his first round of Foundation I Class yesterday and did very well. I expect him to go through one more round of Foundation I.

**********​
I am thinking about attending a two day workshop with Jeff Gellman next month.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

My little guy is growing where we swear that we can see the growth every day. We started him also on fish several weeks ago and like everything else he loves it. Quail is going on sale this week, though still quite pricey, but I am going to get him a dozen. This will be his first quail meal. If he really likes it, I may get him some more but it will be like one quail per week. I'm still looking for some goat, lamb and rabbit in the area. I may have to begin raising my own rabbits again. 

Kaleb will be testing for his AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy on Sunday but then returning to Puppy Class the following week. The pups are all learning to really play with each other during the designated play time. I want to keep him in Puppy Class until he ages out.

He also is in Foundation Class and is learning but not enough to be able to graduate from it next week. But I had already planned on him taking it two or three times. The class is mostly feisty young dogs (some just out of Puppy Class) and others that have never been to a class yet. So there is enough distractions in the class to make it a good learning experience itself. 

Kaleb and I are sometimes in our own little bubble watching the others and then doing things at our pace. I have to also do things differently with him as he will be my Service Dog (Mobility). When the others are learning to do automatic sits when the handler stops walking, Kaleb is to remain standing at stops. If we are standing there for a bit I sometimes have him sit and sometimes I do not. When we walk I also do not have him in a "heel" position but slightly ahead of me. He is to learn two different walking styles and speeds. "Easy Walk" is loose leash with him a bit further in front than what is normally taught and "Easy Pull" is when I would reach to the short handle on the back of his harness and he is to lean into it to help me as needed. He is just being taught the foundation of the Easy Pull command and will not use it until he is a full 24 months old and had elbows, hips, spine and legs all X-rayed and approved for the work.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

This is a great resource for people looking to train their own service dog

I wish you all the best and look forward to more updates as he grows


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## ZiggytheSheprador (May 6, 2015)

whats the puppy class that you have signed up for? socialization?


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Here is a cut & paste from the website where he goes // and I can post without giving information of the name of the facility or link. 

****************************
Each week will have puppy engagement training, socialization & playtime, along with a confidence-building exercise. Life strategies will be covered, such as grooming, diet and exercise, crate training, potty training, chewing, puppy biting, and much more.

Puppy engagement training includes lure and reward training with your dog’s food or treat. We train sit, down, come, stay, walk nice on leash, find, drop, and leave it. We show you how to properly deliver a food reward for optimal engagement with your puppy.

Socialization & playtime is proper, supervised, age-appropriate play with other pups. We are ready to step in to make sure your dog has a great experience.
**********

There are also confidence building activities like pups running through a tunnel and various objects to climb up on such as metal wash tub, low wooden bench and fabric/pvc placeboards.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Kaleb is growing so quickly. At his last vet visit for his Rabies vac he weighed 50.5 lbs. and that was no excess fat. He was 19 weeks and 6 days old. Per FL Statute dogs must have a Rabies vac before they are 20 weeks old and so I scheduled his appointment on purpose for then. 

He is slower than many of the pups in his litter on teething. When his lower molars where coming in he would nudge my hand and put his head on my knee. He would then open his mouth and I would rub his gums a little bit. 

He is so sweet at times and then flip over to being a naughty pup zipping around the house and looking for something to get into. 

When he does his puppy grab and run we have to be very careful how he is corrected. When he grabs a shoe I take it back from him and say "Thank You" with a smile as someday one of his tasks will be to go get items for me such as my shoes, the phone, my purse and such. Working through this time we can end up with items in very strange places to keep them safe. Like when my husband asked if I "really meant for one pair of my shoes to be on top of the refrigerator?"


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Great job, Kaleb! I totally enjoy following his progress. Thank you so much for the updates!


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

His big box order of meat came in today. I gave him a snack of the pig heart (you could get it whole or chunked -- I got the chunked) right after we repackaged everything and put most into the freezer. I left out enough for a couple of days. He has had salmon before and loved it, but it was the pretty fillets from the market. I ordered two bags of course ground salmon and I can say it kind of stinks. They grind the bones and skin along with the "meat" but he just got through wolfing it down like he was starving. 

We also got ground rabbit & bones (no fur thank goodness), ground turkey & bones and ground quail with bones. 

The only two new protein sources are rabbit and turkey as he has had the rest before. I'm thinking of trying either lamb or goat next order along with some organ meat. The ones that he likes and seem to agree with him I will do bigger orders on in the future but this time was mostly to see if the meat was okay and he liked it. 

The basics of chicken, pork and beef we will just continue buying at the grocery store and then order on-line some of those that we can not get locally. I think we are going to have to soon get another freezer.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Lilie said:


> Great job, Kaleb! I totally enjoy following his progress. Thank you so much for the updates!


I have had others tell me the same thing here and on FB. I started doing it as a project to let people see the funny and the sad parts of searching for a dog and the steps of training while all the time in the back of your mind is knowing that the dog may never make it to SD status. 

**********​
A couple of mini brags on Kaleb:

He has slowly been better about grabbing toys from my hand and this morning he solved the problem on his own. I've been telling him "easy - easy with the teeth" so he has been now sitting and raising a paw and just doing a couple of light taps on my hand like asking "Please may I have my toy". I love when they think through a problem and come up with some type of solution.

Kaleb has never been scared of the vacuum thanks to his early exposure and good breeding.  He would get up and move out of my way when I do my vacuuming, but was a little worried over some of his toys. He sat and watched me vac up some of his big puppy hair globs one day and then saw me heading to the area of the room where his toys were. He scooted around and got all in one pile and laid on them. Anyway, this morning while I was doing the daily vacuuming around his crate and placeboard I said it would be so nice to just vacuum you directly. Don't know what it was but he went to place and just looked at me. I took the wand attachment and vac. under his placeboard which he was on and I thought oh what the heck. I slowly moved it closer to him and he didn't seem to care so I gently ran it down his back. He liked it!! I then told him "tummy" and he moved so I could vacuum his underside. I called my husband in to watch and we did it all over again. It was so funny.


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

ILGHAUS said:


> Anyway, this morning while I was doing the daily vacuuming around his crate and placeboard I said it would be so nice to just vacuum you directly. Don't know what it was but he went to place and just looked at me. I took the wand attachment and vac. under his placeboard which he was on and I thought oh what the heck. I slowly moved it closer to him and he didn't seem to care so I gently ran it down his back. He liked it!! I then told him "tummy" and he moved so I could vacuum his underside. I called my husband in to watch and we did it all over again. It was so funny.


I really enjoy reading your updates. I found this part about vacuuming so funny! I have an older pup who thinks the vacuum is the devil! Remi, only 12 wks, thinks the vacuum is his buddy conquering the world! He could care less what the vacuum is doing, he just wants to A: direct it where it should go, or B: let it vacuum him . Please keep sharing your story!

Mom to Remi


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Have been very busy with the little fuzzy brat who is not so little anymore. Just some catch up to where we are now with him. I'm going through his records to be able to hit some of the main points on his behavior, feeding and training. So some of you may have read some of these things elsewhere.

In Mid-June he passed his AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and is now training toward his AKC CGC title. The goal is to have him evaluated after his 1st birthday.

After his molars came in I moved him up from ground bone and chicken wing tips. The first time he ate chicken drumsticks was very funny. 

From his feeding notes back then: I put him in his crate where he eats all of his meals and gave him one. He looked at it, then at me, then at it again. He picked it up and tossed it around. He then put his foot on the drumstick, then turned away and laid down to ignore it. After a bit he got up and looked at the drumstick once more, placed his paw back on it and this time glared at me. I could tell he wasn't fully pleased with his new snack. He then leaned down and grabbed at the skin with his teeth and kept his eyes on me.

I reached back into the crate and collected the drumstick from him. I then took the offending skin off of it, cut the meat away and fed it nibble by nibble to him. After Kaleb ate the meat pieces I then held on one end of the drumstick bone. He proceeded to bite off the other end and gave it a few crunches and swallowed. He then did the same with the middle at which point he nudged the end piece with his nose so I gave that to him. All through with the chicken snack, he licked his lips and laid back down. He was a happy pup -- he taught his human food server how to properly serve chicken drumsticks! :rolleyes2:


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Back when Kaleb was 7 months old, I began shaping and then adding command names to some of the actions that he offered. These later will be more reliable *tricks* and then later some will be used in his *work*.

From Kaleb's training notes: Today we showed off a bit with Kaleb's "*Pretty*" (sit up on haunches), "*Paws Up*" placing front paws on my forearm and "*Say Hi*" which is a greeting shake with the right front paw. _"*Shake*" is to get rid of excess water -- which is only done in the bathroom or outside._

And then some working of course is just for purposes such as grooming: He has been really good with being vacuumed and today we had a lesson with the hair dryer being blown on him. He reacted very well with it. Up to now I just had him sit near the dryer a couple of times as I held it for him to get use to the sound.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

are you training Kaleb for yourself or as a dog available to someone who needs one?


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Now a quick jump to the present -- Kaleb begins Foundation I on this coming Sunday to begin working toward his AKC CGC title even though it will be months before we go through his evaluation. This class is for all age groups beginning with pups at 5 months of age.

I took Kaleb through part of this class before ... will take it now ... and will probably take it at least one more time. For the most part, the group classes are having Kaleb work around other dogs for dog to dog socialization (dogs do not have to touch each other or play for the type of socialization training needed toward working in the community) and for the distraction of learning to work around dogs that they themself are in a different stage of training.

As I did with his Puppy Class description I will be doing some cut & paste with Foundation I and again -- there is no problem with the facility with me doing this. 

You will learn…
Our Dogmanship Training Method.
The common thread running through all successful dog training methods.
A new way to communicate with your dog.
The difference between adrenaline and energy, and how to de-adrenalize your dog.
Build teamwork between you and your dog.
How to teach your dog to be calm, relaxed, and follow your lead.
Teach your dog to focus on you and greet others politely.
Teach your dog the 5 basic commands – sit, down, place, heel, recall.
How to stop pulling on the leash, at your very first class!
How to correctly use praise and affection to encourage your dog.
The difference between re-cueing and bridging.
Why you do not repeat commands, and how to get your dog to respond the first time.


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