On December 4, 2011 GAP Service Dogs went to the Englewood Fire Station. 21 Service and Therapy dogs were in attendance. This is always such a fun trip for everyone. A huge THANK YOU to all the firemen and women who made this years visit to the fire station possible.
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Everyone walked clear down to the other side of the mall. All the way to the pet store. It was full of all kinds of puppies. While I personally don’t like to see puppies for sale at the mall, it was a great opportunity for all the dogs to work on ignoring distractions. So of course we took advantage of it, by touring the store a few at a time. Most of the dogs did pretty well. On our way back, we found several benches that were perfect to have the dogs practice lying beneath them. We put each of the dogs under a bench, asking them to stay. A few dogs weren’t too sure they wanted to get under those benches. Once they were under the benches though they all did an excellent job on a long down stay.
So I honestly thought to myself, “Oh well, today will just be a show and go!” In case you haven’t already figured it out, what I mean by that is we show up, walk around for a 5 or 10 minutes, and then go because the weather was too crummy for anyone else to make it. Of course, I should never count my chickens before they hatch, because to my surprise 10 people were there! Great job everyone! Your dedicaton to GAP Dogs is incredible.
Gap Dogs was invited to attend this special event with several of our service dogs. We spent the day discussing the many benefits of service dogs and allowing the challenge air participants to pet some of our fo We had an incredible opportunity to spend some time visiting with Canine Companions for Independence. CCI is a very large service dog organization that places dogs all over the United States. So it was great to spend some time exchanging ideas. We even took advantage of an impromptu training opportunity. As always it was a pleasure to take part in another event that benefits Colorado communities!
As soon as we arrived 18 month old Talia started practicing her long down stay out on the sidewalk in front of the store. She did a very good job staying put while her handler took pictures of everyone as they walked in from the parking lot. As we ventured inside the store the real fun began. I don’t know about your dog but my dog loves to go to the pet store! It’s his favorite place in the whole world and he is just sure that he should be able to pick out his own treats, toys, and a new kind of food while we’re there. Service and therapy dogs must learn to resist this temptation while they are working. So we walked up and down aisles practicing commands such as “leave it” and “no sniff”. We also took our dogs over to politely investigate the ferrets.
We ended our visit with a long sit or down stay in front of the toy aisle, during which time not a single dog broke their stay! Considering the fact that 5 of the dogs in our group were under two years old, I think that is awesome!
We had just finished dinner at a restaurant located on the river walk when we decided it would be fun to take a walk around the river. As we walked it started to rain. We came upon a bridge, but since we pride ourselves on being rather tough country girls, we decided to continue walking. Just as we reached the end of the river walk, the sky opened up and a flood of rain was unleashed. We were soaked within seconds and began to run for the bridge. I watched as Jasper excitedly leaped forward and then proceeded to jump straight into the river, pack and all! Oh! The fun memories we make, traveling the planet, with our service dogs by our side.
The next day was a little more challenging. Talia broke both her stays while she was in the obedience ring. A few minutes after they exited the ring Caitlin started feeling dizzy and ultimately ended up lying down on the floor. Do you think that just maybe Talia knew that Caitlin wasn’t feeling well? I think it speaks for itself, but I’ll leave that up to you. In the Rally-O class Caitlin and Talia pulled out all the stops. They were having the perfect round, but as sometimes happens in the show ring, Caitlin made a handler error that resulted in a 10 point deduction. Caitlin was very proud to be awarded 8th place in a class of over 40 participants. Great job Caitlin! I can’t wait to hear where you two show next!
Talia Freedom Crusader is an 18 month old chocola te lab enrolled in GAP’s service dog program. Recently Talia and Caitlin Participated in the Adams County Fair Dog Show. I am very proud to announce that Caitlin and Talia have qualified to participate in the Showmanship, Obedience and Rally-O classes at the Colorado State Fair Dog Show. The dog show will take place on August 27th & 28th at the State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, Colorado. If you are attending the Colorado State Fair on either of those days please stop by the Event Center and show Caitlin and Talia your support! Way to go Caitlin! Good luck with your upcoming show!!!! Denver Pet Expo GAP Dogs will be at the Denver Pet Expo! Come check out our booth this year! The Denver Pet Expo is a family and pet friendly event. The parking and admission are free. The best of both worlds! Who could ask for a better place to spend the day with your favorite four legged friend? What: Over 160 exhibitors, agility demonstrations, low cost vaccines, microchipping, mega adoption event, pet products, and tons of entertainment. Date: Saturday August 20, 2011 Time: 10am-6pm Location: Indoors at the Merchandise Mart Cost: Parking and admission are free Website: WWW.denverpetexpo.com Stop by our booth and support our journey to change peoples lives one dog at a time! We will have handmade leather leashes available for a $30.00 donation. You can enter our raffle for a chance to win a $75.00 gift card for Bass Pro shop or 1 of 3 chances to win a $25.00 gift card for Chili’s restaurant. Or enter for a chance to win a brand new, in the box, large dog crate! Be one of the first 25 people to stop by our booth and mention our website to claim a small prize for your canine pal!!!! GAP Dog members will receive field trip credit for attending this event.  Sometimes you just have to lend a helping hand! Attending the National Western Stock Show is an annual event for Gap Dogs. It provides a great opportunity for the service dogs in training to get some exposure to livestock, loud noises, crowds and, the constant noise that comes with working among a crowd of people. This year provided a few surprises though. The first was how incredibly packed the ticket area was. I personally have been going to the stock show for a very long time. At one point my children used to show livestock there. So I have even spent an entire week at a time basically living at the National Western Stock Show. I have seen the ticket area very busy, but I have never seen so many bodies crammed into this space. In fact, it was so packed that the person in line behind me kept stepping on me. I was exceptionally proud of how well behaved and steady Whisper was. To the best of my knowledge, he had never even seen a crowd before so I was extremely surprised that this did not even seem to phase him! Whisper is an 18 month or so yellow lab that I recently began working with. He was found by a concerned citizen roaming a rather busy street and taken to my Veterinarian’s office. They were so impressed with his demeanor that they asked me to see if I could find him a job as a service dog. When I received the request I honestly thought to myself, “no way” but I also felt that I at least owed them the courtesy of taking a look. After our trip to the Stock Show I am pretty sure he has a very successful future as a service dog and even better I am sure he will have a lifetime home. A pretty awesome future for a stray dog that was found roaming a busy street! The second and most hilarious surprise came from Talia. In order for you to understand just how funny this was you need to have a little history of Talia’s Life. Talia was born in Platteville, Colorado on a horse and cattle farm. I am not sure if they owned chickens but if they didn’t it would be about the only farm animal they didn’t have. At 8 weeks old she moved onto a farm out on the eastern plains in Keenesburg, Colorado. She lives with cows, horses, sheep, a giant hog and at anytime between 15 and 30 free range chickens. She occasionally gets herself in trouble by chasing a stray chicken but she has never been afraid of them. On the day we were at the Stock Show she happened upon the chicken exhibit and carried on as if she had never seen a chicken in her whole life! They didn’t seem to bother any of the other dogs but here is the one dog in the entire group who came straight off the farm acting as if she has never seen a chicken before. The third surprise was when the batteries for Ricki’s scooter died. I honestly wasn’t sure how I was going to get her back to her vehicle but it was definitely Tori to the rescue. Now, I would like to say here that we prefer not to ask our service dogs to pull something as heavy as a mobility scooter. It is just way better for the health and longevity of the dog. However, on this particular day I sure was grateful when Tori just took over and started pulling that scooter like a pro! Way to save the day Tori! Have you ever been to the Country Buffet? If you have you know that they have lots and lots of food. All kinds of great tasting and really great smelling food. The food smells even better if you just happen to be a dog. You may be asking yourself right about now why I would say something like that. The reason is actually quite simple: I just looked it up and what I found is pretty incredible. Did you know that a dogs nose is about a million times more sensitive than a human nose? Incredible right? No wonder so many people have such a hard time teaching their dogs to stay out of the garbage! Our dogs must spend every waking moment thinking to themselves, “Wow! That container over there sure smells good! When are you humans going to bed or the store or anywhere you can’t see me? I really, really need a gourmet meal!” Now imagine you were enjoying a nice dinner at a buffet restaurant and just happened to witness 8 service dogs walk into the restaurant with their handlers. While you were observing each handler make their way through the buffet line not a single dog took even one bite of food. Not even off the floor. As you watched each dog make their way between rows of dining tables not a single dog disturbed the guests who were enjoying their meals at those tables. Wouldn’t you be impressed? Well I sure was impressed on January 24, 2011 when 8 service dogs in training from GAP Dogs attended a field trip to the Country Buffet. I was even more impressed by the treatment our group received by the staff. They must have been more than a little stunned as they watched dog after dog enter their establishment. Yet every employee I encountered was professional, courteous, helpful and kind. Which is a lot more than I can say for a few other places I have eaten in. Thanks to all the staff at the Country Buffet for an enjoyable evening. I am sure we will be returning again soon!
The owners of the farm had a couple of cows, a small flock of free range chickens, one giant hog, a few sheep, several feral cats and 2 lambs. It was an excellent opportunity for all the dogs to get up close to look at and smell some farm animals. I think some of the kids and adults enjoyed this also.
I hope GAP Dogs decides to make this trip a part of their yearly schedule not only because it was great fun but because it is the only class where I do not have to drive anywhere. I can just stay home and wait for people and their service dogs to show up! What could possibly be better than that? The pedestrian overpass was an interesting field trip. The overpass crosses over Interstate 25 and is located in Denver near Speer Boulevard. The goal of this trip was to increase our dogs confidence while working high above traffic. As a survivor of a severe traumatic brain injury I honestly did not work on anything other than getting myself across that bridge as quickly as possible before I passed out cold. I am sure the other participants worked on some very valuable skills but the only things I focused on was getting to the other side and not looking over the edge. Once my feet were firmly planted on the other side and I had a few moments to recover, from intense vertigo, the fun began. As we walked through the streets I began to notice that there were lots of people walking dogs, riding bikes, skate boarding, or just taking a leisurely stroll. It was great exposure for all the dogs but as a small town dweller it was especially good exposure for my service dog. We continued our outing in a wonderful, dog friendly, store filled floor to ceiling, shelf after shelf with spices. The smells were very strong but all the dogs were extremely well behaved. The handlers may have been drooling over the wonderful aromas but I did not see a single therapy or assistance dog sniff the merchandise or try to take home any of the seasonings. However many of the handlers, including myself, just could not resist the temptation and after several samples purchased a bottle of seasoning to add to their spice racks. A short walk later and we were back to the dreaded(at least from my perspective) overpass. Upon reaching the other side of the overpass, we continued down the street to a gourmet ice cream shop. The entire group enjoyed their choice of ice cream courtesy of one of our generous therapy dog handlers. The chairs and refreshments were greatly appreciated by all. All in all, today was a great day! I sure do enjoy the opportunity to spend a few hours with other service dog handlers. I always find these outings are such a great learning experience.  Sophie is sitting so nicely next to her handler. Great job Sophie! Keep up the excellent work! I always tell people that every time I am with a service dog I am training. I am either training for good behavior or I am training for the kind of behavior I don’t want. A great example of this statement is actually happening at my house right now. My daughter’s young service dog in training is tethered to my desk. She doesn’t like the fact that she is stuck there because she knows that one of our other service dogs is enjoying a tasty bone down the hall in the laundry room. She has started to whine and bark and with each passing moment she is getting louder and louder.
Now I have two choices, one will help fix her undesirable behavior and the other will cause her behavior to get much worse. The correct choice is to ignore her, don’t talk to her, and don’t look at her until she is quiet. The choice I want to make is to yell at her, to tell her to be quiet because quite frankly she is driving me insane! I will resist this temptation because in the long run it will only make her bark louder and longer the next time. Dogs are kind of like kids. They are looking for attention and they don’t really care whether the attention they get is positive or negative.
 Finally Silence! Since I began working on this post about 5-10 minutes have passed and Talia has just stopped barking. She is lying down on her dog bed next to my desk. Now is the perfect opportunity to teach her how to get the attention she so desperately desires. I take a moment to look over at her and tell her “good girl, good quiet”. I may even walk into the kitchen and get her a small treat if she can maintain her silence for ten minutes or so. Then again, I may not give her anything except praise, but because I resisted the incredible temptation to yell at her, the next time she is tethered to the desk and starts barking it will take a lot less time for her to quiet down.
 Waiting by the door to embark on the days journey. This brings us to our most recent field trip to the Park Meadows Mall. Many of my friends make the mistake of thinking that service dog training starts the minute we get to class or arrive at a field trip destination but that assumption would be incorrect. Depending on how far along the dog is in their training it may start by having them retrieve their leash and vest or it may start by having them stand patiently while I get them dressed. Then we proceed to the next step, getting out the door. All of my dogs are expected to wait patiently at ALL doors and let their human go through the doorway first! Making sure that the human enters the doorway first is incredibly important to the hierarchy of the pack. If I have a dog that is having a hard time with this concept I just shut the door and start over. I will repeat this process as many times as it takes until they “wait” where they are supposed to. Once I cross the threshold I will give them the “okay” to follow me out the door.
 Safety first! The next training opportunity on any outing is the car ride. In my opinion, ALL dogs should lie down or wear a dog seat belt while riding in a vehicle. It is just a matter of safety for both the human and the dog. If you just happened to be involved in a car accident or suddenly needed to slam on your brakes, you and your dog will be much safer if your dog is lying down. I am very opinionated about this particular subject and whenever possible I prefer that my dogs lie behind the front seat of my vehicle on the floor. It really doesn’t take much time to teach a dog this skill. It does take a little patience but most of all, like everything else we teach our dogs, it just takes a lot of consistency. You never know someday the effort you put into this may save a life. In fact it may save your life or the life of your dog.  Tori, patiently awaiting her turn to exit the vehicle. Upon arriving at our destination my service dog must exit the vehicle appropriately. For my service dog in training this means that he should stay in the vehicle, even with the door open until I tell him that it is “okay” for him to exit. If my dog is having a difficult time understanding that he needs to wait I just go ahead and shut the door and start over. Just like any other door I repeat this as many times as it takes. Again this is more than just good manners, it is also very important to the safety of your service dog.
 Duntada giving a perfect example of how service dogs should lie beneath the table whenever possible. On this particular outing we were all meeting up inside the mall near the entrance to Macy’s. Seven service dogs and their handlers were able to attend. It was a great turn out considering how close it was to the holidays. Our assignment was to walk our service dogs around the mall which gives them the opportunity to work on unusual sights, unusual sounds, and their crowd skills. Our next task was to ride the elevator up to the second floor. We all met up at the food court where we were assigned the task of walking up and down the aisles while our service dogs resisted the temptation to clean up all the food that had been spilled on the floor. Every dog there, including the puppies, must have done an awesome job resisting temptation because I did not see any of the dogs get even one bite. We finished up the day by visiting amongst each other while enjoying a refreshing cold drink.
In case you have never had the opportunity to shop at the Tattered Cover I think I should warn you that this store can be a little bit addictive. First of all it is absolutely humongous. In fact it is so big they have an elevator, stairs and several ramps. When I take my daughters with me we have a spot where we all meet up after we have finished our shopping. If I start feeling like they have been gone too long I have to resist the temptation to go looking for them. I am absolutely convinced that I could spend hours there, going in circles and never find my girls. And last but not least, the addictive part, they have such a wonderful selection of books.
So the next time you are planning an adventure to take with your assistance dog consider a visit to your local bookstore or library. You may be surprised by all the things your dog can learn in this type of environment.
Our field trip to Bass Pro Shop occurred on March 27, 2010. This was a fantastic outing for all the dogs that were able to attend. Of course, there are tons of clothing racks which is always good practice for the dogs but the array of animal statues inside the store is spectacular. Did you know that there are 25 stuffed bears inside Bass Pro Shop? Real animal hides can be a little scary for dogs because their excellent sense of smell alerts them to the fact that the statues are no longer living . So while we were there we encouraged each of the dogs to to walk up and investigate the statues. This exercise helps to desensitize the dogs to the smell of death and encourages them to trust that their handlers will not put them in harms way. I find that when working with Jasper he is always willing to investigate something new the first time, however, he often hesitates the second time he sees the same thing. Therefore I always try to repeat the same training exercise several times on each outing. We also had the opportunity to practice walking across two different types of bridges. The first bridge went across running water which caused Jasper to show a small amount of hesitation, but with a little reassurance he walked right over it. The second bridge was on the second floor and allowed the dogs to see below to the floor beneath them. Jasper and I have practiced walking over these types of bridges so many times that he just walks right across them like a pro. So next time your looking for a great training opportunity for your service dog stop by Bass Pro Shop you won’t be disappointed!
Seven assistance dogs and their partners were able to participate in this event. We met up at the entrance to the hall of education and proceeded by elevator or stairs to the third floor where the Children’s Ranchland exhibit was located. We worked on “leave it” and “no sniff” while walking through the exhibit allowing the dogs to look at the calves, lambs, piglets, ponies, chickens and rabbits. I think the dogs were most interested in the rabbits and chickens.
January The National Western Stock Show We will be working on crowds, strange smells and livestock the dogs may not be familiar with. We will not be attending the rodeo. Country Buffet We will be working on public behavior in a restaurant. Carrying food and drinks with your dog beside you. February Colorado Mills Mall We will be working on public behavior and following commands in a new setting. Colorado Kennel Club Dog Show We will be working on ignoring other animals and leaving things such as toys and treats alone. Petsmart We are going to be working on dog distractions, smells and public behavior. March Bass Pro Shops We will be working on different floor surfaces, different types of stairs and wild animal distractions. Whole foods We will be working on food distractions, smells and good public behavior. There are several areas with prepared food throughout the store. April RTD Light Rail Ride We will board the train and ride to downtown Denver, where we will get off the train and walk around the 16th street mall. We will then re-board the train for a trip back to the station. Cherry Creek Mall We will meet up by the elevators in the middle of the mall. Working on elevators, crowds and open spaces on the second floor. May Sloan’s Lake We will work on the playground equipment with the dogs. This will help improve their balance and confidence on different surfaces. We will also be exposing the dogs to children and geese distractions. Tattered Cover Bookstore We will be working on waiting patiently, elevators and stairs. June Belmar Center Meet outside at the movie theater. We will be walking around the center. Then we will go to Jamba Juice to finish the class with a drink and work with the dogs on behaving while sitting outside at a table. Pedestrian Overpass We will meet at the pedestrian overpass over I-25 near Speer Boulevard. We will be working on confidence while working high above moving traffic. July Heritage Square We will be working on different floor surfaces. Several of the shops here contain delicate contents. Market Street Station Meet by the bus stop area. Working on people distractions and the mall shuttle. We will be riding and walking along the 16th street mall. August Stevens Elementary Sensory Playground This is a wheelchair accessible playground and sensory area. We will work on the equipment with the dogs. We will also take advantage of the opportunity to work on distance recalls. Civic Center Park Meet up at the Greek Theatre. We will be working control while walking up and down stairs, heavy traffic and crossing busy streets. This trip will also expose the dogs to different ethnicities, clothing patterns, different atmospheres and the homeless population that is living in Denver. September Target We will be working on proper behavior high while shopping in a department store. We will be working on the “leave it” and “no sniff” commands. There will be no food sniffing or surfing the floor in search of tasty morsels. Petco We will be working on the “leave it” command around dog treats, toys and small animals. October King Soopers We will be working on the “leave it” and “no sniff” commands. Southwest Plaza Mall We will be working on different flooring surfaces, stairs and riding the glass elevator. We will also work on unobtrusive waiting while enjoying a drink in the food court and the “leave it” command while walking around the food court. November REI We are going to work on public behavior, stairs and exposed backs of stairs. There is also an area with a glass surface that allows you to see down to the floor below. Home Depot During this trip we will work on public behavior, loud sounds, flat bed carts and open stairs. December Dave & Busters We will have the opportunity to work on restaurant behavior and loud noises. This is a great opportunity for your Service Dog to be exposed to a lot of children. Colorado Mills Mall We will be working further on appropriate behavior in public. We will also be riding the escalators. January The National Western Stock Show We will be working on crowds, strange smells and livestock the dogs may not be familiar with. We will not be attending the rodeo. Home Depot We will be working on loud sounds, large flatbed carts, falling wood and the sound of aluminum. February Colorado Mills Mall We will be working on public behavior and following commands in a new setting. Colorado Kennel Club Dog Show We will be working on ignoring other animals and leaving things alone. March Whole foods We will be working on food distractions, smells and good public behavior. Bass Pro Shops We will be working on different floor surfaces, different types of stairs and wild animal distractions. April Tattered Cover Bookstore We will be working on waiting patiently, elevators and stairs. Sloan’s Lake We will work on the playground equipment with the dogs. This will help improve their balance and confidence on different surfaces. We will also be exposing the dogs to children and geese distractions. May Cherry Creek Mall We will meet up by the elevators in the middle of the mall. Working on elevators, crowds and open spaces on the second floor. RTD Light Rail Ride We will board the train and ride to downtown Denver, where we will get off the train and walk around the 16th street mall. We will then re-board the train for a trip back to the station. June Belmar Center Meet outside at the movie theater. We will be walking around the center. Then we will go to Jamba Juice to finish the class with a drink and work with the dogs on behaving while sitting outside at a table. Pedestrian Overpass We will meet at the pedestrian overpass over I-25 near Speer Boulevard. We will be working on confidence while working high above moving traffic. July Market Street Station Meet by the bus stop area. Working on people distractions and the mall shuttle. We will be riding and walking along the 16th street mall. Heritage Square We will be working on different floor surfaces. Several of the shops here contain delicate contents. August Target We will be working on proper behavior high while shopping in a department store. We will be working on the “leave it” and “no sniff” commands. There will be no food sniffing or surfing the floor in search of tasty morsels. Downtown Meet up at the Market Street Station. We will be working on distraction, riding the shuttle bus in small groups and good behavior. September Civic Center Park Meet up at the Greek Theatre. We will be working control while walking up and down stairs, heavy traffic and crossing busy streets. This trip will also expose the dogs to different ethnicities, clothing patterns, different atmospheres and the homeless population that is living in Denver. Stevens Elementary Sensory Playground This is a wheelchair accessible playground and sensory area. We will work on the equipment with the dogs. We will also take advantage of the opportunity to work on distance recalls. October Petco We will be working on the “leave it” command around dog treats, toys and small animals. Southwest Plaza Mall We will be working on different flooring surfaces, stairs and riding the glass elevator. We will also work on unobtrusive waiting while enjoying a drink in the food court and the “leave it” command while walking around the food court. November Petsmart During this trip we will work on dog distractions, smells and public behavior. In other words no sniffing the toys, food or treats. REI We are going to work on public behavior, stairs and exposed backs of stairs. There is also an area with a glass surface that allows you to see down to the floor below. December King Soopers We will be working on the “leave it” and “no sniff” commands. Park Meadows Mall We will be working further on appropriate behavior in public. We will also be riding the escalators. |
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