Saturday, August 29, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 56 Itβs eye exam day today! βAuntieβ Nav, Elfin and the puppies all went in for their eye checks. There are some genetic eye conditions that are only apparent between 7-10 weeks, that if missed can lead to more severe cases if affected dogs are bred, where their...
Saturday, August 29, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 32 The puppies are definitely puppies now! They play intensely for short bursts, love attention, are learning to sit (without a cue) to ask for what they want (attention, out of the pen, access to Elfin), have sharp little teeth they love to use on fingers, feet...
Saturday, August 29, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 38 Iβve been sick this week and got behind with posting – itβs also the week things start to really take off with activities for the puppies. Here is a sampling of what theyβve been up to this...
Saturday, August 29, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 58 The puppies were on at PADS for their puppy assessment today. Usually, there would be set up inside with lots of volunteer helpers, but because of COVID the assessments were done in the breeding kennel yard with just Jess administering the assessment, Jackie...
Saturday, August 29, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Β Day 52 Layering different experiences the puppies have had separately together today. Different surfaces (wood, plastic, metal and water), the Skytrain, Lougheed Highway and the lawnmower. Theyβve got this. Today weβve also worked on kennel, getting used to stuff...
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 48 Six weeks is the beginning of the most intense phase of being a breeder-caretaker. Itβs also a week where differences between pups may become apparent. In this litter, weβve been watching Aretha for a couple of weeks, as she throws up at least once every day....
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 44 Todayβs adventure – puppiesβ first car ride! 6 weeks old is an important developmental phase as far as preventing car sickness, so the puppies get at least two rides this week. They neednβt be long – five minutes or so...
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 43 Since we canβt expose the puppies to as many people as we normally would, weβre breaking out the costumes. This one is inflatable, so it combines the sound of the fan along with movement. The puppies were unfazed (exactly what weβre hoping for). As we expand...
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 43 Splish splash with Freddie. After our dry tub practice the other day, today we advanced to being in the tub with running water and a little bit of splashing. In keeping with Classical Conditioning principles, we started the water before presenting the puppies...
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 42 This morning the puppies ate breakfast in the cold, pouring rain. Creating Positive Conditioned Emotional Responses (+CER =happy feelings) to rain and standing water is essential for assistance dogs who may be placed on the βWet Coastβ. Some of our dogs...
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 39 The puppies got new digs today. They now have the whole dining room (donβt ask what the rest of the house looks like with all of the furniture pushed out of the way). Lots of room for during the day, and we will section it off to just the near side, with the...
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 38 Weβve started short (2 minute) training sessions with the puppies this week. Sometimes puppies take what we expect from our short training sessions. Other times, they run with it and make the session their own, learning far more (and much different lessons)...
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 34 Breeder-caretakers work hard with puppies to develop problem solving and resilience. We want the puppies to struggle a bit, safely, to learn to use their brain when life throws them an obstacle, and that frustration isnβt cause to give up. One of the earliest...
Friday, August 7, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 33 As we expose the puppies to novelty, we strive to get them used to different surfaces, sights, sounds and handling. Sometimes the puppies interact with items as we expect, and other times they find a completely different way to interact. Iβd kept these wine...
Thursday, August 6, 2020 | Lower Mainland, Pupdates
Day 32 New experience of the day – balls raining into the pen (they are the really light, ball pit ones). This is Classical (or Pavlovian) Conditioning in action – a stimulus (the balls dropping) – with food added after a pause, so the puppies...
Friday, February 1, 2019 | Okanagan, Pupdates
Pupdate: ELFIN has been coming with me to Physiotherapy twice a week.. she settles on her mat and waits patiently the whole hour.. her only movement is doing a “head -bob” when I am on floor doing Planks.. At home she lies down beside me on mat & does...
Monday, December 31, 2018 | Okanagan, Pupdates
Elfin went to Puppy-sitters from December 22 and stayed till December 25th evening. They voiced very positive comments about how solid her skills were, and how good her house-manners were. They thoroughly enjoyed her, and called her their “Christmas...
Saturday, December 1, 2018 | Okanagan, Pupdates
Pupdate: ELFIN had been restricted to home & leash walks because she was in “Heat” for second time.. She was more than happy to put on her “PADS cape” and come with me to the Dentists, where she lay quietly on her mat while I had my teeth...
Monday, October 1, 2018 | Okanagan, Pupdates
Elfin has been going to Lavington Elementary School every Tuesday, where she spends the full-day with a Special Students Class.. she is able to relax and interact in a calm manner with students. We attended a Dress-up Halloween Party, with many colourful costumes,...
Saturday, September 1, 2018 | Okanagan, Pupdates
Elfin visited Sprout Lake and enjoyed swimming. She also attended PADS Graduation in Burnaby. We spent some extra time working on her loose-leash walking. She is very eager to please and loves to work. Submitted by:Fred...
Tuesday, May 1, 2018 | Okanagan, Pupdates
Elfin joined the rest of the team for a Tail-gate party after Pickle-ball. She was so well mannered.. remained on her mat & enjoyed her nyla-bone. She never bothered the plates of food or hot-dogs left on the low table. Elfin is a very good swimmer, enjoyed...
Thursday, March 1, 2018 | Okanagan, Pupdates
Elfin attended the Appreciation event supporting PADS at Vernon Co-op, and displayed good manners. Elfin joined several other PADS puppies at the Total Pet Fund Raising Event… she was very excited & was pulling on the leash, but settled immediately when we...
Thursday, February 1, 2018 | Okanagan, Pupdates
Elfin is very attentive and responsive. She has learned ‘touch’, is learning heel and side, is very good at being handled, and is remarkable at recall, sit, down and duration stay. We are working on “stand”, which is coming slowly. She has very...
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Help Fund My Training! #WOOF I'M SOCIALFacebook Elfin wasΒ being raised and trained to provide life-changing independence to someone with a physical disability other than blindness or to work with a professional such as a teacher, psychologist or victim services...
