Greta Baier and Skilled Companion Midas Having a skilled companion has been life changing for me. Midas, my skilled companion, is from a wonderful organization called Canine Companions for Independence. Midas first went to a puppy raiser for 18 months, where he learned basic commands like sit, shake, and speak. Then, Midas went to Canine […]
September is National Service Dog Month, and it’s an important time to think about what makes a service dog—well, a service dog! Canine Companions puppy Wes and his volunteer puppy raisers Christa and Steve want to shed some light (and fur) on the importance of leaving public places available for task-trained service dogs and when appropriate, for puppies being raised to one day become life-changing […]
Distractions Are Everywhere Training a Canine Companions® puppy to stay focused amid distractions is one of the most important tasks for puppy raisers. Heartley’s volunteer puppy raiser, Cathy, has worked hard over the months to make sure that Heartley is a pro at staying on task! Distractions are all around us. The garbage truck making […]
Born With a Purpose Every Canine Companions puppy is born with a very special purpose, to be an assistance dog. From day one, each puppy starts learning valuable skills and commands they will use when they meet their perfect match. A Bright Future Ahead Penguin is still with his volunteer puppy raisers learning all he […]
Dom Enjoys the Great Outdoors While the pandemic is limiting public outings and travel, more of us are enjoying the great outdoors, and puppy Dom is no different! Recently, Dom’s puppy raiser took him camping near their home in Sacramento. To prepare for their adventure, they had a pool day with Dom to get him […]
Professional Training is Right Around the Corner Canine Companions® puppy Wes is starting professional training to become an assistance dog in just a few months. It’s important to reflect on some of the most important ways that his puppy raisers, Christa and Steve, have prepared him for life as an assistance dog. Much of their […]
Celebrating Penguin Many people have found themselves celebrating birthdays during this pandemic. Pandemic birthdays have a fun and outside-of-the-box celebration style making memories that will last a lifetime. Penguin celebrated a milestone birthday during the pandemic, he turned 1! Although it wasn’t the party that we had initially hoped for, it was a fun-filled virtual […]
