Day 6~ Tracking & Behavior Disruption

Today we headed out again in the morning for tracking with Zion. He is a great tracker and has already shown such an awesome connection with Trapper. We practiced today, outside of a school where Zion had never tracked before. Jami and Trapper walked away and moved around the back of the school, hiding in a small stairwell on the outside of the building. I stood with Zion, keeping him out of eyesight from the direction that Jami and Trapper had gone.

Once a few minutes had passed, Zion was fitted with his tacking collar and lead and, after a small pep-talk, we were off, sprinting around the building, exactly in the direction that Trapper had gone. Amazing! Within 2 minutes of starting the track, Zion pinpointed the location of Jami and Trapper and happily received his reward of hot dogs.

It is incredible to me that this dog has already grown so attached to Trapper within just a few days to already be able to track him down in a foreign area. These dogs really are incredible.

After tracking we proceeded back to 4 Paws to do some “intervention training” or “behavior disruption” This is training the dogs receive in order to intervene when Trapper has his meltdowns. They are taught to place their head in the child's lap if they become agitated or nuzzle them. Zion did well with these but he was pretty tired from tracking earlier in the day. He has also been dealing with a nasty stomach bug, for which he is now on antibiotics so he is not has chipper self most of the time. Hopefully these new meds will help to get him back on course.

Tomorrow we head back to the dreaded mall to do some tracking indoors. Zion handles the mall well but Trapper is another story. Crowds are not his thing and I completely understand his feelings.

Wish us luck!

~Written by Rob (Trapper's daddy)

Day 5~ Tracking in the woods...Mall on a Saturday!

This morning we tracked @ Peirce Park in Xenia. Trapper ran off several times & Zion let us know when he would jet off....well except for the one time when he had to "go" & Rob wasn't paying attention...and I was talking to Renee & Cyndi on the other side of the parked cars (assuming Rob was watching)...I had a hard time catching him, but thanks to a little girl named Jessica (who is eight & runs faster then me)...she just about tackled Trapper before he made it to the busy road.
So after Jeremy saw the tail end of this "retrieval of our super fast kid"...he said we could try tethering now. So we did.
It was great Trapper loved it & Zion was hard at work, he turns very serious...Rob with Zion at a "heel" worked with the tethering system on Trapper for about a half hour. The only problem was that Trapper didn't want to stop the tethering...because it was fun for him.

After finally convincing Trapper that Juice & Corn chips were much more fun....we got ready for a "track of Trapper" in a heavily wooded area of this park. Trapper & I (mommy) started down a path...Zion whimpered & barked as if to say "wait for me"...Zion loves the tracking game! So Trapper & I came to two different forks in the trail. The first one had a man with a walking stick hiking along on the left fork, so we went right...the second fork in the road we turned left, but then after going a few feet I thought maybe Jeremy said to go the other way. So we turned around & went down the right fork...then around a few more bend & into a clearing. We sat inside the brush on a tree stump & Trapper drank his juice.
Jeremy & Rob (daddy) started the track & Zion was sniffing & had found the trail...he made the same turns we did & found us in what seemed like seconds after we sat down on the log. We rewarded Zion with crazy amounts of praise & hot dog pieces (which appear to be his favorite food ever!). It was a great track & I have totally fallen in love with this dog! Who wouldn't? Zion is a great tracker & such a cuddle bug too! He is the perfect dog for Trapper & after seeing his tracks...we have no question that he is an answer to our prayers.

After tracking in the morning, we went back to the 4 Paws Facility to train more under Jennifer. We worked on being able to go into a restaurant & getting our dogs not to eat scraps or food off the floor. For poor Zion who loves beggin strips...we worked on the "under" command used to keep the dog from being stepped on in resteraunts...Zion will go under the table or as much as he can get under it....then during training we would drop things off the table...so kind of a "temptation torture training";) & we learned how to correct Zion's behavior if he decides to try for the dropped food. Zion did manage to eat one beggin strip because I wanted Rob to give it a try & I don't know if Rob understood what we were doing. He was watching Trapper & I didn't really get to explain what we were training to do before handing it over to Rob. So, Zion got away with it. He really is just like a child.;)
We also worked on tethering...not actually tethering our child, but being good handler's for our Service Dogs who are trained to tether. This gave us another huge boost of confidence in our son's service dog...he must have spent a lot of time training for tethering, because he is awesome at it!

Toward the end of class instructions with Jennifer, our daughter Katie showed up with Grandma & Papa Leeth & Aunt Melissa (who we haven't seen in a few years)...they then came with us to the Mall. The Mall was crazy! We thought we could eat lunch there, but that didn't really work out. Rob & I took turns working with Zion in the mall. Zion did excellent with heeling, crowds, commotion, elevators, stairs... and all commands. He worked hard to show us that he knows what he is doing.:o) The only issues we had was the amount of people who didn't ask before touching Zion. The one child that grabbed Zion's tail as we were going up the stairs was particularly annoying...but get this, Zion didn't even turn to look at the kid. He just slowed down & kept right on going up the stairs with me.

***A note for anyone reading this who doesn't know this...if you or your child would like to touch a service dog, "ask". Personally I would prefer you ask my son,, but most likely I will help him answer as he doesn't talk. This may help build his communication skills though & give him some social situations that will build his interactions with others...by example. If the dog is working at the time we may say that. It is not to be rude, it is because the dog is working. Also please wait until we get the service dog ready. We may need the service dog to be in a "sit" or a "down" position. Before this training, I didn't know any of this...but I still would never have touched a service dog with out asking first & I would NEVER grab the poor dogs tail while he is working.

So After a few hours at the mall (thanks to our visiting family who helped watch Trapper & Katie while we too turns working with Zion)...we headed back to the hotel and visited for a little while before saying goodbye because they had just driven up for the afternoon. Katie went back to her Grandparents home too. Trapper really missed his sister. We had Trapper & Zion in our vehicle & Katie went with her Aunt & Grandparents...Trapper screamed "KaTee" the whole way from 4 Paws to the Mall & then from the Mall to the hotel! He really misses her....that was so awesome to see & hear! Yes, him screaming Katie name was actually a blessing to us.;)

So we thought we were done for the night...we started to get Trapper ready for bed. He was in the bath & we placed Zion on the outside of the tub in the "down" command so Trapper would stay in the tub. We look over because Trapper is giggling and there is Zion with his two front paws in Trapper's bath & Trapper is trying to push him from behind into his bath. So Zion got in & Trapper just loved that. After they both shared a bath, Trapper had a little bag of GFCF cookies & a handful of dog treats. He sat and ate one of his coookies...and then gave a treat to Zion...then he ate one of his cookies & gave a treat to Zion! Awesome...they are bonding!!!

Zion slept most of the night on Trapper's bed, but was feeling sick again in the morning...that is our guess as to why he got back down on the cool floor near the door the remainer of the night.

What a crazy long day our fifth day was! We are very proud of Zion though, he worked so hard...he slept pretty good too.

~written by Jami (Trapper's mommy)

Day 4~ Tracking, Tethering....and a party, too.

Zion has been pretty sick to his stomach & is on a special 3 day diet to help. I am pretty sure that the abundance of treats we gave him was out of the norm for Zion & although he was lov'in it, it hasn't been so great on his tummy.
Trapper also hasn't been doing to well on his diet as he will not stop eating dog food...which is almost always not Gluten-free. We will hand Trapper a treat for his dog & he will sometimes give it to Zion, but 9 times out of ten...he eats it. We are working on this.;)

Today we had a great track, but the best connection happened today when Trapper ran across this field with Daddy. I encouraged Zion to find his boy (on instruction from a great trainer) & Zion shot across the field (dragging me) & he went straight to Trapper. Then we did this a couple more times. The most encouraging was when Trapper ran his usual bolt-action speed farther out in the field & Rob held onto Zion & encouraged Zion to "go get Trapper...find your boy...get your boy"...he ran fast straight to Trapper. Our trainers Jeremy & Kayla were so encouraging to us. Zion really loves Trapper, already. He wants to be where Trapper is & whenever Trapper cries, screams, or even laughs...Zion's ears perk up & he looks for "his" boy.

Today, we did more tracking and learned some about equipment, tracking, and so much more. Another awesome trainer at 4 Paws named Jennifer encouraged us to get Zion around horses, because in Alaska Moose are an issue. We see them often around our home...this will be all new to Zion when we get back home to Fairbanks. We are wanting to get Trapper into hippotherapy this summer, so possibly the ranch that offers this therapy will help us here as well.

After a couple tweeks in Zions equipment we feel very confident in being his handlers. He is such a good dog, but like a child he likes to test us...see how much we will allow or bend the rules for his darling face. He's not having too much luck, but he is easy to love....that's for sure.

After today's training we learned it was our trainer Jeremy's birthday & we had a 4 Paws Family get together...BBQ, Party...my son & another little boy were in one corner...both covering their ears, another little boy was climbing on his mom, one crying and two others screaming, and one yelling, "done...done...done"...yes, it was a great time, but a little much for the kiddos...umm & my husband.;) The best part about this get together though was that not one person there was staring at my son, or wondering why my kid is doing "that"...not one person was making us feel like we didn't belong there...when Trapper started screaming about the cake, I didn't have to ask to have it put out of site, four other parents started moving it up & out of site....not one person at the party was feeling sorry for us...not one person was wondering why we are bringing our kid out in public...not one person there was judging us...Because everyone at the party understands what it means to have the blessing of a child like ours!;)

Trapper has really wanted to get in to see the Palpions puppies & today he got the chance...the puppies are darling!

Tommorrow we are going to the mall to practice tracking...I am so nervous. Trapper doesn't do crowds well...neither does my husband.;)
Good night!

Day 3~ 1st Day of tracking with Zion!

We woke up to very sweet Trapper & Zion moments. Trapper does not really like to get to close to Zion yet, but will sit near him & sometimes they just watch each other.




Our first day of tracking was awesome! We started at 9:30 am, it was sprinkling a little off & on. Trapper was ready to run & wasn't waiting well...so we were the first handlers to track with our dog this morning. Trapper & Rob hid with one trainer in the thicket on the other side of a big field. Then master Trainer, Jeremy heald onto Zion and I followed as best I could to watch how Zion tracks. It was amazing...Zion is a great tracker! After our track a couple others in our morning class tracked.












The photo above of Kayla (trainer for tracking dogs) is of one of the other families track. We were not able to carry our camera as Zion is super fast at tracking and there was no time for a photo shot.:0). The above photo is of beautiful little Erin, her mother Renee & her auntie Cindy, & her amazing service dog "Bubbles". This family just moved from Alaska to Virgina just a month or so before the training.
During our track, I followed on one & Rob followed on two other tracks (for other children & dogs) as well. On the last track, the Felix family started off & the rain began to pour down! We were all wet after that, but the Felix family & trainers got soaked.
Zion found Trapper & trainer right away. So exciting to see. He is such a good dog! At the end of the track, Zion was given his favorite treat & highly praised for his awesome job!
While waiting on a couple of the tracks to finish, we started playing a game of chase with Trapper & Zion...Trapper loved it! Of course Zion was very excited that his boy wanted to play with him. The only issue we're having with the two of them is that Zion loves to play & Trapper gets easily overwhelmed. Also Trapper doesn't want to give Zion his toys or allow him to eat his food (without sharing with Trapper)! :)
Trainers Jeremy & Jennifer answered many questions & concerns today. We are feeling a lot more confident with Zion & are starting to understand that Zion needs a bit more correction & thrives on Love, Praise & hot dogs.;)We need to lay-off on yummy chummy treats & treats in general...maybe give more praise & less treats...because he was pretty sick last night & today. Trapper said "Zion" today once & hugged him (with encouragement a few times). He loves when Zion plays "chase" with him & was caught several times running his fingers through his dogs fur.We love seeing Zion's concern for Trapper every time he cries...and Zion wants to be next to Trapper whenever he is upset.I am so tired & need sleep...tomorrow we track again first thing. Oh & I absolutely love the "Spring loaded" class! What a great group of families!

Day 2~ Handler's in Training

We spent the day of training focusing on new commands. Zion is a wonderful dog but there are definitely many things we need to learn about one another. We worked more in depth on commands such as "heel" and "place". "Place" basically commands the dog to stay in a certain place and not to move until instructed to. 4 Paws provided a mat for each of the dogs. We picked the color green, just because we though Trapper might like it. We are not sure really, but blue & green appear to be favorite colors. We hope some day he will tell us if we are right.:)
While we are training with Zion, Trapper spends much of his time with other children in the 4 Paws Facility. Well...near other children. Often he is playing with Thomas Trains or watching his DVD's, or just running in sprints across the floor in the training room. At one point today, Trapper dropped an item down through the cracks in the stairs. He started crying and screaming. Zion was in the place position at the time. He stayed in his "place", but sat up & seemed concerned about Trapper. All the other dogs stayed still & didn't pay any attention, but Trapper's crying really put Zion on the alert. That was great to see.

Zion likes to test us, just like our kids. We were very proud of him today in class though. He was so obedient. We know he is just as excited about us as we are about him...he may even be more excited and that is hard to imagine.;)

Trapper has made good progress with Zion and actually played with him when we got back to the hotel room. He is growing more comfortable with him every day. Zion is so exuberant sometimes that it is overwhelming for Trapper. Poor Trapper gets pushed down a lot when Zion starts to play hard. It is funny to watch Trapper as he carefully studies Zion, especially in the car. Today he started wanting to give Zion treats and touching his soft fur more.

One thing I can say I am not enjoying is the endless clean up of dog doo. I do not recall being told this was part of the job. :)

We are very excited about what each day will bring and we have seen great progress just in the last 24 hours. Tomorrow we are starting in the morning with tracking class then working more on commands.
We also learned that Zion knows a lot of fun commands like "high five" and "play dead".
More adventure tomorrow!!

~written by Rob (The Dad)

Day 1 ~ Our first night with the Trapper & "Zion" team!

Around 5 pm our class was dismissed for the day and (if we felt comfortable), we were encouraged to bring our child's service dog back to our hotel for the first "over night"!
We didn't really have much confidence as handlers yet, but really wanted to help Trapper bond with his dog. Zion was already trying to cuddle & play with Trapper, but Trapper just didn't seem too sure about all of this.
The first adventure was the car ride back to the hotel. Zion was VERY excited & not really sure yet who we all were or where we were going, but he was very happy to jump in the car. We had a hard time getting him to stay sitting on the back seat. He kept trying to get in the front with the mom & dad characters. Trapper was poking at Zion's fur and he wasn't really fond of doggie kisses all over his face. He would first giggle then cry.


Trapper fell asleep & we put dog treats in his open hands and let Zion wake him. Trapper woke up laughing and trying to wipe his hands on his new friend.

Back at the room, we had a very excited and curious dog and Trapper who keeps trying to get out of the hotel room. We helped Trapper feed his dog (and Zion was forced to share with his boy, too)... not really sure how to avoid Trapper eating dog food & treats. It seems gross, but he is interested in Zion and that is great to us.




After Zion ate, we put her in her kennel and went to eat in the hotel lobby. We were able to borrow a kennel from 4 Paws for Ability for the time we are at training...this saved us from having to pack this enormous dog item back & forth from Alaska. Trapper actually ate two hard boiled egg whites and corn. This is besides dog food, so really he ate a lot today.;)

After eating Trapper ran sprints back & forth on the court yard walk ways and then rolled in a large rain puddle...so back to the room for a bath and some bonding (we hoped) with his service dog. We could tell right away Zion loves water or is just very curious about this boy he has been matched with. Zion didn't leave Trapper's side while he was in the bath tub.












...Now it's late and I am off to bed...because it is almost day 2 and I must rest my head!;)
Good night.

Day 1 @ 4 Paws for Ability~ Meeting "Zion"

It has been a crazy day! We are so thankful that Trapper was matched with Zion. He stole our hearts at first glance into his kennel. He is very strong... Rob & I know we both need a lot of training. Zion has so much training it is a little intimidating as handlers. The Master trainer Jeremy @ 4 Paws for Ability is awesome and we feel pretty confident that he will be there whenever we need help.
For those who may not understand, this two week training course is to train us as handlers for Trapper's service dog, it is not to train this dog. Zion is "super dog" trained already! We are actually amazed at the things Zion is trained to do.
Trapper was overwhelmed at the initial meeting of his dog & it took about an hour before he came over and showed much interest. Zion LOVES his treats! He will do anything for a treat (except the "No Grainers" GFCF dog treats...he just spit these out)...As we suspected Trapper also loved Zion's treats & didn't really want to share them with his dog at first.
Zion made us laugh at his "showing off". He would do the commands before we even asked. Then he started doing tricks like rolling over & trying to give us high five....this was before we knew he could do these, so we were not really sure what to do or what he was doing until it was explained later in the day. ;) Zion really loves treats & really wants to make us happy.

Trapper's sister Katie & his Grandma Leeth came up around Lunch time so Katie could meet our newest family member, too. She is so excited for Trapper & thought Zion was pretty cool and very cuddly.