Abe

Abe's Journey

Stage 1 Introduction

Hi! My name is Abe. I am proud to have been selected to enter into the Retrieving Freedom training program.  My parents are "Spirit" who is fostered by the Nash family and "Echo" from PAWS With A Cause. During this stage of training I will be spending approximately 8 months with my new volunteer foster, Kit.

Throughout Stage 1, I will learn the basics obedience, public behavior, and a lot of socialization. I understand that it takes a very special dog to complete the program as there is a high standard to become a Service Dog. I am aware that I may be one of the dogs whose purpose is outside of service work so I will be updating my profile on a monthly basis for all that would like to follow my journey through the program. 

June 2020 - 2 months old

   

This month I transitioned from my wonderful breeding home to my new puppy foster home. I will begin to work on potty training, crate training, and name recognition. The first command I will learn is "sit." I am very polite but also fearless, inquisitive, love to be petted (!), will "sit" and am experiencing "stay," love to be groomed, and have learned to stay still and relax when my nails are being filed. I enjoy walks, riding in the car, playing in the yard, and tolerated my first bath quite nicely. I have visited a quadriplegic and sat nicely in his wheelchair. I turned12 weeks old June 26th!

July 2020 - 3 months old

 

Can you take a wild guess at why I had to get my first bath with Liz this month?!

September 2020 - 5 months old

I'm doing great at holding commands and positions for longer periods of time. I can remain in a "down" throughout meals and in a "place" when my handler leaves the room! I don't react when items are dropped near me or when others step over me. My favorite thing in the world is to put my vest on and go out in public to train! So far what I need to work on is talking back to my handler (barking/growling when I disagree with her) and loose leash walking. I'm so excited to get going, that I just feel the need to pull ahead! We're working on it.

October 2020 - 6 months old

I spent 3 weeks training at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. Once I returned back to my foster home with Kit, I was much calmer and had learned to carry objects! I love to be groomed, get my nails trimmed, and put my vest on to go to work. 

November 2020 - 7 months old

I took a road trip last month to Virginia and back. I am a great traveling buddy! I had the opportunity to play with kids, comfort those who needed it, and watched soccer games. I whined a bit at first (I wanted to play!) but eventually settled in for a nap.

December 2020 - 8 months old

Holidays are exhausting! When I'm not working or playing, I enjoy a good snooze in my favorite chair.

January 2021 - 9 months old

I love being groomed - I sit patiently while Kit trims my nails, brushes my coat, and cleans out my ears. I'm having a hard time understanding why she doesn't want to play with me when she gets on the floor onto what she calls a 'yoga mat.' I love putting on my vest and going into public to work. Together, we visit the Post Office and grocery store on a weekly basis (and truck rides - those are my favorite!). I've learned a lot of new commands this month, and am working on keeping my paws off counters. 

Stage 2 Introduction

Woohoo! I have officially been entered into the second of training, and I am so excited!  Over the past several months I have had the opportunity to see the RFI mission first hand, and can’t wait to dig deeper in the mission of changing lives through my training for veterans with disabilities and children with autism. During this Stage, I will also work closely with the RFI professional training staff to solidify my understanding of intermediate tasks and the foundation of future commands to help mitigate a disability. Follow me through this stage learning how I continue to make an impact! 

March 2021 - 11 months old

This month I had to say a tough "see ya later" to my wonderful foster, Kit. I can't thank her enough for all she's dedicated to me for the past several months. Kit gave me a great foundation to continue my training and I'm thankful for her companionship! I'm transitioning to the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility to train with an inmate handler for a few months. I won't be able to give updates while I'm there, so I'll look forward to updating you in June!

April 2021 - 1 year old!

I celebrated my first birthday this month! I was given extra snuggles and treats.

June 2021 - 14 months old

I transitioned out of the correctional facility and am now in formal training at the Iowa facility! I'm excited to show the professional training staff all that I've learned, and begin working in public again.

July 2021 - 15 months old

   

I have impressed my new trainers so far with how advanced my training is for my age! I have begun attending presentations with staff to show off my skills in demonstrations so that others can understand how helpful service dogs can be.