Belle

Sponsor Announcement

I am so excited to be sponsored by the Odden family. They graciously donated toward my journey to hopefully become a service dog! I hope to make them proud throughout my training. Thank you, Odden family!

Belle's Journey

Stage 1 Introduction

Hi! My name is Belle. 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, Courtlin.

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. 

May 2020 - 7 weeks old

    

Right at the end of this month, I transitioned from my wonderful breeding foster home to my new puppy foster home with Courtlin! I'll begin to work on crate training, walking on a leash, behaving in public, potty training, and learning my name!

June 2020 - 2 months old

 

A nice hat is the perfect way to stay cool in the summer heat! I've been working on lots of new commands, but "leave it" is my least favorite. You can see by the look in my eyes how patient I'm trying to be - but I really want those treats! I've conquered the commands "sit," "down," and "go potty." I'm working on staying in a good "heel" while walking next to my foster Courtlin - sometimes I just lay down and refuse to continue walking. 

July 2020 - 3 months old

   

This month I spent a whole Saturday at the Grand Opening event for the new RFI facility in Missouri. I was perfectly behaved the whole time! I love spending time outside with my favorite pillow and elephant while visiting the neighbors!

August 2020 - 4 months old

 

I started college! Courtlin and I began classes this month. Go Vikings! I have been working on new commands this month, such as "left," "touch," "place," and "under." I'm also learning to stay relaxed in a "sit" or "down" position while strangers greet me.

September 2020 - 5 months old

       

I got to spend time with my siblings at the monthly foster puppy class! At college, I'm learning what's appropriate to chew on. Courtlin is teaching me that I can't be nibbly with her hands but I'm allowed to chew on toys. I experience lots of new environments this month including a farm, where I met quite a few animals that look very different from me. 

October 2020 - 6 months old

     

Courtlin and I attended another monthly training session at the RFI facility. I was able to work on new tasks and spend time with my littermates! Later in the month we visited a pumpkin patch and corn maze. I also got to visit the animals at the farm! I'm currently working on not getting distracted by things as noisy as kids running by, and things as small as leaves blowing around me.

November 2020 - 7 months old

I've been training consistently with Courtlin. Lately, I have mastered staying in the "down" and "place" commands for longer durations. I'm also learning the difference between "left" and "right" when it comes to heeling on different sides of Courtlin. I love meeting and interacting with children, especially at church! I've definitely had a growth spurt mentally this month and have been calming down quite a bit. 

December 2020 - 8 months old

      

Courtlin and I had the opportunity to dress up for Christmas and participate in a parade! We also had a great training session at the monthly foster class and took advantage of the beautiful Christmas tree for a photo opportunity!

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! 

January 2021 - 9 months old

    

Happy New Year! Courtlin and I were able to celebrate the holidays together. We have made lots of progress on my eating habits lately, as well as what to do when a stranger approaches to greet me. We are currently working on finding a way for me to hold the "down" command without crawling backwards and holding the "place" command for a longer period of time. I have entered a bit of a fear period, so my trainers and Courtlin are working through that with me! At the end of this month, I had to say a tough "see ya later" to Courtlin as it was time to turn in for the next phase of training. I'm thankful for all the time and abilities she's dedicated to me over the past 7 months and hope I can see her again someday!

February 2021 - 10 months old

I am in formal training at the Retrieving Freedom facility, working with my trainer each day!

March 2021 - 11 months old

This month I transitioned to Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, where I will be training with a Veteran handler for the next couple of months. I won't be able to give updates while I'm here, but I'm looking forward to updating you when I return to the Retrieving Freedom training facility!

April 2021 - 1 year old!

This month I turned one! I was able to celebrate with extra treats and snuggles from my handler.

June 2021 - 14 months old

  

I returned to the training facility from CMCF this month. I was able to spend some time with Courtlin and her family before transferring to the Iowa training facility. It was so nice to see her again! I'm ready to dig further into my training with the professionals and show them all I learned over the past few months.

July 2021 - 15 months old

 

August 2021 - 16 months old

I love playing outside with my sister, Basil!