Boomer

Placement | April 2021

Some are nervous for change, but I'm excited for my future! My trainers made the difficult decision that the life of a service dog wasn't necessarily for me. Fortunately for me, a wonderful woman named Lorna welcomed me into her home with open arms! We are the best of friends and I am thrilled to live the rest of my days with her. Thanks to all who helped us get to this point!

Boomer's Journey

Stage 1 Introduction

Hey, all! My name is Boomer. I am thrilled to have been selected to enter into the Retrieving Freedom training program. I came to Retrieving Freedom as a donation from Golden Rule Retrievers in Buffalo, Texas. During this stage of training I will be spending approximately 8 months with my new volunteer fosters, Marina and Steve. 

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. 

March 2020 - 2 months old

 

I got to meet my new foster parents this month! Marina and Steve will be working with me for the next 8-10 months on obedience and public exposure. I love them already! They say I'm the cutest boy they know.

April 2020 - 3 months old

 

I have mastered the commands "sit," and am now working on "down," and "place." I've learned that my kennel isn't a scary place and love to take naps in it throughout the day. My foster says I'm a very sweet and loving boy, with lots of energy!

June 2020 - 5 months old

On my 5-month "birthday," I got this new haircut! Don't I look handsome? I enjoy making trips to places such as Menards, Lowes, and PetSmart. I'm learning to not tug on the leash while walking next to my handler. 

July 2020 - 6 months old

 

I am getting better at getting in and out of the car, holding my "place" and "down" commands, and I'm a pro at public outings! I need to work on not barking so much. I just get so excited!

August 2020 - 7 months old

Time is flying by, and I am getting so tall! The commands I've mastered so far are "sit," "down," "heel," "place," "load," and "kennel up." Things I need to work on: counter surfing. I just want to sniff and steal things from the counter whenever I can! 

September 2020 - 8 months old

   

My fosters and I spend one evening per month training in the foster puppy classes at the Retrieving Freedom facility. This is a great opportunity for me to socialize with other dogs in the training program, and to show the professional trainers how I'm doing with my task work!

October 2020 - 9 months old

    

Marina and I are enjoying all the days we have left of sunshine - winter will be here before we know it! I'm working on staying calm when meeting new people and dogs. I'm so friendly and get excited wanting to greet new people! Otherwise, I'm very patient and well-behaved. I'm getting much better in my kennel! During Halloween, Marina and Steve walked past me in my kennel to greet trick-or-treaters for about 3 hours and I didn't bark once! I'm also getting much better at functioning through a routine and need less "entertainment" throughout busy days.

November 2020 - 10 months old

I'm soaking up every moment with Marina and Steve before I transition to a new training program next month.

Stage 2 Introduction

Wahoo!!!  I have officially been entered into the second stage of training, and I am so excited!  Over the past 8 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 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! 

December 2020 - 11 months old

This month I transitioned to the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility to work with a Veteran inmate handler. Wish us luck as we navigate new tasks together for the next few months! I won't be able to give updates while I'm there, but I'll look forward to updating you when I return to the training facility!

January 2021 - 1 year old!

I celebrated my first birthday this month! My handler made sure to give me extra treats and snuggles. I'm learning so much here at CMCF!

March 2021 - 14 months old

I transitioned out of the correctional facility this month and back to the training facility! I was able to visit with my fosters for a bit and work with my trainers before making the road trip up to the Iowa location. I'm looking forward to this next step in my training!

April 2021 - 15 months old

 

I enjoyed playing in the mud!