Cora

Placement | February 2021

 

Some are nervous for change, but I'm excited for the future! My trainers made the difficult decision that the service dog path wasn't what I was born to do. Fortunately, my foster Madalynn knew a loving family who was ready to adopt me - the Langford's. I am excited to live a life as a pet with them! Thank you to everyone who had a part in my training and helped to get me here.

Cora's Journey

Stage 1 Introduction

Hello! I'm Cora. I am proud to have been selected to enter into the Retrieving Freedom training program.  My parents are from Snitker Goldens. During this stage of training I will be spending approximately 8 months with my new volunteer foster, Kathy. 

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 - 2 months old

 

This month I transitioned from my breeding fosters to my new puppy raiser. I have begun to work on the basics - walking on a leash, potty training, crate training, and learning my name.

August 2020 - 5 months old

      

I've spent the last three months training at Iowa Medical and Classification Center with my main handler Kathy and other various handlers. I've learned so much, but it was time to come out and work more in public! I can't thank everyone at IMCC enough for all they've taught me. Time to spend time with my new foster Madalynn at Wartburg College - go Knights! The first thing we are doing together is building my confidence. I was a bit afraid of walking on new textures when I first began training with Madalynn, but after one trip to the park, I'm doing much better!

September 2020 - 6 months old

      

When we're not busy in class, Madalynn and I enjoy going for walks and hanging out at the park. I love to lay and rock in the hammock! We've begun making more trips into public (Target is my favorite!) and working on walking through various textures. My favorite part of each week is when I get to watch lacrosse practice at Wartburg! 

October 2020 - 7 months old

        

I've been gaining confidence walking on various textures all over! Here I performed the "place" command on a stone bench on the Wartburg College campus. Madalynn's patience in helping me gain confidence has been super helpful! I dressed up as a peacock for Halloween!

November 2020 - 8 months old

          

Madalynn and I voted! If I could, I'd vote for Peanut Butter every time. I also conquered a big fear - this funky floor has been a challenge for me for the past 4 months. This was the first time I walked over it confidently and even posed for a photo! I do a great job at listening and performing commands, even in busy and distracting environments such as coffee shops and in stores.

December 2020 - 9 months old

    

Right at the end of November, Madalynn brought home a little black puppy named Vera. She explained that Vera is beginning her training to become a service dog, too! I'm happy to show her the ropes for a few more weeks before I transition to my next phase of training in January. We have a lot of fun together.

January 2021 - 10 months old

   

I would play all day in the snow, if Madalynn would let me! This month, I transition into the next phase of training. I'm going to miss Madalynn and the rest of her family and my foster sister Vera so much! I can't thank them all enough for all they've provided to me for the past several months. I've gained a lot of confidence and task work under their supervision, and am looking forward to seeing what else I can accomplish! For now, Madalynn, Joe, Vera and I will begin attending classes on campus and enjoying our last few weeks together.

February 2021 - 11 months old

    

This month I had to say a tough "see ya later" to my amazing foster Madalynn and her family. It was time to turn in for the next phase of training! My trainers are going to evaluate and work with me for a few weeks to gauge where exactly I'm at in the process.