Hannah

Placement | October 2020

Some people are afraid of change, but I'm excited for my new adventure! My trainers had to make the difficult decision that continuing on the path toward becoming a service dog wasn't right for me. Fortunately, my original foster Rylee has decided to adopt me! Now I'll be able to relax with my fur-ever friend. Thank you to all who helped me get to this point!

Hannah's Journey

Stage 1 Introduction

Hello, my name is Hannah. I am proud to have been selected to enter into the Retrieving Freedom training program. My parents’ names are "Duke" and "Stella" from Klein Family. I was purchased by Brian Larson and donated to Retrieving Freedom.

During this stage of training I will be spending approximately 8 months with my new volunteer foster, Rylee. 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 an 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. 

December 2019 - 2 month update

    

I just got to meet my new foster, Rylee. She tells me I am the prettiest little pup she has ever seen. My foster manages a dog boarding/daycare kennel, so I am able to spend my days training and playing hard with other friends.

January 2020 - 3 months old

 

I love spending my days with Rylee at work! We have a healthy balance between play time and work time. I'm starting to understand that when my vest is on, it means I have to focus in on the task at hand.

February 2020 - 4 months old

 

This month I traveled to the Retrieving Freedom facility in Waverly to check in with the foster coordinator and ensure I'm on the right track. While I was there, I was happy to see my littermate, Cooper! We were able to have a play date and take a break to snap this adorable photo. 

May 2020 - 7 months old

  

I'm so glad it's almost summertime! I love playing outside at my foster Rylee's doggy daycare. 

June 2020 - 8 months old

I love swimming!

August 2020 - 10 months old

I'm soaking up the last few warm days of summer with Rylee before transitioning into the next step of training this fall. We love going for walks!

Stage 2 Introduction

Wahoo!!!  I have officially been entered into stage 2 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! 

September 2020 - 11 months old

        

This month I had to say a difficult "see ya later" to my wonderful foster, Rylee. We have grown so much together over the past 9 months and I hope to continue to make her proud. Next up, I will be spending time with a student named Grace at Iowa State University for a semester!

October 2020 - 1 year old!

   

I turned one year old this month! I celebrated with extra treats and snuggles.