Kinnick II

Kinnick's Journey

Stage 1 Introduction

Hi there! My name is Kinnick. I am proud to have been selected to enter into the Retrieving Freedom training program. My parents are "Gracie" (Kerrybrook Labradors) who is fostered by the Ingersoll Family and "Wally" from Ridgeview Labradors. During this stage of training, I will spend approximately 8 months with my new volunteer foster, Ashley.

Throughout Stage 1, I will learn the basics of 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.

November 2019 - 2 months old

We have been busy from day one. I've been working on training and going out into public to socialize. I attend the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) with my foster mom. So far, I have been working on learning my name and the command "sit". My mom says I am the smartest boy in the world!

December 2019 - 3 months old

My foster mom has been studying hard for finals, and I have been studying the inside of my eyelids. I always bring her smiles when she needs a study break.

January 2019 - 4 months old

Over Christmas break, mom and I are both enjoying some much needed time off. I love playing in the snow when I'm not working in my vest!

february 2020 - 5 months old

I love to snuggle with my volunteer foster mom, Ashley! When we aren't working, I always find a way to get in a good snooze.

March 2020 - 6 months old

Look how big and adorable I am getting! Ashley says our time at college has come to an end early. We are sad, but excited for what the next few months bring. I'll continue to train and learn alongside her for a few more months. I hope I can cheer her up!

June 2020 - 9 months old

My foster Ashley and I have been enjoying time together in quarantine back home. We still train, just not in public quite as much. Soon, our time together will be over and I'll a temporary foster home before going into formal training at the Retrieving Freedom facility.

August 2020 - 11 months old

I have been training at the RFI facility with the professional trainers, as well as a temporary foster home while I mature a little more. I've improved in a lot of areas recently including controlling my barking, holding the "place," "sit," and "down" commands for longer periods of time without my handler in sight, and not jumping on others to greet them! I've recently shown my fosters my sweet and goofy side.

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. This training stage will be another 8 months of working within the Retrieving Freedom Impact programs. 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!

September 2020 - 1 year old!

This month I transitioned from my volunteer foster home (thank you SO much for taking me in, Koppmann family!) to my new handler at Iowa State University. I'll spend the semester working under the supervision of a trainer with a student from the Animal Science program named Michaela. I'm excited to see what we can learn together!

October 2020 - 13 months old

I have already matured so much while away at college! Michaela and I are working on socialization, ignoring distractions, and task work. We train at the mall and on campus with our service dog in training buddies and their handlers. When we aren't training, I love to exercise! Playing fetch is my favorite.

November 2020 - 14 months old

Michaela and I have been putting in extra training time lately, since we only have a few short weeks together left. We go to church on Sundays and even though the worship music is loud and I'm not expecting it, I remain calm and quiet!

December 2020 - 15 months old

Merry Christmas! I am grateful there's no snow on the ground quite yet so I can still enjoy days at the playground. This is a great way to become comfortable on various surfaces! This month I had to say another tough "cya later" to Michaela. We had our final days together and I was returned to the Retrieving Freedom facility to continue my task work with the training staff. I can't thank Michaela enough for her dedication to my training and well-being over the past several months together!

January 2021 - 16 months old

I spent an 8 hour work day in an office environment with a weekend foster who said I rocked it! I didn't get distracted by anything or whine from boredom. I behaved perfectly going in and out of public places, as well!

February 2021 - 17 months old

I have been working on ignoring distractions and holding the command I was given. Pictured here, I confidently held my "place" and "down" while other service dogs in training worked around and in front of me, as well as played with toys. It was tempting to jump off but I did great!

March 2021 - 18 months old

In weekend foster homes, I continue to perform commands each time they are asked from my handler. I am working on calming my energy in a timely manner after I get excited.

April 2021 - 19 months old

I love performing the "crash" command with my weekend fosters! Really, for me, it just means more snuggle time.

May 2021 - 20 months old

This month I transitioned to the Iowa training facility and have been perfecting specialized task training with the professional staff. I behave perfectly while in my vest training in public situations, so often so that my trainers tend to forget that I'm next to them! I'm quiet, heel just as I should, and perform commands as soon as they're asked of me. I get along great with all the other dogs at the facility and my favorite thing in the world is learning something new.

Stage 3 Introduction

Over the last year and a half I have been working diligently to get to this part of training... Stage 3! During this stage I will begin to meet potential recipients, learn final training tasks, finish up my role in the impact programs, and complete the 100 required one-on-one hours with my future recipient. This stage is a 4 to 6 month process, and I understand there is still a chance that I might not complete the program due to health or performance. I'm looking forward to sharing with you about my first visits with potential recipients, trips into public, and other highlights throughout my final stage of training.

June 2021 - 21 months old

I passed all the necessary testing in order to advance into the third and final stage of training! I can't thank my volunteer handlers and the professional training staff for all the time and attention they've dedicated to me over the past several months. Now I will begin meeting various recipients to see who my best match is!

July 2021 - 22 months old

I had a great few days with a hopeful recipient. Now it's time to finish up my task training and iron out any kinks before I see them again!