Ruby

Placement | June 2021

Some are nervous for change, but I'm excited for my future! My trainers had to make the difficult decision to remove me from the training program to become a service dog, but luckily for me, my amazing foster Kelly has decided to adopt me! I can't wait to live out my days as a well-loved pet in her home. Thanks to all who helped me get to this point!

Ruby's Journey

Stage 1 Introduction

Hello, my name is Ruby. I am proud to have been selected to enter into the Retrieving Freedom training program. My parents are "Mac" and "Gracie" from RidgeView Labradors. During this stage of training I will be spending approximately 8 months with my new volunteer foster, Kelly. 

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 months old

I just got to meet my foster, Kelly. She works for the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) with the Student Accessibility office. Pictured above is my first day on the job. Going to work is so much fun! I have some toys to chew on and a soft blanket to nap on. 

January 2020 - 3 months old

 

I have had a busy month at work! I meet new students everyday and they all love me! I guess I'm pretty popular. I have been working hard on my basic obedience skills, My foster mom tells me I have to sit if I want to get a picture with my friends.

February 2020 - 4 months old

Training is tiring! I like to relax by taking a good snooze on the couch between training sessions.

March 2020 - 5 months old

Wow, these first few months with Kelly have flown by! I am losing baby teeth and getting my big adult teeth. I am incredibly sweet - Kelly says there isn't a person that I don't like. This can be difficult for my training sometimes, so Kelly has taught me that I have to sit before I can meet new friends. I have mastered potty training, crate training, "sit" on command (even when I'm really excited), "down," "off" and"stay." All the students at the University of Northern Iowa where Kelly works miss me so much. Lots of people want to stay updated on what I'm up to. People would often stop by Kelly's office and introduce them self because they heard there was an adorable dog on campus and they wanted to meet me. Of course I soaked up every minute of that!

June 2020 - 8 months old

I was able to visit Retrieving Freedom and work with the trainers this month! They are impressed with how much progress I've made, and gave me a few new tasks to work on as well.

September 2020 - 11 months old

This month I had to say a difficult "see ya later" to my wonderful foster, Kelly! I am thankful for all the dedication she's given me over the past 9 months. We've accomplished a lot together and I hope to continue to make her proud in this next phase of training!

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! 

December 2020 - 14 months old

I spent the last three months at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility working with a Veteran inmate handler. He taught me so much! I am ready to begin working with the professional training staff at Retrieving Freedom again to show them all I learned. I was reunited with my original foster Kelly over Christmas - it was so fun to see her again!

January 2021 - 15 months old

Happy New Year! I went home with a weekend foster over the holiday and was able to relax before focusing on training again. I did great at church with them, where I stayed calmed while children greeted me. 

February 2021 - 16 months old

        

This month I transitioned from the training facility to a program at Iowa State University. I will be paired with an Animal Science student named Anna and work with her for the next few months. Wish us luck! I'm excited to begin a new adventure and gain great experiences. She has a dog named Cooper who went through the program last year, so I'll be able to learn from him at home, as well!

April 2021 - 18 months old

   

Anna and I have had so many fun adventures on Iowa State's campus! I'm still pretty timid in new environments, but I'm working on coming out of my shell while training. I can't thank Anna enough for all she's taught me this semester. It's time I turn back in to the training facility to work further with the trainers. I hope to see Anna again someday!