Sophie II

Sponsor Announcement

Thank you to Jim Cory for your Puppy Head Start sponsorship of my training! I hope I've made you proud throughout my journey.

Placement | March 2020

Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with a medical condition which means I can no longer be placed as a service dog. My foster Makenzie decided we could be best friends fur-ever! She adopted me and we have been having loads of fun together! A big thank you goes out to all who helped throughout my training career!

Stage 1 introduction

Hello, my name is Sophie. I received my name from the generous donations of Jim Cory. I am proud to have been selected to enter into the Retrieving Freedom training program. My parents are "Gracie" (Kerrybrook Labradors) fostered by the Ingersoll Family and "Olaf" of Ridgeview Labradors. During this stage of training I will be spending approximately 8 months with my new volunteer foster, Makenzie .Throughout stage 1 training, I will learn the basics of citizenship, public behavior, and basic obedience. I understand that it takes a very special dog to complete the program, as there is a high standard to become an official service dog at Retrieving Freedom. 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 who would like to follow my journey through the program.

December 2018 - 2 months old

My new puppy foster Makenzie is proudly holding me and posing with my breeding foster, Cheryl. Today is the day I begin training with Makenzie!

January 2019 - 3 months old

Makenzie is brave enough to start taking me to college classes right away. Together we take classes at the University of Northern Iowa. She says I am a very good girl in class, and I keep myself entertained by chewing on toys and snoozing. I learned from my foster brother, Chase - you can see us snuggling in the photo on the right.

February 2019 - 4 months old

I got to attend my first UNI track and field meet! Mom says we will be going to plenty of these, so I'd better get used to it now. There are lots of potential distractions here, but nothing bothers me! I breeze through the crowds and loud noises. Mom has been very impressed! Notice how I keep my eye contact with her and patiently wait for treats.

March 2019 - 5 months old

This month I got to have a play date with my momma Gracie. Together we are working on the "place" command. My mom Makenzie is exposing me to new environments every day so that nothing will surprise me when I'm a working service dog in the future.

April 2019 - 6 months old

I love going on walks! Even though I am a service dog in training, I still need to find time to relax every day. I am a pro at walking in my boots to protect my feet from the salt on the sidewalks.

May 2019 - 7 months old

Even though I'm getting older and bigger, mom still calls me her "baby." It is important for me to tolerate a variety of different things; being picked up and loved on is one of those! Loud places don't bother me at all. Here I am taking a nap at a bowling alley.

June 2019 - 8 months old

Mom says our time is coming to an end at the University of Northern Iowa. Today we met up with my brother and sister who also go to UNI with their fosters! We took photos together and our breeder foster is so impressed with how much we've learned over the past 6 months. We like to think it's because we had amazing foster homes! I am a pro at my basic obedience skills and the trainers say I'm ready to advance to the next stage of training - woohoo!

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. Currently, these include working with college students, at-risk teens, summer campers, inmates, and elementary school students. Follow me through this stage of learning how I continue to make an impact!

July 2019 - 9 months old

I have been chosen to be apart of the program at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center (IMCC). During this program, I will get to work with a number of different inmates, continue working on basic obedience, and learning to work through many new distractions. I will continue to work on my public skills with the help of RFI's volunteer weekend foster homes. Once a week, I will participate in a group class lead by a RFI trainer, where I will continue to learn and work on new skills and commands to start preparing me for stage 3 training.

September 2019 - 11 months old

Look how beautiful I am!

December 2019 - 14 months old

Merry Christmas! I attended the annual Retrieving Freedom Christmas party and got to show off my cute new sweater.

Stage 3 Introduction

Over the last year and a half I have been working diligently to get to this part of training... Stage 3! I switched to my Stage 3 trainer at RFI and he has confirmed that I will be working toward becoming a service dog for a child with autism. 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.

January 2020 - 15 months old

*photos courtesy of North Tama County Community School District

I have been spending two days a week at a local school, working closely with children. I love hearing their confidence rise as they read to me! I don't judge them, correct them, or laugh at them. I simply support them and provide unconditional love.

February 2020 - 16 months old

I have been paired for a semester with a student from the Wartburg College Leadership Class. During this semester, I will attend classes with my student on campus, attend class twice per week at Retrieving Freedom, and continue to learn new skills and commands from the training staff.