The Possibility Dogs – Book Review

What a handful of “Unadoptables taught me about service, hope, and healing

By the author of “Scent of the Missing” – Susannah Charleson

In one word; Inspiring

I hit the follow Susannah on Facebook button soon after reading her first book about her journey through search in rescue and her search dog Puzzle.  I knew a bit about what her new book might hold. The book is not about search and rescue to which I am involved as a K9 handler. Would it have the same hold on me as her first book?

I believe everyone knows the saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.” So, when I slid the book out of the shipping envelope and saw a little white dog with a goofy grin, tilted head, and ridiculous half cocked bat ears, I thought, “This will be cute.” I also figured I could read a few chapters a day in between my busy schedule of studying, working, and training two search dogs.  I got absolutely nothing done for the past two days.

The  journey begins immersed in the confused gritty red-dust covered memories of a firefighter who survived a terrible accident. The imagery conjured a frantic feeling of desperation; a need to claw your way out of the hell that was laid before the mind’s eye.  Charleston gently leads you out into the comforting fresh air with the soft touch and sweet gaze of a little mixed dog. The firefighter’s wonderful, shelter rescued dog can predict his episodes of PTSD and stop them, waken him from nightmares and flashbacks, and lead him home. She is one of many amazing canines you will meet in this remarkable book.

The author skillfully braids the stories of others with her own experience raising and training her own service dogs. This book paints gorgeous pictures that will fill you with tears, laughter, anger, and heartwarming joy. Who can forget a dog named Juice Box that completely changed the life of a young teenager who couldn’t safely leave house without him?  How about a lab with a creaking tail? Or a tiny gray lilliputian with enormous ears rescued hours before he was to be euthanized? Charleson’s voice brought such vivid detail to the page, I felt as if the people and their service dogs were all very dear friends of mine.

This book is at my bedside table to read again, and again. Possibility Dogs indeed has a hold on me.

The book may be found on Amazon. Possibility Dogs by Susannah Charleson

Susannah does more than write a book about it.  She started her own organization to help those in need of a service dog!

The name:  Possibility Dogs

Susannah Charleson begun an organization to help match and train K9 partners for those in need of a service dog.  Her website says it best:

We identify, rescue, and train talented homeless dogs for psychiatric and utility service. We connect partners with a heart for rescue to service dogs that have love and skills to share. And we support that partnership for the long-term—through ongoing training, public education, and research

You may find out more at her website Possibility Dogs

  http://possibilitydogs.org

See a great interview with Susannah and Jake Piper here: Susannah News Interview

How to Make A Dog Food Puzzle Toy

It’s easy and takes less than 10 minutes!

Materials:

• Drill
• 1/2 inch drill bit
• 3″ Diameter PVC cut down to 18″ long
• Two PVC 3″ end caps
• small piece of wood at least 19″ long

Instructions

1. Put the end caps on either end of the PVC pipe.

2. Drill a hole several inches away from the edge of the end cap.

3. Rotate the PVC a 1/4 turn.  Drill another hole 4-5 inches away from the first hole.

4. Repeat step 3 two more times to drill a total of four holes in the PVC.

5. Take the end caps off. Place the edge of the piece of wood along side the PVC pipe and under the edge of the end cap. While holding the wood and PVC together, tap the end of the wood on the floor. The lid should pop right off.  Repeat on for the other end.

6. Run a towel through the PVC several times to get the plastic shavings out.

7. Put one end cap on.

8. Fill with a few cups of dry kibble.

9. Give to dog.

10. Sit back and enjoy the entertainment.

Molniya Tries The Agility

Our little puppy is growing so fast!

She did an amazing job on the agility today.

Are there treats in that hand?

 

Arrr!  I walk the plank for those tasty morsels.

 

 

Treats?  I don’t need silly treats!  Even this swinging plank is cake!

 

 

I think I might need a bit of help with this one

 

Climb the stairs?

 

Almost there.

 

I did it!

 

Down under we go!

 

You want me to go in there?

 

For a frisbee?  SURE!

 

Woo hoo! Let’s do more!

Rovers on the Rubble

Today, our team trained on the urban search and rescue’s rubble pile.  I got some wonderful pictures of some of our fantastic pups braving the wreckage.

A little new puppy update for spring

We have been busy here

Our new puppy is growing up so fast.  She can do nose work like nobody’s business!  We have been to two dog obedience classes and have had a lot of fun.

Starting over with a brand new puppy is hard work!

I have forgotten all of the things that I must do to turn her into a good search dog.  Time to review some of my previous posts!

http://wp.me/pNjwk-iG
 - 10 Dynamite Tips for a New Search and Rescue Dog

Right now we are working on her recall.

I have fallen into the dog training trap nearly all of us have done at one time.  She has a fantastic recall at home. (She looks a lot like the roadrunner from the cartoons,) her feet all a blur when coming when called.  Alas, when we are out and about.  She can decide a blowing leaf, a blade of grass, or a pile of deer poo far more important than listening to me.  It seems like such a pain in the touche to grab the long line, treats, toys, and pile the dog in the car to drive to someplace new for every training session.  So, I convince myself I will do it tomorrow and simply train my dog in the living room.  BAD dog owner!  This is something that will come back and bite me in the touche.  It is like going to the gym or for a walk, no one wants to get up and do it, but once there you are glad you did. I timed my last training session outing and it only took 10 minutes all told!  That includes the drive to and from the park!

Lesson learned.

If you want a well behaved dog, you need to take little field trips.

Now shut up, put those shoes on, and get off that bum!

The recall is very important to Search and Rescue dogs because we work air scenting dogs off leash. Forget the idea of the bloodhound dragging the handler around the woods.  Those are how tracking/trailing dogs work.  My dog can choose to chase deer, roll in poo, play with another dog, splash around in the stream, or work. He can play keep away and chase me games if he wants. Grom, my operational search dog choses to work instead.  He will even come back to a call or whistle blow while in hot persuit of a herd of deer!  How did I get such a wonderful recall?  Practice.

Practice at home with no distractions.  Then practice in many other places without distractions. Then add distractions working closer to the distractions and then working around more difficult distractions.

Best I get started then.

Tinkering with the Robot

This is what my husband got me for Christmas

Manners Minder

It has turned out to be a very cool way to train my dogs from a distance.

Here is Grom playing with his new toy.

My husband is a genius!

Our new little puppy, Molniya seems to have trouble staying quiet in her crate.  She has learned to bark in there and throws some pretty nice tantrums.  In order to reward her for being quiet, we needed a way to reward her.

Sure, we could drop a few treats in her crate every time we walked by, but wouldn’t it be more fun and rewarding for her to get treats even when we were somewhere else in the house?

My hubby found a great solution with a little bit of work.

Materials

• dremel
• funnel
• board
• rubber bands

1. First, cut a hole in the top of the crate just big enough for the end of the funnel to fit through.
2. Measure how far the funnel drops into the crate.
3. Then measure the thickness of the board you will be using on top of the crate. (see video) We used a sheet of plywood. Cut a hole in the plywood the same size of the hole you cut in the top of the crate.
4. Remove the food tray on the Manners Minder (it comes off easily for cleaning.)
5. Bend the funnel flat on one side so that it lies flush with the manners minder tray area.
6. Then, cut the funnel so that is not sticking into the hole in the crate and lies flush with the roof. The funnel will be cut at an angle since it will be lying against the Robot.
7. Tie together enough rubber bands to fit around the back of the manners minder to either side of the funnel.  Drill a hole on either side of the funnel where the rubber bands will attach to.  Tie the rubber bands to either side and adjust so the funnel lies flat in the tray area.  Make sure the funnel is not blocking the hole where the treats come out!
8. Put the board on the top of the crate and line it up with the hole in the crate.
9. Place the funnel in the hole.
10. Place the Manners Minder up against the leaning funnel and pull the rubber band loop around to the back of the robot to hold it on.
11. Fill er up and let er rip!

Watch this baby at work!

Video from the top

Video from the front

When to Deploy Search and Rescue Canines

I would like to give a shout out to a fantastic website I found today about how to deploy search and rescue dogs.  The website gives a wonderful description on the different kinds of search dogs and how they are best used in a search.

Find the fantastic posting here:

Scents Ability Search Dogs