For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: hearing dog, mobility dog, psychiatric service dog, veteran dog, medical alert dog.

1. Raising a Poodle Service Dog – Part 2 –
Growing Up Guide Pups
Pixie stillhasa waysto go before she canbe consideredatrainedservice dog.She seemstobe just
reallystartingtomature and hittingherstride.Herpersonalityisreallycomingoutnow too.She issilly
at times,butalsotakesher worka little more seriouslynow.She isstill strugglingwithcertain
distractions,butherrecoverytime andfocusare continuingtoimprove.Andaslongas she keeps
improving,we willkeepgoingwithhertraining.
Her reactionto hyperactive dogsissimilartohyperactive kids.Mycoworkerhasa veryhyperactive Jack
Russell Terrierandwe triedtointroduce Pixietohim.She wasa little confusedbyhisenergyandher
response wastoput herfooton himand try to make himsit still.We all jokedthatif she couldtalkshe
wouldprobablysay“dude,calmdown.We are at workand thisis notappropriate behavior.”She isvery
“proper”at the clinicanddoesn’tplaymuchinside the building.Butif Ilether out inthe back parkinglot
withherfavorite dogfriend,she willrunandplayhard withherbuddy.
For more detailson our products and services,please feel free tovisitus at: hearingdog, mobilitydog,
psychiatric service dog, veterandog, medical alert dog.
For more details,please visitus at: http://www.growingupguidepup.org/
There have beentimesthatIhave beenworriedthatwe were goingtohave to release Pixie fromservice
workbecause of her confidence level andherdistractionlevel.She isstill alertbarkingwhenshe sees
otherdogs sometimesandisverydistractedbybirdsandsmall animals.Butshe isstill makingstridesin
the right directionsoIwant to give hertime tomature.She isreallytryinghardand connectingwithme
bettereachday. She walksamazingwhenwe are inside buildings,andisasuperawesome shopping

2. companion.Shoppingiswhenshe isatherabsolute best.She isveryfocusedonme,doesn’tpull orget
distractedbyfood,people,oritemsveryoften.She canwalkperfectlynexttoa shoppingcart,and her
abilitytomake tightturnsin islesisprettyamazing.Butonthe flipside she getsdistractedeasilywhen
we are inan outside environmentandispullingsome onherleash,sowe are workinghardon getting
hermore focusedinthisenvironment.
Despite Pixie havingafewchallenges,(andmostof the puppiesIhave raisedhave hadchallenges) she
has lotsof amazingqualities.A bigone ishercalmness.She isa very mellow girl andalwayshasbeen.
She has no problemsettlingalmostanywhere.Whenshe isatworkwithme she will staycurledup
undera deskfor hours.She isgreat inrestaurants,andcan stay curledup underthe table quietand
settledforaslongas I needherto be.She is amazingoneverytype of transportationwe have tried
together.Airplanes,trains,busesandcarsshe is almostas perfectastheycome.She doesn’thave body
sensitivitiestoanyof the gear I have usedonher (Ihave triedlotsof differentitemsonher),exceptshe
isnot the biggestfanof herheadcollarwhenwe use it.She learnsmostthingsquickly,andseemstolike
to be challenged.Despite beingverymellow,she isalwaysreadytogetupand go whenneededandshe
has plentyof energytogo all daylongif that is whatis required.She isamazingatentertainingherselfat
home if I’mbusydoingotherthings.Andshe isone of the bestpottytraineddogswe have raised,she
has neverhada single accidentinpublicandissuperreliableathome.She seemstoknow whenshe is
“working” and whenshe isn’t,andshe takesherworkveryseriously.
At 16 monthsoldPixie isnowatthe age where mostof our otherpuppieswere returnedforformal
training.Ihave startedto teach Pixie afew tasksalready,buthave takenabreak fromthat to really
workon her focusandself control withherdistractions.Iwill be the firstone toadmitthat she is a little
behindwhere she shouldbe withthisathercurrent age.Thisis nother fault.Iwork a lot,that along
withdealingwithotherpersonalissuesithasbeenhardto workwithher everysingle dayonthe things
that distracther the most.So eventhoughthingsare takinga little bitlongertoworkthroughchallenges
withher,she isstill tryingherbestand we will see whatwe canaccomplish.Mostdogs are around 2
yearsoldwhentheygraduate as a service dog.If Pixie keepsimprovingthe wayshe currentlyis,she will
be amazingin another7 monthswhenshe is2. I still think she hasa lotof promise andI hope that
togetherwe will reachherfull potential.Staytunedformore fromthisgirl!
For more detailson our products and services,please feel free tovisitus at: hearingdog, mobilitydog,
psychiatric service dog, veterandog, medical alert dog.