We went to class Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening, most of Saturday and Sunday and they are going to let us graduate on Saturday, July 25Th!

 My wife Cindi, our Border Collie Penny, Shelby and I attended the Bergin Univ. of Canine Studies/Assistance Dog Institutes Social/Therapy Team Seminars. The seminar is to get you ready to visit hospitals, convalescent homes, assisted care facilities, rehab centers and therapy out-patient centers.

I had no idea the scope of items we would be exposed to, such as the best way to position yourself and your dog for a visitwith someone in a wheelchair , hospital bed, walker. crutches or in a chair. Finding out we needed to ask the patient if it was OKto move a chair or their table so we could set down with them, if they ask, can we pour them a glass of water, can we move them when they are in a wheelchair in the hall? We also had to learn how to protect our dogs from someone who would give the dog the medicine they didn't want to take, that was truly an eye opening experience.

We had to teach our dogs to take one step on a staircase at a time. The steps were wide in width but very shallow where you stepped. The teacher looked at Shelby and asked if we wanted to try, you bet we did! She can do anything a four legged dog can do! As Shelby and I worked the stairs most of the other students wandered back into the classroom. When Shelby finished coming down the stairs the only folks out there were the teacher, Cindi and Penny. I found out he next day the teacher just about had tears in her eyes from watching how Shelby was negotiating and working the steps. 

On the 11Th we celebrated Shelby's 4 month ampuversary!  That day we had to teach our dogs how to jump onto a chair and learn to lay their head on the patients bed. Shelby had never done that before. After 3 tries and a ton of treats and hugs she made it! 

At first i wasn't really interested in going to graduation but after all the hard work Shelby put into those 5 days of classes, she deserves to go and people need to see what a tripawd can accomplish. Shelby told us she wants to wear her black harness with the Harley patch and her orange leash.

After graduation we'll need to make 3 visits to an approved facility before we can take our final test that contains the Canine Good Citizenship test plus 6 additional behaviors we have to perform. After we pass the final. she'll get her certification. On the practice run through Sunday afternoon, Shelby nailed all 16 behaviors on the test!

Our instructor is now setting up the locations that we'll visit on a permanent basis, Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa and a VA rehab facility in either Martinez, San Francisco or Yountville, Ca.

Shelby has only lived with us since April 4Th and she just celebrated her 4 month ampuversary. In that time she has completed the basic and intermediate obedience classes along with the Social/Therapy seminar. We feel so blessed and lucky to have found Shelby and are so proud of everything she has accomplished so far. At first I was concerned that maybe we had taken on to much to soon, now all I can do is try to keep up with her!