The Importance of Socializing Puppies

Socializing a dog by four months is important even if they aren’t being trained to be a service animal. A dog must be exposed to everything possible in the early months of its life in order to live a happy, confident life. This is important because a puppy has a “grace period”. Exposing your puppy to as much as possible during this period will hopefully diminish the amount of fear your pup will experience in adulthood.

Imagine, you are at a 4th of July party at someone’s house and you bring your dog. You are outside watching the fireworks with your friends and having a great time and you don’t even notice that your dog is nowhere to be seen. Once the show is over you walk inside to find that your dog has had an accident on your friend’s carpet (due to his fear of fireworks). Poor little pup! Most people don’t even realize this situation can easily be avoided. Socializing your puppy to fireworks and loud sounds early on is the solution.

One very important category to expose your pup to is different people: young children, elderly men and women, bald people, bigger built people, etc. This is important because if you’re anything like me, you want to avoid the possibility of your dog barking at an elderly or bald man in public because he is curious. This curiosity can easily be mistaken for aggression.

Getting your pup used to being around heavy machinery is definitely a good idea. What do you think would happen if you were walking your dog by a construction site and he hadn’t been exposed to heavy machinery and loud sounds? It’s quite possible that your dog would bolt in this situation possibly hurting itself or you in the process. Appliances used for assistance, such as wheelchairs and crutches, are important for your dog to be friendly to everybody. Imagine walking your dog by a person using crutches. If your dog has not been exposed to them before, he could wreak havoc out of fear relating to the big sticks in this person’s hands. It would be quite the scene if the pup went after them or tried to play with them because the pup thinks they are a toy.

Getting your dog used to riding in the car is a must. This is important because if your dog is afraid of car rides, you might not be able to get your dog to cooperate when it is really important. An example of this would be if your dog was vomiting up blood. You know you have to get him to the vet immediately, but your dog refuses to get in the car because he is afraid of the unsteady surface of the moving vehicle. This can easily be avoided by allowing your dog to grow comfortable in the car. As you can see, socialization is vital for a dog to live a happy, confident life.

Blog written by Karis Ladewig

co-author of Dogs In Vests

Training My Dogs to Smell Corn Syrup in Honey

Today I taught my service dog to detect corn syrup that has been added to honey. 

Did you know that for years corn syrup has purposefully been added to honey?  Not only that, but if a beekeeper takes too much honey from the hive during the spring harvest, leaving less for the infant bees, he then gives the bees corn syrup to live off in the winter. 

I was even told by a local bee farmer that many honeys get exported from China, (honey directly from there is rejected by US customs), to other countries where the product is adulterated, (with water and/or corn syrup), and then relabeled to reflect the importing country.  This news was infuriating and astonishing!

These honey facts hold significant importance to me and my family.  My son is on the on the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD), a diet that regulates gut bacteria, and is known to be helpful for Irritable Bowel Disease, Autism, and ADHD.  Pure honey is the ONLY allowed sweetener.  He cannot ingest genetically modified corn syrup without dire results. 

We are relying on the diet to keep him out of the hospital and he has also been able to avoid major medications using SCD.  Knowing the content of our honey is vital.  

I researched some practical ways to identify the difference between Pure and Adulterated Honey.  These include:

Honey should stick to your spoon in a little glob. Honey that’s been mixed with corn syrup will flow much more easily.

If you add a dollop of honey to water, it will stay in a little lump.  However, if it has corn syrup in it the product will spread out on the bottom of the cup.  

Pure honey has no aftertaste that is often associated with adulterated honey.

Crystallizing is a natural process as pure honey ages.  Staying runny might be convenient but will be suspect to adulteration. Any honey that separates is not pure.

When heating honey to make marshmallows and candy treats for the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD), the honey will boil quickly with no foam.  Adulterated versions take longer to boil and might get foamy. 

I have trained my dogs to detect food additives harmful to my son’s health and which are to be strictly avoided in the SCD.  They have been previously trained to alert to corn starch and maltodextrin, commonly made from corn as well as 13 other starches.  I hypothesized that training them to detect corn syrup in honey was not only possible but probable. 

At the local grocer, I purchased both dark and light jars of Karo syrup and a Sprite because the second ingredient in Sprite is high fructose corn syrup.  I threw in a few other items whose labeling showed corn syrup as a top ingredient. 

We had several jars open of honey at our house to use as comparisons. Many jars were starting to crystalize, indicating they were pure honey, while three of the jars were a little bit runny, therefore suspect of being adulterated based on the tests I had researched. 

I had my dogs, Stella and Captain, smell the corn syrup and told them to “alert” and gave them a treat.  We repeated that exercise until I knew they understood I was adding a scent to their scent vocabulary.  I followed the same process by presenting them with the crystalized honey I had and told them to give an “all clear” for that item.  Once they understood these scents and commands, I mixed the crystallized honey with the corn syrup and asked them to check; they both automatically gave an “alert”.   Hooray!

For two factor verification I conducted further tests.  A dollop of each honey I had was placed in water to see if it spread out. The runny honeys did, and the crystalized honeys did not.  To have a control sample, I added pure corn syrup to water and it too spread out. The dogs were asked to check the three types of water mixtures and each time they “alerted” to both the corn syrup and the runny honey but gave an “all clear” for the crystalized honey.  Knowing that they were on the right track, I had the dogs then check the Sprite and got an automatic alert.

This sort of training is essential in our home and can be trained in your dog as well.  Stella and Captain help keep our son safe from adulterated food that is much more common than you would think.  I encourage you to do your due diligence when it comes to honey, buying from a local source, preferably visiting the farm where it is harvested to insure the purity.  But for two factor verification, the use of a service dog certainly adds to your peace of mind.  

For more about the SCD diet and Training your Service Dog, please visit the following:

https://www.facebook.com/servicedogsintraining/

https://www.facebook.com/miriam.richard.75/videos/1677687652365688/UzpfSTI3MTc5MzM1MzI0Nzg4OTo4MTczNjc1NTUzNTcxMzA/

BY Miriam Richard 2020

Letter from Teacher at Kemp Jr High

Heartwarming Letters from Kemp Jr. High Students

Pheobe's First Slumber Party with Mazie

We are excited to announce that Phoebe had her first sleep over at age ten! Thanks to Mazie, the family’s service dog who is able to detect low blood sugar, she was able to enjoy an overnight stay at her friends house with less cause for concern. Phoebe was joined by her sisters Karis and Megan, and also her friend Katelyn. These girls are all mentioned in Dogs in Vests, the book and project that raises money to assist in paying for the life of Mazie, and teach the world about owner trained service dogs. 

Mazie has been doing so well since her training, and of course with continued training, to perform her medical alert duties. She even alerted twice to Miriam Richard, the dogs original host mom, who was on preforming a Prolon fast (for more details on the Prolon fast, please send a direct message). This moment was really special because it showed how accurate Mazie was becoming at fulfilling her duties.

Miriam shared that Mazie jumped up and pawed at her on multiple occasions within a small amount of time. She generally wouldn’t leave Miriam’s side for over and hour. Miriam realized that the affection was beyond what is called for during a foster mom and pup reunion. Trying to understand Mazie’s relentless pressure for attention she thought to herself, “I wonder if my blood sugar is low and she’s alerting me?” Miriam immediately checked her blood sugar levels and  discovered her numbers were at a low of 72 the first time and even lower at 70 after the second test. Miriam then ate a Prolon bar, quickly raising her blood sugar to 84. Mazie stopped alerting to Miriam after a couple of minutes and went on enjoying being a dog and checking on her girls (The Ladewig daughters). The next morning Mazie alerted to Miriam and thus, she ate another bar. Fortunately, the Ladewig girls did not warrant any alerts during the visit. What a success! Mazie is becoming a master at her craft. It’s so exciting to watch her grow not just as a service animal, but also in her love for her girls.

On behalf of Dogs In Vests, we are so proud of Mazie, our Novacek 84 Labradoodle! Additionally, we are so happy for The Ladewig girls, whom defy all odds while discovering how to live a normal life with their trusted dog Mazie at their side. 

Watch more and let this transformation warm your hearts at www.dogsinvests.com. Many people are sharing our mission and helping us raise funds by purchasing the Dogs in Vests book through the website. All proceeds pay for the life and care of Mazie. Our dream is to raise enough money to care for the lives of owner trained service dogs for families in need. We’re always available for questions or concerns. Please write or call us with any questions about our process and journey! 

*We’ve recently been embarking on meet and greet presentations at local junior high schools to share our experience, strength, and joy. For speaking engagement inquiries please e-mail Miriam@dogsinvests.com or victor@dogsinvests.com.

Dogs In Vests Reaching Out to Community

Dogs In Vests vist local stores.  

Once nervous about opening up and asking people to use their stores and businesses to spread the news about Dogs in Vests, I found the confidence to talk to them. I am so glad I did. As it turns out more times than not, these companies would love to help and actually take pride in giving the young girls who are impacted by these loving dogs a chance to have their voices heard. If you are not familiar, Dogs in Vests is a mission we started to help families in need of a service dogs. The subsequent book we wrote is to help others in need learn what is involved in training a service dog. 

    Logos book store, in Snider Plaza welcomed us on May 31st and we are able to meet and greet locals and share our story.   Regular customers, friends, and family came to the bookstore to see the pups and get signed copies of the book (signed by the girls and the dogs). On June 8th, the Lucky Dog Barkery welcomed our whole gang. Many others with service dogs in training came by and see the dogs, grab a book and chat with the families who owned service dogs or who were in the process of  training their own dogs. Members of the community we knew and others who we got to meet came out to show their love for this cause. All the positive feedback we have received pushed us to have another event this time just outside the bubble. Mutts Canine Cantina is hosting us on June 24th and we could not be more thrilled to have everyone come hear the stories and the impact these beautiful service dogs have had. Live music and snacks will all be there and the dogs (Stella, Maize, and Malachi) get ecstatic to meet new friends!  

Karis helps  Phoebe change her feeding tube,( at Lucky Dog,) an everyday reality that these girls face. We are so glad to have provided them with a service dog who gives not only emotional support, but a very real alert if either girl has a dangerous change in body chemistry. 

Stella is tired after meeting all the dogs and humans that came through at Lucky Dog Barkery

The importance of Team Training.

We believe you achieve the best results while training your own pet or dog because you’ve learned to read your dog well. You know its body language when something is not right. You observe the nuances in his responds to games, requests, distractions, and other dogs. You cannot make these connections if you simply drop your dog off at a trainer and picking the pup up in five months! Allowing others to train your animal and not being part of that team puts you at a huge disadvantage. Bonding, trust and confidence need to come gradually from the moment the decision to own a dog is reached. That is why we encourage the family to pick their dog from the breeder and, while we are the initial trainers, the forever family visits frequently, as much as twice a week, to ensure connection and observe progression. By witnessing the training process, the forever family gains confidence in their ability to model future training. 

How Do You Know If You Have A Reputable Trainer?

Valerie Fry Kpa Ctp As a Certified Dog Trainer. And entire career has been Service Dogs, this is a huge frustration we have. Dog Training is not regulated in America. 

😞And people pop up all over the place claiming to be a professional trainer or Service Dog Trainer. Credentials can not be faked because you can look them on the the website of the certifying body. The best Dog Trainers credentials are from CCPDT, KPA CTP, VSA. Others include Behavior Consultant. IAABC, CBCC mostly necessary for dogs with behavior issues. 

Honestly a KPA CTP gets the best education for training a disability task. Because everyone is different and every teams task will be different a Service Dog Trainer needs the skills to create a behavior chain and know how to capture, lure, shape these tasks. KPA teaches that BEST. The reason I know these things is because I am not only certified with these, I am also a Mentor Trainer for VSA, ABC, CATCH. Meaning I work with students all the way through their school. 

I totally suggest actually speaking to individuals who have worked with the Trainer you are paying. Do not spend your money until you have spoken to at least 3 of these clients. Verified their credentials on the website of the school or certification body. Verified insurance and training skills by asking those questions directly. 

I hope this helps.

Finding a Trainer

We found our trainer  Valerie Fry owner of Canine Solutions Dallas through the Park Cities Animal Hospital here in Dallas. But an animal behaviorist might be another resource. It is not easy to locate a local service dog trainer. But we have found The Ping Project book extremely helpful for D.A.D.’s training, and Debbie Kay also has a DVD program called Super Sniffers (website referenced above) which we found helpful. I also reached out to Jullian Skalky of Creating New Tales (website referenced above) but unless you live in Florida she is only able to board and train your dog herself or communicate via Skype. 

Is Service Animal training right for you?

In considering this undertaking, make sure you can afford the expense of a dog and the investment of time to properly train your service dog. Taking an extended leave from work to train might be a strong consideration. It could be the difference between having a best friend for life and having an animal that just lives with you. It Is important that you find a trainer that will give you a lesson plan (road map to get to your end goal). Do the research yourself if you can’t locate a trainer…watch videos on YouTube or movies to become more informed about what tools are available to train your service dog. You need to honestly test your puppy’s mental abilities to learn and retain information. You need to ideally spend 15 minutes per day on brain exercises and but remember that your puppy needs to sleep for 3 or 4 hours at a stretch as they tire easily. After a nap time, you need start the training again. This cycle repeats throughout the day.

Book Cover for Dogs In Vests

It is exciting to have the book cover complete.  Our teen author Karis was so excited she shared on her social media that she will be a published author at age 15! We are thrilled to use resources in the community and empower the youth by giving them portions of this project to help it move forward.  In exchange they improve not only our project and their high school resume, but also their self esteem. Dogs In Vests will be available on Amazon and Barns and Noble online. Due out late May/ early June. 

Service dog Mazie allows 15 year old Karis to attend her first sleepover.

Karis enjoyed her first sleepover at a friend's house with Mazie at her side. I hooked Karis 

up to her TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) about 6 hours earlier than normal 

so that she could enjoy her fun night. Knowing that Mazie was by 

her side gave both Karis and I great comfort just in case Karis got in trouble 

adrenal wise. Thankfully the night remained without incident health wise. It was a night filled 

with fun, laughter, and memories were made. Mazie faithfully stayed at 

Karis's side into the wee hours of the night, or should I say the next morning. What a trooper! 

Service dogs are truly a blessing. I am sure that Karis and Mazie will be 

going to many more slumber parties together in the future.