Seeking Puppies for New Class
We are beginning the task of searching for the right puppies for our training program. If you are a breeder, or know of a breeder who will have a litter of Golden Retrievers or Lab Retrievers (prefer yellow labs) please contact us. The ideal puppy will come with:
- AKC papers; we are not seeking breeding privileges
- OFA certifications for both the dam and sire
- Up to date on puppy vaccines
- No history of hip dysplasia or genetic diseases in the bloodline for at least the prior three generations
- Prefer dew claws removed
- Gentle temperament for dam and sire
- Puppies should be well- socialized by breeder
- Breeder should have plan in place to minimize risk of parvovirus
Puppies should be ready to be re-homed at approximately 8 weeks of age. We are also seeking individuals who are interested in fostering a puppy prior to their placement with a trainer. For more information, please contact us.
Classroom News
Advanced Class – It is official – the former beginner class has been promoted to the advanced class as of July 29th. Congratulations to all of our hard working teams. During this final stage of training, the teams will be working on mastering the task specific skills that qualify the team as a SD team under ADA law.
New Class for the Fall – Yes – applications to receive a SD from our training program are being received, and a new class is planned for this Fall. For those interested, we are accepting applications from:
- Individuals who wish to learn to train a SD for someone with a disability
- Individuals who are in need of a SD to assist them
If you have resided in AZ for at least the past year, you are eligible to apply for assistance from our program. For more information and to download a copy of our application packet, visit our apply for a dog page on our website.
Graduation 2017
Another graduation has come and gone, and we are so proud of all of our recent graduates. Our hearty congratulations to our recent graduates:
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Congratulations to our 2017 graduate recipients and student trainers
Sharon Richter and Nahla
- Tim Smith and Zazu
- Sam Webb and Doug
- Jacob Cosper and Sully
- Grace Ganahl and Teddy
And our student trainers…
- Jolie Jendry
- Amanda Van Asdall
- Brianna Espinosa
- Tim Wiley
- Deb Hoffman
Congratulations are also in order for the class of 2018, recently promoted to advanced class:
- Pearl Willis – student trainer and SDIT Adara
- Adam Croner – military veteran / recipient
- Amanda Van Asdall – student trainer who has joined this class to train dog #3 for the FSDS with SDIT Shadow
- Abigail Van Asdall – student trainer and SDIT Oliver
- Adam Sierra – police officer and SDIT Jax
- Lanitta Richter – alternate handler
- Wife of military veteran / name withheld upon request
- Zanna Fehr – recipient and SDIT Duke
- Daisy Saenz and SDIT Indy
Wellness Tip
Each year during the monsoon season, the problem with toads here in AZ becomes are more prominent issue. We remind our readers that toad venom is toxic for dogs . In Arizona, the Colorado River Toad commonly comes out once the sun goes down. They can be found near a back porch with a light on (to catch and eat bugs that are attracted to the light). Any dog that is let out into the yard to potty in the evening, and catches a toad in their mouth can be poisoned. Also, toads that get into the water dish can secrete venom causing illness and in some cases death to a dog. Some steps you can take to keep your dog safe include:
- Do not leave food or water dishes outdoors for your dog
- Leave the porch light out by the door you use to take your dog out to potty at night, turn it on only when ready to go outdoors
- Stick your head out the door to check for toads prior to letting your dog outdoors
- Supervise your dog at all times when outdoors
Many Thanks To…
We wish to express our sincere appreciation to the following individuals for their generous support of our program this past month:
- Valerie Schluter
- Cynthia Traylor
- Shaleese McPhee – in memory of Jennifer Robinson
- Barbara Ruga
- Rob and Mary Young
- Nicole Hess – in memory of Jennifer Robinson
A very special thanks to all who donated items for the silent auction. We are pleased to announce that this event was a huge success, thanks to the involvement of so many.
Upcoming Events
TBA – stay tuned
Photo Gallery
Enjoy these photos from our July 29th graduation ceremony. We note with deep appreciation that the photo above and the final 5 photos in the photo gallery were provided by professional photographer Jonny Stalnake. He very generously volunteered his professional services this year to photograph the event for us, and even offered sittings for all of our teams. Many thanks to Jonny for his generosity.
