August 2018 Newsletter

Youth Education Expanded

We are pleased to announce that the FSDS has recently signed a sponsorship agreement with the City of Peoria Parks and Recreation Department.  Under this agreement, the FSDS will deliver education on SDs and disability issues, as well as canine safety (inc. FA and CPR training) to the youths involved in their summer and after school programs.

This is an important next step for the FSDS as it permits us to accomplish several goals.

1. Increasing education on SD and disability issues
2. Increasing canine safety training in the community
3. Creating a pipeline for youths to move through the training program from safety training from SD training

The last of these goals is critical for the FSDS. As our program grows, it is imperative that we create a pathway for youths to move up through the ranks. Introduction to our program via FA / CPR and SD etiquette training is the first step. This sort of relationship building will spark interest and encourage youths to step up and train a dog here in our community for someone in need. This in turn helps us to increase the quality and quantity of SDs that we train.

Providing leadership opportunities for youths is equally important.  In these troubled times, it is important that we, as a community, remain focused on the importance of strengthening our youths and helping them grow into strong leaders of tomorrow.  Opportunities for them to provide vital services to the community as well as speaking opportunities to help educate the community help them to gain poise and confidence.  These skills will serve them well wherever life takes them.

Over the course of the past 10 years, we have enjoyed a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with the City of Peoria through involvement with their annual GAIN Event, having the privilege of awarding them their first victim assistance K9 and now through our ability to reach out to youths in their Parks and Recreation Programs.  We are pleased to move forward with the City of Peoria in this new venture that will bring benefits to the entire community.

Classroom News

CB8 – this past month the students successfully cleared the second of two standardized testing hurdles.  The Public Appropriateness Test was a huge success, and we are so proud of our teams for not only meeting, but succeeding expectations.  We would also like to welcome Brianna Espinosa back to the class.  Brianna raised a SD for a recipient in the past, and has returned to take over the training of a second dog, Hamilton.  She is a local HS student, has a wonderfully positive and “can do” attitude and we are delighted that she is continuing in our program.  Lindsey Carlson and Bentley have made great strides in their awareness and focus training, Titus and Vader have mastered their “leave it” skills, and Brianna Espinosa and Hamilton have demonstrated remarkable improvement in their loose leash and back up skills.  Congratulations to all of these hard working teams on a job well done.

CB9 – we are currently accepting applications from individuals who are interested in training a SD for someone in need.  Please contact us for information.  This class is planned to start in the Fall.

SD Trainer Academy

AZ Lottery Scholarship – we are pleased to announce that the AZ Lottery has funded a full scholarship to the SD Trainer Academy.  This scholarship is open to all AZ residents.  Please contact us for further information.

We are pleased to announce that the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)  has recently approved the SD Trainer Academy courses for continuing education (CEU) credits.  CCPDT is the certifying body for dog trainers in the U.S., and has certified thousands of dog trainers.  Each is required to complete 36 hours of didactic CEU credit per re-certification period.  The FSDS courses have been approved for credits as follows:

The final course, SD 403 is under construction and will be submitted for crediting in the near future.  We are proud of our tradition of excellence in education and continue to strive to improve our ability to improve both the quantity and quality of SD trainers in the U.S.

Wellness Tip

Storm readiness – with the arrival of hurricane and monsoon season, we remind all readers to keep their dogs indoors during storms.

We also caution our readers to supervise any drinking water that is left outdoors.  In the summer months, if you reside in an area where toads are an issue remember that toads secrete a toxin from their skin.  Dogs come into contact with this by either catching the toads in their mouth, or by drinking from a water dish that the toads have come into contact with.  Toad poisoning can be lethal for dogs.

Thoughts and Prayers

Our prayers  are with military veteran Jacob Cosper, recent recipient, and his family.  Their five month old daughter is seriously ill and hospitalized, and awaiting a transplant.  We are keeping their entire family in our thoughts during this very difficult time in their lives.

Thank You

Our sincere thanks to the following individuals for their generous contributions this past month:

• Valerie Schluter
• CR Bard Corporation
• DAV Auxiliary Unit 1
• AZ Lottery

Job Posting

Program Auditor – we are seeking the services of an independent program auditor for our Outreach Program.  This is a per diem position.  The ideal candidate will have experience in dog training and program management, and be able to travel periodically as needed.  Interested applicants can send a resume to the Executive Director.

Upcoming Events

Sept 4th, 2018 – presentation to the Westbrook Village Veterans Support Club

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