Gotta Have FAITH

We are beginning week four of training Echo to be my seizure alert/response dog.  Can't believe how fast this time has flew.  One thing is for sure, training is a lot of work and takes a lot of time.

We've gotten a lot of emails and facebook messages supporting our work with Echo and for those who sent them, we want to say thank you!  Your encouragement keeps us going.

I am pleased to say that Echo has been doing very well with all of the basic commands we are reinforcing.  He's even picked up a few new commands rather quickly and is doing well with those as well.  Our biggest challenge is helping Echo overcome his reservations toward strangers.  It's his breed, it's in his genes...

We don't believe in anything other than positive reinforcement with training.  This simply means when Echo does something we ask he gets praised and treated.  When he does something we don't want, we refocus him and then praise him for refocusing.

In his first week of training Echo was very scared in public places.  It was all new to him- being in stores and restaurants and being around so many people he didn't know.  In his second week of training he began to relax more and growl less at strangers.  We have completed week three of his training and I am happy to report that he is less reserved with strangers.  He's beginning to accept strangers being around him and has even let a few people pet him.

When we first started and Echo was growling at people my mom told me not to be disappointed if Echo didn't have what it takes to be a service dog.  She said it might be hard to rechannel his aussie tendencies...

Hey, mom!  You Gotta Have FAITH!!!!!