Luke and Polar

Polar is an exceptional dog. He is exceptionally smart and energetic, and exceptionally capable of mischief. During his puppyhood, he managed to paw the keys off a laptop and eat “G,” “E,” “R,” and “V.” He swallowed several bars of soap, and also ruined his puppy raiser’s son’s brand new iPod. That was in his first year.

When he came to us for advanced training, he raided the trash every single day. Each day we had a new trash strategy, but Polar was always up to the challenge. A dog like Polar sometimes gets disqualified, but he is also an exceptional learner, and once he is on lead, he is brilliant. For trainers, he is a dream.

Polar spent the last year being raised by Wes and Jo Craig, who patiently and diligently taught him better home manners. We taught him his advanced training skills, hoping that he would mature, and that just the right person would come to us looking for a dog just like Polar.

Luke is a warm, energetic young man who loves to hunt, and go 4-wheeling. A little over a year ago, when Luke was swimming with friends, his back was broken, and he was instantly a quadriplegic. When I met Luke, he was outdoors with his friends who were excavating a big mudhole so they could drive their cars through and see who could run through the mud without getting stuck. His friends have rigged up a seat in one of their jeeps so Luke can participate in the fun.

Luke and Polar met on a fall afternoon. “Wow, he’s wide open, I like that,” said Luke. Luke’s mother looked alarmed. It was time to see if this pair was indeed a good fit.

Maybe Polar had just been toying with us while waiting for Luke to come into his life. Because Luke is a quadriplegic, Polar has to be very precise in the delivery of the things Luke asks for, or Luke will not be able to grasp them. Polar has also learned to get Luke’s mom when he needs assistance. Could he help Luke close the doors to the house? Absolutely. Luke has trouble regulating his body temperature- could Polar help him take off his sweatshirt. Sure thing. His gloves. Yes! Whatever Luke needs, Polar is ready to give it his all.

Luke has been a fabulous student. He is kind and considerate of his new dog. He is quick to incorporate our suggestions for improvement and he has been rewarded with an exceptional dog doing exceptional work.

Luke and Polar were recently featured on WVIR NBC-29. Read the story and watch the video.

Mark and Decker

A career Army medic, Mark left the service after suffering a traumatic accident. When we met Mark he was on a path toward healing at the Lakeview Virginia NeuroCare facility in Charlottesville that is dedicated to helping service men and women with PTSD and traumatic brain injury reenter society. Last year we placed our dog Cousteau with Kellie, an occupational therapist at Lakeview. Mark thought Cousteau was wonderful and wondered it he could get a dog of his own.

Decker is a lovely chocolate Labrador with good basic skills. However, he showed no desire to advance. We believe it is important to respect who the dog is and not force him into a role in which he will not be happy living. Decker is happy being with one person and providing companionship and devotion. Mark is a person who is proceeding cautiously and carefully as he makes his way back into society. With Decker as his companion, Mark is developing greater confidence. And when he needs to retreat, Decker is there to provide warmth, security and love. As we trained Mark and Decker, we made many excursions to the mall where they both had lunch in a crowded food court and negotiated the holiday shoppers.

While we don’t expect to see this pair hanging out at the mall, we know have started on their way to a lasting bond and new adventures together.