Auction is ON!

I finally had time to get the auction up and running.  Both Asia and Sienna are having a much better week this week and I couldn't be happier.  We actually had a medical-free weekend for Victoria Day.  It was such a treat for all of us!

The auction has some amazing items up for bids.  Please check it out!  I will be posting a longer blog post about the auction and it's contributors very soon. In the meantime, please check it out!

Auction For Pups

Feeling Defeated

Recently, in the news we have heard a lot about parents of special needs children having trouble coping and finding help.  Here in Canada a brave mother had to drop her autistic son off at the Canadian Government offices.  She could no longer cope. My heart hurts for that family.  I wish there was more that could be done for families who are in crisis.
 
While we are by no means dropping our kids off anywhere, I have to say that I am feeling quite defeated right now.  Our crisis started last Wednesday when both girls seized at the same time.  I was on my own with Sienna, Asia, my baby Saige, and Jedi.  It's hard enough having them both seize at the same time, but in public all on my own... that is never fun.

Our week has been full of seizures for both girls.  Asthma emergencies for Asia and the stress has made me get mastitis for the first time in 18 years. Asia's nebulizer treatments are every 4 hours around the clock so I am not sleeping much. I had to close my daycare on Monday but have stayed open for the rest of the week.  You see, parents of special needs children can't take time off for long.  We have more bills than the average family...medical bills, therapy bills, dog training bills, etc.  I wish that there was more that could be done for families like ours.  There isn't so we all learn to juggle.

 I have this "May the 4th Be With You" auction that is supposed to start tomorrow but I just can't manage taking the pictures and posting them at this time.  I have the items and the auction will be running, but it will not be starting on time.  I am sorry about this. I just can't take on one more thing right now. I hope to get the auction up and running asap because I really need to raise the funds for Jedi's spay.  She isn't being spayed until mid June so I still have lots of time.  Thank you for understanding.  We are in a crisis here and informing all of you with one blog post is easier than texting everyone individually.

I am hoping for a restful weekend free of seizures, free of dystonia, free of migraines, and full of deep painless breaths of air for Asia.

I will let everyone know when I get the auction started.  Thank you for understanding.

Samantha

May the Forth Be With You Auction

Star Wars day!  May the 4th!  In honour of Jedi (and Griffin too) we are hosting our first on-line auction starting, yes...you guessed it...May the 4th.  Here is how it will work.  We will post pictures of items that are up for auction between now and May the 3rd.  The items will be posted on our facebook page Service Dog for Sienna.  Starting May the 4th you can bid on an item.  On May the 7th the auctions will close and winners will be notified.  ALL money raised with this auction will go towards Jedi and Griffin's training and their spay/neuter.

So far we have items donated by Chomper Pet Products, Petmate Homesitting, Kingston 4 Paws Academy, Iams Pet Foods, and individuals who have come to know Jedi and Griffin.  Thank you all for your donations of auction items.  We are still looking for products or services to offer during our "May the 4th Be with you Training Auction."  If you would like to donate an item we can include in our "May The Forth Be With You " Auction to help our pups with their training and vet bills please contact us at samantha@4pawsacademy.ca.  Thanks and happy bidding!

Training for funds

Wow, I can't believe that Jedi and Griffin are now 6 months old! It's amazing how much they have learned and how much they have grown. We have owned these two beauties for only 4 months and I can't imagine life without them. Now that they are 6 months old we are now trying to get money together to have their spay/neuters done. Jedi will be spayed at 9 months and Griffin will be neutered at 12 months. I have decided to open up a few more dog training spots through my training company (Kingston 4 Paws Academy). The money earned by offering private dog training classes will go directly to the Jedi and Griffin fund. For available classes in Kingston, Ontario or surrounding area please email us at samantha@4pawsacademy.ca. 100% of money received will go directly to The Jedi and Griffin Fund. You can also contribute by following the link to the right of this post. Have a great weekend!

Warmest wags,
Samantha and Brian

Trainer Fears

One thing that puppy raisers and service dog trainers have to do is socialize the pup they are working with to many different people and situations. It's fun to take a pup out and experience the world through their eyes, but it can be a bit stressful and worrisome for the trainer at times. No situation with a dog is 100% predictable. You don't know who you will meet or what you will see when you are out and especially when the outing is a "first" it can create some trainer anxiety. I don't often experience anxiety when working with dogs but I was a bit concerned when I took Jedi out to the pool the other day. Here I was with a 6 month old lab, a water dog. She LOVES water and she was going to be challenged right in front of more water than she has ever seen. She was expected to sit and stay or lie down and stay and wait for the splashing children to play in the water. I played it over in my head and decided what I would do if she barked, if she pulled towards the pool, or if she *gasp* pee'd on the floor. (since the sound of water can be a trigger for that kind of thing) I went prepared. Ready to deal with any situation. I knew she was ready but there is always that tiny bit of concern that things might not go as planned. I knew that Queen's University was large and that once we were at the pool that it would take some time to get out of the building for Jedi to pee if needed. I hoped that if she did need to go that we wouldn't get lost trying to leave the building. LOL Well, this outing really went as perfect as it could. There were no accidents, no pulling, absolutely no barking or whining. Jedi was perfect and I won't have an ounce of anxiety taking her to the pool again. She lay in a down-stay most of the time and even ignored the chocolate lab service dog that was also there. I couldn't be prouder of little Jedi. She conquered a pool, the sounds, the smells, the elevator, the stairs, whistles that the lifeguard blew, and balls from the dodgeball game that was going on. Everything was very interesting to her but the most important thing to her was pleasing me. She made sure to keep me at her side and her eyes were kept on Sienna. Jedi is true service dog worthy. She is doing a fabulous job with her training and takes away all of my trainer worries. It is such a pleasure to work with such a smart pup.

Raising Funds for the Pups

We need to start raising some money to help pay for Jedi and Griffin's spay and neuter, as well as some training equipment that we need.  Please share our fundraising page and help us raise the needed funds. Thank you in advance.

Product Review- Chomper Mongoose

As most people know, puppies CHEW.  They chew everything in their path.  Some dogs chew more than others and it's the owners responsibility to choose durable and safe toys that fill the chewing urge in puppies and dogs.
  Jedi and Griffin have tested multiple toys and usually we have to replace toys every month or so.  Yes, even the tough Kongs have had to be replaced.

Well, a few months ago Jedi and Griffin went to their favourite pet supply store Urban Paws here in Kingston and we found a new kind of stuffable dog toy.  It works just like the other popular tough-toys except that it's even better. I know, how could it be better than the wonderful Kong?  Well, first of all it is designed with a lovely flat bottom so that it doesn't roll away while you are trying to stuff it.  It's called a Mongoose and it is made by Chompers.  Jedi and Griffin have chomped these Mongoose toys for almost 3 months now and there is not even a bite mark.  Each day we fill them with peanut butter, freeze them and then they get one during the day to sooth their little teething mouths and to satisfy their natural chewing needs.

After realizing that The Mongoose by Chomper is the cream of the crop, the cherry on top, the best, most durable toy out there.... I visited their website to learn a little bit more about them.  I was THRILLED to see that they also have other toys that I have never even seen.  I am hoping that Urban Paws will bring in more of the Chomper products so that Jedi and Griffin can try those as well.  Finding a tough chew toy really is great because we were spending a lot of money having to replace the alternate brand of "tough Stuff toys".

Chomper's Mongoose Dog Toys are Jedi and Griffin APPROVED