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Posted by Linda D-H on February 20, 2003 at 10:28:42:
In Reply to: Re: What breed of dog is your therapy pet.... posted by PHHotdog on February 19, 2003 at 09:58:58:
:
:::I have an Airedale who is TDI certified. She is a sweet gentle dog. She is also training as my assistance dog.
::Linda
:Sounds like a special dog! How old is she and how long has she been doing work?
:PHHotdog-Host-trainee
:
:
Hi All,
Sass's story is a long and rather odd one. Parts of it can be found on the Airedale forum. So I will share what is not there. Until 4 short years ago, I had never owed my own dog. Both of my daughters are child care professionals. They both came home and told me that I just had to see these puppies. I said great but no thanks. Well their step father said sure. That is how we got our Palanca Puppy....she is a cocker/chow mix with all of the endearing traits of both breeds.....and some of the other traits as well.
So because I was told by my vet to get this dog trained or I could have a problem I began the search for a quality training program. I live in a small community in Wisconsin. I went to every training facility within 60 miles of my home. The things I saw made me cry. I saw dogs strung up, I saw dogs dragged using choke chains, I saw dogs put into submission rolls. I knew that I could not train this way. So I heard a woman at church talking about "Quansa" Kennels and how wonderful their training program was and how much better their dog had become with their family. So I called and made an appointment to visit an in house training session. Pat(the trainer) and I now laugh about the "monster dog" she was training when I went. But she had that dog walking on a line and behaving in 10 minutes. This was a dog who wanted to "GET" everyone and thing that came in the door. We spent some time talking about training issues and I know that I had found what I needed. I now have a cocker/chow mix who is still the best of both breeds but I also have a well mannered dog. Pat's training begins with manners and builds off of those manners. It is a great thing. Well, Pat also breeds Lakeland terriers and Airedales. I knew I wanted to do more with dogs and I also knew that Palanca was not the dog for therapy work. So Pat and I talked and talked and I had already fallen in love with the Airedale breed so When Pat said dhe though I could do well with an Airedale, I got Sassy. When Sassy was 3 weeks old she was standing in the whelping box letting the world know she was there. I was with Pat and the Kennel Nanny when I said she sure is a little sassy thing. Pat & I decided that she was the dog for me.
You asked about training and how long Sass has been doing this...here her story gets different. We know that we were training Sass for therapy work from the begining. We did not want any imprinting done on Sass by Palanca. So for the first 15 monthes Sassy live at the kennel with her parents and the "Quansa" staff. It was very hard. I would take Palanca to the kennels pick up Sass and take her home with me.....I would cry taking them out and bring them home......I was always leaving someone behind. In fact one day I had a very hard day. I went out to Pat and just cried cried cried...it was too hard. She looked at me and said take Sass home...but know that she would be a much different dog than what I wanted. This woman is wise. I left Sass there.....and she is one of the most calm & gentle and sweet dogs I have ever seen. The best thing is this...I have Cerebral Palsy. It was decided by my doctor that I needed an assistance dog. So rather than get another dog. I went to Pat and she is helping me train Sassy to fill that role in my life. I am a blessed woman.....I firmly believe that I have the best of both worlds....I have Palanca who is trained to the degree that Sass is and I have a Sassy a wonderfully trained dog who is meeting a very important need in my life and visiting places to meet special needs in their lives.
Sassy is almost 3 years old. She is a great dog. I am blessed to have found Pat and all of the people of Quansa Kennels. The quality of my life has changed in ways I never dreamed. If you own a Quansa "dale" you owe a dog that is well bred and loved in ways that very few dogs are loved. Pat firmly believes that a mannered dog is the key so I am glad I found her. My dogs run with a "pack" of 5 other Quansa Airedales....each of us can be in the park with our dogs and each of us can call our dogs out of the pack....and they will leave the pack and come. Palanca seems to think she is now an Airedale. And that is great to see. And it is all good.
Linda