Graduation Day!

I took Frankie out shopping today at the mall. Yeah, I know, it's "black Friday", but that's the point. This day is a great one for "proofing" your service dog. The crowds, the tight maneuvers... they all contribute to helping you determine how your service dog is performing under stressful conditions.

I'm please to announce that Frankie got an A+ today!

He did very well. He did not react to the crowds any differently today than he does on a "normal" day. He did very well in a couple of stores that were particularly crowded (Bed, Bath and Body Works had some GREAT sales!).

All of his subtle maneuvers were spot-on. I could whisper a word or two and he would respond immediately. He was very good with his own leash control. If he got tangled up in the short leash that connects him to my wheelchair, he managed to untangle himself without panicking and without making it worse.

I decided that today is Frankie's Graduation Day! I will be removing the sewn-on patch on his vest that says "in training".

Good Boy!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hooray for Frankie!!! Sounds like a good excuse for a party! Congratulations big boy.

Love,

Aunt Karen
8:36 AM
Anonymous said…
CONGRATULATIONS FRANKIE!! I am so proud of you! I'm a smart puppy too, but I haven't gotten a job yet. (But I'm looking, so maybe you can let me know who your headhunter was? Anything involving sheep, dirt, and frisbees would be great ;) Thanks.) Yay Frankie!!!! :)

Love, kisses, and wiggles,
Haley Beth Sabatini-Bianchi
3:47 PM
Anonymous said…
Well Franklyn GreenBeans,

Your Grandma Lori and Grandpa Tom are VERY proud of your Mom for having graduated. (We always knew YOU had it in ya from age 7 weeks when I told your Mom about ya, and that's no lie!) So...maybe you should take the "In Training" patch off of the back of her chair now? Seems like it would only be fair!

Everyone here is sooo proud of you, especially your Furdad TL's Big River Nigel James (aka Big G Money), your brother Wile E. and 2 sisters Pinkie and Velveeta Cheese. You have especially done your Furmom's memory proud, whom we just lost to lymphoma only a week ago. We couldn't ask for more from you, or from your Mom TWW or your Dad RW and of course APD's Notorious K95. You and your Mom make a great TEAM! YOU ROCK!!!

To our Granddog Willie...enjoy semi-retirement, big man! Lounge on the couch, watch Animal Planet, eat lots of rawhide chewies and stuff, have a brewski, kick back with Dad...you deserve it, because you've been a wonderful Service Dog, a credit to SD's everywhere, and to our Kennel. We've always been SO proud of you, always will be too! YOU ROCK TOO!!!

Love,

Tom and Lori and all the Furkids at TL's Riverside Labradors
formerly of Boerne TX
now in Branchburg NJ
8:44 PM
Anonymous said…
Thank you all for your support! K, gotta go and see if mommy needs me now.

Frankie
10:46 PM
Anonymous said…
yay!!!

Congrats to Frankie for becoming and 'offical' SD!

And it was on Jack's Birthday too! (Frankie must have known)

--LL and Jack
12:38 AM
The WillaWoman said…
Happy Bday to Jack... kisses from me!
12:57 AM
Anonymous said…
O
[ ] \ _'o'
o o l l
1:42 AM
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