High Five!

[KsDoodle]

The other night, I was rather perturbed w/ my dog Doodle, as he had killed one of my last 2 remaining Guineas that had flown into his pen. He is a horrible poultry killer, has killed a bunch of my chickens,ducks & guineas so sometimes he is in his double-wide pen while I let the poultry out to free range. I have decided to sell the remained of my flock, as I don't want to have to mess w/ them thru the winter.

That night, I was outside ,and I could tell he knew he was in the dog house,so to speak. He kept loving up on me, & I was trying to ignore him,still angry about my poor purple guinea. Well, he wore me down, & I started playing w/ him on the front porch. I had him sit,shake, lay down, then I put my hand up & told him, "Give me a high 5,Doodle!" Well, he got this INTENSE look on his face, stared at my upraised hand like he was really concentrating on it, looked into my eyes real oddly, and ever so slowly, stood up on his hind legs, and gave me a high 5!! I about fell down laughing, it was so cool! For the life of me, I can't figure out why a dog that is that smart to learn a trick like that in under a minute, can't learn NOT to kill my poultry!!

[SykoSofie]

When I would tell Linus "High Five", he would sit up and wrap both paws around my arm. So now I just say, "Pole dance".

They are wicked smart dogs, that's for sure!

[KsDoodle]

Too funny!
I am thinking of working w/ Doodle to be a therapy/service dog for my 2 year old who has cerebal palsy, I'm just hoping that his obsession w/ ME won't hinder it, as he is SO attatched to me. However, he seems to sense the baby is different, and is very concerned whenever he cries, & loves him to death. I just ordered a bunch of books on service dogs from the library, hope to begin learning all I can!

[lindamarie]

Originally Posted by SykoSofie

When I would tell Linus "High Five", he would sit up and wrap both paws around my arm. So now I just say, "Pole dance".

I almost spit out my diet coke over that one!!

What a cute story..except for the killings.

When I have Bogart out in public at the mall etc.....HIGH FIVE is is famous act! Kids LOVE THIS!! :P

Doodles are GREAT Service Dogs. Bogart is mine......and I share him. He's going to meet some autistic children Saturday morning!!
If your Doodle is dedicated to you yet can sense your childs situation......my gut feeling is that Doodle will be GREAT with him.
If I can help in any way, don't hesitate to ask.

[KsDoodle]

I would love to hear more about Bogart, & his work as a service dog!

My son is 2 & has spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, meaning his legs are mostly affected. He uses a Crocodile walker to walk. I have begun to work w/ Doodle & Gavin, having Doodle stand up & stand still, while Gavin holds on to him, to steady himself. I want to get Doodle a harness of sorts, so hopefully Gavin can hold on to Doodle and walk alongside him, he is the perfect height. Gavin just loves the dog, & I am hoping he will give him the confidence & motivation to walk, just holding on w/ one hand .

Here they are...

[KsDoodle]

Few more pics...

[SamsonsMom]

They are absolutely adorable together. I have heard of service dogs being used to steady people while walking. I think that is a GREAT idea!!

[Jac]

Well, Doodle is one smart dog! I know it must be very frustrating that he kills the fowl in your yard...but it really is quite normal...It is hard to take, though. That is so cute the way you describe Doodle thinking through the high five command! Most of my Doods "get it" with new commands right away too...smart dogs!

KsDoodle...your baby is so cute! I think that your dog will learn well...don't worry about him bonding with you...these dogs are perfectly capable of learning how to relate to each family member individually...they learn what we want from them (and what they can get away with) and take their cues from us.

There is a ton of great material out there...I have placed puppies with families who have children with CP...Doodles are great for them...the thing is that you WILL need to be the handler, until your son is older...so it is fine that you are the one that your dog looks to as a leader...you can train him to work with your son. In order for your dog to be a public access service dog, you son will need to handle him or you will need to be with them to handle the dog...so you are a partnership in the making!

The offer still stands...if I can help, let me know. Best wishes to you.

[Raleighsmom]

I don't know how I missed this post, but Doodle and Gavin together made me melt....he will be a wonderful service dog for him..best of luck with your training, and like Jac said, she and others who have service dogs are here to support you!