Skipper

One of my first student dogs was Skipper, a big yellow lab. I was assigned to sit with Skipper for thirty minutes. We use the cue settle, which tells the dog to lie down. This allows the handler to groom, brush teeth, clean ears, and clip nails as needed. It also allows a quiet bonding time. Skipper laid his head on my thigh and sighed. Although Skipper settled with me, he didn’t gain the confidence to qualify as an assist dog and underwent a Career Change. Since he was well-trained, dogs like Skipper may be issued for classroom, nursing homes and hospital setting uses to calm people in stressful situations. Working with the dogs warmed my heart and sparked the book idea for THE PUPPY BARTER.