Lonestar goes to his first puppy training class
IRVING - "He really is curious and brave," says puppy raiser Larry Nelson. "And that makes him really stand out."
Nelson is raising Lonestar, a nine-week-old Golden Retriever and Labrador mix. He's training with Canine Companions to become a service dog for those in need and he just attended his first day of puppy class.
Courtney Craig with Canine Companions says Lonestar did great on his first day. She says the first stage of training is all about the puppies getting familiar with different sights, sounds and textures to gain confidence for real world settings.
"At Canine Companions, it's really all about building a confident puppy," Craig explained. "We want them to be used to different surfaces, different sounds, different things that might pop up in the world because they're going to be going to a lot of places that normal pet dogs might not see. Whether that's traveling on public transportation or going into a store or going to work with somebody, ultimately, as a service dog, we want to make sure they're confident in anything they might encounter just to really build that foundation for their future."
Lonestar is Nelson's fifth puppy he's volunteered to raise with Canine Companions. He says Lonestar is happy to work and he's more responsive than others puppies.
"He makes great eye contact," Nelson said. "Some of the dogs, we have to work real hard with them to get eye contact—and they do; We work with them and the training folks here help us with techniques to do that but he's just a natural! He really is."
Nelson took Lonestar through an obstacle course where he walked underneath things, on top of things that made noise, and through small spaces. He says Lonestar didn't show any fear interacting with the novelties and he also responded well to commands.
"He did really, really well. He didn't hesitate at all. He responded real well to recalls—when he was playing some place, I could call him and he would come to me," Nelson shared. "He's only nine weeks old, almost 10 I guess, and he's really advanced. We have great expectations!"
Lonestar's full training will take two years, starting once they're born. That training, which is all focused on positive reinforcement, continues with the puppy raisers.
"We don't do any negative reinforcement—we don't shout at them, you know, it's all based on distraction and redirection," Nelson said. "We let them explore these new things, like we did today, and [let him] figure out where his back feet are and keep the expectations reasonable. Now, he's exceeded expectations—he's nine weeks old—and my job is to keep him curious."
During the last six months of the program, Lonestar will learn more advanced skills with professional trainers at the Canine Companions facility in Irving. After that, he'll be specifically matched with a client who he can help with every day needs.
"All of the dogs that we graduate and place with our clients are dogs that we know are going to enjoy that work, enjoy accompanying their client out into the world and helping provide them with that independence."
While Nelson will have to pass Lonestar's leash at the end of the program, for now, he's happy to help Lonestar learn.
"It's really a pleasure to have him, as a puppy raiser," Nelson said. "He's ready to go to work! That's what we want in a service dog."
