This dog is so smart. I can see him always processing things in his mind and figuring out how to please us. I haven’t had him long but he has learned his boundaries (no chasing cats) no going in the kitchen unless asked and so recently, I stepped up his training. He has now learned to bring Mike items that Mike drops. And Mike drops a LOT of things in his day because the neuropathy is spreading.
To train Kota in a service dog setting means several thousand dollars we have to spend- time away from Mike which I can’t afford to do and travel to and from Millersburg which is about an hour away. When I told this “trainer” that I couldn’t commit to the time and the money- she blew up on me! She told me that I really wasn’t a “committed” person and it takes time to train service dogs properly. I almost told her to take a leap, but I didn’t. Her fee was $2,500.00 for a16 week course.
The other night unable to sleep, I was surfing cable channels and happened upon one called Rescue Dogs to Super Dogs and it was amazing. Regular people with health and mental issues training their own rescues brought to them by two professional trainers. It was awe-inspiring and I thought “Maybe, just maybe, I can train Kota for all our needs.” Using what I saw on the show as well as what I already know- yesterday for the first time- Kota opened the fridge door and stepped back, sat and waited for his reward instead of lunging towards the meat in the fridge! My hope is to eventually get him to fetch Mike’s diabetic kit and bring it to him when his blood sugar drops. When Mike’s blood sugar drops he gets shaky, cold and starts to shake and doesn’t know his own name or who I am. It has been happening a lot lately. 🙁
I know it is going to take a long time, but I know this dog is smart and I know he wants to just please and be mentally stimulated. I want him happy and when I ran a video last night of him doing his trained behavior, I was pleased in the re-watch to see his tail going ninety miles an hour the entire time!
The other day, I did take him for a walk and he got away from me and climbed a tree! He was 5 feet up and when he jumped down, he was limping on his back leg and all I could think of is here we go, another Cooper. But it was a sprain and he is fine now. The vet looked at me like I was crazy when I told him what happened but then I said “What do you expect him to do? All his best friends are cats!” LOL
Here he is in a public park on the down wait command-
Good job, Kota! I don’t see why a non-professional can’t train a service dog. He may be a little rough around the edges, and won’t respond to the ‘proper’ commands, but decades ago – before there was an industry charging $2,500 a dog – people trained their dogs to do everything – hunt, fetch, defend; they can learn a great deal. And you’re committed – just not to paying someone a large sum of money you need for more immediate costs. I hope this will ease Mike’s situation.
great job Kota and you for taking the time to teach him, of course the vet is right all his friends are cats so only natural that monkey see, monkey do! but is still funny!