Lyle and Hank's Story

Placement | June 2021

 

We are thrilled to announce the placement of Hank as a Veteran Service Dog with Lyle! These two have been working diligently to make a successful placement and are the perfect pair! Hank is a Successor Dog and will assist Lyle with various tasks to help mitigate his disability. Thanks to all involved in helping Lyle and Hank to achieve this accomplishment!

  

Sponsor Announcement

Staff at Retrieving Freedom want to extend a special thank you to Blue Bill, Inc. for their Final Training Sponsorship. This sponsorship assisted Lyle and Hank through the final steps of training, and helped to make such a successful placement. We are so thankful for your support! 

Hank's Journey

Stage 1 Introduction

Hello! I'm Hank. I am proud to have been selected to enter into the Retrieving Freedom training program.  My parents are "Lola" of Craig Strein and "Olaf" of RidgeView Labradors. During this stage of training I will be spending approximately 8 months with my new volunteer foster, Athena. 

Throughout this first stage of training, I will learn the basics obedience, public behavior, and a lot of socialization. I understand that it takes a very special dog to complete the program as there is a high standard to become a Service Dog. I am aware that I may be one of the dogs whose purpose is outside of service work so I will be updating my profile on a monthly basis for all that would like to follow my journey through the program.  

October 2019 - 2 months old

     
I got to help carve my very first Jack-o-Lantern and spent lots of fall days snuggled up. I enjoy spending time with my foster sisters, Chippy and Journey, in my temporary foster home with Bobbi. Then I was able to meet my puppy raiser, Athena. Look how happy she is to start working with me!

November 2019 - 3 months old

December 2019 - 4 months old

 

I made it through my first Christmas season with lots and lots of naps. It's hard being a puppy! Mom keeps saying I'm such a happy boy with the best smile.

January 2020 - 5 months old

 

I'm continuing to grow into a nice and curious puppy and love making goofy faces and playing with toys. Mom and I like to go to hockey games. They're great training experiences for me, as I am working through loud noises and distractions.

February 2020 - 6 months old

  

My foster Athena says I have the best smile around. We get compliments daily on how handsome and well-behaved I am. She is doing a great job at showing me the ropes!

March 2020 - 7 months old

  

These past few weeks I have been learning to use the command "watch" to pull my attention away from things I could be distracted by. When I see another person or animal and start to get excited, Athena, my foster, says "watch" and makes eye contact with me so I stay focused on her. I have also been perfecting my "sit," "down," "left," and "place" commands in busy settings such as stores and restaurants.

April 2020 - 8 months old

  

This month I have spent plenty of time playing fetch at local tennis courts and going on long walks throughout the quarantine with my favorite humans! I have been working hard on heeling, as sometimes I tend to have a mind of my own. I have also been perfecting the "left" and "right" commands.

May 2020 - 9 months old

    

My foster Athena and I have been finding unique ways to stay busy during quarantine. We are best at simply keeping each other company!

June 2020 - 10 months old

I've been told that this will be my last full month with my fosters, Athena and Marisa. I'm going to miss them so much! 

Stage 2 Introduction

Wahoo!!!  I have officially been entered into Stage 2 training, and I am so excited!  Over the past 8 months I have had the opportunity to see the RFI mission first hand, and can’t wait to dig deeper in the mission of changing lives through my training for veterans with disabilities and children with autism.  This training stage will be another 8 months of working within the Retrieving Freedom Impact programs, and I will also work closely with the RFI professional training staff to solidify my understanding of intermediate tasks and the foundation of future commands to help mitigate a disability.  Follow me through this stage learning how I continue to make an impact! 

July 2020 - 11 months old

   

This month I had to say a very difficult "see ya later" to my fosters, Athena and Marisa. I'm so thankful for everything they've taught me over the past 9 months and all we've experienced together! I enjoyed my time as a Wartburg Knight and had to document it. Thanks for the awesome photos, Roland Ferrie! It's time I move into the next phase of training. I'll spend the next few months at the Missouri facility, working with the trainers to prepare me for a new adventure this fall.

August 2020 - 1 year old!

I celebrated my first birthday this month with my trainers at the Retrieving Freedom facility. We have been busy working on my tasks, training with weekend foster homes, and making trips into public.

September 2020 - 13 months old

 

The Missouri Unit Director, Alyssa, and I participated in an Autism Awareness Event this month. I was the perfect role model of how a service dogs are able to benefit children with autism. I'm very tolerant of children and love working with them. Later in the month, I was able to meet my new handler! Abbey and I will be working together for the next several months on the University of Missouri campus. Abbey is a cadet with the ROTC! I'm excited to see what we can accomplish together.

October 2020 - 14 months old

      

I'm just about as lazy as they come! Abbey and I have already accomplished a lot together over the past month, and I'm excited to see what else we can learn together!

November 2020 - 15 months old

  

Lazy days in bed are my favorite! I take the weekends to relax after a long week of training with Abbey.

December 2020 - 16 months old

I had to say another tough "see ya later" to another handler this month. This time it was Abbey and all my Mizzou friends. It was time I transitioned back into formal training at the Retrieving Freedom facility to work on particular tasks with my professional training staff. This way they can finalize which service path I'll be going down, and begin tailoring my tasks to that.

January 2021 - 17 months old

This month I transitioned to the other training facility - in Iowa - to work with a new trainer and prepare for the third and final stage of the program.

February 2021 - 18 months old

  

I have been going to a local 4th grade classroom, working with a teacher named Mrs. Carignan. The impact program I'm participating in is mutually beneficial - I'm learning a lot from the students, and they're learning from me. It's great for my training to work in a classroom once per week in case I am placed with a child in the future who needs my help at school each day!

April 2021 - 20 months old

      

When I'm not busy working with students at the elementary school or my trainer, I enjoy burning some extra energy off in the play yard with other service dog in training friends!

May 2021 - 21 months old

   

I continue to participate in training sessions with various clients, working on new tasks with my professional training staff, and save time for a play date with my friends at the end of each day!

June 2021 - 22 months old