Noah and Chief's Story

 

Placement | April 2021

 

Congratulations to Noah and his mother Shelly on their graduation with Service Dog, Chief! Chief will be assisting Noah daily with anxiety, transitions, and being a constant companion who loves him unconditionally. 

"Before we found RFI, it was difficult for Noah to talk with anyone, go into public places or even large family gatherings without being anxious, afraid or having a melt down. My hope is that Noah will be able to have better days at school with Chief there to help decrease his anxiety. School can be very taxing and overwhelming for Noah, especially when he gets too stressed and just shuts down.

I am looking forward to getting Noah back out into public areas such as the grocery store and public library. I am especially excited for attending family events such as family reunions, birthday parties and weddings. We took our first solo trip to the grocery store [after Chief's placement] and I was able to complete my shopping list without having to stop and leave the store with nothing. We are very grateful for the love and support Chief is able to give Noah and also for the kindness and support from all the staff and dogs we have worked with throughout this journey."   - Shelly, Noah's mom

        

 

Sponsor Announcement

I want to give a big thank you to Patricia Ward, who generously participated in a Final Training Sponsorship, which helped advance me through the third and final stage of training and into placement. Without Pat's help, I wouldn't be where I am today - helping my favorite boy Noah each and every day. Thank you, Pat! 

Chief's Journey

Stage 1 Introduction

Hello, I am Chief.  I am proud to have been selected to enter into the Retrieving Freedom training program. I was donated from the Schembre Family. During this stage of training I will be spending approximately 8 months with my new volunteer fosters, Cameron and Katie. 

Throughout Stage 1, 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. 

July 2019 - 5 months old

  

I entered my foster home this month! I'm excited to learn as much as I can with them over the next few months in this first stage of training. 

August 2019 - 6 months old

  

Snuggling with my fosters is my favorite! They say they've never seen such a calm puppy my age. It takes a lot of effort to wake me up and get me motivated to work. This month I attended my first baseball game! I slept right through it. I was also able to see animals different from me up close and personal at the fair. I liked the petting zoo! But didn't like the chicken areas so much.

September 2019 - 7 months old

  

I had my check up at the veterinary clinic this month! I learned that I gained 10 pounds since my last appointment. My foster Katie can't hardly believe how big I am getting! She says I am losing my "puppy face." I enjoy every second of down time I have in the days where I can play with my foster family. My favorite toy (whether they like it or not....) is socks!

October 2019 - 8 months old

  

Pictured here, I am working on my impulse control! I noticed a doe in my yard and tested myself by seeing how long I could sit patiently while it meandered. I last five whole minutes! This is a new record. It shows how well I am maturing!

November 2019 - 9 months old

 

I've been moving right along with my training! Going to work is simply the best part of any day, though. I'm able to go to work with my foster Katie, and everyone at her office just adores me!

Stage 2 Introduction

Wahoo!!!  I have officially been entered into stage 2 of my 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.  During this Stage, 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! 

January 2020 - 11 months old

This month I am heading down south! I will be traveling to the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) to work with an inmate handler. My new handler will begin to advance my task training. That way, when I return to one of the Retrieving Freedom facilities in a few months, I will be fully ready to work with a Stage 2 Trainer!

February 2020 - 1 year old!

I celebrated my first birthday this month! I am doing great at the correctional facility in Mississippi. I am getting to know my handler, and he is getting to know me. We make a great team. 

June 2020 - 16 months old

 

This month I was released from the correctional facility in Mississippi and made my way back to the training facility in Missouri! The trainers are impressed with how much I improved over the past few months, and are excited to see how I continue to grow while in full time training.

July 2020 - 17 months old

After receiving a clean bill of health from the veterinarian, I made my way from the Missouri facility to the Iowa facility to continue training with the professional RFI trainers! Here's to hoping I pass into stage 3 of training soon!

Stage 3 Introduction

Over the last year and a half I have been working diligently to get to this part of training... Stage 3! During this stage I will begin to meet potential recipients, learn final training tasks, finish up my role in the impact programs, and complete the 100 required one-on-one hours with my future recipient. This stage is a 4 to 6 month process, and I understand there is still a chance that I might not complete the program due to health or performance. I'm looking forward to sharing with you about my first visits with potential recipients, trips into public, and other highlights throughout my final stage of training.

August 2020 - 18 months old

      

I was reunited with my foster family. It's so good to see them! They take me to foster training classes with the professional trainers at Retrieving Freedom, so we can all work on new tasks together and learn from each other. When I'm not training, I love to be silly and play outside. 

September 2020 - 19 months old

 

When I'm not busy training, I make sure to take time each day to play and relax with other friends in the training program. Here, I am pictured with Dusty and Chief. 

October 2020 - 20 months old

    

I'm enjoying the cooler weather. Although I could truly sleep all day if allowed, I still love to get in a good game of fetch! I'm nearing my second birthday and have been introduced to a few potential matches. In the meantime, I'll keep finalizing my tasks. 

November 2020 - 21 months old

 

I've begun working with various clients and am so excited to be putting all of my task training from the past year and a half to work!

December 2020 - 22 months old

     

I get so excited to see clients when they come in for training! I was born to help people. Putting my vest on and getting to work is my favorite (besides playing in the yard with my friends, of course). My original foster family came by the facility to meet their new foster puppy in training, Zeus. I was able to come out and say hello, which made all of us ecstatic! Zeus is lucky to have Katie and Cameron as his puppy raisers.

January 2021 - 23 months old

I continue to work with various clients in order to find my perfect match. On the weekends, I go into weekend foster homes to relax, play, and recharge for another week of training.

February 2021 - 2 years old!

I have begun working with one client in particular. I love when they come to visit! When I'm not with them or working directly with my trainer, I spend time at Wartburg College with a student handler. I'm very patient on campus and behave well in both high-energy environments such as the cafeteria, and calm environments like classrooms and the library.

March 2021

 

This month I did my first home visit with my future recipient. I enjoyed spending time one-on-one with them!

April 2021

 

I'm honored to celebrated Autism Awareness Month with my buddy Daly. I know I'll be supporting a child each day in my career as a Service Dog, and I'm looking forward to the day I'll be able to do that fur-ever (soon)!