Samson

Placement

My trainers at RFI decided that I wasn't a good fit for the service program anymore. My original puppy foster family was given the option to adopt me, and they couldn't pass that up. We all mesh so well, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my fur-ever days in their loving home!

Stage 1 Introduction

Hi, my name is Samson! I am honored to have been selected to enter the Retrieving Freedom training program. My parents are "Cotton" and "Hope," both from Yellow Rose Labradors in Texas. My mom Hope is fostered by the Carpenter family. During this stage of training, I will spend the next 10 months working with my foster family: Les, Marit, Noah, and Luke. They will do their best to teach me all I need to know to advance to the next stage of training. I am aware that not all dogs are suited to be a service dog. I'll update you each month throughout my journey so you can see what I'm up to.

April 2018 - 2 months old

Proudly posing with my new foster mom Marit, and my breeding fosters Karol and Guy. 

May 2018 - 3 months old

I began doing half days at school with mom! She is a teacher and knows how beneficial it is for my training to be in a school environment every day. She is also aware how beneficial it is for the children in her classroom to learn from a service dog in training!

June 2018 - 4 months old

I love spending time with my siblings! It is great for our training to be around other puppies our own age and still know that we have to behave when our vests are on.

July 2018 - 5 months old

 

This month I went to a Marine Corps Band performance so I could get used to crowds and loud noises. I did great! I also saw my sister Tilly and our buddy Crush there.

August 2018 - 6 months old

Half a year already?! I am enjoying the summer off from school. I work with my foster family every day to pick up new tricks and to prepare for the new school year.

September 2018 - 7 months old

Time to go back to school! This year I can do full days in the classroom with my foster mom. I will work on patience and self-control. Funny thing is, mom's students are working on these things, too!

October 2018 - 8 months old

I want to introduce you all to my sponsor, Haley Anderson! She is a local realtor and she generously sponsored my vest, so I like to wear it proudly around town. 

November 2018 - 9 months old

As I get older, I continue to amaze my foster mom with all the new things I'm learning. I like to have play dates with my foster brother, go to school, and work in new environments.

December 2018 - 10 months old

This will be my last month in this routine. I will have a new "normal" next month, as mom and I have been preparing for me to enter Stage 2 of training. The RFI trainers say I'm advancing well enough to enter Stage 2 soon!

Stage 2 Introduction

Woohoooo! I have officially been entered into stage 2 of training, and I am thrilled! For the past 8 months I have been learning with my foster family and we have witnessed together the RFI mission first-hand. I can't wait to dig deeper into the mission during this stage, especially since I can be involved directly in the Impact Programs. These impact programs include working with college students, at-risk teens, summer campers, inmates, and elementary students. I'm one of the lucky ones to have been working with elementary students already, and I am excited to continue that! I'm also excited to see which of these programs I best fit in over the next 8 months.

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 to see how I continue to make an impact!

March 2019 - 13 months old

I have begun task training with RFI staff, and they say I'm best fit for a veteran in the future! This is great news! This means they see a future for me and I have something specific to work toward. I am going to begin using a touch stick and use my nose to turn on light switches and push handicap buttons. I love learning new things!  

April 2019 - 14 months old

I love college! I have been working with students from Wartburg College in Waverly. The students work with RFI trainers for a few hours a day, and then we get to go back to campus as a pair. They also take me to run errands with them, out to eat, and my favorite: snoozes in the library. It's fun to see other RFI service dogs in training on campus! And squirrels... lots and lots of squirrels.

May 2019 - 15 months old

  

My trainer at RFI decided it would be a good time for me to spend the summer months at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) working on my behaviors and tasks one-on-one with a new handler. I'm excited to see what I can learn over the next few months!

July 2019 - 17 months old

I am heading back to Iowa to enter Stage 3 training!! I can't wait to be reunited with my foster family and start training back up with RFI trainers!

Stage 3 Introduction

With over a year of training and hard work under my belt, I received official notification of my acceptance into the third and final stage of training! This is the last phase prior to me becoming a service dog to help a veteran with disabilities in the future.

During this stage, I will begin to meet potential recipients, learn final training tasks, finish up with my role in the impact programs, and complete 100 hours of one-on-one training with my recipient. This stage could last 4 to 6 months before my placement and I understand there is still a chance that I might not complete this stage due to health or performance.

I can't wait to update you on my first visits with potential recipients, trips to public with new handlers, and other highlights from my Stage 3 of training!

August 2019 - 17 months old

With transitioning from Stage 2 to Stage 3 comes a new RFI staff trainer as my main handler. Together, we go on trips into public. He tries to tease me by walking through dog food and toy aisles at the stores, but I'm a pro and these temptations don't bother me anymore. My trainer wants to make sure I am best prepared to meet potential recipients!

September 2019 - 18 months old

 

I am entering my final Wartburg class - Fall term 2019. My student likes to take me all over, but my favorite place to go with her is volleyball practice! I have started working with potential recipients and it makes me excited for the day I get matched with the perfect fit.

October 2019 - 19 months old

I surprised my Wartburg student today by being dressed up as a hot dog when she arrived to work with me! I made her smile, which means I did my job. You can tell in this photo how proud I am of myself.