In 2012, Dawn Vorderbruggen read an article on BringMeTheNews.com about Can Do Canines and the need for volunteer puppy raisers. At the time she had puppy fever and a husband who had never had a dog and wasn’t sure if he would ever want one.
“The program seemed like a perfect solution,” Dawn says. “Help someone living with challenges, get a dose of puppy love, and find out if Keith was compatible with dogs—all in one fell swoop!”
Braveheart was donated to Can Do Canines by a breeder and the Vorderbruggens picked him up at the airport in early 2013 when the black Labrador retriever was just four months old. The family worked diligently with Braveheart for a year, confident he would make an excellent assistance dog. And even though Keith had tried hard not to get too attached to Braveheart, when it came time to turn him back to Can Do Canines for training, Keith jokes, “It was hard not to kidnap him and run to Canada!”
About this time, Braveheart began to develop a slight limp, and had also become a bit too fond of his kennel. When he was back at the Can Do Canines facility for final training in April 2014 it was determined that a “career change” was in order. The breeder who had donated him was given the first chance to take him back, but wanted to offer him to his Puppy Raisers first. So when Dawn and Keith were contacted to see if they would like to permanently adopt Braveheart they were thrilled and immediately said … “yes!”
Braveheart’s life now is one of trips to the dog park, chewing sticks and taking long walks with his family. Unusual for a Lab, however, he is not very fond of jumping in the lake—not even to retrieve a stick! And, he is so well-trained that even when invited and given permission to jump up on the couch, he is not interested (Can Do Canines assistance dogs in training are not permitted to be on furniture).
Tests and X-rays have been inconclusive about the cause of Braveheart’s limp, and it continues to be an issue on occasion. But, it doesn’t seem to get in the way of his new career, which Dawn says focuses mainly on “training his humans!”
Keith is positive that having Braveheart is much better than the fish he had when he was a child.
“He’s always happy to see us when we come home in the evening and it’s so nice to have him around,” Keith says. “And it’s hard to explain, but something about having him in the house just makes life feel less stressful.”
Keith is right about that. Various studies, including those conducted by the American Heart Association, have concluded that people with pets at home have a better ability to stabilize blood pressure in response to stress and a more adaptable heart rate. Add to the fact that the physical act of petting a dog boosts levels of oxytocin (those “feel-good” hormones) while reducing cortisol levels (those stress hormones) and you have yourself a furry, four-legged stress reliever! So while Braveheart may not be on Can Do Canines’ official roster, he is still working to provide assistance in other ways.
“Braveheart is so laid back and such a good dog, that I have no doubt that he would have been a great assistance dog,” says Keith.
But, as it is Braveheart is currently enjoying his a new career as a companion to a very lucky and loving family.
Article written by Joy Miller, communications volunteer.
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