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When a dog leaves your care, we ask that you submit a feedback form. Your answers to the feedback questions provide us with detailed information about the dog’s behavior, ability to adjust to new environments, handlers, and routines, as well as the dog’s overall skills within a home and on outings (if applicable).   As staff, we are able to observe our dogs during appointments, classes, outings, events, etc., but the one place we cannot observe them is in your home. Your feedback provides a critical snapshot into a dog’s behavior within a home. If a dog has been in …

Many factors play a role in finding the best match for each dog and the speed at which it happens. A host request can be received up to many months in advance (for this, we thank you!). We also have host requests that arrive at the last minute. We know that plans change and emergencies arise. But, because not every host can be found in advance, this complicates the process. Once we receive a request, it is entered into a spreadsheet in order of start date. We try to focus our energy on the urgency of the request (next start …

Summertime Guide and Reminders   Hot Pavement It is important to check how hot the pavement is before walking the dog on it. With sun, darker surface temperatures can reach double outside temps! If you utilize enclosed tennis courts for exercising the dog, please keep in mind that this surface can also get very hot. Follow these guidelines to determine safe use:  Use the back of your hand and hold it on the pavement. Count to 7.  If you can hold the back of your hand on the pavement, it is safe for the dog. If you cannot hold your …

Tie-outs can be made from rubber-coated cable, nylon, or biothane material. Utilize a secure line that is free from tears or defects. Inspect the line regularly and replace it when wear becomes evident. If you have the space, tie-outs can be longer than your standard leash. Verify that the line length stays within the limits of your yard/area. Ensure the connections at both ends of the tie-out line are solid and secure. Securely attach the tie-out to a structural object: Tree Deck post Strong/stable railing *Outdoor furniture is often not heavy enough to stop a Lab that is running at …

Hi, Can Do Canines family. I want to thank those of you who were able to join us on Monday night for our most recent Virtual Conversation. For those of you not in attendance, I’ve linked to the recorded conversation below. Since many of you have schedules that won’t allow you to watch it, I’d love to give you a quick update. There is much to celebrate here at Can Do Canines. We’re forming wonderful new relationships with organizations like Best Buy, Affinity Plus, the Minnesota Twins, and many others. The Woofaroo was the most successful we’ve ever had. Our …

2021 was another wild ride around the sun! We are so grateful to each of you for being on this journey with Can Do Canines. We could not do what we do so well without our amazing community of volunteers. To have you with us, despite life’s challenges, is a gift shared far beyond Can Do Canines staff! Together, we certified 41 new teams. The lives of our teams, their families and their communities have been made brighter and better because of you! Together, we began raising and training 104 new puppies. These puppies will someday be ready to help …

Hearing Assist Dogs The Myth: These dogs run to every sound to check it out! The Facts: Our HADs are actually not particularly environmental. A dog that likes to bark at noises or fixates on sound sources is not destined for hearing assist work. Similar to a successful DAD, hearing assist dogs are incredibly focused on their handler and a desire to interact with their handler often. They hold a high work ethic, which is required for a “24/7” career. HADs are motivated to please their person much more than they are motivated to satisfy their own curiosity by checking …

Autism Assist Dogs The Myth: These dogs are lazy and not a good fit for any other career. Obsessed with kids! The Facts: This might be the most misunderstood of all the careers. An AAD must be the most bombproof of dogs when compared to their cohorts. Their temperament must be not only one that withstands the emotional extremes of their human, but one that appropriately engages with them and adjusts their responses to fit the moment. While yes, an AAD must love children, it is so much more than that. They need to be gentle and understanding of small …

You often hear us discuss food as a primary reinforcer for our program dogs. Dogs will also show us that things we don’t intend to be reinforcers actually are- like leaves, smells, other dogs- and that these things can even trump food. When thinking about rewards and reinforcement, it’s important to note what dogs actually like and desire so we can use it to our advantage. We can use those things as both reinforcement (on our terms) and also to help make our desired reinforcers more valuable. We call this value transfer. For example, if a dog prefers to play …

Everyone howled and gave two paws up for the Dogs at a Glance pilot last month. Please enjoy this as a regular monthly feature. This listing includes all active program dogs and their general location, including the dogs in training with a client. If a dog is in “Final Training,” we have also noted their current career focus if known. Please remember that our program is fluid- dogs move and plans change daily! While this list will not replace the personal and detailed dog updates that can be provided to any volunteer upon email request, we hope this will satisfy …