Fall in the Ozarks

It's been nearly a month since I posted. Sorry for the delay but we have been moving and trying to get the house in order. We also paused life for our daughter Sami's wedding, which was BEAUTIFUL!

We have added new owner training teams to the Doghouse Roster and have three more soldiers waiting for trained dogs. We are getting new calls daily. We are about to the point of needing some administrative help which may work it's way into a good job for Amanda. She is already a great help on the computer. We have a new dog in training. Joe is a 7 month old Irish Setter / Golden Retriever mix. I did not realize until after getting him home that he is canine food aggressive. He was fed by hand the first two weeks and is finally getting to where he will eat in the presence of other dogs without going crazy wild. Other than that one issue he is a perfect candidate. He already knows sit, down, shake, brace and walks well on a leash. He is a real sweet boy that loves to snuggle. He also likes to lay his head on your arm or lap which can be transfered to a service task for anxiety easily. He is almost ready to go to an Owner Trainer home very soon!

Chuck will be coming home on leave in November to try and get a real roof on the house and get it house wrapped for winter. The chill is setting in here and this place is not sealed up well at all. We are also going to put in a wood stove when he is here to help keep it warm in here. The space heaters are not doing the job and it's not even really COLD yet. We also hope to get our household good out of storage from the army in a few weeks so we will have sweaters and coats...

CGC Success!

On Sept. 14th Hugh McDonald of Love My Canine in Woodland Park, Co tested five service teams and ALL 5 teams passed!

We really appreciate Hugh and Angela and look forward to a long lasting personal and business relationship with them! If anyone needs an excelent quality working line GSD or any type of dog training services please look up Love my Canine!
http://sites.google.com/site/lovemycanine/contact-us

Blessings are still flowing!

We have been very busy here in Colorado making the most of our last month in this area. We went to the state fair and supported Aiimee and Chip where they won reserve grand champion in rally and took 10th place in off leash obedience. On Sunday afternoon Aimee and Chip also passed their public access test. THey are doing GREAT! Aimee will also be using our owner training program curriculum as part of her high school individualized learning plan.

Scott has found his canine partner Chloe. She is a beautiful black lab and has bonded to him almost instantly. She is doing very well in public and on her task training. Just having her with him during training has already improved his quality of life as noted by our case manager at TBI Freedom. I can't explain the joy we get by knowing that we have helped to make the life of someone like Scott a little better.

God has also blessed us with Hugh and Angela McDonald of "Love My Canine" in Woodland Park, CO! We met them a year ago when Hugh did Zeus's CGC test. We called to set up a time to test Puma and asked about Scott and Chelsea observe or test if they were ready. The next day Hugh offered to test all of our wounded warrior and disabled veteran teams here in Colorado for just a tax receipt and no $ out of pocket to the soldier.  They also offered to allow us to post ads to invite some others to test at the same time and they will donate all of the money to Daffron Doghouse to help provide service dogs to Wounded Warriors. This is VER generous and we appreciate their support!!!

Big thank you's to everyone that is keeping us in your prayers! You are all keeping God busy as His blessings are continuing to flow!

WOW! What else can we say?

Since our last post God has been very busy! He has provided TWO external hard drives for our program. One 150G and the other is a terabyte drive! AMAZING! They came form the most unimaginable anonymous source. Well, God promised "beyond all that we could ask or imagine" and we take Him at His WORD!

So are you still not convinced this is GOD? Chuck got a call from DHS last Wed on the way home from the Hospital after an outpatient procedure on his neck, saying he had overpaid his child support and they were refunding nearly $5000 dollars from the tax refund they withheld this year. Now there is no question that this is GOD at work! The government doesn't give back money that easily and without us even knowing to request it... They just called out of the blue and offered a refund... LOL! Chuck was so touched that he actually remembered the call through the medications. He wondered who I was eating at Denny's with when he saw the receipt especially two meals and no kids meals... LOL because we were sitting in Denny's when he got the call!

We had a wonderful weekend in Breckenridge, CO at a military marriage retreat and chaplain Ike was great. We really did laugh our way to a better marriage! They gave us a date night with free child care too and it was a welcome blessing. On the way home we stopped in Denver to meet a beautiful german Shepherd "Sedona" with Front Range GSD Rescue. Chuck really had a bond with her but she was not the right match for our newest handler. We will continue assisting him in finding the perfect dog to train for service. Chuck is watching Sedona closely and hopes to train her himself to be placed with a female handler if she is still available when we leave CO.

We can't wait to see what God has in store for us this week!

I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER!

We may not be the "A TEAM" but we are a TEAM!  A service team that is. Things are falling into place at a phenomenal rate. It is such a blessing to get in the flow and ride the current to where God wants you to be. We asked God to grow this ministry in ways that we could not imagine. We believe that where one door closes God will open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that we don't have room enough to receive. I think it was the movie "Facing the Giants" that we watched this week, where I was reminded to prepare to receive this blessing.

I have to confess we were blinded by physical circumstances and loosing our focus. With the doghouse renovations progressing slower than expected... and the army moving slower than expected... and finances leaning a lot farther towards the payables than the receivables... "our plans" for moving forward with the doghouse dream were slowing down.  That's when God showed us that He had a better plan for us, more than that which we could ask or imagine. HE birthed "His plan" of an owner training program. His plan was not dependent on a physical facility, it was not dependent on our physical location and it took no additional funding.  He had already provided all that we needed.

Once again, God showed off! I think He likes it when a plan comes together too! I don't mean to offend anyone, but around here God is real and we like to think He is free to show His sense of humor in our lives and "show off" sometimes...

HE set the need before us in the form of numerous people asking for our help in training their own dogs rather than waiting on a program dog. HE gave us the knowledge and skill to put this program together.  I can honestly say I can relate to that diligent scribe that must have spent hours at Johns feet putting the work of the Holy Spirit into written form. I have to give glory to God because I'm just doing the typing....  The ideas and words are coming from a much higher source. In all the pages of documents I've written in the last two weeks there have been minimal revisions. For those of you that know me, that in itself is a miracle. LOL!

In just two weeks, we have a business plan, by laws, an owner handbook, a detailed and comprehensive training program that far exceeds anything on the market, two in a series of seven training modules, and four people (as well as our own two daughters) waiting to start this program. I call that God at work! We are just trying to keep up with all he is doing.  I can't wait to see what He has in store once we get our 501C3 and can start with fundraising and grant submissions.  I believe he will bring the tangible facility together in a way that we have not even begun to imagine.  We are going to start preparing our fields to receive the rain! And by that I fully acknowledge the Reign of the Holy Spirit over ALL we do and dream...

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!! GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!!! AND GREAT THINGS ARE STILL AHEAD!!!

We see a need! We will work on a plan!

It has come to our attention three times so far this week that there are wounded warriors and disabled veterans here (and everywhere) that already have well behaved dogs that could be "self trained" as their service dogs. The common theme is that "it's too expensive to get the dogs professionally trained and certified".  This does NOT have to be the case! ADA law protects the rights of disabled owners that do their own training. It is NOT necessary to pay a professional dog trainer to train your dog for service. Normally a fully trained service dog sells for up to $25,000. The average cost for having someone train your dog is $5,000 to $10,000.  I think it's a shame that these men and women are the reason that these trainers have the freedom to own and operate their businesses and set their prices as they do and yet they do not offer their services to wounded warriors free of charge... Well it's true... Freedom isn't free!

The wait for a professionally trained service dog through a service dog agency is one to two years on average.  If an owner sends their own adult dog or older puppy to live at a facility to be trained the wait is anywhere from 6 months to a year depending on the level of previous training the dog has had. It just seems to make more sense to leave the dog and handler team in tact and train them together. This allows continued bonding between the team and allows the handler to identify their true needs and have more input on the specific task training.

While I've spent a lot of time the last few weeks making contacts with other rescues and service dog agencies as well as getting some of our documentation together and working on our sites. I think I'm going to take a break and start working on the problem we are seeing in this circle of real people and address this need. I'm going to start working on an informational E-Book advising owners of their rights and responsibilities under ADA law. This will include an explanation of acceptable service dog standards for training and behaviors. Owners will have to agree to these in writing before we start helping them to train or certify their dog. I'm also going to develop a training plan and resources to help wounded warriors and disabled vets to get their own dogs trained and certified.  It's not as easy as it sounds and you can't just go order a vest and stick it on your dog and expect public access without confrontation.  If a dog's credibility is challenged it could mean having to prove their training and testing in a court of law. We will also advise owners on this process as well once their dogs are ready for certification.

We have offered our assistance to the people we have met here and will continue to do so in Missouri. I think at this point we have discussed this issue and have decided to offer training sessions to help owners learn to train their own dogs once we are settled in Missouri. Look for these sessions to start next spring. We will also assist owners in certifying their dogs for public access and service once they have passed the Canine Good Citizen test through AKC.  Since there are a number of reasonably priced basic obedience classes already out there we won't seek to duplicate those. But for owners that are serious enough to take the first steps then we will help them the rest of the way!

Look for a new program available on our website in the near future! And as with all of our services this will also be free of charge to the wounded warriors and disabled veterans! Later we will get our 501C3 in order and can take donations to cover the costs we incur such as travel expenses and training aids.

Service life is not "normal"...

I've never liked the word "normal" but we all have our own picture of what this term means to us. We all have our concept of a "normal life".  For the handler of a service dog, life is far from "normal".  I guess most handlers have come to terms with that prior to owning a service dog but with the addition of their new partner comes a whole new definition of "normal life".  From this point forward you are no longer responsible for only yourself, you have another life totally dependent on you.  To some this is a welcome blessing and to others it is a stark realization that is not met until later in their partnership. While in most cases your new canine partner opens up your world and makes it more accessible, they may also present new challenges.

This month we have come face to face with some of these challenges. While living in a hotel room for a month now during this transition with our two youngest human boys and our two furry boys we have shared very close quarters and 100% of our lives with our canine family. We have never left them unattended in the room as we could leave them in the yard at home.  This often requires a little extra planning.  They have been with one of us 24/7 at work, to the library, store,  and just like the human kids... they can't leave the bathroom door closed! And we can't just open their bathroom door and let them outside. At times it is inconvenient but the rewards are worth the efforts. And thanks to our adult daughter Sami that is keeping Amanda and her dog Alli, Amanda is learning many of these same lessons.  She has had to realize the full commitment she  made in owning her dog and accepting responsibility for her.

While we are welcomed to most business, we sometimes meet a different challenge on a personal level. Not all of our friends and family are as excited about our dreams and goals for our dogs as we are. While public access is a matter of ADA law, things can be more complicated on a personal level. Friends that have not experienced our furry family are sometimes unsure of how to handle their presence. Of course we always ask permission before taking our dogs to someone's home and are careful to respect their personal spaces. There are places that we know our dogs are not welcome regardless of their manners and training.  They still face stereo types and ignorant assumptions.  Some people allow us to bring our dogs but expect them to be put in a pen or crate or be left outside or in the car while we are visiting.  This causes extreme stress on the dog and completely disregards their place as a "service dog"! This is hardest for those that knew the handler prior to being pared with their canine partner.  It also seems that those in the closer relationships also prevent the biggest obstacles.

I'm actually very thankful for this time of learning we have had.  This will be something we are now sensitive to and can prepare our future handlers to face in their own lives.  "Normally"  24/7 service is an option in our lives and all of us can still function at some level without our canine partners.  It does however make us aware of the challenges our teams will face.  It is a shame that those that truly need their partners to access their worlds will find their biggest access challenges with those that should love and accept them the most.  With our dogs it seems even more difficult because we are targeting individuals who have unseen injuries such as TBI and PTSD as well as other mental disabilities.

I wonder if a family member would dare to tell someone not to bring their wheel chair onto their new carpet because of course it had been outside and they may track in dirt?... yet to the soldier with severe PTSD his dog may very well be the only reason he felt able to attend the family function after so many excuses to avoid the social interaction. Like wheels to the amputee his dog helps him to overcome the obstacles which face him. (More on that in another post!)

Cabin Fever!

It's been almost a month now back here in Colorado waiting on Chuck's Medical Board process. Life in a small hotel room with two young human boys and two large furry boys is a little trying at times. I've been working a few hours a week to help make ends meet and to keep my sanity. All of the boys are doing really well considering the circumstances. It will be good when this is all finally over and we can really start our new life back together in Missouri.

Rescue Site Launched!

Doghouse German Shepherd Rescue

I have finally gotten the rescue website put together! It is simple but shares the vision and a little bit more about the training process. Please check it out and pass it along. I will be working on getting the 501C3 set up as soon as we get back to Missouri and get settled. We have not really started taking formal donations other than unwanted dog supplies and the dogs we have rescued. Once the 501C3 is in place we will be able to do fundraising and seek corporate donations. For now we are paying all of the bills and upkeep out of our own pockets. Right now the handlers or their organizations are going to have to purchase their own supplies and be able to budget their own canine health plans. It is our goal to eventually have these things covered by our sponsors so the dog will be free to the wounded warriors!

Doghouse Addition

You can see pictures of all of the progress on the Doghouse on the Daffron Doghouse Facebook page.

Doghouse Photos

Gretyl - Another new addition

Alli did have a one pup litter three days after arriving at the Doghouse! Gretyl is happy and healthy and has a wonderful home with one of our older daughters Gabby. Gabby is finishing her nursing degree next school year and plans on training Gretyl for therapy work.  At six weeks Gretly is already potty trained and doing many little tricks. She is very smart and showing great promise. You can see more pictures of Gretly on the Daffron Doghouse Facebook page in Gretyl's Album

Doghouse Additions

The Doghouse is really coming along! Here you can see the new addition which is now enclosed and partially finished. These long egress windows will be in the two front bedrooms. We found these treasures at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store shop. We also found some really nice light fixtures for Amanda's room and a pocket door to go between the laundry room and the new bathroom. There were some set backs with the overall progress. We had to remove and destroy all of the carpeting from the bunk room due to the water damage. We had planned to accomplish quite a bit more this summer but our finances fell to the mercy of the Army and many things had to be put on hold. We do have plumbing to the kitchen and a new hot water heater. Chuck, Killian and Amanda worked really hard and are making the house come together nicely. 

We are still in need of some things if anyone has resources to help we would appreciate it!

* Electric Furnace and or materials for duct work

* spare 4" or 2" PVC pipe

* drywall sheets

* Window air conditioners

* Plastic house wrap

* Cement floor sealer paint

* Twin size captain's bed

Fun in the sun!

The dogs are all loving the freedom they have here at the lake. Zeus was here many times as a pup so he remembered the Doghouse. Puma adjusted quickly to his new laid back hillbilly lifestyle! The dogs all love  swimming in the lake and playing at the creek. Zeus will jump off the dock and the pontoon boat into the lake. He will also retrieve a life jacket out of the water. We are working on that as a rescue command, "get the baby" by saying baby we are trying to get him to associate the life jacket with a child and be gentle with it.  Alli and Puma don't like jumping off the dock but will play fetch with the life jacket.

I think that they really love their new life here and having so much playtime with the family!

On the Move!

Tomorrow the truck will load us up and we will be off to Missouri on Wednesday morning. Please keep the whole Doghouse Family in your prayers for good health and safe travel. All of the furry babies are doing fine and are not too anxious with all of the people coming in and out of the house or that everything is constantly in motion. I think they are as excited as Chuck is to be getting in the truck and heading on to their new home in the Ozarks! 

We did get a little bit of crowd training in this last two weeks before the move. Alli went to Wild West Fest in Pueblo last weekend and Zeus went to territory Days yesterday and they both did great! Alli even met her first horse. Alli also made friends with the ladies at the Brule tent that let her relax in the shade with some cool water during the show. She also got some pretty pics with the dancers. Check them out on the FB page. Zeus was un impressed by the people but he liked the attention he is allowed to get from the kids.  He also got his pic taken with the Wild West Actors.

I'm sure they are all going to love all the water play at the lake. We will be sure and post pics on FB.

Check us out and send a friend request to:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000980605378

Bumps and Jumps

As we prepare for this move I'm reminded of some of the video games the kids play. As expected with army life everything is subject to change or the regulations of some other department. It seems like holes have been shot in our well made plans and we've been bumped around like the avatars on the screen just getting from one obstacle to the next. But luckily years of perseverance as an army wife have earned me a few bonus points and some extra lives. We are still on the right path and about to finish this level... down by one vehicle, a few thousand coins and a couple of health packs we are still in the game and ready for the final lap this week before conquering "Colorado" and moving on to "Missouri"

And in most of the games I think you get to start each level off fresh...

Living with an unseen injury!! ( Pt 1)

Living with a Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is often times frustrating and difficult!  People see you on the street or in the shopping centers and assume because they can't see the physical signs of an injury that you must be in good health.  This is often untrue, especially for our service members in the Armed Forces of the United States.  Those of us suffering with a TBI often deal with mood changes, memory loss, chronic pain and migraines which are more often times than not very debilitating.  Often times sensitivity to light and sounds are frustrating.  Then there is PTSD the most haunting and terrifying of the unseen injuries, as it affects our minds, emotions, moods, and families.  Often times service members are very easily irritated by the smallest of things, keys miss placed, shoes not in their place, children playing, television shows, over bearing conversations!  We are often afraid to enter a crowded restaurant to enjoy a meal with our families, hyper vigilance while driving terrified to stop at a red light or stop sign for fear of being vulnerable to ambush.  Unable to hold conversation of more than a few short moments with loved ones.  Loss of memory is very prominent among sufferers of PTSD.  Fear of being exposed in the open, unable to stay focused one any tasks for more than a few seconds.  Often times PTSD sufferers are easily (set off) by the slightest memory or trigger of any traumatic event or memory.  More and more the military tries to deny a diagnosis of PTSD to our service members and labeling them as having only anxiety or adjustment disorders.

Missouri Dog Breeding Cruelty Law

http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills111/billpdf/commit/HB0131C.PDF

Missouri is taking steps to control the humane breeding of dogs within the state. Great news for reputable breeders within the Show Me State!

This is a big step in the right direction and this has the full support of Daffron Doghouse.  The Doghouse will not fall under this law because we do not have enough breeding females (10) to be considered a "commercial breeder".  Right now we only have one breeding female but hope to purchase two more in the next few years. With proper breeding cycles and rest periods between cycles that should give us two litters of puppies per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. We currently keep all three of our dogs indoors as part of the family. They are taken outdoors for exercise multiple times per day. As part of their social training as service dogs they also enjoy outings to many places ordinary pets do not get to go.  Once we are moved to the lake in June 2011 they will also enjoy a lot of swimming and playing in the lake and creek.  All dogs will also spend time riding in the boats.  We are expecting our second litter this spring (just after we move to MO in June) and plan on raising this litter and hand training them all as service or therapy dogs for wounded warriors.  This training process takes one to two years depending on the individual dog.  The certification can not begin until they are at least a year old.  We do plan on building some outdoor dog runs with shelter areas in the future.  These will mainly be used to separate the female dogs while they are in their active heat cycles or to contain the dogs when we are away from the house for more than just a short time.  Eventually we would also like to have an indoor room attached to the house to serve as a puppy playroom and doggy care room while we are away rather than putting them in outdoor pens.

 The Doghouse would like to thank all of our friends and family that have been supportive of this dream!

Our History and Vision...

The dream began in 2009 when we bought Zeus to train as a service dog for our daughter. This birthed the dream of breeding GSD's and raising them for service dogs. We primarily want to support our nations Hero's by eventually being able to provide these dogs to wounded warriors or special needs military families free of charge. In early 2009 this was only a dream. We have all worked closely with Zeus as a family and all taken an active role in his training. In November 2009 we were on leave between duty stations on the streets of St. Augustine, FL. A homeless Vietnam Veteran spotted Zeus and commented that we had a beautiful dog. We stopped and talked with him for well over an hour. He told us with tears in his eyes that Zeus and these dogs could understand him because these were the dogs that were over there with them. I knew instantly that our calling had been confirmed in a way that only God could bring about. Zeus had touched the life of a true hero. 

Since that day amazing things have happened that have made this dream start to become a reality. God has caused a chain of events that have given this dream it's foundation. He has brought people into our lives in ways only He can do. He has grown this dream into a reality that is unfolding right before our eyes!


     Dec 2009 - Chuck reported to Ft. Carson, CO expecting to immediately
                        deploy after attending a leadership school.  He was told he had
                        medical issues preventing him from deploying with his new unit.
                        He was placed in another unit that was not deploying. Instead of
                        the kids and I living at the Doghouse and having repairs made
                        while he was deployed we would be remaining in CO as a family.
                        We were thrilled he didn't have to deploy! This also drastically
                        changed the schedule on finishing the repairs and remodeling of
                        the Doghouse.
     Jan 2010 - We adopted Dandi, an AKC GSD Female who's owner had fallen
                         on hard times,
     Feb 2010 - We adopted Puma (AKC GSD Male), and Tasha (AKC GSD Female)
                         who's owners were moving out of state.
     Mar 2010 - Trip to the Doghouse in MO. Two day trip for some quick clean
                         up and a few very minor repairs. All looks well!
     May 2010 - Re-homed Tasha. 
                       - Dandi & Zeus had our first litter of pups!
                       -  Zeus & Amanda Pass their CGC class! Start agility training.
     July 2010 - Puma pulls wheel chair. Puma re-homed.
     Aug 2010 - Zeus passes CGC Test!  
                      - Pups are all placed, as far away as Wyoming and Mississippi.
                         Four were placed with disabled persons to be trained as service
                         and companion therapy dogs by their new owners. 
                      - We kept one pup for Amanda to train as her service dog.
     Sept 2010 - Dandi re-homed to a ranch in, CO in exchange for
                         one stud service from their male GSD Gunnison Saxon.  
                       - Took Zeus, Puma & Alli to Mesa Verde for intensive training.
     Oct 2010 - Supported Camp Hope in sending two care boxes to deployed
                         troops.  
                      - Army started a MEB/DES (Medical Discharge) process on Chuck.
     Nov 2010 - Met Counselor from TBI Freedom. Chuck began receiving
                         services from them. This has been our biggest support and
                         resource breakthrough! 
                      - Made a visit to the Doghouse. Made sure it was sound for
                         winter. No time to work just a one day trip.
     Dec 2010 - Chuck's brother had a major stroke in Mississippi. Everything
                         on hold for a few months while we support them. Chuck returns
                         to CO and begins having severe anxiety attacks. Emotional
                         issues have caused TBI and PTSD symptoms to drastically 
                         increase.
     Jan 2011 - The family grows as Chuck's brother, sister in law and nephew
                         come to live with us in CO following his stroke rehab. 
     Feb 2011 - Training continues for Zeus & Alli. Intensive mall visits and new
                         service tasks.
     Mar 2011 - Working trip to the Doghouse MO. Winter took it's toll on the
                         house! Ice damage left mold in the ceiling and water run off 
                         caused the new bunk room wall to rot and mushrooms were 
                         growing on the inside part of the wall. This will all have to be 
                         replaced before work can begin on addition in June.
     Apr 2011 - We are accidentally expecting another litter of pups. They are
                         full blood GSD from Puma and Alli. We didn't intend to breed her
                         because it was her first heat but Jeremiah let the boys out in
                         the yard one morning while I was in the shower. OOPS!!! 


In June of 2011 we will ALL (9 of us) be moving permanently to the Doghouse in Edwards, MO.  Chuck will have 30 days of leave in which to build the addition which will be the community closet for the whole family since the house has no closets, the bathroom (moved from the bunk room) and the new laundry room. He will also have to plumb the rest of the kitchen and the new addition. After leave Chuck and I and the two younger boys will return to CO to finish his Medical Board process. And later in the summer we will unite with the rest of the family to start our new lives in the Doghouse. Oh and did I mention in the midst of this transition we are expecting the new litter of pups in mid June! 

God has continued to bring people into our lives that have helped us to understand more about how to prepare for excellence in this undertaking. There is so much more to learn than we first expected but we are thankful for the right people in the right places at the perfect timing to help us on this journey to the dream!