fidos speaks

www.fidosforfreedom.org Fidos Speaks Providing Independence 1987 - 2009

Vol. 17 No. 3 An information exchange serving clients, supporters and volunteers of Fidos For Freedom, Inc. Summer 2009

Inside this issue:Notes from the Board 2Fulfilling A Child’s Wish 3BARC 3Training is a Snap 6Coveted Cape 8-9Service Dog to Service Dog 1010th Ann. Golf Tournament 11

ClassesPuppy ClassWednesdays: 7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Open to the public; contact [email protected] for more informationAgility Class Wednesdays: 6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.Flyball Fridays: 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.mBasic Obedience Classes Contact [email protected] for more details.

It is the vision of this organization to improve the quality of life and provide companionship to the residents of our local community through specially trained Hearing Dogs, Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs.

An Assistance Dogand Therapy Dog

Training Organization

Congratulations to Graduating Assistance Dog Teams

By Tracy Bowman

Thunder, lightning and rain couldn’t dampen spirits on April 25, 2009 at the Laurel Carriage House as we

gathered for Fidos most cherished traditions – honoring clients who complete their pro-bationary year and graduate from the Fidos Assistance Dog Program. This year’s gradu-ates were: Denise Portis and Hearing Dog Chloe, Sandra Ball and Service Dog Quin-cy, Kay Scherr and Service Dog Eli, Mar-gie Bates-Noe and Hearing Dog Ruby, and Wendy Hill-House and Hearing Dog Roy.

Denise got interested in Fidos from a demo at her kids’ 4-H club. “I saw Jan and Jetta and was impressed with what a Hearing Dog could do,” recalls Denise. “I needed to become more independent – my teenagers will soon leave home and wouldn’t be there to alert me to important sounds.” Denise chuckled about training: “I knew absolutely ZERO, so I was a clean slate!” Denise learned to “read” her dog and recognize facial and body signals … seeing what catches Chloe’s attention is invaluable to locate sounds. But it wasn’t always easy. “I had to learn to listen, think, and talk to my dog at the same time, and that was really challenging on the rainy days when the weather throws off my bal-ance,” Denise remarked.

Denise confides that Chloe opened up her world. Before, Denise never went anywhere alone for fear of dropping things, falling or getting yelled at by people who didn’t know she couldn’t hear. “Now, with Chloe at my side, I am confident in my surroundings, I am rarely surprised by a sound, and Chloe loves to retrieve!” Denise has advice for new clients – ‘patience’: “The trainers want what is best for you – they watch to see how peo-

ple and dogs fit together. Every dog taught me something – your time is not wasted on the training floor. Let the trainers know if you need help – they want you to learn and succeed.” It is clear that Denise and Chloe have formed a very special partnership: “Chloe is just a happy camper. Her tail is in a constant state of ‘wag.’ She loves going to new places, and really loves to work – it isn’t even work because she has so much fun do-ing her thing!”

Sandy began working at USDA after her accident, and it wasn’t long before her new supervisor told her about a Fidos demo held at her church. With Sandy’s love of animals, and her need for assistance and indepen-dence, she looked Fidos up on the Web. “I got really emotional because it seemed so right – I had to look into it for myself.” Sandy enjoyed working with many different dogs and learning from all of them, but she also found it challenging to maintain balance with an unfamiliar dog. Sandy was originally matched with Reese, a chocolate Labrador Retriever, but it soon became clear that Reese was not suited for the working life. Sandy and Fidos made one of the hardest decisions in the world. Reese retired as a pet in rural Maryland.

That situation gave Quincy the oppor-tunity to find his way into Sandy’s heart: “Quincy has given me my independence; I am now free to roam the earth. I can go about my daily life without fear of falling and having no one there to help me,” enthuses Sandy. “He lovingly cares for me … he is PURE GOLD.” Sandy finds that she has more energy since Quincy helps with many

Graduating Teams continued on page 4

Upcoming Events11th Annual Stroll ‘n Roll

Saturday, October 31, 20099:00am – 12:00pm

Centennial Park, Ellicott City, MD

Read more online at www.fidosforfreedom.org

Fidos Speaks

Fidos Speaks Summer 2009

Notes from the Board

By Sherri G. Sirotkin, President

When it is Spring at Fidos, you can count on two things: our Annual Banquet and Graduation and the

Golf Tournament. This year was no differ-ent. On April 25 we held our Annual Banquet and Silent Auction in the Carriage Room at the Laurel Park race track. We had five teams graduate, and, as usual, at least one team’s speech brought tears to the eyes of many. This year, it was Kay Scherr in her video tribute to her Service Dog Eli. For those of you who missed the event, Kay made a video, complete with lyrics she wrote to the melody of “Mr. Sandman” (a song from the ‘50s), telling the story of how Eli saved her life one night. Kay had gone to sleep and at some point during the night Eli got restless and started nudging Kay and persis-tently licking her legs. He went back and forth be-tween Kay and her hus-band Dave. Thinking he needed to go out, Kay tried to get out of bed only to learn that she couldn’t move her legs. Dave called 911 and the paramedics took Kay to the hospital. All signs were that she had had a stroke and Eli’s quick actions made a huge difference in getting her help quickly. Even-tually, Kay learned that, in fact, it was not a stroke, but instead a serious flair up of her medical condition. It caused a significant de-generation resulting in Kay needing a wheel-chair, where previously she had been able to move around using a walker. Eli was trained to help Kay with her changing needs, but was never trained to recognize paralysis. The two are clearly devoted to each other!

In addition to graduation, the banquet was a huge success with over 250 people and 75 to 90 dogs in attendance. The table sponsor-ships and silent auction helped to raise funds to support Fidos programs. Volunteers and Therapy Dog teams were recognized and James Rada, our Master of Ceremonies for the night, did a great job moving things

along. I think we broke a record, even with all of the speeches and presentations, the ceremonies were finished by 8:45 p.m.!

The Golf Tournament was held on May 18 at Compass Pointe Golf Course. The weather was wonderful and comfortable, the course was in great shape, and the golfers had an outstanding time. We had fewer golf-

ers this year than in past years, which meant they finished in a reasonable amount of time. No sev-en hour rounds this year! I wasn’t there, but I heard the food was good, and I was happy not to have to do the grilling. On top of the fun everyone had, it was a very prof-itable event, ranking in the top three of our golf tournaments for money raised for our programs. A hearty thank you to those that helped make the tournament a success, particularly Frances Wil-liams and Diane Bernier! Thank you ladies, and all

of the people that helped make this a great event. The golf shirts were beautiful too.

The other thing Spring means at Fidos is PUPPIES … watch for updates.

Stay healthy and thank you for all you do for Fidos For Freedom!

Fidos SpeaksVol. 17 No. 3

Fidos For Freedom, Inc. (Fidos) is a non-profit organization engaged in the training of Hearing Dogs and Service Dogs to assist persons with disabilities and providing Therapy Dog visits to area healthcare facilities. Fidos also participates in public education demonstrations and government programs to aid persons with disabilities.

For more information, contact:Fidos For Freedom, Inc

P.O. Box 5508Laurel, Maryland 20726Phone: (410) 880-4178 (301) 490-4005Fax: (301) 490-9061MD Relay: (800) 201-7165

Web site: www.fidosforfreedom.orgE-mail: [email protected] Director: Joe SwetnamOffice Manager: Barbara DiSimoneDirector of Training: Pat JarvisDirector of Client Services: Sandy BallDirector of Volunteer Services: Laurie HardyDirector of Development: Frances WilliamsNewsletter Editor: Kim BlankenshipNewsletter Staff: Catherine Angelo, Diane Bernier, Judi Bohn, Tracy Bowman, Barbara DiSimione, Colleen Doman, Ann Dunn, Pam Loeb, Bonnie Luepkes, Sherri Sirotkin, Frances Williams, Joanne WilsonNewsletter Designer: Sarah L. GallantStaff Photographers: Jim Fenn, Bryan Sirotkin, Andy WeisburgerBookkeeper: Anne Weldon

Board of Directors:President: Sherri SirotkinVice President: Noreen JavornikSecretary: Pamela LoebTreasurer: Jane HarfordBoard Members:

Tracy BowmanJudy CannonDarrell (Bear) Hummer

Copyright 2009 Fidos For Freedom, Inc. Material in this publication may not be reprinted or reused in any way without express permission from the Board of Directors.

A copy of our current financial statement is available upon request by contacting Fidos For Freedom, Inc. Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401 for the cost of copying and postage.

Fidos For Freedom would like to thank all those involved at DigiLink, 840 South Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304-4606, for their contributions in making this newsletter possible.

Sherri Sirotkin attends Tux and Tails Gala.

Celebrate!

Fruit SaleThe Fruit Sale will begin September

2009. Please contact Frances Williams at (443) 223-4976 or Roberta (Bert) Shipp at (301) 580-2032 for further

details. Postcards will be going out in Sept. when we start the sale of Naval

Oranges and Ruby Red Grapefruit straight from H&S Groves in Florida.

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Summer 2009 Fidos Speaks

Fulfilling A Child’s WishBy Catherine Angelo & Bonnie Luepkes

On the morning of February 11, 2009, Debbie Taylor, Fidos Event Coordinator, received

an urgent request from a nurse at Johns Hopkins Children’s Service Center for an immediate Therapy Dog visit. The request was on behalf of a young boy with cancer who was not expected to live through the day. His dying wish was to pet a dog. Unable to fulfill the request personally, Debbie called on us. We quickly readied ourselves and our dogs, Tucker and Sydney.

Upon our arrival, the nurse ex-plained that the young man was now less responsive. In the room, we met the parents, grandparents, two aunts and a younger brother of 12-year-old Joey. While not unconscious, Joey did not show much of a response to our presence. His family, however, was overjoyed to be able to give him his wish. Sydney and Tucker took turns getting into bed with Joey while his parents took turns helping him pet the dogs. They took numerous pictures of

Joey and the dogs. His mother repeatedly said, “Joey, you got your wish! You are not only petting one dog, you are petting two dogs!” His parents said that his eyes moved more and his breathing changed, so they thought he knew that the dogs were there. For Joey, since his eyes were closed, we described the dogs to him. While one dog was in bed with Joey, the

other dog entertained the family and we answered questions about Fidos For Freedom.

We stayed about an hour and a half, with each dog having two turns in Jo-ey’s bed. The family was very strong and had their emotions under control, which made it easier for us to do the same. They thanked us repeatedly and gave us a donation for Fidos. As we left, the nurse told us that she did not think Joey would live through the night.

We both felt that the visit with Joey was the reason we joined Fidos For Freedom and was something we were meant to do for Joey and his family. It was not an easy visit to make, but in

some ways, it was. Whenever something is wrong, or there’s “nothing anyone can do,” everyone wants to do something, anything, to help. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to do that, even a little bit. Ful-filling an individual’s dying wish is one of the most rewarding feelings anyone can ever experience.

Catherine Angelo & Bonnie Luepkes with Therapy Dogs Sydney & Tucker.

Life happens to everyone. We are living our lives, humming along on normal,

when something unexpected happens – an illness is diagnosed, an accident changes everything, and life as we are accustomed to living it, is no longer the same. The following checklist is for anyone experi-encing these changes, and for friends and family members, as well, to help maintain the best level of wellness possible.

1) Check in with yourself, identify the ear-ly warning signs that signal you are reaching your physical and/or mental limits.

2) List the early warning signs and put the list where you can see it, to have available for those times when it’s hard to remember.

3) Identify feelings and situations which might cause you to disregard your early warning signs: these might include feelings of guilt, a sense that you should do something, frustration at not wanting to give in to the disability, worries about what other people will think, not want-

ing to disappoint someone else.4) List at least three things you do to

take care of yourself. Things that help you mentally or physically. Make it a point to do at least one of the three daily.

5) It’s reasonable to remember that the list can change over time, as bod-ies age, disabilities wax or wane, during times of illness. Remember to check in with yourself, and update the list as needed.

6) Ask for feedback, from fam-ily members, friends, for things you might not recognize.

7) Practice letting people know, when you are having a harder time, rather than hiding or covering up your disability/illness, and how it’s effecting you. If you do this during times when you are feeling better, it will give you practice in asking for help, before you really NEED to do it.

8) Ask yourself: Are you taking as good care of yourself as you do of

your Assistance Dog? Everyone deserves the same kind of attention, recognition of limits, and loving care, as you would give to your dogs (assistance, therapy, or pets of all species.)

9) Remember, you cannot take care of your Assistance Dog, Therapy Dog, or pet, if you do not take care of yourself.

BARC: Basic Awareness Reality CheckBy Kim Blankenship

Raynor (Assistance Dog In Training-Puppy) & Echo (retired Hearing Assistance Dog, now Therapy Dog)

take a Buhund Break.

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things, including picking things up and running items up and down the stairs. As for new clients, Sandy counsels: “Enjoy the training phase, working with many dogs and trainers. Set your sights on the goal of getting matched, but don’t be so consumed that you miss out on the joy of training. The journey and the destina-tion are equally important.” It is obvious when you see Sandy and Quincy together that they share the joy of a highly effec-tive and joyous canine partnership that began during training and forged in their life together.

Kay Scherr has her daughter-in-law Alisa to thank for introducing her to Fi-dos: “I had looked around, but wasn’t prepared to have to go out of state for weeks and pay a hefty fee for a Service Dog. Plus, they pick a dog in advance for you – it sounded like an arranged mar-riage!” Alisa found Fidos on the Web as Kay realized that her disease was robbing her of her independence and that she needed help with balance and walking. Kay remembers the time spent in train-ing: “It was a magical time. I was raised with dogs from the time I was born, and I thought I knew all about them. But I learned something every time I came up the ramp and crossed over the training room threshold. Such an amazing group

of knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated volunteers. It made me feel good about myself and what I was do-ing there.”

Kay was challenged working with dif-ferent dogs. “It was like speed dating, you just get to know one dog, and then you are on to the next one the following week. But I soon understood the con-cept and was grateful for it.” Kay goes on: “For new clients, be patient with

yourself, the dogs you train with, and the matching process. It all falls into place, with the help and support of the whole Fidos family. Remember that everyone wants you to succeed – everyone.” Now that Eli and Kay are a working team, Kay thinks about how he has changed her life: “How HASN’T Mr. Eli changed my life? When my life turned upside down in July 2008 because of MS, and I lay para-

Graduating Teams continued from page 1

Margie Bates-Noe & Ruby

Sandy Ball & Quincy

Wendy Hill-House & Roy

Denise Portis & Chloe

Kay Scherr & Eli

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lyzed in a hospital bed for three months, I had lots of time to think. I had to get stronger for my devoted family. That was a given. But I often thought about Eli and Fidos. I couldn’t let Eli down, or my trainers Sarah and Paul Kriedeman, or any of the other wonderful people who had done so much to help me!” Eli gave Kay the motivation to keep going even when things were overwhelming, and he continues to lend his support during the ongoing struggle that continues today. With his soulful eyes and his comical and friendly demeanor, Eli is Kay’s confidant, physical therapist and cheerleader. What more could a girl ask for?

Margie Bates-Noe learned about Fidos through the Therapy Dog Program, but the notion of a Hearing Dog was not new. “I had a Hearing Dog in Texas, but had to leave him behind when I moved,” confided Margie. “I applied as soon as I found Fidos.” Margie enjoyed working with all of the dogs, but was frustrated it took so long to find her soulmate. “It was hard to watch other people come in and get matched, and I was still wait-ing,” Margie remembers. “I walked out the door twice, but I’m glad a trainer pulled me back in.” Finally, Margie and Ruby were matched, and Ruby became her partner and friend. “I love Ruby – especially the way she looks at me. She speaks volumes with her eyes.”

Margie has peace of mind that Ruby will alert her to sounds Margie might not hear, and also to beautiful sounds that happen every day, such as birds singing or the wind in a shrub. If it makes a noise,

Ruby lets Margie know. Margie coaches new clients: “LISTEN to your trainers – they have good advice. I recently was out with Ruby and she got loose. I panicked and yelled at her to come, but remem-bered to remain calm, get a treat and call her to come – and she did, just like Pat said. We have great resources at Fidos.”

Wendy Hill-House learned about Fidos when her employer, the Maryland Department of Rehabilitative Services, set up a demo. Deaf since birth, Wendy adapted to life in the hearing world, but two traumatic childhood events made her painfully aware of the impact of hearing loss. The first occurred when a drunk driver hit her house during the night; Wendy was surprised to see the car crashed into the wall the next day. The second was her mother’s murder in the house where Wendy lay sleep-ing peacefully: “My neighbor and some police officers woke me and escorted me out of the house. They had to tell

me my mom was dead.”Wendy remembers working with Roy:

“I did not expect to be matched with Roy – he almost drove me crazy!” Over time, their bond began to strengthen. Wendy remembers fondly: “Tracy Bow-man told me that when I gave Roy back, he would sit and look longingly after me – he wanted me to come back! This touched my heart.” Wendy had a cute way to announce the match. “I told them that I had a new boyfriend named Roy who made me very happy, and that he was blonde and hairy.” Her statements caused disconcerted responses, but Wen-dy was quick to add that Roy was her new Hearing Dog! Since then, Roy has been a skilled partner, alerting Wendy to important sounds and fetching dropped items. Wendy is happy to be a part of Fidos, and advises new clients about the tremendous job staff and volunteers do to help the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.

We Need Puppy Raisers!Fidos For Freedom is looking for a few good people to be Puppy Raisers. This job involves having the puppy, (a Future Assistance Dog In Training), in your home for an amount of time that can vary, from approximately four months to one year, until it enters the next phase of its training. During this time, you, the Puppy Raiser, will be attending weekly classes at the Fidos Training Center to learn how to teach the puppy good household manners and socialize the puppy to people and its environment. If you would like more information about being a Puppy Raiser, please contact Fidos by sending an e-mail to: [email protected]. Br

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The clients thank the following people as particularly important to their success:

Chloe: Donated by Animal Welfare Action Group; Sponsor: Anonymous; Puppy Raiser, Linda Odom; Trainer: Jolanthe Winjnholds and Pat JarvisQuincy: Donated by the Cunningham Family, California; Facilitator: Sister Pauline Quinn; Sponsor: Knights of Pythias; Puppy Raiser: Mel and Mary- Margaret Bayo and Mitch Molenof; Trainer: Tracy BowmanEli: Breeder, Debbie Fisher; Sponsor, Kirsten Pollin; Puppy Raisers, Jolanthe Winjnholds and Ted Munter; Trainer: Sarah Werner and Paul KriedemanRuby: Breeder, Ellee Neilands; Sponsor, Custom Title & Escrow; Puppy Raiser, Prison Program and Dave Eaton; Trainer: Laurie Steele and Pat JarvisRoy: Breeder, Ellee Neilands; Sponsor, Carroll Kennel Club; Puppy Raiser, Prison Program; Trainer: Gretchen Strecker and Tracy Bowman

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As a Fidos training staff member, I like to de-velop my craft or at least

avoid being the worst dog trainer on the planet. Many people had tried to introduce me to the click-er, but I was kind of apathetic. It always seemed to require hours of lecture before we even looked for a dog … probably warrant-ed, but I come from a different place. Don’t hand me a manual, don’t expect me to wait until you patiently explain every step be-fore we start … I jump right in, and learn as I go along. I had to see training in action and it had to be useful. And that is what changed my mind ... a fellow As-sistance Dog trainer (and former dolphin trainer) used free shap-ing (more on that later) to teach a dog to fetch a phone. It took 10 minutes, and it was something a Fidos trainer wanted to teach Theo. I was hooked!

What is clicker training? A clicker is a small plastic tool that costs about $2, and, as you might guess, it makes a click-ing sound. In clicker speak, the clicker is a bridging tool to mark a specific desirable behavior and to indicate to the animal (dog, cat, fish, dolphin, or elephant) that a reinforcer is on its way. Huh? Now you see what I mean. Putting it in people-speak: the dog learns that whatever it is doing at THE MOMENT it hears the click is a good thing, and a reward is on the way. A good reward is anything the dog likes (treat, toy, ice cube, chance to spin, etc.) and will work to obtain. The dog is ac-tive in the process, using its intelligence to figure out what to do.

Enter Erin Saywell, Fidos Puppy Co-ordinator, who alerted the training staff to ClickerExpo, a conference focused on positive training techniques, how to use a clicker, and why it works. Fi-dos sent us both, but I was a little in-timidated to go. Would it be like a cult? Would I have to eat the granola, if you

know what I mean? What a fabulous experience! I met gifted and down to earth trainers such as Kathy Sdao, who explained the science of operant learn-ing; Ken Ramirez, head trainer at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago; Emma Parsons, author of “Click to Calm” and inspira-tion to so many with reactive dogs; and, of course, Karen Pryor, author of the famous “Don’t Shoot the Dog.” Click-erExpo is comprised of large lectures and smaller workshops that let you put into action what you have learned. Of course, when you are an amateur, you want a seasoned professional at your side – so I brought my five-year-old Smooth Collie named Kelso’s Brody of

Fidos. Mary Austin had taught him tricks using a clicker when she was his trainer. He made me look good, and we drew many compliments. We practiced “free shaping” – teaching a new behavior through a series of in-crementally learned behaviors. Erin and Score had a blast in the hot dog retrieve workshop – yes, you can use a clicker to teach that skill! Brody and I had so much fun that we found our-selves at ClickerExpo 2009, fo-cusing on topics relevant to our obedience work. Brody particu-larly enjoyed the back-chaining lab, because the instructor used him to demo the use of a toy (orange fleece Zany ball) as a fantastic reinforcer.

Back home, the clicker helps me teach and reinforce behav-ior with Fidos dogs. You don’t have to be an Assistance Dog trainer to use a clicker, and anyone with a love of dogs and an interest in training them can go to ClickerExpo. If this sub-ject interests you, I encourage you to learn more. Start by vis-iting the Karen Pryor Web site at www.clickertraining.com, or pick up a copy of her book, “Don’t Shoot the Dog” (a clas-sic) or her upcoming book due

in June 2009, “Reaching the Ani-mal Mind.” Karen will have many

interesting animal stories for sure, but she will also tell us about the neurosci-ence that makes clicker training work. Lastly, if you want to learn more about use of a clicker and about Clicker- Expo, visit http://clickertraining.com/clickerexpo/?loaditem=video_tour. Happy clicking, and thanks for tuning into this article <click>!

Author Tracy Bowman is currently teaching 10 year old Fidos Therapy Dog Mischief to retrieve a dumbbell using a clicked retrieve technique. Her major obstacles are retrieving pros Maya and Brody who “explain” (cry) how they could do it much better.

Training is a Snap . . . or a Click, but Not a Pop!By Tracy Bowman

Attending Kathy Sdao’s seminar at ClickerExpo: Erin Saywell & Score, Tracy Bowman & Brody.

Brody & Emma Parsons, author of Click To Calm: Healing the Aggressive/Reactive Dog.


GoldAdele BourgaultCharlie CarpenterDebbie JunkinsDebbie TaylorGary FleshmanJoe & Barbara SwetnamNancy & Bruce KittingerSusan & Andy Weisburger

SilverCarol & Richard MargolisDon Gavelek

BronzeBeverly DaltonBoard of DirectorsDeborah WhiteheadDon Oberg

Dorothy BryanEagle Eye CareElizabeth WeisburgerFrances WilliamsJames RadaJill KolodyJohn YergKatrin DalyKen ReedLaurel Lions FoundationLesley RobinsonMyla DeLoatchNichole PersonNorman BernierPatricia Bentley-FisherSarah Werner & Paul KriedemanSherri SirotkinTim & Kathy Ray

Need an Assistance Dog or Know Someone Who Does?Applicants for an Assistance Dog must meet the following requirements:

Live within a 75-mile radius of Laurel, MD• Be at least 18 years of age• Be able to physically, financially and emotionally • meet the needs of one of these very special dogs Provide the dog with ample opportunity to perform • the skills it has been trained to do

To request an application or for more information, call or e-mail:

Office: (301) 490-4005, (410) 880-4178MD Relay: (800) 201-7165Fax: (301) 490-9061 E-mail: [email protected]

Sponsors of Tux and Tails Gala April 2009

Crab FeastCrab Feast tickets are now available.

12 tickets for $10 could win you:2 bushels of crabs1 case of beer1 case of sodas10 crab mallets1 bottle of vinegarJO seasoning for your crabsNewspapers to wrap up the shellsCase of corn on the cob

Make this offer to your friends and family: if you win the Crab Feast for ten, you will invite the friends and/or family members who sell the most tickets, to join you at your home for the Crab Feast (they can eat and drink and then clean up!) What a deal!

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I first heard about Fidos more than ten years ago when I was teach-ing in Ellicott City. The Disability

Awareness Program came to my school. As with everyone else, my heart melted when the dogs entered the room. Then they started performing their magic. I remember thinking that the Black Lab I had at the time would NEVER be able to act as calm and well-behaved as the Fidos dogs. I was in total awe!

Three years ago we drove to Tennes-see to get a 17-week-old English Cocker Spaniel named Jane. Even then, her lon-ger than average eyelashes were evident. We brought her home and as we began to take her places, people constantly commented on Jane’s calm, gentle man-ner. Knowing that Jane’s mother was a Therapy Dog who went to a first grade classroom in Knoxville, I began to won-der whether Jane could follow in her mother’s footsteps.

In August of 2006, when Jane was nine months old, I signed her up for her first obedience class (Beginner class at our vet’s office). On the last day of the class, my daughter, who was 17, asked me if I realized that it was the last class and Jane still didn’t listen! The next day I drove out to PetSmart and signed her up for the Beginner class – again. Jane

graduated after a repeat performance of the Beginner skills, took and succeeded at the Intermediate level, and then pro-ceeded to the Advanced class in which she was the only student.

By that time, it was approaching Spring 2007. I printed out all of the Fidos Therapy Dog requirements from the Web site, filled out and submitted the volunteer application, and waited for the phone call to be interviewed. Once I succeeded with the interview, my name was put on the list for the Therapy Dog testing that May.

Luckily, the PetSmart trainer agreed to run the class just for Jane. We spent the next eight weeks working on the Fidos skills – sit/stay for three min-utes, stand/stay for one minute, heel-ing, coming when called from 20 feet, and the dreaded 15 minute down/stay. Every time we practiced the down/stay, Jane would fall asleep – if that was al-lowed during the Fidos test, I knew we would be in luck!

I was very nervous the day of the testing. I gave Jane a bath, gathered up all the required vet shot records, and took her to the dog park. I hoped going to the dog park would wear her out so she’d be tired enough to do the obedi-ence skills for the required lengths of

time. It worked!!! The eight months of training might have helped a bit, too.

Next came the Handlers’ Class. Though Sylvia joked about “being sure” we would go home and read the manual, I hung on every word she said, then went home and read the binder from cover to cover. I subsequently observed at two visits and took Jane to four Wednesday night training classes. I felt a great sense of pride when I signed off on the last requirement and turned in the checklist. We were now an official Therapy Dog Team!

We started visits the summer of 2007 at Brooke Grove and Riderwood retire-ment homes and Holy Cross Hospital. Then, when school started, we signed up as a DEAR Team. Since that time, we have added Kennedy Krieger Institute to our monthly list. It is apparent that Jane’s favorite visit is Holy Cross Hospital. She eagerly lies on patients’ beds, makes her-self VERY comfortable, and then has to be coaxed into getting up to leave. I know the experience is uplifting for the patients, but I must say, Jane gets a lot out of it too! Of course, I rarely leave feeling anything but true contentment.

Several memorable moments that reinforce the positive impact our dogs

My Journey to the Coveted CapeBy Judi Bohn

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Buckeye Cole Diesel Dixie

Drake Jackson Mackie Jordan


have on others are: 1) Jane was laying on a couch, rest-ing her head on a Brooke Grove patient’s lap when the woman turned to me, smiled and said, “This is the best thing that’s happened to me since I’ve been in this place.”; and 2) on the way to the oncology floor at Holy Cross Hospital, a man in the elevator with the Therapy Dog teams asked if we could stop in and visit his brother who had just received news that his condition was likely terminal. Before we left his brother’s room, the man told us, with tears in his eyes, that it was first time his brother had smiled in days.

And so the monthly train-

ing continued … the visits continued … updating vet re-cords continued … and April 25, 2009 approached.

The night of the Tux and Tails Gala was finally here! Since Jane did not become a Certified Therapy Dog until June 2007, and the caping oc-curs at the banquet the April after the dog has been in good standing for one year, it was a long wait–almost two years. Also having to wait that long for capes were the following dogs: Cole Bourgault, Sasha Carpenter, Tela Delia, Lily Eaton, Teddy Eifried, Kaylee Ettlin, Drake Ettlin, Win-nie Fenn, Jackson Fleshman, Dixie Hannan , Zora Jones, Kona Lang , Tucker Luepkes, Buckeye Rogal, Thor Serber, Toby Sheng, Whoopie Van

Bemmel, Jordan Weisburg-er, Mackie Weisburger, and Diesel Wu. I know that the owners of these dogs felt the same sense of accomplish-ment I did when we were finally able to put the Fidos capes on our dogs, stand in front of the room, and hear our dogs’ names announced.

I’m not sure how many dogs were in attendance at the banquet, but I can tell you this: if you were a pass-erby entering the banquet room, you would have had no idea it was a “dog-attend-ed” function. My husband, daughter and parents, all of whom wouldn’t have missed Jane’s big moment for any-thing, were totally amazed at how quiet and well-mannered the dogs were. I did hear that

there was one bark; but, ru-mor has it, it was a human – not one of the dogs!

And so, after waiting for two years, doing so much, and really earning the great recognition that comes with being a “caped” Fidos Ther-apy Dog Team … I recently got another English Cocker Spaniel named Owen, and his journey to the coveted cape has just begun.

continued from previous page

Kaylee Jane Kona Sasha

Winnie Teddy Thor Toby

Tucker Whoopie Telia Zora

Lily


Fidos Has a New T-Shirt

“Friends of Fidos” T-shirt is a white, all cotton, quality t-shirt.

We want to sell these at all Fidos’ events. We have medium, large, extra large, and 2x large t-shirts

with our logo. Cost is $10/shirt for Fidos volunteers and $15/shirt for non-Fidos people. Anyone selling $300.00 or more in raffle tickets

gets a free “Friends of Fidos” T-shirt. Contact the office at Fidos

or go to the merchandise room and purchase them there. Contact Frances Williams at (443) 223-4976 or e-mail [email protected] if you have any questions or want

to order large quantities.

The Rolling Down Stay – If you are put on a down stay while your person is using the computer or

some other human distraction you can still go where you want by following these steps: comply with the “down” command, ignore the “stay” command, (too many words). When she/he is no longer paying attention to you, yawn and roll over on your back in the direction you want to go. If this movement attracts the attention of your person, just wiggle your butt back and forth, look lovingly at the person and implement the “I’m just scratching my back” look.

Once the person looks away, stretch and complete the roll until you are back into the paws-on-the-floor position. Re-peat until you think she/he can’t see you and quietly get up and walk away. Re-member! Always roll in the same direc-tion, move slowly, if she/he does look at you try to look real cute or close your eyes and pretend to be asleep. If you get off course or need to change direc-tion, sit up and vigorously scratch your head, pretend you have just been bitten by something and need to check your back, then return to the down position in the new direction. Wait until she/he is distracted and repeat the first two steps until you’ve reached your objective.

Fetching For the Non-Lab – Un-less you are a lab or some other type of dog with retriever in your breed name, fetching is not the end all most fantabu-lous, bestest thing in the world to do. Here’s how to get around it or at the very least work the system so you get

lots of the really good treats.“Shhh, did you hear that? My per-

son is coming. If she found out I know how to use this thing, she’ll make me do more of her work. Gotta go, more later”

—Patti (call me by my code name “Patricia”. We don’t want “them”

to know we are talking

Hi there Patricia, Brycemeister here. Say, I like your writing. How many code names do you have? Is Marley one of them? Did you pen that biography, “Marley?”

I’m a collie. I don’t do the cute thing. I’m bold as brass and if I don’t want to do something (and I usually don’t) I ignore the command. Yea, I just look right at them and ignore them. It con-fuses them, they’re only humans. Then I go sniff a butt or two, bark, whatever I want.

Thanks for the advice. I like your spunk, pup. Keep those cards and let-ters coming.

—Brycemeister

Hey there Brycemeister, great tips! Isn’t it amazing how many humans are out there and how many ways there are to train them?

I say stick with what you know, I just happen to be cute and so far it has worked every time. It’s hard to be bold and brass when you are short, with a fluffy tail and lopsided ears.

Hope to see you at the next gathering,—Patricia

Service Dog to Service Dog . . . things people won’t teach you

By Colleen Doman & Joanne Wilson

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ADI Trainers Conference in October

Fidos For Freedom needs your help to send two of its trainers to the Assistance Dogs International Trainers’ Conference to be held in Estes Park, Colorado October

4-6, 2009. We are accepting dona-tions to be used toward purchasing their airline tickets. Donations may

be given via the Fidos Web site, www.fidosforfreedom.org, click on donations; or send it to Fidos For

Freedom, Inc., P.O. Box 5508, Laurel, MD 20726 – please write “trainers’ airfare” on your check. All dona-

tions are greatly appreciated.

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The 10th Annual Fidos Golf Tournament was held on May 18, 2009 at Compass Pointe Golf Course in Pasadena, Maryland. It was a brisk 56 degrees when the tournament kicked off. Quite a difference from last year’s record temperature of 110 degrees. A special thanks goes out to the volunteers that helped me. Diane Bernier, Brian Bowman, Tracy Bowman, Samantha Bowman, Sandy Ball & Quincy, Judy Cannon & Dazzle & Prince, Anne Weldon, and Joe Swetnam. Ken Reed’s team consisting of Ray Starling, Darren Mast, and Mike Vocke won first place. Darren Mast went on the be the only qualifying shooter for the $10,000.00 putting contest. He was close but not a hole in one. Dr. Bob Cohn’s team consisting of Donald Ries, Jim Hollis, and Jim S. won second place. Our sponsorships were up from last year. Fidos thanks all who sponsored T-Shirts, Drink Cart, and Individual holes. It was a great day for golfing.Hole 1: Members of the 2009 Fidos For Freedom Board of Directors Hole 2: Dr. Stewart S. Loeb, Chiropractor Hole 3: Kibble and Klips, All Natural Pet Food and TreatsJeff Maynor, PGA Director University of MD University Golf Course, College Park, MD Hole 4: Diane Bernier and Pepe, retired Hearing DogHole 5: Dr. Nicolette Martin-Davis

Hole 6: Tracy & Brian Bowman, Celebrating 24 years of marriage.Hole 7: Nice & Tidy Reliable Cleaning Services, Owner: Alice HarrisAcupuncture For Animals, Noreen Javornik, M.S., M.Ac., L.Ac.Hole 8: Eagle Eye Care, Fred Sirotkin, O.D.Hole 9: Goldtree Lawn & Garden, Brian A. Swetnam, BSBAHole 10: Fidos Office Staff: Barbara DiSimone and Anne WeldonHole 12: MBS Mechanical, Inc., Matt Seifrit, PresidentHole 13: bush_pilot 13Hole 14: Bert Shipp & Judge, Assistance DogHole 15: Branch Banking & Trust

Hole 16: My Office Products, Ken Reed, Account ExecutiveHole 17: Eagle Eye Care, Fred Sirotkin, O.D.Hole 18: Pythian Sisters, Forest Oak, Temple #18, Gaithersburg, MD

Drink Stations sponsored by Dr. Bob Cohn, N. Laurel Animal Hospital, Laurel, MD

Golf Tournament Polo Shirts sponsored by BB&T Bank.

10th Annual Fidos For Freedom Golf Tournament

By Frances Williams

Dora & ChampDora, a 6 month old, Gold-en Retriever, and Champ,

a 13 month old Yellow Labrador Retriever, are presently in the Federal Correction Institute in

Cumberland, MD, learning basic obedience. While at the prison, the dogs have

a fenced exercise yard with agility equipment to

practice on.

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NONPROFITU.S. POSTAGE PAID

LAUREL, MDPERMIT NO. 4368

P.O. Box 5508Laurel, MD 20726

The mission of Fidos For Freedom, Inc. is to increase the quality of life of people living in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Community through the use of specially trained Hearing Dogs, Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs.

An Assistance Dogand Therapy Dog

Training Organization

If the symbols ## appear on your mailing label, this is your last issue. Please contact Fidos to continue this service.

Fidos For Freedom, Inc., is proud to be an accredited voting member of Assistance Dogs International.Please remember to designate Fidos For Freedom, Inc., in your workplace giving campaign.

Federal workers in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)Combined Federal Campaign: CFC # 41908

Maryland State employees in the Maryland Charity Campaign (MCC)Maryland Charity Campaign: MCC # 2605

United Way Write-in: “Fidos For Freedom, Inc.”Fidos is an

Assistance DogsInternational

Accredited Facility

fidos speaks

Documents

hearing dog chloe

hearing dog ruby

service dog eli

hearing dog roy

fidos assistance dog

denise portis

service dog quincy

service dogs