New Member from Massachusetts

[YoYoPoodle]

Hello everyone,

I recognize a few names, but also see a lot of new Poodle faces here

My name is Jillian (Gartner) and I have a 4 y/o cream Standard Poodle of my own named Charlie. We do a lot of training in various venues, with our main focus being assistance work and tricks. Charlie is a demo Service Dog for American Poodles At Work/APAW (http://www.americanpoodlesatwork.org), and accompanies me to give presentations to people interested in learning more about dogs helping people with disabilities. Charlie is fully trained and loves to 'show-off' his skills - he is a typical Poodle-ham
You may have seen us on the first episode of Animal Planet's show Dogs 101 last fall.

I am also a 'permanent foster home' for an 18 m/o blue female named Harmony. She is owned by APAW but lives with me. She is hopefully going to have a litter or two for the program in the future, and is currently in training for search and rescue, as well as being a back-up demo dog for Charlie.

I am a Service Dog trainer for APAW, so I work with lots of Poodles 



One of the ways that I like to share what I do with my dogs is by making videos and posting them on YouTube. Below are links to a few of the 'best' for anyone who is interested.


Charlie Shows-Off - a quick compilation of a bunch of his skills:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUlZviq4-Jw

Get Well Soon (Poodle Style) - Harmony is feeling under the weather, so Charlie decides to do something special for her:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0VrHafWoOs

Search Dog In-Training - Harmony finding my brother in a field of grass twice as tall as she is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd__HgVeRDo

Chicken Necks: An Endangered Species - a dramatic comedy of Charlie-lemagne slaying the feeble chicken necks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym8tS209qvE

My slightly trained cat... for any of you who like the Other species too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-GTDy5uFfc



I look forward to hearing from you, and 'meeting' your Poodle crews!

-Jillian

[spoospirit]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

You are doing amazing work and I really admire you for what you offer to people in need.

Can't wait to have a look at some of your videos.

[Karen]

Welcome. You are inspiring me to get on to the VCA (Kennel Club) to see about the next testing day for dogs for their therapy dog accreditation. Tia is getting good with wheelchairs etc & has even mastered the art of going out for a walk with an electric wheelchair since she stayed with a friend who has MS.
I used to do nursing home visiting with other dogs but haven't got back into it since I have had Tia.

[zefi]

I've only watched the first one so far but I'm in love with Charlie. He's a beautiful boy! And so clever! You are brilliant. (so... can I interest you in a very rambunctious black standard poodle? for free????)  He already does a lot of that stuff NOT on command and at the worst possible times! 

In Tasmania I dont even know if we have any official therapy dog certification, but I have taken Bonnard to the nursing home in the closest town and he did really really well. I was proud that the monster boy could be so calm and gentle with the old folks.

I'd love to take Montana as she's in a short coat and its so much easier on me, but she has a tendency to bark at new and unusual things and I'm afraid walking frames or wheelchairs may set her off! LOL

[Karen]

I have found it fascinating to watch Tia adjusting to various people in wheelchairs & the like - she seems to know that she needs to be gentle & to present herself to them in such a way as they can make a fuss of her without feeling unbalanced.. There is certainly "something about the outside of a dog that is good for the inside of a man" & it is amazing how many older people who stop to talk to Tia tell me of poodles they knew in the past. Seems there is much about Poodles that make them memorable long beyond their lifetimes.

[zefi]

Bonnard definitely needs a job to do. And the problem with working in the city and living so far from it is that I really dont feel like coming all the way home and taking dogs out into the city on my days off. So they miss out on all that socialization. Once I finish Bonnard though I would love to start him working at nursing homes and stuff. I think he's a natural for it.