Volunteers are motivated to give of themselves for a variety of reasons—to help their community, to share their time and talent, or to learn a new skill. And volunteers gain different things from their experiences. When we interviewed a group of Can Do Canines volunteers about what they have gained from their time volunteering, here is what they shared. 1- Confidence “That I can do this [train a dog]. That I can raise a dog, and train a dog with the support that I have from Can Do Canines. And I really feel like I’m dong a wonderful job; the …
training
Years of Doubt Leads to a Life Changing Decision
Amy Falk and Mobility Assist Dog Trackr By Amy Brown Back and forth. For years, Amy Falk of North Branch, Minnesota was on the fence about an assistance dog and originally decided against it because she wasn’t aware of what was available to her. Then a friend from high school told Amy about Can Do Canines and how her own Mobility Assist Dog helped change her life. Amy decided to do some research and soon applied for her own Mobility Assist Dog. Amy was born with cerebral palsy and has been using a wheelchair the majority of her life. She …
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice
Deborah Krinke and Diabetes Assist Dog Cayenne By Kaity Padden Deborah Krinke of Stillwater, Minnesota had become less aware of high and low blood glucose levels after 37 years with type 1 diabetes and feared that she was taking too much of a toll on her family’s life. Her husband would check on her throughout the night, and every once in a while a family member would come across her in need of assistance in treating a low. Recently, Deborah received medical equipment to help better manage her diabetes. Although these devices have helped her considerably, she still needed extra …
Fox 9 | Can Do Canines Teaches Service Dogs How to Fly
Jack Highberger – April 1, 2017 (KMSP) – A Flight to Nowhere from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on Saturday helped a group of Can Do Canines achieve a critical moment in their training. For assistance dogs in training, this was a chance to experience the airport, getting to know the many sights, sounds and smells. “You never know what you are going to run into at the airport,” said program instructor Kaity McGinn. “So it’s so important they can learn to be calm, cool, collected…and not have an accident.” Uno James, a service dog, helps with picking up and retrieving. “I …
Hearing with Ella
Dale Saari & Hearing Assistance Dog Ella One night, while Dale Saari and his wife Jeannine were sleeping, the smoke alarm went off. Jumping out of bed to investigate she found no emergency; instead Jeannine grabbed the ladder to climb up and change the batteries. Meanwhile, Dale continued to sleep, peacefully unaware of the high-pitched noises echoing throughout their home. Dale, a retired military service member, has had progressive hearing problems since he was 45 years old due to both his career involving trucking and heavy equipment and his service in the army; he wears cochlear implants in both ears …
Cory Hepola with Kare 11 | Puppies Grow, Train
NEW HOPE, Minn. — “It’s like they’re coming to college and they’re going to find themselves here.” That’s how Shenna Lemche, program trainer at Can Do Canines, describes the training process for her non-profit’s assistance dogs. Although these special dogs are always learning, they usually arrive for this type of training when they are 15-months to 2 years old, and subsequently learn specific skills and discover what type of assistance dog they’ll be. Cory Hepola traveled to Can Do Canines to see these awesome dogs in action. Watch Cory’s video here.