Just thinking about this year's team training and graduation brings a smile to my face. Comprised of 3 young adults and 2 kids, this years class did a great job of being prepared on day one of team training. It was obvious that they'd read their manuals ahead of time and were anxious to get to work. Hope, Jon and Kelsey were our three young adults who had the sometimes exhausting task of attending ALL the lectures and dog handling, while Lucia and Nicholas were able to rest (and play) while their parents sat in on lectures. But believe me, everyone was always ready to jump in and participate when it came to handling the dogs.

           Jon and Churro ~ Jon arrived in Grants Pass shortly after graduating from UC Berkley and has begun law school with Churro by his side. This is Jon's first service dog, but you'd never know it by the way he handled the dogs during team training. He impressed everyone with his ability to quickly master the concepts and commands. Always quick to encourage and willing to mentor the younger graduates, it was an absolute pleasure to watch Jon shine.

     Kelsey and Mousse ~ Kelsey, another one of the young adults in team training came to Canine Angels seeking a successor dog since her previous dog (from another program) was retiring. What made this team training different for Kelsey was the fact that she was now an adult and was seeking to pass the public access test without the assistance of her mom. She instead learned to provide the needed leadership for both her dog and the aide(s) who would assist her in the future.

         Lulu and Dulce ~ Lulu is a lively eight year old who is inquisitive, bright, motivated and determined. She was always quick to run the dogs though whatever exercise was at hand and by doing so, kept our "pupparazzi" (aka photographer) exercised as well. With Dulce by her side, waiting her turn to run the obstacles courses was a piece of cake.

     Nicholas and Eclair ~ Nicholas is an absolute sweetheart with a sunny disposition. He is quick to offer his honest opinion all all times and kept everyone laughing (and crying) with his profound heartfelt comments. It was clear early on that Eclair had chosen "his boy" and the two of them are adorable together. 

 

                Ali and Fritz ~ 

Ali and her pal Fritz were paired together prior to team training. They can be found hanging out together at home.

            Breeder Halo ~

Melissa joined our Canine Angels Team in April 2015.  She moved from Arizona to Oregon for an opportunity to learn more about working with Service Dogs and special needs kids. Along with her comes her trusty sidekick Spirit, a fuzzy, loving, shepherd husky cross.  She enthusiastically took on her new role as kennel and training assistant and arrived just in time to attend her first Team Training. Melissa now has a real feel for everything Canine Angels has to offer. Her experience includes working at several dog boarding facilities as well as spending 5 years employed by a rescue dog organization in Northern Oregon. It's been great having Melissa on board with us and we are happy having her as part of our "pack."