Last week
was a brief overview of all of the dogs: and though all of them are amazing,
adorable, geniuses, etc., some shine in some ways more than others. This week
we’re going to shine the spotlight on one particular boy:
 |
| Can you tell he's the handsome one? |
Bobo is an absolute
star on campus; his favorite command, hug, never EVER fails to get a round of
‘aww’s going around in a classroom. He’s big and bulky and has the biggest head
on any dog I’ve ever seen, but that doesn’t stop him from being the cuddliest,
and admittedly the most sensitive, of our current Viking Pups.
Bobo is
currently learning commands that will help his future person, a lovely young
woman named Juls. Juls is an absolute sweetheart, and that might be what make
her and Bobo such a good match. Juls has Williams Syndrome, and Bobo will help
with so many of the struggles Williams Syndrome piles on her.
 |
| Juls and Bobo |
He’s learning how
to brace, how to ‘lap’, how to ‘cover’ how to ‘heel’ and on top of these
individual commands Bo’s presence is one of the most soothing and amiable
things in the world. Knowing that Bo is there gives anyone confidence and a
boost of self-esteem, because there is literally nothing
Bo loves
more
than cuddling.
Knowing
that you have a warm, soft, loving dog sitting next to you who would love
nothing more than to crawl into your lap and cuddle for days is something
everyone should experience at least once in their lives, and that’s the most
important thing Bo is going to be giving to Juls: unconditional love. And
cuddles. You can’t forget the cuddles. Bo won’t.
 |
| Why aren't you cuddling me?! I'm the saddest dog that's ever existed because you aren't cuddling me. |
The time
that Bo doesn’t spend cuddling (or trying to cuddle) he spends training with
his team of handlers: Sarah Adam, his foster, team leader, and (as the team calls her) his
mom. Mary Kiolbasa (who is also the president and founder of Viking Pups, go Mary!) and Kat
Kall (also known as the person who is writing this blog).
 |
| Sarah |
 |
| Mary |
 |
| Kat |
Bo is currently working on the command ‘lap’ which will involve him setting his head on a person’s lap: this command will help Juls’ anxiety. This could be from the constant assault of distractions and pressures at school, or a thunderstorm at home.
 |
| Bo doing his 'Lap' command |
Bo is also working on his bracing;
right now, Bo is in the beginning stages, primarily learning the command
‘heel’. When a handler gives the command, Bo knows to get in position on the
left side of his handler, with his front paws even with his handler’s left leg.
Though right now this command is mostly to get Bo close and to let him know
where he’s supposed to be standing most of the time, eventually Bobo will be
fitted with a harness with an adjustable height, kind of like this:
 |
| Credit to: Bold Lead Designs, click to image to view their page. |
So that he
will eventually be able to support some of his handler’s weight. Though Juls
can walk on her own, balancing and continuous walking can be difficult and
stressful on her and her heart. Bo will help with this by carrying some of her
weight, like a living, furry cane.
Besides the
heel command, Bo is also shaping for bracing by having his handlers put
pressure on his back and shoulders, so that he gets used to having weight
rested on him. Surprisingly enough, Bo LOVES this part of bracing. He naturally
knows how to spread his legs out to keep himself balanced, and as soon as you
start putting pressure on his back his tail starts wagging. He’s a natural,
what can we say?
The last
command Bo is actively learning right now is ‘cover me’. Part of William’s
Syndrome is lacking the ‘stranger danger’ instinct. Juls’ idea of personal
space is a bit different from those people without William’s Syndrome, and
because of this it could be very easy for a fellow student at school or maybe
even an adult to threaten her, and perhaps hurt her if that were their
intention.
Should Juls
ever feel threatened, Bo can be called to cover, which puts him in a position
right in front of his handler’s legs. This puts some distance between the
handler and whoever is in the handler’s space. It also gives some warning to
anybody who could try to hurt Juls; after all, a girl with a blocky dog like Bo
(even though we know he wouldn’t hurt a fly) is much less likely to be
approached by somebody with the intent of harming her than a girl without him.
 |
| Still don't know how anybody could be intimidated by that face. |
Right now
Bo is making incredible strides in all of these commands; his heel has gone
from almost nonexistent to one without a need for corrections or nudging in
less than a week. He loves the pressure part of bracing, and he’s taken to lap
in such a way that he’s actually using it as an excuse to beg for food (a
definite no-no for our Viking Pups). His struggles are definitely there; Bo loves playing with bottles, and they’ve
gotten so distracting that he isn’t allowed to play with them anymore. Bo also,
like any dog, has certain people he ‘gets’, meaning he understand what they're asking of him better. He’s good at commands with anybody
who’s consistently in contact with him, such as his team, but less good about
listening to those people he doesn’t see very often. This is completely normal
for a dog, and he’s working on it, and making incredible progress.
Bobo is one
of the most gentle and sweetest dogs I have ever had the privilege to meet. He's got the biggest personality of any of our dogs, is and is a huge goofball once you get past the cuddlebug outer shell. He’s attentive and sweet and outgoing and sensitive, and when in training his
goal is always to please; Bo lives and breathes attention and love, and he
doesn’t do his job so much because he loves training, but because he loves his
people so much that there’s nothing he’d rather do than please them.
 |
| He doesn't like homework any more than his mom does. |
 |
| Zorn's tug rope |
A special thanks to:
First and foremost, Christina Clark, our fabulous breeder and
owner of Iron Hill Retrievers. All of our active dogs have been donated by
Christina and they are all spectacular, with wonderful temperaments and
absolutely GREAT looks.
The Quad Cities Canine Assistant Network is the non-profit
organization that makes our program possible. As sister organizations QCCAN is
an integral part of the Viking Pups mission, helping us with training, putting
us in contact with clients, and most importantly, training service dogs and
reaching more people who need the dogs to live better lives.
A huge shoutout to Compassionate Care Veterinary Clinic, who
takes care of our pups at a discounted rate.
To learn more / keep up to date about Viking Pups:
