Viking Pups Training Adventures: Bobo the Cuddlebug

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:

Bobo!

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.

Quick Fix!

Since today was all about Bobo, here's some quick updates on our other fuzzballs:

Oden is now 'tugging' open drawers, cabinets, fridges, and even helping pull off sweaters, shirts and pants. He's also progressed to flipping all types of light switches, and will start learning to have 'soft paws' on walls soon so he can actually turn lights on and off. He's also working on holding things, such as this romantic offering of a flower to his handler.

Cami is definitely hard at work (maybe hardly working, who can tell with this girl) learning settle, heel, hug, and lap. Her hug has gotten ten times better, now she just needs to work on settling- looks like she just needs a pillow.

He doesn't like homework any more than
his mom does.

Our baby boy Zorn is working on all of his advanced skills too! Like Oden, Zorn is working on tugging open the fridge and drawers and cabinets, and he's also made a huge stride in not needing to be lured with a treat into heel anymore! What a brainiac.

Zorn's tug rope

A special thanks to:

Iron Hill Retrievers

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.

QCCAN

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.

Compassionate Care Veterinary Clinic