Hasn’t 2018 gone so quickly!  Seems like the older we get the quicker it goes.  New Year’s Eve is a great time to celebrate and bring in 2019 by watching the host of fireworks displays happening around our suburbs and cities.  While we humans love seeing the skies light up, many of our canine companions do not.  The sudden loud bangs, smells, smoke and bright light show can be confusing […]

Many people ask us how we use the dogs to work with our at risk young people. Well, here is an example of an exercise we use for the journey of life and overcoming obstacles. The cups represent obstacles we grapple with along the way . The object of the exercise is to get yourself and your dog through the journey of cups without knocking down more than two. Its […]

Many people ask us how our Champion assistance dogs, in training, go with flying on an airplane.  So we thought we would let Quartz run you through the basics.  Make sure you are dressed appropriately. Choose a great carrier. Bring something soft to rest on. Be patient if the person in the seat next to you is chatty. Try and take a nap, the trip will seem quicker. Reach out […]

We live in an exciting time where science is uncovering incredible understandings of the intelligence and cognition of animals and especially dogs.  One aspect of cognition and intelligence has been a test of an animal’s capacity for self-awareness.  Psychologist, Gordon Gallup, was the first to come up with a reliable test for self-awareness, used with children and other animals.  Gallup would place a colour dye mark on the eyebrow of […]