News

Breeding Program enhanced

2011-11-16T17:59:00Z

Shadows for Life was recently blessed with the generous donation of three very high quality German Shepherd pups. There are two females and one male, and they are named Athena, Asia and Atlas. They just turned 9 weeks old and have already started their training. We now have five German Shepherd’s that we hope to use in our breeding program, including Sasha and Zeus, who we already had lined up for our first litter in the spring hopefully.

Once they mature, the two new females will give Zeus three potential mates (Sasha, Athena and Asia) and Atlas one (Sasha). These are all AKC registered pups/dogs from excellent blood-lines. Although the outcome is still a few years away, we feel that we are headed in the right direction.

Owner trained public access testing

2011-08-10T20:13:00Z

With the cost of fully trained Service Dogs at an all time high, with some agencies quoting as high as $30,000 per dog in some cases, many individuals are training their SD themselves. Shadows for Life supports this activity, and has tested several owner trained dogs during the past several weeks. This results in the team either passing the test or identifying the areas that they must continue to work on prior to passing. The task specific testing is tailored to each teams needs, and has the same results.

There are many web-sites depicting owner trained dog initiatives, although it is advised to keep in mind that laws vary from state to state regarding the amount and level of involvement with a recognized agency, such as Shadows for Life. Also, most agencies have hands-on minimum training hours requirements as well as the maintenance of training logs.

Consistent puppy “Jump-Start” programs

2011-04-05T16:55:00Z

With the arrival of four new puppies between 22 March and 28 March 2011, we are continuing to maintain a consistent flow of pups participating in our “Jump-Start” program. The four new pups include a German Shepherd (Austin’s Shadow), Golden Retriever (Walker), Mini-Labradoodle (Dauby) and a Goldendoodle (Buddy). These pups are all progressing on schedule, and will be here at Shadows for Life until the first week or so in May. At that time, they will be sent home with their respective “Going-Home” packets to continue their Phase 1 and 2 training. Check the gallery for updated photos of these and other teams in training.

German Shepherd time

2011-02-19T14:12:00Z

We now currently have six German Shepherds on site, one of which is an agency demo dog (Powder, 7 years old), and the other five are puppies in training, four for special needs! Two of the pups are 18 week old brothers from Vom Springer German Shepherds in Nebraska, and a third pup from them is coming this way around the middle of March for a new client in Temple, TX. These are very high quality pups with outstanding temperaments and a strong desire to learn. They should make excellent Service Dogs even though they both face highly complex training with their “team-mates”.

The youngest GSD pup here is a 12 week old named Kia for her team-mate in Waxahachie, TX, and she is also doing very well in her “jump-start” program. Of course, Sasha is still here and is already one year old! Her temperament remains extraordinary and her training is progressing nicely. She will potentially be used to breed puppies with similar desirable traits in about another year.

New pups in training - 2011

2011-01-19T19:14:00Z

The number of inquiries to Shadows for Life has continued to grow, both for children and adults! We now have two of the three new pups that we were expecting to arrive in the December - January time-frame here with us, and the third will be here as soon as we can get him out of snowbound South Dakota. When the 15 week old German Shepherd ("Ryder") arrives he will coincidentally be re-united with his litter-mate, “Jonah” Both of these pups will be taught multiple tasks to assist their teammates with.

The third pup is a nine week old Standard Poodle named “Max”. All three of these pups are from excellent breeders and our expectations are very high for them! Not only did both breeders work with our clients on reducing the cost of the dogs, but Siena Standard Poodles (Woodway, TX) went as far as to donate their pup for a young boy in Hondo, Texas.

We are also planning on a new pup (Golden) in early February, and expect this level of activity to continue throughout 2011! We are constantly making minor improvements to our new property for the pups/dogs, but our number one priority far and away is to construct a building for the dogs. Having a separate environmentally controlled building will enhance their training significantly. The agency is actively seeking grants, donations and fund-raising opportunities to help achieve this goal. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Long term board & train

2010-11-22T14:58:00Z

We are in the process of developing a new program for clients who can not actively perform the service dog training themselves due to their specific disability. This will entail keeping the pups with us and working with them here at our facility, as well as at the client’s residence, while they mature. We are also currently seeking out foster homes to cycle the puppies through during the training process. This is good news for the agency and is indicative of the growth process in this industry.

The need for a facility is very evident and we have obtained several estimates based on varying types of buildings dedicated to the dogs. The building must be environmentally controlled and somewhere along the 30’ x 40’ range. This would allow for indoor training during inclement weather and during the hotter months also.

There are currently three additional pups that will be coming here to stay for extended training. Two of them will be here by mid-January, and a third is actually being fostered in Oregon for the first year and will then come to Texas next Fall. Until we get a separate buidling to house and train the dogs in we will continue to keep them in the house out of the elements and close to a pack. Please share any comments or suggestions that you may have regarding the building.

Pups in training

2010-09-24T14:04:00Z

We currently have five pups in training as assistance dogs at different stages. “Sasha” is our 7 month old AKC German Shepherd “blizzard baby” (born 12 Feb 2010), which was donated to the agency, and she is here with us going through her obedience and public access training. She has an absolutely wonderful temperament and will stay with the agency as a personal assistance dog, demonstration dog and possibly for breeding purposes.

“Trig” (Seguin, TX) and “Shelby” (Austin, TX) are both placed in the home and continuing with their training. They have both already completed their “jump-starts” here at Shadows for Life, and are doing very well in the homes of their team-mates! The biggest benefits from having these pups is that, although they are still very early in their training, the family unit (pack) is building a stronger bond and gaining invaluable experience from participating in the training. Not to mention the cost is significantly less and they didn’t have to wait years for a dog.

“Bonnie” (Tyler, TX) was sent home on 01 Sep, and is doing well adjusting to her new routine. Also, “Brianna” (Dallas, TX) was sent home on 14 Aug and is getting as ton on public access with her team-mate, ans is doing excellent at riding buses and trains. All of this at only 4 months of age!

Our other “pup” in training at this time does not look like a pup at all, but he is still only a year and a half old. Check out our gallery for “Sherlock” (Lafayette, Louisiana) and see what a beautiful well-behaved dog he was recently at Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio! He is currently here at Shadows for Life while his team-mate recovers from shoulder surgery, and to aslso work on his retrieve and bracing ezxercises.

New location and Morgan’s Wonderland

2010-06-04T12:32:00Z

Shadows for Life has finally moved out to the country on some land, which will eventually have expanded capacity for housing rescue dogs and assistance dogs in training. The new location is in Alvarado, TX and the specific address can be found in the contact us section. This is a very exciting time for the agency, and estimates are already coming in for facility construction.

Local Doggie Day-care owners Brittany Williams (Cowtown Canines in Fort Worth) & Amanda Tachtaul-Petty (Paw Paws Dog House in Arlington) are co-sponsoring a major fund-raiser for the agency on July 10, 2010 at the Paw Paws Dog House location. There will be quite a few animal friendly vendors at the event, and we would love to see you out there. They have both worked very hard towards pulling this event together, and welcome any input that you may have. They may be contacted at 817-732-DOGS (Brittany) or 817-548-8485 (Amanda).

We also had the great pleasure of being invited to Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio recently as we delivered one of our pups in training (Trig Stahl) to his home in Seguin. Trig is in training to assist Cole Stahl in his day to day activities, as Cole has Spina Bifida. Although only 3 years old, this wonderful child is one of the most inspirational people that you will ever meet! He verbalizes way beyond his years, and is friends with everybody!

We went to Morgan’s with the Stahl family, and this is simply put an amazing facility. There is controlled attendance (reservations required), and the volunteers are the most pleasant people that you will encounter anywhere - very special individuals! Please check out the pictures in our gallery and the Morgan’s website at http://www.morganswonderland.com.

Expanded service area

2010-03-29T17:13:00Z

Shadows for Life has expanded our service area to include new clients in San Antonio and Temple to name a few. Revised donation and fund-raising guidelines have enhanced our ability to support this type of activity. With the need for Assistance Dogs for minor children seemingly increasing daily, Shadows for Life remains one of the few agencies that will work with families with special needs minors. The benefits and results of having these specially trained dogs as members of the families are tremendous. Also, both programs that we have are intended for the families to reap the initial benefits almost immediately upon the placement of the dog’s into the home, even with puppies. The method of having Shadows for Life jump start the training routine has been consistently effective in establishing the structure and guidelines to be followed-up on in the home.

The agency is emphasizing to start with a puppy and to begin the training right away. Even young adult dogs may possibly have developed bad habits which may be difficult to break or modify. Although, we did successfully place a rescued lab with a special needs family during this past winter, so it can be done. Please note that there are no specific breeds for Assistance Dogs, although some instinctively perform specific tasks more reliably than others. The key is the true temperament of the puppy/dog, as this can not be taught. Shadows for Life has a temperament test that should be given to any dog being considered as an Assistance Dog.

Therapy Dogs for Children

2009-09-27T14:07:00Z

Shadows for Life has recently shifted our special needs primary focus to working with minor children, as well as their parents, in order to assist those in need of a Therapy Dog. We have instituted methods that physically place the dogs into the home, and have the “team” work together under the auspices and direction of the agency. Our contention is that the benefit of having a Therapy Dog in training, in the home, has a positive effect on the child virtually immediately.

Although the dogs do not have the overall public access as Service Dogs, they nonetheless perform a vital function for the team, and there are many places that the dogs can go without any issues surfacing. Also, due to resource limitations, Shadows for Life is currently requiring that clients perform fund raising activities and/or submit donations to the agency for the funding of all activities.

The agency will continue to supply family pet training and counseling for problematic canine behavior, as well as limited boarding (all indoors).

Please contact the agency should you have any questions or inquiries.

Enhanced Services

2009-09-04T13:44:00Z

Shadows for Life has instituted a few new enhanced services in order to expand our goal to meet our clients needs accordingly. The first initiative is the boarding of dogs, along with the continued identification and implementation of behavioral modification techniques as required. There are varying approaches as to how to correct problem canine behavior issues, and they often require different methods. One of the key components to successful training is to follow through on the new method, and to be consistent and diligent.

Shadows for Life offers a few different training packages, specifically to work within our clients schedule and the extent of training required. We also now offer pick-up and delivery of the dogs that are boarding as well as boarding/training. This is also meant for the convenience of prospective clients. Please note that we have limited space at our location, and that all dogs are kept indoors while in attendance. This also works out well due to the fact that we can spend more time with a smaller group of dogs, generally only a few at a time.

These new services will not have any affect concerning our Special Needs initiatives.

Please contact the agency should you have any comments or questions.

2009 Objectives

2009-02-20T21:31:00Z

Shadows for Life has reviewed previous goals and objectives and is in the process of shifting focus to increased rescue activity with limited family pet and special needs training. This will in turn increase the quality of the training activities as the utilization of the agencies resources improves to specifically enhance the special needs aspect of our program.

The rescue and family pet training proceeds will continue to be used to support the special needs activities, and the special needs will be limited to a few teams in training at any given time. All special needs training will continue to be supplied at no charge.

Shadows for Life is also proud to announce that we have recently established a partnership with “Cowtown Canines - Daycamp for Dogs” in Fort Worth. Cowtown Canines is a doggie daycare which also assists in fostering rescue dogs, specifically Mastiffs (http://www.cowtowncanines.com).

Please contact the agency if you have any questions or comments.

On-site training/rescue activity

2008-06-05T13:53:00Z

We are currently cycling all of our dogs in Special Needs training through our on-site training program, one at a time. Each dog spends approximately 10 - 14 days with us in order to work on obedience, public access and the retrieve. This has proven to be very beneficial to our clients, and will continue until all of these dogs have been with us for a few weeeks. We currently have Luke (Denise Lanier) with us from Hollywood, Florida, and have recently worked with Caleb (Becky/Kersten Harmon from North Richland Hills) and Bailey (Barrie/Ryan Yarborough from Fort Worth). We have an additional five dogs in training which we will work with through the summer. Since our inception in January 2006 we have certified an additional five teams, and this brings our 2 year total to thirteen teams which we have assisted in obtaining their dog training goals.

The volume of K-9 Rescue activity has really picked up during the past few months, with an average of one - two rescue/placements per week. Almost all of this activity can be attributed to the internet, specifically from our web-site and membership with Petfinder. In most cases we ask the current owner of the dog to hold on to them while we post them on our Petfinder site. We require that these dogs be current on their shots at the time of release. We then screen the inquiries to assure that the dogs are in fact being adopted into a good situation, and then we place them respectfully. We fully expect this activity to continue as we grow as an agency. The procurement of a facility will further enhance our ability to house dogs in training and rescued.

Please address inquiries for information as to how you can help to the agency through the contact page accordingly, as all of our services are provided at no charge to our Special Needs clients, as well as our rescue clients.

Owner Training

2008-03-13T13:46:00Z

The Owner Training method of acquiring and certifying Service Dogs continues to be the main focus of Shadows for Life. This will continue to be the case until such time as a facility is obtained and traditional methods of training may be incorporated into the processes. We have improved the overall process by utilizing training resources located in close proximity to the owner and dog team, and this has helped significantly! Two new teams from Garland, TX have recently started the training, and both are progressing well ahead of the norm.

Although this method has limitations, benefits have been recognized in every situation incurred to date. In one case, a seven year old with autism was able to get completely off of his medication with the introduction of a well behaved dog which he spends a great deal of time with.

Please contact the agency if you are interested in our services or if you may have any questions regarding the agency.

2008 Agenda

2008-01-14T14:57:00Z

As we embark on our third year as an agency, we have many objectives to address in our CY 2008 business plan and agenda. First and foremost, this is the year that we hope to be in our own facility, which will greatly enhance our ability to provide rescue and special needs housing and training for the dogs. Even with very limited space we were able to successfully place over (25) pups/dogs during calender year 2007.

Fundraising activities will be held on an on-going basis, as determined by the Board of Directors. We have also recently had an influx of inquiries over the past several weeks from potential volunteers. It is very heartwarming to hear from these total strangers who recognize our efforts and would like to be a part of Shadows for Life. Several of our existing special needs clients have also offered to help in this wonderful “team” effort!

As always, please check back every four to six weeks for updates, and watch the gallery for new photos.