NOVEMBER 18, 2020
www.NewsAdvertiser.com
News Advertiser PAGE 15
Service Dog in Training has its own Unique and Rewarding Challenges that “yes” means that he did something correctly and will get a kibble as a treat.” Since Heather and her husband Russell are both out and about frequently training the dog, they wanted to share some helpful information and advice for people in the community. Heather said, “When Gunner is wearing his green jacket, we are teaching him that he has to focus on his trainer. He is only three-months-old so doesn’t have a very long attention span. Petting the puppy breaks his concentration and distracts him from listening to the commands that he is being taught. At home and on walks, he Heather Giebelhaus was out and about for a walk with doesn’t wear his jacket so Gunner at Pysanka Park recently. (Michelle Pinon/Photo) that he learns that he isn’t working all of the time.” Michelle Pinon She went on to say, “We are happy to News Advertiser answer questions about Gunner, but Heather Giebelhaus is always up for a
new challenge, and for the past three weeks the Vegreville resident has been training a Service Dog. “Gunner came to our home on October 23, and training started right away. We are given specific skills and commands to teach him over the course of the next year. We also attend weekly training classes in Edmonton. Gunner learns quickly and has been house trained, knows the commands “sit”, “let’s go”, “look” (to look at our eyes), “get busy” (to take care of business), and
Gunner is training to be a Service Dog. (Heather Giebelhaus/Submitted Photo)
Changing the Clocks Dear Editor, My question is this: Why does Alberta still insist on changing the clocks twice a year? Health Authorities, (God bless them), say there is an increase of heart attacks and strokes because of the time change! Children’s sleep patterns suffer also. So, why are we hurting our fellow Albertans by changing the time? Do you have a weak heart? Are you afraid of being affected? I really prefer Daylight Savings Time.
Sunlight is always better than darkness. Agree? For the sake of less heart attacks, horrible strokes, and happier children who will sleep better, please phone your MLA. Let’s get the ball rolling. Pat Dehid Two Hills
Hello Pat. Thanks for writing. I’m with you. This seems like an endless debate for some reason. I am not sure why. - AB
please do not call out to him or approach him directly. We both have jobs in the community and are being very careful with the number of COVID cases increasing in the area so we are respecting a two-meter distance for conversations.” After Gunner is about a year old, he will move to an adult raiser family to complete his training and will be with them for 10 to 12 months. Heather added that when Gunner is fully trained he will have the skills to provide his human partner with assistance in their day to day activities. Service dogs help people with specific tasks relating to visible and non-visible disabilities such as epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, diabetes, or mobility limitations. They are trained and tested to ensure safety in public.
Pat Dehid For the News Advertiser Learning to play the harp is no guarantee that you’ll go to heaven.
