Seeking Zeth’s Service Dog

01/01/2025

Happy New Year, everyone! 🎉 Odie, Zeth, and I are diving into 2025 with a focus on growth and learning! 🐾 In obedience 2, we’ve been working on loose leash walking, and I’m so proud of how far we’ve come. Odie shows so much potential with qualities such as focus, enthusiasm, intelligence and these classes are helping us refine those even more.

Over the next 3 weeks, I can’t wait to see how much we continue to grow as a team. Here’s to progress, patience, and paws-itively great training adventures ahead. Wishing you and yours a fantastic start to the new year! 🐶✨

12/24/2024

DM injury law

12/15/2024

11/28/2024

🍂🦃 Happy Thanksgiving from our family (and Odie) to yours! 🦃🍂

This year, we’re especially thankful for the joy, love, and energy that Odie brings into our lives. He’s been doing great and still practicing his skills from Obedience 1—he’s such a quick learner! We’re excited to share that next month, he’ll be moving on to Obedience 2 classes starting December 23!

In the meantime, Odie has been participating in a local dog club, which includes weekly outings to help him socialize and keep up with some behavioral training. It’s been wonderful seeing him grow more confident and engaged with others!

Wishing you all a day filled with love, laughter, and gratitude. How are you celebrating today? Share your furry friends’ updates too—we’d love to hear about them! 🐾💛

10/07/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/LrqRDrytqzZH6iBZ/?mibextid=UalRPS

09/11/2024

🌙 Evening Reflections with Zeth & Odie 🐾

As the day winds down, we’re taking a moment to appreciate all the small wins. Zeth is working hard every day to overcome the challenges of Mixed Receptive Language Disorder. With Odie by his side, they make an unstoppable team! 💪🐶

This evening, let’s remember that understanding takes time. For those with receptive language challenges, conversations can feel like a puzzle. But with patience and a little creativity, they can build their own ways of connecting.

💡 Here’s how you can help:

• Simplify Language: Using short, clear sentences makes communication easier.
• Support with Gestures: Pointing or mimicking actions can reinforce understanding.
• Be a Friend: Encourage others to be kind, patient, and supportive.

Every night, Zeth and Odie remind us of the power of teamwork and persistence. 💙 Let’s continue spreading awareness about Autism and Mixed Language Receptive Disorder. Every bit of understanding helps!

09/10/2024

🌟 Learning in Our Own Way 🌟

Did you know that communication isn’t just about talking, but also understanding what’s being said? For Zeth, every word is a little more complex to process, but with determination and support, he’s making strides every day!

Mixed Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder means Zeth faces challenges with both understanding (receptive) and expressing (expressive) language. It’s not always easy, but with tools like speech therapy, patience, and of course, Odie by his side 🐾, he’s learning to navigate a world full of language.

💡 Here’s how you can help:

1. Be Patient: Give children time to process and respond.
2. Use Visuals: Kids like Zeth benefit from visual aids, gestures, or pictures to connect words with meaning.
3. Celebrate Progress: Every new word or sentence is a victory for Zeth—and so many others!

We’re sharing Zeth’s journey to raise awareness and show that every child communicates in their own way. Let’s spread the word and offer support to families who are walking a similar path. 💙

09/10/2024

What is Mixed Receptive Language Disorder?

Did you know that Zeth has mixed receptive language disorder (MRLD)? MRLD can make it hard for him to understand language and communicate easily. It affects the way he processes spoken words, making everyday interactions a bit more challenging.

But here’s where Odie comes in – as a service dog-in-training, Odie helps Zeth stay calm, focused, and connected. Together, they are learning how to navigate these challenges one day at a time.

We’re raising awareness so more people can understand autism and MRLD – each kid is unique, and the right support makes all the difference! 🧩❤️

09/10/2024

Zeth loves talking about Minecraft and games – if you listened to him, you’d think that’s all he does! But don’t worry, he only gets to play after homeschool, sports, and other activities are finished. 😊 Priorities first, then fun!

09/09/2024

This is Zeth! He used to eat so much more, but now doesn’t. We start eating therapy tomorrow 🙂

09/03/2024

Hey everyone,

Sorry it’s been so long since our last update, but we have some great news to share! Odie is doing fantastic—he now weighs 66 pounds and is about to turn 8 months old on September 13, so he’s still got some growing to do.

We recently completed our first obedience class, and Zeth did an amazing job leading the training with James and me assisting. Zeth was really engaged for the first three weeks, but then we were moved to a room with fluorescent lights, which made it tough for him to focus. Despite that, we kept at it and made it work.

We’ve also been working hard to socialize Odie by taking him for nail trims, weigh-ins at the vet, outings at parks and pet-friendly stores, and even a couple of swimming sessions. The first time, Odie swam right away, but the next time, he wasn’t too sure about going deeper than his ankles!

Odie is now a member of a dog club, where he gets more experience being around other people and dogs. They meet weekly, and the events vary—sometimes it’s walks, agility, or even game nights. Zeth helps with all the training, and it’s been wonderful to watch them grow together.

Just to keep you all in the loop, we have enough funds left for about one and a half more classes. We’re currently working on a fundraising shirt to help with Odie’s ongoing training and care costs. In the meantime, we’re continuing to train at home at least five days a week and take Odie on outings. We’re also planning to enroll in Obedience 2 on Saturdays as soon as the training facility posts the date.

Thank you all for your continued support, and I hope all is well with you and your families!

09/03/2024

Hey everyone,

Sorry it’s been so long since our last update, but we have some great news to share! Odie is doing fantastic—he now weighs 66 pounds and is about to turn 8 months old on September 13, so he’s still got some growing to do.

We recently completed our first obedience class, and Zeth did an amazing job leading the training with James and me assisting. Zeth was really engaged for the first three weeks, but then we were moved to a room with fluorescent lights, which made it tough for him to focus. Despite that, we kept at it and made it work.

We’ve also been working hard to socialize Odie by taking him for nail trims, weigh-ins at the vet, outings at parks and pet-friendly stores, and even a couple of swimming sessions. The first time, Odie swam right away, but the next time, he wasn’t too sure about going deeper than his ankles!

Odie is now a member of a dog club, where he gets more experience being around other people and dogs. They meet weekly, and the events vary—sometimes it’s walks, agility, or even game nights. Zeth helps with all the training, and it’s been wonderful to watch them grow together.

Just to keep you all in the loop, we have enough funds left for about one and a half more classes. We’re currently working on a fundraising shirt to help with Odie’s ongoing training and care costs. In the meantime, we’re continuing to train at home at least five days a week and take Odie on outings. We’re also planning to enroll in Obedience 2 on Saturdays as soon as the training facility posts the date.

Thank you all for your continued support, and I hope all is well with you and your families!

07/13/2024

**Update on Odie's Training Journey!**

Today was finally our first day of obedience training, and Odie did so well! He was so calm and didn't bark once, even while all the other dogs were barking up a storm. We have this training for four more weeks, then we'll move on to Obedience 2.

The process will take some time, but it's incredibly rewarding to see Zeth grow with Odie and even be able to help train him. Every week, Zeth will be involved in Odie's training. We still have a long way to go and need to raise funds for future training.

Please continue to share and follow our journey. Your support means everything to us!

Thank you,
Heather



Sorry for the terrible photos. I was trying help and take photos. :)