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Monday 9am - 3pm Tuesday 9am - 3pm Wednesday 9am - 3pm

http://Livengoodservicedogs.org/

Livengood Service Dogs, Columbus, OH (2026)

06/21/2026

Happy Father's Day! ❤️

06/21/2026

Zeus here.

I have an important announcement...

I FOUND MY PERSON 🥳🎊

That’s right. After all the training, all the hard work, and all the naps in between, I officially found my handler.

Turns out, this whole journey was leading somewhere pretty special ❤️ 🐾

From being rescued off the side of a highway...
To finding a home...
To stepping into my purpose.

Pretty amazing, right?

I can’t wait for this next chapter!

Love,
Zeus

P.S. I still fully expect snacks and naps to remain part of my daily schedule. 🌭💤

06/20/2026

Hey fan club, Baloo here!
Long time no bark.

Just checking in to let you know I’m doing well and making excellent life choices.

For example, today I found this stick.

Not just any stick.
A premium stick.
A luxury model.
Very rare.

Naturally, I brought it home because that is what heroes do.

Tia seemed... less impressed than she should have been.
I expected applause.
Maybe snacks.
At minimum, a promotion.

Anyway, stay tuned for more important updates from me.

Sincerely,
Baloo
Professional good boy
Stick collector

Video of Baloo, a black Labrador, proudly strutting down a wide sidewalk with a stick in his mouth. He looks very pleased with himself, showing off his latest prized treasure.

06/16/2026

Welcome to the Program, Abigail!

Meet Abigail, better known as Abby, our newest Service Dog in Training!

At 2 years old, Abby stands an impressive 30 inches tall and weighs just under 100 pounds. This beautiful Great Dane was carefully selected for a client we are incredibly excited to serve, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the Livengood Service Dogs family.

While Abby may be large in size, she has an equally large heart. She has already begun training and is making wonderful progress as she learns the skills needed to become a reliable service dog.

Before continuing her journey, Abby needs several important veterinary procedures and supplies, including:

• Spay surgery
• Gastropexy surgery (a preventative procedure that secures the stomach to help prevent gastric torsion, commonly called bloat, a life-threatening condition that Great Danes are especially prone to)
• Vaccinations
• Health screening x-rays
• Training equipment

Our goal is to raise $2,000 to help cover these medical expenses and training needs so Abby can continue preparing for her future partner.

If you'd like to support Abby's journey, donations can be made through:
Venmo:
Zelle: livengoodservicedogs

Every dollar helps us continue our mission of Rescuing Dogs to Rescue People.

Please join us in welcoming Abby to the program. We can't wait to share her training journey with all of you!

05/31/2026

We were out walking last night when the sky started making giant booming noises.

BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.

Humans kept looking around.
Some dogs in the distance were barking.
One person even said, “Wow, he doesn’t even care.”

And they were right.

Because I was busy sniffing grass like a scholar studying ancient texts.

Big noise behind me?
Okay.

Another giant boom?
Cool.

Anyway, this sidewalk smells like somebody dropped a chicken nugget here in approximately 2024, and I need to investigate further.

I didn’t flinch.
Didn’t stop walking.
Didn’t panic.

Just kept strolling with my human like the world wasn’t trying to audition for an action movie.

Love,
Baloo

05/31/2026

How to Train: Chin Rest

A Chin Rest is when a dog calmly places their chin across your leg. This can be used for grounding, light pressure therapy, interrupting behaviors like leg bouncing or scratching, or eventually developing into a medical alert behavior.

Here is how I teach it step-by-step:

🔹️ Set Up Positioning

Sit slightly scooched forward in a chair.

Place the dog on your left side facing perpendicular to you, not directly facing you. Their body should stay lined up alongside your leg.

If needed, sit with your knees close to a wall to create a barrier so the dog cannot swing around in front of your knees. You can also use a leash lightly for positional guidance.

🔹️ Lure Into Position

Using your right hand, lure the dog’s nose over your LEFT leg and feed between your knees jackpot style.

At this stage, we are not focused on pressure. We are simply teaching: “This is a good place for your head to be.”

In the beginning, the dog’s head may hover over the leg instead of resting fully. That is perfectly fine. If they naturally add light pressure, great. Just avoid encouraging too much pressure while eating because pressure on the throat while taking treats can cause coughing or choking.

🔹️ Reward Correct Positioning Only

This part matters a lot. Only reward when the dog’s BODY is in the correct position.

If the dog swings their rear around or tries to come between your knees:
Do not reward.

We want clean repetitions from the beginning so the task stays clear and consistent. At first, only ask for a second or two at a time. Short successful repetitions build understanding much faster than long frustrating ones.

🔹️ Begin the Training Stage

Once the dog starts anticipating the behavior, begin changing how you feed.

Instead of bringing your right hand over your left leg, start feeding UNDER your right leg while the dog keeps their head in position.

This helps remove the visible lure from the picture so your hand stops becoming part of the cue. It also encourages the dog to naturally lower their head more and begin applying gentle pressure onto the left leg.

This is where the behavior starts transitioning into more of a grounding task. You can also slowly begin removing boundaries like the wall setup as the dog becomes more confident and consistent.

🔹️ Add a Verbal Cue

Once the dog is reliably offering the behavior, add a verbal cue:
“Rest"
“Chin”
“Pressure”
"Banana sandwich"

Whatever consistent word you want. Dogs do not care about the vocabulary. They care about the pattern.

🔹️ Begin Proofing

Once the dog understands the behavior intentionally, begin practicing it in different situations.

Different rooms.
Different environments.
Different distractions.

You can also practice:
• Calling the dog out of a Place command to perform the task
• Pairing the task with leg bouncing
• Pairing the task with scratching behaviors
• Pairing it with medical alert training

This is where the task begins becoming functional instead of just rehearsed.

🔹️ For leg bouncing specifically:
-Bounce your leg while giving the verbal cue.
-Reward heavily when the dog responds.
-Repeat this multiple times until the dog begins associating the movement itself with the behavior.

Then slowly fade the verbal cue. Now the leg bouncing becomes the cue.

Medical alert training follows the same basic concept:
-Present the information or symptom, cue the behavior, reward heavily, and slowly fade the verbal cue over time.

🔹️ Maintain the Behavior

One of the biggest mistakes in service work is teaching a task once and then rarely practicing it again.

If this is not a task the dog naturally performs almost daily, intentionally practice it at least a couple times a week to keep the dog mentally sharp and confident.

Dogs are living animals, not furry flash drives.

Consistent maintenance helps make sure the dog is prepared when the real situation happens organically.

05/30/2026

Not all prong collars are created equal.

Putting the wrong size prong on a dog is a little like putting hiking boots on a squirrel. Technically possible. Spiritually incorrect.

Prong collars are tools, and like any tool, fit matters. A properly sized prong collar should sit high on the neck, behind the ears, and distribute pressure evenly. The size of the links changes how that pressure feels and how clearly the dog understands the communication.

Smaller links are not “harsher.” In many cases, they are actually more gentle because they fit the neck more precisely and apply more even pressure.

Here’s a general breakdown:

2.25 mm:

Typically best for small to medium dogs, sensitive dogs, puppies in advanced training, or dogs with finer neck structure. Common breeds might include Border Collies, Standard Poodles, smaller Labradors, Aussies, or dogs who respond well to lighter communication.

3.0 mm / 3.2 mm:

Often used for medium to large dogs with thicker necks, stronger temperaments, or dogs that tend to lean into pressure. Common for many working dogs and larger sporting breeds.

4.0 mm and larger:

Usually reserved for giant breeds with very large, thick necks. These collars are not automatically “better” because the dog is strong. Using oversized prongs on smaller or average-sized dogs can reduce clarity, create poor communication, and often results in sloppy handling because the collar becomes less precise and slower to respond.

A properly fitted prong collar should:

• Sit high on the neck
• Be snug without choking
• Stay in position during movement
• Be introduced fairly and thoughtfully
• Never be used to intimidate or punish

The goal is communication, not correction theater.

A calm dog on a properly fitted tool will almost always look better than a frustrated dog dragging around equipment that doesn’t fit their body or training level.

Good training is boring in the best way possible. Quiet leash. Clear communication. Happy dog. No rodeo soundtrack required.

05/29/2026

Summer is rolling in, the temperatures are climbing, and backyards everywhere are waking up again. Pools are sparkling, garden fountains are bubbling, sprinklers are running, and everybody is ready to enjoy the sunshine, dogs included.

The important thing to remember is this:

Just because water looks clean and refreshing to us does not mean it is safe drinking water for dogs.

Pool water may contain chlorine, salt systems, algaecides, shock treatments, and other chemicals that can upset a dog’s stomach or cause more serious illness if they drink too much of it. Decorative garden fountains can also collect bacteria, algae, fertilizer runoff, insects, bird droppings, and stagnant debris that dogs happily slurp up like it’s a five-star beverage.

During summer, many dogs become overheated or excited outdoors and will start drinking from whatever water source they can find. Unfortunately, this can quickly turn into vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, or other medical concerns that nobody wants to deal with in the middle of a hot week.

The good news is that prevention is simple:
• Always provide fresh, cool drinking water outside
• Bring water on walks and outings
• Teach a reliable “leave it”
• Supervise dogs around pools and fountains
• Watch for signs of stomach upset after swimming or outdoor play

Your backyard oasis should stay a fun place for the whole family, including the dogs. Sometimes the prettiest water feature in the yard is actually forbidden soup.

05/26/2026

Apparently I am “starting to get serious about my job.”

Personally, I think we are just playing the world’s greatest curb game.

Hi. I’m Baloo. I’m 9 months old, professionally adorable, and currently learning an important future guide dog skill: stopping at curbs.

In this video, I am wearing my bright red harness with a black martingale collar and short black leash while my handler and I practice curb stops over and over again. Up curbs, down curbs, tiny curbs, rolling curbs... honestly humans have put an alarming amount of curbs everywhere.

The rules of the game are simple:

1. Walk forward.
2. Find curb.
3. Slam on brakes.
4. Hear “YES!” or “GOOD BOY!”
5. Receive snack payment immediately.

Frankly, I think I am winning.

Right now, we are not using official guide dog commands yet. My handler is just teaching me that curbs are important and that stopping at them is always the correct answer. Every time I stop, I get praise, food, and told I’m brilliant, which seems like a pretty solid career path.

In the montage, you can see me moving confidently beside my handler and stopping at each curb before stepping up or down. Sometimes I pause dramatically like a tiny construction foreman inspecting the sidewalk for safety violations. Other times I stop so fast you can practically hear the elevator music in my brain while I wait for my paycheck.

Even though the humans keep calling this “work,” from my perspective it is mostly just:
Walking.
Sniffing.
Stopping.
Snacking.
Getting admired by strangers.

I may still be a puppy, but I am starting to understand that one day these little games are going to help someone safely navigate the world.

For now though, I am mostly focused on becoming employee of the month.

05/26/2026

AVAILABLE FOR PET ADOPTION: Murphy

Murphy is an 86lb Saint Bernard/Poodle mix currently searching for a family that wants a giant teddy bear instead of a social influencer.

After working as a service dog for 2 years, Murphy experienced multiple attacks from uncontrolled dogs in public spaces. As a result, he developed leash reactivity and hypervigilance around unfamiliar dogs while out in public. We want to be transparent about that history because Murphy deserves the right home, not just the fastest one.

The important part:
Since returning to the program a few weeks ago, Murphy has shown significant improvement. He is currently living successfully in a multi-dog household and continues to make progress every day. He plays beautifully with dogs he knows, has excellent house manners, and genuinely loves people of all ages.

Murphy can also live peacefully with:
• Cats
• Birds
• Small animals
• Other stable, non-reactive dogs

What Murphy does NOT want:
A lifestyle of constantly going everywhere, navigating crowded public spaces, or pretending the local HomeGoods is a personality trait.

What Murphy DOES want:
• A comfy couch
• A family to adore
• Yard zoomies
• Playtime with trusted friends
• Snacks
• Probably your pillow

He has no health issues, somehow survives on only 2 to 3 cups of food a day, and has the emotional energy of a retired linebacker who discovered weighted blankets and healing.

Murphy is goofy, affectionate, incredibly loyal, and absolutely hilarious to live with. He deserves a home where he can simply be loved for who he is without the pressure of public work.

If you are interested in adopting Murphy, please email:
[email protected]

Livengood Service Dogs

06/21/2026

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06/20/2026

06/16/2026

05/31/2026

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05/26/2026

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