Hello, I recently acquired a Alaskan Malamute to train as a service dog. I was told that he was found in a dumpster at about 2 weeks old. He was adopted by a young woman who wanted to train him to be a diabetic alert dog for her mother. She started his training to be a service dog, but than her mom passed. She wanted him to be adopted by someone needing a service dog. He had already completed his basic obedience training and had just begun training as an assistance dog. I adopted him and sent him to be trained as a service dog. I was very fortunate as I found an excellent trainer near where I live and as a bonus the cost of training him as a mobility service dog was lower than most other trainers I have researched on the internet. It was a large facility with 4 trainers and the owner who is a well respected dog trainer. He was trained and past his test a couple weeks ago. Once a week, I went to the training center to work with him. Actually, he was easier to train than I was. In San Diego County they issue assistant dog tags with proof of training, documentation of his vet care and doctors note. Koni is very beautiful. He is stubborn like most malumates I am told. He is a perfect service dog when working but when he is off duty he loves to play and run. He gets on great with our other dogs, our cat, our parrott and the rest of the family. I have researched malumates on the internet. I am a retired nursing instructor. I am also an attorney and do pro bono work with foster children and children who are under the supervision of the family court and social services, I have not been able to do much pro bono work recently because I have arthritis and back problems due to arthritis. I have back pain most of the time if I am not laying down and I have weakness in my left leg. Koni provides balance support, counter balance, he helps me up and down steps and he provides bracing. I have four boys. Two are police officers, one is an attorney and our fourth is in high school who we adopted after he was placed with us at 5 weeks as a medical fragile infant. I just became 70 years old and believe me it is hard raising a teenager at our age. I have a great husband who helps with Koni. Beadel
