Miniature Littlefield Sheepdog
Not just another pretty face in the designer dog world
Fourteen year old Cody Katen was born with a heart defect called hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy disease when he was only 4-months-old. He had an internal
defibrillator implanted in his chest.
It was Christmas morning, but instead of opening presents and preparing
for a holiday gathering, the Rev. Jason Katen held the limp body of his
14-year-old son, Cody. His heart had stopped and for all practical purposes,
Cody was dead. On this particular Christmas morning, the defibrillator shocked
his heart eight times, but his heart wouldn't start beating on its own until the
emergency medical personnel used a more powerful, external defibrillator. Cody
would not have survived had it not been for the quick intervention of
firefighters who shocked his heart with a defibrillator and then airlifted him
from Ravensdale to Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Seattle.
Cody recovered, but his parents, Jason and Amy, were terrified that he'd go into
cardiac arrest at night when no one was around to hear it. Amy and Jason made
the decision to contact Haven of the Heartland Kennels and the Miniature
Littlefield Sheepdog Club
of America (at the time it was known as the Shichon Club of America). They were
in search of a small dog that could warn them if their son's internal
defibrillator went off in the event of heart failure. Working in coordination
with the child’s heart specialist and the hospital, Haven of the Heartland
Kennels was given a recorded sound of an internal defibrillator warming up. This
sound was key. They had to find a puppy that responded to this sound. One
special puppy, named Lacy, was chosen. Lacy would cock her head at the sound and
the work began to teach the puppy to bark when she heard it.
Lacy was chosen for her reaction to certain noise pitches and trained to
sleep on or near the chest, which most of these puppies do automatically. When
Cody received his puppy at 10 weeks old and held it, Lacy heard the ticking, and
immediately reacted by turning her head sideways. Lacy slept at Cody's chest that night and
every night until he was able to get his new heart. Lacy was in the hospital
during his recovery.
Unfortunately, in October of 2005, Dawn Littlefield, received a call.
Cody's dog had been stolen. They are still searching for Lacy. Haven of the
Heartland Kennels plans to donate another puppy to them in the spring of 2006 if
no one finds her. Her picture and their story were in the Seattle Times, and if
anyone knows of her whereabouts they can contact Dawn Littlefield so Cody and
Lacy can be reunited.
The Miniature Littlefield Sheepdog are among a growing number of dogs specially trained to perform
medical- or health-related services for humans.
| Dogs were recently found to be
able to detect some kinds of cancer. Some dogs are able to detect a seizure
minutes or seconds before the epileptic episode happens. Dogs are also
helpful to people with cerebral palsy, mental conditions from depression to
panic disorders, ADD (attention deficit disorder), sensory issues and even
people with Aspergers in addition to helping the deaf and blind. |
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About the Miniature Littlefield
Sheepdog
The Miniature Littlefield Sheepdog (also affectionately called the Chacy Bear) has helped many
children with not only health and development issues, but has been
praised for the psychological support they give to the children. Many
families have benefited from the experience and sensitivity the
Miniature Littlefield Sheepdog Club of America has put into these dogs; from the bedridden
child to children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), the Chacy
Renoir is carefully bred, raised, and placed according to the specific
needs of each family. If you go to the developer of the breeds home you
won’t find kennels or coddled dogs. The Miniature Littlefield Sheepdog had to be tough and
smart. They are raised on a horse farm in the country. Although, well
loved by visitors and the breed developer's children, they have to be
able to mature and learn quickly. Born, and in the home until 6 weeks of
age they are introduced to the outside world. This world includes
fathers, other mothers, aunts, sisters, grandmothers and a large old
farm dog. They help continue their education along with their people
parents. When they are 10 to twelve weeks old they are ready for their
chosen job. Even as puppies, they are keenly aware of their charges
needs and settle into the new family immediately with great ease and can
sleep with their child the first night. With correct guidance and
corrections when needed, they do not, usually, have to go through the
extreme training to understand their role in the family.
About Dawn Littlefield
A new breed has arisen and has become a champion to the world
of children with disabilities and special needs. Dawn Littlefield had been
involved in both worlds. As a young adult, she helped a family touch their
autistic child for the first time in 7 years through a dog she had raised and
was so touched that she gave them the dog and along with it the gift of
communicating love in a way they never thought possible. She understood the
complexity needed to take on such a huge, complicated task that involved
families and children that needed a smaller dog in their lives. The
Labradoodle,
is a wonderful combination for allergies and trainability, but they had
disadvantages for children with a fear of large dogs or sensory issues because
the Standard Poodle and Labrador were both hunting breeds and were sometimes
more of a challenge until they reached adult hood and had proper training. So,
Special needs families were left out of the small dog world for the most part.
She knew some families got lucky, but most families had been unlucky and
heartbroken. Dawn Littlefield had rescued just about every breed and mix from
small to large from the time she was a little girl at age 6(from the shelter she
volunteered in at 13 )As an adult was a huge and powerful advocate for adoption
and improvements in local shelters housing. As a P.A.W.S rescuer she would
rescue, educate, and place dogs and puppies and in cases of severe abuse, used
the local news stations cameras to speak to the public and wake up local
officials. She was a counselor for adults and children with special needs (She
used her own animals in that program as well), was a firefighter/medic
volunteer, and an emergency room and clinical nurse. So she decided to combine
her experience with people and animal behavior and health and made a breed that
has become well known in the Autistic community.
