Teddy has some exciting news for the Good Dogg family!
Teddy, the first of many service dogs to come through our partnership with Diggity Dogs Service Dogs, is embarking on a brand new chapter in his service dog career! Keep reading to find out Teddy's exciting new announcement!
Many of you are familiar with the sweet service dog in training, Teddy, who’s training is sponsored through the Good Dogg Leverage the Beverage™ Program. Our journey following Teddy’s service dog in training story started in May 2022, and Teddy has been a rockstar since day one!
The good folks at Diggity Dogs Service Dogs are experts in breeding and training medical alert, psychiatric, and mobility service dogs to be placed with loving human companions in need. In order to highlight the impact the partnership Good Dogg Leverage the BeverageTM makes, the Diggity Dogs team selected Teddy from a litter of eight-week-old puppies so that we could follow one of their dog’s training and placement journey and share it with our fans and followers.
Since then, thousands of followers have relished hearing what this good dog(g) is up to every week on Teddy Tuesdays on our social media accounts, as well as meeting him at the numerous events Good Dogg attended and hosted last year.
At Good Dogg, we are proud to support this incredible organization through our Leverage the Beverage™ program. Good Dogg is helping to provide service dogs for children with rare diseases by donating a portion of our beverage profits, and 100% of our merchandise profits are donated to organizations like Diggity Dogs Service Dogs.
Teddy is the first dog that we have been able to sponsor from puppyhood to the completion of his training. Before we get to Teddy’s exciting new announcement, let’s delve into Teddy’s journey and what makes him an extra special good dog(g)!
Teddy’s Journey
Teddy trained with exceptional handlers over the last nine months and learned many crucial skills along the way. Very early in Teddy’s development, Diggity was blown away by his progress and the service dog capabilities he demonstrated.
When service dogs are selected for training, the handlers look for strong physical and behavioral traits early on and throughout the training process. Having a completely healthy pup is important, as they have very important jobs. For families who are dealing with a rare disease, another benefit of having a healthy pup is keeping doggy healthcare costs low.
Physical Traits
Teddy is a Labrador Retriever, one of the most common and high-performing service dog breeds. When he first began his training, he was examined for essential physical traits to carry out his duties.
Before Diggity Dogs first began training Teddy, he had a physical exam to ensure he was in perfect health. He passed each check-up with flying colors! It is also important to ensure that service dog candidates have no genetic diseases, so both of Teddy’s parents were cleared for all genetic diseases, radiographed to ensure they have excellent hips and elbows, and examined to ensure the perfect heart and eye health.
Behavioral Traits
The behavioral traits needed for a successful service dog go beyond obedience training. An ideal service dog should exhibit calmness, problem-solving skills, focus on tasks at hand, alertness when needed, and an overall friendly demeanor. Teddy trained day after day and learned many new skills. He is an excellent problem solver and is highly alert and focused on his service dog duties, whether he’s at home with his handler or out and about!
Teddy’s Curriculum
It is important for potential service dogs to have basic obedience skills, such as sit, stay, come, down, heel, and watch my behaviors on cue before they can begin special task training. All potential working animals must also exceed standards for their temperament tests.
Teddy’s curriculum included swaps with other fosters to get used to a variety of handlers, attending events with loud noises to ensure he can maintain focused attention on his handler and reliably perform behaviors and service tasks everywhere, even in highly distracting and overwhelming environments. He also learned to navigate strange human environments, such as learning how to ride an escalator like a “good dog(g)” and taking his first flight!
Teddy even joined Good Dogg at a few different events to spread the good vibes, including Seltzerland in Boston and Jersey Shore, as well as the MVP Open. He even joined his handler on a trip to NYC to see the MoMA!
Check out Teddy hanging at Seltzerland with us:
When service dogs in training go to events like these, they are trained to filter out any distractions and noises and focus on their handlers. They are also able to demonstrate their exceptional obedience to various commands, even while the environment around them constantly changes.
Teddy Becomes a Star!
Teddy’s Instagram account, @diggitys_gooddogg_teddy , started when he was just a few days old and has documented his amazing journey with Diggity Dogs and Good Dogg.
Throughout his training, his handlers noticed that he was doing exceptionally well in his curriculum. By the time he hit the 9-month mark, his handlers knew that he was a truly exceptional dog. That’s where his big news comes in!
Teddy’s Big News… (drumroll, please)...
Because of his exceptional abilities to learn, and his remarkable physical traits, the folks at Diggity Dogs figured the world would be a better place with many more mini-Teddys!
Teddy has been selected to be a sire in the Diggity Dogs breeding program, which means he will become a father to adorable future service dog puppies!
Only the best of the best service dogs who go through Diggity Dogs’ training are selected to be a part of the breeding program. We at Good Dogg could not be more proud of Teddy, seeing his training from day one until now has been an incredible journey!
Along with being a new father, Diggity Dogs wanted to ensure that Teddy was able to be in a working role, even though he wouldn’t be placed as a service dog. Teddy loves to work and is so incredibly gifted it would be a shame to not have his talents and skills benefiting the world in some way. So, Teddy has become a facility dog, or resident therapy dog, at a local Montessori school where he will help all of the children and become a valuable member of the school’s teaching and care team. This allows him to spread more of his Teddy love to children, which he adores!!
We are so proud of Teddy and his work with Diggity Dogs Service Dogs. He has been such a special addition to our Good Dogg family, and we know that he will continue to touch the hearts of many children (and puppies!) just as he has touched ours.
Cheers to 2022 from Good Dogg!
2022 has been an incredible year, with Teddy being a shining star from Diggity Dogs Service Dogs’ exceptional training program.
At Good Dogg, we believe in the power of leveraging the beverage, and that means giving back to our best friends that serve children with rare diseases.
Our purpose-driven brand has enabled children with rare diseases to be paired with a service dog who cares for them each day. We can’t wait to support many more dogs, just like Teddy, to be paired with companions in need!
What’s in store for 2023 for Good Dogg
Our philanthropic mission of creating drinks with a purpose has spread, with other seltzer companies following in our efforts to further help man’s best friend. We are so happy that other companies in our industry are starting to adopt these important philanthropic missions to support service dogs for humans in need, the adoption of dogs, and saving rescue dogs.
For 2023, Good Dogg will sponsor more dogs just like Teddy and see his puppies follow in their father’s pawprints. We will also spread the powerful message of the Leverage the Beverage™ Program as we grow with our Good Dogg family.
Good Dogg is driven to spread our mission, and our amazing hard seltzer, to new regions. So stay tuned in 2023 for exciting new developments at Good Dogg!
Cheers to an amazing 2023 ahead from your friends at Good Dogg!
Learn More…
If you are interested in learning more about Teddy, Good Dogg’s philanthropic mission, and our partnership with Diggity Dogs, click the links below:
