If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again — and that’s exactly what Sheldon did.
Several years ago, the Labrador retriever/golden retriever mix started service dog training with Paws With A Cause in Wayland, Michigan, but “flunked out” for being too distractable, per State Farm. Sheldon specifically had a strong drive to find things by sniffing them out, which prevented him from learning his service dog training tasks.
Shortly after leaving the service dog school, Sheldon learned to turn his need to use his nose into a beneficial quality. The sharp-sniffing pooch was taken in by the State Farm Arson Dog Program, where he quickly excelled at sniffing out the accelerants and fuel used in arson fires.
In 2019, Sheldon was placed with Lieutenant John Tadlock of the Saginaw Fire Department in Saginaw, Texas, as the department’s first accelerant detection canine. The pair formed an instant connection in their first days of training together, a spark that has grown into a special friendship.
Off-duty, Sheldon lives with Tadlock as a beloved pet and works on his training daily at home. When he retires from his arson detection duties, Sheldon will live at Tadlock’s house full time, enjoying his golden years surrounded by loving friends.
He was supposed to fail that, to lead him to his true mission.
The dog is better than what it was trained for thank God and a great dog.
Leave no dog behind