Oka came to SDF as a ten-month-old border collie mix with a stunning appearance—one green and one blue eye and a fluffy coat. His family, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, could not manage his energy and love for toys.
Instead of taking him to a shelter, where they feared he would not find a home, they placed a local ad for him in hopes of finding a good family to take care of this lovable ball of energy. Recruiter Trevor Lawrence saw the ad and immediately contacted the owners about finding him the right place—none other than SDF!
Oka was evaluated and passed easily—his toy-drive was amazing! He soon entered SDF’s program and progressed nicely in his search. Throughout his time in training, he was always eager to learn new skills and loved working for his reward.
However, SDF trainers soon noticed that Oka became nervous about sudden loud sounds and had some footing issues that he was unable to overcome, even with plenty of support and encouragement.
Given his difficulties with this area of training, and his environmental sensitivities, SDF trainers decided that canine disaster search work was not the best fit. We knew that Oka loves to play and use his nose—that drive, coupled with his love for engaging with people, made him an excellent candidate for other single-purpose detection work.
Oka was successfully career changed to Bed Bug Detection with trainer Nicole Reusser of Rock Solid K9 in Irvine, California, and has begun training alongside other working teams to learn the ropes. These insects are tiny, yet Oka is training to detect even one little bed bug! He still has a stellar work ethic and dedicated toy drive, making him a wonderful employee in his new career.
Though he will not be a search dog, we found a job that fits his skills and desire, allowing him to be successful, confident and happy!