Service Dog Training and Graduation
On October 6, 2017, after completing a 3-week intensive course with my partner Chase, we officially graduated as a team. It was a very emotional event for me. As a service-connected veteran, I am so grateful for the assistance given to me with Chase’s veterinarian bills. The VA considers a service dog a “prosthetic.” If you qualify, this is a great veteran’s benefit. Knowing that Chase will get all the care a service dog requires to stay in top shape so he can perform his work gives me peace of mind.
The Perfect Match
Being blessed with a service dog returns some independence to me that has progressively been stripped away since 2003 when I incurred a C5/6 spinal cord injury. At that time, I had four children, ages six years to 14 years at home (we homeschooled), so I had plenty of help. They were very good at taking turns schooling with me while the others did chores and personal work. As the years went by and the children grew up, my loving husband, Mark, took on much of the burden of managing the household cleaning along with my health and personal assistance. To be able to have a service animal to offer even a little relief for him gave me such joy.
Chase and I had an immediate connection, and we are so similar in our personalities that make us a perfect match. We are both stubborn, persistent, yet full of love for others. It’s now been almost three months since Chase became partners. Each day he learns new things, practices old ones, and gets lots of love. As a service dog, Chase goes on duty first thing in the morning, and I typically remove his vest, which indicates playtime in the early evening. Even when he is “off duty,” he still works for me if I need him.
More Training
After completing graduation, it is now my plan to train Chase as a service dog with skills specific to my needs. There are so many, I’ve begun a list! As I identify something that is difficult for me and typically requires assistance from a person, I reflect on whether it is an appropriate task for Chase to learn. I think about doors, helping me take things back and forth throughout the house, opening blinds, manipulating my legs and footplates on my wheelchair, sorting papers into specific bins…the abilities of these magnificently trained animals is phenomenal.
An example of a new task I taught him was to open and close our hefty front door. Because the door lever is not ADA compliant, I use a sleeve handle and tug available at Ears And Tail, which works well on all my lever doors in the home. You can see a video of his accomplishment after one day of training this task at Chase Opening Front Door and as you can see, he’s a quick learner.
Chase has also learned to open and close our sliding glass deck door to let himself go out, as well as other entries in the house. He retrieves the countless things I drop throughout the day and steps up to my footplates to hand them to me. He also assists me in tugging socks, pant legs, and shirt sleeves off.
Best Decision Ever!
For those with disabilities, veterans, or non-veterans, I would highly recommend at least checking into whether a service dog would benefit you. There certainly is a commitment on the part of both – it’s a team effort and requires continual training, love, care but the rewards are great! Many people had suggested for a long time that I get a service animal but I didn’t pursue it until I went to a demonstration at the Minneapolis VA and was so impressed that I decided to pursue it.
After much research (I’m a research addict), it was clear to me which organization had the best reputation, dedication, and expertise in the area of service dogs. The only one I applied to was Helping Paws in Hopkins, MN. If you are in this area, they would be the ones I would highly recommend. If you are not, do some research and check out many different organizations. Having an organization that is certified by the Assistance Dogs International (ADI) organization is in my humble opinion, a must. By doing this, you are ensured that your service dog will be trained to a very high standard, including the requirement to take a public access test. The local VA or other disability organizations may be able to help you identify what options for service dogs are available in your area. The ADI also maintains a search tool to help locate those service dog organizations certified by ADI. I was blessed not to have to travel far, however, depending on where you live, be prepared to potentially spend a few weeks getting your training so you are ready and able to care and benefit from a service dog.
Life-Changing Event
I am a USAF veteran, so my intention was a service mobility dog, and as I mentioned earlier, luckily the VA has a program for service dogs. They do not get the dog for you; however, if approved, they do cover all veterinarian expenses – check-ups, surgeries (non-elective only), illness visits, medication, and any required hospitalizations of the service animal. I was blessed enough to get a match fairly quickly through Helping Paws as well as approval of Chase as an officially supported Veteran’s dog. Pictured here, Chase and I, along with Chase’s foster mom/trainer who gave him much love and training during his first 2-½ years. I will be forever grateful to her for giving her time to help someone she didn’t even know yet.
