RSS Feed

Category Archives: CCI

I’d know your face anywhere

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Donna Black-Sword

As I’m duck-walking to the nursery window [ow-ow-ow], a dark cloud of doubt is strolling smoothly behind me. A good mother would recognize her own baby, of course. So in about thirty seconds I’m going to find out what I am. A Good Mom or should we go ahead and call Children’s Services now?

I’m tense with anxiety. Will I know at first glance which bundled nugget of baby goodness belongs to me in that room? Or will I stand there like an idiot, just pretending like I’m admiring all the beautiful infants that came into the world the past evening?

Right. I’ve gone with Option 2. Or rather, none of these squalling and wrinkled human beans look like something the Husband and I made. Well, that’s just great. Now how to best handle this with the nurse walking towards me?  Which one is mine? is something I can’t seem to force into intelligible words.

Instead I say, My baby’s not in here. Where is he?  Because really, I don’t see him. He’s not in the nursery. My mommy radar is telling me this. That dark cloud has turned from doubt to concern and preparing to dump a rainstorm of panic about my head.

Oh, Mrs. Sword, says the kindly nurse. Your son is in intensive care for observation. We kept him there overnight just to keep an eye on him.  Let me get him for you.

We had a bit of rough go of it, the night my Favorite Kid entered the world. In the end though, all was well.  And some of the health worries we had over the past nine months turned out to be no big deal after all. The worst of it was a broken nose on the poor baby bean, which made a pretty gnarly first photo, I do admit. 

We were then, and still today, truly blessed.
_________________________________________

It’s this blessed life that got us into this puppy raising gig with Canine Companions for Independence.  Sure, I love the part of bringing a new puppy into my home about every year or so, but I also get that feel-good thing about playing a small part in making someone’s life better in a profound way. More about this is on a post from earlier in the year at Not Purely Altruistic.

Because CCI uses Labradors and Golden Retrievers, and crosses of these two breeds, we can get the pups in two colors: yellow or black. And people have asked me, don’t they all pretty much look the same? How can you tell which one is your pup-in-training when there’s a bunch of them together in one photo?

A puppy raiser knows, is my reply.  And we do. We can identify our pups at a glance – it’s their face, their posture, how they move.

And honestly folk, even to the casual eye, isn’t it easy to see each dog is unique in their own beautiful way?

Let’s use the photo below as a fer instance. We’re at the Ohio State Fair this weekend raising awareness of CCI at our meet-and-greet booth. Good for CCI and some great socialization training for our pups. These furries are different ages, even varying shades of yellow, but we’ll look deeper into appearances than that. 

From Left: Yaxley, Hana, Oneida, Van, Natalie and Frankie in front.

The position of the head tells us quite a bit; three have solid eye contact with their handlers. The light lady in the center, the black-coated chick on the end and the big fella in front. Oneida, Natalie and Frankie are wearing blue capes identifying them as assistance dogs. Each has eyes locked onto their handler and they are not going to let their person leave their line of sight.

It gives me chills to see this devotion and their canine sense of responsibility.

The other three are pups in training. This photo op reminded be of the paparazzi moms taking pictures of a group of teenagers posing in Prom attire – the kids never know which camera to be smiling at. Yaxley is on the left looking at the puppy raiser to my immediate right. Eight month old Hana seems zeroed in on me and wondering if I’m good for a biscuit treat.  And Van is between a dog and a hard place back in the corner and yet handling himself well.

Just when I get myself all confident in doggy ID, I find this on the camera’s memory card. Two yellow pups.

Ok, so one is Hana, the other Yaxley.  Both got each other’s back for greeting passersby.  The pink leash helps me to pick out Hana without actually looking at her name badge. And Yaxley has her by a few pounds, too, so there’s that.

Here’s Oneida who is working a little harder than the pups. Here’s how to properly greet people, young ones. Pay attention now, she says. A fully trained assistance dog, she shows her stuff by engaging folk with adorable hand shakes.

Just look at Frankie, here.  No ordinary pet, he has old soul eyes, don’t you think? The wisdom of the ages on this six year old fella.

Alrighty, now a challenge for y’all.  If you’ve been following Yaxley for a while, this should be an easy one for you. Let’s put your Puppy ID skills to the test.

Eleven pups in the litter, but we can take the two cutie patooties on the lower right out of the equation.  Nine yellow pups to select from here.

Which one is Yaxley, do ya think?

Hint: he’s yellow


Drop your guess in the comments.  I’ll let y’all off the hook with the answer in this week’s Wordless Wednesday post.

Good luck and may the odds be in your favor.

3 Comments

Posted in CCI, service dogs, Yaxley. Bookmark the permalink.

Can I pet your dog?

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Donna Black-Sword
Why, yes my ears do feel like velvet, sez Yaxley.

Can I pet your dog?


Yes you may, thank you for asking first.

As lovers of all things dog, we puppy raisers do enjoy meeting other appreciators of our furry companions.  My heart gets warmly stoked when I encounter toddlers with a seemingly instinctual affection for dogs. With a smile and a squeal, they reach out to grab a fistful of doggie goodness. I absolutely love this.

We do come across children with a deep fear of our dogs from time to time. More than just a hesitation to be introduced to something new and different that you might see in a two year old kidlet. I’m talking about the eight year old girl who sees a well-behaved Labrador on a leash and shrinks behind their parent for protection, sometimes accompanied by the trill of a B-movie scream. Whether this fear reaction is nature or nurture, only the family knows.  Certainly an early-in-life mishap with a family dog could sour a kid. Or maybe a nasty experience with the pet of a friend. But I’m saddened when I consider that an ugly childhood experience with dog will block the way to all the joys that dogs can bring to life.

Awaiting his audience. That’s the 4H tent across
the way. Chicks, ducklings, goats & more.

I’m reminded of this when Yaxley and I are volunteering at the Canine Companions for Independence meet & greet booth last weekend.  We’re at the Aullwood Farm Babies Fest and it’s just a glorious day, weather-wise. Yaxley is teamed at the booth with fellow CCI pups in training, TJ and Jorja. They greet their young audience while their puppy raisers educate parents on how CCI works with people with disabilities.

Ask first before you pet, the moms say. Hold your hand out so the dog can smell you.  

Our pups are pros at this thing. Sitting calmly, they will allow all manner of handling by the young folk.

Seeing a father encouraging his son to pet Yaxley, it was obvious the little guy was just not sure about this yellow creature larger than he. With Yax in a Down, my pup is now a warm and fuzzy statue of sorts; he is motionless. In this moment, the world melts away as I take on this all important task of showing this gentle kidlet that dogs don’t have to be scary and mysterious things. And Yaxley, the consummate professional in kid comforting, performs his magic.  After a few minutes, the yellow pup is receiving full body hugs, the tow headed lad’s face pressed against Yaxley’s belly.

And that’s one kid down. But many more are still out there in need of a positive dog experience.

Your dog is just beautiful. I want to pet him so bad, but I know he’s working.

Thanks, he is a handsome fella, isn’t he? Actually, we’re out today to work on socializing and encouraging calm greetings. You may pet him if you like.

When we give CCI presentations at schools, Service Dog Etiquette is always an important thing to cover with the kids. It’s ok to ask if you can pet the dog, we tell the kids. Many people love to talk about their service dogs and what they do. But don’t get your feelings hurt if the person says No. It just means that they need their service dog to be focused right now. It’s not a good time for any distractions to their work. Remember to be polite and say something nice, like OK, have a good day.

CCI’s website has an informational page on How should people behave around an assistance dog?    A good resource for those with questions on can I pet your dog? 

Not a surprise to see Number One on the bullet point list is Don’t touch the dog without asking permission first. Many assistance dog teams appreciate that their companion is a social bridge. A conversation starter, so to speak, to meet new people. But other times, it’s critical that the dog focus on their handler. So, yeah, always ask first.  It’s nothing personal if you get a sorry, not right now.  Oh, and this drive-by petting thing, well I gotta say that it’s not the little kids that do it. In my little bubble of experience, I find it’s grown men that will pat the dog’s rump as you pass each other. It’s not that I’m jealous, mind you. But it’s distracting for the dog, fellas. What if someone did that to you? Oh. Well, um, on to the next bullet point then.

Never feed the dog.  Ah, the power of a dog cookie. Talk about encouraging a dog to lose his train of thought. But we know better about this one anyway, don’t we?  Dunno about you, but I would stop mid-conversation if someone waved a frosted brownie in front of my nose. We all have our weaknesses.

Speak to the person, not the assistance dog.  Hey, eyes up here mister. Again, the distraction factor for the dog, not to mention how ’bout a little respect for a fellow human bean?

Bring ’em on, says Jorga

Don’t whistle or make sounds to the dog. Ugh, why would someone do this?  I was in Tim Horton’s tucking into one of their amazing breakfast sandwiches when I hear a low whistle from a couple of tables over. And not for me, the wolf whistle ship has sailed away a decade ago. It’s for my pup in training under the table. Some hayseed and his grizzly buddy are entertaining themselves by trying to distract the pup. Inga, of course, made me proud by being smarter than the two of them. She turns her pretty head and looks out the window. I give the two of them The Look and properly abashed they go back to their coffee.

Never make assumptions about the individual’s intelligence, feelings or capability.  We’re quick to judge, aren’t we?  Sure, I do it too. Like when I refer to some chowderhead as a hayseed. And I’m ashamed when I catch myself. Not all talents are obvious, some disabilities are invisible.

These pups are pros at being handled.
 Jorja gets a dental exam by a boy scout.

And CCI’s final bullet point on this topic, Don’t be afraid of the dog.  A CCI dog is bred for temperament, carefully tested and selected for appropriate behavior. These dogs are not mere pets with a passing grade in basic obedience. A CCI assistance dog has been socialized by their puppy raiser in different public venues for a been there done that attitude. Then professionally trained at CCI in the ways of an assistance dog. If you see the blue & yellow CCI cape, you’re looking at a well-mannered, confident dog.  Guaranteed.

When I get the question, will that dog protect you if someone attacks you?, it’s tempting to respond with wanna give it a try and find out? But that would be wrong in so many ways. First, because if the inquirer did rise to the challenge, I’m pretty much screwed. And second, because it’s not becoming to be a smartass when educating people about the pup in training. We do like to keep things on a positive note.

A youngster reaches a comfort level petting away
 from the business end of the pup.

If we cook this all down into a reduction sauce, what’s the real message here?  Just the basics of civilization, don’t you think?  Be polite and respectful of others.  .

Be sure to check out CCI’s page where more information on this topic is available at How should people behave around an assistance dog?

Jorja catches a power nap before the next shift.
It’s not a cat nap, she says. Stop calling it that.
Yaxley enjoys a hug. He says boys smell like french fries.

4 Comments

Posted in Aullwood, CCI, service dogs, Yaxley. Bookmark the permalink.

Agendas are for sissies

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Donna Black-Sword

Gee, Brain, what are we going to do tonight? asks Pinky
The same thing we do every night, says the Brain. Try to take over the world.
                          –Pinky and The Brain cartoon series 1995-1998

So, what do you what to do today? asks the Husband.

The same thing we did yesterday, is my reply. I want to see stuff we don’t see in Ohio.

Again? he asks. Could you be more specific?

Alrighty then. What do you want to do today? says me.

I don’t know, he says.

Well, I say. I kinda win then, don’t I?

This Day Two of our California adventures. We don’t have a solid itinerary for the week because I enjoy the leisurely pace of just checking things out as we drive about. You know, seeing things not on the brochures and maps. And because I suck at planning.

While the Husband is pulling himself together and wondering if he should wear his good shoes or the tennies, I’m giving Facebook a quick check.  And what’s this?

Oh my.

Ah, my love, I say. We got us a change in plans.

We had plans? he asks

Not sure if that was sincere or sarcasm, I wave off the comment and tell him what I found out while in the etherworld.

The focal point of this California trip was to check off a bucket list goal of visiting the Santa Rosa campus of Canine Companions for Independence. Since becoming volunteer puppy raisers in 2008, this organization has become a huge part of our daily lives. I have had a CCI puppy by my side every day for the past four years, at work, home and play. The Santa Rosa campus is the headquarters of CCI. It’s also where the breeding program is managed.

We had this visit on the agenda for Tuesday (see, I can too plan.), but I find out that a fellow puppy raiser, who is also a breeder/caretaker, is dropping off her dog’s litter at CCI this morning. Ah, serendipity at its finest.

Wendy and Dave raised the lovely Sabina for CCI, who was later selected as one of the “best of the best” for CCI’s breeding program. Sabina’s “C” litter of pups will be arriving in Santa Rosa for their health check before they go out to their puppy raisers.  I send a quick note to Wendy across the wifi as a heads up that we’ll be crashing their puppy party this morning.

As a bonus feature, Wendy is also a dog blogger. She shares her adventures at Aspiring Service Dog Chronicles.  Check it out; she’s got some great stuff out there from the view of a Breeder/Caretaker.

Ok, now check your glucose levels before scrolling down, folk.  Sweet puppy photos coming up.

Into the puppy limo with y’all for a ride to the playground.

A refreshment break at the watering hole while Clifford looks on.

More, please?
Working those big brown eyes.

Lovin’ that crinkly nose.

And back in the puppy limo to head off for their health check.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Wendy and Dave for allowing us to share their puppy turn-in morning with them. Thanks so much, you two. Not just for making our week a memorable one, but for taking on the Breeder/Caretaker role as well. You guys are amazing.  

CCI’s Santa Rosa campus is a gorgeous affair. If you find yourself in the area, they do give tours to the public during the week. We were able to snag the special Puppy Raiser tour and talked with a few of the professional trainers on the work they do with the pups we turn in for advanced training.

And to see stuff like this.

Yep, that’s the campus cat turning on a light switch. That’s how good these trainers are. Ponder that one for a minute. I’ve been trying to get Bodine to sit for a treat. Without biting my finger. And it’s not going well.

We come across a map of the US just about filled with colorful pushpins. Ooh what’s this? I ask.  Well, it represents the dogs that are placed with someone. Each color represents one of the four types of assistance dogs that CCI trains (Service Dog, Skilled Companion Dog, Facility Dog, Hearing Dog).  I snagged a close up shot of the Ohio/Pennsylvania area. The lovely Inga has a pushpin in there as a Skilled Companion Dog; the thought gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling of pride and awe. We helped make that pushpin, I think. And while it doesn’t sound weird at all to me, I decide it best to keep it within my inside voice.

And the ridiculously photogenic Micron has a place in Santa Rosa, too. Here he is, in all his furry splendor, on the wall in the great room. Now this was a personal thrill to come across, I gotta say.

So here we are, on Day Two of the Great California Adventure and I’ve knocked off Number Nine on the Bucket List. More California stuff coming up in the upcoming posts.

MONDAY DOG SIGHTINGS: 8 adorable puppies and gobs of CCI dogs.

Leave a comment

Posted in CCI, vacation. Bookmark the permalink.

Yeller peeps

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Donna Black-Sword

Micron (on right) is totally owning the bunny ear look.
Yaxley? Eh, not so much maybe. That focused look is lasered
in on the dog biscuit in my non-camera hand.

He knows you’re showing these to his girlfriend when he grows up, says my niece. Called my house crying. Couldn’t understand a word he was saying, but I’m pretty sure he’s sick of it. “Bunny ears Ash. I did the Santa hat, but freaking bunny ears?!”

Oh sure, I took photos of the dogs wearing bunny ears. And then posted this gorgeous shot of my two yeller fellers on Facebook. Which prompted Ashley to come to their defense. I’m guessing she’s feeling protective of Yaxley’s tender psyche, as Micron is pretty much rocking the look, wouldn’t you say?

And, as I told Ash, just wait until you’re an empty nester.  It’s either dressing up dogs or a concrete goose on the front porch.


I’m ok with the occasional reference as the Dog Lady. But being the neighborhood’s Concrete Goose Lady implies a whole different category of crazy. So I’ve made my choice and stand by it.  Dogs it is.


As entertaining as this was to put together a photo shoot of dogs in bunny ears (aargh! quit knocking them off, darn it!), I had a solid reason for wanting to do this. No, really I did. And it involves training for the two yellows. 

Both Yaxley and Micron are training for different careers. Yaxley as an assistance dog for Canine Companions for Independence and Micron is going to school with Miami Valley Pet Therapy Association to be a member of a pet therapy team. I’m finding a few of the skills needed for both occupations are similar.


Consider this for a moment. You’re enjoying a meal at your favorite restaurant. A lovely chicken picatta and maybe a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio. Deep in conversation with friends about the latest controversy in news, weather or gossip. Ah, nice, isn’t it?  Now what’s the last thing on your mind at the moment? Perhaps, oh I don’t know . . . the floor?

Can’t get the ears to stay on Jager’s
pointy noggin.
They’re resting on his withers.

You ever notice the carpets at restaurants?  Walk in with a CCI pup in training and you will, gare-un-teed.  As puppy raisers, we are training these fuzzies to ignore any delicious morsels they come across as they stroll to the table. Tough enough to be sure, but the real challenge is when the pup has settled at your feet. Do you know what’s been safely stored in that cave under the table? 

Well, El Dorado’s city of gold for dogs, that’s what. Blackbeard’s lost treasure chest. The family jewels. Oh wait, that doesn’t sound right, does it?  But do you see what I mean?  There’s some good stuff under there and it’s likely been fermenting for some time to ripen into an odoriferous temptation.


So instead of tucking into that hamburger with reckless abandon, we instead pay a lot of attention to the pup.  Ah! Don’t!, we say, until the message gets through. 


Because our goal is this . . .a person partnered with this pup will be able to enter their favorite restaurant with the confidence that they can simply enjoy their meal. Their canine companion is there for them, not the glimmering treasure in the dragon’s cave under the table.


Ok, now let’s think about the environment in a medical facility.  A pet therapy team is likely to come across a plethora of non-noshables as well.  Think beyond floors here.  What about open trash cans in patient rooms or personal items stored on easily reachable surfaces?

With the CCI pups, we use the commands No! or Don’t!  With the pet therapy training, I give the Leave it! command to Micron.  And yeah, I sometimes will confuse the commands in the heat of the moment, but the intonation has the same level of business-meaning.  Keep your pie-hole away from that, Buster Brown.

Yaxley doesn’t give me much reason to worry about this.  He’s a pro, turning instantly invisible once under a restaurant table. The feller just curls up and naps lightly with one ear cocked awaiting his next command. What a good dog this guy is.

But the mighty Micron, well, we’ve got some work ahead of us. That dreadful word, distractability, is our nemesis. Ooh, fuzzy thing!, says Micron, mmmph. I just want to roll this around in my mouth for a minute, ok? 
No, it’s not ok, I have to tell him. Give that kid his teddy bear back, will you?

With that, I’ll share with you my mastermind-inspired Grand Plan . . . I’m gonna desensitize this goober dog to fuzzy toys.

Here’s a stuffed toy impaled upon my cubicle in the office. Right there at Micron eye level and everything. The thing makes a eerie singing noise when the belly is pressed, which co-workers do. Press the belly, that is, not make eerie singing noises. A rather successful experiment, I think. I only had to remove it from a canine craw a couple of times over the week. Heck, if I tried this a month ago, it would have been eviscerated before lunchtime.

We’ll move onto another stuffed animal next week. Because it’s a good idea to keep it changing and well, because of the complaints by co-workers of the non-belly pressing type. When are you taking that creepy thing home?, they ask politely.

Ok, about the bunny ear photos.  If you notice the photo at top, there are yellow objects at Micron’s feet. Those are Peeps.  You know, those sugary treats that show up in Easter baskets every year even though nobody actually eats them?  Try and describe the taste, I dare you. I popped in one of the yellow harbingers of empty calories just to try to come up with a analogy of the flavor. And, people, this is what they taste like. Nothing. Not cardboard or styrofoam or food, but nothing.  Maybe the appeal is that gritty mouth feel. Peeps must have an excellent Marketing Team, I gotta say.

But anyway, I’m using them as Leave it temptations for the yellow dogs in training.

Ooh, another successful experiment.  But only because even dogs won’t eat these things.

Well, let’s step it up a little then.  On the dog paws with their sugary goodness.
 

Aw, come on. Give me something challenging here.
Or at least something edible.
Rocket shooters, peep style

Bumping it up one more notch, Yaxley displays a well-ignored dog biscuit on a paw. 

And there it is, good dogs understanding Leave it.  After this shot, I turned to see Jager sniffing around the open Peeps box and thought I might have a problem here.  But no, even potato chip, chocolate, cat poop eating Jager won’t touch ’em.

Maybe I could try the pink Peeps next time.

Addendum April 10:

Not that I’m still fixated on this Peeps thing, but I came across a Time.com article with some trivia on the sugary globules that’s worth sharing.

For example, I found this amazing:

It takes just six seconds to create the popular Marshmallow Peep. When it first debuted in 1953, it took 27 hours to hand-create each edible yellow chick. But now Peeps get cranked out of machines at 3,500 per minute and four million per day.

Now I don’t think the six second thing is so incredible. Rather I’m a little gobsmacked that this whole Peeps concept has survived for 59 years.  There’s some really good ideas that haven’t made it that far.

And then we have some Good Peep News and some Bad Peep News:

Peeps don’t have any fat, but watch out for the sugar rush. Each Peep packs in 32 calories and eight grams of sugar. While yellow remains the most popular of the best-selling, non-chocolate Easter treats (which now come in a variety of shapes and sizes), pink, lavender, blue and white have people popping Peeps too.

Well, the good news is the sand-textured treasures are fat-free.  The bad news is that now you’re going to have the phrase “people popping Peeps” stuck in your head for a little while.

1 Comment

Posted in CCI, Jager, Micron, mvPTa, therapy dogs, Training, Yaxley. Bookmark the permalink.

Working Dog face

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Donna Black-Sword

At the tender age of five months, we slipped the working cape over Micron’s noggin and snapped the clip under his belly. You’re not a little puppy anymore, we tell him, it’s time to start acting like a big dog now.

The Mighty Micron at five months

I capture this momentous occasion with a snapshot. To the uninitiated, this may appear to be a pup taking things serious. I’m a big dog now!  See that look of focus on his adorable button-nosed face?  Ah, but look again. That wide legged stance, alert posture. Those brown eyes are indeed focused, but alas not on either of his handlers. Now people, what one word comes to mind when you look at this?  Right. Ok, let’s all say it together, shall we  . . .

Squirrel!

Yep, the distraction factor, just one of the behaviors that makes Micron so charming.

As we were out and about to socialize this fluffy boy over the next year, we’d be asked, so, what do you think he’ll be doing?  A good question that. Of the four types of assistance dogs that Canine Companions for Independence trains and provides, where did we feel Micron would fit? As volunteer puppy raisers, we don’t socialize and train for any one specific purpose. We move forward with our eye on the horizon and try our best to get the pup ready for the Advanced Training program at CCI.  Once there the professional trainers work with the dogs for another six to nine months to determine how their skill sets and personalities best fit in the assistance dog world.

But sure, it’s fun to fantasize about the destiny of the pup in your charge. Of course, it turned out that thinking that Micron would make it through more than three months of Advanced Training was my own personal fantasy. But long before being faced with stark reality, I’d squint my eyes and picture him as a Service Dog or Skilled Companion Dog. Oh, that would be glorious!  But truth be told, that vision was a little blurry. Holding onto that warm thought was like nailing jello to a wall.  It just didn’t feel right. As a pup, Micron just never took anything seriously. Walking into a room, any room, it was like he would throw out his front paws and shout, That’s right, people! The party starts . . . NOW!

Ok then, so what about a Hearing Dog? Well, kinda the same thing I guess. Hey! Hey! he’d nudge to alert his person, didja see it? There’s a squirrel!  I’ll be right back.   No, I suspected CCI’s high value system wouldn’t be able to overlook this behavior. There’s a very specific personality that’s required to be a Hearing Dog and tree rat retrieval isn’t gonna be a required skill.

Even on matriculation day, Micron jokes
with Karsen about picking up chicks at college.

Which leaves the role of Facility Dog. Now, this one gave me a tinkling spark of hope. Micron loves people and basks in any attention he receives. It’s hard to describe really, but it’s kinda like he glows. No, not like emitting a light, but maybe more like an aura about him. People tell me they feel better being near him, by petting him. Now if I could just bottle this magical stuff he has, we could share it and make the world a better place.

When talking with folk about CCI dogs, it seems most have some understanding of the work of Service Dogs, Skilled Companion Dogs and Hearing Dogs. These are teams you come across in daily life in the public arena of the world. A Facility Dog, however, doesn’t get out as much into the public eye.  Not that they’re behind the scenes, mind you. These dogs earn their kibble.  From CCI’s website, we learn . . .

Facility Dogs are expertly trained dogs who partner with a facilitator working in a health care, visitation or education setting.

CCI Facility Dogs are trustworthy in professional environments and can perform over 40 commands designed to motivate and inspire clients with special needs.

Facility Dogs are needed in educational settings, such as special education classrooms. And an amazing program that’s really been taking off over the past few months are the Courthouse Dogs, who promote a feeling of calm and security in a visitation setting. My fellow dog lovin’ friends, you can certainly see this, right? Imagine a child about to testify in a courtroom. A stressful situation for any of us, but for a kid with less life experience this can be downright terrifying. Now imagine being able to stroke a calm, friendly Labrador before you walk out there to take your place on the witness stand. No really, close your eyes and think about this. Can you feel the difference it makes? Absolutely incredible stuff, I think.

And in the healthcare setting, our CCI Facility Dogs are trained to assist with medical rehabilitation.  They are there to motivate and encourage folk to pull through otherwise difficult tasks. How so? you ask. Ah, another good question. Well, let me share something pretty darn cool with y’all.

The ruggedly handsome Jarvis was teamed with Margie Benge of Triangle Therapy Services in February, 2012.  For those of you out there on Facebook, I invite you to check out Triangle Therapy Service’s page, especially the photo album on Jarvis – First month at work. Margie’s photos tell the story of the important job of a dog involved with occupational therapy with children. Talk about the Wow factor.

If you’re not on Facebook, then what the heck are you doing with all your spare time anyway? Cleaning the house or something? No what I mean is, check out their website at Triangle Therapy Services to learn more about their pediatric occupational and speech therapy work.

After Micron’s turn in to CCI’s Advanced Training program, I held onto the Facility Dog dream for a while. Actually, for three whole months until The Phone Call.  But, I plead, he loves people!  He has an aura and everything! Can’t he be a Facility Dog?  To which Gwen replies, Yeah, it was a nice try, Donna. But there’s too much Microness there.   Too much Micron happening? Sure, I can see that.  Heck, I lived with it for eighteen months, so the news was not a shocker.

What? This is my Serious Look [snort]

What to do with this college dropout?  Well, that’s where the pet therapy training comes in.

At a glance, there could be some connection seen between a CCI Facility Dog and a dog involved in a Pet Therapy program. In the world of assistance dogs, there’s even some ambiguity with terms among different organizations just to keep us all a bit confused. Lessee if I can help with this without making things worse.

Both occupations require a calm, confident dog. A canine who is at their best around people. A good start, but let’s summarize the nitty gritty of things to see what’s really different here.

A Facility Dog’s work is goal oriented.  The dog is highly trained dog to guide an individual – adult or child – with a specific task. Such as physical rehabilitation, in which the dog is assisting an individual in improving a motor skill or relearning how to use certain muscles after an injury. This type of work is termed as Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), bringing the term therapy as another ingredient into the confusion soup. Some of CCI’s Facility Dogs are indeed assigned to AAT work in healthcare. But you recall that other Facility Dogs may be working in a courtroom environment or elementary classroom.  All assignments, however, are goal oriented.

How ’bout this? My mouth is closed.
Serious enuf for ya now?

Now a dog involved in Pet Therapy is pretty much what the title says. A person and their pet dog who goes out to make the world a happier place. A noble goal to be sure, but not the goal oriented work of a Facility Dog. What this team does is more recreational.  Showing up to bring a smile to someone. Ask anyone who’s had their day changed after a visit by a pet therapy team and you’ll understand the value of the program. I’m telling you from experience, the training is tough. No doubt there. But it is a different focus on skill sets for you and your dog.  In our pet therapy course, we’re reinforcing good behavior and basic obedience skills. We’re not doing anything especially fancy here. With me and Mike, our thing is encouraging party boy to show some self-control. Like not trying to take the yellow tennis balls off the feet of the walker.  While someone is using it.

So in the past I was telling Micron to stop it already with the goofy looks and put on your working dog face, because darn it, you’re wearing your cape and you’ve got to look serious, and well . . .

Today I can look into those sparkling brown eyes and smile back at his open mouthed doggie grin. I know now this is his working dog face.  His job is to bring happiness into a room. Any room.

raising a super dog
There it is. Micron’s working dog face.
The one we know and love so well.

Wish us luck, won’t you?  Four weeks down and six more to go in our pet therapy training. So far, so good, but we need plenty of positive thoughts sent our way.  This dog has a destiny, you know.

3 Comments

Posted in CCI, Micron, service dogs, skilled companion dog, therapy dogs. Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →