Service Dogs

Dog Fancy

March 2006 issue

Nov. 7, 2005

By Kyra Kirkwood

 

Dogs. They freely give us joy, unconditional love and companionship. But a new leaseÑor leashÑon life? You bet.

 

Thanks to the helping paws of assistance dogs, people with various disabilities both physical and mental can reenlist in and enjoy many aspects of life. Across the country, various organizations exist to provide service dogs. While there is no specific, or government-dictated, certification program every organization follows, many, such as the Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Canine Companions for Independence, have their own certification protocol and standards. CCI uses guidelines set forth by the Assistance Dogs International to mold puppies into valuable working dogs that know 50 service-focused commands. This happens during the intensive training period after a year-plus spent with a puppy raiser.

 

"Our dogs create independence for people," says Karyl Carmignani, public relations coordinator for the Southwest Region of CCI, based in Oceanside, Calif.

 

Cecilia Gibbons and Isha II

 

Before Cecilia, a low-functioning autistic, met Isha, she barely spoke. Now, this eight-year-old from Las Vegas not only communicates, but she voices emotions, too.

 

"We had never really heard her voice before," says Cecilia's mother, Heather Gibbons. Her daughter's vocabulary remarkably jumped from that of an 18-month-old to a three-year-old since they got Isha in February 2005. "And it's improving every day."

 

The three-year-old Golden retriever/Labrador mix has also opened social doors for Cecilia. Children are often more patient and don't shy away from her when she's with Isha. He goes everywhere with family, from restaurants to hospitals. At bedtime, Isha curls up with Cecilia, always alert. Once, during a nightmare, Cecilia's agitated state caused Isha to rush into Gibbons' room and wake her.

 

"When that occurred, I realized he was far more intelligent than I had ever imagined," she says.

 

Above all, Isha gives the Gibbons family something far greater than they ever dreamed.

 

"He brings us comfort for Cecilia. Isha is a very consistent and well-natured dog.  He sticks with her. I feel like [Cecilia] always has someone, her little buddy, with her. It's one of the greatest things to ever come into our life."

 

 

 

Kimberly Otters and Lissa

 

She maneuvers her motorized wheelchair through the pathways of Chapman University in Orange, Calif., with her beloved yellow Labrador, Lissa. Before Kimberly Otters, 18, got her assistance dog five years ago, shyness ruled her life.

 

"Now, having Lissa has given me confidence to talk to people who are curious about my dog," she says. "Having Lissa also has given me a greater sense of independenceÑIÕm confident when I go places with her. I have been in a wheelchair my whole life, so I am used to it.  But, having Lissa constantly with me does make my life more fun. I'm still shy, but I'm more comfortable talking to people I wouldn't normally talk toÉI never could have imagined what a wonderful impact Lissa has had on my life."

 

Otters, who is a traumatic paraplegic as a result of surgery to correct a spinal condition called kyphoscoloiosis 16 years ago, is a typical college kid. She starts the day at 7:30 a.m., not finishing with classes and work until 4:30 p.m. Lissa opens and closes doors, retrieves dropped items, drags Otters' backpack to her.  During class, she sleeps at Otters' feet, sometimes dreaming noisily and wagging her tail, much to the delight the class.

 

"When IÕm out with Lissa, I feel like people arenÕt staring at me and my wheelchair, but theyÕre actually looking at and curious about my dog." says Otters, a sophomore majoring in liberal studies with hopes of becoming an elementary school or special education teacher. "Most of all, Lissa is my best friend. She is always with me."

 

 

James E. Allan and Adalyn II

 

Thanks to Addie, a petite black Labrador, James E. Allan of Phoenix, Ariz., can enjoy his career much longer than anticipated. The three-year-old dog helps manage Allan's severe degenerative hearing loss, especially at his job as a procurement technician.

 

"IÕve regained the independence IÕd lost for the last 10 years," he says. "I was becoming sort of a recluse, a loner. I remember seeing a deaf man chased down because the alarm went off when he left the store. Not because he didnÕt pay, but because a clerk forgot to deactivate a tag.  He never heard them until they grabbed him.  I never want to be that man. The next week I decided to apply for an assistance dog."

 

It took 366 days to get Addie, but for two years now, the two have been inseparable.

 

"I love my wife. I love Addie. In that order," says Allan. "Addle gives me back so much IÕd thought was gone."

 

Each day in his cubicle, Allan is alerted to workday sounds (fax machine, phone, visitors, timers) by Addie's gentle nudge. She's trained to alert Allan to things like knocking, alarms, doorbells, his name spoken, alarm clocksÉsmoke.

 

"I got up on a Sunday morning, started breakfast and decided to make the bed," remembers Allan. "Next thing I know, Addie is alerting me over and over with force. We got to the living room and I saw the smoke.  Addie stopped under the smoke detector. [Its] light was on.  An English muffin [was] caught in the toaster. Then, it hit me. Addie had not just done her job, but something phenomenalÉTo me, she's my little hero." 

 

 

 

SIDEBAR 1: KINDS OF ASSISTANCE DOGS

According to Assistance Dogs International, there are three types of assistance dogs: guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs for the deaf/hard of hearing, and service dogs for people with disabilities. Conditions include paraplegia, prosthetic limbs, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy/seizure disorders, diabetes, spinal cord/head trauma, arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, spina bifida and cardio pulmonary disease. Dogs can even alert to oncoming seizures and low blood-sugar levels. Some owners with debilitating migraines have found aid with service dogs, as have others with psychiatric issues like depression, autism and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

 

 

SIDEBAR 2: THERAPY vs ASSISTANCE

According to Michelle Cobey, resource support with the Delta Society of Bellevue, Wash., assistance dogs are trained to help their owners with disabilities perform tasks. These dogs also are not seen as pets and are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They are allowed nearly every place the public is welcomed. They are "on the job" 24/7. Therapy dogs are often pets and owned by people who don't necessarily have disabilities. They visit hospitals, nursing homes and schools, assisting with the therapy and recovery of others.  An example is a dog fetching a ball thrown during the physical therapy session of a stroke victim. These dogs are not required to be "working" all day, and they are not limited to working with the disabled.

 

SIDEBAR 3: ORGANIZATIONS

ÑCanine Companions for Independence, http://www.cci.org/, 707-577-1700

ÑAssistance Dogs International, http://www.adionline.org/

Ñ The International Association of

Assistance Dog Partners, http://www.iaadp.org/, (586) 826-3938

 

For more info:

ÑThe Delta Society (offers information and resources, including a state-by-state search for programs), http://www.deltasociety.org/, (425) 226-735

ÑThe Americans with Disabilities Act, http://www.ada.gov/, 800-514-0301 (voice), 800-514-0383 (TTY)

 

 

SIDEBAR 4: PUPPY RAISERS

Before dogs can enter assistance-dog training, they need loving homes to grow up in. Volunteers foster puppies from about eight weeks of age through their first birthdays. Fosters are often asked to pay for vet bills, food, toysÑjust like they would their own dogs. Socialization to people and places is vital. For CCI puppies, 29 commands are taught, says Val Valentine, Southwest Region Puppy Program Manager.

 

"There is no way for me to properly thank LissaÕs puppy raiser," says Kimberly Otters. "I believe she knew the tremendously wonderful impact her work would have on a person like me."

 

SIDEBAR 5: HOW TO INTERACT WITH AN ASSISTANCE DOG

¥ Don't assume that because the owner is not blind, the dog is a "puppy in training" or pet.

¥ Always ask before petting or interacting with the dog.

¥ Don't feed without permission.

¥  "DonÕt ignore the handler and go for the dog," says James Allan.

¥  Don't allow your dog to "visit" the assistance dog, even if she's on lead and well trained. Interactions can be disruptive or even dangerous.

¥ Avoid specific questions about the person's disability.   

¥ Be curious, but respectful. Some owners like explaining how their dogs help them.  

"When you have an invisible disability, people forget," says Allan. "Addie is a visual cue to people, which enhances better communication opportunities."