Redefining The Role of Man's Best Friend

Redefining the Role of Man’s Best Friend

ASSISTANCE DOGS

OF THE WEST

D

By Emmaly Wiederholt

ogs are universally regarded as loveable pets and loyal companions. However, some dogs rise above the rest in the services they provide people. Assistance Dogs of the West (ADW) has been training dogs since 1995 to aid with mobility, socialization and quality of life. From personal service to soothing traumatic situations, having a dog on hand from ADW always proves to be beneficial.

From a young age, the dogs at ADW are bred for two important qualities: health and temperament. “Whether they’re going to become a mobility dog, a medical alert dog, a courthouse facility dog, or a dog aiding a veteran, it’s very important that they have the finest health possible. We have 75 years of genetic background in the lines we breed. If you’re a person who has gone through our interview application and received a dog as a match, we assure you to the best of our abilities that your dog will be

Photo by Env Photos

able to work with you for eight to 10 years,” says ADW Executive Director Linda Milanesi.

Regarding temperament, ADW looks for dogs who have quiet dispositions, low body movement, resiliency, and feels comfortable around many different people. The most common breeds are Labradors and Golden Retrievers. The dogs have to learn up to 90 commands and perform them in a variety of public environments, and thus start to be socialized from the time they are born through ADW’s puppy enrichment program. “Their socialization process is much more rigorous than the average pet dog or shelter dog,” Milanesi explains.

About eight to 10 dogs are in each class, collectively equaling between 20 and 30 dogs in training at the center at any given time. The dogs range in age from five-month-old puppies to twoyear-olds getting ready to graduate. About 10 dogs graduate each year, and are then placed with people who have special needs or in courthouse settings.

The Courthouse Dogs Program was initiated in 2010, and places dogs in courthouse facilities across the country. Courthouse dogs specifically work with crime victims—predominantly children— in helping to foster a safe and comfortable environment as they provide depositions and give testimony. These dogs play a crucial role in easing stress. Next year, ADW will send some of its graduates to courthouse facilities in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin.

Other dogs from the center perform the highly valuable work of aiding people one-on-one. ADW trains dogs to support people with mobility impairments, autism spectrum disorders,

Photo Courtesy Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center Photo by Env Photos

Photo by Env Photos

developmental disabilities, seizure disorders, diabetes, posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders.

Milanesi describes the myriad ways a service dog might help people: “A dog can retrieve things, tug open a drawer, open the fridge, or put laundry in the washing machine; any number of tasks could help a person with a mobility challenge. If you have a child on the autism spectrum, a dog can be a powerful motivator to help the child become verbal, and thus become more socially integrated. The child may want to learn how to speak so they can give cues to the dog. If a person has seizures, the dog can be trained to lay down beside the person so that as they come out of the seizure they have physical contact.”

All ADW dogs learn 60 to 90 cues, most of those being mobility cues. In the process of matching a dog to a person with special needs or a courthouse facility, the dog learns cues specific to their future situation. This final process can take six months to

two years. A support system for the care of the dog is also put into place. For instance, three god-parents are assigned to the dog in the event the main owner is in the hospital or otherwise indisposed. The application and interview process for the placement of the dogs is very detailed and, as a result, Milanesi reports that the success rate is very high.

In addition to the volunteer training program, which is geared toward students, others ways to get involved include sponsoring an individual dog. Each dog costs the agency about $30,000 from breeding to placement. ADWpuppies.org is the place to peruse the newest litter of puppies and learn how to contribute to their futures.

“Every single day, I am blessed to work with amazing dogs and dedicated people,” Milanesi reflects. “I get to explore and put into place new maps that might create more humane solutions for our world and the people in it.”

For more information or to make a donation, visit AssistanceDogsOfTheWest.org.