Hey all!
As I
went to Power Paws on a different day this week there wasn’t any training
class. I did, however, get to meet yet another litter of golden retriever
puppies. This time they happened to be just 2 weeks old and definitely bigger
than the two week old puppies I’m used to. These puppies are being raised to
become service dogs for Power Paws. As a result, the puppies are exposed to a
variety to sights and sensations. This week they were brushed with a toothbrush
and had their gums massaged, slowly getting them used to a touch other than
that of their mom. When they get older and able to see, they will be exposed to
different clothing garments ranging from big sunglasses and hats to ensure they
are comfortable to all weird articles of clothing when they go out into the
world as service dogs. These puppies will also be a part of Power Paws’ puppy
petting program in which they will be able to interact with individuals of all
ages, ethnicities, voices, and appearance. With exposure to a variety of these
factors at such a young age, these puppies will mature into thoroughly trained
and prepared service dogs.
This
week at FSDS was slightly different than usual. Class did not take place in the
traditional classroom setting but rather at a Target. Dogs in both classes had
practice with their service skills in a public environment, adding to the
generalization process which I had the chance to observe during the trip to a
volunteer’s station course. For the morning puppy class, this was the first
time the dogs were in a public area other than a pet store. The puppies got the
chance to practice a variety of tasks ranging from “leave it” down the shoe
aisles, frozen food sections, and around dropped human food; long sits and
stays; and their three service tasks. The afternoon class also practiced the
same “leave it” exercises, dropped leash walking, and their three service
skills. Across the two classes there was also a lot of opportunities to see how
recipients and trainers alike had the chance to educate the public about
service dog etiquette. These situations particularly caught my attention since
my project is focusing on how well informed the younger generations are about
service dog etiquette. What was amazing to see was the handful of parents that
explained to their children how the service dogs were “special dogs” or
“working dogs” and as a result could not be bothered. Explanations as such are
the conversations that will help these children grow into respectful
individuals towards service dogs and their handlers.
About a
week ago, I used the results from the surveys I gave out to the 5th
to 8th graders at BASIS Peoria. The results from the survey were a
bit frustrating at times, to say the least. Although most of the Agree vs.
Disagree answers were correct, there was still a handful of kids that said that
individuals with service dogs were “mentally disabled,” or that it was okay to
pet a service dog in public. Every question that was on the survey still had a
great amount of wrong answers and that’s why I decided to create a powerpoint
presentation addressing every question on the survey to provide these kids with
the most well-rounded knowledge about service dogs as I possibly could. In
addition, I used the information that I gathered from the surveys to create a service
dog “Do’s and Don’ts” brochure for Power Paws. Since Power Paws does a lot of
presentations and public events for service dogs, I wanted to further my
raising awareness efforts for service dogs by providing the training facility
with something they could hand out during their outings. The powerpoint and the
brochure were created with an effort to raise awareness for service dog
etiquette to promote a friendlier and safer environment for service dogs and
their handlers.
One
more week and then we are officially done!
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