Newspaper Column about Service Dogs

Ernie Jones monthly newspaper column
August 2013 
More concerning local service dogs
Service dogs aren't born knowing how to assist people with disabilities.
They must be trained to recognize situations where their human needs help or
needs to be alerted about something. The most effective method of training
service dogs is to have the person they're helping directly involved in the
tutelage.

Heritage Service Dogs, an Oregon nonprofit corporation, is an agency located
in Milton-Freewater. The agency, operated by Barb Pierce, breeds
AKC-registered standard poodles specifically to work with the disabled, and
also assists people with disabilities through the process of selecting and
training their own service dog. They are currently working with people with
a variety of conditions, including seizures, diabetes, stability, autism,
PTSD, auditory impairment, anxiety, sleep disorders, visual impairment,
Aspergers, back injuries and limited mobility.

Their current clients' dogs include poodles, chihuahuas, border collies,
bull terriers, labs, golden retrievers, great Danes, Yorkies, Jack Russells,
dachsunds and a few of questionable heritage. Their clients are from the
local area as well as across the country.
It is Heritage Service Dogs' belief that puppies raised in their forever
home and trained by their family are much more secure, and many times
instinctively pick up on needs within days or weeks of placement.

Consider Frosty, one of their local service dog placements, who exceeded any
of their expectations when he went to his new home at 8 weeks old. Frosty's
new charge was a 3-year-old autistic boy. On the dog's second day on the job
he began barking, alerting the boy's mother that her son had choked and was
not breathing - literally saving his life. Within a few days Frosty had
discovered just how close was close enough without upsetting his new little
boy, and was helping to distract and comfort him during bath time. At 7
months old, Frosty has continued to prove his worth by alerting the mother,
redirecting, comforting, building confidence, entertaining and drawing out
verbal skills from his little charge.

Another Heritage client lives in Tennessee and has need of an auditory alert
service dog. When Rusty - a 3 month old standard poodle puppy - arrived, she
was already in their program. On the long trip home from the airport, the
new owner was able to settle Rusty down under the table when they stopped to
eat at a restaurant. Within a few days he was alerting her to sounds that
she was not able to hear. Rusty is 6 months old now, and he already alerts
to knocks at the door, buzzers and people, and lies quietly by her desk at
work.

Training your own service dog is no walk in the park, Barb told me. She
provides the tools, but you have to do the work. This immersion training
allows you to work on social skills and training every day, for a few
minutes at a time. You establish a solid bond and personal relationship with
your dog that will last a lifetime. Puppies are ready for a basic obedience
training class by about 4 months of age, and on to advanced obedience
training shortly thereafter.

Heritage's clients are scattered throughout the United States, so the
handlers are required to find a reputable "hands-on" obedience training
class in their area. Most service dog agencies require you to travel to
their location for an extended period of training. With this program the
handler learns how to train and handle their own dog in their own real-world
environment.

Service dogs can be any breed and any size. A 5-pound chihuahua or a
100-pound German shepherd could both work as medical alert dogs. Service
dogs are not required to wear identification or have specific certification.
They are, though, required to work specifically assisting someone with a
disability. They are also required to behave in an appropriate manner, and
their handler is required to maintain control of their service animal.
In Walla walla County, 30.7 percent of households have a member with a
disability. In Umatilla County, it's 37.1 percent. Approximately one-third
of these people with disabilities live alone. Many of these people would be
blessed by having a service dog to assist them. Thus I hope this message
will help people living in our area realize just what freedom an assistance
dog may give them.
Ernie Jones, a registered nurse who retired due to vision loss, can be
reached at 529-9252 or at theolcrow@charter.net.

Sidebar: Because service dogs have been socialized well and appear to be
friendly, it is very tempting to talk to them or reach out and pet them.
Such distraction may interrupt the dog's work and could cause injury to the
dog or their handler. You can help out by practicing good service dog
etiquette.

Here are a few simple rules to remember:
- Do not reach for, pet, make eye contact with or talk to a service dog
while it's working.
- Speak only to the handler, not to the dog, and never try to call or coax a
service dog to you.
- Never pet a service dog without the handler's permission.