DOGS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

This summer's Olympians are not the only ones who start young, train long hours, and show true dedication to their goals. In fact, some of the most dedicated aren't even human. They are Canine Companions who train to help people with disabilities.

"Not only can Tullis give my credit card to the clerk in a store, but one of the most important things he does for me is to help break down the barriers," says Nadia Ibrahim, about her Canine Companion, Tullis, a three-year old Labrador-Golden cross. Ibrahim is a graduate student in social work at the University of Illinois in Urbana and has been with
Tullis for two years.

"People are often fearful about talking to people with disabilities and Tullis breaks the ice," she says.

Canine Companions for Independence is a unique, nationwide program that helps special people with physical disabilities regain independence and self-reliance by providing them with highly trained assistance dogs. A service dog must master 50 commands, a few more than the basic "sit, stay, come" in many dogs' repertoire.

Some of the duties a service dog can help with include retrieving items, turning on and off lights, pulling wheelchairs, and alerting a deaf or hearing impared person to the sound of a smoke detector. "Tullis has been a wonderful help to me," says Ibrahim. "He opens doors, picks things up, and will go find a person to come help me if I need it."

Each dog is specially bred and then socialized by foster families who volunteer to care for the growing pup until he or she is ready to go to "college." Training to be a service dog begins with the puppy raisers: caring volunteers who give the puppy a good start. Puppy raisers bring the pup everywhere to get them used to the noisy shopping malls or busy street corners they might encounter as a service dog. In addition, the puppy gets tons of attention, basic training, love, and time to just be a puppy during this important development period.

When he is about 14 months old, the future Canine Companion begins six to nine months of intensive training. Teaching a dog to turn on lights or pick up dropped items takes a lot of gentle encouragement and persistence from both the dog and the trainer.

In the last two weeks of training, the dog, a trainer, and the recipient work together as a team. For Ibrahim and Tullis, that meant long hours and lots of practice. She says the days were packed with commands and exercises to teach the pair how to work together. Finally, when all the tests were passed, it was time for graduation and on to the real world.

"Training to work with Tullis was one of the most challenging things I've ever had to do," says Ibrahim. "And that's saying a lot because I have been disabled my whole life."

Though he may not win any gold medals this summer, this is one dog who is worth more than gold in the eyes of his human companion. The many hours Tullis and Ibrahim spent training to work together shows their true dedication to being the best they can be.

article courtesy of cvm.uiuc.edu

Training benefits

A trained dog has more freedom and is generally happier because her owner trusts her more and restricts her less.

A trained dog better understands his roles and responsibilities in the "pack" and is therefore more confident.

Generally, a trained dog has a better chance of staying with its owners because dogs that are unfortunately given away to shelters are usually dogs that have developed various forms of behavioral problems due to lack of training.

A trained dog is always more welcome in all social settings because he is better behaved and under control.

A trained dog can serve many purposes inside and outside the home such as family protection, searching and tracking, etc.

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