Training Service Dogs

Since 2012, the Retrieving Independence Serving with Canines program has partnered with TDOC to train offenders to raise and train puppies to be service animals for people with mobility disabilities, seizure disorders and diabetes.

Last summer, the program which started at Turney Center Industrial Complex (TCIX), added the Tennessee Prison for Women (TPFW) to the list of facilities with the training program. After a month away, due to COVID-19 concerns, the dogs were returned to TPFW on Tuesday.

“These dogs change these ladies’ lives, by having a companion that shows them unconditional love, and when you are loved unconditionally, it changes your way of thinking. “says Corporal Craig Hawn who oversees the program. Corporal Hawn also tells us “The reward for me is seeing them change their lives. I can tell you every single one of these women in this program have grown from when they started out.”

During the nearly 18-month program the dogs undergo an intensive training process, teaching them everything from seizure detection and wheelchair assistance, to opening and closing doors and loading laundry.  A recipient for each dog is matched early on and the training program is tailored to meet that person’s specific needs.

Joy Of Pet Adopting

Dogs have always been close to the former Meghan Markle’s heart.

The Duchess of Sussex has now written about her experience as a rescue dog owner and her passion for animals in the foreword for the 2018 Annual Review publication of Mayhew, a London-based animal welfare charity that is part of her patronage.

“As a proud rescue dog owner, I know from personal experience the joy that adopting an animal into your home can bring,” she wrote for Mayhew. “The role that we, as people, play in rehoming and rescuing these animals is vital, but the role of organizations such as Mayhew is unparalleled.”

The duchess, who brought her rescue dog, a beagle named Guy, to England when she became part of the royal family, espoused the work of Mayhew and the joys of owning a rescue dog.

“The choice to adopt a pet is a big decision that comes with much responsibility but infinite return on the investment,” she wrote. “It will undoubtedly change your life.”

She was named patron to four organizations in January, including Mayhew, that reflect her areas of focus: arts, education, women and animal welfare.

Meghan also will be forming a new charitable foundation with husband Prince Harry later this year after breaking away from the Royal Foundation they share with Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Kensington Palace announced Thursday.

Patronages from the royal family help put public spotlight on charities, service groups and other establishments that benefit from their attention.

The duchess got right to work on her patronage in January, paying a visit to Mayhew and snuggling with some adorable puppies as she stressed the importance of the organization’s work.

In her foreword, she urges others to adopt, volunteer or donate to help animals in need.

“We are all interconnected and through these animals we find an even greater link to community and the part we can play,” she wrote.

“Good Boy” Ending

Into the Dark: Good Boy, explores a deadly dog that’s determined to keep its owner stress-free, but there’s more to the creature than meets the eye.

Every month, Into The Dark delivers another holiday-themed horror movie to the streaming service, but the newest entry, Good Boy, is full of twists and surprises.

Into the Dark has turned out to be a great source of content for horror fans. Traditionally, Into the Dark, from Blumhouse Productions and Hulu, releases a new, feature-length movie that centers around that month’s holiday. This approach has led to many surprising and terrifying angles for traditional holidays, but the series’ newest installment tackles new ground, as it revolves around Pet Appreciation Week. Good Boy combines the comfort behind an emotional support animal with the terror that surrounds rabid beasts, which has been explored before in films like Cujo. Good Boy builds a powerful premise as Maggie (Judy Greer) is just as much of a victim to the murderous impulses of her new pet, even if she happens to benefit from them. Tyler MacIntyre directs the smart and scary story that connects due to its impressive cast and the playful atmosphere that the movie creates. Into the Dark: Good Boy features plenty of ridiculous pup-based kills, but there’s a whole lot more to unpack in the picture than just a dangerous dog who’s bite is much worse than his bark. The biggest question that Into the Dark: Good Boy plays around with is just what exactly is going on with Maggie’s emotional support dog, Reuben. Killer animals have been the subject matter of some terrifying movies, but Good Boy lets its monster mostly remain a mystery. There’s an undeniable connection between Maggie and Reuben and the installment has fun with who has really saved who here. Reuben operates like he’s a physical embodiment of Maggie’s anxiety. Whenever she becomes more stressed, Reuben Reuben becomes more intense and even physically grows in size to match Maggie’s pain. In spite of the supernatural elements that surround Reuben, Good Boy never reveals what he is. There are incidents where other dogs all act suspicious of Reuben and later the vet informs Maggie that he has very strange blood work. It’s possible that this is some kind of empath demon that’s actually masquerading in the form of a dog because it’s proven to be an effective way to find a host. Into the Dark: Good Boy gives the impression that Reuben is some kind of ancient evil even though he looks like a young pup. Maggie is shown to be a very frail character in Good Boy and she’s someone that desperately longs for companionship, whether that’s through a romantic partner or a child to build a family with. Maggie’s disastrous dating efforts are part of what push her to get Reuben in the first place, but she seems to find a stable partner in Nate. Maggie’s recent success at work also allows her to re-consider in vitro fertilization and become hopeful again in that respect. Unfortunately, Maggie and Reuben’s increasingly co-dependent relationship causes all of these endeavors to sour. Maggie temporarily abandons Reuben and seems to gain some clarity, but she ultimately chooses her dog over Nate and recognizes that he’s her soul mate. Maggie’s dedication to Reuben tragically results in her being sent to prison, which also effectively ends her fertilization plans. Maggie is now more alone and anxious than ever as she spends the rest of her life in prison. The ending of Into the Dark: Good Boy is rather tongue-in-cheek where it shows a new owner adopting Reuben from the shelter. The scene very much mirrors Maggie’s initial adoption of the dog; it’s meant to imply that this mysterious, evil creature is lodged in a vicious cycle where he uses up his owners until he finds a new one. It’s entirely possible that the dog’s owners before Maggie suffered a similar fate and that the new person who adopts him will have to endure the same. As much as Reuben is meant to be an animal that shoulders burden and makes things easier, he’s in fact more a reflection of the crutch that these animals can be if they’re abused. Maggie begins to turn her entire life over to Reuben and it ultimately costs her her freedom in the end. It’s definitely one of the bleaker endings to come out of an Into the Darkinstallment.

Life With A Service Dog

Riley Alberson is excited for graduation — and that her service dog is also being recognized.

The McAlester High School senior has juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes her joints to dislocate, constant pain, and daily seizures.

Multiple seizures each day can result with her losing consciousness without anyone around to help.

She suffered a seizure and passed out in a bathroom at McAlester High School earlier in the school year and the door was too heavy for Tango the service dog to open it.

So Tango pushed Riley onto her side to help keep her air way clear until someone found them.

“The door was too heavy for her to do her job so she got behind her and pushed her on her side so she could do her job,” Riley’s mom, Amber, said of Tango.

Amber said the school district has worked to help accommodate them and prevent similar situations from happening in the future — adding “I feel like she has been very supported at the high school.”

Tango is a mixed breed dog and was trained at Therapetics, a nonprofit organization in Tulsa.

She can open doors, turn off lights, take off socks, get medicine, and even sneaks the TV remote away from Riley’s sister when needed.

Tango is by Riley’s side at all times — and on every Walmart trip she gets to pick out a toy that she proudly carries around the store.

The family said anyone is free to ask questions about Tango to learn more, but they hope others learn proper etiquette around service dogs.

Riley said people not used to seeing service dogs will often try to pet and talk with them — but they should resist trying to interact with them.

“People don’t realize that they’re working,” Riley said of service dogs. “Tango can’t help me if I have a seizure and she’s being distracted.”

“They get excited because you don’t usually see a dog in a restaurant or something,” Amber said.

Amber said doctors couldn’t figure out why Riley was in pain as an 8-year-old before development of scoliosis at age 11 led to blood testing that revealed the other disorders.

Riley said she avoided the pain as a child by spending recess sitting and talking with teachers instead of playing with the other kids.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t have friends, I just didn’t want to go and do anything and join the activities because it always hurt and I couldn’t always do them,” Riley said.

Riley still spends time with friends and reads lots of books — including some favorites such as the Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings series.

She also likes to draw, spending more time recently depicting nature.

Riley goes to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Shreveport, Louisiana, for treatment and only had to go once since restrictions were put in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

Her parents work at essential businesses so they’ve been concerned about potentially bringing the virus home with them.

Now Riley is preparing for graduation as MHS is set for a June 6 ceremony at a location and time to be determined if Oklahoma enters Phase 3 of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Open Up Recover Safely Plan by then.

She has been accepted to Oral Roberts University and plans to become an anesthesiologist.

Service Dog Puppies

Here’s something cute to help you brighten your week!

Sweet 8-week old puppies just arrived at Dallas Love Field on Monday by private jet after a long journey from California.

Soon, the eight pups will enter into intensive training to become service dogs for national nonprofit Canine Companions for Independence. The local chapter is based in Irving with multiple locations across the country. The headquarters are in Santa Rosa, California, where the puppies arrived from.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the group is keeping its mission going to train and provide service dogs for people with disabilities at no cost.

While the pandemic is limiting flights for many, it hasn’t stopped them from transporting these future assistance puppies. Canine Companions looked to private pilots for help, and they stepped up in a big way.

Private pilots Martyn Lewis and Josh Hochberg volunteer with a nonprofit organization that connects volunteer pilots and plane owners with animal groups that need animal transportation. Now, they’re offering Canine Companions their services in a time of need.

“It combines two of my greatest passions, flying and dogs,” Lewis said. “There is nothing better in the world than delivering a puppy to their new person. The impact the dog has on its future person is incredible.”

So far, private pilots have flown more than 100 Canine Companions puppies from the nonprofit’s headquarters in Northern California to their volunteer puppy raisers in Southern California, Colorado, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and now, Texas.

“We are so grateful to Martyn and to all the pilots, staff and volunteers who are helping our puppies get to their volunteer puppy raisers during this unprecedented time,” said Canine Companions CEO Paige Mazzoni in a statement. “At times like these, it is wonderful to see the goodness and kindness in people who want to help however they can.”

Canine Companions still has over 400 people waiting to be placed with an expertly trained assistance dog.

Guide Dog Teams

In this time when so many of our social rituals have changed to accommodate the new rules of a global pandemic, one thing remains a constant: the need to remember to always use your powers of observation and offer a comfortable “physical distance” around a guide dog and his human handler when they are out in a public setting.

Guide dogs are the eyes of their handler — they are trained to lead the way safely and securely. But we can’t expect guide dogs to understand the current physical distancing practice of maintaining 6-foot clearances.

Guide dogs are trained to be decision makers. Even under stressful situations the intent of the dogs’ presence is to protect their handlers from harmful situations involving clearances around obstacles and navigating over dangerous under footings. When another party is in too close proximity, it can distract the dog from its tasks. Just as we humans like our space, guide dogs need space as well to perform their duties. Our wonderful guide dogs are specifically trained to make safe choices in public settings. This includes on stairways, elevators, and escalators; in supermarket aisles; around restaurant tables and along sidewalks. The long-standing message of being a careful observer applies when you are in the same vicinity as the guide dog team —especially when locating, entering, or exiting doorways. Remember that the dog knows to lead his handler with safe clearance, but he does not know how to create a 6-foot gap. I believe the guide dog’s presence should tell the story and that we humans must observe and react with care. The responsibility for recommended physical spacing in the presence of a working team should fall to the sighted party. Please decide when it is necessary to make the adjustment for 6-feet of distance between you, and do it in a casual manner. When you see a guide dog team approaching, be observant and add a small amount of space between you as needed. There is no reason for exaggeration, but it’s easy to add a little physical separation to comply with safety practices. A slight movement one way or another will help a lot. We each do it every day in our people-to-people encounters.  And please do this with subtlety and tact. The blind person approaching you does not want to feel awkward or to be put on the spot. Nor do they want to be given preferential treatment. Blindness in and of itself can be the cause of social isolation and often results in loneliness and distancing from life and human interaction. We are in no way suggesting that you avoid engaging with a visually impaired person — just not when that can interfere with their safety and health. We are all having to make adjustments to adhere to the new protocols and safety measures designed to flatten the curve of COVID-19 in our daily lives. Thank you for being sensitive about giving our life-changing guide dogs a little more space in theirs. Southeastern Guide Dogs transforms lives by creating and nurturing extraordinary partnerships between people and dogs. Our organization operates the most advanced training facilities of any service dog organization in the world. Our experts breed, raise, and train elite working dogs—including guide dogs, service dogs, and skilled companion dogs—and provide life-changing services for people with vision loss, veterans with disabilities, and children with significant challenges such as vision loss or the loss of a parent in the military.

Therapy Dogs Helping In Time Of Need

The coronavirus pandemic has the Roxy dogs of Doylestown missing school just as much as the kids.

Sharon Fleck, the president of Roxy Therapy Dogs, trains and certifies her furry friends for every circumstance. She brings them to schools, hospitals, groups homes for medically fragile children, and even courthouses before child abuse cases.

Kids are very resilient, but my worry is that some of them may struggle,” said Fleck.

The entire program houses 80 dogs and their owners. Through various specialized support programs, they visit thousands of children a week.

Diane Smith, founder, is very worried about how kids are coping without seeing the dogs.

“I worry about the kids that are in trouble, kids that are victims of abuse and neglect, children in group homes that we visit that are in ventilator. It’s very hard for me personally,” said Smith.

A 9-year-old student commented on how she misses her four-legged friend “Theo”, who used to visit her classroom.

“He comes after math, and I’m usually stressed after math,” she said.

To try and alleviate some of the anxiety during the pandemic, Roxy Therapy Dogs is creating a series of online videos and giving volunteer readings to the kids (even if their dog is napping).

“Anything I can do [is] just try to keep that connection going,” Fleck said.

Dog Beauty

As if we need more proof that dogs are heavenly, meet Beauty, the rescue dog who now helps her autistic owner deal with anxiety – despite never having had any training. Beauty’s owner Cheryl, who has autism spectrum condition and struggles with high levels of anxiety, says Beauty is able to pick up on her feelings and emotions, and has been a constant source of affection and comfort during lockdown. “Beauty is more than just a dog to me; she is my best friend,” says Cheryl, who adopted five-year-old Beauty from the RSPCA’s Chesterfield & North Derbyshire branch. “Even though Beauty has received no formal assistance dog training, this is the role she plays in my life and she plays it superbly. She is a very sensitive dog who is able to pick up on how I am feeling with no encouragement.

“If I’m particularly upset she will immediately sit, and raise her paw. If I sit down with her, she will give me a hug, often by placing one or two paws on my shoulder and resting her head on me. Having Beauty around also gives me a good sense of personal security. She will bark and alert me if there is anyone outside or around.”

As well as routine and structure during lockdown, Beauty has offered Cheryl companionship, support and affection. “She provides me with judgement-free companionship as I lack the ability to form many kinds of social relationships with other people,” Cheryl said. “She loves people, always wagging her tail and eager to greet people. Everyone we meet loves her!”

Blind Therapy Dog

Baby, a blind 8-year-old therapy dog who first started visiting residents at Island City Assisted Living in Eaton Rapids, Mich. over six years ago, is continuing her compassionate hobby amid the coronavirus pandemic.

When the COVID-19 crisis first took hold in the United States, Baby’s paused her visits for about a month because the residents are among the most at-risk for contracting the potentially deadly virus due to their age.

The residents missed Baby, though, frequently asking the facility’s activities director Kelly Klassen when they could see their furry friend again. Fortunately for the residents, Baby’s guardian, Pat Ward, came up with the idea of her and Baby visiting residents through their windows. This ensures their compliance with coronavirus-related safety restrictions and also provides the senior citizens with much-needed companionship during this isolating pandemic.

“We really needed to do something, because they missed her,” Ward told the Washington Post. “And we missed them.”

Residents can’t touch Baby, but just seeing the loving dog brings them happiness.

“They’re still able to talk to her and love her,” said Ward. “And they still smile about it. For a little bit of the time, it takes away the isolation and it takes away the pain.”

Therapy Dogs On Zoom