The Odyssey of a Simple Task

I received a call in March of this last spring from a man who lived in Tennessee. He was a War Vet who had sustained an injury while being deployed during the first Gulf War which left him without the use of his legs. He had had two previous service dogs, each assisting him for several years before each being diagnosed with illnesses that rendered them unable to continue as Assistance dogs.

He called me because of a video clip I had posted on YouTube about the Trained Retrieve, and a comment I had made on the narration about its importance in the roles of service and assistance dogs.

Occasionally, I have been known to dispense advice to Service Dog owners on how to train a specific skill, to assist in the polishing of already trained skills and to uncover potential applications of known skills to new tasks.

I do this for free.

I am particularly fond of our defenders, since our own Government does not seem willing, able or inclined to help them; I feel it is the least I can do to thank them for their service to me, my country and the sacrifices they made on my behalf. Your behalf. On the behalf of every citizen in this nation.

This caller had a problem. He needed another Service Dog, trained to assist with his particular needs and the wait through one of the recognized agencies was longer than he had time for by about two years. He wanted to know if I could help.

I took a long, deep breath. Just completing a project of trying to procure dogs for single scent detection work through a myriad of breed rescues unwilling to indenture their dogs to a life of servitude; shelters unwilling to place potential candidates in homes that did not support their version of ideal; and breeders wanting exorbitant dollars for candidates yet unproven, I, like a fool, said OK.

It is important to note that there is precious little if any financial assistance available for the procurement of Service/Assistance dogs for anyone, citizen or War Vet alike. The dogs are primarily supplied free of charge to their owners through non-profit organizations like Canine Companions for Independence and others. These organizations sustain their programs through the generous donations of the public and other private funding, but are restricted in the numbers of assistance animals they can provide by virtue of the demand far outstripping the supply of ready-trained animals.

The logistics of creating a Service/Assistance dog are incredible. First one has to find one. Most of the larger organizations breed their own, but the success rate is mitigated by health, trainability and temperament issues that change the dynamic throughout the development of any working dog. The actual training is a long and arduous process that can take many months and then finally, hopefully, successful placement of the trained dog with the right person.

Senator Al Frankin of Minnesota proposed legislation that will help make it more affordable for injured vets to obtain service dogs and will also be a part of a scientific study to measure the therapeutic effect of these animals on returning soldiers with injuries, either seen or unseen.

So, my task was made more difficult by pre-selecting a dog that not only matched my caller’s criterion, but would be suitable for the tasks she/he was intended for.

My caller wanted a Lab, preferably black, preferably female and as soon as possible.

At an age where training could start immediately.

‘As soon as possible’ ended up being over 4 months of rigorous searching and testing, climbing the same obstacles from my last barely successful search and being turned down time and time again.

She happened into my lap after an inquiry about a litter of puppies advertised through an acquaintance of mine on FaceBook, which further assures for me at least, the relevancy of Social Media.

‘She’ turned out to be a young Lab originally named Jenny, bred by Al and Margo Penke of Boundary Waters Labradors in Minnesota. Appropriately, the home of Senator Frankin.

Her first birthday was September 29^th, 2009.

Through the generosity of Al and Margo, I had a dog.

Over the course of the future, I will be updating the odyssey of “Diamond”, aka Jenny as she transforms from a marvelous, funny puppy into a mature and functional Assistance Dog.

Competing Interests, One Solution

As with all stories, there are two sides to everything:

Service-Assistance dogs enable their disabled owners to function productively in society, helping them with tasks that are outside the physical scope of many; opening doors, turning on lights, assisting them with a variety of tasks that able-bodied people take for granted.

These dogs require a high degree of training in order to prepare them for their lives as Service-assistance dogs, enabling their handicapped owners to lead relatively normal lives and alleviating the need for human caretakers for many day-to-day tasks.

What's come under fire is the proposed definition of Service Assistance dogs and the conundrum that is created by their use as Psychiatric Service Dogs. These individuals might not quite look like they are in need of the assistance a Service dog provides and even more, the tasks that the dogs provide to 'mitigate the disability of the owner" are unclear.

Here's a thought, make access available to all dogs that achieve a level of training that clearly demonstrates they are controllable in public and capable of minding their manners on planes, trains and in automobiles, in Wal-Mart, at the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker's.

That way you leave human dignity intact and the ADA properly interpreted and complied with.

But there's a caveat.

Or two.

The first: the new language makes the identification of a Service Dog by the ADA pretty vague, since an individual cannot ask the nature of the disability a person my have and second; due to this loophole, people are getting away with faux Service Dogs that are causing a world of hurt for the people who really need the assistance.

What to do?

Like I said, allow access to all dogs who can clearly demonstrate appropriate behavior in public. The general public can be assured that the animals they see out with their owners at least have achieved a measurable standard of control and the individuals whose animals cannot demonstrate these skills will be excluded from public access. If an individual has managed to actually get certification indicating their animal has passed an access test and the animal is later determined to be in violation, their permit gets revoked until it is demonstrated that the dog can either re-certify; or after a minimal number of re-certification attempts have been made, it is revoked permanently.

It eliminates the fakirs and the cheats. The people who are blatantly using the loopholes in the ADA Policy can still have an opportunity for redemption if their dogs can pass the access test. It will also help to foster a greater understanding and acceptance of dogs in public, help to enforce current dog leash laws and increase the revenues for localities across the Nation who struggle with funding for pet specific policies.

There are several cities in the United States that have such laws already on the books and there is currently a grassroots movement to introduce similar access tests publicly.

What's the harm? It can potentially generate revenue for communities and quite possibly elevate the ageless place of dog as help-mate as opposed to the harbinger of death and destruction so vividly portrayed by a contemporary media that is no more objective about animals than they are in their pursuit of any other truth.