Service Dogs are dogs trained to mitigate, or help, the disability of their person. As formal service dog organizations gather dusty waiting lists of people due to demand, more and more people are undertaking the challenging task on their own or under the supervision/support of a trained professional.
The challenge to service dog training begins with acquiring the best "make and model" of dog for the needs of the individual. Add in time, patience, focus and and task training, not to mention socialization and "down time" -- time for a dog just to be a dog, and it can be downright overwhelming. Even people who acquire organization trained dogs can feel limited to no support after placement which could sabotage even previously solid partnerships should problems arise.
Enter Lake Erie Assistance Dogs, a new organization whose members consist of assistance dog teams, trainers and anyone else interested in assistance dogs and their contribution to persons with disabilities. Join the group for their first meeting which includes guest speaker Sue Alexander, a well known and respected service dog trainer from Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Date: Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010
Time: 2:00 - -4:00 pm
Where: Canine Affair Center, 8495 Mulberry Road, Chesterland, OH 44026.
Contact: Linda Alberda
For more information: Service Dog General Info,
Comments
That's pretty cool to see a new group like that starting up Rachel - thanks for the heads up. What kinds of disabilities can service dogs help mitigate?
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