Our Pups
Our canines have been selected especially for their suitable personality.
Not every dog is destined for service work.
This section provides information about how we select and train our dogs.
Meet our pups in person if you are in New England.
Canines On A Mission
Our Service Dogs are trained to assist a person with mobility trouble. Often the person is in a wheelchair or scooter, but they may be able to walk perhaps with the stability of a cane or walker. As an example disabilities our clients may have include multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or Parkinson's disease. Other circumstances that lead to a mobility challenge might include a serious accident or perhaps even a battlefield wound.
While a
client may have serious physical difficulties, themselves, we do require that our
dogs are placed with a person who is able to provide (or instruct a
helper) for any dog-care necessary.
Service Dogs have full access rights to almost any public facility including restaurants, malls, and public transportation. See the ADA for more details (go to our links page).
Tasks
- Retrieve items from floor, hand or other surface
- Deposit items on floor, lap/hand or other surface
- Tug open doors (refrigerator, regular)
- Push button for automatic doors
- Turn on and off lights
- Pull a manual wheelchair short distances
- Brace and provide minimal balance
- Read a few commands (words and stick figures)
- Be a loving, faithful, unobtrusive helpmate
If you have a disability you may choose to train a dog for yourself -- as long as you can manage their behavior and they will perform the tasks you request, your dog does not need to be certified for you to have public access.
