| Scout learns to `hold'. At first it is something easy such as this dumbell, but he will learn to hold articles that his new owner may be unable to pick up when required, or to hold items that must be transferred - like the household trash! |
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| Scout learns to be relaxed and move easily around a wheelchair, and to walk alongside through busy town streets and malls. |
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| Scout learns to shake hands with children and strangers. Although he is interacting with another, his eyes are clearly on his trainer, to check that he is doing it right! |
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| Scout's graduation photograph. He will now be matched with a suitable applicant from within San Diego County, California, and both he and his potential new owner will train together to work as a team. |
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| Scout learns to be very tolerant with children who may crawl around and over him, cuddle and pat him, but he must never act impatiently or aggressively. |
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| Scout's brother, Riley, has also enroled for the programme and is making good progress with his initial training. |
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Scout (Hathersage Jiyu Scout), the trainee Service Dog who we have been following through his training, has now graduated from basic training and applications have been invited from disabled people within Scout's training area to apply for him as their personal helper and companion.
Basic training for Scout has covered a huge area of learning. After the initial commands of sit, stay, settle, down, come, he went on to more complex ones such as toileting on command and eating only when told.
Then his training included familiarisation with escalators, lifts, air travel, car, bus and tram travel, sitting quietly in restaurants and plenty of socialisation with people, other animals, and especially with children, as service dogs must be calm and quiet whatever children are doing around them, no matter how much they would like to join in the children's games.
At the training centre he has learned to be at ease alongside a wheelchair, to `watch' when told to, to switch lights on and off, to `hold' articles for increasing periods of time, to deposit trash in the outdoors bin, to `bring' articles to the trainer, to pick up the phone receiver, and bark when the doorbell rings.
Once Scout is matched with a suitable applicant, his training will take a new direction and will depend on the requirements of the person he is matched with.
The person may be deaf, unable to do basic household tasks because of arthritis, epileptic, confined to a wheelchair, or any one of many different types of disability that the service dogs are trained to assist.
Once the choice is made Scout will be trained alongside his owner-to-be.
It is an intense learning time for both, when they will learn each other's requirements and exactly what is expected of them in their new roles.
Service dogs are carefully matched with new owners - some dogs can warn their owners when a seizure is going to hit, but not all dogs have this ability. The dogs are carefully assed over their initial training to place them with those they are best suited to help.
Service dogs are sponsored for their training by individuals, businesses or groups and sponsorships are invited on a continuing basis. Scout was sponsored by the Encinitas Lions Club.
To see more of the way the service dogs are trained visit their website at: http://TLCservicedogs.com/
There are other breeds in training as well - poodles, retrievers and German shepherds included.
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