Inside a school for service dogs
You see them everywhere: loyal service dogs helping humans in need. But how do these dogs learn their trade? How do they manage to ignore distractions and focus on the tasks at hand (or paw)? In this short documentary from BuzzFeed, you’ll meet the puppy pupils of Doggie Do Good service dog training school as they learn the skills that will turn them into heroes, sitting still while ignoring stimuli such as bouncy balls, chew toys, and the dreaded Mr. Pip! (via Andrew Y.)
I think I wanna go back to school!
They may not all qualify to be service dogs but they are all good boys/girls!
I agree Amy and I wish I could give a quick snorgle or eye smile to them all.
There’s a student group on my campus that serves as puppy raisers for service dogs. Some of the students in the group are the main foster family, and others serve as dog sitters when the main foster student is doing something that the dog can’t join in on. This means that there are tons of adorable puppies in their little red training jackets walking around campus all the time. It’s one of my favorite things about working here!
Wow!
My dogs have a service human.
Hahahahaha
I’d like to borrow Mr Pip when he isn’t needed for training purposes.
I live not too far away from a school that trains seeing-eye dogs so it’s not uncommon to see the pups practicing skills like Escalator Management at the mall or Ignore The Ball at the park.
I loved this video; it was fascinating! And yes, everyone needs a little Mr. Pip in their life!
One of my charities is Puppies Behind Bars, http://puppiesbehindbars.com/mission/, which has a four-star (highest possible) Charity Navigator rating. Organizations like this one help to rehabilitate their trainers, as well as to provide high-quality service dogs for important people-oriented jobs. You may be able to find a similar organization to support in your neighborhood.
Okay, now I have to go back and check out Mr. Pip again.
Augh I loved getting to see this!! I’m disabled & chronically ill and currently on a waitlist for a service dog… I can hardly wait to have one!! 🙂
Please share when you are matched.