Carrie Coppernoll, columnist
Training pups to help people is no easy task
BY CARRIE COPPERNOLL
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Published: May 21, 2009
When you’re with Tom, you’re with a celebrity. I’m pretty sure I could have been on fire and nobody would give a second glance with Tom standing next to me.
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BACKGROUND
A NEW LEASH ON LIFE
A New Leash on Life is a nonprofit organization dedicated to training assistance dogs for people with disabilities. The group also runs a dog training program at an Oklahoma prison. Long-term volunteers are needed to foster and train dogs. Short-term volunteer opportunities include hosting a dog for a few days, transporting dogs or helping with obedience classes. Volunteers also are needed to organize events. For more information, call 224-7715 or go to
traineddogs.org.
To be fair, Tom is a handsome fella. He’s pretty smart, too.
The 1-year-old retriever is an assistance-dog-in-training. He’s one of many dogs learning to help the disabled through an organization called A New Leash on Life.
Volunteer trainers like
Jeanne Neugebauer work with dogs like Tom for about a year before the pups are promoted to specialized training, where they learn skills like pulling a wheelchair or leading the blind. A New Leash on Life volunteers teach the dogs basic manners and behaviors universally acceptable for assistance dogs.
For example, an assistance dog needs to be able to go to the grocery store with his owner without being distracted or scared. So trainers spend a lot of time preparing their dogs for the real world. Neugebauer let me give training a try at
Penn Square Mall.
Tom walked patiently on my left, looking around but paying attention to my speed. Shoppers grinned at him and a few stopped to pet him. One little boy barely old enough to walk was particularly taken with Tom. His dad asked if they could approach. I said yes, and the boy toddled up. Within moments Tom was licking his face wildly like it was a giant dog treat. The boy giggled. Neugebauer stepped in and reminded Tom he was working, not snacking. Despite all his obedience, Tom is still in training and has to practice being calm — a difficult task for a puppy.
We moved on and walked through the mall corridors. The more we walked, the more at ease Tom was with the bust-ling crowds and interesting smells. That’s the whole idea, Neugebauer said. Service dogs face an endless number of situations, and they have to be prepared to handle them all calmly and obediently. Tom still has work to do, she said, but that’s what it takes to be a celebrity.
DOG JOG
The annual Dog Jog benefiting A New Leash on Life will be Monday at Wiley Post Park in
Oklahoma City. The 8K human-only race begins at 8 a.m. The 3K dog jog begins at 9 a.m., and partici-pants can bring their leashed dogs. Awards will be given for top runners and for dog categories, including best dressed and best trick. Registration on race day is $25. The race begins at 7 a.m. For more information, go to
traineddogs.org.
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