Military Officer - July 2007 - (Page 66)

training, which begins when a puppy is just 8 weeks old, says O’Brien. Over a two-month period, puppies stay at the organization’s nursery, where they are taught 80 percent of everything they must learn. “We expose them to wheelchairs, canes, and crutches,” says O’Brien. “We start them doing tasks such as retrieving and nudging light switches. We expose them to Wal-Mart and other places they will be exposed to as adults. It’s very comprehensive.” At 16 weeks, 80 percent of the dogs are sent to a local prison, where inmates continue the dogs’ education, and 20 percent are placed with foster families for additional training. When the dogs are about 14 months old, they are returned to the center to complete their schooling. Once a dog is fully trained, it is matched with a disabled person, who travels to the center for a two-week training period in which human and dog bond and learn to work as a team, O’Brien says. Rockwall, Texas-based Patriot Paws Service Dogs spends between 200 and 360 hours or more training its dogs in the basics, followed by months Archie opens doors — literally — for Rankin (above), who was injured while serving in Iraq with the 220th Military Police Company. Spc. Raymond Hubbard, serving with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, was partnered with service dog Dace in March 2007 (left). 66 MILITARY OFFICER J U LY 2 0 0 7 of additional specialty training, says founder and CEO Lori Stevens. “Right now we’re concentrating on mobility disabilities,” Stevens says. “[Dogs selected for this service] get a lot of balance work, a lot of ‘get help’ work in which they fetch a phone or go through the house to ﬁnd someone to help the recipient. But the majority of their job is assisting with everyday activities such as getting dressed and fetching a cold drink from the refrigerator.” Retrieving breeds such as golden retrievers and Labs most commonly are used as service dogs because of their intelligence, strength, and gentle temperament, say trainers. German shepherds, collies, and poodles also make effective service dogs. Because many OEF/OIF veterans come home missing limbs, there’s a growing demand for balance dogs — animals that essentially act as living canes for their owners. They wear special harnesses that are stiff and supportive. “These dogs provide balance for their owners and also retrieve anything that their owners drop,” says O’Brien. “So for veterans who are double amputees, we’re combining [the talents] of two dogs and calling it a dual dog. And these young men and women love that. The connotation of having a cane when you’re 20 is not cool. But having a dog is a whole different mind-set.” Sgt. Clay Rankin, USA-Ret., of Fort Lupton, Colo., is the owner of a balance and mobility dog named Archie, whom Rankin received in October from Patriot Paws Service Dogs. In 2003, while in Iraq with the 220th Military Police Company, Rankin severely injured his back when he fell while struggling to single-handedly load a Mark 19 as his unit was taking small-arms ﬁre. As a result of that injury, his left leg now collapses without warning, making mobility difﬁcult. Rankin also suffers PHOTOS: TOP, JUAN GARCIA/THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS; BOTTOM, COURTESY NEADS/ DOGS FOR DEAF AND DISABLED AMERICANS

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Military Officer - July 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: In Focus After the Kim Dynasty Animal House Paying Tribute MOAA Member Services Pages of History Faces of MOAA Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Scholarship Donors MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - July 2007

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