Military Officer - December 2008 - (Page 64) Isaac and Eve (right) have learned to retrieve items as part of their training. After nine to 15 months of training, dogs will be able to perform a wide variety of tasks for their wounded warrior owners. accompany them to meals, where they sit quietly under their trainer’s chair. Everything the trainers and dogs do together — from climbing stairs to playing fetch — is part of the training, which typically lasts nine to 15 months. Eventually the dogs will be able to perform nearly 70 tasks. Some of the taller dogs also are trained as “walker dogs” for Marines with mobility issues. “They’re taught to walk on whatever side their owners have a prosthetic leg, so they can bear some of their owner’s weight,” explains inmate Mark, who is working with a 1-year-old Labrador mix named Roxy. Walker dogs, which wear a special support harness, also are trained to help their owners get up after sitting down, Mark notes. The animals involved in the program come from area shelters and breeders. One playful participant was bred for show but didn’t quite meet the requirements to win ribbons. Another dog, named Bailey, was placed at a shelter by a Marine who was deploying to Afghanistan and had no one to care for his pet. Bailey was just one day away from being euthanized when he was selected for the Military Prison Service Dog Training Program. PHOTOS/IMAGES: TKTK 64 MILITARY OFFICER MONTH 2005
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