Susquehanna Service Dogs, based in Pennsylvania, raises and clicker trains service dogs and hearing dogs to assist children and adults with physical disabilities. Another successful placement just made news with the Pocono Record:
Four years ago Bain had a stroke that left his left side paralyzed. In her quest to help her husband, LaDonna Bain contacted Susquehanna Service Dogs. Two years ago Greg Bain applied for a service dog. In December 2004 he learned he was approved for the program and in April 2005 he traveled to Harrisburg for a "meet the dog" interview. Bain met five Labs one at a time.
"He was my first pick because of his temperament," Bain said of Jackson. "He's very mellow." At the time, Jackson was just a puppy. His training began at 8 weeks.
Meanwhile, the Bains needed to raise $5,000 to get a fully trained dog and another $2,000 for a required invisible fence around their yard. Students and staff at Monroe Career and Technical Institute in Bartonsville — where LaDonna is an instructor in automotive parts and services and Greg is a volunteer math tutor — planned fundraisers during the following school year to help the Bains get the dog….
Training is accomplished by a combination of verbal and physical cues. When Jackson obeys a one-word command, Bain sounds a clicker and gives him a treat as positive reinforcement.
You can read the full article here.
We also have a terrific training article on Greeting Strangers that was contributed by Cindy Williams, Training Coordinator for Susquehanna Service Dogs.
