The History of the Service Dog

When you think of a service dog, you probably think of a well-trained animal, bred to perform special tasks and help with work. You may be surprised to learn that service dogs come in all shapes and sizes and help a person in many different ways. You may be even more surprised to find that service dog training is often done by owners just like you. Keep reading to find out if your pet can become a qualified service dog and if you can become a trainer.

new best friend

Joy and Billy Carr were still grieving the recent loss of their furry companion Bubba when they faced a new challenge: Billy needed surgery to remove a brain tumor. Luckily, the surgery went well, and after Billy was released from the hospital, the couple decided it was time to get a new dog. On the same day, they attended a charity pet adoption event in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Billy sat down to rest while his wife examined the puppies, and upon her return, she found that her husband had already made friends with a two-year-old Shih Tzu mix from a kennel next door. “This dog remained quiet and calm in the midst of the chaos of people and barking and howling dogs,” says Joy. Billy asked if he could interact with the dog and by the time I got back they were already best friends. Sherman turned out to be that dog for us. [He] was by Billy’s side for several weeks when Billy had to stay at home as part of his recovery from surgery.”

Born working dog

Joy, who at the time worked as a librarian for the Tulsa Public Schools, took part in organizing a charity event for the Tulsa SPCA Orphanage in December 2014. During the trip, she learned about the Pets Are Love (PAL) volunteer program, where trained therapy dogs visited nursing home residents. After learning about the requirements of the program, she realized that their dog would be perfect for this. “Sherman is very outgoing,” says Joy. He loves meeting people! He is also very sensitive to our emotions: he always tries to support us when we are sad or worried. We thought that if he works as something like a therapy dog, then it will benefit both people in need of help and himself.” So she decided to become a service dog trainer.

Obtaining a certificate

For the Carr family, training a service dog as a therapy dog ​​proved less difficult than one might expect. To be certified, Sherman first had to pass the Conscious Citizen test, which involved interacting with a group of children and adults. A tester, discreetly placed in this group, put Sherman through a series of tests designed to assess his temperament and reactions to stressful situations. During such tests, Sherman was pulled by the tail, shouted at him, abruptly opened an umbrella in front of him and threw a soda can filled with pebbles. “That sounds pretty cruel,” Joy says, “but it’s absolutely necessary because you need to know exactly how the dog will react to the situation [under stress]… Sherman did a great job!”

Life with a service dog

Sherman enjoys hanging out with nursing home residents, and according to Joy, the feeling is mutual. “Many of them share with us stories about pets they once had or had to leave behind when they moved into a nursing home.” As for Sherman’s owners, they love bringing joy to the lives of nursing home residents while enriching the life of their beloved dog at the same time. Despite this, they do not forget Sherman’s needs and limitations. “He loves to socialize, but like a human, he sometimes gets to the point where it’s time to stop and take a break.”

Although the Carrs intend to continue to bring Sherman to nursing homes every month, it may be possible in the future to involve him in other activities. Joy, who works as a school librarian, thinks Sherman might be a good fit for monthly reading sessions at her library, which allows kids to sit and read with a certified therapy dog. “I would really like that,” Joy says. “It would be great to be able to take it with you to work.”