Field Trips for Service Dogs in Training
Cassidy and Mark working on commands at a mini golf course!
For those who keep up with our Service Dogs in training via social media, you might notice that our Service Dogs in Training spend a fair bit of time outside of the facility! We call these excursions field trips, and they serve a very important role in our Service Dogs and their training.
Mark made a trip to a local elementary school to visit with students, and learn to navigate busy schools!
Our Service Dogs in training need exposure to everyday places, such as movie theaters, grocery stores, and restaurants! These places are the most typical locations that their handler will visit with them, and we need to ensure that our Service Dogs in Training can navigate supporting their Warrior while also not being distracted, distracting, and obtrusive. For field trips like these, our trainers practice frequently used commands. For example, a trainer might approach a counter to order a meal, but place their Service Dog in Training in a “down” before ordering. This allows them to keep their dog close, and out of the way from people around them. Trainers also will commonly tell Service Dogs in Training to “go in” under their booth or table for the same reason! A “go in” is where a Service Dog will go under a table or desk to prevent themselves from obstructing a walk way.
Movie theaters provide a unique challenge to Service Dogs in Training. Space can be a little tight, and there is the added temptation for the inevitable pieces of popcorn on the ground. Movies also can be very stimulating, so trainers work very hard to support dogs during these challenging trips with plenty of encouragement and guidance.
Mark and trainer Yayoi working on commands at a bowling alley!
Another common place, and is required ADI training, is a bowling alley. Bowling alleys are usually pretty busy, and have a lot of unique sounds to them. The pins knocking over, the machinery for the lanes, and a bustling crowd are all things that our Service Dogs in Training need to be unphased by. Our Washington Site hosted a volunteer event last year with REI to have volunteers bowl around our Service Dogs in Training! Bowling alleys are similar to movie theaters with plenty of tempting food- but our Service Dogs in Training behave pretty well around it!
There are also field trips for exposure to not so common things- like arcades, children’s museums, parades, and more! These field trips are especially important as life features more than just going to work, the store, or out to eat. Field trips of this nature can feature a ride on public transportation, seeing large items such as forklifts at work in a hardware store, walking through large holiday decorations, and other less common occurrences.
Field trips are vital to our training, and they can’t happen without the support of our gracious donors. With your generous support, we can continue to ensure that our Service Dogs in Training are able to go on plenty of outings to be able to continue their training!