Life with a Service Dogs

Abraham Lincoln once said, "A man (lawyer) who represents himself has a fool for a client." Same thing applies to dog training and, in that respect I contacted Jerri Lewis of the Chino Valley Canine Training Club (cvctc.net) to provide the necessary training for Vesper and myself. In her second class Vesper is learning how to walk on a leash and remain at heel. As expected being a puppy she is learning everything yet it shall take a few weeks for it it settle into her head.  In the mean time she has learned her name and established a very solid recall along with the basic commands: of sit and auto-sit, down, up and leave-it.  The next classes include accepting strangers, stay and long stay. 

The history of service dogs starts 1975 with the creation of the Service Dog concept by Prof. Bonnie Bergin, founder and president of the Bergin University of Canine Studies and the founder of Canine Companions for Independence. Today service dogs (SDs) are recognized around the world with many countries protecting them under law while requiring specific training and certification. In the USA SDs are protected by the ADA do not require either certification or registration.