Force- Free Dog Training, LLC
by Jeff Holmes
Service Dog Training
Service Dogs have been used to assist the disabled since Helen Keller brought home her first Akita, Kamikaze-Go, from a speaking tour of Japan in 1937. For many years, Service Dogs were used exclusively to assist the blind. Over time, the role of the Service Dog was expanded as we came to appreciate the vast array of ways in which our dogs can be truly useful as aids to the disabled.
Today, Service Dogs assist the blind, the deaf, and alert those who suffer from seizures before the onset so that they can prevent injury. Seizure Detection Dogs have enabled those afflicted with renewed freedom to get around on their own. A great deal of life has been regained by many through Service Dogs assisting the physically disabled, whether by injury, disease or illness, providing happiness and the freedom to navigate society.
The first Service Dog Jeff Holmes trained was owned by a wheelchair-bound college student. Her Jack Russell Terrier was trained to go to class with her, riding on her lap, and then he would lay quietly under her desk throughout class until called upon. In class, he would pick up things that she dropped, hand in homework, and retrieve assignments and graded papers back from the teacher. This assistance served to save time and energy, moving the dog up and down aisles too narrow for the wheelchair. It also minimized breaks in concentration, as the huge effort of reaching the floor for often dropped items was no longer her task, but rather her dog's.
Some people require even more help from their Service Dog. Some of the many skills Service Dog Training teaches include: retrieving items for their owner (mail, phone, eyeglasses, remote control, dropped items), opening and closing doors and cabinets, holding doors open, physically assisting in walking and going up and down stairs and in the early detection of an oncoming seizure.
Some dogs have more potential to serve us than we might imagine. "Dice" was an untrained, aggressive adolescent when Jeff Holmes met him. He now travels the world assisting his owner unfailingly as a full-time Service Dog. To hear Dice's full story, please visit our "Dice's Journey" page for an inspiring tale.
At Force-
Free Dog Training, LLC, we have helped many dogs of many different sizes and breeds becom
e successful Service Dogs for their owners. From a Jack Russell Terrier to a Giant Malamute, if you have needs that your dog can assist with, our Service Dog Training Program will help your dog fulfill his potential in serving you. You too will be free to navigate on your own, at your own comfortable pace, and go everywhere you want to go with the reliable assistance of your Service Dog. 