Facility Dog Program

Shepherd Center has an ongoing relationship with Southeast – Canine Companions – a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained service dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. Since its founding in 1975, Canine Companions dogs and all follow-up services have been provided at no cost to their clients.

Canine Companions puppies are raised by volunteers who take them to puppy classes to teach them basic obedience and house manners. When the puppies are old enough to enter the professional training program, Canine Companions dogs come to one of six regional training centers in Northern California, Southern California, Texas, Ohio, New York, and Florida.

Once a dog has completed two years of professional training, it is matched with a handler, a Shepherd employee, who takes them home and is responsible for keeping up their training. The team is matched during Team Training, a two-week group class, at the Southeast Regional Training Center in Orlando, Florida. During Team Training, handlers learn to safely and effectively control, direct the dog to respond to commands it has learned, and assume responsibility for maintaining the health and well-being of the dog. The average service dog then works for eight years. After that, the dog retires from service and will spend its golden years as a pet.

A facility dog is trained to perform service dog commands, including picking up items, opening doors, and providing calming pressure across the client’s lap or body. Their trained skills can enhance therapies, promote participation, and reduce clients’ anxiety in professional environments. A facility dog is bred to be calm, reliable, and affectionate to assist in developing independent living skills and increase confidence. Additionally, the handler can integrate a facility dog into various structured therapies and utilize it to facilitate social interactions.

Our dogs know up to 40 commands that help facilitate independence for our patients. Facility dogs may help people with mobility impairments, balance deficits, or psychiatric disorders. For users of manual or power wheelchairs, facility dogs can help with tasks such as retrieving items, opening things, switch use, transfer assistance, and barking for notification.

Below are some skills we can work on during a therapy session:

• Mobility and leash management: Practice leash handling with power chairs, manual chairs, walkers, or while walking without assistance.
• Cognitive and speech skills: Work on verbal commands, memory tasks, and speech exercises with the dogs.
• Strength and upper extremity engagement: Tasks like brushing, grooming, and petting help build upper extremity strength and coordination.
• Core strengthening: Improve balance by sitting at the edge of a mat while playing fetch or engaging in tugging games.
• Service dog education: Learn about the roles and benefits of service dogs in daily life.
• Relaxation and comfort: Enjoy cuddles during stretching exercises for added motivation and relaxation.
• Behavioral and motivational support: Facility dogs help engage patients, especially those with behavioral challenges or low motivation.
• Distraction techniques: Provide a calming focus during uncomfortable activities such as stretching, casting, or other procedures.
• Home skill training: Practice bathing the dogs as preparation for managing similar tasks at home.
• Fine motor skills development: Create tug straps or similar tools to work on fine motor control.