Service Dog "Willow" Braces, Packs, Pushes and Pulls

Service Dog "Willow" Braces, Packs, Pushes and PullsAn ordinary shopping trip requires the patience of Job for Karen Jones of Grand Bay, AL, and her service dog, Willow, a three-year old pu

Service Dog "Willow" Braces, Packs, Pushes and Pulls

An ordinary shopping trip requires the patience of Job for Karen Jones of Grand Bay, AL, and her service dog, Willow, a three-year old pure bred Blue Merle Great Dane.

Above all, Jones just wants to be treated like a regular person and allowed to shop, dine and work.

Jones has suffered from disk degeneration disease for 30 years; its a disability that isn't apparent at a glance however. The public's perception of disabled is it should be obvious - like a blind person's dark sunglasses or a wheelchair.

Consequently, Jones has to handle access issues at doctor's offices, grocery stores, restaurants, schools, malls and her job because of her service dog.

She's been corralled by four managers at a retail super center and told to leave because she wasn't blind. Once, mall security called the Mobile Police so she wasn't able to shop with her daughter.

Jones said "Such adversity is commonplace. I've owned service dogs since 1996 and am still getting confronted at certain businesses when I try to enter because of staff changes."

To mediate the access dispute, Jones shows the U.S. Department of Justice pamphlet. It states the American Disabilities Act of 1990 allows "any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability."

Willow wears either an orange vest with wording "Please do not pet me; I am working." or a big red backpack with "Service Dog" visible.

The majority of people are curious and often approach Jones about what breed her service dog is and how much training is involved. Disabled people will ask how they too can afford a service dog.

Jones explains she prefers to rescue dogs and get private training. The alternative is spending thousands of dollars and waiting years to get a program dog that may not be trained to your needs.

She recommends adopting an older dog and not a puppy (Willow was 18 months old adopted from the Louisiana Great Dane Rescue in 2007.) Jones has trained her previous service dogs that were Black Labradors and Belgean Malinois, but the disposition of a Great Dane is different so she sought out an expert.

Cynthia Clark-Pesce, Accredited Pet Training Instructor at PetSmart in the Eastern Shore Center, knows how enriching service dogs are to their owners and how disabled people become more independent with them.

Clark-Pesce is renowned along the Gulf Coast for rescuing various breeds then training them on basic obedience and service dog work.

Recently, she's trained a dog to pull his owner's wheelchair since he couldn't afford an electric one. Another person had a sleep disorder so the dog was trained to wake him up.

Initially, Clark-Pesce tailors eight half-hour individual sessions on basic obedience for $209.

Additional training is needed for service dogs who assist work or tasks in a medical crisis, psychiatric disabilities, emotional overload or security enhancement tasks.

Clark-Pesce's fundamental training goes beyond the traditional seeing-eye Guide Dog commands. She's worked with Signal dogs, Treatment Related Assistance dogs and Search and Rescue dogs.

Willow's training concentrates on stabilization, mobility and medical issues of her owner.

Willow has mastered "brace" so Jones can stabilize herself when she gets up. To aid in Jones' mobility, the dog pushes/pulls the grocery cart in a store. On quick shopping trips, Willow allows her pack to be filled with items off the shelf.

Additionally, Willow is learning how to retrieve the Asthma inhaler from her backpack. The toughest challenge is teaching the Great Dane to only accept food from the owner.

Also through PetSmart, Clark- Pesce is doing obedience training for Paws for Patients, an animal-assisted therapy program that is organized by Covenant Hospice in Daphne.

For more information about training and behavior classes at every lifestage, call Clark-Pesce at the Spanish Fort Petsmart store at 251-625-4025.

Clark-Pesce reminds all of us about service dog etiquette: "Don't pet them, feed them or make distracting noises/gestures at them because they are working. Definitely smile at both the owner and the dog, though, and treat them normal."

1^st PICTURE ATTACHED "BRACE"

Service Dog Willow, a three-year old pure bred Blue Merle Great Dane, braces for her owner, Karen Jones of Grand Bay, AL, as she gets up from a bench at Banfield Veterinary Office. Photo courtesy of Sonja Presley.

2^nd PICTURE ATTACHED "PACK"

Willow the Service Dog stands still and allows her owner Karen Jones to pack her big red bag with items off the shelves at PetSmart in the Eastern Shore Center. (Backpacks are used on brief visits to stores.) Photo courtesy of Sonja Presley.

3^rd PICTURE ATTACHED "PULLING"

Jones wraps the 6 foot leash around the handle, then her Service Dog Willow briskly pulls the shopping cart down her favorite aisle at PetSmart in the Eastern Shore Center. Photo courtesy of Sonja Presley.

4^th PICTURE ATTACHED "PUSHING"

Willow the Service Dog pushes the shopping cart down the bedding aisle for her owner Karen Jones at PetSmart in the Eastern Shore Center. Photo courtesy of Sonja Presley.

Submitted by

Sonja Presley

Volunteer Media Relations

PAWS HERE PUBLICITY

251.591.4837

paws_here_publicity@yahoo.com

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