Dogs are among the world’s most beloved pets – prized for their perceived abilities to sense human emotion and give warmth and unconditional love.
Grandview Heights High School’s canine companion has been part of the district since 2008. Avery is a facility dog who was trained through Canine Companions for Independence.
Susan Sauer, an intervention specialist, is Avery’s handler. She is responsible for his feeding and grooming and the care that comes with any dog. He also lives with her.
Sauer had already been interested in getting a dog, but was introduced to the idea of a service dog by Grandview’s school psychologist, Eric Pickering. She quickly recognized the value and impact that having a service dog in the school would be on the students, Sauer says.
Research shows the benefits of service dogs in helping students develop communication skills and independence, as well as helping with physical tasks for people with disabilities. Canine Companions is among many programs in the nation that train dogs for those purposes. She picked the organization to go through training with because of its emphasis on educational programs.
“Avery is a facility dog trained to always be a listening and loving dog,” Sauer says.
The dogs chosen by Canine Companions – Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and mixes of the two breeds – are raised from puppyhood specifically to become service dogs. When they are 14-16 months old, they undergo medical and personality tests to determine whether they are a good fit for service. If they pass those, they are trained in commands and various working environments. If they pass that, then they can be considered f
or becoming a Canine Companions assistance dog.
In addition, each would-be handler has to go through an intensive process to even be considered for being placed with a dog. The process involves a written application, an interview and a couple weeks of training to ensure that the handler understands how to properly care for and interact with the dog. The dogs are placed in scenarios that benefit both parties.
After going through the whole process, Sauer was paired with Avery, a black Lab.
“He is playful and caring and wants to please those around him. He makes connections with others and wants to be by your side whenever possible,” Sauer says.
Avery is a constant companion in the classroom, keeping students company and being there to cheer them up and lend a friendly ear or a dose of cuteness and kindness.
“He loves attention, and the students and staff alike love giving him all of the attention he can handle.”
Avery was initially placed in the high school, but has since been used at various buildings throughout the district. Sauer envisions the successful program expanding in the future.
“It would be great to include other animals such as horses so that all students are able to experience the bond made between people and animals,” she says.
There is currently a teacher in the elementary school going through the process with CCI to be paired with a facility dog of her own.
Taylor Woodhouse is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
