MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Five service dogs embarked on a new training course at the Dane County Regional Airport on Wednesday, to learn how to navigate TSA, boarding, and flight procedures from above 10,000 ft.
The dogs and their handlers are a part of Custom Canines Service Dog Training Academy in Madison. After their training is completed, the dogs are placed with local veterans and first-responders in need of service animals.
“Custom canines is a non-profit out of Madison that helps raise and train custom service dogs, that are completely custom for the individual and they mainly donate to first responders to help with PTSD,” said Handler Bob Washburn.
Tracy Whipple, owner of travel agency Travel on a Dream, helped make the training today happen, by partnering with Custom Canines Service Dog Training Academy.
“We decided to make our cause this year helping Custom Canines so that these veterans and first responders that have service dogs can get out and travel and enjoy these things without any problems,” said Whipple.
She added that the two organizations “just complimented each other.”
That is why five service dogs took flight Wednesday morning, and experienced a full travel day to O’Hare International Airport as part of the training. Washburn said that there is no real way to teach flying without actually going on a plane.
“We are able to do training in most aspects of societal things, we do grocery stores and running around doing errands, but airport training, especially flying on a plane, is something that you can’t really simulate,” said Washburn.
“Take off and landing is something that they are not used to, we were told this morning that when we go up and down the dogs will experience problems with their ears just like we do, but of course they can’t say anything,” said Whipple.
Even on the ground, there were some ups and downs for the pups.
“Some of the things that we noticed were challenges was using the escalator. The dogs would do it this morning, going up, but going down in Chicago was a bit of a challenge,” said Whipple.
Washburn pinned a set of flight wings on his four-legged trainee, Corky, after his day of travel. He said that the best part about today is knowing that Corky is one step closer to being a companion for a local first responder.
“We are just only training, but just to know the recipients that are going to be taking dogs in and out of the airports are getting this kind of treatment is good to see, they get very excited about it,” said Washburn.
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