Dogs Inc. training the next generation of service dogs
FOX 13 photojournalist Barry Wong shows how man’s best friend trains to be a service dog.
PALMETTO, Fla. – If you see a group of puppies and handlers dressed in purple in a public place in Tampa, chances are they are part of a Dogs Inc. program.
Dogs Inc. trains puppies to become service dogs by bringing them to public places across the area.
“It’s kind of the unknown. When we go out in the public, it’s kind of like the wild for us,” Dogs Inc. Puppy Raising Advisor Jenni Scamardo said.
Dogs Inc. trains service and skilled companion dogs on their campus in Palmetto and at homes of puppy raisers.
In addition, puppies have opportunities to train at public places, like airports, markets and, recently, The Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota.
“The Ringling is an opportunity for us to expose the puppies to our real-world situation that they might come into as a working dog,” Scamardo said.
“Visiting museums is something very normal for a person, and so that’s an opportunity to put our puppy in that situation and help them learn how to be successful there.”
Museums and other public places expose the pups to different ground materials, loud noises, unique smells, children and so much more.
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“We want to make sure that they’re getting a wide variety of exposures and in different locations, so that we can generalize the work that we’re doing at home and very familiar environments into different environments with them,” Scamardo said.
The visits to public places also help in determining which job suits the puppies best.
Dogs Inc. Dual-Certified Development Specialist Marisa Blanco says it can show if the dog can handle a hectic environment or if a quiet, calmer environment, like living out in the country, is best.
Either way, Dogs Inc. staff view these field trips as confidence builders for the puppies.
“When they come in for training and then once they get matched as a guide or a service dog, when they go back into a similar environment like that, they’ll kind of have like, ‘I’ve got this, like, this is normal, I’ve done this multiple times before’, and they really feel like empowered to keep that and it drives them to keep going,” Scamardo said.
For ways to get involved or donate, you can visit the Dogs Inc. website.
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