Thanks Integer Denver!

Paws & Effect

By Nancy Svoboda on Monday, 06 July 2009

As an agency, we have agreed to support a non -profit organization called Paws & Effect™. One of the most important segments of this business is the raising, training, and placement of service dogs locally. Service dogs need real-world experience to learn to help those with special needs. This is where we have agreed to help out. Beginning the week of July 6, Steve Hirsch will be bringing a service dog to the agency for training 2 or 3 times per week. The yellow lab will be wearing a vest indicating not to pet him because he is working. He will be at Steve’s side wherever he goes. Obviously, this is a new experience for the agency, and we hope it will be successful. However, we recognize that some employees may be allergic to dogs. If you have any questions, concerns, etc., please contact Nancy Svoboda so we can work together to make this a great experience for everyone. From Paws and Effect: We're excited to introduce you to "Tag," whose full name, Partager, means "to share" in French. Tag, a yellow lab, will be a year old on July 1. In the true spirit of the word, we appreciate your willingness to share in the experience of training a service dog. Tag has learned to open handicapped accessible doors by touching the associated pressure plate; open and close interior doors by tugging on the handle (when a tugging object is available) or by pushing it shut with his nose; retrieve large and small items and placing them back in a person's hand. Consistent with the minimum standards of Assistance Dogs International, Tag has learned at least three tasks to offset the limitations a person may experience if they were mobility impaired. You'll find that Tag is very quiet and gentle as well as hardworking and diligent. For now, he has demonstrated some fabulous work in public, although he still has some resistance to going up and down stairs. With that, there may be times when you see Steve actually training Tag and we hope that you'll acknowledge them with a quick greeting and continue on. Of course, every once in a while, Tag's age will shine through and he'll demonstrate that he can be a silly, adolescent dog. We are seeing that less and less, but know that there will be times that it is just too plain hard to work, and an effort to engage others to play will be offered. Again, ignoring the behavior when it happens will provide Steve the opportunity to redirect Tag into more appropriate public behavior. We know it is challenging to resist petting a dog while it is working, but refraining from doing so allows the dog to keep his focus on the person for whom it is working. This dog has been trained to avert eye contact with other humans as well as making the effort to keep the tail wagging to a minimum. In doing so, the dog discourages further interactions because he appears aloof. Mistakes happen, sometimes it is just too much to ask and we end up speaking with the dog or reaching for them. Recognize this is a good training opportunity for the dog, no apologies are required. However, we hope to see spontaneous interactions decrease as people get used to seeing Steve with Tag. Once things settle in, we'll try to set up an opportunity where people can play with Tag when his vest is off. Tag enjoys water, retrieving, tugging, general fun and games and, of course, being a lab, food. Know how much your efforts are appreciated and how valuable this experience is for Tag. He will be placed shortly after his stay with Steve and we'll be happy to share all the details of his placement as they become available