Training day has lessons for dogs and people, too

Distraction day for Kiowa and Tank was as advertised, although the two Labrador retriever puppies held their own in the crowded courtyard at Vernon Hills High School.

"Considering all the people that were here, I think he did pretty well," trainer Nick Breheny said of Kiowa. "As you can tell, he's far from perfect."

The dogs, like the students who have been helping Breheny and fellow trainer Jane Barber once a week since the beginning of the school year, are still learning.

But the lessons already have had an impact. Members of the school's Interact Club, who chose to help train and socialize the pups as a service project, have come to know the difficulty but also the value of the work.

Breheny and Barber are caretakers. The dogs, now both about 10 months old, belong to Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) and eventually will leave their care for more training and possible work as a service dog to perform daily tasks for the disabled.

"I've known they could do things but I didn't realize the capacity they have to learn," said Beisa Velasco, a senior at the school.

A recent lesson is the last with student club members until next semester. The first test is for the dogs to remain still while balls are rolled within their grasp, showing that they can follow commands despite distractions.

The dogs also are asked to drop something in the lap of a person seated in a wheelchair, which is used to familiarize them with the equipment and give the students an idea of what it's like to have physical limitations.

"I can't imagine how much they would help someone in a wheelchair," says Jenna Veren, a senior who joined the group a few weeks ago. "These dogs are amazing to work with. They're so great."

School psychologist Nancy Skeffington had the idea to link the puppy training with an after-school social project.

In a previous position at Palatine Township Elementary District 15, Skeffington and her therapy dog, Casey, visited special education classes and even helped autistic children speak, in what evolved into an animal-assisted therapy program.

Skeffington said it has been her dream to work with service dogs, which receive specialized training to help people with all types of disabilities, except blindness.

She had become familiar with CCI and some of its puppy trainers and met Breheny at an event last year. A deal was struck that would help socialize the pups and provide a unique opportunity for students.

As dogs are attuned to the age of their handler, Skeffington knew older kids would have a better chance of making an impression during training.

VHHS students already were familiar with the organization. Barber gave a talk last year and the group worked with Skeffington on two doggy treat bake sale fundraisers, according to Vesselina Pentcheva, a VHHS senior and president of the Interact Club.

Pentcheva created a committee within the club, which has about 30 members, specifically to work on dog training. About a dozen students are involved, she said.

"This was the best experience for the kids at our school," she said. "We work very closely with this organization now."

Volunteer instructors, such as Breheny of Schaumburg and Barber of Libertyville receive puppies that are 8 weeks old and keep them more than a year, teaching them about 40 commands involving basic obedience.

The dogs are then released to CCI for more training but only about 40 percent "graduate" to become service dogs, according to Barber. The cost to raise and train each dog is about $45,000.

The work takes a special person, according to Skeffington.

"They are such unsung heroes," she said. "I don't know how they do this, personally. They take (a puppy) into their homes, love it and give it up."

Barber said her involvement began 13 years ago when she was inspired by the images of service dogs on a CCI calendar. Tank is the ninth dog she has trained for the organization.

"You're going in with the mindset this isn't your dog," she said, acknowledging that it's very difficult to say goodbye.

"To have one of these dogs graduate is a very big thing. You had a part in doing something that's going to benefit somebody for the next eight to 10 years. What's better than that?"

While kids learn about training and grooming dogs, the big picture also is important.

"They learn about themselves and the needs of people with disabilities, as well as having hands-on time with the dogs," Skeffington said.

She hopes to have the students present to school and community groups to help raise awareness of the need for these dogs in our society.