I have visited The Bergin Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa five times now. Actually six, if you count the afternoon that my grandson, Will, and I rode the scooter across town to Sebastopol Avenue and peered at the puppies.
Cheryl and I have made some visits to see the dogs on a couple of Sunday afternoons. I’ve met with Cheryl Brighting, Jorgan Powers, Nancy Pierson, and was introduced to a busy Bonnie Bergin who pioneered “Service Dogs” and helped write the ADA legislation concerning access and training. She founded Canine Companions for Independence, and Bergin University for Canine Studies, both in Santa Rosa. Recently, I got a tour that included a demonstration with a dog who could push buttons, open doors, and probably a lot more.
So I have submitted an application for a facility dog.
My application is supported by letters of reference from Hal and Pat Sneath, Cindy Goede, and our daughter, Jessica. They are beautiful letters. Yesterday Nancy Pierson, who is a trainer, teacher, and also on the placement team, said that there were several applications ahead of mine. But I left feeling that my intended use of a dog to pick up where Bailey could go no further, was an appropriate use of a Bergin University trained dog.
I learned that they have four classes of dogs, and that their primary goal was to prepare service dogs to assist people with mobility impairments. These dogs are typically trained for over a year and a half, socialized, and checked for genetic issues. When they graduate they know over 90 commands, and have had weeks of training with their new owners. There are also “career change” dogs who can become facilities dogs, and social therapy dogs. The differences are explained on the Bergin University website.
http://www.assistancedog.org/our_dogs/our_dogs_and_pups.html
Nancy made sure I knew that there is a placement team that includes students and trainers who know the personalities of each of the dogs. There would likely be more interviews. If selected I would have to participate in 9 days of intense training, but in the end the dog would be capable of visiting in facilities such as hospitals and rest homes, and have papers to document its training.
As we finished, Nancy, told me about her dog that reads. Yup, reads. She has taken it to the NBC morning show, and Bonnie Bergin has had her dogs shown on CNN. “Your dog will be able to read too,” Nancy said. “All you have to do is teach her.”
You can’t be serious! But she was.
So I begin this blog with expectations and uncertainties. I don’t know their timeline, and felt that the process of getting the dog might be competitive.
Nancy told me about dogs that had visited people in hospitals who had been in comas, from which they recovered. She talked to me about dogs that visited families in which there had been tragedies, and she talked about a classroom of children where the dog was able to discover which children were receptive to love, and which still needed time.
The stories were touching, but to be honest, they “had me at hello.”
So here goes. Wish me luck.
