Practical Training

Recently, I needed to stop at the bank, while I was out with Kodi. I asked my husband to walk with us, so he could stand outside with Kodi while I went into the bank.

It was the first time I would try to take my power chair into the accessible entrance of the bank. They have two sets of doors with a foyer in between. The doors don’t have an automatic opener, so they present a challenge to a person in a wheelchair.

Service Dogs have to be able to enter a business or public area appropriately. They have to walk through the doors, staying out of the way of other patrons and maintain spacial awareness of the power chair. They have to be quiet, refrain from seeking attention and remain within 24 inches of the chair.

I can train Kodi to complete a number of skills at home, but wasn’t sure how I would work on training him in a public setting, as most businesses don’t fully understand the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in regard to Service Dog access, illegally disallowing professionally trained Service Dogs, let alone owner trained dogs.

As I approached the teller in the bank, another employee came out of a nearby office saying to the teller, “There’s a dog outside you would absolutely love.” The teller looked at me and said “I see you going by with your dog all the time. Why didn’t you bring him in?” I explained that he wasn’t adequately trained to behave properly and I didn’t want to make it more difficult for other Service Dog teams in the future. She asked me to bring him inside, so I called out to my husband and he brought Kodi in.

Once inside, they fawned over him, petting him, giving him 6 dog biscuit. I explained that I’m training him to be my Service Dog and anticipate not being able to take him into businesses with me until he’s at least 3 years old, much less a ‘puppy’ than he is now.

The woman offered for us to stop in, any time we walk by the bank, practicing going in and out of the doors, practicing proper behavior indoors, in close quarters with strangers.

The next time we went to the bank, I took Kodi inside. I didn’t have his backpack with his service patches on, but knew the employees were familiar with him, so I didn’t anticipate any problems. An employee from another office came out asking “What’s that dog doing in here? Only Service Dogs are allowed.” A teller spoke up for us saying he is being trained.
To protect Kodi and myself, I ordered a mesh Service Dog vest from a Service Dog Supply Co. They affixed patches to either side of the vest that say “IN TRAINING”. I attached one of his “Please don’t pet me I’m working” patches.

Today, with his vest on, the first time we’ve really been able to go out, as it’s been raining for days, we went to the bank to withdraw some money for Sidney. We were alone, so we had to maneuver the doors ourselves.

Kodi went through the first door ahead of me. He stepped to the side and waited for me, then I opened the second door and he went in ahead of me, stepping to one side. After I was inside, we went to the first teller. He tried to put his paws up on the counter, but I told him paws off and he got down. He did this a couple of times, looking for a treat, before he sat down next to my chair and quietly waited.

He whined once, knowing he would get a dog biscuit, but sat still waiting patiently, even after another customer came in behind him and walked around us.

They gave him a biscuit, which he ate, as I put my things away in my side pouch. We went out the doors in the same way we came in, with him going through first and stepping to one side, waiting on me.

I was so proud of him. He seems to always know when his vest (or backpack) is on, he’s working. He doesn’t pull, is less distracted, more attentive of me – stopping to put his paws up on my lap, kiss me, sniff me, checking on me.

We are well on our way to eventually getting ‘certified’. It’s not required by the ADA, but it helps eliminate any concerns a business establishment might have.

He continues to amaze me with his ability to learn, to serve and to care for me and my needs.