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Service puppies ready to graduate

Posted on February 25, 2010February 25, 2010 by Staff

Elizabeth Jensen
Courtesy of the Carrboro Commons

Ayla, a golden retriever, can open refrigerators, flip light switches, open and close doors, help take off clothing, pick up dropped objects and phone for help. She learned these skills at Eyes Ears Nose and Paws, a training center for assistance dogs in Carrboro.

Gretchen Aylsworth is Ayla’s puppy parent. She’s seen Ayla grow and learn a lot throughout the year. But training Ayla has changed her, too, she said.

“I didn’t mean for my life to become [Eyes Ears Nose and Paws] completely, but it did,” Aylsworth said.

Director Deb Cunningham jokingly reminded her she still has time for choir practice.

“There’s a way I love this best of all,” Aylsworth said. “It’s a wonderful experience.”

The first dogs will graduate this spring and be paired with their new masters in early summer. So far, the organization has received three applications from community members who want service dogs.

“We’re looking for that point where they start to settle in and you know they’re ready,” Cunningham said. “It’s a long time coming. It’s been a lot of delayed gratification. At graduation, my spirits will probably soar.”

The first group of puppies began training about a year ago. Five dogs are in the program, which has grown to include three puppy parents and more than 20 volunteers. Small local grants and donations helped the organization get started. January 1 was the first time CEO Maria Ikenberry and Cunningham received paychecks since opening the program in 2008.

Cunningham said that Eyes Ears Nose and Paws evolved from her desire to develop helping relationships between humans and dogs. Her first dog, which went to college with her, was named J.B., for Jet Black. The dog would sneak into classroom buildings when people would open the doors, find Cunningham and lay at her feet.

“She was allowed everywhere but the library, computer center and dining hall,” Cunningham said.

Exploring new partnerships

Cunningham began training working dogs in 2001 with a dog named Finner, a black Lab from the pound whom she taught search and rescue skills. But she wanted to explore other partnerships between humans and dogs, so she attended Bergin University of Canine Studies in Santa Rosa, Calif. and received an associate degree in assistance dog training. Now helping run Eyes Ears Nose and Paws, she also trains diabetic-assistance dogs.

A diabetic-assistance dog can smell when its master’s blood sugar goes above or below the normal range. The dog is trained to nuzzle or paw its master to get attention. Sometimes blood-sugar levels drop dangerously low at night, Cunningham said. The dog will paw at its master until he or she awakes. If the master doesn’t get up, the dog will find someone else in the house; and if no one else is there, the dog will push a button on a special phone to dial for help.

Alexia Peck recently started volunteering with the organization. She co-owns Darwin K9, an obedience school for pets, and trains Nero, a German shepherd, to find dead bodies and bite on command.

She said working with service dogs is very different from other kinds of training she’s done. Walking is the biggest difference, because in other types of training the master pulls more on the leash and collar.

“It’s like retraining my muscle memory,” Peck said. “I’m used to telling the dog what to do, not showing.”

Next month, Eyes Ears Nose and Paws will grow to include two or three more puppies. Cunningham said she hopes to begin training 17 dogs this year. It’s an ambitious goal and is dependent on the number of people willing to become puppy parents.

To volunteer or get more information, visit the Eyes Ears Nose and Paws website at eenp.org and register for the mailing list or call 926-0457.

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