If you are a Dean Koontz fan you may have noticed pictures of him with his Golden Retriever Trixie. I am reading her memoir by Koontz A Big Little Life a memoir of a joyful dog named Trixie. Trixie had an early retirement for an organization called CCI due to an injury.
Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) was founded in Santa Rosa, California in July 1975. Since that time it has grown to a national organization. CCI is a non-profit organization that trains and provides assistance dogs for people with disabilities other than blindness. CCI trains four types of dogs,service dogs (mobility assistance),skilled companions trained to work with an adult or child with a disability,hearing dogs for deaf or hearing impaired and facility teams. Facility teams are a dog and partner that have interactions with disabled both physically and emotionally. The facility dogs also have most of the skills of service dogs.
They use purebred Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers as well as a cross between the two breeds known as a LGX. The dogs go through extensive evaluation before being accepted for the breeding program. When it comes time to raise the puppies volunteers take over at 8 weeks and are responsible for the all around care and training of around 30 commands until they are 16-18 months old at which time they are turned into the CCI center for advanced training. The 6-9 month advanced training begins with more screening and if the dogs don't pass they are released from the program.
I found the whole process a testament to humanity,both of the dogs and the volunteers and staff of the program.
Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) was founded in Santa Rosa, California in July 1975. Since that time it has grown to a national organization. CCI is a non-profit organization that trains and provides assistance dogs for people with disabilities other than blindness. CCI trains four types of dogs,service dogs (mobility assistance),skilled companions trained to work with an adult or child with a disability,hearing dogs for deaf or hearing impaired and facility teams. Facility teams are a dog and partner that have interactions with disabled both physically and emotionally. The facility dogs also have most of the skills of service dogs.
They use purebred Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers as well as a cross between the two breeds known as a LGX. The dogs go through extensive evaluation before being accepted for the breeding program. When it comes time to raise the puppies volunteers take over at 8 weeks and are responsible for the all around care and training of around 30 commands until they are 16-18 months old at which time they are turned into the CCI center for advanced training. The 6-9 month advanced training begins with more screening and if the dogs don't pass they are released from the program.
I found the whole process a testament to humanity,both of the dogs and the volunteers and staff of the program.
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