What Happens After I Take My Genesis Assistance Dog home?

You discussed it with your physician. You discussed it with your family.  You researched organizations and decided to apply for an assistance dog in Florida. You made it to the waiting list and waited anywhere from 3 – 5 years.  The call came.  You met your future partner.  You attended weeks of training and the two of you are working like a well-oiled machine. And then you take your brand new companion home. For many organizations that’s where the support ends. At Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. that’s where continued support begins.

You see, assistance dogs in Florida are still, well, dogs.  While they are very highly trained and capable of providing you the assistance that you are so grateful for, they will still test your limits.  They will need to receive continued reinforcement of the service they have been trained to provide in addition to learning how to fit into their new environment.

When Andrew brought Motive home there was a solid week, maybe ten days, of Motive testing the waters in this new and strange household. New people. New rules. When not working for Andrew he was (and still is) always free to roam the house; but he needed to learn boundaries.  For instance, Grandma’s room is off-limits.  It took several days of repetition of commands until he learned that he could stand at the threshold to check in on her (which he does hourly), but he wasn’t allowed to enter her room. He also had to learn that he couldn’t take a dip in the pool every time he went out to the patio and that our lab, Samantha, is up there in years and doesn’t have any desire to play or chase him around the backyard.

There were several phone calls, texts and emails to the Genesis Assistance Dogs trainer, Jen, who was always calm, reassuring, and trained Andrew how to help Mo get back on track.  As a family we learned that more often than not it’s human behavior that results in the assistance dogs in Florida to not behave as expected. Use of the same commands, either vocally or by hand signaling, must be consistently implemented.  Many organizations do not provide this continuing support and it is the distinctive Genesis difference.  Our trainer remains in close touch with our teams on an on-going basis via email, required training logs, and veterinary updates. If a specific problem arises or a new behavior is required as the clients need changes our trainer will travel to the home or workplace.

A continuing relationship with Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. has afforded Andrew the peace of mind in knowing that professional assistance is only a call away.  It has also provided a wonderful experience for Motive as he frequently gets to see his puppy raisers and has time to play and socialize with his fellow assistance dogs.  There is nothing quite as beautiful as a pack of Golden Retriever assistance dogs romping through the yard. When the teams get together it’s good for everyone to share stories of struggles and triumphs. The one thing that is most obvious is the dedication and love that exists between the assistance dogs and their companions.

So what happens when you take home your assistance dog in Florida? Your bond will grow stronger day by day, and your love will grow exponentially. You will live your life more fully and with greater independence; and with Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. you won’t ever do it alone.